The John Pickens story continues - University of TEXAS

or THE University as my dad liked to call it. There are fans and then there are fans. My dad was a fan - a serious fan. He loved all things UT. He loved the school, he loved the academics, he loved the coaches, he loved the teachers, he loved people who loved UT, he loved the sports.

My mom and dad met at UT. Half of my family went to UT - I had no choice of where to go to school BUT to go to UT. That included my friends and if they did not got to UT then they were subjected to a lifelong ridicule of the school they chose, especially if that school was A&M. (right Shannon?) Dad was active and read all blogs, magazines and books related to UT.

When I say dad loved the academics, I mean that he loved to tell me where Texas ranked with every single school and class. When I was accepted into Harvard for college my father who had it in his head that I would attend business school just said "no - why would I pay to send you to Harvard with UT has the top 5 business school in the nation" When I expressed any interest in going into a profession where UT was not the top ranked, such as Veterinarian school (which would have made me an Aggie if I stayed in state) my father blew off the school and profession as unworthy. "why would you want to be a vet? you would have to go to A&M to be vet"

When I say he loved people who loved UT that means you didn't have to even go to UT just love it as much as he did. He loved to tell me all of the movie stars, politicians, writers and inventors who went to UT or were honorary members of UT and his best friend was Stewart who also wore a UT shirt every day and named his photography company after UT.

When I say he loved Texas sports I mean he loved ALLLLLLLLLLL the sports. Not just UT Football, but basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, fencing, underwater basket weaving - anything and every thing. He knew all the players and all the ranks of all of the teams.

Yes he was mostly obsessed with UT football. He knew all of the high school football players who were being recruited by UT, he knew all of the players on the team even the ones on the bench and he "watched" every single game ever played ever. When I say "watched" I put it in quotes because he was not actually ever able to watch a single game from start to finish. He could basically watch as long as they were winning and doing well. As soon as one thing went wrong he either turned the channel of the TV or radio or turned it off or if we were at the game he would walk out of the stadium. If they were losing then forget it we wouldn't even stay to the end of the game we would just leave.

I remember more than once as a kid being forced to leave a game under protest from the entire family because Texas was losing. The worst offense was New Years Eve of 1999 when Texas played Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. ON BOURBON STREET! Texas lost that game and it was obvious after halftime that they were not going to recover. My father made us LEAVE BOURBON STREET on NEW YEARS EVE!!!!! I was 20 years old! I wanted nothing more than to party on Bourbon street but my father marched us all to the car against all protests and DROVE us back home to Texas. My mother around 11:30 PM yelled at my father and said "I AM NOT SPENDING NEW YEARS IN THIS CAR!" so my father yelled "FINE" and pulled over to a SHONEY'S, yes SHONEY'S in the middle of nowhere and that is where we spent New Years Eve of 1999 in a Shoney's in the middle of nowhere eating all you can eat bacon all because the Horns lost the Sugar Bowl.

I know the name of every head coach that has coached football at the University of Texas because my dad would burn his name into my brain. Darryl K. Royal was the coach and God to my father. That who coached when my dad was there and took Texas to two consecutive national championships. Fred Acres is the coach who followed Darryl and my childhood memories are filled the screams of "G-- DAMN THAT FRED ACRES!!!!!" because he led them on a losing streak that would last until the end of my dad's life. I will always remember Mac Brown because he came after Fred Acres and dad called him the "orange Jesus" because he was sure that this was the man to lead Texas to Victory.

My dad died on August 27th. About a week before Texas was to play their first game of the season. Before my dad died we had plans to attend that game with him - so although only a week had passed since his death we knew he would have wanted us to be there. So yes we went to that game and Texas WON! Not only did they win that game but they would go on to win every game that year and go undefeated and win the National Championship in California. Yes we went to the National Championship too. I couldn't believe that Texas finally won after so many years without a National Championship. I had to believe dad had something to do with it though and God bless Mac Brown for making it happen!

Dad wore a University of Texas emblem somewhere on his clothes every single day of his adult life. Every single day. He had plenty of T-Shirts with Texas on them but he also had a plethora (my dad's favorite word) of polo shirts with the Texas symbol and button down shirts with the Texas symbol. When he got sick he wore a UT sweatsuit every single day. So when we died and they asked us what we though he wanted to be buried in we had to give them a UT sweatsuit. His coffin was draped with the American Flag and the University of Texas flag right next it to it (dad loved to tell everyone how the Texas State flag is the only flag in the US allowed to fly at the same height has the American Flag) and mom ordered all orange and white flowers for his funeral. Willie Nelson sang his version of "Amazing Grace". He didn't want a funeral but as mom said funerals are for the living and if he had to design one I am sure that would have been exactly what he wanted.

Hook 'Em Horns