It's only a game

"There's life and death. This is only football." OSU Football coach Mike Gundy

I'm sure you might be a little tired of reading about football and OSU, well bare with me because of all things I have to say about football and my Alma Mater, this might be the most important one yet.

It's quite obvious I don't know a ton about football, I don't really understand the BCS (who does really), I also still think it's a great idea to some how incorporate that yellow line on to the field.

One thing I am sure of, is that I went to a damn good university. I BLEED orange. I love my team when we are winning and when we are not winning. I love them through good and I love them through bad...bad such as tragedies of losing more of our OSU family to a fatal plane crash and to losing hope of a national championship game and a Heisman trophy winner.

I am sure most of the nation has heard by now,if you read my post on Friday you would know, that OSU suffered the unspeakable...yet again. Our women's basketball coach, Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna, along with two others, lost their lives late last Thursday night in a plane crash. This is the second time my OSU family has suffered such a loss. Ten years ago, we lost members of our basketball team and OSU staff to a plane crash in Colorado.

Then Friday night happened. A team that hadn't seen a loss all season, a team that had chances at a National Championship title, a team that had a candidate for the Heisman trophy...a team that wanted to play for all of us, who wanted to play for Coach Budke and Coach Serna. A team that for the firs time saw all those hopes and dreams disappear. A team, I'll admit, didn't play to the best of our potential, but a team that I love nonetheless.

 I am truly proud to call my self an Oklahoma State alum, yes we lost a football game, yes there were mistakes, yes dreams have been crushed...but at the end of the day...it's just a football game. When our boys flew home that night, they were greeted by 200 or so fans dressed in orange at two in the morning. It was a bittersweet moment. Even though we lost and there shouldn't have been any celebrating, fans were there, waiting for a safe return home of our boys. Greeting them at the gate, singing our Alma Mater.

Proud and immortal Bright Shines Your Name Oklahoma State We Herald Your Fame Ever You'll Find Us Loyal and True To Our Alma Mater

O.S.U.

These are the reasons I love my school, these are the reasons that no matter how successful we are at a sport, I will always be a cowboy. Yes, it's great for everyone to jump on the school that's winning. Which this happens a lot in this state, people joining the band wagon, however that is another blog for another day.

I recently saw this floating around on facebook and when I read it, I thought no words have ever been more true.

Orange is that day that you moved into the dorms as a freshman w/ lines for the elevator. It’s meeting those friends that would stick with you for life. It’s remembering those dorm buildings, even though they may not be there anymore.It’s wearing orange the Friday before the first game & every Friday after that. It’s KUR...T BUDKE, MIRANDA SERNA, Barry Sanders, John Smith, Garth Brooks, Mike Gundy, ......Eddie Sutton… it’s you and me. Orange is putting your arm around the shoulder of the stranger next to you to sing the Alma Mater. It’s making the switch to saying “Power” instead of “Orange.” It’s remembering Lewis Field & admiring Boone Pickens Stadium. It’s knowing that it’s left hand up to make an “S.” Orange is when it’s good for a Cowboy First Down and Ten. Orange is Pistols Firing – Touchdown Oklahoma State. It’s “...O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A Oklahoma STATE” no matter where you are when the state song is played. It’s the big smile on your face when you walk past the orange fountain. It’s going back to the place you worked in college & remembering it as the best job you ever had even though it paid the least. It’s a cabinet full of Joe’s cups. Orange is knowing that it’s time to go home when you hear “New York, New York” or “Shoulda Been a Cowboy.” Orange is the one you tried to let down easy & the one you’ll never forget. Orange is wanting to get out of Stillwater after four years & spending the rest of your life wanting to go back.

I'm proud to be a cowboy...loyal and true.

P.S. So who wants to tell me how to re-tweet...I promise I am not ignoring you when you tweet me, I just apparently don't know what I am doing. Who knew tweeting would be so difficult.

Have a good Monday loves