SoonerTraveler
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 6,651
- Reaction score
- 54
Random sights and sounds from Austin:
I flew down to Austin from OKC on Saturday morning.
I had the good fortune to stay at the team hotel on Saturday (Austin Marriott South on I-35). The team flew down to Austin on Friday since they had to make travel arrangements some time back, when the game time was still “TBA” (to be announced). If the OU team administration had known far enough ahead that the tipoff time was going to be 7PM, then they would have flown down on Saturday morning. (My GUESS is that we can blame the LHN for the DELAY in setting the actual game time.)
Based on a conversation with a member of the OU staff ... Sometime Saturday morning after breakfast, the team went to the Frank Erwin Center for a shoot-around. After their return to the hotel, the team gathered to review film of Texas, and to once again go over the game plan. The coaches try to keep it simple and focus their preparation on just a few things. For example, how do we plan to defend ball-screens in this particular game. The primary focus is on themselves, and not the opponent.
The team had their “pre-game meal” around 2-3PM. All players had rooms on the 2nd floor of the hotel (as did I) and I observed some of them taking plates of food back to their rooms.
I saw members of Austin Mankin’s family at the hotel. They are very nice folks.
I watched the OSU-KSU game in the hotel bar, but I missed the end of that game, as I went out to the back of the hotel to watch the team load onto the bus. Players filed out in ones and twos and some were wearing headphones. The bus left for the arena at about 5:15 PM. As the team loaded into the bus, their luggage was loaded into the luggage compartment. Their charted plane flight was headed back to Oklahoma right after the game.
I then headed to Congress Avenue for a very nice Italian dinner at Botticelli’s. The Insalata Foresta and the Bolognese con Gnocchi (made with venison and sweet potato gnocchi) was excellent. I have not spent much time in Austin, but it seems to be a good town for a foodie.
At the game ....
I had the good fortune to have a seat just 3 rows behind the OU bench.
I saw very few OU fans at the arena. I estimate no more than 20 or so in the area near the OU bench, including support staff members. I did see Joe Castiglione talking at length with Brian Bosworth. There were some more fans in the upper deck.
Coach Kruger is a players coach, but he can become very fiery in the heat of battle as he encourages his players in a very energetic way on the bench. When things looked bleak late in the game, he did all he could to keep the guys fired up and positive.
The UT fans were fine. If anyone said anything at all to me, it was a positive or neighborly comment. There was the usual “OU Sucks” chant during one of their fight songs, but it is nothing worse than what one would hear at the LNC when Texas comes to Norman.
Through most of the game, the Texas crowd was “laid back” and not overly loud. This changed late in the game, especially when Jordan Woodard was shooting those big free throws.
Back at the hotel after the game, there was a group of A&M fans in a sitting area in the lobby, and they offered their hearty congratulations. A couple of UT fans came into the bar area later, and they also offered their congratulations. I was surprised by the good sportsmanship of the UT fans I met.
Being a SoonerTraveler is fun, especially when you get to be there for a road win. Any road win is a very good win. I wish I could make more of these trips.
I flew down to Austin from OKC on Saturday morning.
I had the good fortune to stay at the team hotel on Saturday (Austin Marriott South on I-35). The team flew down to Austin on Friday since they had to make travel arrangements some time back, when the game time was still “TBA” (to be announced). If the OU team administration had known far enough ahead that the tipoff time was going to be 7PM, then they would have flown down on Saturday morning. (My GUESS is that we can blame the LHN for the DELAY in setting the actual game time.)
Based on a conversation with a member of the OU staff ... Sometime Saturday morning after breakfast, the team went to the Frank Erwin Center for a shoot-around. After their return to the hotel, the team gathered to review film of Texas, and to once again go over the game plan. The coaches try to keep it simple and focus their preparation on just a few things. For example, how do we plan to defend ball-screens in this particular game. The primary focus is on themselves, and not the opponent.
The team had their “pre-game meal” around 2-3PM. All players had rooms on the 2nd floor of the hotel (as did I) and I observed some of them taking plates of food back to their rooms.
I saw members of Austin Mankin’s family at the hotel. They are very nice folks.
I watched the OSU-KSU game in the hotel bar, but I missed the end of that game, as I went out to the back of the hotel to watch the team load onto the bus. Players filed out in ones and twos and some were wearing headphones. The bus left for the arena at about 5:15 PM. As the team loaded into the bus, their luggage was loaded into the luggage compartment. Their charted plane flight was headed back to Oklahoma right after the game.
I then headed to Congress Avenue for a very nice Italian dinner at Botticelli’s. The Insalata Foresta and the Bolognese con Gnocchi (made with venison and sweet potato gnocchi) was excellent. I have not spent much time in Austin, but it seems to be a good town for a foodie.
At the game ....
I had the good fortune to have a seat just 3 rows behind the OU bench.
I saw very few OU fans at the arena. I estimate no more than 20 or so in the area near the OU bench, including support staff members. I did see Joe Castiglione talking at length with Brian Bosworth. There were some more fans in the upper deck.
Coach Kruger is a players coach, but he can become very fiery in the heat of battle as he encourages his players in a very energetic way on the bench. When things looked bleak late in the game, he did all he could to keep the guys fired up and positive.
The UT fans were fine. If anyone said anything at all to me, it was a positive or neighborly comment. There was the usual “OU Sucks” chant during one of their fight songs, but it is nothing worse than what one would hear at the LNC when Texas comes to Norman.
Through most of the game, the Texas crowd was “laid back” and not overly loud. This changed late in the game, especially when Jordan Woodard was shooting those big free throws.
Back at the hotel after the game, there was a group of A&M fans in a sitting area in the lobby, and they offered their hearty congratulations. A couple of UT fans came into the bar area later, and they also offered their congratulations. I was surprised by the good sportsmanship of the UT fans I met.
Being a SoonerTraveler is fun, especially when you get to be there for a road win. Any road win is a very good win. I wish I could make more of these trips.
Last edited:
