We know these are meant as a tribute to Lady Bird Johnson, but the bluebonnet decals on the Longhorn football helmets are kinda, well, less than manly. At least that’s the verdict among a lot of Longhorn fans in cyberspace. In the words of one commenter on the Austin American-Statesman’s Bevo Beat: “it’s gay.” Over on Hornfans.com, another poster just hoped the flowers “weren’t pink.”
Head coach Mack Brown — perhaps a little giddy from the $300,000 raise he just got from the UT Board of Regents — thinks the decals are a fitting tribute to the whole Johnson family. “Because President Johnson has meant so much to our state, our country and our University, and Lady Bird is our First Lady who we just lost, and the Johnson family who has meant so much to all of us, we are going to put a wildflower in their honor on the back of our helmets for the full year,” Brown said in a statement.
Whatever you say, Mack. For future reference, though, can you please issue statements that aren’t run-on sentences?
Now that we’ve got this matter of aesthetics out of the way, it’s time to talk football. Just three days to go until the Horns face off against Arkansas State, which has a great name for a mascot: the Indians. Actually, ASU has agreed to change its name and is currently accepting ideas for a new mascot.
Too bad bluebonnets aren’t native to Arkansas. – Russell Cobb
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2007.
