SWC Game of the Week: Houston at Rice

Welcome to the 2006 edition of the Southwest Conference Game of the Week! This week’s match-up is the University of Houston Cougars visiting the Rice Owls for the Bayou Bucket.

Rice opens the Todd Graham era after a disappointing 2005 season that ended with head coach Ken Hatfield resigning. Rice finished last year 1-10 and looks to rebound with a new offensive system. Instead of the run oriented wishbone, run by Hatfield, Todd Graham will install a spread offense with lots of passes. The player to watch for Rice will be QB Chase Clement.

Houston meanwhile has high hopes in 2005 and a run at the Conference USA title. Head Coach Art Briles enters his 4th year after leading the Cougars to a 6-6 2005 season, ending in a disappointing loss to Kansas in the Fort Worth Bowl. Senior QB Kevin Kolb, a 4 year starter, is the active NCAA leader in total offense, passing yards, pass completions and total plays.

One interesting note, both coaches have coached Texas High School football, Graham at Allen High Schol and Briles at Stephenville High School.

UH joined the SWC in 1972 while Rice University was a charter member in 1914. UH won the first meeting in 1971 23-21 at Rice Stadium in front on 62,000 fans. UH beat Rice last year 35-13 with Rice last winning in 2004 10-7. On December 1st, 1995, Rice and Houston played the last SWC football game, with Houston winning 18-17. They started playing for the “Bayou Bucket” in 1974 and Houston leads the all time series 21-8. Below is an exert from the Rice Media Guide about the history of the Bayou Bucket.

FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...
When Fred Curry, a Rice guard during the Jess Neely era, became president of the Houston Touchdown Club in 1974, the blue blood in his veins began to surface. He wanted to do something to build some interest in the Rice-University of Houston football series.

“We need something to symbolize the rivalry with some kind of object,” he told Phil Gemmer, the immediate past president, “but I
don’t know what it would be.”

“Well,” said the innovative Gemmer, “Purdue and Indiana play for the Old Oaken Bucket. It was a tradition before the Four Horsemen.”

“You got it,” responded Curry triumphantly. “We’ll have a bucket and design a trophy.”

Gemmer agreed that it was a super idea and laid the project in Curry’s lap. Curry’s work was just beginning when he put the package together. First, he got the approval of UH’s Bill Yeoman and Rice’s Al Conover, the head coaches at the time at the two schools. Then it had to be cleared through the club’s board of directors.

“I had a meeting of the board at my home,” recalls Curry, “and we kicked around 60 or 70 names trying to find something that would rhyme with bucket. “Finally Del Womack said, ‘What is Houston noted for?’ I said, ‘Dirty bayous.’ Bayou Bucket, perfect name.”

The scene shifted to New Braunfels in the summer of 1974. The Currys were on vacation and browsing around antique shops. A big, beat-up bucket caught Curry’s eye. At $60, Curry thought he got a bargain. He took it to a local trophy shop, drew a picture of what he wanted, and gave instructions to smooth out some of the creases. Buck Sloan, who owned the business and was himself a Rice man, painstakingly built the Bayou Bucket on an ornate base and threw in some added embellishments. The total cost: $310.


Note: This story on the Bayou Bucket was written by Jack Agness and appeared in the Houston Post . Agness, who covered Rice for the Post until his
retirement in 1984, passed away in 1994. The Post ceased publication in April1995.

Other Notable SWC games this week:
TCU @ Baylor
SMU @ Texas Tech

Rebuild New Orleans??

So, should they rebuild New Orleans? This is another point addressed in the article referenced two blogs ago.

Yes. The fact is the civil engineering of the levees worked, or should have worked. They failed because of faulting design and construction. But the water did not go over them. The residents were right to trust the levees. They should have worked.

Now, why put a city below sea level. Well, not all of New Orleans is below sea level, and some of New Orleans that flooded was above sea level. New Orleans itself is not in swamp country, that is farther south. Now, the levees built upstream and ecological impacts along the Mississippi River (all the way to Minn.) is another debate that doesn't, in my opinion, include having a city where New Orleans is located.

Why build cities in California? The threat of a major earthquake exists everyday, without warning that a hurricane gives. The devastation from "the big one" in a city such as San Francisco or LA is devastating. But yet we trust engineers to design buildings that are safe if an earthquake hits.

Miami sits, waiting for a destruction of a hurricane. A hurricane could hit Houston and knock out oil and gas production that fuels much of this country.

The debate reminds me of a time in college when they were going to build a tunnel under a road and railroad track to ease the walk from one side of campus to the other. The thought was it would fill up with water when it rains. We laughed, thinking, umm, we can design tunnels to drain. Engineering can protect cities to a certain extent. The tragedy of New Orleans is the protection system was not overcome by mother nature, but failed due to faulty engineering.

Crescent City Update

Since there is some debate about race in New Orleans and Katrina, here is the quote from the article referenced...

You may also think that poor, black New Orleanians constituted the majority of victims killed by the Corps’ incompetence. In fact, white and black, rich and poor, New Orleanians shared equally in the suffering and death. The last published tally I saw showed that whites and blacks died in roughly the same proportion. If that is accurate, given that the population of the city in the last census was only 28-percent white, white New Orleanians died in proportionately higher numbers.

Hope that clears it up.

Crescent City

You probably can't read this as it is a Times Select article, but John Biguenet is doing a blog of sorts. He is writing articles about moving back into his home in New Orleans after the flood. He has it right when he says that what destroyed New Orleans wasn't a hurricane, but the US Army Corp of Engineers.

The flood waters did not come over the levees, the levees failed. As a civil engineer I think this is deplorable. A failure of a civil engineering structure has destroyed a city and countless lives. Why isn't ASCE or other national civil engineering organizations speaking out on this? How was the Corp allowed to make a mistake? What part of their mistake was bad engineering, bad management, or bad construction? What part of the design was subbed out to other firms? What part did budget play in design decisions?

Will we have these answers? If a building fell down would there be more outrage of the failure of the engineering?

SWC

Remember the Southwest Conference? For 81 years (1914-1996) it was the conference for most of the major colleges in Texas. Members included Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, and Texas Tech. The league started to break apart when Arkansas left for the SEC in 1992, then disbanded completely in 1996 when Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech joined the Big 8 to become the Big 12.

I grew up watching the SWC Game of the Week on Raycom Sports. Of course the season was highlighted on Jan. 1st and the Cotton Bowl game featuring the league champion. I'll honestly say that I'd rather watch a match up of former SWC foes than Kansas vs. Nebraska. I have no connection to the old Big 8 teams in the Big 12. (even though Oklahoma and Oklahoma St were charter members of the SWC before leaving just a few years later.)

Well, this year, I plan on having a SWC Game of the Week, hosted here on this blog. Look next week for the first matchup. Just one more weekend without football!

Thoughts from Vacation

I'll share some thoughts from our vacation while they are still fresh. We were two nights in Boston, 3 nights in Southwest Harbor in Acadia, Maine, and 3 nights in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Acadia National Park is awesome, Boothbay Harbor is a tourist trap. Anyway, I didn't think of any of y'all for a week, so HA!

• The girl in the room next to us in Boston, nice performance. We could still hear you down the hall at the elevator.
• The North End of Boston sucks. Apparently Italian food is a new thing in Boston. We didn't eat any as we got fed up and walked back to McCormick and Schmidt.
• Boston is small.
• There are alot of fat people out there traveling the roads.
• The Atlantic Ocean in Maine is like ice water. It hurts your feet. That's all that got in.
• I really enjoy hiking. (No one else in my family does, but I do.)
• There is no end to the amount of crap people will buy because they are on vacation.
• There is one store in Maine that repeats itself in every Maine town.
• Dinner reservations should not be required when dining in Boothbay Harbor.
• If you want a lobster, go to a lobster pound, cheap and relaxed.
• Lobster is over-rated. (They used to feed it to prisoners and only poor people ate it.)
• Lesbians enjoy Maine. (I'm guessing, but there's lots of them up there.)
• People at B&B's will talk to you to hear themselves talk at breakfast. Best to eat isolated, outside.
• I think our innkeeper killed his first wife and stuffed her somewhere. (I've seen Misery.)
• The Mass. Turnpike sucks. SUCKS! 45 minutes to go 15 miles westbound today when we bailed out. In the middle of no where. SUCKS! We were o.k. coming into Boston on Friday afternoon, but not going west on Sat. afternoon. I hate the Red Sox now because of the Mass. Turnpike.
• Tolls really slow down interstate traffic. Something should be done about this. Why does it work in NJ but not elsewhere in the NE?
• Texans, get ready for toll roads.
• The Mass. Turnpike is ridiculous stretch of road. Do people do that every weekend?
• We are learning our way around NYC, which is pretty remarkable considering we've driven in the city like 5 times. We took a detour today, in the Bronx! It was like Bonefire of the Vanities.
• Friday quitting time at the Bath Iron Works is quite the site.
• Cool things people in Maine say, "wicked for very", "Bah Hahbah for Bar Harbor"
• Maine people really aren't that friendly.

It was a nice trip. If you are going to Maine and you want my opinion, feel free to drop me a line. I'd avoid I-90, i.e. Mass Turnpike, westbound if you can.

Heat Wave, NYC Style

So, as I'm sure y'all have heard, we have had a "heat wave" here in NY. We did not get over 100, despite forecasts for 104 some days. Tuesday we were 95, Wednesday 97 and today 98. Hot, but for someone from Texas, not that hot.

I've made some observations about this heat wave from the perspective of someone that grew up in an area that is this hot for 3 months, not 3 days. First, power shortages. I can't believe that when it gets above 95 Coned can't keep the power on. Ridiculous. I worked this afternoon in the dark. The turned off the lights at work to conserve energy. Ridiculous. At the Yankee game they turned off the out of town scoreboard, and they haven't been lighting up the Empire State Building. Second, this demonstrates that it is not news, until it happens in NY. We watch Good Morning America while we get ready in the morning. California has had terrible heat for about a month now. They would mention this on GMA. But 3 days of hot in NY brings out the doctors with tips to stay cool, anchors on the sidewalks confirming that it is indeed hot, sympathy for workers that work outside, and no other news, such as the wars in the Middle East.

That being said, nothing is like NYC when it is close to 100. It is miserable. You see in Dallas when it was hot, we just didn't go outside except to go to the pool. But when you live in the city, you walk everywhere, outside. The subway stations are like ovens. (Over used analogy I know, but they are extremely hot and uncomfortable.) On our way to and from the Yankee game last night we walked through the "lower income" neighborhood that is two blocks over and they had a hydrant open and were playing in it. Before and after the game. It looked like fun. Everyone was sitting on their steps at 10 PM. That's another difference, window a/c and some folks have no a/c.

So, a NYC heat wave is ridiculous and yet unique. I guess that describes all of NYC.

Church Person

Today at Church was one pastors last sermon. Mrs. Bubba and I are glad this person is leaving, we don't care for this person. Does that make us bad Christians? I tend to disagree with this person's, shall we say, Biblical interpretations and I'm not too keen on this person's politics. But I also think I should have no clue about this person's politics by just listening to this person from the pulpit. I don't want to be preached to about political things. Just the Bible. I'm old fashioned.

Aggie Baseball

One more sports, o.k. two if you count the soccer update, but that is more about racism and how people react to things than sports.

Former Aggie Baseball Coach Mark Johnson has a new job. He has been named the head coach at Sam Houston State University. While at A&M his won / loss record was 876-433. Of the 272 players that went through the A&M baseball program while he was head coach, 227 of them graduated. That's 84%. If you count the 25 more that are on their way to their degree, the percentage climbs to 93%.

Man, I'm glad A&M got rid of that guy...

Sports World

First soccer. So the French dude, Zidane, head butts his way out of the World Cup Final. Why? Well, it appears the Italian dude, Materazzi, called him a name. What is funny about this story is the media spin, it is apparently o.k. to head butt your way out of the World Cup Final if provoked by name calling. What happened to "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?"

Next baseball. So, Bud Selig (baseball devil) decides that the All-Star game should be important and it will determine home field advantage for the World Series. We won't go into how the All-Star game is not decided by the best All-Stars, who have started and have been pulled by the late innings. So, in said really important All-Star game they take a break so baseball devil can stand at a podium at home plate and talk about Roberto Clemente. Nothing against Clemente, but is this really the place for that, in the middle of a really important game for two teams in that will play a little thing called the World Series in October? Is this an exibition or is it an important game? Come on baseball devil, make up your mind.

UPDATE ON SOCCER:
Kevin Blackistone, of the Dallas Morning News writes:

If soccer believes, as do many of its fans, that Zidane's expulsion from the biggest game cost France the 2006 World Cup trophy, the game should even consider stripping Italy of the golden award.

In fact, if fair play is as integral to soccer as the corner kick – what with the traditions such as a team voluntarily stopping play when an opponent goes down in pain – Italy should even consider surrendering the most coveted award.

But he has a history of "playing the race card." I still think that the only reason it was said was to bait someone into doing something stupid that would get them red carded. It worked. What happened to rising above someone calling you a "dirty" name? I don't think you should have to forfeit a game because one of your players called someone else a dirty name. Aren't we all adults?

Still the Land of Opportunity...

Mrs. Bubba and I were flying back from Dallas on Sunday and took a cab home from LGA. Our Cabbie was from Bangladesh and had been in the US for 25 years and was a citzen. He lived with his wife and two school aged kids in a studio apartment, that's one room. He knew our flight was from Dallas and was quizing us on Dallas. How much was rent there? Was it 110 degrees everyday? What do you pay for electricity running your a/c all the time? What would a factory job pay there? What was the cabbie business like there? He had two friends that moved from NY, one to Dallas, one to Atlanta that were telling him how easier life was down south.

This made both of us thankful for what we have. But it also reinforced that despite what the doomsday folks say, this is still a country of opportunity. He said that he wished he had a college degree but it was tough for first generation immigrants to get a degree. He was sending money home when he first moved here.

We also found it interesting that he felt that he could have an easier life for hime and his family by moving to Texas, our home state. We hear so much about how NY is the melting pot and people move here from all over to live the American dream. But just like us, they are finding a city that is too expensive to live in and real opportunity lies elsewhere in this country. This man was also not concerned with racism in the South or not being welcomed.

So, on this July 4th lets celebrate our Independence and celebrate the fact that America is still a place where people come to make life better for them and their families. Not just in NY, but over the entire country.

World Cup

If the US wins the World Cup, fat chance, the whole world should have to call the sport "soccer" for 4 years.

Thanksgiving Night

ESPN is reporting that ABC will telecast a prime time college football game every Saturday night. ABC also controls the annual A&M vs. t.u. football game, as they want to broadcast it nationally Friday after Thanksgiving in the afternoon. This is a perfect time to move the game back to Thanksgiving Night, the way it should be played, and ABC can telecast it. You will never convince me that they can sell a Friday after Thanksgiving afternoon telecast over a Thanksgiving night telecast.

Cello's and Hot Dogs

One of the great things about living in New York is the different things you can do. Wednesday night we went to the Yankees vs. Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium and last night we went to Yo Yo Ma at the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. Both events were fun, although different. No one got thrown out of the symphony.

Yo Yo Ma plays a cello from the 1700's. I was thinking it would be cool if his cello was like Willie Nelson's guitar. For instance it had a hole in it and everyone he had played with signed it. That'd be cool.

Back to baseball, I can't decide if the fans care more about the game or about being obnoxious.

Jarrin' John

John Kimbrough passed away this week in Haskel, TX, his hometown. Mrs. Bubba's graddadder, who passed away in Feb. was also from Haskel and he knew John, but wasn't running buddies with him.

Anyway, he was an Aggie legend and played on A&M's only national championship team in 1939. Mickey Herskowitz has a great column in the Houston Chronicle about Jarrin' John and SWC football back in the 1930's.

"Yankees"

So, Mrs. Bubba and I went to our first Yankee game of the season last night. We get an 8 game mini pack for weeknights. Last night we remembered how much fun April baseball is in NY, cold and rainy. We snuck down to covered seats when it started raining. But before we went we witnessed what is sad about "yankee" "fans." A group of "cool" guys in front of us starting chanting, "Boston Sucks" to another fan with a Red Sox hat. This is all pretty typical. Then they started chanting "Asshole" when the fan with the Red Sox hat held it back for them to see. Also, I've seen it before. But, in this case, the Red Sox fan was 10 years old. Pretty sad. The ushers did come and say something to them.

On the way home we saw a rat in the subway, not uncommon either. Then we walked down our new street in the UWS (we've moved since last season.) On our way home we saw maybe 10 street rats, most of them running across our paths just before us. We don't see many so called street rats. So that was fun.

Terrorist

From the John Irving novel, Hotel New Hampshire, "The terrorist and the pornographer are in it for the means. The means is everything for them."

Texas Independence, Screw Mexico

Thursday, March 2nd, was Texas Independence Day. This date in 1836 the Texans at Washington on the Brazos signed the Declaration of independence from Mexico. Recently Houston got an MLS soccer team and they named it 1836, the year Houston was founded. This is also the year of Texas Independence. But, it depends that the "Hispanics" are upset by that name.

Last month, the team decided to drop 1836 because its connection to the year Texas gained independence from Mexico offended some Hispanics.

I don't know why anyone from Central American would be offended by Texas winning independence from Mexico, so let's just call them Mexicans.

Let me list the ways this upsets me:

1. Can you imagine the British being "offended" by 1776?
2. If it wasn't for Texas Independence and joining the United States 9 years later, do you think there would be a steady stream of Mexicans crossing the border to live in Texas because it offers them and their families a better opportunity in life?
3. Did they forget the "Hispanics" or Tejanos that fought along side the Anglos in 1836?
4. Why aren't they offended that Santa Anna, a ruthless dictator who ended his life in jail in Mexico, killed everyone at the Alamo and then burned the bodies?
5. Why aren't the offended that Santa Anna was with a whore when Sam Houston attacked at San Jacinto on April 21st, 1836?

This is ridiculous and it has been going on for a while now. Look, Texans are proud people and like it or not these events shaped Texas and made it what it is today. They have a place being celebrated. I would accuse them of being sore losers, except no one was born when this happened and they are benefiting from the result.

Johnny Cash

Katie and I finally saw "Walk the Line" last night. It was great. The performances were great as well. I also received from Katie for my Valentine a new Johnny Cash CD, "My Mother's Hymn Book." It is Johnny Cash and a guitar singing old hymns and gospel songs. I love these old hymns and have decided I want only old Southern Hymns and Spirituals sung at my funeral. (Katie doesn't want to talk about my funeral.)

Anyway, I'm a big Cash fan and wanted to be Johnny Cash when I was growing up. No joke. If you haven't seen the movie, go see it.

Cooler Head's

Sorry for more of the same, but this story just keeps getting more and more ridiculous.

A Pakistani cleric announced a $1 million bounty for killing a cartoonist who drew the Prophet Muhammad as thousands joined street protests after Friday prayers.