THE RIVALRY OF RIVALS

 

It was a lovely late lunch with a friend this past Saturday at a local restaurant. As we requested, they seated us in the bar area to watch the Texas/Texas Tech game. My undergraduate degree is from UT (Southwestern Med School, School of Health Sciences). He has an undergraduate degree and a law degree from Texas Tech. I might add that we're politically on opposite sides, but we avoid that topic most of the time. He can't help himself sometimes, which triggers me, and I dislike him until the heat of the moment passes. I think he enjoys goading me.  Surely someone seemingly as intelligent as he would agree with me in all things meaningful.  Not. a. chance.

 

He frequently predicted that Tech would win throughout the first two quarters, even though Tech was behind at halftime. His crestfallen face after each point made by UT belied his overconfidence. I have to admit that I relished those moments!

 

We soon parted ways, and I figured this would be the last of our conversation for the day. I was wrong. Soon, he was calling me every few minutes to announce that Tech was scoring. My TV wasn't on because political debates and football games make me too anxious to watch at a certain point. Instead, I prefer to read about the aftermath of such events the next day.

 

He was in full bragging mode that Tech would be victorious when he announced the score with a few minutes left on the clock. The insufferable game would soon be over. Hallelujah.

I had begun to hate him.

 

It wasn't long before he called to tell me that Texas had won in overtime with a score of 63 to 56.

 

I might like him again.

 

Hook 'em.


UPDATE:

My tormentor invited me to go with him to the Alabama/A&M game a week later. He has an affinity for Alabama because he was born there, so he follows Alabama football closely. I'm always up for an adventure, but there was an enormous catch to this particular invitation. I would have to divvy up $600 for the ticket, pay for my own room, and split meals/gas. I might be old and independent, but when I'm invited on a trip by a person of the opposite sex who "adores" me, I don't expect to shell out over $1400 for a game for which I have absolutely zero interest. No, thank you. Plus, as if it weren't bad enough that we are on opposite ends of the political divide, he thinks the pandemic is a hoax. He also believes that he's immune to the virus since he took hydroxychloroquine over 50 years ago. And---he refuses to wear a mask. There was no upside to traveling to Alabama with this lunatic, although he's an excellent writer and a colorful character. Those might be his only good traits.
The Alabama/A&M game didn't start until 2:00PM, and the Texas/TCU game started at 11:00 AM. I'm trying to forget how many times he called me during the Texas/TCU game to tell me we were losing, but it was too many times. It mattered not that he was sitting in the middle of the Alabama stadium while he gave me updated reports on the Texas game.
Texas lost by 2 points.
I haven't spoken to him since last Saturday.  

I think I hate him.
Hook 'em, anyway.

 


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