For over a hundred years, there has been a rivalry between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma. For the most part, this has been a healthy rivalry that is enjoyed by the residents of both states. However, it looks like some people take the rivalry far too seriously.
Last month, a 53 year-old man in Oklahoma City attacked another man in a bar, because the other man was wearing a University of Texas shirt. The man had to be hospitalized after the beating. A witness and the bartender both said the 53 year-old verbally abused the younger man about 20 minutes over the shirt, and then launched an unprovoked attack upon him.
The 53 year-old was a federal government employee and a deacon in his church (although he doesn't seem a very good christian). I can only assume he'll lose both posts after this violent outburst -- he certainly should.
What on earth made him think it was OK to attack someone over such an insignificant thing? I was born in Texas and love to cheer for the 'horns when the two schools meet. But having lived in North Texas most of my life, I'm used to seeing OU shirts and bumper stickers. It certainly never occurred to me that these people should be beaten and hospitalized because they support a different school.
In fact, this kind of foolishness takes the fun out of the rivalry. I can only hope that this fool is an aberration, and that there aren't many like him. But I fear that there are others like him on both sides of the Red River.
What kind of society have we created where a man can be attacked over a shirt?
What the hell is he doing in a bar in oklahoma with a tea-sip shirt on?
ReplyDeleteAnd taking abuse for 20 minutes? he should have left.
And the 53 year old, should be a federal employee anymore. I would also throw him out of the christian club.