See what I mean about more content? You probably felt good and got up to make yourself a sandwich after reading my last post.

You know what I did while you were eating your big, fat grilled cheese sandwich? I got my butt in gear and wrote some more. And I didn’t beat myself up about making it “good”… I just got busy making it!

You see, David Foster Wallace was known for writing books that sometimes went over a thousand pages. He drove himself mad trying to find the perfect word for every genius thought.

Meanwhile, Chicken Soup for the Soul guy writes a book for everyone and he works on it probably 15 minutes total every day. Maybe 20, when he’s hitting a deadline, but he still takes weekends off. He is happy, rich and has a fully functioning neck, complete with an esophagus and larynx that still allow the passage of oxygen and food.

Who do you think is happier?

Exactly.

So, here we go: More thought-arrhea!

1. All the talk about this Socialist Obama Recession does not seem to be affecting Sun Belt fans. The merchandise table has a nice crowd, the stands are reasonably crowded and – most importantly – 40-50% of the crowd seems perfectly content to sport 30+ BMI indexes. If we truly are headed back to dark ages and girth will once again signify wealth, we should be a super conference within five years – or five trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Austin Hotel adjacent to the lovely Summit Arena in Hot Springs. Try the Waffle Boat (a dug out waffle-container filled with chocolate chips, whipped cream and fruit compote) for one of your deserts!
2. Today, North Texas took the unprecedented step of providing free transportation for students to this tournament. 18 fans ended up making the trip – and had an afternoon that will make them never forget why they enjoyed following this under-appreciated basketball team in the first place. Around 60 students signed up to make the trip last week on short notice, but 2/3rds backed out or just didn’t show. Kudos to the AD for making these trips available and kudos to the students who were able to take advantage. We can build on this!
3. There are several signs around town welcoming “race fans”. We don’t think there are any NASCAR tracks around here, and track and field season is a few months away. The only logical conclusion seems to be a Klan rally or some Caucasian race awareness bake sale.
4. Leave it to the wisest of the wise to teach us life lessons. After the game, we grabbed some fantastic pizza at Rod’s Pizza Cellar. The waiter told us that we are enjoying what sports are all about – having fun and enjoying yourself. This seemed contrary to the two versions we often see among the North Texas fan base: (1) Stick your head up your colon and pretend Sports Jesus will wave his magic hand and make your team successful through wanting it bad enough and sunshine puppy rainbows, or (2) Loathe yourself, your team, your coach and your fans while being bitter about everything – even when you win. We should win by 50!!!!! In tennis!Maybe we can get out there and find a forward-thinking Pizza guru to run OUR sports teams!
5. If you are a fan of a school that played in the freaking NCAA tournament as the first at-large team in the modern Sun Belt, you should draw more than six fans when you play your tournament game. I’m talking you, University of South Alabama. Also, your fans shouldn’t be wearing green shirts (not that we mind.)
6. Summit Arena really needs to license music beyond the late 90s. Today we were treated to repeated playings of such classics as The Macarena, the entire Backstreet Boys catalog and a pre-Lance Armstrong-tainted Sheryl Crow. All we needed to complete the time warp was a white Ford Bronco and Hal Sparks offering his unique perspective on the Monica Lewinsky trial.
7. Troy seems to pay a group of grandfather-types to help their basketball team travel, wear matching pants and generally conduct their hoops-related business. I think they are coaches, but I really only saw one guy whittling at the end of the bench while smacking on some gum and watching Wheel of Fortune. Do they care about what is going on? Are they glad to be headed home? Do they have a way to get back? I’m worried. Someone make sure the Seniorville Trolley will arrive before hotel checkout time. Hopefully, the Trojans players at least got a shiny nickel and a piece of peppermint candy as a reward for their game effort today.
8. I’ll tell you who does care: Troy’s tall, goofy radio guy. He was flailing his arms and waving with such disgust while sitting court side that we could only fantasize about how animated his broadcast was. If Alabama had a version of The Ticket that was not dedicated solely to Crimson Tide news and The Weekly Lynching Report, they would have a compelling candidate for Homer Call of the Week.
9. Finally, as you wait for the cold, dreary death march of the 2009 college football season, be thankful for what you have, North Texas fans. Namely, a nice basketball arena with side video boards that capture things likes how many points players have scored, the foul situation and other hustle stats. You’ll miss them when they are gone. Trust us
10. I saw much-maligned North Texas beat writer Brett Vito today and he smiled at me. I tried to burn him alive with my telekinesis, but something or someone here is blocking my power. I can only pray I get a clear shot tomorrow.Which reminds me that I need to buy lighter and can of hairspray before tip-off tomorrow. I always like to have a Plan B.