Growing up in central Oklahoma, within minutes from Norman, Oklahoma, I am a huge fan of the University of Oklahoma. Specifically, their football team. Life was no better than sitting in a stadium with 80,000 screaming fans watching OU destroy an opponent on a Saturday afternoon. I used to joke with a really good pastor friend, that I was raised to believe that heaven was a hundred yard patch of grass in Norman, Ok, while Hell was a hundred yard patch of grass in Austin, Tx. As the lyrics to their fight song say, " Sooner born, and Sooner bred, and when I die, I'll be a Sooner dead," that is exactly me. Being a Sooner fan, you couldn't get anyone better than Barry Switzer. Barry was the head coach of OU from 1973 to 1988. He was as loud, charismatic, and unapologetic as they come. He guided the Sooners to 4 national championships in 73, 74, 77, and in 85. To me, he was as close to God as you could get on Earth. As the Pope is to Catholics, Barry Switzer was to me. It was always God, Barry, and family in that order. His wishbone offense destroyed many other teams, as well as the hope and dreams of many opposing fans as well. I watched OU win by 1 point or I even watched them in 1987, I think, kill Missouri 77 - 0! They did their best to win every game. They would always find a way to win games when no one else said they could. We called that, "Sooner Magic!" Nothing better than OU football in the 80's! When you yell,"Boomer!" I yell,"Sooner!" that's just the way it was.
Barry Switzer had such a knack for words, it made it entertaining to watch him. He told things like it was. The more honest he was with people, the more I liked him. He was famous for a lot of his quotes regarding the team they were playing week in, week out. My most favorite quote was a statement he made and he tried his darnedest to live up to the expectation every week. It was, "Hang a Half a Hundred on Em'." When he led his team out of the tunnel on every game day, you had to be ready, if not, his goal was to score 50 points on you. He did a many of time too!
Along my journey, I set small attainable goals to help me reach my ultimate goal of losing 200 lbs. So far I have met all my small goals, but I had yet to reach any of what I call "BIG" goals. My first big goal was 50 pounds. As I inched closer to that goal, Barry's words would resonate with me, and this week I get to proudly exclaim, "I hung a half hundred on them!" I had to weigh in a couple of days early because of the Thanksgiving holiday, and I had lost 7 pounds even! Making my total loss so far, 50.6 lbs! I couldn't believe it! The portion control, the tracking, and the exercise are paying off! I've lost the equivalent of 50 footballs!
I never got the chance to play for him, but yet I feel inspired by him. Thanks Coach Switzer for being a inspiration and role model for me!
Next big goal is 100, so I guess now I will use Billy Tubbs as inspiration to meet that goal.
My Dad and Barry Switzer
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