Sportscenter is doing their 50 States in 50 Days broadcast from a Permian High School football practice in Odessa (my hometown). At first you would think that was cool, but then you realize that they're also going to broadcast from a "Prison Rodeo" in Oklahoma.

sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/fiftyfifty/index
(damn link)

Thoughts anyone?

"The great are great to us only because we are on our knees. Let us rise."
--Robert Collier

[This message has been edited by MEEN Ag 05 (edited 7/26/2005 9:23a).]

[This message has been edited by MEEN Ag 05 (edited 7/26/2005 9:24a).]

I'll throw in my $0.02:

Good idea playing up the high school football phenomenon in West Texas. Capitalize on Friday Night Lights. But I say why not Southlake Carroll (sp?)? MNC last year and that bazillion dollar facility they have there would be great.

True, but they don't have a movie made after them.

Living in the Tarrant County, but growing up in West TX (district 4-5A), there is absolutely no comparison.

Carroll may be better than Permian currently, but nobody gives a rats ass. People in West Texas are abosolutely insane about high school football.

[This message has been edited by grego (edited 7/29/2005 2:58p).]

I echo all of grego's sentiments exactly. We both grew up in the same town, and now we both live in the metroplex, and it doesn't even come close.

FWIW, its now district 3-5A.

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In my day, it was 5-4A. (Also know as the Little SWC) Man, does that show how old I am....

Yeah, and it's not even the same teams.

I definately remember the days of "The Little Soutwest Conference", and with those schools football is way more important than it is anywhere else on the planet. OHS is no Baylor, and Permian had a 20+ year win streak on them until 1998. Southlake Carrol is definately a heck of a program, but nowhere near as storied as West Texas Football. I will never forget watching my high school lose to the Dragons 2 years in a row in the Class 3A playoffs. A true small school 3A team had no business being on a field with a team that could rotate players in and out with depth like that. As a culture, nowhere else even comes close. Think about that less than 80 colleges in the U.S. have stadiums nicer, or bigger than either Ratliff Stadium, or Midland Memorial.

Permian's win streak over OHS was 35 years, I believe, and terminated in 1997.

I remember that night and them announcing the score during our game...

I remember that also, it was my senior year in highschool. there in midland we really didn't know what to think abuot that.

I have a lot of buddies from school that went to OHS, they talk about that day like it was their wedding day or something.

I was sitting in the endzone in 97 when OHS beat Permian. That was an incredible game.

Filmed on 8/16 - for broadcast on 8/17. Setup was in Ratliff while Permian was practicing.

Well, they showed plenty of Ratliff Stadium and they even had some interviews inside of Rosa's there on 42nd St.

agco08.... I don't know what SLC's stadium looks like but Ratliff Stadium and Grande in Midland are equal or better.
http://www.ci.midland.tx.us/ssc.htm

[This message has been edited by schrade (edited 8/18/2005 8:52p).]

SLC is no more storied than Katy, GPN, Tyler Lee, Midland Lee, Carter, Baytown Lee, Lufkin, PNG, and several others. Permian takes them all hands down. They suck royally right now, and perhaps Lee and Grande comm. stadium would have been a better place, but LHS doesn't have a best selling book and movie made about them...

The Permian win streak over OHS was 33 years . . . I suffered through 30 of those as a fan. I, too, was there when OHS won in '97 and it was actually much more fun than my wedding. I certainly remember it more clearly anyway.

Some diehards remember that Larry Gatlin (formerly famous country artist) was the quarterback for OHS the year they last beat Permian (before '97). I believe he spoke to the team in the locker room prior to the game.

Also, interesting that the OHS coach that year (Randy Quisenberry) was a Permian assistant prior to being hired as head coach at OHS. After the '97 season he moved on to Abilene Cooper and then to Midland Lee. I believe his record against Permian as a head coach is better than any other coach in history.

Sorry to get off the original topic . . .