Aggie Spirit, I don't remember any physical contact at all until one SMU cheerleader pushed the OD over another SMU cheerleader who was kneeling unseen behind him.
In fact, I don't remember any physical contact from the OD at all; although he was ready to hit a cheerleader, if he could have caught one after he got up.
Then, when several cheerleaders circled around him and one of them tried to get down behind him again for another pushover, he made the huge mistake of drawing his saber.
I don't remember him swinging or thrusting it, he seemed to be more in a solo defensive stance with several male and female SMU cheerleaders circled around and taunting him.
He should NEVER have drawn the saber, but he was not unprovoked.
The SMU cheerleaders were the ones who went from heated discussion to physical belittlement of the OD, who thought he was doing his duty getting them off the field, and they had ample opportunity to back off themselves.
Someone in unquestioned authority from either side needed to intervene much quicker than they did.
The OD deserved to be punished for his bad saber-drawing reaction/decision, but there was PLENTY of blame to go around for ALL the participants AND THOSE IN AUTHORITY over them.
This is how I remember seeing it and I formed this memory/opinion at the time it happened.
I haven't embellished it or rethought it or changed it to favor one side over the other.
I also think the poop scooper was wrong to throw cr*p at the tu band and he deserved punishment too.
But he wasn't unprovoked either, the longhorn band and fans did try to spook the cavalry horses and they were taunting the scooper, while band directors and cheerleader sponsors stood by and watched.
I wish we would just leave the poop on their area of the track for them to deal with unless they ask us to remove it and appreciate that we do it.
More courtesy between athletic rivals and more supervision from those with authority would have gone a long way to migitgate both incidents and can prevent other ones in the future.
I won't enjoy college football as much if the visiting bands don't travel and perform at the away games, but apparently (according to NCAA committee recommendations that may soon be adopted) this could increasingly be the case in the future.
Gig 'em, FAST FRED '65.
Before the world wide web, village idiots usually stayed in their own village.
[This message has been edited by FAST FRED (edited 2/13/2006 12:56p).]