Cotton Bowl Trip Ends on a Low Note for Hog Fans

For the Arkansas Razorback faithful, it was a lot of build-up to a colossal let-down. In a topsy-turvey season that saw the end of not only the Houston Nutt era but the Frank Broyles era, the game on the field echoed the chaos of the entire year.

The Razorbacks fans mood in the Cotton Bowl Stadium was somber after watching the team make mistake after mistake enroute to a 38-7 thrashing at the hands of the Missouri Tigers. Of course, the Razorbacks have a history of choking in big bowl games, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the fans that made their way from all parts of Arkansas to Dallas.

We booked our trip through a local travel agency that wisely put together a special Cotton Bowl package the day the bowl invitations were announced. For $300 a person, we got a spot on an overcrowded bus, transportation to and from the stadium and a room at the Hyatt-Regency, otherwise known as Hog Central.

The bus was packed to overflowing with crimson and red clad fans who began calling the Hogs before the bus even left the parking lot. If the bus was full, it was nothing compared to I-30 leading into Dallas. Cars were decorated with red and white streamers, car flags and window paint. Every time the bus would pass a decorated car, everyone would call the Hogs. Again. After a troubled season and an embarrassing search for a new coach, everyone was excited to be headed to the Razorbacks' favorite bowl.

Once in Dallas, red was as far as eye could see. The Hyatt-Regency lobby was the primary center of activity. Television stations from Little Rock, Fort Smith and Fayetteville set up cameras and camped out with the fans. Liquor and beer flowed freely and the cameras captured it all. Fan an fan was interviewed, and to a person, they all predicted a close game with the Razorbacks emerging triumphant.

Off camera, several fans dropped their bravado. "Unless we play like we did against LSU, we don't have a shot," whispered a fan who would only identify himself as Gary. As voracious as the inebriated fans were, it was hard to blame him for being cautious.

As ill-advised as Gary's comments were, they proved surprisingly prescient. In spite of many national pundits predicting a close game, the Razorbacks fell apart. What had began as a raucous crowd at the Cotton Bowl Stadium grew quiet and mournful as the game unfolded. It would have been easy to have blamed the drama that surrounded the program for the lackluster performance, but the fans I talked to all agreed the Hogs just didn't have their heart in the game.

One fan sighed, "I knew we wouldn't win, but I thought we would at least show up to play." I ran into Gary in the much-subdued Hyatt-Regency lobby and asked about his earlier statement. "Man, we couldn't have beat an average high school team today. I don't know where the team that played LSU was, but they weren't on the field."