On a Wednesday night in February at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, purple foam fingers swayed in the air during LOVB Austin’s third home game of the season. As the inaugural-season champions, the pressure was on for Austin to beat LOVB Atlanta. After a long rally, University of Texas alum Madisen Skinner scored a […]
Category: Sports
Posted inSports
Vergil Ortiz Jr. Might Just Be the Most Thoughtful Fighter of the Century
Professional boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. is standing in the serene, swanky lobby of a five-star hotel in late February. He orders a cup of coffee, his bruised face looking slightly out of place amid the gold accents. It’s the morning after the 27-year-old won a career-defining fight against Israil Madrimov. After 12 rounds, Ortiz Jr. […]
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‘Our No. 1.’ Longhorns Remember Superfan Scott Wilson, Who Never Missed a Game.
President George H.W. Bush was fond of saying, “90 percent of life is just showing up.” If that’s true, Scott Wilson knew the meaning of life. Wilson, who died Friday at 74, showed up. A Texas Longhorn superfan, Wilson spent decades attending UT games. Every one of them for 25 years. Five hundred and ninety-four […]
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Hey, New York Times? Stay Out of Texas Football Family Business.
Hey, New York Times, leave Arch Manning alone. This is family business. Has the University of Texas’ starting quarterback underperformed? Obviously. But is he “college football’s first flop,” as Times asked yesterday? Is he now a “man synonymous with failure?” Not really! He’s been … just okay! Reporter Will Leitch compared Manning to, among other […]
Posted inCulture
Micah Parsons’ Dallas Return Resulted In a… Tie? And More Texas Football Talk
If you weren’t actively rooting for the Cowboys or Texans to make it all the way this year — we have new motivation to unlock your inner armchair coach. Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show in February. That’s right, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio will succeed Kendrick Lamar as the headliner of the […]
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This Weekend in Texas Football: Cowboy Tears, a Camp Mystic Tribute & a Texas Tech Victory
Well, it turns out that even the great Brandon Aubrey couldn’t kick his way out of a slightly cringe-y weekend for Texas football. Welcome back to The Barbed Wire does football, in which our team of completely unqualified-to-write-about sports writers recap the highlights (and lowlights, and baby lights) of Texas teams. After the thrill of […]
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Heartache for Texans Fans, Boos for Arch, Brandon Aubrey’s Golden Leg, and More Texas Football
Are you football-curious? Want to know what your coworkers are talking about but don’t know who Kirk Herbstreit is (or he gives you the ick)? We’ve got you covered. We’re trying out a new approach to football coverage at The Barbed Wire in which we share some of our internal dialogue, text exchanges, and jokes […]
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After Week 1, the Cowboys & Texans Look Messier Than a Postgame Tailgate
Week 1 of the NFL season reminded us of two truths about professional football in Texas: the Cowboys are still louder than their results; and the Texans are still trying to turn potential into power. Which means the state’s NFL bragging rights are as messy as a Sunday tailgate after last call. Fresh off back-to-back […]
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I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, But the Cowboys Documentary Made Me Like Jerry Jones
I grew up hating the Dallas Cowboys. Actually, “hate” is not a strong enough word. Detested? Loathed with the heat of a thousand suns? If you were around in the ’90s, you had no choice but to have a strong opinion about them. They were cocky, they were very good at football, and worst of […]
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Can Arch Manning Really Cash in on All This Hype?
The University of Texas has never been here before. At least, not exactly. The Longhorns have had really (really) good football teams in the past, but as we kick off the 2025 season Saturday, Texas is the top dog and boasting the biggest celebrity quarterback in the country. The hype around this season isn’t just […]