Razorback Nation has Plenty to be Thankful For
As the semester winds down and Thanksgiving waits just around the corner, it’s a good time to remind ourselves of what we are, and should be, thankful for in this year of Razorback sports.
Most fans probably think that surely there isn’t much to be thankful for, given a fairly lousy football season. But they should start looking at the bigger picture of Razorback Nation.
First, I am thankful for the wins we have had in our football season this year. We knew that a poor season would likely follow the firing of Petrino, whether we wanted to admit it or not.
But the wins have reminded us that, hey, at least we aren’t Auburn, the team that went from National Championship to utter catastrophe upon the departure of Cam Newton and later Gus Malzahn. The Razorbacks have pulled out a few Southeastern Conference wins, even if they were against Auburn and Kentucky.
Our team, while not as good as it once was, is in a state of limbo — they aren’t to the rebuilding phase until the Hogs find a new head coach — and we have to be thankful that they didn’t just give up on the season altogether.
I am also thankful for both cross country teams. Arkansas has consistently brought in and produced quality runners, and that shows in the SEC title clinched by the men’s team, and the women’s win at the NCAA regional meet.
Not only that, but both teams will be representing Arkansas in the NCAA national meet. There is a chance that the Razorbacks could do very well in the meet Saturday.
Another thing I am thankful for is the start of new sports seasons. Basketball is off to a good start, and both teams will set off to invitationals within the month.
Not to mention, track and field and gymnastics will be starting promptly upon everyone’s return to campus in January.
Then, of course, there is the swimming and diving team, who compete this week in an invitational in Houston. Although the swimmers and divers have been competing for a month now, their season won’t really pick up until the spring semester.
Finally, I’m thankful for our plethora of club and intramural sports. It doesn’t matter if you like to watch sports, play sports, participate in obscure events or just read about what the UA has to offer, everyone has an opportunity to be included.
I have spent many consecutive nights consumed with sports — playing intramural volleyball, cheering for our soccer team, reading about all the scores from a Saturday’s worth of football and the list goes on.
Why should I not be thankful for that? Yes, I am thankful also for the education I am receiving, the food I get to eat, the car I drive, the clothes I wear and everything that is already on our minds at this time every year.
But, and this may seem frivolous, it is important to be thankful for the little things too, even something as little as your sports teams doing well or having the opportunity to go to all the Hog games throughout the year for $85.
We’ve got it good, Hogs. We’ve got it good.
Liz Beadle is a staff writer for The Arkansas Traveler. Her column appears every other Wednesday. Follow the sports section on Twitter @UATravSports.
