Another Land Run

The story of how the terms 'boomer' and 'sooner' came about is rooted in the Oklahoma Territory Land Run of 1889.

The Boomers were those folks who followed the rules, lined up and waited for the gunshot which released them to race into Indian Territory and claim a piece of property upon which to plant their hopes and build their dreams.

The Sooners were those sneaky buggers who went in before the start of the race and staked out a piece of red dirt.

Every OU home game day in Norman, Oklahoma the scene is re-enacted, although no one would acknowledge that's what's going on. Policy states that tailgate tents cannot be set up before noon on Friday, so none are.  But there are a lot of college students sitting in camp chairs beginning early on Friday morning, just hanging out, talking to their buds, conveniently located under the shade trees.

They do that so that sunrise Saturday morning the grounds starts to look like this:

By the time the sun is up it has grown into a small tent city. By midmorning it's a madhouse.

There's dozens, maybe hundreds, of grills, smokers, cookers, and other forms of beef roasting.

The chuckwagons look only slightly different than they did a hundred-plus years ago.  They have a place to cook your food, a way to haul your victuals, a bedroll, room for Pa, Ma, and the chill'uns.

I love this, notice it's made all from one big bus.  This one made it into my collection of cool vehicles.


The Boomers and Sooners are gathering, claiming their little patches of property, jostling for space and position, all so they can make the trek to the Mecca of Sooner City:

The Holy Grail. The Shrine to Soonerdom. The Stadium.

By noon every camp chair under every tent, every seat in every restaurant on Campus Corner, every folding chair on the grounds, will be full of rabid fans.

Me, I'll be in the Starbucks on the corner, trying to not get trampled by the happy hordes. Or maybe doing laundry, because I'm a fan, but not a rabid one.

        Happy Trails, and go OU!