Mack Brown Doesn't Learn From His Mistakes

The Texas coach is a bit miffed at the Texas Tech fans:

Texas coach Mack Brown called Monday for the Big 12 and NCAA to clamp down on postgame celebrations. Thousands of Texas Tech fans stormed the field Saturday at Jones AT&T Stadium — some of them even before the game ended. 

"It's really, really dangerous," Brown said. "It's amazing, with all the talk about security, that we'll turn everybody loose." 

Brown said quarterback Colt McCoy was pushed by Tech fans. Brown said he was surrounded by six officers but was still unable to congratulate Tech coach Mike Leach or to join his players near the Longhorn Band for the postgame singing of "The Eyes of Texas."

This is funny, because back in 1994 Mack was singing a different tune. In an effort to drum up interest in the upcoming homecoming game against a 1-3 Georgia Tech team, Brown wrote a letter to the Daily Tar Heel, reminiscing about his first season at Carolina. In the letter he talked about the great fans that supported him in the 1-10 season, and how they stormed the field and attacked the goalposts after UNC's lone victory against, you guessed it, Georgia Tech.

The Heels went out that Saturday and beat the Yellow Jackets 31-24, and sure enough, the fans rushed out of the stands and tore down the uprights. (Tech would finish 1-10 that year.) The next week, UNC knocked off 2-3 Maryland by a huge margin, and again the fans rushed the field. (The Terps would finish 4-7.) Two weeks after that, UNC beat N.C. State 31-17, and the students stormed the field for a third time; Mack Brown wrote a second letter to the DTH politely asking the student body to please knock it off, as the whole thing was getting slightly ridiculous. The danger aspect may have been brought up then again.

After seeing the look on my roommates' face - she's the daughter of two Texas Tech faculty members - I think the Red Raider fans deserved their moment on the turf. Lighten up, Mack. The band will still be there next week.