JUST A THOUGHT : Go, Tigers, go!
Posted on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
On Saturday, more than 70, 000 spectators covered in red and white clothing will cram themselves into Reynolds Razorback Stadium to watch the new head coach work his special magic against Western Illinois. Thousands more across the Natural State will be listening intently to what's going on via the radio. Mass tailgating, high-fives and enthusiasm for what the future of the program may hold will be in evidence everywhere you look. It's going to be a lot of fun.
Just one question, though.
Will Wal-Mart be cheering for the Razorbacks ?
Wait. What ?
On Sunday afternoon my dad alerted me to something highly unusual. He gave me that day's Wal-Mart circular and asked me to tell him if I saw anything the least bit out of the ordinary. Mouth-watering page one ads focusing on cheeseburgers, ribs, hot dogs, hamburger buns and soft drinks left me aching for an excuse to drive down to the store closest to my parent's home. Same goes for those cookies and ice cream that received top billing on the backside. Then I looked inside.
At home or at the stadium ? Here's everything you need. At lows prices, says the banner headline at the top. Below and to my left on the page sat rabid sports fans decked out to the hilt in colors supportive of the home team. One of them is gripping a football with a logo of the team he loves most emblazoned on the side. It is clear all of them are rooting wildly - for the LSU Tigers.
Time-out.
Louisiana State ? Why in the world is Wal-Mart, with its home office just a few miles up the road in Bentonville, running an ad right here in Razorback Nation that glorifies the idea of being a Louisiana State fan ?
Wait a minute, though - it gets better. Below the screaming fans are just some of the many items college football fans right here in Fayetteville can purchase at the nearest Wal-Mart location to celebrate their beloved Hogs. Lucky for us the items proudly displayed in Sunday's circular ranged the spectrum. Let's see, there was an LSU Tigers cooler, an LSU Tigers junior-size football, an LSU Tigers armchair, an LSU Tigers stadium seat, and an LSU Tigers team gazebo. That last one will set you back about $ 157 - but hey, it's worth it for the opportunity to celebrate being a die-hard Louisiana State fan.
Right ?
It's funny. Usually I'm the one rolling his eyes at fans for taking sports too seriously. But there I was just the same, with two pages worth of purpleand-gold laden fans staring back at me, and suddenly, like a freight train, my Razorback pride came bleeding through. Of all the universities across the country to shine a complimentary light on, and Arkansas-based Wal-Mart chooses Baton Rouge ?
Granted, the LSU Tigers are the defending national champions (despite the fact that the Hogs beat them, 50-48, in triple overtime last season ) and most likely have boisterous fans in every state of the Union. And then there's this: As a global corporation, Wal-Mart's bottom line goes way beyond catering to the whims of area fans whose personalities in the months to come will depend on the game-time fortune's of Bobby Petrino's Fayetteville club.
Here's what Wal-Mart officials had to say about their enthusiasm for that certain school down south: "It was a creative decision to use a single team. We went with LSU because the team from LSU was the national champion last year, and all circulars across the country had the same layout including the copy noting we have'licensed merchandise for over 90 NFL and NCAA teams. '"
See ? That makes perfect sense. Case closed.
And yet... I'm a Razorback fan. I bleed red and white. Always have and always will. And the last thing I want to see in Northwest Arkansas is a circular touting LSU exclusively.
The Texas Longhorns are the only other team in America Wal-Mart could have possibly chosen for its full-page treatment that would have come across as even more confusing to Razorback fans.
But who knows.
Maybe Wal-Mart is saving that ace in the hole for next season.
Scott Shackelford is editorial page editor of the Northwest Arkansas Times. His column appears on Tuesdays.
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