The State of Texas: How a meme captured changing perceptions about Austin and Houston

Plus: Texans really love their grandparents. No Images? [Click here]( [Get the Good Newsletter!]( [Texas Monthly]( September 10, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY “We’re not bluffing, this is real, and it is a serious threat.” —U.S. Senator John Cornyn on the reelection campaign of his Texas colleague Ted Cruz. Cornyn will be hosting a Washington fundraiser for Cruz amidst reports that Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick made an unexpected visit to the White House in July to warn that [Cruz may lose]( to challenger Beto O'Rourke. Trump later tweeted he would come to Texas to bolster support. THE LATEST [A Guy Fieri Meme Captures Changing Perceptions About Austin and Houston ]( DOYIN OYENIYI Austin only aspires to the multicultural reputation Houston actually has. [Read more.]( THE TEXANIST [The Texanist: How Do I Tell the World’s Worst Football Fan to Shut Up?]( DAVID COURTNEY Q: I am an alumnus of one of Texas’s large universities and have been a fan of my alma mater’s football program since before I was a student there. I’ve been a season ticket holder for almost 25 years and have only missed three or four home games in all that time. For the last five or so years, there’s been a guy who sits two rows behind me who has the worst attitude you’ve ever seen. He only points out players’ faults and the coaching staff’s poor calls (by his estimation) and never seems to actually root for the team. We call him Darrell K. Downer, Mr. Negativity, and Dr. Doom. He’s sort of a running joke among those of us with nearby seats, but I sometimes find his comments hard to take. I’ve never said anything directly to him, but I really want to let him know that he’s bringing everybody down with his negativity. Do you think it would do any good? Name Withheld, San Antonio A: The Texanist loves all sorts of spectator sports. Lately, he’s become an avid follower of field hockey, a strange but surprisingly exciting sport his high school-age daughter has taken up. The Texanist also enjoys the thrills and spills of rodeo (the official sport of Texas), competitive eating, and armadillo racing. And then, too, there are the hazy memories of having had a pretty good time at a cockfight and a bullfight, both of which he attended in Mexico a long time ago. But none of these, save for field hockey, in which the Texanist now has a powerful vested interest, hold a candle to the spectacle that is a live football match. Not even the gory Mexican blood sports. [Read more.]( Look here every Monday for the latest from the Texanist, or [peruse his archives here.]( Tomorrow, and every Tuesday, you’ll find a selection from our archives. [Get the Good Newsletter!]( OUR TOP STORIES [So, About Those Longhorns…](That 12-0 record didn't quite pan out. [Read more.]( [Sound Check: Ghostland Observatory]( For the latest in our Sound Check series, the Austin-based duo performs "Miss Abyss" from their new album, See You Later, Simulator. [View now.]( [Could the San Antonio Raiders Happen in 2019?]( The team won’t be calling San Antonio its permanent home, but they’re going to have to play somewhere next season—and it probably won’t be Oakland or Las Vegas. [Read more.]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Balmorhea Renovations Careful[repairs are]( underway at the famed Balmorhea State Park Pool, which has been closed since May. On Saturday, Texas Parks and Wildlife reported that demolition of concrete around the diving board had begun at the West Texas swimming hole. Workers must do much of the work by hand given the sensitivity of the site, which hosts several endangered species and some historic limestone pillars. The $2 million repair job is expected to take several months. Balmorhea is considered [the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool](, and some structures in the surrounding state park date to the 1930s, when it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Texans Love Grandparents Sunday was National Grandparents Day, and a study of Google search terms shows that [Texas ranks third nationwide](in its love for a generation once removed. The study, done by a senior living community company with locations in several midwestern states, evaluated search terms such as “gifts for grandma,” “gifts for grandpa,” or simply “grandma” and "grandpa." Based on the per capita volume of these searches, the company ranked Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas as the top three states with grandparent love. The three lowest-ranking states were in New England: Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Triple Threat The Atlantic has [spawned at least three tropical systems](that threaten the United States, including one that is predicted to travel through the Gulf of Mexico. By early this week, Hurricane Florence is expected to be upgraded to a major storm with a path that puts it on track to hit the eastern seaboard later this week. At the same time, Helene was upgraded this weekend from a tropical storm to a hurricane and also appears headed to the East Coast, while Isaac was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane as of Monday morning. Isaac's track has it currently headed into the Gulf of Mexico, but its intensity could weaken along the way. NEWS & POLITICS [Should Texas Schoolchildren Be Taught That Alamo Defenders Were ‘Heroic’?]( CARLOS SANCHEZ A committee is recommending that the State Board of Education cut the word from the school curriculum standards because it is ‘value-charged.’ [Read more.]( [Living the Bold Life: Herb & Carolyn]( [Living the Bold Life:]([Her]([b & Carolyn]( Herb and Carolyn Gray have a philosophical take on their 65 years together. “Our paths through life have been as good as you can get,” Herb says. Read their story on “Living the Bold Life”, a new series with Texas Monthly and Whataburger. [Read More]( [Get the Good Newsletter!]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Jimbo Fisher: ‘Whatever I Tell You, You Can Take It to the Bank’]( ANDY LANGER [Matthew McConaughey and Ken Paxton Team Up Against Human Trafficking]( DOYIN OYENIYI [At Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ, the La Reina Sandwich Offers a Tempting Alternative]( DANIEL VAUGHN Tickets go sale on Monday at 10 a.m. for the Texas Monthly BBQ Fest weekend. On November 3 and 4 in Austin we will host thirty of Texas's top barbecue joints, including Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ. [Get details here](. [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and save!]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. 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