I remember the first time I ever called the Hogs. I was four years old and getting ready to eat lunch at my grandparents’ house after church one Sunday. The Arkansas Razorback football team had just defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa 17-16 the day before. The entire state of Arkansas was on a new level.
I was only four years old that day, and there were a lot of words and phrases that I didn’t really understand yet, but I overheard my mom say three words to the other members of my family that really sparked my attention. Three words that I would grow up saying every Saturday afternoon of my life: “Woo Pig Sooie.” On that day, my mom taught me the proper way to call the hogs, and she told me about places like Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, War Memorial Stadium and Bud Walton Arena. From that day on, I knew I loved the Arkansas Razorbacks.
One of the best things about growing up in Arkansas is seeing other fans like myself everywhere. Every Razorback fan is a friend here, whether we know each other or not.
We do not have NFL or NBA teams around here — we have the Razorbacks. That is one of the things that has always made Arkansas my team — the fans, the community and the support. But after their last couple of performances, these Razorback fans are starting to disappear quickly. From what I’ve seen on Twitter, Facebook, and even ESPN, people are turning against the Razorbacks faster than Albert Pujols turned on the Cardinals. Why? Because we’re not winning? That’s not the pride that I grew up around.
After being upset by Louisiana-Monroe in week two and blown out by Alabama last week, Razorback football is definitely not living up to the expectations they had in the preseason.
I would love nothing more than to see the spirit in Arkansas get back to where it was in my childhood. Back when Nolan Richardson led the 1994 basketball team to a national title and changed the university forever. Back when the football team went through nightmare seasons with Houston Nutt, but fans called the Hogs anyway. I miss that atmosphere.
I’m excited to see where the Razorbacks go from here. Win or lose, I want to see them get things back to the way they used to be so that one day I can teach my son or daughter what the words “Woo Pig Sooie” truly mean.
