The Red River Showdown and the State Fair of Texas brought around 200,000 people through the gates Saturday.
With a crowd as big as that, it’s easy to get overlooked among the fans crowding around the Cotton Bowl. Not if you’re Nick Rucinski and John Alden. The pair are best friends who met in the Navy.
“Nick’s got a girlfriend who tattoos up here in Dallas. So she hooked it up last night. We got the scoreboard nine and four what the game has been since we’ve been watching it together,” said OU fan John Alden.
Rucinski’s a Texan and Alden is an Upstate New Yorker - with Oklahoma roots.
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It’s their first time watching the game in person - after 13 years of watching together on TV.
Over at Highland Park Soda Fountain, owner Michelle Edwards hasn’t missed the Showdown in 15 years.
“It falls on our anniversary. This is our 23rd anniversary. So it’s pretty cool,” said Michelle Edwards, who runs Highland Park Soda Fountain.
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The booth serves a higher purpose than feeding the hungry.
“This booth helps fund our daughter for college. So it’s a good time,” said Edwards.
Her daughter’s a senior at UT.
Fans from both teams cheered loudly for their teams. Some wore pride on their shirts and others on their personal scoreboards.
“After today, we will add another tally to our tattoos - Oklahoma or Texas,” said UT fan Nick Rucinski.
The Showdown is a double win for Michelle Edward and her business.
She caught the game with her daughter and her husband - and said game-day sales should be huge this weekend.
