To the Class of 2019, and to the newly-awoken fans called from the mist at the sound of back-to-back Big 12 Championships, I've put together an checklist that you and everyone you know should complete before game day. Get all five of these, and you'll be ready...
The 5 Things You Should Do Before Baylor's #McLaneKickoff Sunday
1. Explore Our Daily Bears (ODB)
Our Daily Bears, the Baylor SB Nation website, is dedicated to previewing, reviewing, and analyzing Baylor's top sports. This mostly includes football, men's basketball, and women's basketball, although articles and videos have been dedicated to women's softball, lacrosse, men's and women's tennis, and track and field.
Managed by a collaboration of Baylor alumni and current students, Our Daily Bears presents an unusually unbiased dissection of teams, players, stats, and recruiting.
Explore. Learn. And get excited, because on the ODB website you can also find your next task...
2. Immerse Yourself In Hype Videos
Ready? Go check it out.
3. Stop To Remember Where We Came From
The reality is that this stage is NEW. Expectations are high, so it's important to take a deep breath and be grateful that we got this far. If we fail to show gratitude or support our Bears through the highs and lows of their season, then we run the risk of betraying our coach simply because of his incredible success.
So let's get pumped to love our Bears. And I would be ecstatic if we landed a bid in the College Football Playoff, but I would also be very happy with an 8-4 season. As reality stands - this is way better than almost every season before this decade.
4. Have your Gameplan Ready (Whether You're At McLane or Not)
But if we can plan ahead a bit, we can cut down on a bit of that chaos. Here's a few ways you can prepare for gameday:
- Know where you're going to park. Don't set yourself up for an hour traffic jam.
- Download the Baylor In-Game App to watch replays and live-tweets of action in the stadium.
- Get pumped to tailgate, with all of the stuff it entails.
- Drink water. This year's opener is a bit later than last year's, but there's a reason we don't want any problems with #staythirsty this season.
Prepare yourself for a great game day experience by minimizing other problems. Trust me - the team will take care of the rest.
5. Be Creative and Fearless
People are watching Baylor. So it's our time to deliver.
I hope this checklist helps you get prepped for the best football experience that college has to offer. I can guarantee that our team is prepared to give it to you.
The Bears are coming. And nothing's going to stop us now.
I hope this brings you encouragement and prepares you for some of the best years of your life. Whether you are a student at Baylor or anywhere else, I would encourage you to share this poem with them to give them some fire as they begin their journeys.
I am excited for all of you. Sic 'em.