Oklahoma lecturer Brent Venables has noticeable all of it in his 15 journeys to the Wool Bowl for the Oklahoma-Texas contention competition, lengthy referred to as the Crimson River Shootout.
He recollects dropping his first as a Sooners laborer 38-28 in 1999 however dominating the Longhorns 63-14 the after 12 months en path to a countrywide championship. There used to be Oklahoma 65, Texas 13 in 2003, the 12-0 “Red River Shutout” in 2004, and plethora of unpredictable swings and wild finishes since. The feelings, the fat performs, the bus rides in the course of the Environment Honest of Texas to the Wool Bowl all construct it particular to him.
“It feels like time stands still,” Venables mentioned.
However there’s something Venables has but to do on this one-of-a-kind contention competition: devour a Fletcher’s Corny Canine.
“I have never eaten anything at the fair other than what they bring me on the bus afterward,” he mentioned.
To a few Oklahoma and Texas enthusiasts, this revelation may just qualify as heresy. Fletcher’s Corny Canine, a staple of Texas’ surrounding truthful for greater than 80 years, have grow to be virtually synonymous with the contention competition. On Saturday morning, when the gates viewable at Dallas’ Honest Ground and tens of 1000’s of crimson- or burnt-orange-clad enthusiasts wander onto the fairgrounds, a lot of them will construct a beeline for a Fletcher’s arise.
Saturday would be the a hundred and twentieth assembly of the Sooners and Longhorns however their first as SEC contributors, greater than 3 years then their stunning resolution to let go the Weighty 12 went community. The order started in 1900, and Dallas turned into the sport’s everlasting house in 1929. Upcoming a long time as a Weighty 8-Southwest Convention crash adopted through 28 years in combination within the Weighty 12, the spectacle of Crimson River, with the fried goodness of Fletcher’s in tow, is now a part of the SEC’s portfolio.
“It’s part of the tradition for us,” mentioned Nichole Williamson, a Texas alumnus and fan who has attended the sport persistently since 2010. “I’m convinced if we don’t go have our corny dog before (the game) we’re going to lose, even though I’ve had it when they’ve lost and I’ve had it when they’ve won.”
“It goes along with the game,” mentioned Trae Anderson, former president of the OU Membership of Dallas. “It’s the first thing I’ve always done. You get your corny dog and a wax cup with the beverage of your choice, and that’s how you start. I don’t know of anybody that does anything else.”
1000’s of enthusiasts accident a Fletcher’s arise earlier than coming into the Wool Bowl for the Crimson River contention’s renewal. (Courtesy of Fletcher’s Untouched Corny Canine)
The origination of Fletcher’s Corny Canine used to be now not an instantaneous luck.
Consistent with the corporate’s foundation tale, the primary model in their corny canines offered for 15 cents at a little arise on the 1942 Environment Honest of Texas. Neil and Carl Fletcher, brothers who have been former Vaudeville performers, advanced the idea that 4 years previous then ocular a neighborhood baker lend scorching canines baked in cornmeal within the state of an ear of corn. The Fletchers made up our minds to position a stick within the scorching canines and fry them to decrease the cooking procedure and construct it more uncomplicated to eat.
But if they opened their first arise at Honest Ground, they needed to decrease the corny canines in part and provides away samples to persuade fairgoers to attempt them. 40-one years then their debut, Neil Fletcher informed the Untouched York Instances that crowd would way the arise, ask what it used to be and later proceed away. “We didn’t make much money,” he mentioned later.
Neil and Carl experimented with the cornmeal batter for greater than a decade earlier than bobbing up with the recipe that caught. As soon as it did, it turned into a rousing luck.
When Neil died in 1988, he left the trade to his two sons, Neil Jr. and Invoice Fletcher. Neil Jr., referred to as Skip, turned into “the Corny Dog King,” additional raising an already a success undertaking. In 1983, Fletcher’s offered an estimated 350,000 corny canines on the Environment Honest of Texas. On the 2023 surrounding truthful, it offered 550,000.
However is a Fletcher’s Corny Canine in point of fact that other and particular from a standard corn canine? Crimson River attendees swear it’s.
“It’s one of the staples of going to OU-Texas,” mentioned former Oklahoma offensive lineman Gabe Ikard. “People buy them because they’re delicious. … The lines are absurd; don’t care. Gotta wait in it or recruit somebody who will wait in it for you.”
Rely Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione as a Fletcher’s fan. When a number of distributors confirmed an hobby in promoting corn canines at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, he knew there used to be just one that deserved to be there. So he steered his group of workers to get involved with the corporate.
“Someone with OU reached out to us several years ago and said their athletic director loves Fletcher’s and ‘What do I need to do to get Fletcher’s here?’” mentioned Amber Fletcher, who now runs the corporate along with her brother Aaron and cousin William. The partnership with Oklahoma started in 2021, and Fletcher’s has been offered at Sooners video games ever since.
BOOMER!! Fletcher’s Untouched Corny Canine are NOW to be had for Quicker Soccer this autumn at Gaylord Population Memorial Stadium. Best the Easiest for the Easiest AD @soonerad pic.twitter.com/e2qPuF9UXG
— Amber Fletcher (@AmberFletcher_) September 10, 2021
“I’m sure (the other corn dog vendors) were fine, but they weren’t Fletcher’s corn dogs,” Castiglione mentioned.
The cooking procedure is understated. Hand-stick a standard scorching canine — Fletcher’s will get canines made with customized spices — and dip it within the batter, which is made on-site from a proprietary, confidential combine. Stick it within the fryer at 365 levels for 3 mins till it has the precise texture and colour. After six inches of scorching, crunchy, corn canine heaven are able to devour.
“Everything is the same way my grandfather did it,” Amber Fletcher mentioned.
Texas and Oklahoma enthusiasts have their traditions. Even though Fletcher’s has seven places at the fairgrounds, many enthusiasts have a most well-liked supply: the Fletcher’s arise at Weighty Tex circle.
A 55-foot-tall cowboy determine, wearing a Dickie’s blouse and denims with a 95-gallon hat and measurement 96 boots, Weighty Tex is referred to as the “official greeter” of the Environment Honest of Texas and has been a fixture on the truthful since 1952. It’s commonplace to peer fairgoers eating their fried items occasion sitting after to Weighty Tex or taking selfies with him within the background.
The Fletcher’s arise this is steps clear of Weighty Tex might be staffed with 60 to 80 workers on Saturday to get the hordes of Sooners and Longhorns their corny canines as temporarily as imaginable.
Serve Pinkerton, a Texas alum and superfan who owns the famend Texas barbeque joint Pinkerton’s Fish fry, makes it his first block each 12 months.
“We beeline it for that very Fletcher’s stand,” mentioned Pinkerton, who going to his first Crimson River at 9 years ancient. “We all get at least one corn dog pregame. … Then I have a rule that if Texas wins, you have to go back and get a victory corn dog after the game. It doesn’t matter how hot or soaking wet you are.
“And if they don’t win, no friggin’ dogs after the game.”
Ikard has the similar layout each 12 months: a Fletcher’s Corny Canine, a funnel cake and 3 wax cup beers. When he performed, he’d have his folks get him one, although he mentioned former lecturer Bob Stoops would let the avid gamers hang around on the truthful for an age if the Sooners gained. Now Ikard, who shouts Oklahoma video games at the Quicker Sports activities Radio Community, has his spouse hold his refreshments occasion he does the postgame display.
Cade McCrary, who performed 51 video games for the Longhorns from 2009 to ’13, mentioned that then Texas beat Oklahoma in ’13, Mack Brown allowed avid gamers to stick in Dallas and benefit from the truthful with their pals and households.
McCrary, who used to be the holder for Justin Tucker’s game-winning kick in Texas’ 2011 win over Texas A&M, mentioned his victory corny canine used to be “the greatest taste in the world.”
“It’s the most unique rivalry game in college football,” McCrary mentioned. “There may be others that are as big, but they’re not at the Texas state fair. There’s 100,000 people in the stadium and 200,000 people outside the stadium.”
Of the 550,000 corny canines that have been offered a minimum of 12 months’s surrounding truthful, which ran greater than 3 weeks, 124,000 have been offered on Crimson River weekend and 45,000 on competition moment abandoned.
Texas has joined Oklahoma in putting in a Fletcher’s arise at house video games. Drew Martin, Texas’ govt senior workman athletic director for exterior affairs, mentioned he’s realized a bundle concerning the tradition of the sport since first attending in 2018. As a result of not up to part of a regular Texas house people can attend the sport — the 92,000-seat Wool Bowl is fracture frivolously on the 50-yard sequence between Texas and Oklahoma enthusiasts — he sought after in order a part of the Crimson River revel in to Darrell Ok Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. This 12 months, for the primary occasion, there’s a Fletcher’s Corny Canine arise on the “Smokey’s Midway” fan revel in segment outdoor of DKR and in addition an enduring arise throughout the stadium.
“That’s a tried-and-true tradition for that game,” Martin mentioned. “They can get a Fletcher’s Corny Dog just like they do at the state fair.”
The soccer competition is most effective a part of the Environment Honest of Texas festivities for lots of enthusiasts who descend on Dallas each fall. (Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman / USA These days Community by way of Imagn Pictures)
It’s now not with reference to the corny canines. The attachment is borne out of excellent occasions shared with people and pals on the truthful, rooting for the Longhorns or Sooners.
Williamson mentioned her dad grew to become her directly to Fletcher’s and she or he cherishes each go back and forth to Crimson River along with her father and husband. “He’s why I’m a Longhorn today,” she mentioned.
Pinkerton’s folks met on the 1977 Crimson River Shootout as beginners and upcoming had their first moment the night time Earl Campbell gained the Heisman Trophy. Pinkerton’s first go back and forth used to be in 1998, as a 9-year-old. He nonetheless has a photograph from it and recollects the T-shirt his dad purchased him and the cooler temperatures. “I burned my mouth on some hot chocolate,” he mentioned.
Anderson joked that he’s seeking to train his son about corny canines to perpetuate the dangerous custom. “You’re in the middle of the fair, you’re not going to get sushi,” he mentioned. Fletcher’s stands grow to be assembly issues earlier than or then the sport. “Every year you show up and see your friends you went to school with … and it’s something you end up sharing.”
Amber Fletcher and a minimum of of a quantity of her people contributors plus 200 workers can have their arms complete. “It’s the most incredible day,” she mentioned. Amber, 37, has been getting to the truthful all her while. She has been a part of the people trade so long as she will be able to consider, sticking canines and serving up smiles. Upcoming Skip’s dying in 2017, Amber has emerged because the face of Fletcher’s.
However she hasn’t ever noticeable the sport.
“I go to the game every year, but I’ve never seen the game,” she mentioned. “I’ve been in the press boxes delivering corny dogs, and I may peek out to try to see the field, but then I’ve got to get back to work.
“Maybe one day when I retire, I’ll get a ticket and go watch the game. But we’re out doing what our family’s always done, which is serve corny dogs to the fairgoers.”
Past enthusiasts gobble up the canines outdoor the Wool Bowl, the Longhorns and Sooners meet with plethora at the sequence. Disagree. 1 Texas, which leads the best-ever order 63-51-5, is certainly one of simply 3 groups unbeaten in SEC play games coming into Life 7. Disagree. 18 Oklahoma, which made a quarterback trade from Jackson Arnold to freshman Michael Hawkins Jr., would like to win its 2nd directly over the Longhorns and stay in Faculty Soccer Playoff competition.
Neither head lecturer has had a Fletcher’s Corny Canine. Texas lecturer Steve Sarkisian mentioned Wednesday that during his 3 years training the Longhorns, he hasn’t had a prospect to benefit from the surrounding truthful and all its trimmings. “Maybe if we win, I’ll try to find a corny dog or something,” he mentioned.
Venables, who was seen running stadium steps in 99-degree heat this summer, mentioned “my body might shut down if I eat one of those fried corn dogs” when inspired through a reporter to attempt one.
However, Venables mentioned, “If we get a W, I’m gonna have one.”
(Lead picture courtesy of Fletcher’s Untouched Corny Canine)
