I've been to Lubbock, Texas – I think I'd like to go back

I have been there. Seriously. I was not my destination, but we passed through the city. More than 20 years ago my wife and I decided to take a road trip to Phoenix to visit relatives. There were a few stops we planned to make along the route. Lubbock, Texas was not one of them.The stops we made just before and just after passing through Lubbock were memorable. Lubbock, not so much. In Amarillo we ate at the Big Texan Steak Ranch. Perhaps you have seen it on TV. It is the home of the 72-ounce steak. If you can consume this hunk of meat and all the trimmings (potato, salad, rolls) in one hour it's free. What it costs it you are not a quick (not to mention voracious) eater, I have no idea.We did not attempt the challenge, but one of the steaks was available for viewing in a cooler as you entered the premises. It was enormous. I'm not much of a steak eater, but had it been a giant hot dog…Our next cool stop was to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. One of the highlights was to sit on a hill by a large opening in the ground near sunset. At dusk thousands of bats will fly out of that hole to feed on insects during the evening hours. You can hear the noise build long before you can see them as they start their pilgrimage deep inside the cave. When they emerge, you just sit in awe at the spectacle.The road that takes you from Amarillo to Carlsbad goes directly through Lubbock. We weren't there for long but a couple of things grabbed my attention. The first was a large statue of Buddy Holly. At the risk of intruding on one of Zach Baker's many varied interests, I will tell you a little about his story.Buddy Holly was a native of Lubbock, Texas. In 1959 he, along with fellow musicians Ritchie Valens and "The Big Bopper" were killed in an Iowa plane crash. It was billed the Day the Music Died. Sorry Zach, but the statue was unmistakable.The other thing I noticed was the United Airlines Arena, home to the Texas Tech University basketball teams. None other than Bob Knight was coaching the Red Raiders at the time.So given my rather nondescript mention of Lubbock thus far, why – you night ask – do I want to go back? Well, two athletes that will be playing for Texas Tech have made me want to see them. The first is a football player. The second is a basketball player. Let's take a closer look.There is no question that the transfer portal has changed college football. Players unhappy with their latest decision on schools can hit the road again and again in search of more playing time, a better chance to win a national championship – or likely most importantly – a better NIL deal.The top quarterback in this year's portal was the University of Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby. Texas Tech was willing to woo him and his NIL deal is reportedly worth upwards of FIVE MILLION DOLLARS! Lubbock would appear very nice compared to the Queen City for that kind of dough.I don't want to start a discussion on the evils of the transfer portal, I just want to see Mr. Sorsby. I don't even need to see him play. I would just like to see him walking around campus. How does a multi-millionaire student conduct himself? How do other students react to him?The basketball player I want to see is on the distaff side. The Red Raiders recently welcomed to their campus one Stephanie Okechukwu. She is from Nigeria by way of Japan. She speaks three languages. She's also 7-foot-1!Yes, she will be the tallest female basketball player in NCAA history. If she has zero skills it would be interesting to just see her take to the court. My guess is she can play. The Red Raiders women's basketball team is currently undefeated. I wonder what this recruit will bring to their program.If I could get the chance to see Okechukwu play I would prefer to see her take on the University of Iowa. The Hawkeyes have a unique player of their own in Chazadi Wright. Her nickname is "Chit-Chat" as she was extremely quiet growing up. Of course, she did not grow all that much as she stands a whopping 5-4!Who wouldn't want to see Chit-Chat take the ball to the hoop with Stephanie blocking her path? The outcome of such a play would be fascinating. I nearly saw something similar back in my softball playing days.While waiting for my game to begin I was sitting on the bleachers at a park in Fostoria. Some lady had a Chihuahua by her side. The little tyke spotted another dog and barking furiously, went off after it. Unfortunately, her target was a Great Dane. While others laughed, I feared for the little one's safety. So did her owner.She screamed at her dog and he veered off and returned to the bleachers. For his part, the Great Dane was nonplussed, looking over at the retreating mutt with a "what is that" expression.It would be easier for me to get to Iowa City than Lubbock, but I would make the trip to Texas to see the matchup. Perhaps I could even secure a free ducat.Hey, Mr. Sorsby – you seem to have some extra cash – can you get me a ticket?