Photo Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
6. You have mastered the art of preparing tortillas to fly.
One of the most famous aspects of a Tech home game is the throwing of tortillas, especially at the opening kickoff. Many non-Techsans are puzzled by this tradition, and honestly, most Red Raiders don’t know why it started.
The most common story I’ve heard about the origin of this tradition dates back to a mid-90’s television broadcast in which the commentators made a statement that all Lubbock had was Texas Tech and a tortilla factory. Thus, in protest to this degrading comment, the fans decided to throw tortillas at the next game, and the tradition has continued. But when people ask me why we do it, I simply tell them, “Because it’s fun.”
Try using that explanation the next time an Aggie asks you why we throw tortillas. The thought that a tradition has evolved simply because it is fun, and not because it is tied to some ancient cult activities will make an Aggie turn his head sideways in confusion like a dog hearing a new sound.
The most storied tortilla invasion took place at the 1995 Cotton Bowl, where legend has it that the game was stopped on more than one occasion to clear tortillas from the field. Whether or not that is a fish tale is a matter of conjecture, but you can clearly see the tortillas flying in the video below:
If you have spent as much time preparing your own batch of tortillas to be thrown as you have writing a report for biology class, you are a dedicated Tech fan. Each fan finds a preparation method that works for them, but the method my roommates and I used was a 4-step process:
1) Buy corn tortillas, because they fly much farther than flower tortillas. 2) Write something pro-Tech, anti our opponent, or just flat out profane on each tortilla. 3) Cut a hole in the tortilla to improve the aerodynamics of tortilla flight. 4) Freeze the tortillas and keep them on ice until just before entering the stadium so they remain intact during flight; they’ll be heavier, and thus fly farther.
The administration has denounced this tradition and posted signs above each entrance gate stating that the throwing of objects inside the stadium is prohibited (which is ironic given the style of offense Tech employs). However, tortillas are easy to sneak into the stadium and seeing thousands fly when kickoff comes is one of the special aspects of a Texas Tech home game.