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Texas Tech basketball gets last laugh over TCU on Twitter

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 28: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots the ball against Kendric Davis #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half of the game on January 28, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 28: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots the ball against Kendric Davis #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half of the game on January 28, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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Thanks to Monday’s win, the Texas Tech basketball program got the last laugh in back-and-forth with TCU on Twitter that began when the Horned Frogs took a shot at Lubbock.

One reason we love college sports is the unabashed hate that exists between rival schools.  And this week, the Texas Tech basketball program had a round of bantering with TCU on Twitter, the likes of which are rather unique to college rivalries, at least in America. Fortunately, the Red Raiders got the last laugh.

Last week, TCU attempted to troll Texas Tech on its official basketball Twitter account.  In a tweet announcing that Monday’s game was set for broadcast on ESPN, TCU posted a graphic that had two players standing on either side of a picture of a barren desert landscape captioned as “Lubbock”.

It was a tired and ignorant shot at West Texas and Lubbock and a great representation of what the folks in Ft. Worth think about when they picture our neck of the woods (or apparently our neck of the desert).  In other tweets using the same graphic to promote games, TCU has used actual pictures of the city in which they are playing thus leaving no doubt that their intent was to get a rise out of Texas Tech and it’s fans.

Fortunately, Tech took care of business against the Horned Frogs coming away with a lopsided 84-65 win on national television.  And as one would expect in college athletics, the Red Raiders returned the favor.

In a tweet posted Monday night after the game, the Texas Tech basketball program acknowledged TCU’s choice of photo and wished them “safe travels back to Dallas”.  Of course, people in Ft. Worth despise being grouped in with anything associated with Dallas because it triggers their little brother complex.

https://twitter.com/TexasTechMBB/status/1090099602697654272

It was a terrific reply by the people running the Tech basketball account who certainly enjoyed pouring more salt into the Frogs’ wound.  But for some reason, on Wednesday, TCU decided to post a highlight of forward J.D. Miller blocking a Kyler Edwards shot in the first half.

That play was one of just a handful of moments that went the Frogs way on Monday making the decision to share a highlight from a game in which they were run off of the court by one of their biggest rivals seem particularly short-sighted.  And as one might expect, Texas Tech fans were quick to jump all over that fact with their replies.

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Perhaps, TCU should focus more on trying to figure out how to beat the Red Raiders before they try to troll them.  Since the Frogs joined the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season, Tech has gone 10-4 against the Horned Frogs sweeping the season series in 2013, 2014 and 2017.  Tech is currently riding a three-game winning streak over TCU and has not lost a regular season game to the Frogs since 2016.

But Texas Tech fans should take this jab in stride.  After all, it is proof that we finally have something we’ve always wanted, a school willing to engage in a true rivalry with.

For years, Tech’s two most hated schools, Texas and Texas A&M, denied having any animosity towards the Red Raiders above the level of general annoyance.  Certainly, those schools had other rivals that drew the bulk of their ire and they simply refused to acknowledge Texas Tech as a true rival.

And for years, Tech felt the same way towards TCU, especially when they were a scrappy little program from the Mountain West Conference.  But since joining the Big 12, TCU and Tech have seen their animosity grow as their battles on the court or the field have take on greater importance.

While the basketball rivalry has been decidedly one-sided in Big 12 play, the football and baseball series have been extremely close.  Tech holds a 4-3 lead over TCU in Big 12 football games with the Red Raiders claiming this year’s contest in Ft. Worth 17-14 despite being without starting QB Alan Bowman.

Meanwhile, TCU holds an 11-9 lead in the baseball rivalry since 2012.  Last year, the Frogs took two of three games from the Red Raiders.

But this is what makes college sports fun.  You will not find similar antics in the NBA where free agency has made all of the players independent contractors who are loyal only to themselves and not the franchise.  And the owners of those franchises do not consider the other franchises rivals but rather partners in a multi-billion-dollar business that is solely focused on profit margins.

Next. Kyler Edwards looking more comfortable in recent games. dark

There’s no doubt that college sports is a money-making industry as well.  But there will always remain a tribal nature about collegiate athletics that make rivalries like Texas Tech / TCU fun for all involved.  Especially when your university is able to have the last laugh.

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