This was going to be a column about how two cities, North Little Rock and Little Rock, and their chambers of commerce, UALR and others have created an incredible event, the biggest non-Razorbacks event in the state’s history.

The central Arkansas area is hosting an NCAA Tournament subregional, and you can feel the vibe of being one of only eight places in the country to have this privilege.

Streets are being swept, and police escorts are being arranged for the teams, our invited guests (or at least they should be by now ).

Instead, this space is being devoted to the University of Texas.

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Understand, I was in Austin, Texas, in 1995 when the Arkansas Razorbacks, their band and their cheerleaders were booed and basically treated like secondclass citizens by a bunch of rude rednecks from Texas.

It was so bad that the sports information department put the Arkansas media in a hotel that was not the media hotel, and we had to be moved to another hotel because I have this thing about sleeping with cockroaches that are bigger than my thumb.

We were moved to a very nice hotel that was in bankruptcy.

So, yes, I applauded then-Athletic Director Frank Broyles for writing the NCAA and asking to never to be sent to Austin for the NCAA Tournament again.

Don’t get me wrong. Austin is an awesome city for numerous reasons, but especially because it is impossible to get bad Mexican food there.

The airport is user-friendly, most people are friendly, and the tradition of the Hogs and ’Horns runs deep.

It was the treatment of some jerks, though, that left a very bad taste in the mouths of not only Arkansans, but the fans from other schools who witnessed the childish antics.

Rick Barnes, a native of Hickory, N. C., knows little about the respect the 1969 Arkansas and Texas football teams have for each other and how hundreds of athletes have faced off as competitors and left shaking hands.

That Broyles and Darrell Royal became close, personal friends.

But apparently he was aware of how the Razorbacks, their band and their cheerleaders were treated in 1995 because on Monday’s teleconference he delivered an ultimatum about playing in North Little Rock.

“Well obviously, being honest with you, our guys don’t know the rivalry that existed between Texas and Arkansas,” Barnes said. “... We’re scheduled to come play Arkansas next year, and if the fans don’t treat us well, we’re not going to come. You can put it out there. I’m serious. We’ve got enough money here we can buy our way out of it. So, they’d better be good to us.”

If you listen to the sound bite on www 2. arkansasonline. com / rickbarnes you will hear a reporter laugh, but not Barnes, though Tuesday he told our man Chris Givens he was definitely joking around.

I became something of a Barnes fan when he coached at Clemson and stood up to the legendary Dean Smith, who yelled at one of Barnes’ players during a game.

I think he has done a great job with the basketball program at Texas, which is still a football school.

Yet, if he doesn’t make that joke, the ordeal of 1995 is water under the bridge. Each school has visited the other’s campus for football games without complaint.

I doubt Barnes has ever been to central Arkansas.

Barnes probably has no idea that this community and state are made up of good, hardworking people who are usually very nice to visitors. And proud of that fact.

In a perfect world, the fans gathered for Thursday’s practice and Friday’s games would not boo the Longhorns. Instead, they would show they have more class and dignity than those children who tried to ruin the experience for the 1995 Razorbacks.

The temptation, though, may be too strong, especially now.

Just please remember that what happened in 1995 turned off the majority of people who were there, and we are under scrutiny.

I’m still glad Texas is here. The Longhorns are an exciting team to watch. I hope they have a great time here, better than we had in 1995.

And, in fairness to Barnes, he probably was kidding, and he did say some really nice things about Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey.