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Guns Up

Official Review by Paul Derrick, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

When most people mention the city of Lubbock, college football fans think of highly potent offenses that are known to put up big numbers. As for anyone who has visited Lubbock they can tell you about the beauty of Jones AT&T Stadium the home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

It's known simply as "The Jones" and the Red Raiders have called Jones AT&T Stadium home since the 1947 season. The Stadium originally held just 27,000 during its original build but after many renovations the stadium can now hold over 60,000 fans. The Red Raiders started reaching national prominence during former head coach Mike Leach's tenure reaching 9 bowl games in 10 years. The team is always dangerous due to its potent offense and always has a chance of an upset in big games.

Food & Beverage    4

The Red Raiders provide a decent amount and variety when it comes to concessions. One place that I found very appetizing was Bigham's Smokehouse which offers chopped brisket, sausage on a stick and frito pies all at competitive prices. There are many other options you will find around Jones AT&T Stadium which include funnel cakes, a variety of different hamburgers and hot dogs as well as the usual stadium variety like popcorn, pretzels, etc. Overall the Red Raiders provide a good variety of options that should please your stomach if needed.

Atmosphere    4

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are often overshadowed by some of the bigger and better known Big 12 schools in the Lone Star State like the University of Texas and Texas A&M, but don't let this fool you, the Red Raiders still know how to provide a great college atmosphere. The stadium unfortunately doesn't do a whole lot to commemorate former Red Raiders that have come through the university like most colleges do. However, the Red Raiders do a great job everywhere else to provide the great college football atmosphere that Texas universities are known for. The fans are great win or lose at providing the extra support for the team. The Goin' Band from Raiderland also does a world class job at providing the extra advantage for the Red Raiders when playing at home. Overall the Red Raiders provide a great college football atmosphere that any college football fan will enjoy.

Neighborhood    3

Very little is known about the town of Lubbock to most people who live outside the state of Texas. Even though it may not have the marquee entertainment options like Austin, San Antonio, Houston or Dallas, Lubbock still provides the routine tourist with quite a few options of things to do and places to see.

There are some great places to grab a bite to eat before or after the game within walking distance of the stadium. A few that I found to be quite nice were Cricket's Grill and Rocky Larue's. Both restaurants provide plenty of great options to not only quench your thirst but to please your stomach as well.

As far as Cricket's Grill, I will start with the bad before the good. The one negative about this place is that within 30 minutes to an hour you will smell like cigarette smoke. If you aren't a smoker or a fan of smoking, then I would suggest not going into Cricket's.

Now for the good things Cricket's has to offer and there is definitely plenty of it. Cricket's has a wide variety of alcoholic beverages on tap and they have at least something for everyone. Cricket's also offers a wide variety of specialty drink nights including Whiskey Wednesday. Cricket's also offers a good variety of bar and grilled items at great prices. From their prize winning burgers to my favorite, the fried pickle spears, you should find no problem in finding something to please your palate.

The other great choice I would recommend is Rocky Larue's Bar and Grill. Rocky Larue's offers everything from great drinks to good food and live music, which for a person like me is right up my alley. I would suggest hitting this for your postgame meal and hangout as that is when you will find the most variety of people as well as the live music. Also make sure to check out Rocky Larue's daily special menu as they always offer some great options there.

Overall Lubbock may not be the most exciting place in Texas but I don't think you will find a shortage of things to do or places to see in this great little college town.

Fans    4

Red Raider fans are everything you expect from good Big 12 college football fans. Even though the Red Raiders quickly fell behind in the game I watched, the fans stuck around to support the team even in the 4th quarter when the team was getting severely blown out. Texas Tech fans are known for their trademark "Guns Up" hand pose that you can see after the Red Raiders make a big play or big defensive stand. Overall Texas Tech fans are everything you come to expect of college football fans. They are fun, rowdy and know how to provide their team a good home field advantage.

Access    4

Getting to Lubbock may not be the easiest place in the world to reach but once you reach it you will find no issues finding Jones AT&T Stadium. Parking is readily accessible and I found a couple of free lots within decent walking distance to the stadium. Walking throughout the stadium is made easy due to the width of the concourses and I found bathrooms to be easily available and pretty up to date.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets for most Red Raider games are pretty cheap except for the bigger marquee conference games like Texas and Texas A&M. Besides these big games most other games can be found at a fair ticket price, and with free parking and pretty cheap food and beverage options you can't really go wrong with a visit to Jones AT&T Stadium.

Extras    3

There are a few extra points to be rewarded here, one being the Guns Up hand signal. Texas Tech fans are known for the Guns Up signal and it is a well known signal around the college football world.

I have to give one more extra point to the Red Raiders band and mascots. These guys do a great job to add to the amazing college football atmosphere at Jones AT&T Stadium.

My last point goes out to the University and their support of the military and its veterans. The game I attended was on the weekend of Veterans Day and the Red Raiders each had one of the military core values on their jersey instead of their names. I myself am a veteran and commend the University for showing pride in their country and the soldiers that have fought for that freedom.

My take

Okay, that Bigham's Smokehouse is making me hungry. When I was in Lubbock for a hoops game, they had 50 mph wind. It made walking pretty tough. I would think that the winds on the plains of TX could make for some interesting kicks in football.

by CigarBoy | Nov 28, 2011 07:07 PM

Yep

Cigarboy
Yeah the winds were gusting a good 20 to 25 mph while I was there just about every kickoff was nailed outside the endzone especially since Oklahoma State kicked off about 10 times in a 66 to 6 win.

by pderrick | Nov 29, 2011 09:33 AM

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