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Arch Madness and the Longhorns are No. 1Pro football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning personified the field-general style of quarterback. He read defenses, changed protections, and stood in the pocket, a clock ticking in his head telling him exactly how many seconds he had to throw the ball. When the time was right, he executed. His brother Eli, the two-time Super Bowl MVP, was similar—perhaps a little less perfect and probably a bit more lucky. Neither was known for blazing speed as a dual-threat playmaker. NFL on FOX curated a video compilation of the best scrambles from Peyton Manning’s eighteen-year NFL career. It’s one minute long and contains five highlights, one of which was a trick play that succeeded precisely because the opposing team never expected Peyton Manning to run a quarterback keeper…

The post Welcome to Arch Madness. Just How Fast Is the Texas Longhorns Quarterback? appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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A red crescent moon hung over the horizon as I pulled up near Rio Vista Park, in San Marcos, just before six on a February morning. My car’s thermometer read 45 degrees. The park includes a short stretch of the San Marcos River, which is spring fed and thus stays at a constant 72 degrees. Though that would be pleasant as an air temperature, it means snorkeling in a wet suit with neoprene gloves, booties, and a hood. After I suited up, only my face was exposed. A hulking SUV pulled into the spot next to me, and bounding out of it, already zipped into his wet suit, came Nick Menchaca, the 35-year-old founder and owner of Atlas Environmental, a San Marcos–based business that works with…

The post How to Best Take Care of These Invasive Catfish? Spear the Suckers! appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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Twice a year, dozens of spearfishers come to the San Marcos River to participate in a tournament targeting the suckermouth armored catfish. The invasive species took to these waters, as well as the Comal River, when aquarium owners started dumping catfish that had grown too large for the tanks. Spearfishing is the most effective way to remove these invaders. But other outsiders have also made their way to Texas’s lakes, rivers, and oceans. Here are five of the worst offenders. Bighead Carp Native habitat: China How it got here: Escapes from fish farms Why it’s a threat: It eats lots of plankton.  Where to hunt: Bexar, Jones, and Taylor counties in the Upper San Antonio and Brazos river drainages; San Jacinto River; Braunig, Fort Phantom Hill,…

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Jalapeño popper nachos.The Lone Star Kolaches bakery near my house in Austin makes a jalapeño-popper kolache that’s part of my go-to order. Similar to the jalapeño poppers you’re used to having at a cookout or a tailgate—jalapeño halves stuffed with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon, and grilled—this kolache version is dough stuffed with a paste of sautéed, diced jalapeños, chopped bacon, and cream cheese. It’s genius—and the filling also happens to be perfect for nachos.I love a classically composed nacho that features beans, cheese, and a single slice of pickled jalapeño on a tortilla chip. These nachos are inspired by that style, and they include beans and pickled jalapeños in addition to the flavors of the game-day favorite. So as the weather cools and your weekends begin to revolve around watching…

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Wade Bowen Friday Night Music VideoCountry singer-songwriter Wade Bowen recalls fondly his time playing high school football at Waco’s Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic High School. “It was one of those small schools where you play both ways on offense and defense,” he says. “I was a quarterback and a cornerback. I learned so much about being a man from it.” Was the team any good? “We had a pretty good junior year and a pretty good senior year,” he says. “We weren’t anything to write home about, but it left a lot of memories.” Those memories form the basis for Bowen’s song “Friday Night,” the music video for which is out today. The track is a mid-tempo rocker that embraces full-on nostalgia, with Bowen unfolding a narrative of small-town kids sneaking…

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illustration of buc-ee the beaverWhile conducting a traffic stop in Fayette County, sheriff’s deputies searching a car discovered several Buc-ee’s beaver plushies stuffed with ecstasy and marijuana in the backseat.A San Antonio man was accused of “arson causing reckless damage” after allegedly placing pressure-activated fireworks beneath toilet seats inside the restrooms of two car washes.The girlfriend of a North Texas Christian-radio host was sentenced to life in prison for her part in his scheme to bilk his elderly listeners out of their retirement savings.Officials at Charles Middle School, in El Paso, announced a ban on head-to-toe black outfits, explaining in a letter to parents that the look “has become more associated with depression and mental health issues and/or criminality than with happy and healthy kids ready to learn.”An attorney…

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Johnny Manziel podcastBruce Springsteen wrote sadder songs than “Glory Days,” one of the final tracks from his 1984 masterpiece Born in the U.S.A., but perhaps none of the Boss’s songs more effectively examines the feeling of being someone who used to be. It might be the most tragic song ever written in a major key, built around a honky-tonk piano and garage band guitar sounds, and meant to be sung with a smile on your face. The pathos of the song—that whether you were a great athlete, great beauty, or world famous rock star in your youth, obsolescence awaits us all—is both undeniably true and incredibly grim. Which, we suppose, makes it a fitting inspiration for the title of Johnny Manziel’s forthcoming interview show, Glory Daze, the…

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A young model wears a show stopping sequined red gown from Victoria's Elegance at the Houston Quinceañera Expo.It took just one lap around the event billed as “America’s biggest quince expo” for me to question whether I had ever really known what a quinceañera was.When I arrived at Houston’s NRG Arena on an August Sunday, I could hear the faint sound of Latin pop trickling out of the building and into the parking lot. Inside, I made my way through pink-and-white floral archways and was met with the booming voice of expo emcee DJ Hershey welcoming a teenage dance crew, High Class Productions, to a faraway stage on the other side of the hall. Beckoned like a sailor to a siren, I followed his voice.To my right, excited teenage girls and their parents were standing in front of sequined backdrops, testing out…

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Southlake suit against Title IX LGBTQ protectionsCouples walk the hallways at Carroll Senior like they do at any other high school: holding hands, kissing goodbye before parting for seventh period. But only the straight ones, according to Emma. An outspoken senior who loves reading and launched a “banned book” club last year, she says she never publicly displays affection with her girlfriend at school and avoids attracting unwanted attention to her sexual orientation at all cost. She’s overheard homophobic slurs in casual conversations and has seen her friends get called them too. If Emma—who is using a pseudonym because she is not out to her parents—is assigned a personal essay in English class and writes about a relationship, she changes pronouns to male to obscure her orientation. She explained to me…

The post “Just Easier When You’re Not Openly Queer”: Students Respond to Texas School District’s Fight Against LGBTQ Protections appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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texas college football season tailgate recipesIs it just us, or does this late summer feel more autumn-y than normal? The temperatures are mercifully below triple digits, and there have been spots of rain in the forecast. It may be an unfamiliar feeling for most Texans, but it’s perfect for the start of college football season (or Labor Day weekend, if sports aren’t your thing).The surprisingly not-that-hot weather is even better for indulging in some cold-weather favorites, whether you’re watching the game at home or dragging a smoker out to the stadium parking lot. Speaking of smokers, throwing some turkey legs on one will make you feel like a king for a day. Or maybe you’re a guest who wants to bring something more low-effort: bean dip is for you. And…

The post It’s Officially College Football Season. Here Are 9 Essential Texas Tailgating Recipes. appeared first on Texas Monthly.

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