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Fort Worth Bowl not so bad for TCU

The Fort Worth Bowl may not have quite the same ring as, say, the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl or Orange Bowl, but it will have to do for the 2003 Horned Frog football team.

In a typical year, an invitation to any bowl would be a great accomplishment for the Frogs, whether it be in Mobile, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; or New Orleans, La.

This year, however, that is not the case.

As Frog fans watched their team start the season at a perfect 10-0 clip, dreams of traveling to a BCS bowl ensued. Then the unthinkable occurred when the Frogs were dealt their first loss of the season by Southern Miss, shattering any dreams of playing a bowl game in the new year.

In a matter of weeks, the Frogs went from a team that was BCS bowl bound to a team that was searching for an ideal suitor.

The Liberty Bowl never came calling, as Southern Miss won Conference USA. Final exams prevented the Frogs from accepting an invitation to the GMAC Bowl. This left the Fort Worth Bowl as the best option.

An 11-1 team deserves better than to play a bowl game in its own backyard, but the Fort Worth Bowl does have its benefits.

For one, more students and alumni can attend the game now that the Frogs are not traveling to Hawaii or Alabama.

Also, fans will not have to worry about spending money on traveling and lodging expenses that come with most other bowl games.

By playing in the first annual Fort Worth Bowl, the Frogs have the opportunity to create a lasting identity for this bowl.

It may not be the ideal bowl for the Frogs, especially in a season that was so successful, but the Fort Worth Bowl is sure to attract a sellout crowd to Amon Carter Stadium, providing the Frogs with a home-field advantage.