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By Joe Gulick
Avalanche-Journal
The investigation of the Watergate scandal was the most prevalent news story of 1973 and 1974, and the topic even made its way into this Dirk West cartoon on Nov. 5, 1973. Characteristically, Dirk made an Aggie joke out of it.
Texas Tech was 7-1 when this cartoon ran. A loss to Texas was Tech’s only defeat in 1973, which ended in a Gator Bowl victory.
Tech had beaten Rice 19-6 two days before this cartoon was printed and was preparing to play TCU.
The Horned Frog’s question referenced TCU’s 31-7 upset of Tech in a 1972 game televised from Lubbock, but the Red Raiders got some payback in 1973 with a 24-10 victory. Meanwhile, Baylor was having a tough season and lost all seven Southwest Conference games.
Texas, a 14-point favorite, had thrashed SMU 41-14 the previous weekend. As reflected by the Boo Bird’s comment, many Tech fans were hoping the Longhorns would lose.
Moss had not yet appeared as a character, but Dirk mentioned his name in several 1973 cartoons as a running gag. Even so, Dirk’s labeling the Boo Bird as “Moss” here was curious. When I asked Dirk about it in the mid-1980s, he didn’t remember why he did it.
Previous Dirk West Cartoons
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