Texas
I'm an Aussie who spent 7 hours in line to try some of the best barbecue in Texas. The wait was well worth it.
- I waited for seven hours to try Franklin Barbecue, considered the best barbecue in Texas by many.
- In line, I met other tourists and was even interviewed by a local paper.
- Despite the long wait, the food was amazing, and we made a day out of the experience.
Texas is renowned for its barbecue. One of the most famous places to get it is Franklin Barbecue in Austin, where people wait in line for hours to order.
Established in 2009, Franklin Barbecue has made quite a name for itself in the past few years. It’s regularly recommended in Michelin Guides, and publications from Texas Monthly to Bon Appetit have listed it among the best barbecue in Texas (and even the country).
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain even called the restaurant’s brisket the “best” and “finest” he’s ever had in 2012.
As someone who loves Texan barbecue, I’d always wanted to try it.
Eventually, I got a group together to see if this spot was really worth the hype. We arrived at about 7 a.m. on a Saturday, and there was already a queue of about 80 people.
We got to know the others waiting in line
Ash Jurberg
The restaurant is in a pretty unassuming turquoise-and-white building, but we immediately noticed the crowds outside of it.
Most people in the queue came prepared with chairs and coolers full of drinks. Although we didn’t have chairs, we did bring some beer.
However, 7 a.m. felt a little too early to start drinking, so I had coffee first.
We started chatting with others in the line and discovered that most were not from Austin and had traveled from other states. We even spoke to a few international visitors.
Overall, the atmosphere was very friendly, and it felt like we were tailgating before a big sports game.
The back of the line was told there may not be enough food for them
After a couple of hours, when the queue had grown to a few hundred, a staff member came out to take orders.
These were not official orders, but the staff member wanted to try to check if there’d be enough of each order to cater to everyone in the queue.
Since there was a chance of demand exceeding supply, they advised people at the end of the queue to go home and not risk wasting their time. Thankfully, we were well within the cutoff limit and didn’t need to worry about the food running out before we ordered.
The samples we received left me wanting more
We could smell the delicious meat since the smokers were very close to the line, which made us even more eager to eat.
Around 10:30 a.m., another employee came to hand out some small samples.
Although the portion sizes were smaller than a bite, the piece I tried had me salivating. My stomach was rumbling, but I knew we still had a few hours left of waiting.
At one point, a local reporter started asking a few of us why we were in line.
A reporter from the University of Texas paper came to ask some tourists why they were there. As an Australian, I was one of the people interviewed. I joked I’d flown from Down Under for lunch just to fly home after eating — and they seemed to believe me.
At this point, I was getting delirious from the hunger.
Ash Jurberg
The doors finally opened at 11 a.m., and the queue began to move very slowly. Time moved even slower as I watched satisfied customers exit the restaurant.
I became impatient as we inched forward. Finally, around 1 p.m., we entered the restaurant and soon got to place our orders.
At last, we received our food after almost seven hours of waiting
Ash Jurberg
Once we made it inside, I was so hungry that I wanted to order several pounds of food, but I contained myself.
Finally, after almost seven hours, we sat down with plates full of meat and sides like coleslaw and pickles. The brisket melted in my mouth and no knife was required for the tender meat.
I felt like I was in food heaven.
The long wait was worth it
Ash Jurberg
After finishing our meal, we saw the owner and pitmaster, Aaron Franklin, emerge from the kitchen. We complimented him on his food and staff and told him that the experience was well worth the long wait.
I’ve tried many barbecue places in Texas, but this was the best I’ve had.
Customers can order Franklin Barbecue online to avoid this wait, but you must do so days in advance during a specific window and order at least 5 pounds.
Still, I think everyone should try the queue experience once since it makes for a fun day and an interesting story — plus, you get delicious barbecue at the end of the wait.
Texas
Texas vs. South Carolina Livestream: How To Watch Women’s NCAA March Madness Final Four 2025 Online
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The 2025 NCAA Women’s March Madness Final Four features the best college basketball teams in the country.
The women’s college basketball tournament continues with Texas taking on South Carolina in the Final Four on Friday, April 4. Learn more about NCAA Women’s March Madness, along with college basketball bracket info here.
At a glance: Watch NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas vs. South Carolina Online
How to Watch NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas vs. South Carolina: Date, Time
Women’s March Madness Final Four continues on Friday, April 4, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET with No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns vs. No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on ESPN.
Cord-cutters can watch the Texas-South Carolina game through any live TV streaming service that carries ESPN, such as Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, DirecTV Stream and others. Sign up for a seven-day free trial from Fubo to watch it for free. All web-based services are accessible on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
Aside from Women’s March Madness, fans can watch even more big sports events on ESPN, including The Masters Tournament, WNBA Draft, NBA and NHL Playoffs, NFL Draft, Wimbledon Championships and other events throughout the spring and summer.
Keep reading to find out how to watch the NCAA Women’s March Madness Final Four with and without a cable subscription, including more details on how to watch the game for free, the women’s college basketball schedule and where to buy last-minute tickets.
How to Stream NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas vs. South Carolina Without Cable
While the NCAA Women’s March Madness Final Four broadcasts on TV on ESPN, the college basketball game can also be streamed on web-based streaming cable services, including on some that offer free trials. If you act fast and sign up now, you can watch the game online for free.
Learn more about how to stream the NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas-South Carolina game below.
Best For ESPN Programming
ESPN+
Watch select the Texas-South Carolina game on ESPN+, which goes for $11.99 per month
If you’d like to livestream the NCAA March Madness Final Four, then ESPN+ ($11.99 per month) is the only option. It has the entire racing event and access to other sporting events from UFC, NFL, MLB, college football and more.
Along with ESPN+, the Disney Bundle Trio comes with the ad-supported versions of Hulu and Disney+ for $17.99 per month. This is nearly 45 percent less than if you were to subscribe to each service individually. However, if you’d like to go (mostly) ad-free, that Disney Bundle Trio goes for $26.99 per month.
Best For Cable Networks
Fubo
Stream ESPN; plans on sale from $64.99 for the first month
Watch the Texas-South Carolina game on ESPN, along with more than 220 other news, entertainment and sports channels with a subscription to Fubo, which starts at $64.99 for your first month of service ($84.99 per month afterward with Fubo’s current deals).
The online TV streaming service offers a seven-day trial for new subscribers, so you can watch Women’s March Madness online for free.
Best For Streaming Bundles
Hulu + Live TV
Stream ESPN on Hulu + Live TV for free with three-day free trial; plans start at $82.99 per month
You can watch the Texas-South Carolina game on ESPN with a subscription to Hulu + Live TV. The streaming service has access to more than 90 live channels — like BET, CNN, Discovery Channel, Food Network and more — starting at $82.99 per month and comes with Hulu’s entire streaming library, as well as Disney+ and ESPN+.
It includes unlimited cloud DVR too. Right now, Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial so you can watch March Madness games online for free.
Best Wallet-Friendly
Sling
Stream ESPN on Sling’s Orange package; plans on sale starting at $23 for the first month
Sling might be a good fit to watch the Texas-South Carolina game on ESPN. It’s the most wallet-friendly cable alternative at $23 for your first month of service with Sling Orange ($45.99 per month afterward).
The Sling Orange package includes ESPN for Women’s March Madness, while it also has Disney Channel, Freeform, QVC, AMC, A&E, BBC America, BET, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, IFC, Lifetime, TBS, TNT, Vice and other channels. Sling currently does not offer a free trial.
Please note: Pricing and channel availability varies by TV market. Learn more about Sling Orange here.
Best for Sports
DirecTV Stream
Watch ESPN with DirecTV Stream starting at $74.99 per month
Watch the Texas-South Carolina game on DirecTV Stream. All of the cable alternative’s packages offer ESPN.
Additionally, DirecTV Stream has a new MySports package priced at $69.99 per month. It features more than 25 of the best sports channels, such as ESPN, Fox Sports, NBA TV, NFL Network and others. Learn more about DirecTV Stream’s MySports here.
The streamer has a five-day free trial available — more than enough time to watch March Madness games online. Packages start with the Entertainment tier that offers over 90 channels, such as AMC, Bravo, CNBC, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and much more.
How to Watch NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas vs. South Carolina on TV
The NCAA women’s game broadcasts live across ESPN. You can watch the game on TV through your cable provider, on ESPN.com or the ESPN mobile app with your cable TV account credentials, including traditional and streaming services such as DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, Verizon, Philo, Sling, Xfinity and others.
What Is the NCAA Women’s March Madness Schedule?
The NCAA Women’s March Madness continues with the Final Four starting on Friday, April 4 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The game takes place at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Check out a complete NCAA Women’s March Madness schedule here.
Where to Buy NCAA Women’s March Madness Texas vs. South Carolina Tickets Online
The NCAA Women’s March Madness goes until Saturday, April 6. Tickets are still available for the women’s college basketball game at GameTime, SeatGeek, StubHub, Ticket Liquidator, Ticketmaster, Ticket Network and Vivid Seats.
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Texas
Texas high school football star Austin Metcalf stabbed in the heart, left to die in twin brother’s arms at track meet: dad
A Texas high school star athlete was stabbed in the heart and left to die in his loving twin brother’s arms following a fight over a seat at a track meet.
A Texas high school star athlete was stabbed in the heart and left to die in his loving twin brother’s arms following a fight over a seat at a track meet, the boy’s heartbroken father said.
Austin Metcalf was attending a track and field championship between other area schools at Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco, Texas when the fatal attack happened on April 2.
Metcalf, a junior at Frisco ISD’s Memorial High School, was in the stands of the stadium when a confrontation broke out between the teen and 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony.
Anthony, a senior at Centennial High School, was allegedly told he was sitting in the wrong seat when he drew a knife and launched his attack, Metcalf’s father Jeff Metcalf told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
Anthony, 17, allegedly stabbed Metcalf in the chest as his victim’s brother, Hunter, watched in horror.
Hunter, who was born 2 minutes after Austin, rushed to the aid of his older brother but couldn’t save him.
“I tried to whip around as fast as I could,” an emotional Hunter Metcalf told WFAA. “I looked at my brother and I’m not going to talk about the rest. I tried to help him.”
“They were twins, identical twins, and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms,” Jeff Metcalf recalled.
Hunter Metcalf called his parents to tell them about the stabbing, with their father rushing to the stands to find Austin on a gurney not breathing.
“I could see all the blood, and I saw where the wound was, and I was very concerned, so I had to find his brother, and we rushed to the hospital. And we prayed, and it’s God’s plan, I don’t understand it, but they weren’t able to save him. This is murder,” Jeff Metcalf said.
The teen was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
“Despite lifesaving measures by police and fire personnel, including CPR and the administration of blood, the (17)-year-old died,” Frisco Police said.
Anthony was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
He is being held at Collin County Jail; no bond has been set.
The grieving father questioned Anthony’s upbringing and parents as he forgave his son’s alleged killer.
“I’m not trying to judge, but what kind of parents did this child have? What was he taught? He brought a knife to a track meet and he murdered my son by stabbing him in the heart. The guy was in the wrong place and they asked him to move and he bowed up. This is murder,” Jeff Metcalf said.
“You know what, I already forgive this person. Already. God takes care of things. God is going to take care of me. God is going to take care of my family,” he added.
Anthony, 5-foot-10 free safety, revealed on social media he had received offers from several colleges, mostly Division III schools.
Austin Metcalf was remembered as a star linebacker who had garnered attention from schools as he dreamed of playing football in college.
He was recently voted his team’s Most Valuable Player and held a 4.0 GPA, according to a GoFundMe organized by his father.
“He was a bright young man with a great future ahead of him,” Jeff Metcalf said. “He was a leader of men. His smile would light up the room. His passion for football was unbelievable.
“We will all remember him for the way he impacted others’ lives.”
AUSTIN _ Business owners could exempt a quarter-million dollars worth of computers, furniture and other equipment from their annual taxes under legislation the Texas House overwhelmingly approved on Wednesday.
Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-University Park, brought forward the proposals that passed with 90% support in the GOP-dominated chamber. If the legislation passes the Texas Senate, voters will need to approve it in November for it to go into effect in this tax year.
The measures — House Bill 9 and House Joint Resolution 1 — are the cornerstone of House Speaker Dustin Burrows’ priority property tax reform package for the House.
The bill provides “the second largest exemption of its kind in the country and will provide substantial savings to businesses across the state,” Meyer said.
The legislation raises the personal property tax exemption for businesses from $2,500 to $250,000 – a tenfold increase in the amount of value that businesses owners don’t have to claim on items critical to their companies’ day-to-day operations.
Items that, supporters point out, owners already paid sales tax on when they purchased them. Avoiding a second round of taxes means they can put more into their families and businesses, said Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville.
“It’ll help them provide for their children, and that’s money that goes back into the economy,” Little said. “This bill helps those small businesses ensure that they can continue to operate those small businesses by accepting things that they already paid taxes on.”
Attempts to raise the exemption to $500,000 or a million dollars failed in floor votes.
About a dozen House members opposed the bill, arguing that local governments would have to make up the loss in revenue by raising prices for services — putting the tax cut for businesses on the backs of everyday Texans who may already struggle every day.
Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, said 82% of the businesses in Fort Worth would pay no taxes on personal business property at all if the exemption were increased to $250,000.
“This would have a huge loss to the city of Fort Worth, and it’s going to be a big burden to our taxpayers,” Collier said. “I’m trying to think of the other ways that they could make up the difference. Raising the water bill, raising garbage collection rates. These are all things that are passed on to the consumer.”
Meyer responded that if the cities can’t tighten their belts to make up for the lost revenue, that’s not the taxpayers’ problem.
“A lot of the local taxing entities are taking in way too much money as we speak,” he said. “They are taking it from our constituents, and so that would be something that they would need to deal with. But quite frankly, they take enough from our constituents as we sit here today.”
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