Longhorn Network debuted Friday night to an audience of a few hundred students on the University of Texas' South Mall, a few hundred more watching in the UT dorms (yes, the dorms got Longhorn Network at least for the evening), about 20,000 lucky cable subscribers in southeast Texas and about 50 Orangebloods sitting at the bar next to me at the University of Texas Club.

It didn't matter how many watched. The Longhorn Network is great television. I was riveted. It drew me in and washed over me like a comeback win over oklahoma (small "o"). My orange blood burned for the season to start. I am a fan. There I said it.

I'm only sorry more people can't see it to appreciate it.

ESPN, the Worldwide Leader in Sports broadcasting, knows how to do great sports television and it's doing it in Austin. Those of you who follow my writing know I have been a bit, well snarky about the Longhorn Network — who it hired, how it blew its PR campaign over poorly stated intentions about high school football and Big 12 conference games, how it can't seem to make a deal with a single Austin cable television provider — or ones in the city of Houston or Dallas or San Antonio or any major cable provider (or DirecTV) for that matter.

Whatever, This channel rocks.

I know a little something about broadcast TV after spending 30 years working for and running TV stations. My bar for quality is pretty high. Longhorn Network cleared it by a mile. This is ESPN on the local level, with all the quality of the network that perfected sports coverage. Great photography, crisp sound, outstanding editing, quality graphics, even the familiar ESPN ticker running at the bottom of the screen.

Check out the video clips of the All-Access documentary style show promising a "behind the scenes look" at University of Texas football. It was. You have to watch to understand, but you are introduced to Mack Brown the Coach. Not Mack Brown the CEO, not Mack Brown the brilliant PR man, not Mack Brown the congenial father figure; no, Mack Brown the Coach.

A tough as nails, get it done my way or the highway coach of the Texas Longhorns. I couldn't turn away.

The local talent is young, yes, but capable. Lowell Galindo, Kevin Dunn and Samantha Steele were comfortable in what had to be a pressure packed moment. Galindo in particular asked pointed questions rather than tossing softballs to UT basketball coach Rick Barnes. The College GameDay crew of Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Erin Andrews were stellar as usual, even if they had to be asking themselves "Why are we here?"

The live sports television is first-class. LHN covered the Texas-Pepperdine volleyball match with six cameras — six. That's about three more than one might expect from a local live broadcast. Texas might not have gotten six cameras at the national championship last year.

One could sit and critique the schedule full of old football games, old films, and reruns, but let's give Longhorn Network credit for keeping its ammo in the chamber until it gets better distribution. And LHN will get better distribution, it's inevitable.

I watched the Longhorn Network with an open mind, ready to criticize or praise. I can't criticize, try as I might. Texas fans will appreciate the gift ESPN has given us. No, oklahoma and Texas A&M and whatever other Big 12 (10) school might not like it — to them I say, go get your own network.

Oh, I'm sorry, that's right, you can't. Because "We're Texas", the Jonses of college football.