I'm 28. Graduated from UT undergrad in 2005. I have never considered aggy a serious rival. They are a joke with extreme penis envy. f**k 'em. I couldn't care less if we ever played them again. In fact, I hope we don't. As a poster above mentioned, there is no upside to it.
It would be an honor to continue the games history against a true SEC power like Vand,,uh Vand,, I mean Vandaggy. They could drag their 3-9 record to the game and perhaps fill the early schedule slot abandoned by Sam Houston or New Mexico State.
BBA '09 and I'm 25. Yes, keep playing aggy. Why? $$. How does everyone keep forgetting Thanksgiving Day? At least within the next 3 years, Texas v. aggy will generate revenue as the ONLY college football game on Thanksgiving Day. How is that not an upside to the game? Yes, aggy is mostly irrelevant in football. Doesn't change the fact that we're the only two teams playing on Thanksgiving Day. Quit acting butt sore about them leaving and take a hard look at revenue from that game alone. At least keep them around for a few years. Aggy will either fade further into irrelevance or get better. Whichever happens, we still get $$ from playing them on Thanksgiving Day.
I really don't have much to add except to say that I agree with the majority - NO!!!!!! Aggy can go to hell, or the SEC, whichever comes first (I'm not sure there's a difference). I have never enjoyed playing them. Even beating them is not much fun, kind of like beating up a retarded cousin.
We can play alot of other people on Thanksgiving and get a bigger audience, hence to your point make more money!!
45, BA 89 f**k 'em, it's a lose/lose situation to play them.. They wanted the SEC, they can have it but no more games...we've nothing to prove.
Still not answered with a serious examination... Why would aTm be so intense about leaving the conference -- as if it were life and death -- then propose to keep the UT-aTm game with the same adamant approach? Has that not struck anyone as more than odd? I've sent a lengthy text to Cedric Golden proposing that Aggy planned all along to keep the game -- and that keeping the game was absolutely a key part of the plan and an extremely necessary part of the plan. I honestly think if that game is not kept, it goes back to the private planning of the entire move and may come out fairly soon as an embarrassment to the program. I think Loftin will be end up being fired, and Sharps asked to step down as well, and likely firing of Bill Byrne. That game is far more important to aTm than has been seriously discussed in the press. And I firmly believe it was never believed it could possibly be ended. The move to the SEC was to be a Grand Coup in which aTm would end up with a Glamor SEC Schedule ... plus TEXAS.. every year. That was to be their grand retaliation against the Longhorn Network. Without the UT-ATM game annually... it blows up their Grand Coup and puts them in the same boat no different than Arkansas. I guarantee you a&m desperately wants that game -- and I guarantee you Texas could give a flying rats ***. I'm reading in Letters to the Editor in the Statesman's Sports Section how significant this rival game is, and that's not true. Back in the 60s and 70s I can assure you that the Arkansas game was almost THE most serious game of the season, followed by OU. The Aggy game was simply a protocol. In the past 30 years it has lost what it used to have. It is absolutely not necessary, anymore than it was necessary for A&M to remain in the conference. Those items are equal and should be treated equal. No big deal ATM goes. No big deal not to play the game. They are the same. But... notice how it is not the same to ATM. They absolutely counted on continuing that game. Without that game, it takes their move to the SEC from 110% to about 10%. You see A&M on your schedule... what does it mean? Not much. You see TEXAS on your schedule... it means A LOT!
I hope you're right hu_fan... but why would aggy be so confident that UT would keep this game? surely, even aggy would realize UT would probly say "good riddance!"
People say that Texas is arrogant, AM is just as arrogant if not more when it comes to what they think people think about them. They think everyone likes them and respects them, when in fact everyone is lauging at them. Remember this is the same school that wanted the same Nike Deal as Texas, they were told they were not Texas and they went to Adidas for what half the amount?
Everyone has always laughed at them. They can say they wrote the Aggy jokes all they want, people have always told Aggy jokes for a reason. They are not respected. They are 6th grade childish with their "t.u." reference, and their "tard" remarks about Tech. More recently "sucks to BU." People have grown tired of all their crap. Another item, I believe it is Aggy who has created all the hate was in the SWC and now the Big 12. Other conferences don't do that, granted they don't chant SEC SEC SEC either, but they root for other conference members. This hasn't been the case with Aggy around. Who in their right mind wants to root for Aggy? The thought of them winning insures no one will hear the end of it. I firmly believe the Big 12 will become a warmer, kinder place without the Aggies around sharing their cult hate. No more flinging poop, no more binoculars swinging, no more drawn swords, no more mascot stealing,
Hu_Fan, I like your post. However, the one bit I have to disagree on is whether aggy does what they do with a lot of forethought and calculation. To me, their decision-making seems to be entirely based on emotion at its core, with logical reasoning added in only later to justify the decision. It's been common knowledge that certain elements within aggy have been pushing for SEC membership for over 20 years. That was going to be the big plan prior to the Big XII: Texas was going to join the Pac 10, and aggy was going to join the SEC. Then Bob Bullock cockblocked the entire thing because we couldn't leave out Baylor. So the Big XII was the solution that appeased all the politicians around the state. I don't think all of the aggy hive mind was on board with it, though...they coveted SEC membership, for reasons I don't fully understand, nor ever care to. So with the decision to bolt to the SEC already made, aggy had to find ways to justify it and make it work. One benefit is that they can attack our lock on recruiting by playing SEC teams, while retaining a marquee game OOC against Texas. It would require Texas to play ball their way, though. I'm not sure they thought that last part all the way through. So now, they have to get the aggy politicians in the Legislature involved on their behalf, to force Texas to play ball their way. If I still lived in Texas, I would be writing every politician in the state opposing that legislation. If by some horror of horrors that abominable bill were to actually pass, then I think we've got some pretty sharp legal minds over at UT Law who could and would prepare a lawsuit testing the constitutionality of such legislation in the courts.
I am sorry to see the game end because I thought it provided a fair measuring stick for how well the Texas staff was coaching. If the staff was working hard and doing its job, a win in the ATM game was never in doubt. When the staff was complacent, distracted or lazy, as in 1999 and 3 of the past 5 years, ATM wins the game. It does Texas good to be compelled to face teams with relatively good athletic talent, decent coaching and a fanaticism bordering on religious fervor. It does no good for Texas to play ******** teams, particularly in nonconference games, because the staff and players are too often uninspired. That being said, ATM and its reprentatives are disingenuous hypocrites without honor and they can enjoy the life they sought without The University of Texas providing a premier stage and opportunity to enhance their brand and stature. ATM is forsaking its state and all of the universities with whom it has shared lengthy histories. Good riddance. My only regret is that Mack Brown and staff recently have done such a terrible job coaching against them that ATM has won 3 of the last 5 and has a good chance to leave the rivalry with two straight wins and 4 of the last 6. That is embarrassing and contrary to the nature order of things. My holiday wish is that the Longhorns roll into CS and beat the aggies into the turf at Kyle Field.
Correction. I think you may have some facts confused (or I may be the one gulity of that) but it was my understanding that Arkansas had it mapped out to take aggy and UT with them to SEC. The Texas legislature stepped in and said no way. I believe that was as early as 1990 or 1991. The Big 12 wasn't even a dream at that point. That came a couple of years later when the SWC was in jail with the NCAA guards. That's when Bullock et al came into play saving Tech and Baylor. Am I correct?
Well my memory of things may be a bit hazy - it has been almost 20 years now - but I do remember at one point that we really wanted to go to the Pac 10 with Colorado, while aggy really wanted to go to the SEC. I may have jumbled or glossed over a few events along the way with regard to the formation of the Big XII, though. Regardless, I stand by my assertion that aggy does things based on emotion first, and logic and reason only later.
Class of "85 here. No need to ever play aggy again. Or talk about them for that matter. Hookem123 is on to something: aggy doesn't get that the rest of the world isn't aggy. Those guys make harassing phone calls to ensure our team gets no sleep the night before the game, literally cut up our field, throw **** at our band, call us liars and bullies and accuse us of working to undermine the conference they were so intent on leaving, etc., etc. etc. ad nauseum ----- then, they turn around and say: "Hey, its all just good fun. Part of the rivalry. Its all just "good bull". Why are you chicken **** fraidy cat bullying effeminate ******** not wanting to give us a national television audience on a holiday evening so that we can recruit better?" This is the chance of a lifetime to lose these psychos. Hook 'em!
...they want to keep this game because they know they are going to be on an island,if there is no meaningful game with a texas team..and because of our rivalry we are the easy target pr wise and politically...they cant go to the legislature or spin it in the media to force baylor or tech to play them...
I don't even look at the Florida Gators schedule every year because it's boring and it sucks. If Texas plays Texas A&M on an annual basis Texas loses all flexibility and sacrifices much of its national identity. Florida State plays three cupcakes at home, its SEC schedule of eight conference games and then Florida State. Assuming the Big 12 adds BYU (which it should), or TCU for that matter, Texas will play nine conference games. That leaves only three non conference games. If A&M is one of them, Texas would be foolish to risk scheduling another tough home and home opponent. The Longhorns would go with the typical assortment of Rices or Florida Atlantics plus the A&M game. That's awful - just like Florida's schedule is awful! I want to see Texas play someone like Notre Dame, or UCLA or Tennessee or Ohio State on an annual basis. Schedule A&M and the great intersectional games go away. A&M doesn't deserve the right to play Texas. And the Aggies certainly don't deserve the right to deprive us of high-profile intersectional games of national interest.
The Ags will never again play a game in the city of Austin, the Texas State Capital. The Horns will no longer get to go to College Station. This is the way it should be -- forever.
I have to admit I am surprised at the amount of posts that are against keeping the A&M game on the schedule. I hope you are all disappointed and the game goes on. The season will be very boring without it.
While I understand the sentiments and reasons for dropping the game (i.e. it was their decision to leave the conference, so you can't have your cake and eat it to), I think it would be bad to drop them. If we stick it out in a 9-team conference, or even one that adds BYU, our exposure without a conference championship game AND tough nonconference games leaves us severely lacking at the end of the year. Sure, we've added ND and USC for the future. What if they're stuck in a .500 quagmire in 10 years? We're really going to rely on pollsters for 2/3 of our overall rank? And what about when we lose 1 game? There's a high potential that we'd get the lowest spot reserved in the rankings for a 1-loss team. If we're undefeated in the new conference, it still isn't as good as being undefeated in the SEC or B1G. So we're going to roll the dice and continually take the risk that we'll be "just good enough" to rank highly. I don't like that risk because it's both the easy way out and not what makes college football great. Plus, I actually like the rivalry. It's a lot like a love-hate thing, although the hate seems to come more from their side. I'm ok with it, because as long as we take up so much real estate in their brains, we're the ones in charge. We're the hot ex-girlfriend who could easily find another date; they're the jealous ex-boyfriend whose entire existence rests on that girl. It's nice to be needed sometimes.
It is NOT a marriage, and it is NOT about punishing A&M, or claiming the moral high ground. It IS about beating their *** and having bragging rights at work and school. Put all the BS aside and schedule the game.
of course every aggy wants the series to continue. i don't know a single Horn that wants it to continue and none of them post on the internet either.
