I don't see how pride in the school has anything to do with supporting the football program. In fact, conflating the two is probably more likely to push people away from being proud of being Aggies because the football program is anything but unique….its the perfect definition of milktoast, cookie cutting mediocrity.

RightWingConspirator said:

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LB12Diamond said:

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Dang

Trying to feel good about yourself bc you are a half ass fan. Good for you.

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And being a true fan has gotten you what exactly?

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Ahh thanks. But I'm also a half ass fan as far as buying tickets to all games etc. I go to one football game a year. I make a few tailgates. I enjoy watching ALL Aggie sports and make a few of all the other sports as well. Well besides girls basketball. That's one's just not my cup of tea.


The difference between me and the OP, I'm not on here asking them how the ones that go to all the games, how they do it? I know how they do it. They love it. They love all the memories they make with their friends and family. They enjoy all the tailgates. Do they want to win more. Of course they do but they are true hard core fans that get more out of it than just winning and losing. It's really not that hard to understand.

Well said sir.

Gunny456 said:

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He had one of the highest total winning percentages of coaches across the country at that time. He cleaned up a program that was in the crapper and brought some integrity to the table compared to the other SWC coaches of the time as well. He put multiple players in the NFL that did very well.
Cut him down all you want but you might do well talking to some of the players that played under him.

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Come on, I was at A&M during the RC era as well; nice guy (as far as you know because TexAgs mods won't allow his dirty laundry to be aired out) but he sucked as a head coach.

As you noted above it's a testament that there was so much talent on his teams that went on to the NFL yet he couldn't make lemonade out of the ridiculously easy schedules served up every year.

Gunny456 said:

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He had one of the highest total winning percentages of coaches across the country at that time. He cleaned up a program that was in the crapper and brought some integrity to the table compared to the other SWC coaches of the time as well. He put multiple players in the NFL that did very well.
Cut him down all you want but you might do well talking to some of the players that played under him.

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And? You think I'm remotely concerned about hurting the feelings of RCs players by speaking the truth? If they are that sensitive it would explain so much as to why we ultimately so soft during RCs tenure.

Integrity? Well, I'd mention a certain event involving his secretary at the time but I'm sure that would get deleted and myself banned so I'll refrain. Hardly the actions of a man who takes integrity seriously.

A program that was in the crapper? God, revisionist history at its finest.

LB12Diamond said:

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RightWingConspirator said:

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LB12Diamond said:

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Dang

Trying to feel good about yourself bc you are a half ass fan. Good for you.

---

And being a true fan has gotten you what exactly?

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Ahh thanks. But I'm also a half ass fan as far as buying tickets to all games etc. I go to one football game a year. I make a few tailgates. I enjoy watching ALL Aggie sports and make a few of all the other sports as well. Well besides girls basketball. That's one's just not my cup of tea.


The difference between me and the OP, I'm not on here asking them how the ones that go to all the games, how they do it? I know how they do it. They love it. They love all the memories they make with their friends and family. They enjoy all the tailgates. Do they want to win more. Of course they do but they are true hard core fans that get more out of it than just winning and losing. It's really not that hard to understand.

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This person truly gets it.

lancechmp said:

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I have seen posts on here over the years about how some of you have attended A&M games home and away for many years. Some even into the "40 year" timeframe. I don't see how in the world you are able to endure such punishment. I am impressed but wouldn't change places with you.

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I don't endure punishment! I gave up my season tickets in 2019. I sold them all season by season 10 years before that. I had enough of this crap for years! I'm not going to spend good money for bad misery. So much has changed. We now have sissy ballerina boy cheerleaders, dancing girls, uniform fashion shows, high school firework team run on the field, ridiculous DJ, unaffordable concessions, the band only plays at half time! If people want to squander good money for this, let them I don't have to. I'd rather go to a high school game, not a semi pro football game. MY TEXAS A&M IS DEAD!

You are always right. I should know better.

PanzerAggie06 said:

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Gunny456 said:

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He had one of the highest total winning percentages of coaches across the country at that time. He cleaned up a program that was in the crapper and brought some integrity to the table compared to the other SWC coaches of the time as well. He put multiple players in the NFL that did very well.
Cut him down all you want but you might do well talking to some of the players that played under him.

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Integrity? Well, I'd mention a certain event involving his secretary at the time but I'm sure that would get deleted and myself banned so I'll refrain. Hardly the actions of a man who takes integrity seriously.

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I have been banned for a short duration on a couple of occasions on this subject. So be careful.

My Dad isn't the biggest sports guy but they had season tickets from 1973-2016. They ended up letting them go when the university forced them out of their great seats one the first deck after the rebuild. He doesn't even watch anymore. Just calls me on Sunday to ask what I thought, which is funny because I'm getting to the point where I don't watch very much either

Kellso said:

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There was a day in time that A&M won huge games against Notre Dame, Auburn and BYU in major bowl games.
This was in the glory days of the Wrecking Crew. The 1980's saw the Texas A&M football program grow into being a National Power. Once SMU was given the death penalty the SWC was up for the taking.
The Texas A&M football team took over the SWC in its dying days, and became the dominant team in the state of Texas.

I've always though the trajectory of the football program would be much different if any of those 1990's losses to UCLA, Florida St, Notre Dame or Ohio St went differently. The death of the Southwest Conference in 1995 also signaled the end of Texas A&M being a national power in football.

For the past 30-35 years Texas A&M almost always loses the big game against the big name, marquee out of conference opponent.

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Couldn't have said it better my self. We are small potatoes and do less with more than any team, program, organization on the planet WRT athletics.

I checked out after Jimbo did and NIL came about. Those players are accountable now when they get paid. I don't support them when they play like crap. Do your job 24/7.

If you're a professional, act like one.

I'm 37yrs in.

Every year I swear that I won't get too invested. That I know how it's gonna end.

And EVERY SINGLE YEAR... I fall for it. This season was particularly bad... we had it all infront of us. But we aggies the hell out of it. AND lost to those orange *******s.

Then to come out and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in such a spectacular fashion...

I need a break... but here I am... on texags wallowing in it. Like and *******.

The only time in the past 40 years that was the golden years was......Johnny Football. It was so easy to talk college football as an Ag.....how about what Johnny just did last game.
He is still a platinum standard since talking heads on tv still compare talented mobile QB to Johnny.

LB12Diamond said:

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RightWingConspirator said:

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LB12Diamond said:

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Dang

Trying to feel good about yourself bc you are a half ass fan. Good for you.

---

And being a true fan has gotten you what exactly?

---

Ahh thanks. But I'm also a half ass fan as far as buying tickets to all games etc. I go to one football game a year. I make a few tailgates. I enjoy watching ALL Aggie sports and make a few of all the other sports as well. Well besides girls basketball. That's one's just not my cup of tea.


The difference between me and the OP, I'm not on here asking them how the ones that go to all the games, how they do it? I know how they do it. They love it. They love all the memories they make with their friends and family. They enjoy all the tailgates. Do they want to win more. Of course they do but they are true hard core fans that get more out of it than just winning and losing. It's really not that hard to understand.

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That's the funny part. How do people miss the obvious? They are so disappointed in the result they mitigate it by being aloof and deflecting to others that simply enjoy the experience. They're pretty transparent

KCup17 said:

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Because early on at A&M I learned that Aggie football isn't about wins and losses. It's about the friends you make to join you in this painful journey.

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Truly one of the most underrated posts I've ever come across on this website. At some point - and each of us gets to this point in their own time - it's no longer about wins and losses.

It has a numbing effect year after year and then you die!

Kellso said:

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There was a day in time that A&M won huge games against Notre Dame, Auburn and BYU in major bowl games.
This was in the glory days of the Wrecking Crew. The 1980's saw the Texas A&M football program grow into being a National Power. Once SMU was given the death penalty the SWC was up for the taking.
The Texas A&M football team took over the SWC in its dying days, and became the dominant team in the state of Texas.

I've always though the trajectory of the football program would be much different if any of those 1990's losses to UCLA, Florida St, Notre Dame or Ohio St went differently. The death of the Southwest Conference in 1995 also signaled the end of Texas A&M being a national power in football.

For the past 30-35 years Texas A&M almost always loses the big game against the big name, marquee out of conference opponent.

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24-21 loss to Notre Dame in the 1994 Cotton Bowl was the biggest program shifting missed opportunity

AggieCaddie said:

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KCup17 said:

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Because early on at A&M I learned that Aggie football isn't about wins and losses. It's about the friends you make to join you in this painful journey.

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Truly one of the most underrated posts I've ever come across on this website. At some point - and each of us gets to this point in their own time - it's no longer about wins and losses.

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Actually it was never about the wins and losses. There's so much more to it than that. And I'm talking about sports. My greatest memories are coaching, participation, being a fan of mine and my children's sports. And they have won a lot. And while that's fun, it's not the reason we do it. The wins are not what you remember the most. You remember the laughs. You remembers the friendships made. You remember the growth and maturity learned.

Aggie said:

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Kellso said:

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There was a day in time that A&M won huge games against Notre Dame, Auburn and BYU in major bowl games.
This was in the glory days of the Wrecking Crew. The 1980's saw the Texas A&M football program grow into being a National Power. Once SMU was given the death penalty the SWC was up for the taking.
The Texas A&M football team took over the SWC in its dying days, and became the dominant team in the state of Texas.

I've always though the trajectory of the football program would be much different if any of those 1990's losses to UCLA, Florida St, Notre Dame or Ohio St went differently. The death of the Southwest Conference in 1995 also signaled the end of Texas A&M being a national power in football.

For the past 30-35 years Texas A&M almost always loses the big game against the big name, marquee out of conference opponent.

---

24-21 loss to Notre Dame in the 1994 Cotton Bowl was the biggest program shifting missed opportunity

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I'm going to disagree and state the program started its downward trajectory during the 1992 Cotton Bowl loss to Florida St.

Florida St and Texas A&M were both new money college football powers on the rise. Both schools were ranked in the top 10 and there was a feeling that Florida St was the next big thing in college football.

If Texas A&M were able to take down Florida St in that Cotton Bowl the momentum that carried the Seminoles to the 1993 National Title may have swung to A&M. The game was essentially a home game for Texas A&M since it was held in Dallas.

This game was there for the taking. The Wrecking Crew played fantastic, but Bucky Richardson lost his cool after that Greg Hill Fumble. Richardson let the Florida St defense get in his head and the rest was history.

That is the what if game that has haunted me for years. What happens if A&M defeats Florida St in that 1992 Cotton Bowl?

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a better defensive performance from an A&M football team. It was just a number of costly mistakes that caused the game to swing in Florida St's direction.

HoustonAggie37713 said:

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PanzerAggie06 said:

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I'm one of the 40 year types. And to be honest at this point, while I still get pissed on occasion, the vast majority of time I find the whole **** show to be rather humorous. Towards the end of the game last night I was actually laughing at what was taking place on the field. And watching Elko waddle up and down the sideline, clearly befuddled at once again being out coached, was just the cherry on top.

Oh, and him belching into the microphone during the post game presser...... god, that was true perfection at what we are. A pathetic belch of a football program.

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I can't believe that is not getting more run. I have to look at a 400 pound coach, and now he's belching into the microphone. Gross.

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I'm a 40 year guy. I guess I have just been conditioned to accept it. I was around for the Wrecking Crew and Johnny. Good times but just not worth my energy anymore.

Our well-being doesn't hinge on whether 20 year olds win a schoolyard game.

If your happiness is dictated by what a football team does or doesn't do, you're in need of some serious help.

It's just a game. It doesn't matter.

Jack Boyette said:

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If your happiness is dictated by what a football team does or doesn't do, you're in need of some serious help.

It's just a game. It doesn't matter.

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Fans being happy with a winning program and upset with a losing one. God, fans are so unreasonable. The gall of wanting their team to excel. The nerve.

PanzerAggie06 said:

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Jack Boyette said:

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If your happiness is dictated by what a football team does or doesn't do, you're in need of some serious help.

It's just a game. It doesn't matter.

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Fans being happy with a winning program and upset with a losing one. God, fans are so unreasonable. The gall of wanting their team to excel. The nerve.

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Not what I said at all.

Yea, it is. If that wasn't your intent… write more clearly.

Jack Boyette said:

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It's just a game. It doesn't matter.

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If it doesn't matter, let me in for free.

One thing I noticed over the years was that my frustration level was directly correlated to how much I was getting charged to get kicked in the gonads. I might be happy to pay $25 to get kicked in the gonads for three-and-a-half hours, but anything over that, and I start weighing the opportunity cost of those funds and wondering whether I could either have more fun or help make a better world by sending them elsewhere.

In 2018, I got tired of paying a boatload of money to get repeatedly kicked in the gonads and just flipped the switch.

Where I used to be hoarse through Wednesdays after home games and be able to tell you what high school some players came from, now, when I hear "Reed," I think "Arena."

It's been remarkably refreshing and restorative to my mental health to not stake a lot of my happiness on the athletic performance of a bunch of 18-23-year-olds, many of whom I suspect couldn't tell you what RELLIS means if you spotted them the first five words. And, with the portal and NIL, Jerry Seinfeld's observation about A-Rod moving from the Mariners to the Yankees is now appropriate to college athletics: "We're cheering for laundry!"

Want to feel better about where your money is going, or at least not feel like you're paying to get kicked in the gonads each year? Giving up my seat created some extra funding availability that now goes to the AFS, CCA, TABA, RV Association and some other organizations. Heck, with what they are charging these days, save up the cost of a couple of football seasons and you could endow a scholarship.

I'm in the 50 year club. I was a freshman 50 years ago. I've been putting up with this crap for half a century. Only reason I still go to some of the games is because we endowed a scholarship in 1982 where we get free tickets. Otherwise I wouldn't waste my money on this garbage.

The main reason I have to check out is because I get excessively angry thinking how much money these individuals (from players to coaches) make. Some individuals completely set up for life, with only utter ineptitude offered as a service to the school.

Honolulu Blue said:

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The main reason I have to check out is because I get excessively angry thinking how much money these individuals (from players to coaches) make. Some individuals completely set up for life, with only utter ineptitude offered as a service to the school.

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Todays college players are making what NFL players did in the 1980's and 90's.
Sometimes it blows my mind when you see the salary of what a 5 star Quarterback goes for on todays open market.

The current Texas A&M football Roster costs between $15-$25 million per year.
It will probably take a $40 million roster if you want a chance at consistently getting to Atlanta. That is how much college football means to people in the South. As they say......it just means more in the SEC.

NIL will eventually head to the high school level. It might be time to tell the young ones that sports is the best thing to major in instead of being a doctor or lawyer.

Quote:

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High school athletes are getting major endorsement deals following state law changes

Jada Williams was a social media star and talented point guard when she moved with her mother from a Kansas City suburb to San Diego, looking to play basketball for a high school powerhouse
and parlay her online prowess into endorsement deals.

She found it all in California, which has become the trendsetter among the 19 states that allow high school athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness without affecting their eligibility to play in college.

The 17-year-old Williams is now pulling in six figures a year from six major endorsement deals. The senior at La Jolla Country Day School has signed to play at the University of Arizona

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/high-school-athletes-nil-deals-name-image-likeness-six-figures/

Back in the mid-60s in west Texas, my dad would listen to the games on the radio in order to take his punishment.
It never failed, at halftime he would storm out of the house and take a long walk around the block in order to cool off. That crap rubbed off on my brother and he melts down also.
At least back then you knew who was going to be on your team the next year unless they flunked out. I honestly don't see how anyone can hang their sanity on college players who have the ability to switch teams at the drop of a hat. Players getting tuition as well as a paycheck and then deciding they don't want to play in a bowl game??? That is ****ed up.

I go to one game per year. As a t-shirt fan - loyal since 1982 - it is always a fun weekend. But watch 'em all with few exceptions.

First A&M game I went to was at the Cotton Bowl vs Notre Dame and Tim Brown. I also went to several home games in the early 1990s. I was agnostic when it came to A&M football but I always enjoyed tailgating with my friends and the traditions at different schools. A&M was notable.

In general college football was very different than it is today. Tickets were cheap, bowl games had a lot more significance and bowl games were also a reward for a good/acceptable season. Not to mention schools took a lot more pride in having "home grown/recruited "players. The college landscape has changed. Heck even in the 2000s not every game was on TV. Maybe 6 a season?

As a UH fan I think about whether a Case Keenum would've transferred out in today's climate. I bring up Keenum b/c last night Cam Ward sat out the 2nd half after he broke Keenum's record and Miami promptly lost their bowl game. College football has changed.

I go to several A&M pregames a year to see my son step off the quad, tailgate and then I head home to watch it. I still enjoy the event that is college football but the transfer portal, asking alumni to pay for salaries, etc has stained it.

Season tickets with my sons so it's more about our time together (they are graduated and out of the house) for the weekend than the 3-hours on the field.

For away games I will gladly play golf with my Saturday group over watching morning/noon Ag games on tv as I'll watch it when I get home. My sons go to one road SEC game a year together but it's to see the stadium and the college town as much as the game.

It's in our blood. We're cursed.

Martin Cash said:

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Maybe because some of us see it for what it is - a game. Not life or death.

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The sooner this is learned the sooner life becomes easier as an Aggie fan.

We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we
True to each other as Aggies can be
We've got to fight boys
We've got to fight!
We've got to fight for Maroon and White!

Pain and suffering is part of life.