On the possibility of A&M and Tech moving their series to Dallas:
On the possibility of the Big XII requiring A&M to move the FTAB from behind the visitor’s bench:
On the settlement that resulted from the trademark infringement case brought against the Seattle Seahawks:
On the subject of preserving the hotel rooms at the MSC:
On the possibility that student seating might be reduced:
On the subject of hiring and firing coaches:
On the subject of whether Freshman should attend Freshman Convocation (which wasn’t meeting with much of a positive response):
On the PUF Fund:
On some rumors that were circulating regarding the Corps, this fall:
On the current corps vs. Old Army:
On “outing” himself:
quote:(posted 9:56p, 9/27/2006)
“There is only one person standing between keeping this game on campus and going to Dallas -- Dr. Gates. He has met with State Fair officials, with Regents, and knows what the Athletic Department and football coaches want. I am told he remains firm -- and pretty much alone. While he might agree to one away game at the State Fair at which we play different teams -- including but not limited to Tech -- he is adamant against locking in the annual game with Tech there. I think you can take this to the bank: the annual meeting with Tech will not move to Dallas as long as Gates is President of Texas A&M. He has said not only that college games should be played on college campuses and that A&M students would be the losers, but I'm told he has said in private he would never agree to being locked into an annual competition that relgated us to a permanent second class status behind tu and Oklahoma. So, despite all the speculation on this board, don't underestimate one tough SOB standing up for what he thinks is right.”
quote:(posted 8/13/2006 6:59 PM)
“I'm told that Byrne, the coaches and even some of the Regents want the Tech game moved to Dallas. I was at an A&M club meeting last spring where Gates was asked this question and he replied that he is opposed to moving the game because he believes 1) other than Bowls, college games should be played on college campuses, 2) most A&M students couldn't go to the game in Dallas, and 3) he doesn't want to elevate Tech to be our equal and principal rival -- that role should be reserved for tu, and our time to regain the upper hand in that relationship will come. He said the $ in Dallas are certainly attractive as is the impact on recruiting in the Dallas area, but his bottom line: he still needs to be convinced of the net benefit of playing the game in Dallas. I think, at this point, he alone stands between playing Tech at Kyle Field or in Dallas.”
On the possibility of the Big XII requiring A&M to move the FTAB from behind the visitor’s bench:
quote:(posted 7/27/06 at 9:48 PM)
“I'm told this rule is aimed primarily at those schools which have no track separating the bands from the visitor bench and whose bands' behavior has been a problem for visitors, including us -- e.g., K-State, Colorado, Missouri, etc. I'm also told we will fight this, at least to try to get exceptions where there is a track.
Someone who talked to Gates today told me he said if he has to move the (FTAB), he'll put the Corps where the Band was -- that no way those seats would be for anyone but students and, specifically, students in uniform.”
quote:(posted 7/27/06 at 9:55 PM)
“CanyonAg77. Amen. When all is said and done, why not just enforce the rules that already exist?”
quote:(posted on 7/28/06 at 7:21 PM)
“Friend of mine e-mailed Gates on this yesterday, and got this reply today:
"I'm told the problem is that at several other schools, there is no track separating the stands (and bands) from the visiting team's bench. At those places, the story is that the bands' behavior has been pretty bad.
I was not present when this was discussed by the Big XII presidents, and I have let Kevin Weiberg know that I have a problem with the decision and want to re-visit it. There seem to me to be two alternative ways to deal with the problem. One is to enforce current rules regarding fan behavior. Another is to set a minimum distance between the band and the visiting team's bench. If it were 30 feet or so, we probably would not have to make a change. If it were somewhat more, we could possibly just move the band back a few rows -- but not change their location between the 30 and 50 yard lines.
We are not required to make a change until fall 2007, so we have some time to try to get this re-opened and find a better solution.
If, in the end, our efforts are unsuccessful and we are required to move the FTAB, my inclination would be simply to have the Band and the Corps trade places.
Rgates" ”
On the settlement that resulted from the trademark infringement case brought against the Seattle Seahawks:
quote:(posted on 5/13/06 at 9:25 PM)
“Ya'll still are not paying attention to reality. The trademark we had applied only to collegiate teams. This deal extends it to a pro team and establishes a basis in law for extending the trademark to all pro teams as well. It was never about the money, but about protection. Geez, get a life in the real world. This was a very smart deal.”
quote:(posted on 5/8/2006 at 9:26 PM)
“Wake up and smell the coffee. A&M's trademark was protected only for college teams -- not the pros. We had a weak legal hand to play. This deal gives A&M a legal basis now to protect the 12th Man trademark in the pros because the Seahawks have recognized our claim and are going to pay us to license it. Not for a buck but for $100k plus enforcement costs each year. The administration made this deal, not Athletics. If you think they'll license the 12th Man to anyone else, you have not been paying attention. But we do now have a much stronger case for extending trademark protection to the pros as well as colleges. Moore took a weak case and built us a wall -- and got money for it besides.”
On the subject of preserving the hotel rooms at the MSC:
quote:(posted 1/28/06 at 11:15 PM)
“You sure wouldn't want any facts to get in the way of a good rant. But for all you ardent Ags, what about the 46% annual occupancy rate over the last five years, the million dollars in student fees subsidizing the hotel over the last 14 years, the fact that no student organization meeting space has been added on campus since 1973 while student organizations have grown from 250 to 786 and the student body has tripled in size, and current students are strongly in favor of the change for those reasons? And, as the Student Body President said at the Regents' meeting, more and more student groups are meeting off campus. (All said in the public session.) Let's hear from all of you all who ***** all the time about diminishing Spirit on campus.
Gates is going to test your pucker factor because he announced yesterday he will sell deluxe rooms (two current standard rooms) for $200,000 and give you guaranteed rights for 15 years for every home football game and every special event on campus, and the rooms will be for rent all the rest of the time. He is willing to extend this offer to the entire hotel to make ends meet and to get money for student meeting space. 120 days was the time agreed for this offer between Gates and the Regents. So, how serious are you?!
Time for the blowhards to step up to the plate. Put your money where your mouth is. It's past time for current students to stop subsidizing former students.”
quote:(posted on 1/28/06 at 11:29 PM)
“[Addressing another user], when you were at A&M there was no place else to stay. Now there are 3000 local hotel rooms. The MSC hotel is open to all on a first come, first serve basis, Aggie or not. Sure it's busy on football week-ends and Parents' weekend, but what about the other 45 weeks a year? Current students need the space. Give 'em a break.
This whole thing is about whether the MSC is for the students now at A&M or former students. Whatever happens to the hotel, the MSC will remain the major gathering place for both former and current students. After all, completely full with couples, the MSC hotel houses about 70 people. Good grief. Get a life.”
On the possibility that student seating might be reduced:
quote:(posted on 11/28/05 at 7:29 PM)
“A&M reserves 30,000 seats (at half price) for students. The next highest number of seats reserved for students in the Big XII is tu with 12,000. I personally have heard Gates say that, as long as he is here, the number of seats reserved for students will never be reduced.”
On the subject of hiring and firing coaches:
quote:(posted on 11/10/05 at 9:42 PM)
“Byrne is the first professional AD A&M has ever had -- ten years at Oregon, ten years at Nebraska. He will do the right thing at the right time. The last year or so show he is not afraid to make tough decisions -- whether firing coaches or having a little more patience than the average Ag.”
On the subject of whether Freshman should attend Freshman Convocation (which wasn’t meeting with much of a positive response):
quote:(posted on 8/24/06 at 10:31 PM)
“Great Aggie Spirit, guys. Congratulations.
Let's make sure the fish stay in their dorm rooms and apartments instead of coming out to be with their classmates. Let's also encourage them to stay on their cellphones and plugged into their Ipods to make sure no one says "Howdy". Any other great ideas?
And you will all be the first to ***** about the loss of traditions and culture and -- above all -- Spirit"!”
On the PUF Fund:
quote:(posted on 1/6/06 at 1:20 AM)
“It's the Permanent University Fund. Late in the 19th century it was apportioned between tu and A&M based on enrollment. Thus, tu got 2/3s and A&M got 1/3. The PUF, based on public lands designated by the Texas legislature, is one of the most far-sighted legislative actions in the history of Texas -- and in the history of the US since the Morrill Act created land-grant universities. We should be so lucky to have such legislators today: providing what it takes for Texas to be successful a century from now.”
On some rumors that were circulating regarding the Corps, this fall:
quote:(posted 10/14/06 at 10:39:37 PM)
“[Addressing another user]: I hope before you graduate you figure out how to get more reliable information instead of believing gossip, especially from a CTO. Gates was out of town all week and, I'm told by an official in Student Affairs, he first learned about all this well after the fact when informed by Bresciani. He has stood aside, leaving decisions to the Trigon and Student Affairs. All the BS rumors aside, neither Gates nor the Governor nor anyone else outside the Trigon had anything to do with the decisions that were made.
Another false rumor was that JVA has resigned. Not only am I told that is wholly wrong, but anyone at the game today could see Gates schmoozing and laughing with JVA after march-in. JVA sure didn't look like a guy out of favor or quitting to me.
Two things you can take to the bank: 1) regardless what KillerClamsAg thinks, Gates has gotten the Corps 100s of thousands of dollars extra for recruitment and loves the Corps more than many Aggie presidents; and 2) in previous Corps flaps, he has been heard to say that JVA has saved the Corps and Gates won't allow him to leave before Gates himself does. My money is on JVA staying at least until mid-2009.”
On the current corps vs. Old Army:
quote:(posted on 6/11/06 at 9:16 PM)
“So much of this thread is so asinine. It's 2006. Corps numbers have been declining since the early 1970s. Is the Corps to be a part of A&M's future -- or only its past? Van Alstyne and the Corps Board of Visitors, including most of the living Aggie four star generals, are doing their damnedest to make sure the Corps of Cadets are still the "Keepers of the Spirit" 25 years from now. You guys *****ing about how much tougher the Corps and the cadets were 20 or 30 years ago make me laugh. You think the Corps was as tough when you were in it as in 1939 or 1909? The point is that the Corps is still a tough experience that forges life-long bonds among cadets -- and still send more officers into the services than anywhere but the service academies. I've seen the kids being commissioning into the Marine Corps and Army and Navy from A&M and I'd put them up against any of you in your prime. You should thank God every night that the Corps is alive and well at Texas A&M, that it is still the heart and soul of the university, and that Van Alstyne is making sure it will stay that way.”
On “outing” himself:
quote:(posted on 12/7/06 at 8:12 PM)
“Folks, it is time for true confessions as I depart. Ranger 65 is Dr. Gates. And I did send the e-mail about presenting the diploma next week and my thumbs do make typos, especially on my Blackberry. I have enjoyed reading you all for the past four and a half years -- well, at least most of you. You are all hard core Aggies and I have listened and paid more attention to you than you might imagine. Good luck to all of you in the future. Bob Gates”
