Which will it be: Longhorns or Aggies
Editor’s note: This is # 15 in a list of How To Be Texan-Wherever You are eBook series.
I have to confess, I love ‘em both. But you have to know I’m always for the Texas based team over any and all other teams. If TCU is playing any team from out of state, then I’m a Horned Frog fan for sure. Same with any other Texas team.
And I’m for Dallas and Houston on Sundays. No matter who they are playing.
Now it does get a little sticky when two of my Texas favorites are playing each other. I’m a graduate of Texas State University at San Marcos. I lean toward being an Aggie because I love the Aggie traditions. I do love the success of the Longhorns, and I root for them every week too. I guess I’m a football schizophrenic with divided loyalties. Lots of my older family members are former Aggies.
And lots of my younger family members are Longhorns. It’s a hard choice sometimes.
I have to tell you there is not much better on a Saturday afternoon than a day at a great college football game, and for me, College Station is the place to be. I always get there at least an hour early to watch the Corps of Cadets march into the stadium. I spend most Sunday afternoons are spent in front of my megatron extra jumbo TV with nachos and Pepsi Colas.
Texas football offers lots of opportunities to make friends. I’ve gotten to be friends with Texas’ greates linebacker ever Tommy Nobis through another team mate and friend of his, Lee Hensley. I’m also friends of Tech’s Graham Harrell’s’ folks over in Ennis and followed Harrell and his team at Tech back when he played. Of course, I also knew Spike Dikes when he coached the Red Raiders….he just wasn’t famous back then and I believe he was coaching for the Coahoma bulldogs at that time.
I’m also friends with Seth Doege’s folks and have been for years. We are all proud of Seth and his success. We have known several great Tech players over the years and have been good friends with former All Southwest Conference QB for Tech Joe Barnes forever. Former Congressman Tom Loeffler is another Texas-Ex football player we have known for years. There’s plenty more, but those are a few.
College football is big in Texas, but perhaps none bigger than a home game at Kyle field in College Station. We always get there about an hour early to watch the Corps of Cadets march into the stadium. The whole spectacle of crowd participation, the 12th Man Tradition, the Aggie Band, the Corps, and sometimes even the football team is inspirational. Yes, there are some who bleed orange, but I guess I bleed maroon and orange. I’m sure there will be plenty of maroon blood spilled over in the SEC until the Aggies get the hang of things. However, the Aggies have a great QB in Johnnie Manziel from Kerrville, and he just can’t be stopped.
I didn’t attend the big schools but I know plenty of folks who did and they are fervent in their support for the Red Raiders, Aggies, or Longhorns. In my heart of hearts, I may be an Aggie. Some say I sorta act like an Aggie sometimes.
You on the other hand can be a good Texan Wherever You Are by doing as I do and supporting the Texas team over the opposing team that is not from Texas.
After that, you’ll just have to make a choice should there ever come a day in late November when the Aggies and the Longhorns play once again.
Until that day comes, I’ll be for the Longhorns against all foreigners and for the Aggies whomever they play on Thanksgiving Day and all SEC foes.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s good to see you and this site back again talking Texas! I’m with you on supporting all things Texan. It was also good to see Ramona posting a dish she made on FB. All is well in Texas now! We’ll just take it one day at a time.
Thank you ma’am. This is the first week since June that we have not made the weekly trip to San Antonio for Dr. Appt. We now go every two weeks. She is not completely out of the woods yet, but much, much better and is able to cook…..thank goodness!
Well, I graduated from Texas back in “ought-68” and I truly do bleed orange. But, that being said, since the Aggies bolted for the SEC I have become a great Aggie fan [and as bad as Texas defense has been] I almost applied for my Aggie card week before last when Texas almost lost to Kansas. So this next week, “Hook ‘Em Aggies” against Alabama.
What if, at the end of the season, Texas plays better and A&M continues to play well — maybe they could play each other in a bowl game. Then we could play that “last” game over. It would be like givin’ the Aggies another chance, I mean, since we won the first game, and the last game and a majority of those in between. Now, I’m not tryin’ to start any fights or anything — just sayin’.
I know you would not start anything, but……it would sure be something to see them playing each other in a bowl game. We think of you every time we cross over the Guadalupe River Bridge.
When it comes to college football, I’m really a messed up guy. Daughter went to Georgia and eldest son went to Florida. So when the big Georgia/Florida hate match comes around each year, I just keep my damn mouth shut.
I went to SMU (57-61) and, since SMU didn’t play football back in the day (although we DID field a team), I never got in the habit of rooting for my alma mater.
However, I am a devoted Oklahoma Sooner fan, since my Dad and baby boy both went there. My favorite college football weekend is, therefore, OU/Texas, right here in Dallas.
Now don’t give me any of your “Real Texan” crap, just because I’m, a Sooner fan. Hell, Oklahoma is just a part of Texas that we let the Indians have because coping with the badlands of the Panhandle was hard enough work.
Good God Almighty Engleman!
Back when I taught Texas History, I would not even let the students say the O-word. They would be reading along about something and then hesitate and say o-place and continue on reading……
Sooners! Anybody but them. I would rather you root for the taliban that the O-place criminals.
I’m going to ask the local Rabbi and Baptist preacher to say special prayers for you…..you are truly a lost soul.
I’m going to report you to Jimmy Swaggert and Oral Roberts. One of them might be of some help to you.
I bleed Orange (UT 69). I used to pull for A & M when they played out of state teams, but not any more since the crybabies quit the Big 12. And I think we need a fence along the border of Texas, not on the Mexican side but on the Oklahoma side to keep the football players in. Good to have you back going again David, and I still like you even though you admit to having some Aggie tendencies.
We all have our faults, but Engleman has really stepped in some deep stuff there…..
Note to other readers: Billy Jack has to like me. I can still have him prosecuted for things he did while a student at UT. He does get some dispensation for being a retired Lt. Col. with a year’s deployment in Afghanistan as well as a retired school superintendent.
Good to have you back, David. Sure hope that little girl continues on the road to recovery.
BJ is just one of those misguided individuals that can’t see the forest because the trees get in the way. It will always be that way, so I just accept it and go on. He has been even more antagonistic toward the Aggies since they went SEC, but can’t accept the fact that they never would have if the Longhorns and UT had been true “members’ of the Big 12 and not had the idea that they were supposed to control every minute detail of the organization. He’s forgotten that Nebraska and Colorado bolted for the same reason a year before the Aggies.
I’ve heard all this crap about the Aggies would never be able to compete in the SEC, but they’ve only been in the SEC for about half a season and already hold FOUR (4) SEC RECORDS.
Looks like they are doing a fairly good job of competing.
They now have the coach they need, and will do a great job of recruiting. They will get the players to continue to compete in the SEC, because they are now IN the SEC. The Longhorns will be second rate until they lose Brown.
The ‘Wrecking Crew’ will be re-established and if no injuries or bad luck comes his way, Manziel will win the Heisman before he finishes his career at Aggieland.
And someday, if the two teams ever get to meet again the Longhorns will get the opportunity to REALLY bleed orange.