Article about Texas A&M

[3afan]

(don't kill the messenger ...........)

Jim Rome's thoughts on Texas A&M University

Editor's note: The following is Jim Rome's thoughts on Texas A&M
University that he broadcasted on national radio.

Thoughts on Texas A&M...
Fox Sports Show And Radio Host Jim Rome

1) They won't shut up. They have to go on about spirit, and old army,
and red ass, and how bonfire represents the burning sensation they have
in their urine to beat UT, and blah blah blah. Shut up. You start to get
the feeling the entire school was built to spite UT.

2) Forget the fact that when the Texas Legislature back in the 1870's
passed legislation to start a state university they also decided to have
a subsidiary branch of the main school (University of Texas) that would
teach agriculture and mechanics. Aggies love to say their school is
older, from where they get that I don't know ... the fact is, the state
intended A&M to be a branch of UT. They are like the afterbirth from the
original creation. Like Danny Devito in "Twins".

3) So they apparently have this complex, so much so, that they must
devote their entire school to trying to prove to UT that they are just
as good. All the while, nobody at UT denies that A&M is a good school,
yet they won't shut up. So they write a fight song ... about? ... Texas,
and how they want to beat them. They have a Fish Camp for freshman where
they tell them how bad Texas is and how good A&M and all its traditions
are. It is the world's largest known case of penis envy, and it is
manifested in everything A&M does.

4) The people at A&M. Now we all have friends who went to A&M or are at
A&M. There are some nice people there. However ... There is the Corp.
East Texas' answer to dreams of ROTC kids everywhere. For every boy
scout who never learned to stop playing with his GI Joe Toys, there is
the Corp. Now, forget the fact that A&M will actually let people with
sub-par grades enroll if they agree to join the Corp. Forget the fact
that the Corps looked like a Gestapo-hate rally while beating down
students on Kyle Field in 1995. Forget the fact that along with the
numerous hazing charges that have been filed against them, and swept
under the rug over the years, they just this past month have had one
Corps member bring charges against another Corps member who apparently
had been propositioning others for a little actual sodomy. Not only
could I go on with more instances of idiocracy by these
Khaki-clad-shaven-headed-dorks, I am sure each of you have your own
stories. The point is: We all respect West Point, Annapolis, The Air
Force Academy; however, nobody respects the Corp. I imagine they are
kind of the laughing stock of the military world. Just because you dress
like the Army, and try and act like the Army, does not make you the
Army. People at A&M don't even respect these clowns. It is not cool to
shave your head and dress up. Halloween is only supposed to be one day
of the year. If you want to carry guns and beat up civilians, move to
Israel.

5) It is even less cool to slobber on somebody's daughter on national
television and call it a tradition. Dry humping 18-year-old girls in the
stands at football games is not cool. Not only is it not cool, it should
be against the law. I know that in College Station, students are just
prone to mount each other on the campus lawn, or in the middle of class,
or anytime anything good happens you can just grab the girl sitting next
to you and start sucking on her face. But everywhere else in the world,
it is looked down upon. Especially if you are doing it on my TV. That is
why we have moved the game from Thanksgiving. Because people across the
nation were gagging on their turkey when in the middle of watching a
football game, some boy scout is tongue thrashing some overweight co-ed
during somebody's Thanksgiving dinner. We do not need to see burly women
engaged in a suckfest every time your woeful offense manages to put
points on the board. Some of these girls are in desperate need of a trip
to the Clinique counter. Screw that, forget make-up, it is too late for
that, just give them a veil.

6) "T.U." is not funny. It is not insulting. It is dumb. Just imagine if
folks from Texas kept talking about M&A and giggling. That would not be
funny. In fact, it would be retarded. That's why UT fans don't do it.
Please learn.

7) You want to lose the image of country bumpkins, of a people fond of
sheep, of people that aren't stupid? Then quit building things that fall
down. Quit chasing cheerleaders around with swords on national TV. Quit
whooping in church. Quit whooping period. Quit putting up scoreboards
for the enjoyment of dead mammals. Quit spending your Friday nights
practicing how to yell. Quit telling rape jokes to reporters when you're
running for Governor. When you are filling out season ticket renewals,
and the form asks for your phone number, h&w. quit putting 258-3999,
Height 6'3", Weight 185. Just, collectively, stop making asses of
yourselves. Go to East Texas, tour every small town, and ask every red
neck with a fifth-grade education why they cheer for A&M and wear
maroon. That is your fan base. This is why you are perceived by the
educated masses as stupid.

8) Nobody cares if you think your band is better. They might be louder,
they might march in neat little zig zags, but they have no musical
ability. The point is, nobody cares who wins halftime. Quit getting
geeked up about marching bands. I find it hard to believe you stood
through your high school band's entire halftime performance. And why?
Cause nobody cared then and nobody cares now. Plus, you can hear them
fine sitting down even if you do care. Why is it cool all of a sudden
now that you're in college?

9) Men should never let out high-pitched whooping sounds. Perhaps the
only justifiable situation in which this can be tolerated is perhaps
during an anal probe. Oh wait...I understand now.

10) Dogs are not ladies. They don't look or smell like ladies. Dogs eat
their own feces and should be treated accordingly.

11) Finally, College Station is an arm-pit of a town. Quit pretending
that it is a great college town. It is a town, and there is a college
there. That should be the end of this comparison. If you feel that life
doesn't get any better than the Dixie Chicken, and enjoy being stuck in
a never-ending "Dukes of Hazard" episode, then move there. More
importantly, don't move to Austin ... They are trying to create an
educated, technological, and open-minded population base. Austin is, and
will continue to be, the birthplace and final resting place of all that
is cool.

As my friend, Stephen Johnson, once said: "If the world were ever to get
an enema, College Station is where you would connect the hose." If you
go to school at A&M, please don't be an Aggie.

God bless the great state of Texas.

[sinton66]

Jim's got a bright future as a writer of fine satire. I've seen this on dozens of sites, and enjoy reading it every time. He did make one mis-statement though. A&M was started before UT was.

[Jimbotex40]

jim rome is a completely cynical jackass with no passion for anything except putting others down. ive seen this article posted here before and didnt know it was romes. however, it doesnt surprise me that he wrote it.

i dont really care if he understands the Aggie spirit and what it stands for. there are plenty of people who cant comprehend why Aggies are so closely knit, and thats ok. all people are created differently and some just dont have the mind capacity to understand that there can be something bigger than one's self. jim rome is justone of the people. he wouldnt upset me if he could just agree that hes not one of those people and he wasnt so cynical about it

[District303aPastPlayer]

i dont see why any group of college students is willing to be brainwashed into hating another school. Jimbo, honestly, I have yet to see some validity in your statements about how "some cant understand" the Aggie way of life or what not... Honestly... it is truly sad that a University, which is an institution of higher learning holds a camp that teaches the "values" of its school while trying to bring down the name of the Official state university, only to get a mere rise out of others, such as myself, who have sat back and watched this take on a life of its own in other posts. I find it very sad, and almost to the point where i lose respect, that Texas A&M holds this "brainwashing session" at the beginning of the year for all incoming freshman. And by the way, the only thing whooping in the state of Texas should be a Crane.

[sinton66]

Jimbo, do you guys have a secret handshake and a decoder ring? :D

<small>[ August 19, 2003, 08:03 AM: Message edited by: sinton66 ]</small>

[St. Ivender]

In a month Jim Rome will be be-littling UT and praising A & M. If you like that kind of humor, take him for his entertainment value only.

[big69]

That has got to be the funniest thing I have ever read and it is all true!! Hook 'em!

[big69]

That has got to be the funniest thing I have ever read and it is all true!! Hook 'em!

[Big Cheese]

The Aggies have a saying that I think fits best discussing a topic like this.

"From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. And from the inside looking out, you can't explain it." Fighting Texas Aggie Tradition

[3afan]

i'm not really anti-A&M but its a fun subject, to me at least ... but, i did especially like #6

[JasperDog94]

It is pretty amazing that the entire university seems to exist to try to beat UT. I have several friends that went to A&M and we get along just fine. There are always those people that try to instigate conflict. Every university has them. It just seems that at A&M, it's more pervasive.

I really try to root for any Texas team when they play a team from another state, but when it comes to A&M, it's a little bit tougher. I can't even wear a Texas shirt without snide remarks from A&M fans about how Texas is so terrible and A&M is sooooo great. It hasn't been as bad the last few years. I think that the butt kicking that A&M has received in football have quieted them down...for now.

There is a huge difference between graduating from A&M and being an Aggie. I greatly respect the academic institution of Texas A&M, but all the hype about all the traditions has got to go.

I'm no Jim Rome fan, but he was right about at least one thing. The Corp. is a joke. If you really want to be part of the military, then go to a military academy. But for heavens sake, give it a rest.

That's my rant for the day...I feel much better now. :D

[BrahmaMom]

Maybe I don't understand, and I probably never will, but to me the Aggies' "school spirit" appeared to be more like poor sportsmanship, the way they rag on all their opponents. IMHO.

[District303aPastPlayer]

Brahma Mom, very well said.

[3afan]

its just soooooooo funny how aggies get so riled up over this! :p

<small>[ August 19, 2003, 01:34 PM: Message edited by: 3afan ]</small>

[merlin69]

im not sayin in every sport, but all i know is that every year in football, UT spanks A&M like red headed step children...

[JasperDog94]

There was a post earlier this year that had Texas as the #2 sports university in the nation. Stanford was #1. The only reason Texas wasn't #1 was that Texas only has 22 of the 34 "sports" that you can be graded on. And I do use the word "sports" loosely when talking about things like rowing, wrestling, and lacross.

[Jimbotex40]

How is the Corps of Cadets a joke....not everyone joins with intentions of joining the armed services afterwards. the difference between the Corps and west point and such is that you have no choice in west point. if you go there, its mandatory that you serve some odd amount of years in the service. only 30% of cadets in the Corps seek commission. the other 70% are highly sought after (more so than people that go through college with no adversity) in the world of business and other civilian professions.

i guess by now you know that i am in the Corps or otherwise i wouldnt have tried to defend what it stands for. i realize that acceptance to the military academies is a little harder to recieve than acceptance to Texas A&M, but these guys are still smart. so if your bashin Corps guys and girls for not gettin into the academies imagine how bad youd have to bash the people in everyones respective town for not even getting into A&M, cuz there are some at every school that apply and get denied.

i think the next thing that would be said, if i were to stop here would be "the Corps lowers standards for entrance compared to the university", and since im leavin for the camp that yall have been bashing, i will go ahead and clarify that the Corps does not lower standards, if you dont get into A&M, youre not admitted....period.

[sinton66]

Again, I ask, what about the secret handshake and decoder ring? :D :D :D (I think Jimbo ignored me!)

<small>[ August 19, 2003, 05:44 PM: Message edited by: sinton66 ]</small>

[3afan2K3]

Who cares about T.U and M&A? It's all about OU!

[sinton66]

Little buddy, you could have talked all night and not said that!

[3afan2K3]

I have school, I can't stay up all night like i used to.

[sinton66]

Unfortunately, when I think of OU, Barry Switzer comes to mind. Never could stand that man, not even when he was with the Cowboys.

[3afan]

OU ?!?!??! Don't worry, he'll be punished for that ....................... eek!

[sinton66]

I think we ought to boycott Jimbo 'til he answers my question. If they exist, I really want to know the secret handshake and get a decoder ring as long as I don't have to go thru #9(on Rome's list above) to get them.
:p :p :p

<small>[ August 19, 2003, 09:16 PM: Message edited by: sinton66 ]</small>

[FormerBellvilleBrahma]

Hey Brahma mom, sounds like you dont like the Aggies, remember there are a lot of Aggies in town, and you gave your cover away in a earlier post!

[Old Tiger]

He hit all the spots on A&M

[Bull Butter]

This post has been floating around for about 5 years now. Jim Rome never said any of that stuff. It was a fax (back when they used to have the HUGE fax of the day, now it's HUGE e-mail) sent in by a Texas fan that was read on the air.

I am a regular listener to Rome's show. Have been for about 7 years. The only negative thing he's ever said about A&M is that he doesn't like watching an A&M game on TV because the cameras always show 15-year olds having sex in the stands after a TD. (which is funny,anyway)

[3afan]

its still a good read .................

[BrahmaMom]

FBB: I know there are lots of Aggies around town, but you know I call 'em as I see 'em! Doesn't mean I don't respect the education or tradition, I just can't relate (remember, I'm a social worker at heart). I will always feel good sportsmanship and heart are the bottom line for true champions, win or lose.

[BrahmaMom]

FBB: Re-read your post. I don't dislike the Aggies, some of my good friends are Aggies. It just wouldn't have been a good fit for me. God moves in mysterious ways and took care of that, as He does all things. I look better in blue than maroon anyway!

[3afan]

6) "T.U." is not funny. It is not insulting. It is dumb. Just imagine if folks from Texas kept talking about M&A and giggling. That would not be funny. In fact, it would be retarded. That's why UT fans don't do it. Please learn.

Sorry, but thats great !!!

[JasperDog94]

Bull Butter:
This post has been floating around for about 5 years now. Jim Rome never said any of that stuff. It was a fax (back when they used to have the HUGE fax of the day, now it's HUGE e-mail) sent in by a Texas fan that was read on the air.An aggie friend of mine said that he actually heard him say this. I don't think that he would have admitted that if it hadn't actually happened.

[sphinx1906]

I have family that attended Texas A&M so I got to attend a ton of their games and always loved them.However the best moment that I ever witnessed was after the Bonfire incident when the Texas band took the field at halftime, played Amazing Grace and moved off the field for the Aggie band to pay their respects. Meanwhile the Texas Football players stood on the sidelines with their helments under their arm. That was class. I like both schools and I don't think jim rome is from Texas so what the hell does he know. It is an intense rivalry that is fun to watch but both teams deep down have respect for one another.

[merlin69]

forget all those schools its all about Texas Tech...

[JasperDog94]

Where's that? wink

[jason]

merlin69:
forget all those schools its all about Texas Tech...they have football there??

[gochargers!!]

Football in Texas is all about one thing.....THE MIGHTY BAYLOR BEARS.... :D :D :D

Sic 'Em.....

[merlin69]

tech spanked a & m a yr ago

[Chris Hart]

A little Aggie joke to loosen you guys up a bit.

There was this Aggie named Buford that was traveling through west Texas, and came across a cotton field on a HOT summer day. The haze residing over the cotton field convinced him into thinking it was a lake. So he backs his boat into the field climbs in and begins to fish. As time passes he begans to draw a crowd as everybody is thinking what is this guy up to. Eventually a fellow Aggie happens along and shouts out at Buford " Buford is that you"? Buford replies "yes it's me". The fellow Aggie then says " You know Buford it's the ones like you that give us Aggies a bad name, If I could swim I'd come out there and tear you apart".

I found it amusing, being since I am a Red Raider fan. I figured maybe some of you Longhorns would enjoy it as well. :D :D :D

[sinton66]

That's a good one, Chris. But you might be expecting a little too much of Aggies (to loosen up). I suspect they will only do that with you if you know the secret handshake and have a decoder ring. :D

[JasperDog94]

66, I noticed no Aggies have disputed your claims on the secret handshake and decoder ring. Maybe there is some truth to it. I'll start looking in my Captain Crunch for a decoder ring. (Spies Like Us reference)

[Aggiebabe05]

Well, by my name, you can tell that I am an Aggie! As I was reading this, I just had to laugh! One thing I have to defend is our "camp" that we go to. Fish camp is not something where we teach others to hate UT. It is a time to meet other Aggies, hang out, learn about Traditions. We learn things like Drug and Alcohol Education, Parking matters, student activities and all that good stuff! Yes we may learn the songs that say stuff about UT but oh well. There was a time where UT was our rival, but in my opinion, we are all just friends. We may have our fun making fun of each other, or hearing the jokes about ourselves, but underneath all that, I am all about being friends. There are several things that make me upset with what this guy said, but overall, you can think what you want to think about our school. I love A&M and will be proud to be an Aggie! That one saying is so true..."From the outside looking in you can't understand it, from the inside looking out you can't explain it." A&M and UT are both wonderful schools and I am glad that I was just lucky enough to be able to go to either one of the schools!

[sic'em]

being a baylor grad, i have never cared much for either of the evil empires, ut or a&m. but the thing that made me the most uncomfortable about a&m was the "beat the hell outa ..." cheer. you may respond that i am just a soft baptist preacher (cause that is really what i am) but i find it a little classless to go to the church schools and say your gonna beat the hell outa them. At BU they have always flashed "there is no hell in baylor" on the board after they did that cheer. i always liked that.
its great to know there is another bear on here, gochargers. maybe now that we have ridded our athletic department of the cancers that were destroying us, we can get back to where we should be in football and basketball. our bball hire today was a good step in that direction

[gochargers!!]

Yeah....Drew is a good hire for us. I sure hope things work out. I have a sister who is down there right now...she said things are pretty crazy.

[vet93]

I am a christian (and I don't particularly care for the yell you mentioned either) who follows the "church" schools pretty closely. I find the statement below riddled with hypocracy. Especially in light of what has been going on in the Baylor athletic program (basketball) of late. When in college, my roomate had quite a few friends who went to Baylor who we routinely visited and their behavior was surprising to say the least. They were heavy into the party seen and were exposed to alot more "stuff" than we were at A&M. I am sure that there are alot of fine upstanding citizens that go to Baylor and I don't consider the behavior of these people completely representative of the university. However, they do represent a fairly large faction. There may not be any "Hell" at Baylor but the one who runs things down there has a pretty strong foothold...so be careful about throwing the first stone and calling people classless. Having said all of this...I root for Baylor much more than I root against them and would wish them nothing but success.


sic'em:
being a baylor grad, i have never cared much for either of the evil empires, ut or a&m. but the thing that made me the most uncomfortable about a&m was the "beat the hell outa ..." cheer. you may respond that i am just a soft baptist preacher (cause that is really what i am) but i find it a little classless to go to the church schools and say your gonna beat the hell outa them. At BU they have always flashed "there is no hell in baylor" on the board after they did that cheer. i always liked that.
its great to know there is another bear on here, gochargers. maybe now that we have ridded our athletic department of the cancers that were destroying us, we can get back to where we should be in football and basketball. our bball hire today was a good step in that direction

[Jimbotex40]

ok...ive been at freshman orientation week for the Corps the past 7 days. i was at fish camp before that so thats why i havent backed up Texas A&M the past two weeks. this has been my first free time ive had since ive started the Corps so whoever said it was a joke needs to come and see for themselves what its all about (well, i actually had 20 minutes of free time last tuesday night, so i take that back). weve been doin stuff constantly this week and i guarantee all the people that put it down are the people that couldnt get thru it.

as for it being a joke, our commandant is a 3 star general while west points is a 1 star general, so that pretty much negates that point.

no, there are no special rings for the Corps, there is however a university wide ring, known as the Aggie ring that started in like 1894 or so when A&M was all military.

also there is no secret handshake. what you might be thinking of is whipping out but i wont go into detail on it.

please notify on things that have been said about A&M that i have not yet defended so i may do so.

[sinton66]

Well, let's see. I heard that a lot of the Aggies broke into a cold sweat last night watching UT dismantle a hapless NMSU.

[3ABirdMan]

TAMU Class of '82.
BS in Mechanized Agriculture.
4 year member of the Corps of Cadets.
Bonfire Redpot.

FYI...That school in Austin is not THE university of texas. It is referred to as tu by Aggies as texas university.

:D (WOW - Been out how long, and still can't capitalize those letters?)

<small>[ September 01, 2003, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: 3ABirdMan ]</small>

[sinton66]

FYI, I know what you guys call UT , and personally, I think it's pretty silly. :D

[3ABirdMan]

Really, a lot of it is silly. The deep traditions of the school were begun to build unity - between classes, classmates, members of the same squad, company, etc. when it was strictly a military school MANY years ago. Just 20 years ago, they were still carried out to build strength through unity in overcoming adversity. That is why Aggies always seek out each other and tend to stick together, in that so many of us have overcome the same trials and struggles.

As to the military aspect, who was quoted as saying "Give me a bunch of West Pointers and I'll build you an Army. Give me a bunch of Aggies and I'll win you a war."?

Is it right? Is it wrong? I make no excuses or offer any apologies. But I will say that my time in the Corps and the principles instilled there are still a part of my life and character, for better or worse.

[sinton66]

I totally understand that, and respect how they feel about one another and what Alumni from there have accomplished. What I don't understand is why they have to CONSTANTLY bombard the rest of us with it. Frankly, A&M's competition for who's the best University in Texas is beginning to border on being anal. I don't mean to be offensive here, but that's how it makes me feel. I will root for them, but only if they aren't playing UT. wink and BTW, I'm sure you know though not emphasized, the adjective [The] is included in their name.

<small>[ September 01, 2003, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: sinton66 ]</small>

[Bandera YaYa]

Well, I know an A&M alumni and he is so full of himself and the traditions of A&M, it makes me want to gag. He forced his son to be in the Corp and when his son decided he didn't want to be in it any longer, this wonderful Aggie Dad withheld college funds, which only became available when the son decided to continue in the Corp......Can you believe that? This man has a Aggie shrine in his house, it's really sick. I'm all for believing in what you love, but not for the sake of your children. Anyway, that's my 2 cents , worth! So, I'm sour on Aggies and their hollowed traditions.....it's kinda perverted to me!

Peace and YaYa!

[JasperDog94]

As I've read some of the replys, I've found a few inconsistancies:

1. A&M is supposed to build team unity, character and mold you into a better person. Then why do you feel the need to make fun of (the hell cheer) the other team. Is that really necessary? Root for your team. That's great, but don't berate the other team. One reply stated "I am all about being friends". Man, with friends that want to "beat the hell" out of me, who needs enemies?

2. I really wouldn't compare Baylor trying to be a better place by not using the "hell cheer" to the problems of the head basketball coach. Baylor did the right thing by coming out with the info and firing the coach and athletic director. This is a sad situation that doesn't need any more gasoline thrown on it.

3. "Give me a bunch of West Pointers and I'll build you an Army. Give me a bunch of Aggies and I'll win you a war." Excuse me, but when was the last time the United States sent the Corps into a military conflict? The fact that you would even compare the Corps to our troops overseas defending our freedoms is a joke.

4. tu is not in the least bit funny. I know hundreds of Longhorns and NOBODY calls it THE University of Texas. Sounds to me like a little inferiority complex.

I have many A&M friends as well as UT friends. I highly respect both universities for their higher education values. Both are wonderful schools. Unfortunately, those "deep rooted traditions" are what alienates most of us from rooting for A&M when they play out of state schools.

By the way, I'm disappointed to find out that there's no secret handshake or decoder ring...or is that just what you want me to beleive? :p

<small>[ September 01, 2003, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: JasperDog94 ]</small>

[sinton66]

Heh, heh, it wouldn't be much of a secret if they told US, would it? wink

[jykoy]

This is a wonderful post. I have enjoyed following it. Keep it up guys!

Hook 'em!

[bd0707]

Jasperdog94 regarding your point #3, A&M put more generals into WW11 than West Point.

[District303aPastPlayer]

wow, someone didnt tell me we had a World War 11 (Eleven) was i asleep when it happened, 66.. cmon now...

Secondly, not calling THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS by its rightful name is just ignorant. I dont care if its tradition, you sound like an uneducated, country raised, inbred goof. There is no excuse for that, really. . . I take it you need to take that bonfire and build a bridge with the wood, A BRIDGE TO GET OVER IT.

[Jimbotex40]

wow making fun of a typo, thats graceful.

i think you know which war hes talking about, and actually that is true for both world wars.

like i said we have a 3 star general and west point has a one star general

[whtfbplaya]

This post kinda goes with the one that ends (not football) if you dont like it get out.

[sinton66]

Ok, 3afan, you started this! How come we're not hearing anything from you? I know, you're sitting back LYAO at all of us, right? wink

[Bongo]

As a former student of A&M, I am a bit of an anomaly in that I never really bought into all the hype. However over the past 20 or so years I've become more of an "aggie". This really hit home a couple of years ago when a business associate (UT grad) said that when he was in the first gulf war as an Army Ranger Recon, there were two aggies in this recon group. They needled each other endlessly, but one thing was certain and that is he knew he could count on those two aggies more than anyone else.

Aggies have fought and died in every major US war. In a round-a-bout way they defended Jim Rome's right to say whatever he wants about their University and its traditions. Jim Rome will never understand the spirit of Aggieland, but hopefully he appreciates the sacrificies made by so many to protect his freedoms.

[JasperDog94]

You have a 3 star general...congrats. You want a cookie? wink

The point still stands that you guys alienate yourselves by those annoying traditions. True that the rest of us don't understand. But guess what? We don't care to. Nobody and I mean nobody is impressed by the whooping sound you make. (Aggies excluded) It sounds plain retarded.

Like I said, I have numerous friends that went to A&M. It's a great institution of higher learning. Fortunately my friends went to A&M to learn, not to become an "Aggie". :p

[vet93]

I'll address your points one at a time.
1. Many years ago when I went to Fish Camp I remember spending a great deal of time building friendships, learning school songs, hearing about the traditions of the school,playing volleyball and going to dances in the evening. I do not remember spending any time promoting hate for any other team in the SWC. Yes there are words referring to UT in the fight song and we were taught the infamous "hell cheer" (I have already stated that I don't particularly care for that cheer myself). We were also taught the traditions of the university including all of the pranks etc... that UT and A&M have done to each other through the years and how these pranks started some of these traditions. I can't stess to you guys enough that hate is not perpetuated. Rivalry is emphasized but that is it. Do some idiots take the rivalry too far...yes. Much to the dismay of the majority. Does this happen at other universities...yes. Much to the dismay of the majority.

2. The reference to the Baylor coaching situation was pointing out that "Ye who is without sin should cast the first stone". Meaning that BU has some things that they may not be proud of as well. Baylor did the right thing and dismissed the coach but only after the problems were made public not by the university buy by the media. I writer for DMN made the point that Bliss was actively recruiting for the school selling the point to perspective parents that their kids would be going to a "christian environment" and all of this garbage was going on at the same time.

3. The quote regarding west pointers and aggies was a paraphrase of a quote made by General George Patton during WWII. He had served with many excellent officers from A&M and was paying the university a compliment.

4. I have had UT graduates emphasize "THE" when referring to UT just to give me a hard time. I don't think that the "tu" thing is particularly witty but who cares it was a tradition started a long time ago and it stuck. I have also had UT (and other schools) refer to us as Gomers, Faggies, sheep lovers, farm boys skin heads etc...and this seems to be o.k. with you guys. Tell me that these nicknames aren't mean-spirited. Everbody jumps on A&M for yelling "Beat the Hell out of ______" but it is o.k. to make references to Aggies as homosexuals, idiots or engaging in bestiality with sheep. I am not defending the boorish behavior of some of the Aggies that you may have come into contact with. I am just asking you to take a look at your own fan base or alma mater and some of the things that they do or say before you lump all aggies into some kind of derogatory category. The next time I get called a Faggie or a Gomer I'll try not to consider all UT fans jerks and I would ask you to do the same thing in relation to A&M.


JasperDog94:
As I've read some of the replys, I've found a few inconsistancies:

1. A&M is supposed to build team unity, character and mold you into a better person. Then why do you feel the need to make fun of (the hell cheer) the other team. Is that really necessary? Root for your team. That's great, but don't berate the other team. One reply stated "I am all about being friends". Man, with friends that want to "beat the hell" out of me, who needs enemies?

2. I really wouldn't compare Baylor trying to be a better place by not using the "hell cheer" to the problems of the head basketball coach. Baylor did the right thing by coming out with the info and firing the coach and athletic director. This is a sad situation that doesn't need any more gasoline thrown on it.

3. "Give me a bunch of West Pointers and I'll build you an Army. Give me a bunch of Aggies and I'll win you a war." Excuse me, but when was the last time the United States sent the Corps into a military conflict? The fact that you would even compare the Corps to our troops overseas defending our freedoms is a joke.

4. tu is not in the least bit funny. I know hundreds of Longhorns and NOBODY calls it THE University of Texas. Sounds to me like a little inferiority complex.

I have many A&M friends as well as UT friends. I highly respect both universities for their higher education values. Both are wonderful schools. Unfortunately, those "deep rooted traditions" are what alienates most of us from rooting for A&M when they play out of state schools.

By the way, I'm disappointed to find out that there's no secret handshake or decoder ring...or is that just what you want me to beleive? :p

[Jimbotex40]

thanks for helpin me shake the haters off vet.