Here at CFBZ we pride ourselves on bringing you different perspectives from around college football. We will give you our take but we also enjoy giving you a perspective from someone who is local to whatever topic we are tackling at the moment. This week I reached out to a frequent commenter here at CFBZ, who also happens to be a Community Manager for Lifefyre, and is himself a College Football Zealot. Here is a great take from Jeremy Hicks on what Texas A&M to the SEC means to him….
So you’re tired of the conference realignment talk? Trust me, I am too. I’m a die-hard Fightin’ Texas Aggie fan, and you know what I feel like after the past 6-weeks of “Texas A&M to the SEC” discussion? You didn’t really ask, but I’ll tell you anyways (feel free to skip ahead to the REAL A&M/SEC talk after the italicized out-pouring of my soul in narrative form).
I feel like I’m 17 years old again, back at Judson Senior High School. I feel like I’ve been in a teenage romance with a semi-hot, mildly manipulative chick since my 7th grade year and, as of late, she’s been acting super crazy. Like, much crazier than she usually does (all of the normal, super cool girls are amazed at her craziness). Then, all of the sudden during the start of my glorious senior year, the hottest chick on campus, who just happens to be the “single and ready to mingle” cheerleading captain, slips me her number as she walks past me in the hallway. You know, just like in the movies. She’s walking down a locker-lined hallway in a group with 3 or 4 of her other very pretty but still not as hot friends, she gives one of those sly smiles and then says, “call me” in that “I know I’m fine” type of tone and then walks away in dramatic slow-motion. And everybody saw it, too. Snuffy. Al. Leo. Little Moe, with the gimpy leg. Cheeks. Boney Bob. Cliff. EVERYBODY.
But then my current girlfriend (you know, the crazy one) hears about it and she starts going even more crazy. So, I did what any other guy in my situation would do, I said, “this is ridiculous. People like you exist?! Whether you like it or not, I’m gone.” So of course she didn’t take that in stride as well as I had hoped, so she called in one of her goons named, well, I want to protect her privacy, so let’s just call that goon “Baylor.” She sends Baylor in to make life miserable for me AND for the newly-interested cheerleading captain, who, in an effort to protect her privacy as well, we’ll call her Esesee, or just Ese for short. So Ese is like, “look, I like you and all, we’d be awesome and rule the campus together, but you’re going to have to do something about that crazy trick Baylor. We can’t be a thing unless Baylor quits acting the way she is.” So I’m like, WTC(rap) Baylor? AND now you’ve got two of your other busted, hatin’ the world because they’re single friends pestering us now, too?!
Everybody else on campus is in awe of this as word spread like wildfire. Even Ese is taking some flack now for not just going for it in spite of Baylor and her minions of nar-do-well nobodies.
So that’s how I, and I’m sure thousands of other Aggie fans, friends, and family feel at this point of the ballgame. Thanks for listening, btw.
Folks, A&M to the SEC would be an absolutely incredible event for southern college football. After renegotiation of TV contracts, the SEC’s television footprint will jump to over a quarter of the country. Each SEC school will likely see upwards of $2,000,000 more in annual TV revenue than they did without Texas A&M. To top it off, SEC teams will get invaluable exposure in the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country each and every year (though, I admittedly don’t think it will boost their out-of-state recruiting like many in the conference realignment talk think it will).
The SEC is all about tradition and pageantry, and there’s no school in the nation that has more of either than Texas A&M. The 12th Man, Midnight Yell, the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, Yell Leaders, incredible tailgating, the mystique of Kyle Field, the magic of football under the lights of moonlit Texas sky…folks, we have tradition and pageantry for days that would be a perfect fit in the SEC.
Still not convinced? Texas A&M brings a load of history as well. We’re 25th on the list of the most successful college football program of all-time, even after a recent 10-year stretch of mediocrity and seemingly inevitable bowl disappointments. Defense is what the SEC is known for, and the Wrecking Crew, one of the most storied defensive units in college football, has made its long-awaited return to College Station, Texas. We also have rivalries with LSU and Arkansas that date back to before even the old SWC days. We’re currently ranked #9 in the nation while holding the #6 recruiting class in the nation. We’re getting back to what made us great, and doing it in the SEC is a win for all parties involved. Throw in the fact that Paul “Bear” Bryant is a former head coach of “The Junction Boys” and you’ve got classic college football history on your hands.
And last but not least, let’s look outside of college football for a second, as this conference move, though dominated by football, is not the only factor in the equation. Texas A&M just finished 8th in the Directors Cup. Texas A&M has the best men’s and women’s track and field program in the nation. Our women’s basketball team is currently the NCAA Champion. Our men’s basketball team has been to the NCAA tournament that past 6 years in a row. Our baseball team just went to the College World Series and our softball team is a perennial Top-15 squad. We just won a national championship in men’s tennis, we have a Top 10 men’s golf team, and a nationally respected bass fishing team to boot. Not to mention the best equestrian program in the nation. We’ve also got over 300,000 alumni worldwide, meaning a network that is as strong as they come and a dedicated fan base that travels as well as any other.
Imagine: LSU at Texas A&M or Texas A&M at LSU under the lights. Think about Texas A&M at Tennessee on an early Saturday afternoon, or Arkansas at Kyle Field, or the Aggies at Bryant-Denney Stadium. That will be some incredible, tradition-rich football to watch each and every Saturday.
So again, tell me what’s not to love about Texas A&M to the SEC?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
