Time to renew the Aggie-Longhorn Rivalry? (Well, maybe not)

[HPF Bob]

On another forum, I posted a thread suggesting this might be the year to match 7-5 Texas A&M and 7-5 Texas in the Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium because, frankly, both schools are evenly matched and (some would say) equally disappointing and might salvage the season for one of the two programs if they could stomp their former rival on the field after an eight-year hiatus.

This was not a football forum, UT forum or A&M forum so I expected a level-headed debate. That didn't happen.

Among the quotes:

"the Aggies LEFT us... they can be gone, and stay gone. They took MO MONEY, and then blamed UT on the way out. SCREW THEM"

"If I was Texas A&M, I'd totally forget the T-sips as a rival. They're in the SEC now, with plenty of schools there to hate."

"As an Aggie, I have moved on from even thinking about playing tu, until I see stupid articles like this. Let it go, tsips. You made your bed, now lie in it."

"Too Bad A&M lied and stabbed the Longhorns in the back.
I don’t care if the Longhorns EVER play the Aggies again."

It is amusing to read such vitriol from folks who claim to have "moved on". Yeah, right.

Such a game would be an instant sell-out and would turn an otherwise meaningless bowl game into a neutral-site must-see "Championship of Texas" (with apologies to Baylor).

Anyone else on board or has everyone "moved on"?

[Arky]

Not much into either team but I do agree it would make for a nice gate. My Hogs have been in the dumpster for so long, I don't even watch them much anymore....

I think you're right - one or both could be in the Texas Bowl...

[HPF Bob]

Sad that so many great programs and great rivalries have been literally dismantled through realignment. I watched a video about the 1969 Texas-Arkansas "Game of the Century" and there was one thing pointed out I had not realized even though I had watched the ABC broadcast of the game many times.

After Texas went ahead, 15-14, there were still a few minutes left on the clock. Arkansas drove all the way down to the red zone and had a third down. Bill Montgomery, who played so well most of the game, threw a pass to the corner of the goal line which Danny Lester stepped in front of to intercept and end the drive. What I didn't realize was that *any* other result of that play (incomplete, catch, sack, etc.) and Arkansas would have probably lined up for a short field goal on the next play and probably won the National Championship, 17-15. Hogs fans were very upset at the time as to why the Razorbacks didn't call for a running play instead of a passing play knowing they had the easy field goal attempt in their back pocket.

[Arky]

Yep, I remember that game. The Hogs came up short like so many times whenever they played Texas.... A lot of close but no cigar games....

Don't know if you are old enough to remember Kern Tips? He was the standard for SWC football announcers back in the day. Very distinctive voice and had a country-boy style of calling the games. I can remember listening to him on the radio calling games on Saturday afternoons in the '60s. With only 3 channels on the TV, one had to use radio for backup to hear the progress of some games.....

[HPF Bob]

That game was critical for Texas' first national championship. The comeback was very late in the game and the first Aggie interception could have sealed the A&M win but the interceptor tried to lateral at the last second and Texas recovered with a new first down. Then the second potential interception at the back of the end zone, you'll notice a fellow in a brown coat gesturing incomplete wildly. That fellow was Bill Little, then the sports editor for the student newspaper and became the longtime Sports Information Director at the University of Texas. Aggies have always wondered what he was doing on the field and whether his gesturing swayed the referees. This was, of course, long before video replays so, once the call was made, that was the ruling.

I do remember Kern Tips (sounds a bit like Keith Jackson) but I didn't pay attention to football until later in the decade. I remember when the annual Thanksgiving Game with A&M was not on TV, so radio was the only way to follow the outcome.

[Arky]

Speaking of Keith Jackson, our family spent some time in Washington state back in the late '50s/early '60s. There were two minor league baseball teams in the area - the Tacoma Giants (farm team of SF Giants) and the Seattle Raniers. As a youngster, I spent a lot of time watching the Tacoma Giants on TV. Watched a lot of future SF Giant stars come through Tacoma. Occasionally, I would watch the Seattle Raniers and a young Keith Jackson was their announcer. I believe he also did University of Washington football games. He kinda went up the ladder from there and ABC eventually hired him for the (college) Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons. Anyway, guess I'm saying I knew him before he went "national"....

The tech was so primitive in those days. Just to get scores, you had to be tuned in to the College Football Scoreboard program on TV around 6 pm to hear scores around the nation. Sometimes you could pick up scores while listening to a radio game. I can remember being at college and pro football games and during slow periods, the PA announcer might mention the ongoing scores in a handful of games. The score of rival teams getting upset always drew a roar from the crowd...

[HPF Bob]

Yep. The Giants had some great players go through their farm system in the late 50s-early 60s. McCovey, Cepeda, Haller, Davenport, Pagan, the Alou brothers, Marischal, Gaylord Perry, Bolin, Linzy. I have a baseball sim game (Baseball Mogul) and I decided once to start as the 1958 Giants. It was easy to dominate with all those studs coming through the system. In retrospect, it's amazing those Giants never won a World Series with all that talent.

[Arky]

Eheh, I still have an old photo album type booklet of the 1961 Tacoma Giants. Off the top of my head, Manny Mota, Felipe Alou, Gaylord Perry and a guy by the name of Jose Cardenal are in it. Don't know if you remember him? Great hitter. I know there's more I am leaving out....

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

Yep. The Giants had some great players go through their farm system in the late 50s-early 60s. McCovey, Cepeda, Haller, Davenport, Pagan, the Alou brothers, Marischal, Gaylord Perry, Bolin, Linzy. I have a baseball sim game (Baseball Mogul) and I decided once to start as the 1958 Giants. It was easy to dominate with all those studs coming through the system. In retrospect, it's amazing those Giants never won a World Series with all that talent.

Goes to show you how loaded the Yankees where during the same time period. But I didn't know the old Giants were that loaded.

I lived in Seattle in the mid 90's, watched Griffey, ARod, Edger Martinez, Jay Bruner, Randy Johnson. IMO they dismantled that team to soon. Tacoma was a Mariners farm club. Nothing Special there at the time.

Fun thing was my territory was the State of Washington, and Oregon. Pacific Coast League cities, and low a ball. Yakima had a Dodger affiliate IIRC. It was funny watching all the small town girls trying to land the correct prospect for that meal ticket to the guaranteed money of the major league.