A little something about college football rivalries:Baylor's ass whipping of A&M this past weekend was not unexpected (the bookies had the Bears favored and Baylor repaid the compliment by covering) and could point to the emergence of an actual coherent program, something that watchers of Art Briles have been predicting. According to astute observers, most notably our very own GC Mandrake, prospects for the Bears are actually quite promising in 2009.
Speaking of rivalries, who is Baylor's rival? A&M has probably stirred the most passion in the girded loins of Baylor types in the last decade. Texas? Not really--not much chance of anything resembling an even footing between the schools, at least in football. SMU and TCU maybe in the good ol' SWC days.
The Texas/OU game is tough to beat in terms of rivalries. Hatred in spades and two programs that really get after it on the field. Watching two 60ish well dressed River Oaks/Highland Park type ladies sitting in front of me jump up to scream, "FUCK YOU, OKLAHOMA!" while simultaneously offering double barreled middle fingered salutes as the Sooner squad ran onto the field just kind of warms your heart.
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We like to think it's the Aggies, but the other side has to think you're their rival, too. They're still coming to grips with the fact that we're getting good in basketball; the fact that we put an OU type beatdown on them over the weekend probably has even the strongest of their fans seeking therapy options today.
In reality we probably don't have a true rival in this league. The north/south division makes the likelihood of someone from the other side of Oklahoma becoming our rival unlikely (even in hoops), compliments of the imbalanced schedule. That means we have to develop one among the five other teams in the south.
The most likely candidates out of that group would included the Aggies and Tech, but our option may eventually turn out to be Oklahoma A&M, as they've made a living recruiting kids out of central Texas in the Gundy era (even when he was an assistant there). Their coaching staff has at least two ties to Baylor (former player Trooper Taylor and former Roberts assistant Mike "I'm 40!" Gundee Damnit.
We have to establish a pattern of winning before we can "earn" a rival in this league. That subject might start coming together prematurely, compliments of our top twenty hoops program and (INSANE THOUGHT WARNING) our possible upset of Texas Technically A University.
Yes, as utterly crazy as it sounds, I do think we have a good chance of unnerving Leach's boys, as they'll be coming off a beatdown from the Sooners up in Norman. Texas Tech flat out stinks on the road. Even if the RR's win there, they'll completely overlook us. Yeah, I realize they're good enough and talented enough to do so and that there will be too much on the line for them to do so, but Briles will let it all hang out in our "bowl game" against his former bosses, just like Grant Teaff used to do with Tech on a VERY regular basis.
You guys do realize that the moment if and/or when Baylor starts going .500 with Texas and/or OU in football* is the moment the Big 12 "jumps the shark" and starts looking to either re-org or flat out disband. You just know they wouldn't tolerate a repeat of the Grant syndrome in Austin, and even Stoops couldn't survive such an event up in Norman.
Yes, I'm getting WAY ahead of myself, but if you don't at least start thinking that way, you might as well spend Saturday's helping your wife do macrochet.
*over a sustained period of time
Rivalries need longevity to really generate excitement with new students/fans/etc. Intense rivalries grow and strengthen when 2 programs have consistenty decent programs or at least one of them has a completely dimwitted, adle-brained, clueless and almost totally Stepford Wife-ish fan base (aggies) . Baylor teams of the last 15 years have done little to evoke more than sympathy from opposing teams' fans. Kinda hard to scream "Fuck You!" with any real depth, resonance, or conviction when the team your yelling at hasn't been able to stay within 4 td's of your hometown heroes, at least not at any point in your lifetime...
Is that our boy from Chicago by way of Houston in the photo, nd?
I have mixed feelings regarding A&M. Pretty good school, great spirit and they actually have real traditions. However, just when I start liking them too much, along comes a real asshole Aggie alum to sweep away all of those warm and cuddlies. They also have a pretty good record in terms of sports futility if you really think about it, considering the amount of treasure and toil thrown into the thing. For what they spend and the size of their alumni base, this is a school that should be cranking out titles in multiple sports year in and year out.
Great read, Taras.
Not just the story but your post, as well. A good find.
National Championships: Baylor, 2; a&m, 0 (since Big 12 formed).
Big 12 Conference Championships: a&m, 36; Baylor, 29.
The above is why I the aggie faithful bother me so much. You think you're better than we are? Back it up and I'll defer to you greatness. Otherwise, go gig a corps member and leave me the fuck alone...
http://wolverineliberationarmy.blogspot.com/
Madness! MADNESS!
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