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State lawmaker files bill to require annual football game between UT and Texas A&M


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https://www.texastribune.org/2018/11/27/state-lawmaker-files-bill-require-annual-game-between-ut-and-m/

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A Texas House member wants to bring back an annual football game between the state's two flagship universities: the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University.

On Tuesday, state Rep. Lyle Larson, a San Antonio Republican who earned a bachelor's degree from A&M, filed House Bill 412, which would require the two teams to "play a nonconference, regular-season football game against one another on the fourth Thursday, Friday, or Saturday of November each year."

UT-Austin and A&M have played each other more than 100 times. But the annual game ceased when A&M moved to the Southeastern Conference. The last game was in 2011.

"We owe it to Texans to do all we are able to bring back this storied rivalry," Larson said in a released statement. "It's time for the folks in Austin and College Station to get in a room and make a deal to restore the rivalry."

As filed, Larson's HB 412 would also dock a university from awarding an athletic scholarship or "similar financial assistance funded by state funds" should it choose to not participate in the football game.

Larson isn't the first state lawmaker to push for the two teams to resume the rivalry.

In 2013, state Rep. Ryan Guillen, a Rio Grande City Democrat and an A&M graduate, filed similar legislation. The bill was referred to a House committee, though it never received a hearing.

 

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Doesn't seem that out there to me. Both schools are arms of the state. The annual game was a significant and longstanding piece of Texas' culture, thoroughly enjoyed and anticipated by many citizens of our state. For many people, watching or going to that game is central in their memories of spending Thanksgiving with loved ones. Putting on that game was a benefit these two public universities bestowed on the state for a hundred years, and they stopped doing it over some bruised egos and a few million bucks. I really don't see why it's outrageous at all for the legislature to step in and tell both schools to get over themselves and make with the football already.

The Surly and TexAgs contingents are always against it, but ordinary fans and Texans in general liked the game, they're annoyed it went away and they'd like it to come back. Most people don't give a shit about which side started this slap fight, or whether one team "deserves" to play the other, or who's scared to play or any of that. 

Edited by Thermos H. Christ
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Probably going to pass especially after watching their game with LSU.  Also, if I understand this correctly we are one of only a few (two ?) athletic departments that are self sufficient so he can take his "similar financial assistance funded by state funds" and start paying back the outstanding loans that they owe.

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3 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

but ordinary fans and Texans in general liked the game, they're annoyed it went away and they'd like it to come back. 

Yeah, I'm gonna need to see some evidence of all 3 claims made in this reply.  

 

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2 minutes ago, Pancho Negro said:

Yeah, I'm gonna need to see some evidence of all 3 claims made in this reply.  

  

Do you seriously have the slightest doubt that the game would instantly sell out and become a really hot ticket on the secondary market if they scheduled it? Or that it would do big TV numbers? People want to see it. They want to see it quite a bit more than they want to see most of the games played by either of these teams.

Edited by Thermos H. Christ
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6 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Doesn't seem that out there to me. Both schools are arms of the state. The annual game was a significant and longstanding piece of Texas' culture, thoroughly enjoyed and anticipated by many citizens of our state. For many people, watching or going to that game is central in their memories of spending Thanksgiving with loved ones. Putting on that game was a benefit these two public universities bestowed on the state for a hundred years, and they stopped doing it over some bruised egos and a few million bucks. I really don't see why it's outrageous at all for the legislature to step in and tell both schools to get over themselves and make with the football already.

The Surly and TexAgs contingents are always against it, but ordinary fans and Texans in general liked the game, they're annoyed it went away and they'd like it to come back. Most people don't give a shit about which side started this slap fight, or whether one team "deserves" to play the other, or who's scared to play or any of that. 

I don't give a shit about atm neither does anyone else in Texas that didn't go there. If the two schools want to play each other then they can figure it out themselves. Leave it off the House floor for fuck's sake. This state doesn't revolve around those two football teams. 

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6 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Doesn't seem that out there to me. Both schools are arms of the state. The annual game was a significant and longstanding piece of Texas' culture, thoroughly enjoyed and anticipated by many citizens of our state. For many people, watching or going to that game is central in their memories of spending Thanksgiving with loved ones. Putting on that game was a benefit these two public universities bestowed on the state for a hundred years, and they stopped doing it over some bruised egos and a few million bucks. I really don't see why it's outrageous at all for the legislature to step in and tell both schools to get over themselves and make with the football already.

The Surly and TexAgs contingents are always against it, but ordinary fans and Texans in general liked the game, they're annoyed it went away and they'd like it to come back. Most people don't give a shit about which side started this slap fight, or whether one team "deserves" to play the other, or who's scared to play or any of that. 

It is of absolutely no surprise to me that there are people out there that think this is something the lege should stick it's nose into.

They are morons, but there are a lot of those, so not surprising.  Morons get a vote, too.  That's the way the Republic is run.

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4 minutes ago, TrashMaster G said:

It is of absolutely no surprise to me that there are people out there that think this is something the lege should stick it's nose into.

They are morons, but there are a lot of those, so not surprising.  Morons get a vote, too.  That's the way the Republic is run.

Yeah, your taxpayer dollars at work. Good thing they're concentrating on important shit.

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11 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Do you seriously have the slightest doubt that the game would instantly sell out and become a really hot ticket on the secondary market if they scheduled it? Or that it would do big TV numbers? People want to see it. They want to see it quite a bit more than they want to see most of the games played by either of these teams.

UT does big TV numbers regardless. 

We aren't hurting for money or when it comes to scheduling OOC games. 

We aren't hurting when it comes to revenue from ticket sales. 

 

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This is a stupid bill, but it don't make a shit.

Last session, Larson filed an ethics bill regarding gubernatorial appointment of large donors. As a result Abbott vetoed every one of Larson's bills that made it to his desk. Before Thanksgiving, Larson wrote an op/ed criticizing how the House (run by his party) is selecting the new Speaker. I don't think that's going to win him any points with Bonnen. Point is, Larson's bills probably aren't going anywhere.

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26 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Do you seriously have the slightest doubt that the game would instantly sell out and become a really hot ticket on the secondary market if they scheduled it? Or that it would do big TV numbers? People want to see it. They want to see it quite a bit more than they want to see most of the games played by either of these teams.

i want to see a lot of things, like you never posting again, that doesn't mean it will happen...

 

this is just the kind of shit aggy does, im really surprised they haven't tried to pass a bill proclaiming aggy as the flagship university of texas...

Edited by Mileslong
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31 minutes ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Do you seriously have the slightest doubt that the game would instantly sell out and become a really hot ticket on the secondary market if they scheduled it? Or that it would do big TV numbers? People want to see it. They want to see it quite a bit more than they want to see most of the games played by either of these teams.

He's asking for you to give him a reason to believe you. You're just reiterating your own suppositions.

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10 minutes ago, stupidgringo said:

This is a stupid bill, but it don't make a shit.

Last session, Larson filed an ethics bill regarding gubernatorial appointment of large donors. As a result Abbott vetoed every one of Larson's bills that made it to his desk. Before Thanksgiving, Larson wrote an op/ed criticizing how the House (run by his party) is selecting the new Speaker. I don't think that's going to win him any points with Bonnen. Point is, Larson's bills probably aren't going anywhere.

Look at the big brain on brad!

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We have a great slate of OOC games over the next decade+, doesn't make a lot of sense for us in our current conference route through 9 games and a CCG to try and get to the playoffs.  And that's the goal for us, the playoffs and an MNC.  It really is tough enough to play 9 conference games, 1 blue blood program, and 1 middle of the pack P5.

doesnt really work for them as it would bump an FCS or one of 2-3 G5s.  I get it, the scheduled Clemson for a home and away, but looking backward and forward from there and it's mostly lower tier P5 as their "marquee" OOC.  SEC is stuck with them, can't see them willingly letting them hurt their brand more   Their foal and purpose is to try and be relevant to the ranking system so Bama can get a "quality" win  

 

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1 hour ago, Bigbend1812 said:

Lulz .  Stay in your lane politico.  Like lying and stealing. 

Well it is in their lane. The Texas Congress created A&M and Texas and if, for some stupid reason, they decide carrying out their academic mission requires them playing each other than football then I guess that is within their prerogative.

But since the state government let A&M run off to the SEC in the first place I highly doubt they care outside of this one guy.

Besides Texas already offered to play A&M and got turned down. That congressman should talk to his alma mater about getting the goals straight.

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12 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

This is revisionist history. People wax poetic about days gone by in every society and, unfortunately, part of what we have to be tortured with in this country is the hyperbolic nature in which sports fans and sports media take nostalgia to a higher fucking level.

Most years, the Texas vs ATM game was not highly rated. It got kicked severely in the nuts by the addition of the NFL Thursday night game. It was beaten up by ATM not being able to be on fucking television because of cheating at different times in the 80's and 90's. Mostly, the game was not competitive.

What you wound up with was a bunch of aggie shittalking leading into the game, then Texas buttfucking the Aggies in public with tv ratings doing nothing special, and then aggie neighbors, coworkers, and online trolls running off and fucking hiding until they got amnesia about 270 days later. Then rinse and repeat.

After two or three years of this game returning, it would be relegated right back to "sure, it's a 'rivalry' game, but 10-1 Texas should and will roll the scrappy 6-5 ATM squad" and then Texas will win by double digits, and the nation will yawn and pass out with Thanksgiving gravy stains on their shirts. 

I just remember the 1995 game. Final SWC title ever on the line. Future NFL running backs on both sides. Sugar Bowl berth on the line. A&M holding a 40+ game home winning streak. I was so excited for this epic battle.

Nobody cared outside of Texas and A&M fans. We got a daytime TV slot and the announcers spent the whole game talking about the SEC championship game that night, which was a mismatch between Arkansas and...um...somebody much better than Arkansas. At one point during the game we were shown Arkansas eating their pregame meal.

That was when it hit me that this game that I thought meant so much actually meant nothing at all to anybody outside of Texas.

Edited by Valmy77
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13 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

After two or three years of this game returning, it would be relegated right back to "sure, it's a 'rivalry' game, but 10-1 Texas should and will roll the scrappy 6-5 ATM squad" and then Texas will win by double digits, and the nation will yawn and pass out with Thanksgiving gravy stains on their shirts. 

In other words, what it always was?

Edited by Bevo14
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1 hour ago, Thermos H. Christ said:

Do you seriously have the slightest doubt that the game would instantly sell out and become a really hot ticket on the secondary market if they scheduled it? Or that it would do big TV numbers? People want to see it. They want to see it quite a bit more than they want to see most of the games played by either of these teams.

You must have aggy family. Fuck them.

Nobody cared about this game outside the two schools, and aggy became completely unhinged. They tried to destroy us on the way out, and they were told we wouldn’t play them if we left.

Wasn’t worth it anymore. Let them live with their choice. 

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1 hour ago, Flg8rfan said:

FSU did this to UF decades ago, legislation never passed but was threatened enough to get them on the schedule.

I get the reasons why and agree with it but it was a fun game to watch on rivalry weekend.


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You wouldn't say this if it was aggy instead of Florida State.  

We don't need the game back because fuck aggy.  They eat shit and suck dicks.  And that's that.

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1 hour ago, Valmy77 said:

I just remember the 1995 game. Final SWC title ever on the line. Future NFL running backs on both sides. Sugar Bowl berth on the line. A&M holding a 40+ game home winning streak. I was so excited for this epic battle.

Nobody cared outside of Texas and A&M fans. We got a daytime TV slot and the announcers spent the whole game talking about the SEC championship game that night, which was a mismatch between Arkansas and...um...somebody much better than Arkansas. At one point during the game we were shown Arkansas eating their pregame meal.

That was when it hit me that this game that I thought meant so much actually meant nothing at all to anybody outside of Texas.

I always liked the Ut-aggy game. It was usually great football. I looked forward to it like Ou-NEB, Mich-Ohio State, and other rivalries at the end of the season. 

 

Aggy left. Fuck em. 

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