Here are some thoughts for your consideration in an attempt to make some sense out of what transpired over the last few days regarding the conference realignment process.
A. Introductory thoughts.
1. All of us have seen everything unfold over the past two weeks in a fast forward motion to what appeared to be massive conference realignment and super conferences. Then, in a matter of 24 hours it all mysteriously crashed and burned and the Big 12-2 was suddenly going to reconcile and continue as a conference. How and why did this happen when as the dust is starting to settle we find out that there is only a promise of more money and no written TV contract in place?
2. If indeed you take a step back, quit thinking purely from an emotional point of view, gather all the information you can from what is being written and said, read between the lines and think logically through the entire situation there is only one thing that makes sense. There were political forces and power brokers at work much higher up the food chain and pay grade of not only the A&M leaders but those of tu and the rest of the conference members as well. There have been some articles that have already alluded to this possibility and it is the only thing that makes sense of what happened on late Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of this week.
3. The guess here is that the political, economic/financial, academic and whatever other consequences you can come up with of leaving the conference would have been severe at least to the Big 12 members from Texas.
4. If tu blinked (and they did) and then balked (and they did) as Chip Brown confirmed in his Organgebloods.com summary article, then it was because they feared the consequences of being perceived as the school that broke up the Big 12 and terminated the rivalry with A&M.
5. Thus, when tu balked and began to backtrack they threw the ball back into A&M’s court such that we then had to make a decision – stay and try to make the Big 12 work or go to the SEC and be blamed for the breakup of the Big 12 and be the one who terminated the rivalry with tu. If the decision had simply been about sports and what athletic conference we played in the decision would have been easy and any of us could have made it. But whether we want to admit it or not the decision involved far greater issues than just sports and thus the decision was incredibly difficult and not one any of us would have relished having to make.
B. The need to take a step back and reflect.
1. It is clear that for most of you the only thing that matters and what you are upset about is that you think and believe A&M blew a golden opportunity to go to the SEC (I had also gotten on the SEC bandwagon and was disappointed as well). In most of your posts up to now you have made it clear that you think the choice was obvious and it makes no sense why we didn’t go to the SEC.
2. One of the things all of us learn over time is that decisions like this are not as cut and dried as they might seem. In fact, sometimes the temptation to blindly go to so called greener pastures is just like an ox being led to the slaughter. As a result, all things have to be considered including the consequences and ramifications of the decision and not just the athletic benefits that appear to be there.
3. Further, the slaughter being referenced is not to our potential results on the athletic playing field in the SEC, but to the possibility that the political forces in Texas (or possibly even further up the chain) would become a slaughter house that would chop A&M into pieces for daring to leave everyone else behind. In other words, the consequences for A&M leaving for the SEC would have potentially had devastating consequences for our school that all of us love.
4. We should also not forget that our decisions and actions have consequences – they can be positive and they can be negative; they can also be known and they can also be unknown.
5. Until Sunday night our leaders had played our hand brilliantly – tu had taken the ball and run with it and was in the process of breaking up the Big 12 and possibly ending the rivalry with us, and it appeared we were on our way to the SEC. But as tu got cold feet on Sunday and begin to balk they received a gift from Dan Beebe in the form of assurances from ABC/ESPN and apparently a promise from FSN that gave tu a way out of the mess. Apparently, tu officials at that time indicated they would go back to the table if A&M would.
6. Think about it. If tu, tech and A&M had gone to the Pac 10 there should have been strength in numbers to possibly stave off any political attempt to punish those three schools. Even tu and Tech going to the Pac 10 and A&M to the SEC would have provided the apparent necessary numbers to rebuff any political consequences. But tu blinked and balked because they did not like the idea of A&M going to the SEC and they thought the ramifications and consequences of breaking up the Big 12 and terminating the rivalry with A&M would be significant because they would get the blame. Thus, if mighty tu felt the perceived negative consequences would be more than even they could handle, how much more significant would such ramifications and consequences have been for A&M if we had left on our own. tu, Tech along with Baylor and the rest of the schools in Texas would have been aligning themselves to seek what they would have all considered to be retribution.
7. And if indeed there were political forces and power brokers in play much further up the ladder as some have indicated, the uncertainties of the consequences are magnified and the potential risk goes up.
8. As a result of tu balking, the ball was now thrown back into A&M’s court not because tu played it well but because they received what you might call manna from heaven in the form of promised more revenue. But since this promise is from men, and man’s promises are not always kept, it remains to be seen whether this promise of more revenue ever materializes. Nevertheless, A&M was now put in the position of having to make a decision that would have consequences far beyond just that of the athletic program. Do not underestimate the fact that whatever decision was made by A&M would be full of uncertainties. If A&M chose to stay and keep the Big 12 together, would they receive the promised revenue and how long would the Big 12 last? If A&M chose the SEC, would they be perceived as the ones who broke up the Big 12 (they would be) and would there be significant negative consequences unrelated to athletics that would occur (a strong possibility) that would have a far greater negative impact on A&M than the prospective athletic benefits of going to the SEC?
9. If any of you are only looking at this from purely an athletic conference affiliation point of view, then you are encouraged to take a step back and look at the big picture. Consider every aspect of the potential consequences both positively and negatively on A&M. Consider the potential rewards, consider the potential risks and the uncertainties and determine whether the rewards outweighed the risks to A&M. As you attempt to do that many of you will realize that you do not have all the facts and all the information and even if you did, you will begin to realize the magnitude and challenge of making the appropriate decision.
10. When many of us look at that big picture all we see is full SEC football stadiums and great SEC football teams coming to an overflowing Kyle Field and we think that would be great. But if we fail to step back and look at the bigger picture we will miss the political hawks and power brokers circling in Austin (and possibly Washington and other places) who are just looking for someone to strike and kill as payback for took place.
C. Political consequences.
1. Some of you have scoffed at the potential political consequences by saying that the political clout is not there to hurt A&M and that the Aggies in positions of political power would never let that happen. Before we go any further, another thing all of us should remember is that we also learn over time to never say “never.” Most of us have seen things occur in our lifetimes that we could not have imagined would happen. If you are skeptical about this, then just look at what is going on in our country on a daily basis. And to put things in perspective what is happening in our country is of far greater concern than the conference where A&M plays its sports.
2. But getting back to the political forces in Texas having an impact on the conference realignment picture we need look no further than the fact that the legislative higher education committee scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, June 16th and then not so subtly warned everyone to not make any decisions about conference affiliations until after the meeting. The fact that the meeting was canceled is very telling.
3. Further the wounds of what happened 15 plus years ago when the Big 12 was formed have not healed and there is still simmering animosity towards those Big 12 members who left the others behind that is just waiting for a catalyst to explode everything into action. In a newspaper article appearing in the last week one Houston legislative member who supported the called higher education committee meeting said something about the unfairness of the University of Houston and the other schools being left out when the Big 12 was formed. Thus, people remember things for a long time and are reluctant to let real or perceived injustices go.
4. Some of you have contended that A&M’s share of the PUF is not touchable and won’t be reallocated. Just keep this in mind – if politics allocated it to tu and A&M in the first place, politics can take it away just as easily. For example, how many of you know that in the last election there was an Amendment to the Texas Constitution on the ballot that when analyzed by at some groups they came to the conclusion that the amendment potentially laid the groundwork for the PUF to someday be allocated at least in part to some other universities besides tu and A&M? By the way the amendment passed fairly easily.
5. Some may say that our share of the PUF is protected by law or the constitution. Others may say we have the political clout to keep something like that from happening. Let’s take a closer look at the reality of the situation if A&M had decided to go to the SEC after Texas, Texas Tech and the other schools decided not to go the Pac 10.
6. The guess here is that A&M’s decision to go to the SEC would have created a firestorm of controversy and the potential consequences could have been significant and devastating to A&M. In that situation A&M would have been perceived as the one who killed the Big 12 and left everyone behind. The political powers of tu, Tech and Baylor would have been united against us, and the political powers of UH, TCU and SMU would have also united as they would have seen an opportunity to get some satisfaction in seeing someone punished for what happened back in the 90’s. The coalition of all of those political forces would most likely be able to easily influence others to join them and A&M would become the scapegoat for everything that happened now and in the 1990’s.
7. Some of you would counter that Governor Rick Perry would not let any of this happen. First, Perry has to be governor when this issue would come up next spring and he is unfortunately facing a formidable challenge from Bill White. Second, if Perry vetoes any such action against A&M, there still might be enough votes to override the veto if in fact it takes a law to make such a thing happen. Third, if it takes a constitutional amendment (I will admit that I don’t know the exact state constitution amendment process), but assuming that the legislature can vote to put an amendment on the ballot (with or without governor approval) or by an override of a veto, then it goes to a vote of the people and history shows that a majority of the amendments pass with little or no opposition.
8. A few of you have wanted to blame Governor Perry but a couple of you who are in the know have made it clear he stayed out of the process. Even President Powers of tu (if you choose to believe him) said that Perry stayed out of the process. Further, with it being an election year and all the political forces being in play from the various schools it would have most likely been political suicide for him to weigh in and influence the process.
9. Some of you have also noted that when the legislative appropriations committees have said jump, every university including tu jumps to make sure they get what they need. If A&M had left and created resentment among the legislative members against us, then we would been taken to the cleaners when appropriations are allocated. A&M is not above getting screwed in the various legislative processes – remember Reed Arena in the 1990’s.
10. Further, if there are in fact political forces and power brokers at work in this process above the state level, then who knows what they might do and the uncertainties of the consequences increase dramatically.
11. The bottom line is that despite the fact that A&M has considerable political power there is no guarantee that it would be enough to prevent the potential negative consequences or ramifications of A&M being a lone wolf who left the pack. In that scenario it would not be surprising if the remaining pack members also turned and attacked the lone wolf.
D. A&M’s leadership.
1. Many of you have hammered A&M’s leadership saying they are clueless, incompetent, can never get anything right, they missed the opportunity of a lifetime to go the SEC, etc, etc.
2. First, remember that few if any of our leaders would be in the A&M leadership positions they are in if they had not been successful men and women in their own right in whatever businesses or professions in which they are involved. Put another way they weren’t born yesterday and we didn’t find them along the road after they fell off the lettuce truck. In most cases they own the lettuce trucks and a lot of other things, and they all generally have track records of making good, sound decisions.
3. Second, most of them would not be in A&M’s leadership if they were not also involved in politics; thus, most of them are politically savvy as well.
4. Third, few if any of us know all the facts of what was going on and what had to be considered in making the decision. And when you don’t know all the facts you cannot make an informed decision based upon good judgment. For most of us, all we knew was that the Big 12 was apparently breaking up and we had a chance to go the SEC, so our conclusion was let’s go and say goodbye to everybody else. If it were only that easy then it would be great, but it is doubtful if it was that simple of a case in this situation.
5. Fourth, all of us need to ask ourselves what we would have done if we had known all the facts. Many of you will immediately say I would have voted for the SEC, end of story. But what if making a decision to go to the SEC would have had devastating consequences for A&M politically, economically/financially, academically, research wise and so on? Further, what if those potential consequences could then affect you on the athletic field because you no longer have the other things in place that make you a great school? The guess here is that most of you would have made the same decision as our A&M leaders when faced with all the facts and potential consequences.
6. In addition, the guess here is that if our going to the SEC had had significant negative consequences, then the same people who blasted the A&M leadership for not making a decision to go to the SEC, would then turn around and blast them and demand answers for why they made the decision to go the SEC knowing that it would have significant negative ramifications for A&M.
7. Some of you are starting to come to the conclusion that the A&M leadership had no choice but to stay in the Big 12. Others have said they did have a choice, intimating that the choice was to go the SEC. It appears they did have a choice, but it also appears they made the only choice they could under the circumstances. Only time will tell but it is becoming clearer by the minute that the only choice they had without severe negative consequences to A&M at this time was to stay in the Big 12.
8. The mere fact that mighty tu blinked and then balked at being the one who would be blamed as the school who broke up the Big 12, terminated rivalries and damaged the other Texas schools should be enough to make all of us take a step back and take a closer look as to why the A&M leaders made the decision they did.
9. If there is anything that A&M’s leadership miscalculated it is the passion the A&M fans have expressed for going to the SEC once they realized it was definite possibility. Unfortunately, the guess here is that the political etc. negative consequences and ramifications of A&M going it alone would have been far greater than any of us would have been willing to risk if we were also in a position of making the decision.
E. The decision process.
1. One thing that everyone needs to keep in mind is that A&M’s leadership has consistently maintained from day one that their preference was to keep the Big 12 together as a conference. On more than one occasion we issued statements stating that position and preference. Thus, when the opportunity came to keep the Big 12 together we would have been seen as the hypocrite and the one who abandoned everyone else for our own benefit and to the detriment of the others if we had decided to go the SEC. And the blame would have all been placed on A&M.
2. As the process unfolded it appears that when A&M considered the alternatives if the Big 12 fell apart they begin to conclude that the Pac 10 was not the best option for us. To go to the Pac 10 with tu would have meant we would have continued to be considered their irrelevant tag along with no power or input. Further, as we have seen over the last several years the prestige and impact of the Pac 10 is diminishing and no one cares or stays up to see the end of the games and by the next day you barely remember to look at the scores to see what the outcomes were.
3. Fortunately, A&M had the option of going to the SEC and as the opportunity was evaluated it slowly but surely started becoming the best alternative for us if the Big 12 broke up and tu was the one leading the break up.
4. It also appears that A&M has nursed our potential relationship with the SEC with great care while making sure Mike Slive and the SEC understood the entire situation and the potential ramifications that could occur if the opportunity came about to keep the Big 12 together. Put another way we have not burned any bridges with the SEC and have laid the groundwork to move to the SEC if and when things fall apart with the Big 12.
5. On the other hand, tu has burned many bridges and thrown their power and weight around so much that their arrogance and pride may catch up with them sooner rather than later. There are also some articles already surfacing which do not present tu in a good light nor do they consider them the savior but rather the one who created this entire mess. Interestingly, even the top two columnists for the Austin paper have expressed subtle and indirect concern about tu continuing to exert their power and influence without regard to the others in the conference. It appears at least some know and realize that sooner or later such actions will turn around and bite them – in other words what goes around comes around.
6. As a result, it appears that A&M’s leaders have played this well and still have an ace in the hole to be pulled out at the appropriate time. Texas may pull out all the stops to keep us from playing it but if they do, it only presents another opportunity for us to level the playing field. If indeed the reports are true about the TV revenue then we have at least pulled A&M even with OU and within striking distance of tu.
7. Having said that, tu’s TV network will most likely give them a leg up but keep in mind that anyone in the Big 12 as well as anyone who goes to the SEC has the same opportunity to put together their own TV network. Thus, A&M will have to consider the viability of putting a TV network together whether we stay in the Big 12 or go to the SEC (apparently OU is already starting the process).
F. The media spin.
1. Many of you have expressed your concern about the media spin that tu would be hailed as the savior and that nothing but good things would be said about tu and that A&M would be looked upon with disdain.
2. Unfortunately, it is historically true that tu is viewed in a positive light and A&M is viewed in a negative light and there is not a lot A&M can do about it. And it appears the A&M leadership knows this as well. Anything A&M attempted to do to counteract what tu put out through their media voices would be perceived to be spin on our part and we would have been made to look like fools. Thus, it would have been a losing battle at least at this point in time.
3. The reality is that tu is the media darling and the perceived intellectual elite who can do no wrong in most people’s eyes. On the other hand, A&M is perceived to be the country bumpkin who has no clue as to what is going on in the world.
4. Simply put the media has decided tu is good and relevant and A&M is not so good and irrelevant.
5. Thus, rather than A&M trying to fight a losing battle in the media it appears our leadership has decided to let others do it for us and we are seeing some signs that this is happening.
6. For what it is worth, it is also encouraging to see that Chip Brown’s article on Orangebloods.com actually does a decent job of presenting the facts and demonstrating the fact that A&M did indeed cause tu to blink and then balk at going through with the Pac 10 plan.
7. It also appears that others are slowly coming to the realization of tu’s true character in this entire conference realignment process.
8. Like all good guys we can hope and pray that the truth will continue to come out.
G. The current movement to express your opinions to A&M’s leadership.
1. Several of you have tried to organize a movement to emphatically demonstrate your support of A&M going to the SEC.
2. There is no problem in expressing your opinion or in asking questions, but we must all understand that we must do it respectfully and realize that we may not get all the answers we want and think we deserve.
3. Remember in war it is not wise to present your battle plan to your enemy, nor is it wise to reveal all the details of the battle plan to the troops. As the saying goes loose lips sink ships.
4. Thus, I suggest that all of us slow down, quit reacting emotionally, look at all the facts and information available, read between the lines, understand the political forces at work and how they affect everything, think and analyze the situation using your mind and not just your emotional heart.
5. Keep in mind that the Big 12 is now on oxygen and most likely will be on life support in the not too distant future and the opportunity for conference realignment will present itself again. And while we wait for that opportunity it is imperative that our football program improve to a level that will further make us an attractive prize to a pursuing conference.
6. Understand also that the door on going to the SEC has not been completely closed. The timing may not have been right to make the move now, but the groundwork has been laid and A&M’s leaders now know the troops are ready for battle in the SEC.
7. Most likely A&M will not be the one who makes the first move for reasons already discussed. But when some Big 12 member bolts or tu’s pride, arrogance and greed causes them to seek greener pastures and/or their power grab finally puts the rest of the Big 12 members over the edge, the opportunity will be there.
H. Compliments to the messenger – Liucci, Gabe and others.
1. Billy many people have already expressed their gratitude to you, Gabe and the rest of the TexAgs.com people for all you have done to make this a great place to visit and keep up with what is going on in the A&M world.
2. Again, I personally want to thank you for your insight, your integrity, your honesty, your truthfulness and your cautiousness to only put forth information that is always on the mark. The accuracy rate of your information is incredibly high.
3. Virtually, everything that is coming out now we already knew. Virtually all of the information Chip Brown put in his Orangebloods.com article we already knew because you told us except for maybe the part about the Pac 10 Commission wanting to substitute Kansas for OSU.
4. The fact that you do not run with rumors but only publish verified information is greatly appreciated.
5. Thanks again to all of you for the great information and service you provide. Gig’em!
To save everyone time on who is “glagma” and how many posts he has, here is the information. “glagma” is Class of ’74, lives in Austin, created his account on 10/14/2003, and has 27 posts. If you look at any of those posts you will realize that virtually all of them are either blank or have “nm” in them. That is because my son started to post on TexAgs.com not realizing that he was signed on to my account. Thus, for all practical purposes this is my first post on TexAgs.com.
A. Introductory thoughts.
1. All of us have seen everything unfold over the past two weeks in a fast forward motion to what appeared to be massive conference realignment and super conferences. Then, in a matter of 24 hours it all mysteriously crashed and burned and the Big 12-2 was suddenly going to reconcile and continue as a conference. How and why did this happen when as the dust is starting to settle we find out that there is only a promise of more money and no written TV contract in place?
2. If indeed you take a step back, quit thinking purely from an emotional point of view, gather all the information you can from what is being written and said, read between the lines and think logically through the entire situation there is only one thing that makes sense. There were political forces and power brokers at work much higher up the food chain and pay grade of not only the A&M leaders but those of tu and the rest of the conference members as well. There have been some articles that have already alluded to this possibility and it is the only thing that makes sense of what happened on late Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of this week.
3. The guess here is that the political, economic/financial, academic and whatever other consequences you can come up with of leaving the conference would have been severe at least to the Big 12 members from Texas.
4. If tu blinked (and they did) and then balked (and they did) as Chip Brown confirmed in his Organgebloods.com summary article, then it was because they feared the consequences of being perceived as the school that broke up the Big 12 and terminated the rivalry with A&M.
5. Thus, when tu balked and began to backtrack they threw the ball back into A&M’s court such that we then had to make a decision – stay and try to make the Big 12 work or go to the SEC and be blamed for the breakup of the Big 12 and be the one who terminated the rivalry with tu. If the decision had simply been about sports and what athletic conference we played in the decision would have been easy and any of us could have made it. But whether we want to admit it or not the decision involved far greater issues than just sports and thus the decision was incredibly difficult and not one any of us would have relished having to make.
B. The need to take a step back and reflect.
1. It is clear that for most of you the only thing that matters and what you are upset about is that you think and believe A&M blew a golden opportunity to go to the SEC (I had also gotten on the SEC bandwagon and was disappointed as well). In most of your posts up to now you have made it clear that you think the choice was obvious and it makes no sense why we didn’t go to the SEC.
2. One of the things all of us learn over time is that decisions like this are not as cut and dried as they might seem. In fact, sometimes the temptation to blindly go to so called greener pastures is just like an ox being led to the slaughter. As a result, all things have to be considered including the consequences and ramifications of the decision and not just the athletic benefits that appear to be there.
3. Further, the slaughter being referenced is not to our potential results on the athletic playing field in the SEC, but to the possibility that the political forces in Texas (or possibly even further up the chain) would become a slaughter house that would chop A&M into pieces for daring to leave everyone else behind. In other words, the consequences for A&M leaving for the SEC would have potentially had devastating consequences for our school that all of us love.
4. We should also not forget that our decisions and actions have consequences – they can be positive and they can be negative; they can also be known and they can also be unknown.
5. Until Sunday night our leaders had played our hand brilliantly – tu had taken the ball and run with it and was in the process of breaking up the Big 12 and possibly ending the rivalry with us, and it appeared we were on our way to the SEC. But as tu got cold feet on Sunday and begin to balk they received a gift from Dan Beebe in the form of assurances from ABC/ESPN and apparently a promise from FSN that gave tu a way out of the mess. Apparently, tu officials at that time indicated they would go back to the table if A&M would.
6. Think about it. If tu, tech and A&M had gone to the Pac 10 there should have been strength in numbers to possibly stave off any political attempt to punish those three schools. Even tu and Tech going to the Pac 10 and A&M to the SEC would have provided the apparent necessary numbers to rebuff any political consequences. But tu blinked and balked because they did not like the idea of A&M going to the SEC and they thought the ramifications and consequences of breaking up the Big 12 and terminating the rivalry with A&M would be significant because they would get the blame. Thus, if mighty tu felt the perceived negative consequences would be more than even they could handle, how much more significant would such ramifications and consequences have been for A&M if we had left on our own. tu, Tech along with Baylor and the rest of the schools in Texas would have been aligning themselves to seek what they would have all considered to be retribution.
7. And if indeed there were political forces and power brokers in play much further up the ladder as some have indicated, the uncertainties of the consequences are magnified and the potential risk goes up.
8. As a result of tu balking, the ball was now thrown back into A&M’s court not because tu played it well but because they received what you might call manna from heaven in the form of promised more revenue. But since this promise is from men, and man’s promises are not always kept, it remains to be seen whether this promise of more revenue ever materializes. Nevertheless, A&M was now put in the position of having to make a decision that would have consequences far beyond just that of the athletic program. Do not underestimate the fact that whatever decision was made by A&M would be full of uncertainties. If A&M chose to stay and keep the Big 12 together, would they receive the promised revenue and how long would the Big 12 last? If A&M chose the SEC, would they be perceived as the ones who broke up the Big 12 (they would be) and would there be significant negative consequences unrelated to athletics that would occur (a strong possibility) that would have a far greater negative impact on A&M than the prospective athletic benefits of going to the SEC?
9. If any of you are only looking at this from purely an athletic conference affiliation point of view, then you are encouraged to take a step back and look at the big picture. Consider every aspect of the potential consequences both positively and negatively on A&M. Consider the potential rewards, consider the potential risks and the uncertainties and determine whether the rewards outweighed the risks to A&M. As you attempt to do that many of you will realize that you do not have all the facts and all the information and even if you did, you will begin to realize the magnitude and challenge of making the appropriate decision.
10. When many of us look at that big picture all we see is full SEC football stadiums and great SEC football teams coming to an overflowing Kyle Field and we think that would be great. But if we fail to step back and look at the bigger picture we will miss the political hawks and power brokers circling in Austin (and possibly Washington and other places) who are just looking for someone to strike and kill as payback for took place.
C. Political consequences.
1. Some of you have scoffed at the potential political consequences by saying that the political clout is not there to hurt A&M and that the Aggies in positions of political power would never let that happen. Before we go any further, another thing all of us should remember is that we also learn over time to never say “never.” Most of us have seen things occur in our lifetimes that we could not have imagined would happen. If you are skeptical about this, then just look at what is going on in our country on a daily basis. And to put things in perspective what is happening in our country is of far greater concern than the conference where A&M plays its sports.
2. But getting back to the political forces in Texas having an impact on the conference realignment picture we need look no further than the fact that the legislative higher education committee scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, June 16th and then not so subtly warned everyone to not make any decisions about conference affiliations until after the meeting. The fact that the meeting was canceled is very telling.
3. Further the wounds of what happened 15 plus years ago when the Big 12 was formed have not healed and there is still simmering animosity towards those Big 12 members who left the others behind that is just waiting for a catalyst to explode everything into action. In a newspaper article appearing in the last week one Houston legislative member who supported the called higher education committee meeting said something about the unfairness of the University of Houston and the other schools being left out when the Big 12 was formed. Thus, people remember things for a long time and are reluctant to let real or perceived injustices go.
4. Some of you have contended that A&M’s share of the PUF is not touchable and won’t be reallocated. Just keep this in mind – if politics allocated it to tu and A&M in the first place, politics can take it away just as easily. For example, how many of you know that in the last election there was an Amendment to the Texas Constitution on the ballot that when analyzed by at some groups they came to the conclusion that the amendment potentially laid the groundwork for the PUF to someday be allocated at least in part to some other universities besides tu and A&M? By the way the amendment passed fairly easily.
5. Some may say that our share of the PUF is protected by law or the constitution. Others may say we have the political clout to keep something like that from happening. Let’s take a closer look at the reality of the situation if A&M had decided to go to the SEC after Texas, Texas Tech and the other schools decided not to go the Pac 10.
6. The guess here is that A&M’s decision to go to the SEC would have created a firestorm of controversy and the potential consequences could have been significant and devastating to A&M. In that situation A&M would have been perceived as the one who killed the Big 12 and left everyone behind. The political powers of tu, Tech and Baylor would have been united against us, and the political powers of UH, TCU and SMU would have also united as they would have seen an opportunity to get some satisfaction in seeing someone punished for what happened back in the 90’s. The coalition of all of those political forces would most likely be able to easily influence others to join them and A&M would become the scapegoat for everything that happened now and in the 1990’s.
7. Some of you would counter that Governor Rick Perry would not let any of this happen. First, Perry has to be governor when this issue would come up next spring and he is unfortunately facing a formidable challenge from Bill White. Second, if Perry vetoes any such action against A&M, there still might be enough votes to override the veto if in fact it takes a law to make such a thing happen. Third, if it takes a constitutional amendment (I will admit that I don’t know the exact state constitution amendment process), but assuming that the legislature can vote to put an amendment on the ballot (with or without governor approval) or by an override of a veto, then it goes to a vote of the people and history shows that a majority of the amendments pass with little or no opposition.
8. A few of you have wanted to blame Governor Perry but a couple of you who are in the know have made it clear he stayed out of the process. Even President Powers of tu (if you choose to believe him) said that Perry stayed out of the process. Further, with it being an election year and all the political forces being in play from the various schools it would have most likely been political suicide for him to weigh in and influence the process.
9. Some of you have also noted that when the legislative appropriations committees have said jump, every university including tu jumps to make sure they get what they need. If A&M had left and created resentment among the legislative members against us, then we would been taken to the cleaners when appropriations are allocated. A&M is not above getting screwed in the various legislative processes – remember Reed Arena in the 1990’s.
10. Further, if there are in fact political forces and power brokers at work in this process above the state level, then who knows what they might do and the uncertainties of the consequences increase dramatically.
11. The bottom line is that despite the fact that A&M has considerable political power there is no guarantee that it would be enough to prevent the potential negative consequences or ramifications of A&M being a lone wolf who left the pack. In that scenario it would not be surprising if the remaining pack members also turned and attacked the lone wolf.
D. A&M’s leadership.
1. Many of you have hammered A&M’s leadership saying they are clueless, incompetent, can never get anything right, they missed the opportunity of a lifetime to go the SEC, etc, etc.
2. First, remember that few if any of our leaders would be in the A&M leadership positions they are in if they had not been successful men and women in their own right in whatever businesses or professions in which they are involved. Put another way they weren’t born yesterday and we didn’t find them along the road after they fell off the lettuce truck. In most cases they own the lettuce trucks and a lot of other things, and they all generally have track records of making good, sound decisions.
3. Second, most of them would not be in A&M’s leadership if they were not also involved in politics; thus, most of them are politically savvy as well.
4. Third, few if any of us know all the facts of what was going on and what had to be considered in making the decision. And when you don’t know all the facts you cannot make an informed decision based upon good judgment. For most of us, all we knew was that the Big 12 was apparently breaking up and we had a chance to go the SEC, so our conclusion was let’s go and say goodbye to everybody else. If it were only that easy then it would be great, but it is doubtful if it was that simple of a case in this situation.
5. Fourth, all of us need to ask ourselves what we would have done if we had known all the facts. Many of you will immediately say I would have voted for the SEC, end of story. But what if making a decision to go to the SEC would have had devastating consequences for A&M politically, economically/financially, academically, research wise and so on? Further, what if those potential consequences could then affect you on the athletic field because you no longer have the other things in place that make you a great school? The guess here is that most of you would have made the same decision as our A&M leaders when faced with all the facts and potential consequences.
6. In addition, the guess here is that if our going to the SEC had had significant negative consequences, then the same people who blasted the A&M leadership for not making a decision to go to the SEC, would then turn around and blast them and demand answers for why they made the decision to go the SEC knowing that it would have significant negative ramifications for A&M.
7. Some of you are starting to come to the conclusion that the A&M leadership had no choice but to stay in the Big 12. Others have said they did have a choice, intimating that the choice was to go the SEC. It appears they did have a choice, but it also appears they made the only choice they could under the circumstances. Only time will tell but it is becoming clearer by the minute that the only choice they had without severe negative consequences to A&M at this time was to stay in the Big 12.
8. The mere fact that mighty tu blinked and then balked at being the one who would be blamed as the school who broke up the Big 12, terminated rivalries and damaged the other Texas schools should be enough to make all of us take a step back and take a closer look as to why the A&M leaders made the decision they did.
9. If there is anything that A&M’s leadership miscalculated it is the passion the A&M fans have expressed for going to the SEC once they realized it was definite possibility. Unfortunately, the guess here is that the political etc. negative consequences and ramifications of A&M going it alone would have been far greater than any of us would have been willing to risk if we were also in a position of making the decision.
E. The decision process.
1. One thing that everyone needs to keep in mind is that A&M’s leadership has consistently maintained from day one that their preference was to keep the Big 12 together as a conference. On more than one occasion we issued statements stating that position and preference. Thus, when the opportunity came to keep the Big 12 together we would have been seen as the hypocrite and the one who abandoned everyone else for our own benefit and to the detriment of the others if we had decided to go the SEC. And the blame would have all been placed on A&M.
2. As the process unfolded it appears that when A&M considered the alternatives if the Big 12 fell apart they begin to conclude that the Pac 10 was not the best option for us. To go to the Pac 10 with tu would have meant we would have continued to be considered their irrelevant tag along with no power or input. Further, as we have seen over the last several years the prestige and impact of the Pac 10 is diminishing and no one cares or stays up to see the end of the games and by the next day you barely remember to look at the scores to see what the outcomes were.
3. Fortunately, A&M had the option of going to the SEC and as the opportunity was evaluated it slowly but surely started becoming the best alternative for us if the Big 12 broke up and tu was the one leading the break up.
4. It also appears that A&M has nursed our potential relationship with the SEC with great care while making sure Mike Slive and the SEC understood the entire situation and the potential ramifications that could occur if the opportunity came about to keep the Big 12 together. Put another way we have not burned any bridges with the SEC and have laid the groundwork to move to the SEC if and when things fall apart with the Big 12.
5. On the other hand, tu has burned many bridges and thrown their power and weight around so much that their arrogance and pride may catch up with them sooner rather than later. There are also some articles already surfacing which do not present tu in a good light nor do they consider them the savior but rather the one who created this entire mess. Interestingly, even the top two columnists for the Austin paper have expressed subtle and indirect concern about tu continuing to exert their power and influence without regard to the others in the conference. It appears at least some know and realize that sooner or later such actions will turn around and bite them – in other words what goes around comes around.
6. As a result, it appears that A&M’s leaders have played this well and still have an ace in the hole to be pulled out at the appropriate time. Texas may pull out all the stops to keep us from playing it but if they do, it only presents another opportunity for us to level the playing field. If indeed the reports are true about the TV revenue then we have at least pulled A&M even with OU and within striking distance of tu.
7. Having said that, tu’s TV network will most likely give them a leg up but keep in mind that anyone in the Big 12 as well as anyone who goes to the SEC has the same opportunity to put together their own TV network. Thus, A&M will have to consider the viability of putting a TV network together whether we stay in the Big 12 or go to the SEC (apparently OU is already starting the process).
F. The media spin.
1. Many of you have expressed your concern about the media spin that tu would be hailed as the savior and that nothing but good things would be said about tu and that A&M would be looked upon with disdain.
2. Unfortunately, it is historically true that tu is viewed in a positive light and A&M is viewed in a negative light and there is not a lot A&M can do about it. And it appears the A&M leadership knows this as well. Anything A&M attempted to do to counteract what tu put out through their media voices would be perceived to be spin on our part and we would have been made to look like fools. Thus, it would have been a losing battle at least at this point in time.
3. The reality is that tu is the media darling and the perceived intellectual elite who can do no wrong in most people’s eyes. On the other hand, A&M is perceived to be the country bumpkin who has no clue as to what is going on in the world.
4. Simply put the media has decided tu is good and relevant and A&M is not so good and irrelevant.
5. Thus, rather than A&M trying to fight a losing battle in the media it appears our leadership has decided to let others do it for us and we are seeing some signs that this is happening.
6. For what it is worth, it is also encouraging to see that Chip Brown’s article on Orangebloods.com actually does a decent job of presenting the facts and demonstrating the fact that A&M did indeed cause tu to blink and then balk at going through with the Pac 10 plan.
7. It also appears that others are slowly coming to the realization of tu’s true character in this entire conference realignment process.
8. Like all good guys we can hope and pray that the truth will continue to come out.
G. The current movement to express your opinions to A&M’s leadership.
1. Several of you have tried to organize a movement to emphatically demonstrate your support of A&M going to the SEC.
2. There is no problem in expressing your opinion or in asking questions, but we must all understand that we must do it respectfully and realize that we may not get all the answers we want and think we deserve.
3. Remember in war it is not wise to present your battle plan to your enemy, nor is it wise to reveal all the details of the battle plan to the troops. As the saying goes loose lips sink ships.
4. Thus, I suggest that all of us slow down, quit reacting emotionally, look at all the facts and information available, read between the lines, understand the political forces at work and how they affect everything, think and analyze the situation using your mind and not just your emotional heart.
5. Keep in mind that the Big 12 is now on oxygen and most likely will be on life support in the not too distant future and the opportunity for conference realignment will present itself again. And while we wait for that opportunity it is imperative that our football program improve to a level that will further make us an attractive prize to a pursuing conference.
6. Understand also that the door on going to the SEC has not been completely closed. The timing may not have been right to make the move now, but the groundwork has been laid and A&M’s leaders now know the troops are ready for battle in the SEC.
7. Most likely A&M will not be the one who makes the first move for reasons already discussed. But when some Big 12 member bolts or tu’s pride, arrogance and greed causes them to seek greener pastures and/or their power grab finally puts the rest of the Big 12 members over the edge, the opportunity will be there.
H. Compliments to the messenger – Liucci, Gabe and others.
1. Billy many people have already expressed their gratitude to you, Gabe and the rest of the TexAgs.com people for all you have done to make this a great place to visit and keep up with what is going on in the A&M world.
2. Again, I personally want to thank you for your insight, your integrity, your honesty, your truthfulness and your cautiousness to only put forth information that is always on the mark. The accuracy rate of your information is incredibly high.
3. Virtually, everything that is coming out now we already knew. Virtually all of the information Chip Brown put in his Orangebloods.com article we already knew because you told us except for maybe the part about the Pac 10 Commission wanting to substitute Kansas for OSU.
4. The fact that you do not run with rumors but only publish verified information is greatly appreciated.
5. Thanks again to all of you for the great information and service you provide. Gig’em!
To save everyone time on who is “glagma” and how many posts he has, here is the information. “glagma” is Class of ’74, lives in Austin, created his account on 10/14/2003, and has 27 posts. If you look at any of those posts you will realize that virtually all of them are either blank or have “nm” in them. That is because my son started to post on TexAgs.com not realizing that he was signed on to my account. Thus, for all practical purposes this is my first post on TexAgs.com.