The Aggies want out. Hell, the Aggies ARE out… mostly. But now the A&M move to the SEC is being blocked by potential legal action. The theory being that the Aggies departure is the first domino that leads to a mass exodus – and some of the lower-profile schools will be left out in the cold. It’s not a bad theory at all. Schools like Iowa State and Kansas State were counting on the Aggies to keep to their word and honor the agreement they made with the rest of the Big 12. Millions of dollars and national relevance hang in the balance.
But the leader of this lawsuit crew… the school that is actually the fly in the ointment here… is Baylor. And while I DO think that the argument is valid… and I DO think that the Aggies are setting off a series of events that will cripple some of these schools, I am forced to address the Baylor Bears for some of the most incredible hypocrisy I’ve ever witnessed.
If you go to Baylor’s website today, there is a propaganda festival happening – one worthy of a political campaign. Baylor talks about how important football is to the fabric of the state of Texas. They invoke the Dallas Cowboys into this argument and tug at our heartstrings with talk of the Friday Night Lights of the high school game. Now, apparently, that Texas football tradition is being threatened. Directly from their site:
- Will Texans stand by and watch hundred-year-old rivalries be cast aside as the state's largest universities align themselves with other states across the country?
- Will Texans sit and watch as Texas' flagship universities pledge their loyalties to other states?
- Will Texans stand by as our most promising student athletes are lured out of Texas by new rivals?
- Will Texans watch as our most precious resources—the great minds of the next generation—are exported to new conference institutions?
In 1994 the Southwest Conference was in trouble. Arkansas had already left and there were only 8 teams remaining. The Big 8 was interested in merging with some of the bigger-name schools and, just like now, there were several schools that looked like they’d be left holding the bag. Baylor lobbied. They fought, clawed, and schemed. When the dust settled, the Bears had won. They were going with Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M to a new conference. So who got stuck with the short end of the stick? TCU. Houston. SMU. Rice. 4 TEXAS SCHOOLS!
Look again at their 4 big points from the website:
1) Baylor stood by and watched rivalries be cast aside. Texas and TCU started playing in 1897 and have faced off 82 times. Baylor didn’t care.
2) Baylor sat and watched as Texas’ flagship universities pledged their loyalties to other states. The Longhorns and Aggies went from playing 7 conference games a year versus in-state teams to 3. Waco wasn’t indignant.
3) Baylor stood by as our most promising student athletes were lured out of Texas. You think Blaine Gabbert goes to Missouri if they’re not affiliated with the Texas schools? Baylor was just happy that they were going.
4) You get the idea. Baylor watched. Baylor PARTICIPATED.
If Baylor cared about the fabric of our state, they wouldn’t have stabbed four Texas universities in the back 17 years ago. Hey, Texas did it, too. I’m not saying we were better. I’m saying we aren’t using revisionist history here.
I understand. I do. Baylor is desperate. The way this thing appears to be headed, a private school without a big media market is in a lot of trouble. They signed a deal with the rest of the Big 12 just last year and the bait and switch the Aggies are pulling is really going to stick it to some of these lower-profile teams. But my friends in green and gold have GOT to change their argument.
Because the Aggies aren’t doing anything to Baylor that Baylor didn’t do to SMU… and Houston… and TCU… and Rice.
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