If the Aggies' recent loss to our longtime, burnt-orange rival from Austin wasn't painful enough, a clipping from the Sentinel's Nov. 29 edition showed someone was pretty darn happy with the game's outcome.
The clipping was the top part of the sports page that shows the seven members of our weekly football picks panel.
There were checks above the five of us who chose A&M over Texas in our picks of 11 high school, college and NFL games.
That would be John Hoffman, Jessica Russell, Simon DeSoto, me and Mike Ferdinand.
Wisely, Dr. Dane Simons and Police Chief Christella Rodriguez chose the Horns to win, which they did by a 17-7 score.
Over the check marks was the predictable Hook 'Em, "Even the 12 Man couldn't help them", "Tee Hee Tee Hee" and "such Aggie loosers" (they're spelling, not mine).
The clipping was enclosed in a letter addressed to the Sentinel, with the newspaper's return address.
Clever that.
What I find a little unusual, that as an Aggie, I've found overjoyous victory exhortations were com-
monly maroon and white in nature.
Like the time I raced across the street from the newspaper building to the courthouse sidewalk as a young reporter to kid the UT-educated district judge the day after A&M beat Texas 27-3 in 1976.
It also was the day after Thanksgiving – back then those games were always on that holiday.
I should note that I was 26 and the judge was a good friend.
The win was the Aggies' first at then-Memorial Stadium since 1956.
The 10-2 Aggies that year were powered by Van Vleck's George Woodard (1,153 yards) and Curtis Dickey (726 yards).
Bay City's Mark Dinnard was a member of that team.
So, yea, the newspaper clipping was a little over the top, but in another time, I would have recognized the sentiment.
...
As y'all already know, I broke my arm covering the Blackcats several days back.
So I will be accompanying and directing MaLinda's efforts as a Sentinel sports photographer when she covers Tidehaven's semifinal playoff game with Woodville Thursday night at New Caney.
Yea, I'll be suggesting how to shoot the game and what angles to shoot from.
The real trick might be finding a ride back home.
