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While discussing upgrades to Kyle Field and Olsen Field, Aggie Athletic Director Bill Byrne let loose one of my favorite quotes of the year:

Byrne also addressed the Aggies’ move last year from Nike to adidas as the department’s apparel provider.

He said he met with a Nike representative and requested the same deal as A&M’s chief rival, Texas.

Byrne said he was offended when the rep told him, “You’re not as good as they are and you’re probably never going to be.” That statement made Byrne’s decision to switch to adidas even easier, he said, in addition to what was a more lucrative deal.

That’s right, the Nike representative put Texas A&M in their place right to their AD’s face. You will be seeing that quote in Texas fans’ signatures on forums for the next year. I’m not sure why Byrne would ever actually admit that Nike said that, all it does it brings up that a major national company thinks you’re somebody’s little brother.

As pretty much everyone, other than Aggies themselves, knows the Longhorns are a class above the Aggies. On the field and in sporting goods stores Texas outperforms Texas A&M year after year. Because of their consistent top tier performance, the Longhorns are on national television many more times per year in both football and basketball. In recent years the university has led the nation in licensing revenue and set a royalty records after the 2005 national championship season.

Bill Byrne is perfect there, only an Aggie would expect to get the same deal and be proud when it didn’t happen.

High school sophomore Chris Martin is one of the top prospects for 2010 out of California. He’s already got offers from top programs such as Cal, Colorado, and Stanford and is being recruited by all the national powers. He doesn’t have a favorite in the recruiting process yet, but he sure knows where he doesn’t want to go to school…

Education is another factor weighing heavily on Martin’s opinion of colleges.

“Academic prestige is the first thing I’m looking for in a school,” said Martin. “I’m not sure on a major, but I think I’d like to go into marketing.

“I do know I wouldn’t pick a school like Texas A&M because I want to go somewhere that has had a line of successful people who have majored in the field I’m interested in.”

Apparently Martin just isn’t interested in Ag Leadership as a career.

I’m not sure where that quote came from or why a kid from California even brings up the Aggies, but it sure is funny. I guess it’s a step in the right direction for A&M though that a national recruit has actually heard of the school. I guess that 35 point loss to Cal in the Holiday Bowl paid off after all.

Maybe the Longhorns should start recruiting Martin, he’s mine kind of kid.

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This was too entertaining not to post:

At first I was sympathetic to Aggie fans, it would be tough to lose a game that way. Then they started acting like Aggies and threatening a lawsuit over the non-call. Seriously. It didn’t take long to remember there is never a good reason to take pity on them. Now I laugh and laugh and laugh at their despair. (via)

A great day of basketball yesterday with some fantastic finishes and upsets. I would have loved to have been in Tampa yesterday to watch all those top seeds go down in dramatic fashion. Now on to round two of the tourney, where it’s less about the underdog and more about watching good basketball. Only one match-up today really jumps out of me but it should still be a good day to sit on the couch and be a college basketball fan.

Here’s what to watch on the first day of round two:

(11) Kansas State vs (3) Wisconsin - 3:20pm
Michael Beasley led K-State past fellow phenom OJ Mayo but the Badgers are a lot tougher inside than USC. Prediction: Wisconsin

(6) Marquette vs (3) Stanford - 5:45pm
Winner takes on Texas/Miami winner in Houston. Stanford is a tough team and the Lopez twins (both with girl names, Brook and Robin) and might be a tough match-up for the Horns so root for the Golden Eagles. Prediction: Stanford

(5) Michigan State vs (4) Pittsburgh - 8:10pm
The game today that I’m most interested in, but since it’s head-to-head with the Aggie game we won’t get to watch it. A couple of really good teams that have both been playing well. Prediction: Michigan State

(9) Texas A&M vs (1) UCLA - 8:15pm
The Aggies played well against BYU but tonight’s game against UCLA should be a whole different level. Can they keep it close and be around at the end with a chance of an upset? Probably not. Prediction: UCLA

Related Links

• Bevo Sports day two preview
• Bevo Sports day one preview
• ESPN scoreboard
• Printable bracket (PDF)
• My Tourney Challenge bracket

This weekend is one of the best times of year to be a sports fan. Wall-to-wall college basketball on television and everybody has a little something extra riding on the games. March Madness finally begins today.

Here are some of day one’s most interesting games:

(3) Xavier vs (14) Georgia - 11:20am
Can the Bulldogs keep any of that SEC Tourney magic going or are they worn out? A lot of people have Xavier going pretty far and I think they win this one easily. Prediction: Xavier

(11) Kentucky vs (6) Marquette - 1:30pm
Billy Clyde Gillispie’s Wildcats started off the season terribly and I thought he might not survive his first season in Lexington. They went on a late conference run and I think it continues today with the upset. Prediction: Kentucky

(11) Baylor vs (6) Purdue - 1:50pm
One of the games I’m most interested in today. Scott Drew has brought Baylor lightyears from where they were a few years ago, can they get a first round victory? I think so. Prediction: Baylor

(11) Kansas State vs (6) USC - 6:10pm
Probably the premier national game of the day pitting two of the country’s top youngsters. Will Kansas State’s Michael Beasley or USC’s OJ Mayo prevail in this match-up of this year’s top five NBA draft picks? Prediction: Kansas State

(9) Texas A&M vs (8) BYU - 6:25pm
Farmers versus Mormons… fight! The Aggies will go as far as giant freshman DeAndre Jordan will take them. He’s not the best player on their team, but he’s the most important. Prediction: BYU

Related Links

• ESPN scoreboard
• Printable bracket (PDF)
• My Tourney Challenge bracket

1. Oklahoma

   
   

   I’m not 100% behind Sam Bradford as a top quarterback but he’s definitely good enough to lead this team. They lost several good players early to the NFL Draft, but they’ve got talent and running back DeMarco Murray is a stud.

2. Texas

   
   

   Too many question marks to be ranked any higher this early, but early practice reports from this spring are encouraging. If the Horns’ secondary and linebackers improve and flourish under coach Will Muschamp they’ll be my conference favorite.

3. Texas Tech

   
   

   I struggled deciding between Tech and Missouri, but I ended up placing the Red Raiders third thanks to a slightly better defense and a love for pirates and Michael Crabtree.

4. Missouri

   
   

   I don’t trust Gary Pinkel, I think he lucked into last year’s success and was tempted to put the Tigers much lower. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin could be poised for a huge season, but their defense leaves a lot to be desired.

5. Nebraska

   
   

   I think the Cornhusker players will play with a new enthusiasm after being rescued from Bill Callahan’s regime. Marlon Lucky is a very talented running back and coach Bo Pelini’s return should immediately improve the defense.

6. Colorado

   
   

   This is a team I’m really not sure about. They could go either way, either compete for the Big 12 North or completely suck. They lost a couple of good linebackers but if QB Cody Hawkins makes plays and Darrell Scott is as advertised they could compete.

7. Texas A&M

   
   

   I think this is a transition year for the Aggies and new head coach Mike Sherman. I think he’s a step up from Fran but I’m not sure he’s the longterm solution. The defense should be improved under new coordinator Joe Kines, but losing Yemi Babalola off the offensive line hurts bad.

8. Kansas State

   
   

   I like quarterback Josh Freeman a lot but the two other guys that killed the Horns the last two years (particularly Jordy Nelson) are gone. Ian Campbell is a beast on defense.

9. Kansas

   
   

   Welcome back to reality Kansas fans, though I still think the Fightin’ Manginos are headed in the right direction. They don’t have the same season they did in 2007 but they’re going to be a contender in the Big 12 North again soon if Mangino stays.

10. Iowa State

    
    

    Other than a win over rival Iowa last season the Cyclones and former Texas coach Gene Chizik had a rough 2007. Chizik reportedly has things headed in the right direction and two conference wins late last year might be an indication of that.

11. Oklahoma State

    
    

    The only coach in the Big 12 I think less of than Mizzou’s Pinkel is the Cowboys’ Mike Gundy. They’ve had more talent in previous years and not done much with it, this is a down year and they’ll finish near the bottom and Gundy won’t be back in 2009.

12. Baylor

    
    

    I think bringing in Art Briles was a genius move by Baylor. It is going to take a couple years for him implement his scheme and bring in his type of players, but he’s got a chance to turn the Bears into a Texas Tech caliber team. They’ll suck this year.

Texas-Texas A&M game returns to traditional Thanksgiving night date. The game will now be on ESPN, I’m not sure if this means more viewers or not but I love the going back to tradition.

The next big video game in College Station? iSheep, the bleeding edge in simulated shepherding technology.

CFN takes another look back at 2007 season in the Big 12. Nice capsules on all the teams.

A&M hires old, crazy, good defensive coordinator Joe Kines. Excellent hire by the Aggies.

UT, Texas A&M close to moving game to Thanksgiving? Night game on Turkey Day would be incredible. Great idea, hope it happens.

A&M tight end Martellus Bennett to declare for NFL draft. Not great production but draft is all about potential.

Aggie yell leaders again embarrass state of Texas: Paterno On His Deathbed. WTF was any of that? A skit? Sad and unfunny.

Dennis Franchione is Texas Monthly’s Bum Steer of the Year. Quite the honor for the former Aggie coach.

Two Texas A&M football players have been arrested for an alleged armed robbery in College Station on November 29th. Less than a week after their upset of the Longhorns, offensive lineman Yemi Babalola and defensive end Brandon Joiner (allegedly) decided it would be a good idea to break into an apartment, wave a gun around, and (allegedly) steal pot from a drug dealer. Seriously.

From the DMN…

According to a College Station police report, officers responded to an armed robbery call at the Callaway Villas Apartments. A resident said two black men entered the apartment and struck the person who opened the door.

A second resident ran upstairs and escaped through a window. The first resident and a friend were bound with tape while one of the assailants pointed a semi-automatic handgun in their faces.

Babalola was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana. Joiner’s charges include marijuana possession, possession of Ecstasy, and possession of hydrocodone. (Purple drank?)

No, this isn’t a case of the pot calling the kettle black. This is a case of the kettle calling the pot black because the pot wouldn’t shut up the last time the kettle had some guys arrested.

This is not a UT or Texas A&M problem, this is a problem in programs across the country. I’m not sure what’s causing young men to give up very promising futures, but this arrest and the Andre Jones/Robert Joseph/James Henry garbage definitely appear directly tied to drugs. Babalola had actually become a very solid player the last two seasons and was likely just a year away from being a mid-round NFL draft pick and a very rich young man.

These kids are giving it all away to get high.

A&M approves $4.4 million buyout of Franchione. Wow. Wish I could get millions for sucking at my job.

The Aggies aren’t officially in need of a head coach yet but that hasn’t stopped the crazy train for getting going full steam ahead. Coaching candidates from across the country including Tommy Tuberville, Mike Sherman, and Paul Bear Bryant have all reportedly begged to have the job and silently accepted the position.

The latest hot name is the one and only Steve Spurrier, but Aggie fans aren’t sure he’s good enough for them. Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel probably spit coffee all over his keyboard when he read this email from Aggie Matt from Corpus:

I am sure you are tired of hearing questions about the Texas A&M coaching situation, but I heard Steve Spurrier mentioned as a possible candidate. Do you think the Aggies will actually consider him, and if so, how do you think he would compete against Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech in recruiting?
–Matt, Corpus Christi, Texas

Mandel’s response is a classic:

At some point, I’d like to take a visit to whatever planet it is Aggies fans come from. Would A&M “consider” Spurrier? Sure. They’ve already set their sights on Tommy Tuberville, and Dennis Erickson is apparently on their “Plan B” list. Why not throw Spurrier into the mix as long as we’re playing Monopoly?

Now, will Spurrier “consider” the Aggies? Sure… for about as long as it takes to read this sentence.

The guy specifically chose South Carolina because at this point in his career, he wanted a low-pressure environment where the expectations are manageable. Texas A&M — where they expect the coach to compete at the same level as Texas, despite an all-time record of 35-73-5 against the ‘Horns — does not fit that description.

Nice to see we’re not the only ones who can have a good chuckle at the Aggies’ expense. They may not be from another planet but they sure can drink the Kool-Aid in College Station. I love the note about their expectations and hopes to be as good as Texas, and of course pointing out their horrid all-time record against the Horns.

Hilarious.

Aerial assaults on the rise in Big 12, at least in part thanks to the awful pass defenses of the Longhorns and Aggies.

Video: Yahoo sports previews Texas at Texas A&M. Both Terry Bowden and other guest beleive Horns win by at least 14.

Maturation has been a key for Texas during 5-game winning streak. Plus other notes for Texas-Texas A&M game.

There’s a bit of confusion over the issue but it appears that Texas will win the Big 12 South if Oklahoma falls to in-state rival Oklahoma State this Saturday. Even if the Longhorns lose to the Aggies on T+1 the three-way tiebreaker rules in the Big 12 seem to indicate that Texas would represent the south if the Horns, Sooners, and Cowboys all end conference play with identical records. Or at least that’s one interpretation.

Here’s the confusing explanation from the Statesman:

1. The records of the three teams will be compared against each other. (If Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are tied with 5-3 records, this tiebreaker would not decide things. The teams would all be 1-1 against each other.)

2. The records of the three teams will be compared within their division. (Again, no decision here. All three would be 3-2 in the division.)

3. The records of the three teams will be compared against the next highest placed teams in their division in order of finish — 4, 5 and 6. (Now it gets confusing, because at this point Texas Tech and Texas A&M would be tied for fourth in the South with 4-4 records. Big 12 officials say that they won’t implement a tiebreaker at this point to decide who’s fourth (if they did, Tech would be considered fourth, and Oklahoma ultimately would be eliminated from the championship game mix). Instead, that fourth-place tie would mean that this criteria wouldn’t settle anything.)

4. The records of the three teams will be compared against all common conference opponents. (Again, this doesn’t settle anything.)

5. The highest ranked team in the first Bowl Championship Series Poll following the completion of Big 12 regular-season (intra-) conference play shall be the representative. (This, then, should settle it, but it’s up to the human voters and the BCS computers, which will produce new standings when all the dust has settled next Sunday.)

6. The team with the best overall winning percentage shall be the representative.

7. The representative will be chosen by draw.

Every explanation I’ve seen other than this one has Texas winning the thing because of the 4th tiebreaker. I’m not sure why you would ignore the other tiebreakers when calculating this one. If there’s a tie for fourth place it seems to be common sense that you would break that one before figuring out who wins the division. If that tiebreaker doesn’t fall Texas’ way I think OU wins the thing because they likely have the highest BCS ranking if both teams lose.

Of course all this is a moot point if the Longhorns win against the Aggies on Friday. With a win the only possible outcomes would be a two-way tie which favors the Sooners or with an OU loss Texas would win the South outright. The Horns need to take care of business on the field and let us dorks figure the rest of this out.

UT women’s soccer advances to NCAA third round with win over Texas A&M. Three second half goals to move past the 2nd seeded Aggies.

Jamaal Charles won’t tolerate a let down against Aggies. If JC can keep running like he has been Horns will be fine.

Longhorns are 9-2 heading into matchup with Aggies. If Jamaal Charles outrushes Stephen McGee Texas will win big.

I’ll be surprised if Bill Callahan survives the weekend after Nebraska’s blowout loss to A&M. I knew Nebraska was terrible but didn’t expect A&M to score almost 40.