Monday, May 27, 2024

Joseph Goodman: Awkward but endearing, Texas A&M wants what it hasn’t earned


Texas A&M is such a buzzkill.

Jimbo Fisher talked a lot trash about Nick Saban in that news convention over the summer season, and Texas A&M is all the time giving followers within the SEC extra junk to chew than the wall of beef jerky at Buc-ee’s, and now the sport towards Alabama is lastly right here and Fisher’s staff appears to be like about as awkward as a Fightin’ Aggie Yell Leader on a primary date.

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“What are you doing with your leg, Kipp?”

“Ol’ Rock calls it a knee pop.”

“And what’s with the overalls?”

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“They’re like PANTS.”

[Knee pop.]

“For our RANTS.”

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[Knee pop.]

“While we PRANCE.”

[Knee pop.]

“But we got no CHANCE.”

[Shoots hand pistol.]

Don’t get me mistaken. It’s a beautiful custom, Midnight Yell Practice. Some folks name the Yell Leaders a little bit too cultish, but I like to think about them as Jimbo’s Jedi knights of the SEC. Endearing. Brave. Mistreated. The Starkville Space Pirate is all the time robbing them of glory, but they did assist blow up Darth Saban’s Death Star a time or two.

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Saturday’s sport is at 7 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and a lot has occurred since Texas A&M upset Alabama in 2021. It obtained ugly within the offseason, and little question there may be unhealthy blood between the coaches, but right here’s my query, are Alabama and Texas A&M now rivals? Isn’t that the subtext of this weekend? I do know that’s what Texas A&M desperately wants, but it’s going to take greater than phrases.

Over the summer season, Fisher known as a news convention to name Saban despicable after Saban publicly accused Texas A&M of dishonest. As SEC sideshow shenanigans go, it was probably the most memorable days for the league. Just like final season, although, Texas A&M goes into this weekend’s sport unranked and Alabama is the No.1 staff within the AP Poll.

Alabama remains to be the Empire, in different phrases, and, in the long run, aren’t Jimbo’s Jedi knights simply annoying monks who costume in humorous garments, dance round and consider in magic? One unlikely victory and mysterious forces of power on the dusty recruiting path isn’t sufficient to measure as much as the Crimson Tide.

Or even LSU.

Here’s the distinction between Texas A&M and Alabama, and it’s by quite a lot of levels. Texas A&M fled the Big 12 for the SEC as a result of the Aggies had been sick of being taken benefit of by the rival Texas Longhorns. The University of Texas is bailing on the Big 12 for the SEC to be in the identical convention as Alabama.

If Texas A&M and Alabama are the most recent rivals within the SEC, then that may go down as the only best accomplishment of Fightin Aggie Texas A&M soccer since it joined the league.

After this newest loss in Starkville, Texas A&M is now 2-5 towards Mississippi State during the last seven years.

Fisher is 5-5 in his final 10 video games towards SEC opponents. That shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody, although. Historically, Texas A&M is actually good at being loud on Friday night time after which common on Saturday.

People are beginning to query Fisher’s skill to construct a constant winner at Texas A&M, but in actuality he’s an excellent recruiter and a great soccer coach. Does he cheat? Saban put that out on the earth this summer season. Anyone who could make Saban that indignant is doing one thing proper.

Saban wore a Master’s polo to his Monday news convention. This being Texas A&M week for Alabama, the coincidence jogged my memory of Saban’s well-known one-liner about Fisher.

That’s not how this entire rivalry between Saban and Fisher began, but a joke about golf is the place the row obtained a little bit mouthy.

Fisher instructed some Texas A&M boosters again within the spring of 2021 that the Aggies had been going to kick Saban’s butt at Kyle Field. A pair days later, Saban was requested about Fisher’s bravado and Alabama’s coach went straight for the throat. What did Alabama’s coach consider Fisher’s prediction?

Certainly Ol’ Rock the Good Ag didn’t imply soccer.

“In GOLF?” Saban stated.

[Knee pop.]

We all know what occurred after that.

Unranked Texas A&M, which started the 2021 season 0-2 within the SEC, upset No.1-ranked Alabama 41-38. Texas A&M then landed the No.1-ranked recruiting class, and Saban accused the Aggies of shopping for gamers. Fisher known as his notorious news convention the subsequent morning in response to the accusation and proceeded to name Saban a narcissist and, in so many colourful phrases, steered Alabama’s coach had loads of grime beneath his fingernails.

The grime washes away. Insults fade. Yelling is enjoyable for the followers, but doesn’t change a factor.

To rival Alabama takes mastering the one custom that issues within the SEC, profitable.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and writer of “We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Saban’s ‘ultimate team’”. You can discover him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.





story by The Texas Tribune Source link

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