Snow On The Bonfire Memorial At Texas A&M

My nephew took this photo of the Texas A&M Bonfire Memorial. You don't often see snow in College Station.



Thanks To Lance

Panaramic View Of Kyle Field - November 26, 2009

Great panaramoic view at Kyle Field from the Texas game on Thanksgiving night. Click the picture to see it full size.

Bonfire Remembrance

Ring Of Fire: Aggie Bonfire

I love Texas A&M. My time there was some of the most enjoyable years of my life. I really love the traditions that are part of the core of being an Aggie. Things like saying 'Howdy' when you pass someone, taking your hat off when in the Memorial Student Center (MSC), yell practice, Silver Taps, etc. (see list here: Aggie Traditions).

One of my favorite traditions was bonfire. There was no way I could explain it to friends and family, but there was something incredible about working on that stack of logs. I really wish my nephews were able to experience bonfire at Texas A&M.

The November, 2009 edition of Texas Monthly has an article on this revered tradition. It uses the words of those that worked on Bonfire to capture some of the magic of building bonfire, but it also captures the tragedy of what happened on November 18, 1999. I could have quoted 90% entire text here, but it would be easier for you to just read the article.

"Five thousand logs, cut by hand. Five thousand logs! The center pole alone was a hundred feet tall. When you stood on top of stack, it felt like you were on top of the world. We lit it around Thanksgiving, and when we got back from Christmas break, it was still smoldering."

"Most people just came to see it burn. But the way my buddies and I looked at it, burning it was the least important part. We didn’t build it to burn it; we burned it to get it out of the way, so we could do it again."

"Suddenly, in some unforeseeable twist of fate, my life changed, and the life of every Aggie who came before and after me changed. Texas A&M changed."

"Twenty-seven students were injured in the collapse. Forty-two hours after the accident, Tim Kerlee, who was seventeen years old, became the twelfth, and last, student to die. The number resonated with the Aggie community because of the long-standing Twelfth Man tradition, which began with E. King Gill, a student who suited up and stood ready to help his team during a hard-fought football game in 1922. Ever since then Aggies have stood for the duration of their football games to show their willingness to support the eleven players on the field."

Click on the image above to read the article.

Thanks to Rob Adams for making me aware of the article.

Aggie Yell Practice At Texas Rangers Ballpark In Arlington

The north lawn at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington will be the site of the All Aggie Hullabaloo as well as yell practice Friday night. There will be a concert by Max Stallings and Roger Creager from 8 until 11. Tickets for the concert are $10 for adults and $5 for children. At 11:15, the gates will open for yell practice, which lasts from midnight until 12:30 a.m. All parking for both events is free. Gig 'Em.

A Gullible Stephen McGee

The NFL Network had a microphone on Tony Romo during their opening game against Tampa Bay. It is interesting to hear his interaction with the other players and coaches through the game. Unfortunately it also reveals that Aggie Stephen McGee is a little gullible. I enjoyed the entire video, but if you only want to hear Romo put one over on McGee skip over to the 4:40 mark.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-films-sound-efx/09000d5d812ac38e/Sound-FX-Romo-mic-d-up

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing

'The Twelfth Man' Song

I had heard it before but had forgotten that my niece-in-law Abby's great-grandmother wrote the song 'The Twelfth Man'. The Texas A&M school newspaper published an article about her today. Click on the picture above to read the story.

Texas Aggies down in Aggieland
We've got Aggie Spirit to a man
Stand united - that's the Aggie theme
We're the Twelfth Man on the team
When we're down the going's rough and tough
We just grin and yell, "We've got the stuff!"
To fight together for the Aggie dream
We're the Twelfth Man on that fighting Aggie team

Thanks To Abby For Sharing The Article