Story Poster
Photo by Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs
Texas A&M Football

The Veil of Arrogance: Who is DeLoss Dodds really fooling?

November 23, 2011
38,551

The barnstorming Cover Your Own Arse tour of DeLies Dodds, the self-important leader of all things Longhorn, has built to a crescendo this week.

Dodds has hit the media circuit, trying to explain what’s good for us. Amid growing discontent for his pivotal role in the purported end to the Lone Star Showdown, Dodds’ words have massively contradicted his deeds.

It’s been a futile, almost laughable attempt to deflect the obvious. The only person Dodds fools anymore is himself.

From infamously uttering, “We are the Joneses,” and long-ago setting the template that destroyed the Big 12 as we all once knew it, Dodds suddenly has found humility.

He told the Columbia Missourian, “Does somebody think we’re being a bully? Well, that’s up to them to think we’re a bully. We want to keep the conference together. We want equal sharing.”

After nearly brokering a deal to depart the Big 12 for the Pac-12, which led directly to the Aggies finding greener pastures and safer grounds in the Southeastern Conference, Dodds now acts as if he was the savior.

After nearly brokering a deal to depart the Big 12 for the Pac-12, which led directly to the Aggies finding greener pastures and safer grounds in the Southeastern Conference, Dodds now acts as if he was the savior. {"Module":"quote","Alignment":"right","Quote":"After nearly brokering a deal to depart the Big 12 for the Pac-12, which led directly to the Aggies finding greener pastures and safer grounds in the Southeastern Conference, Dodds now acts as if he was the savior.","Author":""}
He says, “We ended up in the right place in the Big 12 and that’s where we wanted to be from the beginning … Since the beginning it’s been the place for us.”

After pitching a fit and ditching an in-state rivalry game that is much an institution as the Universities themselves, Dodds now tells the Houston Chronicle, “We didn’t put ourselves in this position, so what we are going to do is make good decisions for Texas.”

On and on DeLies go.

Pressure and uneasiness mounts around Dodds as the face and forceful executioner of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry. Yet he continues to put up walls that inevitably will crumble around him.

Dodds has at once attempted to come off as ... a martyr: “Since the beginning, (the Big 12) has been the place for us. It’s good for our kids. We made the decision for our kids.”

A victim: “We did not put ourselves in this position ... It’s a rivalry we will miss. We are absolutely disappointed that it cannot continue.”

A spin-doctor: “We picked up a good West Virginia and a good TCU.”

A philanthropist: “We want equal sharing. We want our own network for our kids. We’ll give half of it to the university.”

The more DeLies talks, the more it becomes apparent the very thing that led to the breakup of one of the game’s greatest rivalries is ultimately what will bring it back.

Pride. Dodds certainly has proved to be a tinkerer in various Seven Deadly Sins, but he undoubtedly is the master of one.

It was pride that led to so much of Dodds’ once-respected reputation spiraling into oblivion, to the point that now Longhorns fans, administrators, coaches, even legislators and political figures pressure Dodds and Texas to renew the state’s most storied rivalry.

Dodds dared other institutions to do as he wanted, or else leave. And they did.

Andrew Kilzer, TexAgs One man's arrogance will make this sight a thing of the past ... but not forever. {"Module":"photo","Alignment":"right","Size":"large","Caption":"One man\u0027s arrogance will make this sight a thing of the past ... but not forever.","MediaItemID":3267}
He challenged the Aggies to stay in the Big 12 fold or risk being ostracized and scratched from schedules on the playing fields. And they called his bluff.

He figuratively shouted from the top of the Burnt Orange Tower with all his might, for all the world to hear, that he’s DeLoss Dodds and he knows better.

But ... he doesn’t.

Reminisce and wax poetic all you want, but Thursday night’s showdown at Kyle Field will mark the end of an era, not a rivalry.

For all the squawking about the series ending, Dodds has too much pride and not enough power to hold back the tide of emotion and political weight that simply will not let this series die.

Dodds has been a great athletic director for the University of Texas in many ways, leading unprecedented growth, construction and success financially and otherwise.

But he knows, if this is it — the final game — Dodds forever will be known as the man who killed the Texas-Texas A&M football rivalry.

By now, that fact surrounds him. His aggressive, defiant public stance in recent weeks indicates Dodds already understands his legacy has plummeted. His mission now is salvaging neither a conference nor a football game, but his own reputation.

When the final gun sounds and the lights go off at Kyle Field on Thursday night, the pressure to set aside petty egotistical games only will grow. A series will be renewed — with or without Dodds’ approval and probably sooner than the mythical standard of 2018 he set.

In the dark on Thursday night, Dodds finally will realize something everyone else already knew: The burning desire was there long before him and will be long after; this game is bigger, even, than his ego.
Discussion from...

The Veil of Arrogance: Who is DeLoss Dodds really fooling?

33,544 Views | 67 Replies | Last: 12 yr ago by Comeandgetit
John P. Lopez
How long do you want to ignore this user?
The Veil of Arrogance: Who is DeLoss Dodds really fooling?
byfLuger41
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Dcs1982
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Very well done. But do you really think objective fans and media arent buying what he's spewing? I know Ags don't but I'm curious about the general public/objective fan. Did we REALLY win this or war?
SABUILDERAG
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Obadiah 1:3-4 - The arrogance of your heart has deceived you who live in the clefts of the rock, in the loftiness of your dwelling place, who say in your heart, "who will bring me down to earth?. Though you build high like the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down", declares the Lord.
Waffledynamics
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Excellent.
JaxDad
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I think Nebraska and Colorado leaving first and the well known intentions of the horns wanting to go to the pac 10 last year really destroy any credibility of dodds. Missouri leaving is icing on the cake.
Gradin
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
good read
Menartx
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG


dathebeachguy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You knocked that one out of the park.

My question is what is the tipping point to get Dodds to come to the table? Who (Powers, donor, tu board member, politico?) looks Dodds in the eye and tells him stop yapping and just schedule a game with A&M?







Z Team
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Why is it so hard for reporters to not connect the dots. They can't schedule us til 2018 for football, so we won't play them in any sport until then. The proof of the dishonesty is tu's position on all sports.

The other sports are saying the truth about their position. We are trying to stick it to you in the state of Texas.
that poster
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Strong medicine! What college is Lopez from?
AmusedHorn
How long do you want to ignore this user?
My question is what is the tipping point to get Dodds to come to the table? Who (Powers, donor, tu board member, politico?) looks Dodds in the eye and tells him stop yapping and just schedule a game with A&M?

good question. The problem is that from what I have heard, Dodds enjoys a lot of respect among the big donor alumni and many of them, while privately wanting the series to continue are willing to defer to Dodd's judgement. So IMHO, it will take 2 or more big donors to take on Deloss, and all the others will join. That first donor is key!

Secondly, the other problem is that most Texas fans are ambivalent about the game, so student pressure is not as great as one would have hoped.

I mean, I am in the minority, when I say that I am upset that the rivalry might go on hiatus for a few years, but even for me while it is upsetting, I am not entirely broken up about it, I just see it as one of those inevitable sacrifices to the pursuit of the almighty $. Really more of an indication of our society I guess, than anything else.
NormanAg
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
I am not entirely broken up about it..


Neither are a lot of ags. And I'm gonna take a guess that a whole lot of tu big money donors are NOT happy about Dodds' BS with the Big 12 and the A&M game in particular.

[This message has been edited by NormanAg (edited 11/23/2011 9:02p).]
AgDotCom
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Dodds is delusional at best and borderline insane at worst.

Everyone sees through his transparent veneer. He thinks the entire state of Texas is stupid.

He will probably be fired or forced out within the next 24 months, with the smart money on a much shorter time frame.
rab79
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Hmmm... Is Red McCoombs a big enough name to put sufficient pressure on dodds to change his position?
Batzarro
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Good read. Delies needs to gtfo
geoag58
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Extremely prideful nature...preserving legacy at the expense of what is the right thing to do.... didn't those same traits cause the fall of another sports legend recently.

[This message has been edited by geoag58 (edited 11/24/2011 1:17a).]
Boozin B 77
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Excellent read
Lateralus Ag
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Thanks for the post. I REALLY believe that a lot of sips, big money and otherwise, are supporting Dodds on this. I think the arrogance of taking your ball and going home runs deep with a lot of those folks. Whether you like it or not, money and position creates a wealth of ego, even for the coattail hangers on. Lot of t-shirt fans associate with the sips because if the perception.

I say, good riddance. Love the game, but I can certainly live without it.
JerseyVillageAG99
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Great Job John! Now can you work on possibly switching from being on 610 to the other station (cough, cough, 790) that actually carries the Aggies in Houston? Great article and thanks for being a great Ag and a journalist with integrity!
R E L
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
“Does somebody think we’re being a bully? Well, that’s up to them to think we’re a bully."
----------------
No deloss, no one thinks you are bring a bully. Well, ok, except the University if Arkansas, and the University of Nebraska, and the University of Colorado, and Texas Tech, and the University of Oklahoma. and most of the SEC, and whatever schools are left in the Big East, and us...but other than that no.
Eagle78
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Who cares about t.u.?...... they are so full of themselves are becoming less and less relevant. We are the other hand are moving to the best football conference in the land....not only in the quality of the football but in the way the conference is managed.

Although I am just as happy as a clam not playing t.u and focusing instead on LSU, 'Bama, AU and Arky., hey, if A&M really wants to start the rivalry up again sooner, there is an easy solution to force t.u.'s hand. Just pound them to a complete pulp. They are too prideful to want to wait until 2019 for a rematch if that happens!
Bozo_Casanova
How long do you want to ignore this user?
For crying out loud y'all, your leaving the conference. We're not taking our ball and going anywhere. You chose to end this rivalry.

We're not playing you in an annual non conference game because it's not worth it to use a non conference game.

Finally, I hope you have a better reason to leave that being fed up with our pridefulness. Because that's a dumb reason to do anything. We're Texas. I hope in the SEC you'll be happy with just being A&M, because this kind of thing is embarrassing to your school and the state.
R E L
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
quote:
I hope you have a better reason to leave that being fed up with our pridefulness. Because that's a dumb reason to do anything. We're Texas. I hope in the SEC you'll be happy with just being A&M, because this kind of thing is embarrassing to your school and the state.


All of the schools I mentioned left or sought to leave a conference with you because of your pride...maybe you should look at toning your arrogance down a bit. And again...we are moving to a harder conference AND are still willing to play you all. But yeah, just keep feeding yourself half-truths while hiding behind a vail of undeserved arrogance, that will bode well for you in life.

[This message has been edited by R e l (edited 11/24/2011 4:24p).]
Bozo_Casanova
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You made a "100 year decision" because of how we feel about ourselves?

That's rich.

Listen, I love A&M grads. But I'm glad you are moving because you deserve an identity that doesn't involve us. The rivalry is ending because you ended it.
Whistling For Flies
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Bozo,

Bull*****
Bozo_Casanova
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Snappy
Whistling For Flies
How long do you want to ignore this user?
We are willing to play. The UT athletic director refuses to do so. Your side is ending the rivalry. That's a fact. You can "A&M is ending the rivalry" all you want, but it is a pathetic and transparent lie.
Bozo_Casanova
How long do you want to ignore this user?
it's not worth it to us as an annual non conference game. Why aren't you whining about wanting an annual game with Baylor?

If you wanted to play us every year you should have stayed in the big 12. You chose something else, and that's fine.
hornnation
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Too bad you guys decided to end the series.

Like our band displayed tonight "Thanks for the Memories"
stinker
How long do you want to ignore this user?
guys, this is stupid. us ags have been the idiots here, taking our toys and running away just because deloss has kicked us around. we should have manned up instead of run away.
Whistling For Flies
How long do you want to ignore this user?
quote:
it's not worth it to us as an annual non conference game.


OK. So say, "we're ending the series because it is not worth it to us to play it as a nonconf game." That would be stupid, but at least it would be honest.
27-25 4ever
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Yawn. More subjective drivel by JLopez. The facts are Nebraska/Colorado left because they could make more money regardless of the split or success they have in the Big12. aTm realized and did the same. The only difference between aTm and the first two was they did inolve their pride. To the point, your AD is the prideful one as he really pushed you to the SEC because he said no to a TX/Aggie version of LHN and had to make up for his blunder. He pushed ya'll to the SEC to save face and pride from being little brother yet again. What a laugh this article is.
76-37-5
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It's so funny how the team running away is saying how the horns won't play them. The horns are scheduled to play the aggs in a conference game next year but the aggies are leaving! The horns are booked up for years in advance for non conference games and they can not understand that. Besides why would they want to do them any favors after they left when they gave thier word that they would stay. Good luck selling long trips for your family to come see you play to new recruits.
texas8891
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You can hate DeLoss Dodds all you want and blame him for the end to the rivalry, but the fact is A&M left the conference. I, and almost every Orangeblood I know really doesn't care if we ever play the aggies in any sport ever again. Go find a new rival and quit blaming Texas for your freaking problems. Hook'em.
Page 1 of 2
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.