Well damn, there goes that letter to Sherman....
EDIT: The rule posted above still resides, it just requires a bit more open interpretation of who is subject to the rules.
Here's a note I sent Sherman, trash me all you want for it.
quote:
Coach,
No one knows more than you about firing up students, that cannot be debated. You have taken a group of student athletes with amazing potential and taught them to deliver as a team. This season, as all seasons do, have made me a proud Aggie and proud fan of Aggie Football. However, this fall in particular has reinforced the creed "I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win, But I've never seen 'em quit.” in ways that I have never experienced in my 22 years as a fan.
I am writing you to ask that you take that same team building ability and focus it on our humbling 12th Man. We are hungry, starving for a game like the one that awaits us this coming weekend. We are loud, we are proud, and we are mean, this is certain, but there is room for growth. We need a challenge, we need a tangible goal to push us forward and bring us together as one.
I suspect that you are familiar with the video commonly referred to under the title of “Don't Mess With The 12th Man.” As explanation, it refers to the 1985 home game against tu where our deafening student section stopped play on Kyle Field. During the broadcast, announcers made reference to a noise violation rule that still sits in the books ["persons subject to the rules, including bands, shall not create any noise that prohibits a team from hearing its signals (rule 1-1-6)”] and suggest that a penalty may be levied against our fans. True, it may not be commonly called and the interpretation as to who is subject may vary, but it remains a rule.
Sir, that small sentence of officiating literature is the simple spark we need to start an all out bonfire. While I acknowledge that each decision you make is yours alone, I request that you take the opportunity of this Friday's Midnight Yell to put our swaying sea of maroon to the challenge. Informing our eager fans that this rule sits on the books, and telling them how proud you would be to take that penalty, would set a target I know many would give their all for.
We have the ability to roar, to come together as a team and absolutely rock that stadium. We stand here with a record setting first day of student ticket pull. We stand here with a stadium crew that has already taken measures to pack in a record setting attendance. We stand ready to reemphasize what it means to be the 12th Man. We're standing for you, sir, for this team, our team. We just need a coach.
--An Aggie
[This message has been edited by Horatius (edited 11/16/2010 6:35a).]