1) Why do you call the longhorns "sips?"
2) Why do you call yourselves the "Aggies" still?
3) How for sure are you, that you want to come? No real natural rivals. That could be something you look back on and regret.

[This message has been edited by bamafan#1 (edited 9/14/2011 9:09a).]

I have a bad feeling about what's coming in response...

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1) Why do you call the longhorns "sips?"

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"sips" is short for "t-sippers". Basically it goes back to blue collar vs. white collar. While the Aggies were fighting and dying in battle in defense of our country, the longhorns were sitting in their fancy porches "sipping tea"

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2) Why do you call yourselves the "Aggies?"

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Aggie is short for Agriculturalist. (Farmer) It's in relation to our history as a land-grant university.

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3) How for sure are you, that you want to come? No real natural rivals. That could be something you look back on and regret.

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How sure are we? 100% sure

No real natural rivals? False. Arkansas and LSU are already natural rivals. Arkansas was a rival back when we were both SWC and we've had bad blood with LSU for a long time.

1.) Because they're pansies
2.) Because we were (still are) an Agricultural school
3.) LSU and us have a pretty healthy hate for one another. We've played many, many times and we're not too far apart.

#2: Land grant schools (A&M) are often called Aggies. Utah State, New Mexico State, nickname used by sooner fans for Ok State.

#3: LSU

I will leave it to others to answer #1.

1) It started during the World Wars when pretty much the entire student body at A&M joined the war effort, while a lot of tu kids didn't. So we always said they were sittin at home sippin on tea. Hence t-sips.

2) We call ourselves Aggies because we began as a mechanical and agricultural college. Aggies stems from agriculture. Same reason Oklahoma State used to be called Oklahoma A&M Aggies.

3) We have natural rivals in LSU and Arkansas. The LSU series dates back to the 1890's and we've played them 50 times.

We used to be conference mates with Arkansas and have played them since the very early 1900's for a total of something like 65 times.

1. tu is oft referred to as "Tea Sippers" due to their dainty and uppity lifestyle. Very common for them to drink hot tea from little cups instead of normal drinks. Sips is short for Tea Sippers.

2. Texas A&M used to be the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Like every other Ag school, we are known as Aggies.

3. Ask LSU and Arkansas about no natural rivalries. We are very sure we want in.

To answer your third question, while LSU and Arky are both rivals in some degree, it is A&M's strong desire to continue to play Texas, and if we don't it will probably return eventually.

1) Why do you call the longhorns "sips?"

Because while Aggies have been off fighting wars, longhorns were back in Austin sippin tea. Hence "tea sips", "t-sips" or just "sips."

2) Why do you call yourselves the "Aggies?"

We were originally the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Like a lot of A&M schools, we called ourselves the Aggies. We're just one of the few with the nads to stick to tradition and not change our name to Cowboys or Bulldogs or Wildcats or what have you.

3) How for sure are you, that you want to come? No real natural rivals. That could be something you look back on and regret.

Very sure. LSU and Arkansas beg to differ on your "no real natural rivals" claim.

I'd like to nominate 'Bama as a future rival as well, in addition to Arky and LSU. While we may not have an on field rivalry with Bama today, we do have a history of trading coaches back and forth and I have a feeling this will lead to a fun on field rivalry going forward.

Others have answered these questions thoroughly, but it amazes me that these SEC fans come over here, bragging about history, then turn around and say we'll have no rivals in the SEC.

We played the piggies as a conference rival for 80 years, guys. An insurance salesman from Little Rock screwed us out of a SWC title in '89. And LSU is, well, LSU (give us our money).

No, A&M is not lacking for rivals in the new-look SEC.

Sabreman '92

We already have a history of beating Bama in their own house in basketball, but I don't know if that's saying much.

Also, I think we've won our last 4? against SEC schools in basketball.

Arkansas - 2010
LSU, Alabama - 2009
LSU - 2008

Thread was over when Lobotomy answered. Nailed it, nothing to ad.

I don't think there is a such a thing as a "natural rival."

If we start playing Sam Houston, it isnt a rivalry.


the LSU rivalry is real. ask anyone that has been to the games in the 90s and beforehand, as well as the cotton bowl this year.

I'm all for A&M joining. Actually, excited to be able to see a game in Texas. However, I find it hard to believe that people can just leave 100 yr old rivalries with no regret.

***Don't listen to Barners!***
How nice, speaking of them. See below (go ahead, I'll wait.....hum........"and Jesus, my savior forever!"...) You back? Well, what did you think about the people from the Barn?***

Note to Barner: Get your @$$ back in that barn. Nobody said you could come out yet!

***On page 2, Squadron7 asked about Big AL. What does the elephant have to do with Alabama? As we came out of the locker room for a game out West, some liberal sports reporter said "Alabama was big as elephants." In defiance we made it our mascot. That happened in the 20s or 30s. Alabama use to play in the Rose Bowl a lot early last century. We keep beating their teams, so thats how the Pac-10/Big 10 thing got started in the Rose Bowl. They didn't want to invite us back.(There have been several stories about how it happened. I can't even confirm this. This was told to me by a professor.)
Here is what most believe: (According to Yahoo, take that for what its worth!)
"Big Al, Alabama's elephant mascot, certainly holds a special place in the hearts of Crimson Tide fans. Perhaps surprisingly to some fans, Alabama has not always boasted an elephant for its mascot. Coach Wallace Wade's 1930 Alabama football team was the first to be associated with the elephant. Sports writer Everett Strupper of the Atlanta Journal wrote a story of the October 4, 1930 Alabama - Mississippi game. Strupper's story called the Alabama team big, tough, fast and aggressive. Strupper also commented that the Alabama players looked " like they had nearly doubled in size" since the previous season."

"At the end of the quarter, the earth started to tremble, there was a distant rumble that continued to grow," Strupper wrote. "Some excited fan in the stands bellowed, ' Hold you horses, the elephants are coming,' and out stamped this Alabama varsity."

*Sorry I couldn't reply on page 2, the system says I'm out of replies.*



[This message has been edited by bamafan#1 (edited 9/14/2011 10:34a).]

Should have left the Aggie explanation alone. Next thing you know, you'll have Bammers calling you a cow college.


Keep making the ag jokes Bammer, eventually your true colors will shine through.

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Auburn University Class of 2005
War Eagle!

[This message has been edited by Buckeye Tiger (edited 9/14/2011 9:08a).]

Haven't we played LSU and Arkansas more times than we have played ISU, KU, KSU, OU, OSU, and Mizzou?

We will still play tu. Either they end up indy or Pac 16 with OU, either way, we play them. At that point, we lose the Tech(I will miss this like crazy) and Baylor(**** Baylor) rivalries for LSU and Arkansas. No other games/teams have any significance.

Just to clarify a couple of points.

It's actually "teasippers." It's been shortened to "t-sips," "sips," or "communists," whichever you prefer.

Oh, and Oklahoma State used to be the Oklahoma A&M Aggies. That's why some OU twerps still call them Aggies.

And do we want to come? Well, even those of us who were skeptical have been born again after the crap pulled by our colleagues in this league. Hell yeah, we want to come.

Agreed with Rev. We have a history with Bama and coaches, and I think we owe y'all a good whipping for taking Bear and giving us Fran.

As I heard it, our boys were at war while the horns were home sipping tea. A stretch, perhaps, but looking at the football records during those years indicates there may be some truth to that.

Aggies, well kinda surprised you have to ask that one -no offense, almost every state had an Aggie or A&M school by name. It goes back to the old Merrill Land Grant days. Since then a lot of these colleges have renamed themselves. Oklahoma St used to be Oklahoma A&M. (Please forgive slight errors in info, I'm on a mother ****in phone)

Damn, I'm slow!

As a perspective we've played LSU 50 times, we've played OU and OSU a combined 55 times.

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It's actually "teasippers." It's been shortened to "t-sips," "sips," or "communists," whichever you prefer.

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Don't forget Klanhorns (as a result of their school's history with the KKK and who they honor) and Al Q'lanni (in relation to their support of Palestinian terrorists)

with all the crap that texas has pulled, while it will be diofferent not playing the sips, ia lot of aggies really have no use for texas anymore.

as for "rivalries" with baylor and texas tech...well, you have seen baylor's true colors with their law suit threats and tech is well...tech

L$U and arky have been explained.
I'll nominate Tenn b/c they are orange and white and beat us in the Cotton Bowl.
Miss State b/c they beat is in that snow bowl, and they are maroon like us.
Vandy b/c they're slightly more successful than baylro.
Auburn b/c we stopped Bo at the goal line in the Cotton Bowl.
Bama b/c Bear left us for them, and the program was voting for Bama.
Kentucky b/c of BilLIE Gilespy.

I got nothing against Georgia, Florida, SC, or Ole Miss.

worth noting:

LSU v A&M 51 games
LSU v Auburn 31 games
LSU v Georgia 28 games
LSU v Vanderbilt 28 games
LSU v South Carolina 19 games

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However, I find it hard to believe that people can just leave 100 yr old rivalries with no regret.

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I don't think I'm the only one who believes that even if we end up in a different conference than Texas, we'll end up playing again. Maybe not immediately, but despite current posturing, somewhere down the line probably relatively soon.

We gave up most of our "natural rivals" in the 90's when we joined the Big 12. The only in-conference "natural rivals" left are tu, Baylor, & Tx Tech. I won't miss Baylor at all, and I'd trade Texas Tech for LSU & Arkansas in a heart beat. The tu game is the only game that I would regret losing, and that game isn't going anywhere. We aren't going to stop playing them regardless of all the threats. I never felt like we developed much of a rivalry with any of the Big 8 teams (like OU & OSU).

Our rivalry w/ LSU is much deeper than just what happens on the field. We compete every year for several recruits in southeast Texas & the Houston area as well as Louisiana. Due to our long history w/ LSU prior to 1994, I grew up hating LSU far more than I did Baylor or Texas Tech.

The only rivalries that we will lose by leaving the Big XII is:

texas: many aggies want to keep the rivalry alive but if the horns elect not to continue the match-up, then so be it.

tech: meh.. I mean tech is a fun school to hate, but the rivalry is no where near the longhorn/aggies game.

baylor: tries to claim they are our top rival even though they have won 2 out of the last 25 (yes, rivalry implies competition). Baylor, as you may have heard, will go out of their way to get the aggies attention to try to validate their existence as a rival. Personally I hope we never play them again in any sport.


As stated before, I think A&M has played LSU and Arkansas more than any of the other Big XII schools.

There was a great article linked on this forum 5 or 6 years ago about the origin of the term "tea sippers" for t.u. students. There was a citation from the Battalion in the mid 1930's referring to the students from Austin as tea sippers, which contradicts the assertion that the term originated during ww2, as in the ags were fighting while t.u. students stayed home and sipped tea.

The best evidence is that the term became popular in the Panhandle around the turn of the century for effete, genteel, citified people...perhaps due to several large ranches being owned by British interests.It's not hard to imagine how and why the term was quickly applied to the pansies in Austin.

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Bama b/c Bear left us for them

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...and y'all let us take Fran from y'all.

Both move set us back for years.

Don't forget the "Hurricane Bowl" of 88 either.

The Tide's Coach wouldn't come to College Station on their regularly scheduled date because "he couldn't guarantee to be able to fly out" due to a storm in the Gulf. (Not to mention that he had a key player hurt, who could definitely use a week off.) Game day came and it was a beautiful breezy and sunny day in College Station, with no hurricane in sight. Some guy made a t-shirt with a Bama jersey on it with a big yellow streak down the middle sitting next to a bottle of tide laundry detergent and the words "Crimson Tide can't get the yellow out."

When we played in December, they outscored us. So I see a potential rivalry issue there.

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Alabama's most famous brush with a hurricane — or the threat of one — when Curry refused to travel to Texas A&M for a Sept. 17 game due to the threat of Hurricane Gilbert. The teams eventually played Dec. 1, with the Tide claiming a 30-10 victory in a Thursday night contest forever known as the "Hurricane Bowl."

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[This message has been edited by TxElsie (edited 9/14/2011 9:23a).]

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However, I find it hard to believe that people can just leave 100 yr old rivalries with no regret.

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I agree with Lance. We'll still play the sips. I would be very, very disappointed if we didn't.

Please correct me if I'm wrong here...but for #1 "sips"...I have always heard it "sips" does indeed come from "teasippers". However, that term originated from t.u.'s hand signal. If one were to put up the "hook'em horns" hand symbol and rotate it 90 degrees...it appears as if you are sipping tea (with the pinky out). The parallels to the country-club lifestyle of a t.u. student/alum is just a happy coincidence.