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The Key to Enjoying the College Football Season Every Year

13,513 Views | 104 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by northeastag
Seamaster
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I used to be like you.

I'd get straight up GEEKED out every offseason. I'd follow every recruiting story and tidbit leaked out of camp.

I'd scoure the sites looking for stories about the Aggies - stories that preferably predicted how good the Aggies were going to be.

Every late summer I'd tell anybody who'd listen, "No. seriously. The Aggies are going to be really good this year. Top 10 for sure."

That all ended sometime in-between Fran and Sumlin.

You see, because my expectations were high, we'd invariably start losing and I'd let it ruin my weekends.

So, 5-6 years ago I stopped planning my entire Saturdays in the fall around the Aggies. I stopped following the decisions of 17-18 year old boys. I stopped reading the wire about news and rumors from camp.

And you know what? I'm a lot happier for it. When the Aggies do well, I enjoy it. I fist bump my neighbors. I take my family to a game or two every season but here's the deal: I don't really care anymore. I took the boys to the Auburn game. We had a great time. The kids shook hands with Dat Nguyen. It was great. But we lost. I was slightly disappointed but it didn't ruin the weekend.

What's my secret?

I have LOW expectations.

So now, if you ask me in July how the Aggies are going to be I'll say, "Man. I have no idea. I stopped having expectations years ago. I hope they do well and I'll be watching as long as I don't have other plans!"

That's the key.

If you're one of the many pissed off Aggies since we've flat laid eggs in all of our "big games" ask yourself:

"Why bother?"

It's not worth it.

I've also found that my Saturdays being more flexible gives me time to do things that I would have put off had I still been living in the old mindset.

So. Ultimately, if you're pissed, just stop caring so much.
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chipotle
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Seamaster said:



That all ended sometime in-between Fran and sumlin



Iowa st 2005
Nebules
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AG
Couldn't agree more. Thanks for posting this!
levypantsEOY
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I totally agree. I'm not there yet but it's looking that way. Watching the fanboy/ sunshine pumpers on here during the preseason has gotten to be more entertaining than annoying.
I don't care so much about winning half our games and playing in some crappy bowl. It is what it is.
JOHN2010
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Underrated post
TX AG 88
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AG
Agree with OP 100%.

I used to follow every nugget and in doing so, thought I was "better informed" and could form some reasonable expectations about the season.

The thing that cured me of that notion was Johnny Manziel.

I have a buddy at work who's a big NFL (Vikings) fan. He doesn't follow college ball at all, just the NFL. Let's call him Mike. Mike lives north of Boerne, TX, and he told me in the halls at work "You guys are really going to like that Manziel kid!" because he had seen him play in high school. I smugly answered back (because I knew stuff) "Maybe in a few years, if/when he sees the field. See, we have a starter named Showers waiting in the wings." No one on the web, in all my "research" told me JM would be a transformational player and would make our next season one for the ages. Of course, he was.

I should have been paying Mike for HIS insights. They were better/more accurate than any of the services I subscribed to. If you can't call THAT shot (and no one did) you ain't getting my money no mo'!
Esteban du Plantier
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Seamaster said:



I have LOW expectations.




Ray Wylie summed it up best:

"And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, well, I have really good days."
WC94
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AG
I thought bourbon on the rocks was the key?
Sgt. Schultz
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Seamaster said:

I used to be like you.

I'd get straight up GEEKED out every offseason. I'd follow every recruiting story and tidbit leaked out of camp.

I'd scoure the sites looking for stories about the Aggies - stories that preferably predicted how good the Aggies were going to be.

Every late summer I'd tell anybody who'd listen, "No. seriously. The Aggies are going to be really good this year. Top 10 for sure."

That all ended sometime in-between Fran and Sumlin.

You see, because my expectations were high, we'd invariably start losing and I'd let it ruin my weekends.

So, 5-6 years ago I stopped planning my entire Saturdays in the fall around the Aggies. I stopped following the decisions of 17-18 year old boys. I stopped reading the wire about news and rumors from camp.

And you know what? I'm a lot happier for it. When the Aggies do well, I enjoy it. I fist bump my neighbors. I take my family to a game or two every season but here's the deal: I don't really care anymore. I took the boys to the Auburn game. We had a great time. The kids shook hands with Dat Nguyen. It was great. But we lost. I was slightly disappointed but it didn't ruin the weekend.

What's my secret?

I have LOW expectations.

So now, if you ask me in July how the Aggies are going to be I'll say, "Man. I have no idea. I stopped having expectations years ago. I hope they do well and I'll be watching as long as I don't have other plans!"

That's the key.

If you're one of the many pissed off Aggies since we've flat laid eggs in all of our "big games" ask yourself:

"Why bother?"

It's not worth it.

I've also found that my Saturdays being more flexible gives me time to do things that I would have put off had I still been living in the old mindset.

So. Ultimately, if you're pissed, just stop caring so much.

This post should be "sticky'd".
I know NOTHING!!!!
Bob Kelso
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This is exactly where my mind is.
Guy on a Buffalo
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AG
I think a lot more people would be where you (and I) are right now if it weren't for 2012. That season gave us a false hope about the coaching staff that turned out to be dreadfully misplaced. Then, when Jimbo came in it reinvigorated our belief that we were just a few seasons away. Maybe we are, but I didn't watch a second of college football yesterday. I caught the updates on my espn app and turned on the radio the two or three times I had to move my truck, but I spent all day outside clearing land. And you know what? It was a pretty amazing day. I happened to turn on the radio around the time Bama was killing the clock with ten yard runs on our defense, and had absolutely zero disappointment.

-----------------------
Truth without love is brutality. Love without truth is compromise.
Off_The_Wood
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AG
I'm going through this transformation as well. I surprised my self at how calm I was yesterday. Acceptance is setting in for me without me realizing it
swagfan
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This!.... almost.

I have low expectations and don't nerd out over recruiting, don't read much of anything aside from this board. However, I watch every minute of every game. It's my thing. It's always been my thing and likely always will be. I don't get mad like I used to, I don't let it affect my day or mood anymore, but I'll be watching.

Even though they lose a lot more than I would like, I still have to indulge my passion for watching football, and especially watching the Aggies.

No judgement to anyone that doesn't watch or doesn't plan their day around it, do what makes you happy.
Lateralus Ag
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AG
I think I hit this same place sometime between Clemson this year and yesterday.

I just wasn't at all surprised at the way we played. I saw some toughness and some good plays.

I just wasn't going to invest the entire weekend into this game. I watched it. And several other games. But I definitely enjoyed the day more.
Al Bula
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AG
Falls have become completely more enjoyable without devoting one to two days every home weekend to Aggie football. Life is only getting busier so I probably won't ever be obsessed over football again. Family/Kids, travel, career... all way more fulfilling than college athletics.

As for texags, this place is for pure entertainment. For whatever reason, some truly odd online personalities have been allowed to develop here by the site management. The weirdos that e-fight and go to lengths to pretend to be something else outside of real life is a fascinating trend, and this site being Aggie-centric magnifies that.
aggie813
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I used to be just like that and now I'm where you're at as well. The weekend of the Arky game I decided to not get all upset about underperforming. The family and I took the jet skis out on the river and had a great day.
I figured if they lose... oh well and if they win...cool.
I'll just watch the replay of the game tomorrow on YouTube.
khakiaggie79
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AG
I appreciate your post, I've been thinking this way for the past few years. I am an avid Texas A&M sports supporter. Every year the same, huge build up only to be body slammed. Frankly, I'm fed up listening to all the off season hype with all the same ESPN and SEC network "experts" talking up A&M, then the same "experts" bashing the Aggies. Also fed up with A&M coaches making excuses. We haven't had a leader coach since RC. Lots of millionaire mistakes since then (Fran, Sumlin). A football weekend in CS is now a $1000 experience; two night minimum at $400/night, over-priced $125 tickets to sit in the 3rd deck, stand in line for a hour to eat, then the football team gets hammered by some school from Louisiana or Mississippi, then the inevitable bad mood that lasts until Thursday in the next week.

After suffering through these hellish summers and not being able to go outside, I've come to cherish fall weekends. I'll still watch the Aggies, wear my maroon/white gear, maybe catch the game that I'm willing to pay for, and from time to time make a road trip to an SEC venue to watch them if it's a great place to spend a fall weekend; Nashville, Auburn, Oxford/Memphis, and Fayetteville (if they can ever cure themselves from Jerry Jones' crack payola). I never care about the 2nd or third tier bowl game they play in Shreveport, Charlotte, or Houston. It's time to stop letting 19-22 year old children, transient multi-millionaire coaches and assistant coaches that aren't Aggies, ESPN and the SEC network, the Hilton/Marriott vultures, and TexAgs ruin my weekends.

I love Texas A&M, have funded a scholarship, and am married to an Aggie who loves A&M football too. Currently, we can't watch a game together because I scream at the TV, hate Gary Danielson like Hitler, and pace around the room. It's not worth it anymore.

I wish all of you peace with your passion with A&M football. Dave South told us one time at Muster that we should be A&M supporters - not fans. "Fan" is short for fanatic. Dave said he was ashamed that Aggie "Fans" sat in Kyle Field screaming at the Aggies when often times the players' parents were sitting close to them and could hear what was being said. I respect Dave South, and nobody can dispute his love for A&M athletics, but yesterday's game finally made me understand what he said at that Muster. Show encouragement, support, and love for our school. The principles I learned at A&M aren't being reflected in my current attitude about the whole football experience and environment in College Station.

Thanks again for your post. Best of luck to our Aggie, I'm going outside. BTHO tu.
Liquid Wrench
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The key for me is knowing that I'm not on the team and I don't have money riding on the outcome.
kbarj
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khakiaggie79 said:

....Dave South told us one time at Muster that we should be A&M supporters - not fans. "Fan" is short for fanatic. Dave said he was ashamed that Aggie "Fans" sat in Kyle Field screaming at the Aggies when often times the players' parents were sitting close to them and could hear what was being said...

This. As a parent of high school players who were significant contributors to their teams, it was always a pain to be in the stands listening to incredibly ignorant fans. I never rag on players because of that crap. Unfortunately, Texags is a lot like that sometimes.
technoviking
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roygbell
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This is a great thread. This is a damn game. Letting your life be determined by the success of your football team isn't going to ever make you happy. I'm an OU fan and I have been right where the original poster was. I'm still an ardent OU fan, but it isn't my life and isn't what determines my daily life. I don't like to see my Sooner lose, but I don't get all bent out of shape and no longer mourn a loss for more than a few minutes then go back enjoying life.

What we really need to do on college sports is get us back to the concept of true "student athletes" playing these games. I am so tired of spoiled kids who are only thinking about their chances to be in the NFL California just passed a bill that will go into effect sometime in 2023 that will allow athletes to sell their name. This will literally kill this game as we know it. Just make it more corrupt than it already is.

When paying players hits this game I am done with it.
Run N Shoot
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Solid post and I could not agree more. I no longer plan Saturday's around what time the game is and really don't spend much time watching games anymore. I will check ESPN every so often to see how the game is going but aside from that the day belongs to enjoying time with the family.
black_hat_ag
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Sounds like some here are finally waking up to the over hype and excessive marketing. It's made people crazy. The OPis right. Just chill. Don't give AF.
"Go drink Lysol." - BallerStaf2003
lespaul
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At this point, i have moved past getting depressed about not being competitive. I now am more puzzled how we can't figure this out. We have everything we need to be competitive most years and special occasionally. Some sort of bad mojo going on as I can't figure this out logically.

With that said, I realize Jimbo doesn't have magic pixie dust. He just doesn't have the horses (yet I hope). trade teams yesterday and he wins would be my guess

I don't like all the hate mond gets either. I realize he isn't perfect and has some accuracy concerns at times. But Man is he put in a crappy spot. No running game to help. Special teams giving the other team sweet field position routinely. Defense who doesn't force a punt until late in the third quarter. lt seemed like tua got ten seconds each play to find an open guy (we had zero pass rush) while mond got around three. If I had to guess, switch mond and tua and mond would do awesome (perhaps not as well as tua). I routinely hear 'get a good qb and bench mond and we'd be good'. Are you kidding?

I also realize this year is unique in that we have lost to three top 7 teams (two number ones). I know we aren't world beaters, but put us in the big12 or big 10 and we'd win a lot of games and be competitive in the losses.

All my humble but flawed opinions of course.
Seersucker Ag 2011
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The key to happiness is realizing that we're just "Mississippi with Money."
Roman Empire
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The BAS Creed.
OTredux
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Sports fandom is almost entirely about pain and suffering. Other than Boston sports fans, it is all about moments of excitement surrounded by loads of sadness and despair.
chipotle
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It just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!!!!
ExPeterKeating
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Ive been sucked up into the Band Parent system, and spent sixteen hours with other parents driving one of the trucks and moving an ocean of equipment back and forth to a 6A marching competition yesterday for my daughter's high school band. Seriously, if you have never been involved in band, it is an enormous multi-million dollar industrial complex that operates quietly under the radar.

At the first of the season I quietly complained about these Saturday competitions, and how it conflicted with CFB. Truth is, the other parents and I have a blast doing it. Many people from various schools check CFB scores between prelim and final rounds, but ultimately it is a much more productive way to spend your Saturday afternoon with your teenagers as they are also learning amazing life skills, order, music, endurance, teamwork, and discipline. You cannot believe the amount of logistics and stuff that accompanies a marching band of several hundred students. And no one writes articles or obsesses over them. We checked Sports Center upon our return to the house, read thru a few things this morning, and life goes on with much less stress. And as we all know now, the nerds eventually rule the world. Go Band!
OkinTexas
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Very good post Seamaster. I too once hung my emotional fortunes on the performances ioff not only my favorite college team, but also my favorite professional team. I lallowed them to dictate my weekend and in fact, a good part of my year. That stopped over a span of a few years; now it's gotten to where games are generally an afterthought. Oh I keep tabs, and I get on forums to chat, but it's now a relatively small part of my life that is relegated to something akin to a side dish for a meal. I'm much better off for it and most others would be as well. I think those who base their happiness on a game really need to rethink their priorities.
Frag
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AG
Yep. Been there since 2016.
aggiecouch
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Humans are strange. Seems like many here have decided to decouple their self worth from the failure of our football team, which is probably rational and healthy. But, if we found success, every last one of you would claim the team's victories as your own and derive a sense of accomplishment and superiority by projecting the student athlete's wins onto your own ego. Although that's probably some sort of lie, I can't say whether it's wrong or not. I say embrace fandom, but recognize it for what it is.
SECTAMU#1
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Seamaster said:

I used to be like you.

I'd get straight up GEEKED out every offseason. I'd follow every recruiting story and tidbit leaked out of camp.

I'd scoure the sites looking for stories about the Aggies - stories that preferably predicted how good the Aggies were going to be.

Every late summer I'd tell anybody who'd listen, "No. seriously. The Aggies are going to be really good this year. Top 10 for sure."

That all ended sometime in-between Fran and Sumlin.

You see, because my expectations were high, we'd invariably start losing and I'd let it ruin my weekends.

So, 5-6 years ago I stopped planning my entire Saturdays in the fall around the Aggies. I stopped following the decisions of 17-18 year old boys. I stopped reading the wire about news and rumors from camp.

And you know what? I'm a lot happier for it. When the Aggies do well, I enjoy it. I fist bump my neighbors. I take my family to a game or two every season but here's the deal: I don't really care anymore. I took the boys to the Auburn game. We had a great time. The kids shook hands with Dat Nguyen. It was great. But we lost. I was slightly disappointed but it didn't ruin the weekend.

What's my secret?

I have LOW expectations.

So now, if you ask me in July how the Aggies are going to be I'll say, "Man. I have no idea. I stopped having expectations years ago. I hope they do well and I'll be watching as long as I don't have other plans!"

That's the key.

If you're one of the many pissed off Aggies since we've flat laid eggs in all of our "big games" ask yourself:

"Why bother?"

It's not worth it.

I've also found that my Saturdays being more flexible gives me time to do things that I would have put off had I still been living in the old mindset.

So. Ultimately, if you're pissed, just stop caring so much.

Then why was so much money spent on an intimidating stadium, on a head coach and his assistant coaches?
1876er
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AG
Yesterday was the first game I've watched all year, and I only watched the first half. I only come around here for the meltdowns, which are disappointing now, and to laugh at the people doing mental gymnastics to convince themselves that it isn't as bad as it seems.
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