Loco84 said:

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Can we stop pretending it's college football? It's minor league pro football with unlimited free agency. While I may watch a game from time to time, I will no longer consider myself a fan. It will be just another entertainment option that is much further down the list then it used to be.

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Yes. This. With NIL and the transfer portal it's become nothing but mini-pro kids playing for them. At least the NFL can put players under contract!

did last year. It does suck to realize you won't see a natty.

I put up with enough A&M losing while I attended classes, why put myself through more of that?

Just find a team that is more fun to watch. I will watch colorado games all season.

All those 2nd half leads blown in 2011 (or was it 2010?) led me to this same conclusion... then JFF arrived. I guess 2012 was a supernova event for this program.

Hit the gym, learn to play a new instrument or challenging song, build yourself, start a business, follow your dreams, etc. No point in getting upset over people that don't know you exist.

Apathy has been creeping up on me for a few years. As you get older it's less of a priority for sure but the whole landscape of college football is changing so much that it's starting not to even be recognizable.

Add the constant barrage of commercials and the idea that if you lose a couple of games you might as well pack it in for the season and it makes it real hard to care.

I've hung onto it only because it's one of the few things from my childhood and early adult years that I keep with me but I may let it too pass on.

Began my freshman year 50 years ago. Not many conference championships since then. Think I'm done.

It's taken me 15+ years to get here, but it's the whole college football season that I enjoy. Even after yesterday's loss, I still caught the OT game with App State and UNC (by the way, that receiver got jobbed like Baylor--and I watched that game, too).

So, it's watching all those games, and the build-up and talking about it later.

Aggie football-that's another story. The emotional investment is waning. But, I look forward to home games to hang out with friends at tail-gates and hopefully run into old friends I haven't seen in a while. A victory is a cherry on top, but not the must-have like when I was in my 30's and 40's. I still swear at players and coaches, but that's during the game. Doesn't linger after that. My wife must think something is wrong with me now that I don't seethe over it for days...much less hours (damn, I think that's called maturity)

And yes, I'm a 25+ year season ticket holder. It's a 10k outlay per year, and it's a twisted hobby. My other is bourbon. However, both can not be year-round hobbies if I'm to live to be 60.

Enjoy CFB for the distraction, the amazing plays (regardless if players are paid or not), the unexpected upsets, and occasionally a funny Alstate commercial.

This most disappointing part of this thread is seeing how the AD and TMF really don't care about the constituents as a whole. Over the past 10 years I've seen more and more people between ages 30-50 turned off the program. I am sure some of it is the barrier to complaining is low with the internet, but the AD and TMF have become like any large government entity. It is about taking care of itself (includes the BMA) only. They aren't thinking about a long term future, just the next year or two.

It's entertaining.

LOL at all the mega rich BMAs lighting their money on fire in the burn barrels that are the TMF, Kyle Field suites, memorial urinals in a locker room etc etc etc.

Not Funny said:

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LOL at all the mega rich BMAs lighting their money on fire in the burn barrels that are the TMF, Kyle Field suites, memorial urinals in a locker room etc etc etc.

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Yeah...seems like there's better uses of your money.

The way college football is turning into a mini-NFL is what's making the sport less enjoyable for me.

It's struck me this season how most player intros don't mention their hometowns, they mention the colleges they transferred in from.

And without salary caps, there's near-zero parity compared to the NFL. The teams feel less like the school's team and more like a semi pro outgrowth with a constantly-revolving door.

Seeing the Aggies, who have one of the wealthiest athletic departments in the country, unable to compete in a league where money buys talent and wins is frustrating. The out of control coaching contracts are also off putting.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im losing interest in the University overall, actually.

I was there from 2004-2008 and its completely diametrically opposed to what it was just a 15 years ago.

I would rather send my kid (who is more gifted than I was at his age) to Tech rather than A&M.

He'll probably be smart enough to go to a system in the Boston-area, but still.

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Couldn't have said it better myself!

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im losing interest in the University overall, actually.

I was there from 2004-2008 and its completely diametrically opposed to what it was just a 15 years ago.

I would rather send my kid (who is more gifted than I was at his age) to Tech rather than A&M.

He'll probably be smart enough to go to a system in the Boston-area, but still.

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Why do some people turn everything into bragging about how amazing their kid is?

Stmichael said:

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What's the point? We have no influence over the teams, no impact on the outcome, and no matter what kind of resources the team has, they can't help but **** it up.

Why even watch football? What's the point instead of doing anything else with our time?

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Yup. Over the last several years, I have detached quite a bit. We have chases the almighty dollar to the detriment of the experience and pageantry.

And I was one of the biggest offenders thinking, let's make that money and win it all. We haven't won **** and the overall satisfaction has suffered immensely.

When I attended A&M in the mid to late 80s and then after graduation into the late 90s an Aggie loss would gnaw wt me for a week.

Now days I am more concerned with real issues like my home's assessed value going up and increased insurance premiums that result in "unplanned" a massive escrow deficiency.

Stmichael said:

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What's the point? We have no influence over the teams, no impact on the outcome, and no matter what kind of resources the team has, they can't help but **** it up.

Why even watch football? What's the point instead of doing anything else with our time?

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Send your money to the other sports. Baseball, soccer, softball.

OP is still back after last year. Feeling like Charlie Brown with Lucy teeing up the ball?

Stmichael said:

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What's the point? We have no influence over the teams, no impact on the outcome, and no matter what kind of resources the team has, they can't help but **** it up.

Why even watch football? What's the point instead of doing anything else with our time?

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Honestly yeah. Certainly since having kids this is my approach. I turn it on if I'm home, but if we have plans I'm out occasionally checking gamecast. Much easier to not get riled up about the insanity.

Not really because it gives me something to watch. This program is in trouble when the fanbase gets apathetic. When the fanbase gets angry (which is often), they still at least pay attention/care; when they get apathetic, that all stops.

Yep, been getting that way since 2020. Up until Covid hit, we tailgated and attended every home game for over a decade. When Covid hit, we didn't go to any that year and I've been losing interest more and more each year. Spending my Saturdays doing other things now. I rarely even watch the games on tv. I was actually kind of excited about this season and decided to watch yesterday, and it didn't take long to realize it's the same ole A&M football program. No more watching for me this season.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im losing interest in the University overall, actually.

I was there from 2004-2008 and its completely diametrically opposed to what it was just a 15 years ago.

I would rather send my kid (who is more gifted than I was at his age) to Tech rather than A&M.

He'll probably be smart enough to go to a system in the Boston-area, but still.

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This. A&M is no longer unique and its traditions / culture are now nothing more than marketing / propaganda

Feeling the same way about college football overall this morning. A&M was the highlight game of a great day of college football but now it just seems really lost and The Saturdays coming up have lost their luster. No matter the coaches or the players we are just in the Bermuda Triangle of mediocrity and can't escape. It seems so easy for other teams but just performing calculus for us. Running theme of mediocre line play, our receivers are covered and their receivers are running free. Our defensive line just bull rushes and hand fights in place. Rarely a stunt or a blitz. Miami was sending a corner blitz on almost every play it seemed like last night. And it worked because we wouldn't adjust. How do you not look at film or make an adjustment at halftime to tell the running back or tight end to at least get a piece of the guy blitzing right past you?

Pro Ag said:

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This most disappointing part of this thread is seeing how the AD and TMF really don't care about the constituents as a whole. Over the past 10 years I've seen more and more people between ages 30-50 turned off the program. I am sure some of it is the barrier to complaining is low with the internet, but the AD and TMF have become like any large government entity. It is about taking care of itself (includes the BMA) only. They aren't thinking about a long term future, just the next year or two.

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Part of this problem is the extreme amount of time spent on commercials.
Other sports aren't so ate up with wasted time.
I'm okay with getting outscored, it's just a game, but
getting charged exorbitant amounts while also having to wait,
and wait in the heat with obnoxious music blaring - no thanks.

In terms of long distance road trips against quality non-conference opponents Texas A&M has won two games as far as I can remember:

@PITT
STANFORD in Anaheim

That is it! I'm not counting bowl games - every other long distance road trip has been a loss.

For me I hate NIL, transfer portal, and ridiculous conferences. The PAC-12 wasn't what the PAC-10 used to be in the 1990s, 1980s, and further back in the past, but it was still a solid west coast conference. Now only two teams left out of 12? Conferences should be regional, not coast-to-coast.

If I had to pick 10 years at least we had 2012, 1998, and 1985-1992. I'm Class of '87 so I have fond memories of the mid-80s and early 1990s.

By the way, I started with 1985 because that is the year Jackie started to turn the program around - especially with that win over the sips in Austin. I used 8 years starting with 1985. I would have to go back and look at 1993 and 1994… I'm not purposely excluding those years - just getting to 10 and obviously you have to include 1998 and 2012.

The 2020 Covid year was obviously good for A&M, but not one of my favorite.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im losing interest in the University overall, actually.

I was there from 2004-2008 and its completely diametrically opposed to what it was just a 15 years ago.

I would rather send my kid (who is more gifted than I was at his age) to Tech rather than A&M.

He'll probably be smart enough to go to a system in the Boston-area, but still.

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This.

I'm slowly losing interest in college football because it's the same thing every year. A surprise team or two that are good stories but never win it all. The same few teams in the playoffs for the most part. One of the same few teams winning it all. It's only going to get worse in that regard because it appears that the traditional bluebloods that have been down(tu, Miami, Florida State, USC) have been able to crawl out of their holes with the help of NIL and the transfer portal. Add them to Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, LSU and Georgia and it appears the bluebloods will have the national championship on lockdown like it's always been for the most part. Clemson(a non blueblood) was just a blip on the radar. The media loves it but I find it stale. A&M not living up to their potential makes it harder to stay interested.

NIL and the transfer portal have done nothing but make the bluebloods stronger.

I've got a senior and 2 freshman in HS. Between school, sports, church, old people in poor health and our life right now in general by Saturday we are exhausted. I find college football a great excuse to burn a day being lazy.

Luckily since the Fran, Sherman and Sumlin years I became detached and just see it as entertainment and comforting noise.

We bought a couple of Gig'Em passes and focused all those tickets into two games this year. I'm ok with the cost as it's a lot of fun to go even if we lose.

I am looking forward to the centralized media collapse and seeing how it reshapes the workings of college football.

Loco84 said:

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Can we stop pretending it's college football? It's minor league pro football with unlimited free agency. While I may watch a game from time to time, I will no longer consider myself a fan. It will be just another entertainment option that is much further down the list then it used to be.

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This. All. Day.

It started for me when I saw a giant article on "Football Cathedrals" somewhere. The new Kyle had just been finished and ranked #1 or #2 at the time. It showed all the new facilities. Locker rooms. Treatment rooms. Meeting rooms. Super duper lockers, etc. etc. etc.

It was then I realized that not only do these players not go to the same school I attended, they don't go to the same school as my kids…who were still there.

And even that was before NIL and the supercharged transfer portal.

I do think football is necessary to fund all of the other non-income generating sports. So it is not something I want to go away, certainly. But I've gone from giant fan and faithful game watcher to watching it only when I find it entertaining.

And when something particularly crushing happens I come here because some of the funniest things come from the darkest tunnels.

TheTruthsLastHope said:

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Stmichael said:

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What's the point? We have no influence over the teams, no impact on the outcome, and no matter what kind of resources the team has, they can't help but **** it up.

Why even watch football? What's the point instead of doing anything else with our time?

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Tempered expectations and not looking through rose colored glasses will make the sport enjoyable again. This was always going to be a gap year if contending for conference championship was the goal. Our media grifts fanbase instead of objective football reporting leading many in the fansbase to these similar type feelings year in and year out.

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Gap year? Hasn't this been the case for about all of Jimbo's tenure? Same story, different year. Just wait until next year. Same story all over again!

Stmichael said:

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What's the point? We have no influence over the teams, no impact on the outcome, and no matter what kind of resources the team has, they can't help but **** it up.

Why even watch football? What's the point instead of doing anything else with our time?

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It happened for me years ago with professional sports and pretty much happened for college sports after last year's 5-7 debacle.

There are 10x the bad experiences for every good one in Aggie sports.

It's really not even worth getting worked up about.

Everyone has quit watching, quit going, etc., yet 100,000 plus show up regularly to spend on overpriced tickets and the biggest clown show in college football. Fisher and A&M as a whole have been a college football joke for years.

BadMoonRisin said:

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Im losing interest in the University overall, actually.

I was there from 2004-2008 and its completely diametrically opposed to what it was just a 15 years ago.

I would rather send my kid (who is more gifted than I was at his age) to Tech rather than A&M.

He'll probably be smart enough to go to a system in the Boston-area, but still.

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I'm honestly surprised at how fast tech overtook Texas A&M as the good conservative school. Their academics are moving up the rankings pretty fast, and now they even have a vet school.