Red McCombs: 'A&M and Texas have to play again next year'

Red McCombs: 'A&M and Texas have to play again next year'

Excellent interview. I have no doubt that we will play again. And we should.

Actually he has been saying so all along. I know to A&M fans DeLoss is the devil incarnate, but he is also a pretty shrewd businessman, there is no way he opposes the likes of McCombs.

Things have reached a point that UT will suffer serious loss of face and associated branding loss if it now goes back and agrees to keep the game going.

Conversely for A&M it will be a complete victory. You get to go to your new conference while rubbing Texas' nose in it and laughing all the way as political and rich alumni pressure forces Texas to eat crow.

While I won't be at all surprised to see Texas cave to these demands, and keep the game going, I think if DeLoss can show McCombs that business wise and branding wise it's not a good deal for Texas to play A&M, McCombs being a consummate businessman will understand and back down.

Frankly there is nothing in it for Texas to keep the series going. And I'd say there is a better than 75% chance it will be put on hold for a few years, baring bowl game meetings.

you're an idiot horn. victory of what? pride?

You and your school's leadership are retarded if you can't see that this game is well above what's in tu or A&M's interests.

Oh really dreyOO , if Texas said the series would only stay alive if A&M reneged on its pledge to join the SEC, what would you say?

jeez, the game will continue. complaints from more big wigs and the public will require it.

Texas will lose value in its brand if it continues the game? What kind of stupid thought is that?

I think Texas would gain a lot of positive press by deciding to keep the oldest state rivalry alive.

AmusedHorn, everyone knows that the Big 12 is not built to last forever. It's a ten team league in a 12/14 team world. It has no championship game. It's markets are small compared to other conferences now. It's lost four of it's six biggest members. In the meantime adding a member who is in the same market, and has 71,000 living alumni. (A&M has 50,000 current students) and adding a member who is academically a joke and located over 800 miles away from it's nearest conference opponent.

The Big 12 was built to serve one member's wants and needs. One member, by the way, who tried to unilaterally kill the Big 12 by brokering a deal with the PAC-10, and then tried to force that deal on the rest of the Big 12 South (minus Baylor.)

Texas still has the Oklahoma rivalry, but their home schedule will become a joke. There will be no home opponent against a hated rival.

Meanwhile, in an apparent demonstration that he has learned nothing through all of this, Dodds has become determined to continue a Thanksgiving game, only it will be rotating, and it will always be in Austin.

However, this game is bigger than this moment in time. In ten years no one will care that A&M left for the SEC, it'll just be the way it is. I know a lot of Aggies don't want to hear this but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the sips attempted to join the SEC at some point, assuming the LHN fails, which it probably will.

A&M is at least going to a place that, while more challenging, shows a great deal of parity, has two established rivals already, and promises nationally televised games weekly, plus a conference network that will likely strongly increase the revenue of Texas A&M athletics.

We actually don't gain anything by playing you either except risking an L on the schedule. However, we're not scared little ***** like that. We'll play anytime, anywhere.

Bonfire, Hex Rally, Aggie War Hymn, Texas Fight, Hook 'Em, Bevo, none of these things would exist without the Texas A&M-Texas rivalry game. It should stay.

[This message has been edited by Nonregdrummer09 (edited 11/23/2011 3:21p).]

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Oh really dreyOO , if Texas said the series would only stay alive if A&M reneged on its pledge to join the SEC, what would you say?

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How about tu reneging on cowtv?

After all it is only fair if tu gets to do what is best for it, that A&M is allowed that same freedom.

And if McCombs wants it, Dodds will cave. He is smarter than Dodds and there is no bull*****brand damage from playing A&M.

I think the play of your football team the last 2 years and bad press surrounding LHN has hurt your brand more than anything else.

HOT OFF THE PRESS...
Rick Perry signed emergency legislation to keep Texas V Texas A&M on or on the day right after Thanksgiving.

This will be a headline soon.
For precidence - OU and OSU are joined at the hip with similar legislation.

[This message has been edited by txlilagg (edited 11/23/2011 3:40p).]

AmusedHorn, you may be right about the loss of face if you now agree to continue the game, but Dodds has made that bed. Even if McCombs understands that and agrees to hold for now, he also knows that this is Dodds' doing, and Dodds' will pay a heavy price in loss of support. We announced to the world along with the SEC and Slive that we would keep the date. Dodds refused and it is solely his choice to stop the series. The scheduling argument is a weak joke.

txlil, are you joking around here or is this for real? I haven't seen any news break yet but I wouldn't be surprised. It would be a great talking point to support Perry's campaign during the game tomorrow. Free publicity in front of a national audience is hard to get these days w/o making an ass out of yourself.

There is nothing in it for texas to keep the game going? You have got to be joking.

You need it more than we do. Have you seen the teams left in the big 12? Your home schedule is going to be ***** " Zzzzzzz" as Sherman would say.

Plus, it's a big rivalry. You can play that OU crap all you want but most texas fans don't live their daily lives Oklahoma grads. It's just an easy to say you don't care about it to save face when we beat your asses.

Fireinthehole, you could well be right and Dodds may have burnt a lot of bridges. But my point is that the likelihood of the game taking place next year is low.

See when Dodds first announced the end of the series the big name alumni could have forced him to retract. The longer it takes for the retraction waits the harder it gets.
And a retraction now or even later will only serve to expose internal divisions and turmoil at Texas (divisions I am sure exist!).

McCombs and other big donor alums might just keep quiet despite their desire to keep the series alive, simply to spare Texas the added embarrassment of airing internal problems.
Frankly I don't think te Texas administration would allow Dodds toile such a sweeping announcement if there was not at least some inkling of support from the likes of McCombs.

Publicly McCombs may voice his heartfelt support for keeping the series going. But behind the scenes he and others like him will not do anything to back Texas into an bara asking corner.

Fireinthehole, you could well be right and Dodds may have burnt a lot of bridges. But my point is that the likelihood of the game taking place next year is low.

See when Dodds first announced the end of the series the big name alumni could have forced him to retract. The longer it takes for the retraction waits the harder it gets.
And a retraction now or even later will only serve to expose internal divisions and turmoil at Texas (divisions I am sure exist!).

McCombs and other big donor alums might just keep quiet despite their desire to keep the series alive, simply to spare Texas the added embarrassment of airing internal problems.
Frankly I don't think te Texas administration would allow Dodds toile such a sweeping announcement if there was not at least some inkling of support from the likes of McCombs.

Publicly McCombs may voice his heartfelt support for keeping the series going. But behind the scenes he and others like him will not do anything to back Texas into an embarrassing corner.

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Frankly there is nothing in it for Texas to keep the series going.

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I think reality will set in for Texas fans the first time they see their home schedule and donation levels/season ticket prices side by side.

That said, I do think you're right about Texas losing face if they end up caving on their stand of not playing... which is why I really think the state legislature is how this eventually gets done. The game continues, politicians get to do something most people think is a big accomplishment, and Texas gets to pretend they were dragged into it against their will. Everybody wins.

They dont "have to" and they won't. Tech won't, Baylor won't. Enjoy playing Lamar.

Considering your best team in decades came to Kyle and lost by 27, Lamar would be an upgrade.

if by Lamar you mean taking a nice little bye week to rest some players during our conference play in the division with the top 3 teams in college football then okay, we will. Normally we use Baylor for that, but lamar is pretty much one and the same.

I'm not understanding why it hurts the Texas "brand" to decide to continue the game. Are you saying that it's better for the Longhorn brand to play TCU, Tech, or Baylor on Thanksgiving or during "rivalry week"? Do you think that even in a million years they could ever have the same media exposure that they get playing A&M each year in a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving night? The other aspect of the Longhorn brand is goodwill. Deloss detonated that bridge over the last 18 months as evidenced by the near revolt in the last few months with everyone looking for a way out of the Big 12.

I think you might need to study up a bit more on how you build a brand because what you're advocating is the opposite of how you build or sustain a brand. Agreeing to play the Aggies continues to get the most eyes on the Longhorns each Thanksgiving and it restores some of the busted goodwill that is hanging like an albatross around Deloss' neck. He will not look so petty if he chooses to continue the game.

Amused horn

"Publicly McCombs may voice his heartfelt support for keeping the series going. But behind the scenes he and others like him will not do anything to back Texas into an bara asking corner."

This is where you are wrong. Mr. McCombs clearly said the rivalry will continue. He said we will be playing each other next year. He said it is inconceivable it will not happen. If you listened to the interview you would know this. Red McCombs said everybody is on hold until after the game tomorrow. Then he said wheels are in motion (to paraphrase} to make sure Texas (the state) doesn't loose this game. He says it is our culture. It dosn't belong to tu or A&M, it belongs to the State! I believe Dodds will be eating crow. If Red McCombs says they game will go on, it will.

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If Red McCombs says they game will go on, it will.

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Red McCombs doesn't run anything. He can't just waltz into a room and demand this game continue.

As for this "rivalry" continuing in any sport: No thanks.

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As for this "rivalry" continuing in any sport: No thanks.

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the word butthurt is overused, but you sound so utterly butthurt.

We will see about that. The wheels are in motion my friend. Mr. McCombs said don't expect an announcement next week, expect one soon. I think I will go by what he says before any poster here! lol. After all he has donated more than $50 million to tu. Dodds most likely will listen to him.

As for dodds pride, expect Red McCombs and his center of influence to knock it down a bunch of places. lol

Let's see, Dodds as a branding and marketing guru. His recent displays of brilliance in that area:

* horns seen as the reason for continued defections from the Big 12/10/9/10? Check.

* horns and the longhorn network fiasco? Enough said. Check.

* horns seen as the spolied brats that they truly are for refusing to play the Aggies not only in football but in any other sport next year and beyond? Check.

Yeah, they're Texas.

McCombs won't bother to talk with Dodds about scheduling A&M. He spends his time talking to Powers and the BoR and other Big Money guys.

McCombs has given a ridiculous amount of money to Texas, more importantly though he has a LOT more he can continue to give, or not. Remember he didn't even graduate from Texas. He is not a man to be taken lightly.

I'm not understanding why it hurts the Texas "brand" to decide to continue the game. Are you saying that it's better for the Longhorn brand to play TCU, Tech, or Baylor on Thanksgiving or during "rivalry week"? Do you think that even in a million years they could ever have the same media exposure that they get playing A&M each year in a nationally televised game on Thanksgiving night? The other aspect of the Longhorn brand is goodwill. Deloss detonated that bridge over the last 18 months as evidenced by the near revolt in the last few months with everyone looking for a way out of the Big 12.

I think you might need to study up a bit more on how you build a brand because what you're advocating is the opposite of how you build or sustain a brand. Agreeing to play the Aggies continues to get the most eyes on the Longhorns each Thanksgiving and it restores some of the busted goodwill that is hanging like an albatross around Deloss' neck. He will not look so petty if he chooses to continue the game.


When the University is turned into a laughing stock of the press for having to eat crow after being to adamant that the series will not go on. When the pro-A&M writers and commentators (not to mention alumni, and current students) will for years, gleefully make fun of how Texas was forced to come crawling back to A&M and keep the rivalry alive,

If the series is played on next year, every year before the game, the world will be reminded how Texas did not really want to keep the game going, but was forced to do so (the reasons why, will be immaterial, whether they are legislative or pressure from alumni). It will be seen as an off-field A&M victory forever, Texas will never be able to live it down.

I’d say the Texas brand will suffer major image loss. Probably loss it will never recover from. The myth of Longhorn brand strength will be broken once and for all. Of course from the A&M point of view it’s a win win as your own brand strength will gain a lot of prestige.

For Texas if this series continues without break, it’s really a no-win scenario. I would think that as a businessman, McCombs (and other big name donors) can be convinced of that fact by Dodds and Powers.

I think the only way the series stays alive is if A&M makes Texas an offer it can’t refuse, or makes Texas look really petty for turning down an offer whereby A&M is bending over backwards in its efforts to keep this series going. Maybe that is what McCombs has in mind, that some kind of mutually acceptable agreement can be reached between A&M, whereby Texas does not have to eat crow, and A&M gets to keep the rivalry alive.

tl;dr

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makes Texas look really petty for turning down an offer

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That's the problem right there Horn. This isn't a fight between A&M and texas, this game is bigger than the sum of its parts, and A&M was smart enough to realize it and not threaten to end it when we moved conferences. Dodds wasn't as smart.

The conflict isn't A&M v. tu, rather it's:

A&M and tu vs. The people of the State of Texas

A&M's admin realized that we were subordinate to the People of Texas in this matter, tu on the other hand thought they were bigger than Texas. Dodds was wrong, and he will lose to the powers that be in the state in this matter, not to the powers at A&M.

I can see that this conversation is going to go nowhere. You are making the erroneous assumption that the longhorn brand has not already suffered damage due to the thumb sucking decision already made. The university looks petty and ridiculous. If anything, recanting and acknowledging a huge mistake might result in an improvement in the overall perception of tu