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Texas A&M Football

The 'Bad Guys': Why A&M should embrace role as CFB's newest 'villain'

February 9, 2022
36,826

As a college football traditionalist, I hated when Texas A&M would wear black helmets.

But I love that the Aggies are now wearing black hats.

As the old saying goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

Relish the fact that A&M football is being talked about from coast to coast, even if the discussion is based on a lie perpetuated by a less-than-reputable source.

Crazy isn’t it? A university with a legacy of honor and service is now betrayed by national media as the bad guys of college football.

Kirk Herbstreit, Jim Rome, Greg McElroy, Rick Neuheisel and several others have questioned A&M’s methods in compiling the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class.

They’re all seemingly willing to accept a report from something called BroBible by someone called ‘Sliced Bread’ that A&M has a $30 million slush fund to pay recruits.

Never mind that coach Jimbo Fisher flatly denies such a fund exists. Never mind five-star defensive end Walter Nolen‍ said if he wanted to make money, he’d have signed with his home-state program, Tennessee. Never mind that five-star defensive tackle Shemar Stewart‍ said something similar about his hometown Miami.

David Bowie
Headlined by five-star Walter Nolen, A&M’s 2022 recruiting class is the highest-rated class in the history of recruiting, surpassing Alabama’s 2021 class.

Never mind that no shred of legitimate evidence has been raised to prove those accusations. Indeed, some claim Fisher’s vehement denial is proof.

If it isn’t true, they reason, then why was Fisher so upset by the false reports?

That’s what the media has become.

A coach is now vilified for defending himself against unsubstantiated accusations.

But it’s OK. The more A&M is discussed, the more the interest of high school prospects may be piqued.

Some that had little knowledge of A&M might be willing to visit. Once here, they see spectacular athletic and academic facilities. They meet Fisher and his coaches. They see an amazing game-day atmosphere. They see a safe town. They may even see A&M defeat Alabama. They may see themselves as a part of a rising program.

You know… All the stuff many in the media conveniently ignore.

Additionally, some kids may be attracted to the “bad boy” image that seems to have been bestowed on A&M.

Miami in the ‘80s and ‘90s were the bad boys of college football. The Hurricanes played hard. They were tough. They were brash.

They really weren’t bad guys. They were just portrayed as villains by the same media types that always proclaim college football is better when Notre Dame is good.

Kids loved the persona. Miami went from mainly recruiting South Florida to recruiting on a national scale. National championships followed.

Might the same thing happen in College Station?

A&M is being mentioned now more than at any time since Johnny Manziel’s Heisman campaign. Other than that, one may have to go back to the Jackie Sherrill hiring of 1982 when A&M was such a topic of national discussion.

A&M is being mentioned now more than at any time since Johnny Manziel’s Heisman campaign. Other than that, one may have to go back to the Jackie Sherrill hiring of 1982 when A&M was such a topic of national discussion.

Or is it national disdain?

The national media laughed when A&M pursued coach Jimbo Fisher five years ago. Then, several media members seemed personally offended when Fisher accepted a lucrative offer and left Florida State.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports still frequently refers to Fisher’s contract and salary in his articles.

Then some seemed taken aback when Fisher resisted overtures from LSU to fill its coaching vacancy.

When the national media squawks about A&M, kids hear it. Some that previously knew little about A&M might want to know more.

Give an open door to Fisher and his staff, and they can sure close a deal. That’s just a figure of speech, Dennis.

Nobody denies Texas A&M athletes are benefitting from NIL deals. Several already have deals, and several more will. It’s all legal.

Last June, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law SB 1385, which allowed student-athletes to profit from Name, Image & Likeness.

However, the law restricts colleges and universities from directly providing compensation to student-athletes for their NIL deals.

But some want to believe the unbelievable $30 million slush fund narrative.

Let them. The more they talk about A&M, the more A&M remains in the news, and the more potential recruits will be interested in wearing the black hat.

And the Maroon helmet.

Discussion from...

The 'Bad Guys': Why A&M should embrace role as CFB's newest 'villain'

30,384 Views | 27 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by AG81
Detmersdislocatedshoulder
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It would be funny for the Aggies to be viewed as the raiders of college football. But hey I will take it. Just win baby.
Meximan
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Billie Eilish intensifies
CCAD AG
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Damn sure don't want to be seen as the Miami of the 80s and 90s. They enjoyed and embraced the THUG image, not a hard nosed but clean program.

Don't want any part of that.
maroonthrunthru
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Olin -

This whole "The Aggies bought their recruiting class" nonsense is baffling to me…

If I understand the rules correctly, NIL is available to any college athlete….

There is no "cap" on how much an athlete can earn….

There is also no cap on how much a group of companies or "boosters" can put together to pay NIL dollars to athletes…

So, I say, if it takes $30 or $40 or $100 million in a "fund", slush or otherwise, let's do it….

IMHO, the only people *****ing about a $30 million slush fund, are those that used to make it work with a $100k slush fund, and they're too cheap to keep up with us…

The price of poker just went up… As a famous Dewsh once said… "We ARE the Joneses"….
inch05
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AG
great article OB!
TAMU74
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AG
Embrace the Hate and to hell w/ the naysayers.
All Ahead Full.
Take no Quarter.
cageybee77
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AG
Agree, but it's really tough to not defend A&M on twitter. I'll try harder.
el_guapo
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"The black hat" and "the maroon helmet". Niiiiiice.
Iraq2xVeteran
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AG
Detmersdislocatedshoulder said:

It would be funny for the Aggies to be viewed as the raiders of college football. But hey I will take it. Just win baby.
I am die hard San Francisco 49ers fan, and I like that analogy.
Iraq2xVeteran
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AG
Olin Buchanan wrote an excellent article. The mainstream sports media just can't accept that we recruited the No. 1 class fair and square. When we the SEC West and beat Georgia to win the SEC Championship Game, we will become the first team other than Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee to win the SEC.
jsmc71
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AG
F em. F em all.
The Agly Duckling
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Well done, Olin.
68RebelE
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AG
What I love is the fact that The 12Th Man gets it!!
Can't wait for next big SEC foe to come to Kyle Field. The 12th Man is just waiting to erupt!! Packed house!!!
Bring your ear protectors.
Bill Superman
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AG
They're really gonna hate us when we win big.

Embrace the hate.
Clay1987
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Excellent article.
Jarrin' Jay
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AG
Jimbo has always been an elite recruiter and an excellent closer. He was even at FSU which had poor facilities, avg. fanbase and resource, and U. while recruiting against the SEC as an ACC team. His last 4 classes at A&M have been ranked 1/4/6/8. Didn't hear any complaining when we finished 4th in recruiting.

As Jimbo said about our elite recruiting... "get used to it!"
Z Team
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AG
Hoping it makes athletes feel slighted by the media and then ignore them the rest of their time here. Olin is part of the media and can't acknowledge that the media is more worthless today than ever and needs to be ignored all the more.

Hope all the hate is channeled into the loudest game day environment ever. Bring the HAT.
redfish24
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AG
Love the content despite the paragraph murder scene!
Meximan
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Z Team said:

Hoping it makes athletes feel slighted by the media and then ignore them the rest of their time here. Olin is part of the media and can't acknowledge that the media is more worthless today than ever and needs to be ignored all the more.

Hope all the hate is channeled into the loudest game day environment ever. Bring the HAT.

Olin's been one of the loudest critics of the media there is.
dixichkn
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AG
Meximan said:



Olin's been one of the loudest critics of the media there is.
This. OB is basically you and me, only with a mic.

Love this article
Caesar4
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AG
Quote:

A university with a legacy of honor and service is now betrayed by national media as the bad guys of college football.
I think you meant portrayed?
dixichkn
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AG
Caesar4 said:

Quote:

A university with a legacy of honor and service is now betrayed by national media as the bad guys of college football.
I think you meant portrayed?
Either one applies, honestly
greg.w.h
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AG
dixichkn said:

Caesar4 said:

Quote:

A university with a legacy of honor and service is now betrayed by national media as the bad guys of college football.
I think you meant portrayed?
Either one applies, honestly
For the sake of clarity, could you point out the national media perpetrator you're accusing???
Old Sarge
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AG
You know you are over your target when the flak gets heavy, and it's picking up intensity. We are getting outside the box we are supposed to stay in and they don't like it one bit.

Hate us cause you ain't us, azzholes.
Green is the new RED.
Agsuffering@bulaw
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No, we're not the bad guys! We played by the rules and won recruiting day!

Not our fault that a bunch of herp infected left wing jornos don't like us! Not our fault that they cannot understand all the ways the game has changed!

Those Miami programs recruited illiterate criminals. Everyone ends up with a bad apple or two, but we don't have a team full of disgrace.

Saban is old and may not be around by the time they declare. Kirby is supposedly difficult even by coach standards. LSU and Florida just fired their coaches. Everyone else is looking for a better job.

At the beginning of the season, saban was bragging about paying their QB a million dollars. Now, he is crying poor.

The sleeping giant woke up. Their ignorance is their problem!
jsmc71
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AG
AG81
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AG
That will all end when the tsips join the SEC. They'll quickly return to the national villain status to which they've become accustomed.
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