Aggieland, Revisited . . .

Aggieland, Revisited . . .

This is an update on a place that I have visited. It will be much different from the other time that I wrote of this land. It was a place of regret and is now a place of hope.

Saturday, September 19, 2009.

I am hopped up on coffee and listening to U2. There is grease leaking in my trunk from my grill. There is an open bag of Jalapeño chips nestled on my passenger seat. They will provide my nourishment for this trip. My windshield is covered with sap and I can barely see through the glare of the new day sun. I am going to Aggieland.

The reason this is such an important trip is because of who I was the last visit. I think that I have changed a lot and my life is on a new chapter. I was once scared of this place because it was different. I feared what I did not understand. I didn’t understand who I was and that led me to hate everything on this blue marble. That has changed and I now have a crush on College Station, TX.

I arrive at 10 AM. It is 8 hours until kick off and I must set up the tailgate. It will be very low-key as I am armed with the simplest of items. I have a set of chairs, a grill, sausage and hamburgers, chips and beer. This is what I have packed from my home in Austin. This is what I brought to Texas A&M to enjoy the atmosphere of Aggieland.

There is a culture at Texas A&M. This is a culture that I do not understand. It is a culture that I do not want to understand. There is a passion there for the Aggies that I have not seen at a sporting event outside of a Yankees game. Everyone is friendly. Everyone is helpful. Everyone is motivated to one goal, an Aggie victory. It is a culture that many do not like as they do not understand it.

I dropped off these items at Spence Park. This park is located in the shadow of Kyle Field. There were dozens of tents and grills already set up upon my arrival. I placed my modest belongings under a tree and left. I went to find a parking spot and returned to find them unharmed. Only in Aggieland can you place unmarked items under a tree only to return to see them untouched. I set up the tailgate and waited for my roommates. The true Aggie fans spent the evening with family and I was waiting for them. They were my key into this world. Without them, I would be an outsider. But, with them, I was an Aggie.

This is redundant, but I live in Austin. Austin is home to the University of Texas. This school is the main rival of Texas A&M. I look at these schools as I look at my other sports rivals. I will go through and piece together why the Texas A&M Aggies are the New York Yankees and the University of Texas Longhorns are the Boston Red Sox.

My roommates arrived with more refreshments and a football. Best move of the day was the football as it offered hours of entertainment. I finally learned how to use a charcoal grill as I utilized way too much lighter fluid. I made a meal of sausage and inedible hamburgers. We enjoyed the food and the crowd around us. Everyone was clad in maroon and white. Everyone was at peace and happy. It was the perfect afternoon.

Ok, I know people recoiled with that statement and I am sorry to offend Aggie fans that dislike the Yankees or vice versa. It is just the traditions of both institutions that causes me to think of this analogy. When I think of tradition I think of the Yankees. They have won the most, have always been the most famous and have not changed anything for a 100 years. When I think of Texas A&M, I think of the same things. The Yankees and the Aggies have traditions that will intimidate those with closed minds toward enjoying the experience.

We were able to purchase tickets 5 rows from the field in the end zone. The Aggies emerged from the locker room a few feet from our seats and we were in the action. The game went well as the Aggies smoked hapless Utah State. A&M has a very powerful offense and a solid enough defense. They will be more of a challenge this year than they were last year. There is a good chance that they could make a bowl game and that would be a very large improvement from last year.

UT is the Red Sox. Both have not won much. Both think that they have indeed won a lot more than they have. Both have awful colors. Both are located in cities that are very similar, Boston and Austin. Both have large amounts of fans that have never participated or gone to the University or stadium in which they play. Both are very arrogant and that life does not exist outside of a small bubble that is the campus or the city. And, both are the main rivals of two of my favorite teams in sports.

A visit to Aggieland is a visit to a Mecca for sports. There is nothing in the world of college football quite like it. There is honor for the past. There is respect for the present. There is hope for the future. Everyone in Aggieland understands this and it is a community. These same attributes exist in New York with the Yankees. When you show up to a game, even if you hate the team, you have to love the respect. If you wear a Yankee shirt you will be in a family in the Bronx. People will buy you beer and talk to you about anything in life. Both are institutions that have to be witnessed in person to understand the sublime emotions of the events.

This Saturday was much better than the last time I visited this place. I was open to the change and I did my research. I studied the words to the Aggie War Hymn and sang it as best as I could. I loved watching the March In and made friends from New Jersey. I enjoyed perfect weather with two of my closest friends in Austin. It was a perfect Saturday because I allowed it to be.

Moral: Texas A&M is going to be pretty good this year. Do not use too much Lighter fluid. The Yankees and Aggies are similar in many traditions. Let yourself look for the positive at all times.