Cover Texas A&M & More for Houston Chronicle. Old D1 baseball lefty, author of 5 books 4 on A&M. 5thGenTXN, daily historian, 2021 nat'l FWAA beat writer of year
Notre Dame controversially received a spot ahead of Texas A&M in the 2020 College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame controversially received a basketball NCAA tourney bid in front of A&M in 2022.
A&M non-controversially eliminates Notre Dame from the '22 College World Series, 5-1.
Jimbo Fisher attended his first Aggie Ring ceremony, saw families crying and how much it meant to Aggies. He later pulled an A&M helmet out and told his players when that helmet means the same thing to them as the ring, the Aggies have a chance to get to where they want to be.
Texas A&M LB Tyrel Dodson had just practiced for 2 hours in 100 degree heat Friday when he saw a 9 yr old boy in indoor complex. So
@tdots25
offered to play baseball w/ the boy (my son), & even threw lefty because it was the only other glove around.
#ThankYou
#LifetimeMemory
I asked RB Trayveon Williams about no Texas A&M players through the years declining to play in bowl games:
βThat doesnβt even cross our minds. Every opportunity we get to wear the maroon & white uniform, we want to do thatβ:
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams, fighting back tears:
It has caused me to lose all respect and faith in the system and those who are in it. β¦ The process is obviously flawed. (Adds until transparency is part of process it will continue to be broken).
Louisville coach Dan McDonnell on his way out to Texas A&M and its home, Blue Bell Park:
'You guys have something special here. This is my first time here in 30 years, and this is special, this is neat. This fires me up, because this is what weβre trying to do.'
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher drops a βHowdyβ on the main media room stuffed with sportswriters.
Crickets in return.
Fisher: βYouβve got to say howdy back, dad gum.β
One of my roommates at Texas A&M in the mid 1990s was Foster Lott, a veterinarian in Minden, La. His brother-in-law, Jamey Pitman of the U.S. Army, was part of the flyover for Red, White and Blue Out II on Sept. 4 at Kyle Field.
What a view:
The Minute Maid Park crowd can tip its collective hat to self for impacting outcome. Both Rays OF Austin Meadows & 2B Brandon Lowe said deafening crowd contributed to dropped ball on popup -- caused lack of communication:
Meadows: 'It was ... tough to hear anything in general'
Texas A&M senior safety Leon OβNeal on his last game at Kyle Field: βThis place changed me. β¦ I love A&M with all my heart. β¦ These fans love you unconditionally.β
Almost positive the Georgia offense isnβt used to this much crowd noise from the opposing fan base in Sanford Stadium. Aggies contingent is absolutely rowdy:
Great answer from Texas A&M LB Buddy Johnson when asked where he'd rank the Aggies -- he said he had no idea: '(But) I can tell you what time we practice today.'
Here is LSU safety John Battle punching Cole Fisher, while Fisher and LSU staffer Kevin Faulk trade blows following Cole Fisher shoving Steve Kragthorpe:
Man, they are playing the late Charlie Robisonβs βMy Hometownβ here at Kyle Field at halftime. Makes my heart both happy and sad β and beats the heck out of that βIf Youβre Gonna Play in Texasβ mess.
The rivalry lives: Texas A&M soccer coach G Guerrieri said Texas has βduckedβ playing the Aggies since A&M joined the SEC in 2012.
Texas couldnβt avoid A&M in the NCAA Tournament on Friday night in College Station, and the Aggies prevailed 4-1.
A pleased Guerrieri:
Four years after heart surgery as a newborn, our littlest dude, Brady, officially started T-Ball this week. Wouldnβt have missed that first practice for the world.
#GodIsGreat
@CrystalGalny
Captain Obvious alert: This is a different Texas A&M program than we've seen in the past few years. Jimbo Fisher's grit has rubbed off on this team early in his tenure.
To give yβall an idea of the pomp around this yearβs Texas A&M spring game at 4 pm Saturday: 79 Kyle suites have been reserved, compared to 13 last year. The Pepsi Fan Zone will be bigger than it was for the β17 Alabama game. And a whopping 342 lettermen returning this weekend.
The Astros' Jose Altuve stood in the outfield and greeted and hugged and signed for one Uvalde resident after another, he didn't seem to want to leave. He practically had to be pulled away to start getting ready for Sunday's game against the A's:
10-year-old Caitlyne Gonzales of Uvalde, standing with her family in the Minute Maid Park outfield on Sunday before the Astrosβ series finale against the Oakland Athletics, proudly clutched a ball signed by Astros star Jose Altuve: via
@houstonchron
Texas A&M junior LB Tyrel Dodson got a little emotional afterward talking about Jimbo Fisher's impact on program over one season: 'I'm very grateful he came here.'
Jimbo Fisher said he's asked 'Does it scare you' about playing one of nation's toughest schedules (at Clemson, Alabama, at Georgia, at LSU to name a few):
'No. It excites me.'
Texas A&M senior offensive lineman Carson Green on the βwhole opt-out thingβ (and, yes, Iβm appreciative I can still cite examples like this to my kids on what it means to honor your commitment):
Texas A&M coach Rob Childress on Kody Clemens stare into Aggies dugout following 1st inning 3-run homer: βIf you donβt like it make a better pitchβ
George W. Bush once said Texas A&M and its environment 'added 10 years' to his dad's life. Here's part of the reason why, and it has to do with Aggie athletics:
Nick Saban on Texas A&M in general: βGreat addition to our league. Great facilities and a great academic institution. Really good program, historically. And itβs great for the SEC to have a presence in Texas, and Texas A&M is a first-class institution.'
Official: Texas A&M University Director of Athletics Scott Woodward has relieved Head Football Coach Kevin Sumlin of all duties effective immediately. Assistant Coach Jeff Banks will serve as interim head coach.
Texas A&M trackβs Infinite Tucker knocked pennies off the Sul Ross statue & told a man trying to stand guard of the statue not to touch him. (Language).
A&M receiver Jhamon Ausbon, whose leadership was at full throttle throughout Friday evening, urged calm & respectful discourse:
Zwerneman sounds a little like Zapruder, right? Iβve acquired video disputing Steve Kragthorpeβs version of postgame fight β he was shoved by Cole Fisher, not punched. More to come, including LSU safety John Battle punching Cole Fisher while Fisher & Kevin Faulk trade blows:
A 3 yr old girl on our plane that just landed in Houston out of the blue just yelled, βRUN THE BALL JIMBO!β People chuckled and her dad said, I taught her that.
Jimbo Fisher 10-minute presser is over -- never seen or heard anything like that. Completely disassociated himself from Nick Saban and told reporters to check into how Saban has done things in past.
Texas A&M honored the Doziers as the Military Appreciation Family of the Game, and A&M freshman Tucker Dozier got the surprise of his year when his father, James Dozier of the Army, came home early from an overseas deployment and joined the family at Kyle Field tonight:
Should LSU come open after this season Jimbo Fisher will not be a part of that equation for the Tigers. Jimbo & Courtney Fisher are quite happy in Bryan-College Station, and that won't change any time soon. Texas A&M is really good about meeting Jimbo's requests, understandably.
Kellen Mond said A&M chancellor John Sharp and A&M president Michael Young agree with him that A&M needs βchange,β but Mond added: βAwareness means nothing without action to meβ
Kingsley Keke planned to play football at Texas. Then his English teacher at George Ranch High, a lifelong LSU fan, suggested he at least visit Texas A&M. The rest is Aggies D-line history:
Jimbo Fisher is a really good overall head coach, and one heck of a recruiter (with evidence to support that claim).
If he zeroed in on those roles and just running the overall operation, I believe the Aggies are a dynamic playcaller away from being in title mix as soon as 2023:
Texas A&M on Saturday served up another prime example of why coach Jimbo Fisherβs primary offseason duty should be recruiting ... a play-caller on offense to take his place in that role: via
@houstonchron
Jimbo Fisher on his players constantly hearing how tough Texas A&Mβs schedule is this season (βIf a dog doesnβt bite when heβs a pup heβs not going to bite when heβs a dogβ):
Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle on trying to figure out if a big box that Pringles sent his program violates any rules:
'The NCAA is always looking to screw up a good day'
A pleased Jimbo Fisher on nearly 105,000 at Kyle Field tonight for Texas A&M 30, South Carolina 6:
βThereβs not an atmosphere or environment like this in college football.β
Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork on Aggies' football vacancy:
'This is not an 8-4 job ... You win the national championship, you'll get paid like a national championship coach' via Aggie Fan Zone radio show, should be free link:
BREAKING NEWS: TEXAS A&MβS CULLEN GILLASPIA HAS DECLARED FOR THE NFL DRAFT (of course he just played his final game as a senior, when he scored a TD in the Gator Bowl):
When did you ever think youβd see this in the shadow of Kyle Field? Texas A&M sophomore Preston Greenwood from Austin dangled the hook this morning for a time in the new Aggie Park (yes, he released his catch). Good times:
Gotta hand it to junior Devon Achane, and NFL guys should notice this: He could have sat out the finale with the idea of (likely) preparing for the NFL Draft and avoiding further injury. He's out there trying to lead the Aggies to an upset of LSU.
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher showing the fellas how itβs done (skills first learned on the family farm near Clarksburg, West Virginia) as part of what I believe is A&Mβs greatest annual day:
The Big Event. Fisher & football team were at Twin City Mission today.
/pic courtesy AC
Jimbo Fisher on picking next 12th Man to replace Cullen Gillaspia:
βI want to take my time & make sure we do it right. I want to see what goes on in summer & a little bit of fall camp. Itβs a great honor and I take it very seriously. I want to make sure we pick the right guy.β
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher at SEC Spring Meetings on Texas choosing Oklahoma over A&M, if SEC opts for lone annual rival scheduling model starting in 2024:
βWeβre not going to live our life worried about Texasβ
Texas A&M's Gary Blair, 73, after Aggies beat Marquette to advance to Sweet 16:
'I'm tired of people second-guessing this team. I'm tired of people trying to figure out when I'm going to retire.'
Jimbo Fisher said when Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp took a dip of Copenhagen during Fisher's introductory press conference that Fisher told himself, "I'm right where I need to be." He added w/ a chuckle, "I've never seen that happen before."
Texas A&M assistant Elijah Robinson ran meeting with players. He is expected to be interim for final 3 games. A&M OL Mark Nabou told me as he left meeting, βWeβre going to do our thing and still play football β¦ itβs a setback but weβre still going to keep playing football.β
I asked Jimbo Fisher if he would consider focusing on head coaching and perhaps turn over play-calling duties at some point if it would help his offense:
Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp to the
@HoustonChron
on if they had any concern about signing Jimbo Fisher to a 10-year guaranteed contract: βYes. We couldnβt get him to agree to a 15-year deal, so this is the best we got.β
Seems pretty simple: Texas A&M has won six consecutive games in SEC play by double digits (and seven in a row overall).
Does anyone really believe at this point in the season Clemson would be destroying the Aggies 34-10 if they played today?
Forbes lists Texas A&M as 'most valuable program.' A&M chancellor John Sharp: 'We've always had the best, most loyal fan base in the nation w/ the 12th Man. What we were missing were the best facilities & coaches the fan base deserved. Problem solved.'
His entire life centered on taking care of his family, including his bride of 64 years & 6 kids.
An extraordinary example of a life well lived, in serving his country & community. And man oh man was he revered for his hayrides.
Bill Zwerneman, 86, of Dime Box, Texas, 1936-2023.
Texas A&M fined $50,000 by the SEC for fans rushing the field after the Aggies' 74-72 seven overtime victory over LSU on Saturday night. I'm guessing the Aggies find it well worth it.