The beginning of the fall semester at Texas A&M is one of Chelsea’s and my favorite times of the year. Just like the hope that fills students at the beginning of the semester’s classes, so too are the hearts of Texas Aggie football fans filled with hope and excitement.
It’s never a season until the last game is played, and with the advent of the Jimbo Fisher era at Texas A&M, naturally we’re all just so prepared to win every game. I saw it last weekend when we played Clemson. Even though sports journalists were trying to deliver the news that we were underdogs, true Aggie fans ignore rational predictions and jump in full force with our abiding hope that we will do what no other team can do in crushing a national championship team at the beginning of our year.
Winning every game is not part of this season’s projections, though, because the flashes of brilliance we’ve come to enjoy on the part of players whose names we are just now learning are still on their way. Our family is steadfastly behind the teaching process and learning through trial and error that comes with NCAA football. Each week we will be better, stronger, faster, and definitely more crowd-pleasing with each game.
Chelsea and I try to attend every out-of-town game. A few years back not everyone understood why and how it was so important to become part of the SEC, but these days, it seems like we’ve always been there.
And, when we travel, we just seem to stop at any Waffle House in SEC territory that we can. And we just might be getting one.
From a recent story in The Eagle: “According to the official Twitter for Waffle House, the chain will visit the Clayton W. Williams Jr. Alumni Center on the Texas A&M campus from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 4. Waffle House will also be visiting San Antonio and Oxford, Mississippi. In a poll posted early Friday, Waffle House asked which city should receive a visit. Out of more than 69,000 votes cast, College Station received 44%, with San Antonio receiving 34% and Oxford garnering 22%. The chain announced early Saturday that they ‘couldn’t choose just one city’ to visit.”
With waffles on my mind, I started making my list of 12 reasons that we can use to explain to others why football season in Aggieland means so much:
- Jimbo Fisher–no further explanation required.
- SEC play means great road trips, but when “they” come here, we get to show them Aggie hospitality!
- The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band always wins halftime!
- Miss Reveille is always ready to win, needs no coaching, and barks at opponents when asked.
- You know you’re always going to have a great time at Kyle Field, now it is at its biggest, best, and brightest form.
- The Aggie Corps of Cadets’ March-In gives chills to residents and visitors alike as we watch these fine young students willingly giving their time to discipline, training, and military studies in addition to their regular academic studies.
- Maroon and white goes perfectly with any Aggie occasion! You can even get official Aggie attire for your golden doodle!
- Watching families bring their young children dressed up in maroon and white, teaching them the yells and the school songs.
- Blue Angel flyovers at Aggie games, sometimes with Aggie pilots.
- Aggie class reunions from 50 years ago happen at football weekends and it feels great to sometimes see people who remember A&M the way my grandfather and great uncle did is a nice memory. We have changed a lot, and yes much of it for the better, but it’s fun to discuss when college registration and roaming cattle were both part of the Animal Science pavilion area.
- Firing the cannon after every Aggie scoring opportunity is great, unless you’re seated directly behind the cannon. Try not to sit there.
- Kissing your date after any Aggie player scores!
Now if we can just get a Waffle House in Bryan or College Station, I’ll be very happy.
See you at Kyle Field next weekend to BTHO Auburn!
