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LET IT BURN. Continuing our fanpost week here at GBH, we are proud to bring you DionCGallery's Bonfire Q&A. This is an inspiring, thoughtful piece. Whatever your thoughts are about off-campus bonfire, this will inform you and it may change your perceptions. I confess: I was a junior at A&M in 1999 and I will never forget those days. I formed a strong opinion that Bonfire should never be built again after costing the lives of 12 Aggies. Mostly, I didn't believe it would be the same. Prior to reading this piece I knew nothing about the Bonfire being built in recent years. Now, after insight into the current Bonfire, I believe it could continue to grow into a fitting memory to those who died and once again become an event to unite all Aggies.
MORE FANPOST LOVE. Be sure to check out Josh_EnglishAggie's fanpost comparing the experiences of being a college football fan to that of an English soccer hooligan. After reading it I have a burning desire to attend an EPL match (I'm a Tottenham fan) but at the same time I'm terrified I will be beaten to a bloody pulp by Bullet Tooth Tony during the match. Perhaps the only safe way to attend one would be to bring Thacktor along to ensure I get drunk enough, and Dr. Camacho to make sure we don't die.
THE APPLE DOESN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE. Yes, Jake Matthews is good. His dad was good. His brothers are good. His cousins are good. The Matthews boys can play the footballz. NFL Draft Scout breaks down Jake's performance against fellow NFL prospect Chris Smith during the Razorback game. Spoiler: Jake got the better of it.
WE DON'T JUST LOVE AGGIE FOOTBALL. We love all our A&M athletes, and swimmer Breeja Larson is a world class athlete who continues to represent A&M well. The two-time defending NCAA 100-meter breaststroke champion was recently named to the U.S. swimming team for an upcoming meet in Scotland. Looking forward to seeing her in Brazil someday!
FRIDAY SOAPBOX. It's not that you could find a single A&M fan who regrets moving to the SEC, but last night's Texas/ISU game was a vivid reminder of why we left the decaying despotic wasteland of conference that is the Big 12. In case you missed it, after Texas had "driven" the field thanks to multiple pass interference calls (their best passing strategy on the night), running back Jonathan Gray fumbled the ball attempting to get into the end zone. Here is the gif.
Of course, the play was blown dead. Never mind that the Iowa State defender clearly was running with the ball by the time the play was blown dead. The official ruling was that "he was down by contact". But...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Back to Texas, the referee clearly stated the ruling was down by contact. If the ball was out before his right leg hit, it is a fumble.</p>— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePereira/statuses/385988593342115840">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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They reviewed the play anyway. But....
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>If they ruled down by contact, then it should have and looks like it should have been reversed because there was a clear recovery.</p>— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePereira/statuses/385974742194192384">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>And if reversed, Iowa State would be given the ball where they got possession with no return.</p>— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikePereira/statuses/385989490096889856">October 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Here is the thing. Everyone states that there must be "conclusive video evidence" to overturn. LOOK AT THAT GIF! That is conclusive! It's conclusive if you can make the damn conclusion that the Iowa State player got the ball before he was down! Everyone can see it! Paul Rhoads saw it on the scoreboard! The announcers in the booth (The beloved Rece Davis, the respected Skinny David Pollack, and the hipster doofus Jesse Palmer) all agreed that it was a fumble, but that it "probably won't get overturned". WHY THE HELL NOT?! ISN'T THAT WHAT REPLAY IS FOR?
Nope. Play stands. Even though any objective observer anywhere in the world can tell you that it was a fumble and Iowa State wins the game. But, this is the Big12 Iowa State. Texas has all the money and its the money that talks and you know what walks. Have a nice stroll.
As many noted last night, this isn't an isolated incident either. Texas has been the beneficiary of "questionable" calls for years. I'll leave it to you in the comments to identify some of them. The ones that stand out in my mind are Nebraska in the 2009 Big 12 title game, the "personal foul" against A&M in the 2011 contest, and phantom pass interference calls against Kansas in 2005. One last challenge for the GBH Commentariat, can anyone identify ANY time where Texas got screwed for a terrible call? In any sport? I can't.
/steps off soapbox
Have a good day everyone. 10-4 good buddies.