Coda (okay, probably not)

Nice interview with Jeff Bagwell, from Fox Sports Southwest.

And Justice for all?

Wow.

Granted, I haven't even finished my first cup of coffee this morning, but this actually sounds pretty reasonable to me. Protects the Astros, and would allow Bagwell to silence his multiplying critics.

Interesting, and reasonable.

So it will probably never happen.

The Bagwell channel--all Bagwell, all the time (at least it seems like it right now)

Oh. Migosh. This? Made me cry.

With laughter, for once.

Up to their old tricks

The Astros' front office, that is.

Roy Oswalt, Jeff Bagwell, and Roger Clemens have all been in the news lately. Looks like the 'Stros are going to make Roy Wonder wait for a contract extension again, Roger Clemens is being wooed by the Rangers, and Bagwell--well, what a saga. They've filed an insurance claim, saying he's disabled at this point and therefore will be unable to play. All Bagwell wants is a chance to find out in spring training. I personally think he should be given that chance--not for sentimental reasons, although I'm certainly sentimental where he's concerned. But it's only fair. Every other player under contract has a chance to prove themselves in spring training, including guys like Carlos Hernandez, who is only just now beginning to regain anything that resembles velocity (granted, in his case, millions of dollars are not at stake, but the point remains the same). And hell, last year they signed Lance Berkman to a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal while he was still coming off of major knee surgery--when they HAD NO IDEA IF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO RUN WELL ENOUGH TO PLAY HIS POSITION. I'm sure that contract's looking sweet to the Astros now as well, seeing as how Berkman's having surgery again.

Gaaaah.

Of course, if the Astros' insurance company is anything like mine, they'll find every reason they can to deny the claim on Bagwell.

Serves Uncle Drayton right.

Plea for perseverance

Dear Mr. Bagwell,

I haven’t written a fan letter since I was seven years old, but I wanted to say that I think you’re an inspiration for the way you’ve worked to come back from your surgery (even though I missed your fabulous hit against the Brewers).

I think it totally sucks that Uncle Drayton is trying to make you retire. Backpedaling a-hole. He proclaims to run a classy organization, but he’s coming across as such a cheap SOB that I’m no longer sure he would know class if it bit him in the buttocks. Makes me wish I hadn’t already bought next year’s tickets.

You hang in there. I’m looking forward to seeing you this next season. Maybe I’ll be able to get your autograph on your rookie card I just got. That would be cool.

Cheers,
Danyah

The tepid stove

The Astros signed Preston Wilson yesterday.

Bummer.

This post on a different blog pretty much sums up my feelings on the issue. As I—ahem, I mean the commenter—noted, very well-stated.

This local sportwriter, with whom I rarely see eye-to-eye, differs in his opinion.

We’ll see.

A maroon and black day

Texas A & M University was dedicated on October 4, 1876 as Texas’ first public higher education institution. The site of the institution was a spot in east Central Texas that was so remote that it was only marked by a stop on the train line from Dallas to Houston (thus, the town of College Station was born). The legislation that created the land grant college system, and thus Texas A&M, mandated military training as well as academic education. For virtually its first century, then, A & M was an all-male military college, with all students enrolling as members of the Corps of Cadets. Many of A & M’s most cherished traditions, such as Bonfire, yell practice, Muster, etc., grew out of the Corps experience.

The University of Texas was first conceived by an act of the Republic of Texas legislature in 1839. Due to admission to, then secession from the Union, and the Civil War, the University was not actually established until the 1880s, holding its first classes in 1883.

The two schools became instant arch rivals.

Much of Texas A & M’s lore originated in this heyday, and persists today. The A & M fight song includes lyrics referencing this rivalry, such as “saw varsity’s horns off” (varsity—as in high school, get it?) and “’the Eyes of Texas are Upon You,’ that is the song they sing so well—sounds like hell!” The fact that this fight song is entitled “The Aggie War Hymn” speaks volumes to the depth of emotion that this rivalry invokes in the Aggie faithful, past and present. A campus motto is, “I root for the Aggies, and whoever is playing t.u.” (as Aggies refer to the Longhorns).

I am an Aggie. I bleed maroon.

But I will never understand what happened last week.

A local sporting goods store, specializing in A & M-related items, started stocking a T-shirt in preparation for the upcoming Rose Bowl. The shirts said, “Texans for Texas—Gig ‘em, Horns!” and on the back, “For one day only—beat the hell outta USC!” (“Beat the hell outta _____” is the Aggies’ most famous yell.) I thought, huh. That’s kinda cool. Bet they don’t sell a whole lot of them, but whatever.

Well, apparently, they sold hardly any.

The store had to take the shirts from their shelves and destroy them because there were so many complaints. The store owners were compared to al-Qaeda members, and there were threats to burn the store down if the shirts continued to be sold.

The United States DOD defines terrorism as "the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological."

Aggies? As terrorists? The school whose creed is “Aggies don’t lie, cheat, or steal, nor do they tolerate those who do”?

I’ll bet A & M’s seven WWII Congressional Medal of Honor winners are rolling in their graves.

I am an Aggie. I bleed maroon.

For two decades, I went to almost every Bonfire, the great student-led and -created celebration of A & M’s “burning desire to beat the hell outta t.u.” I would have gone in 1999.

But instead, as a hospital worker, I helped process the bodies of the precious, precious kids who died when stack fell.

It was one of the saddest days of my life.

Individuals, and the community, found comfort in each other and in how the community pulled together to help the fallen and their families, and the injured. The events of that tragic time helped many, myself included, to re-focus on those things that truly matter—friends, family, helping each other. Not a sports competition.

The outpouring of love and support didn’t stop at the borders of Brazos County, though.

Our arch rivals, the Longhorns, held a candlelight vigil on UT’s campus, attended by almost 10,000 people.

How soon we forget.