"Say it ain't so...."

Tomorrow, the last rivalry will be played with the University of Texas Longhorns and the Texas A&M Aggies. Unless you're a Texan, there is no way you could understand...

Every Thanksgiving in my memory, the Longhorns have played the Aggies and the Cowboys play the the Redskins. It's what is on in the background in most Texan households as the women cook and catch up with family, and the men sit around and watch football. It's what we DO. Even both school fight songs mention the other school...

I don't understand what happened. All I know is that the Aggies got jealous and wanted out of the division we've always played in. And that is all. Just like that. A lifetime of rivalry is over.

Coming from a LONG line of Longhorns (my father, mother, aunt, uncle, grandfather, brother, sister, cousins), I can remember my father saying when I was very young, "Don't pick your nose, only Aggies do that," (and he wasn't kidding.) He also said I could go to any college I wanted to, but the only one he would pay for was UT (persuasive man, he was.) My father didn't miss a home game after he graduated until he had a stroke. And we had to tiptoe through the family room if there was a UT game on. And if we lost? Stay away from him the rest of the day.

We bleed burnt orange in our family so it is so strange to be looking at the last UT - A&M game EVER. I had a standing bet every year with the resident Aggie at my last job, and it was truly the day we set aside our friendship because we are both that loyal to our alma maters. As a matter of fact, his very nice wife (also an A&M graduate) told HER daughter that is my daughter's age, that she was afraid if DD went to UT, she would go to hell like all the other UT graduates.

Yes, the indoctrination on both sides starts young in Texas - usually with one of the first baby gifts being an outfit for the corresponding college. There are bumper stickers that say "a house divided" if you have family members that go to both schools. And at Texas weddings, usually both of the school songs are played, and the room divides in two, with each side yelling bragging rights. My 14 year old will not be able to truly understand this Texas tradition. After this year, I don't know WHAT we will do on Thanksgiving.

Maybe the world really IS ending next year...