I’m not saying the my beloved Ŧexas Ŧech Red Raider football program doesn’t deserve to win conference or even national championships. I am, however, saying that we lack a sense of purpose and a plan of action. Look, I’ve been a fan all my life. I’ll die being a fan. I am also a former student. I did not get to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, but I do hope to obtain my doctorate’s degree from Ŧexas Ŧech! #WreckEm! I bleed scarlet and black, 24/7/365. But, Ŧexas Ŧech has a serious problem, and we cannot call ‘Houston’ for help with this one.
You see, as much as I love Ŧexas Ŧech, I know (you know it, too) we are not on even keel as the storied football programs across the country or in the Big XII. The U of Texas can fire its poor-performing head football coach because that program has experienced conference championships and national championships throughout the many years. Texas has earned the right to demand better and quicker results of their football HC. The Texas A&M football program; they, too, like UT, have had success, but the thing that sets them apart is their alumni money. When Aggies don’t like something, the alumni complains to the powers-that-be at A&M; and threatens to not donate the millions of dollars they are known to donate each and every single year. Longhorn or Aggies fans don’t leave the football stadium in droves when their team is losing. Sorry, alma mater of mine/dear Ŧexas Ŧech, but this season I saw more fair-weather fans at Ŧexas Ŧech than I have ever seen in my entire life—more than I care to ever see again—leaving the hallowed bleachers of Jones Stadium when their Ŧexas Ŧech Red Raiders were losing. I have never left a game (and never will leave) when Ŧexas Ŧech was losing. The Red Raider fans are complaining this season, but when the masses had the chance to voice their concerns, they failed. Let’s go back to 2009 for elaboration.
We all know how the Ŧexas Ŧech football
program rose to fame, with great promise in hand—until the “Tech Three” messed
things up for the Ŧech football program in 2009: AD Gerald Myers, chancellor
Kent Hance, and president Guy Bailey fired Coach Leach. That was the beginning
of the downfall of the Ŧech football program. I attended numerous “Team Leach”
rallies and meetings. I sent letters and emails to the “Tech Three" demanding
that Leach not be fired, but nothing worked. There were plenty of Ŧech fans
bitching and complaining about the wrongful firing of Leach; many agreeing that
it would be to the detriment of the football program for years to come, but
there were hardly any Ŧech protestors protesting. Fans and alumni bitched
on social media, but few put their money where their mouth was, so the “Tech
Three” did whatever they wanted to do even if it put the program back to square
one. The “Tech Three” did not love our U as we did. Moreover, the “Tech Three” did
not listen to their fanbase or alumni, because as much as the fanbase and alumni
have currently resorted to leaving games early these days when Ŧech is losing, back in
2009, the fanbase and alumni were still just as complacent and not serious enough! The Ŧech fanbase and alumni still bitched, but they did little to
demand transparency and honesty from the Ŧech powers-that-be: the “Tech Three”
a.k.a. the Tech Administration. If fans and/or alumni do not voice their
concerns, no one will care. The Ŧech fanbase and alumni has allowed so many
unjust things to occur because they did not protest against them. Leaving a
football game early is not protesting. That is just called being a bad fan, a
t-shirt fan, or a fair-weather fan.
If we Ŧech fans and alumni want to one day be
a storied program based on conference titles and even a national championship
or more, we are going to have to demand more of our Ŧech administration. Let’s
not pound on the coaching staff who really is limited to how their own football
program works.
Love Coach Kingsbury or not, he is what Ŧech
stands for: He is loyal, enthusiastic, and a proud Matador. He did not come to
Ŧech to use our football program as a stepping stone—to better his own coaching
career. He came here because he genuinely loves his alma mater and wants to see
it prosper. He is not like coach Williams of the 80s or coach Tuberville of the
90s; Coach K came to Ŧech to see a dream realized: Not his dream of being an
HC, but a dream of turning the Ŧexas Ŧech football program around. The issues
that have plagued Ŧech are decades in the making. Coach Kingsbury cannot fix
the myriad of issues in just six years. To the Ŧexas Ŧech Admins, be hella
patient already and stick to your guns (pardon the pun), stick to the guy who
is as passionate about Ŧexas Ŧech as Ŧexas Ŧech is about Ŧexas Ŧech. Give Coach
K a chance. Give Ŧexas Ŧech a chance. Coach K is our chance!
As I have stated to many, Kingsbury will be fine following a firing. Many NFL and NCAA teams know
about his offensive genius and are ready to pounce on hiring him. But, what
about Ŧech? Who in their right mind will come here now? Any coach who is truly
deserving of coaching at Raiderland will probably pass because of how
erratically the university fires its coaches; without just cause and payment—as
with Leach and without loyalty and patience—as with Kingsbury. Ŧech is going to
draw from B-O-B: Bottom-of-the-Barrel. Or the next Ŧech coach is going to be
reminiscent of Williams and Tuberville and use the Ŧech football program as a
stepping stone. Coach Kingsbury would never have done anything intentional to
hurt his alma mater.
That's
my peace. Forever #WreckEm #EverydayIAmARedRaider #LongLiveTheMatadors
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