![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[Battalion - Feature] :: Away Games
Sep. 25th, 2002 08:51 pmWhen it comes to taking school spirit to away games, Aggies are...
On The Road Again
By DENISE SCHOPPE
September 25, 2002
"Soon we're doing 100 (mph) with the logic of 'There's not enough room in the county jail for 45 Aggies'," said Warren Neeley, class of 1978, as he recalled the trip he took as a Texas A&M student to an away game versus Texas Tech.
"I was on the Student Aggie Club, now 12th Man Foundation, charter bus to Tech in either '76 or '77. The 30-year-old bus with crappy air conditioning broke down on the road just short of Abilene, in a year long before cell phones," Neeley said. "Hours passed trying to get the bus fixed. Finally, the charter company said they were sending a replacement bus, and they would haul us back to College Station, not to the game."
Unwilling to give up on the goal to make it to Lubbock, Neeley and a few others in the group hitchhiked into Abilene.
With the help of a fellow Aggie giving them a VISA card number, they rented enough cars to carry the group the rest of the way.
"We made a pact that (even though) it was too far to make the game and unsafe to try that speed, we were gonna go get with the Ags that took care of us," Neeley said. "Well, the caravan takes off. The game comes on the radio. Ags score, lights flash, horns honk and we speed up a little. Texas Tech scores, same thing."
The group arrived at the stadium just as much of the crowd was leaving.
"We see Texas Tech score, we see the Aggies score two Tony Franklin field goals and one touchdown, and the Ags win the game," Neeley said.
Winning the game is what students hope to see when they follow the team to any destination.
Kathleen Jansen, class of 2002, had a positive experience at the Pittsburgh game earlier this month.
She currently lives in Wilkes Barre, Pa. and made the five-hour drive to Pittsburgh for the Aggie game against the University of Pittsburgh this season.
"I met up with a friend from Toledo, Ohio, and two others from Washington, D.C. I took two of my roommates: one who graduated from Notre Dame and the other from University of Portland, to yell," Jansen said. "I go around whooping all the time, and I wanted to show (my roommates) that there were other people like me."
Every Thursday night before an away game, Midnight Yell is held on campus at The Grove.
On the night before the game, there is another Midnight Yell scheduled at a designated site in the city where the game will be held.
Jansen said her friends didn't come to the game with her the next day.
"I was actually sitting in the alumni section with the players' families. We were right next to the band, though. It was the first time I've ever sat down for a game and it was very bizarre," Jansen said. "The yell leaders were right in front of us so whenever they did a yell we stood up. There were maybe 10 people in our section who were standing. So we were up and down the whole time. It was great seeing lots of maroon again."
Many students want the players to see a sea of maroon when they make the trip to an away game.
The 12th Man Student Foundation is planning a group trip to the Oklahoma State University game in November.
"We are actually staying in Oklahoma City and taking the 12th Man charter bus," said Angela Milmo, a senior sports management major. "We are in the process of finding out about Midnight Yell. We will probably just go out to eat as a group, but we are looking through a brochure about Oklahoma city and the attractions there. Pretty much the game will be our focus."
Luann Hedrick, class of 1998, warns that obnoxious fans at away games are to be expected, but there is "a huge difference between obnoxious and rude."
"I had a few Ohio State fans who stood outside the game after it was over-we lost by eight points-telling us how our team shouldn't have even been there, because we weren't nearly on the same level, and went as far as to make fun of my mom, who was with the group at the time," Hedrick said.
However, Hedrick said her worst experience was at a game in Austin in 1995.
"I remember t.u. fans throwing full souvenir size cups of Coke at Reveille that the Corps guys had to defend her from," Hedrick said. "Throughout the whole game I heard comments about Aggie women and how they were planning to throw a few Aggies into their fountain and, of course, a lot of comments I wouldn't repeat."
Hedrick had a suggestion on how to handle such situations.
"Best thing to do is ignore them unless you want to end up in a fight," she said. "We got our revenge with a win."
Also Found Here
On The Road Again
By DENISE SCHOPPE
September 25, 2002
"Soon we're doing 100 (mph) with the logic of 'There's not enough room in the county jail for 45 Aggies'," said Warren Neeley, class of 1978, as he recalled the trip he took as a Texas A&M student to an away game versus Texas Tech.
"I was on the Student Aggie Club, now 12th Man Foundation, charter bus to Tech in either '76 or '77. The 30-year-old bus with crappy air conditioning broke down on the road just short of Abilene, in a year long before cell phones," Neeley said. "Hours passed trying to get the bus fixed. Finally, the charter company said they were sending a replacement bus, and they would haul us back to College Station, not to the game."
Unwilling to give up on the goal to make it to Lubbock, Neeley and a few others in the group hitchhiked into Abilene.
With the help of a fellow Aggie giving them a VISA card number, they rented enough cars to carry the group the rest of the way.
"We made a pact that (even though) it was too far to make the game and unsafe to try that speed, we were gonna go get with the Ags that took care of us," Neeley said. "Well, the caravan takes off. The game comes on the radio. Ags score, lights flash, horns honk and we speed up a little. Texas Tech scores, same thing."
The group arrived at the stadium just as much of the crowd was leaving.
"We see Texas Tech score, we see the Aggies score two Tony Franklin field goals and one touchdown, and the Ags win the game," Neeley said.
Winning the game is what students hope to see when they follow the team to any destination.
Kathleen Jansen, class of 2002, had a positive experience at the Pittsburgh game earlier this month.
She currently lives in Wilkes Barre, Pa. and made the five-hour drive to Pittsburgh for the Aggie game against the University of Pittsburgh this season.
"I met up with a friend from Toledo, Ohio, and two others from Washington, D.C. I took two of my roommates: one who graduated from Notre Dame and the other from University of Portland, to yell," Jansen said. "I go around whooping all the time, and I wanted to show (my roommates) that there were other people like me."
Every Thursday night before an away game, Midnight Yell is held on campus at The Grove.
On the night before the game, there is another Midnight Yell scheduled at a designated site in the city where the game will be held.
Jansen said her friends didn't come to the game with her the next day.
"I was actually sitting in the alumni section with the players' families. We were right next to the band, though. It was the first time I've ever sat down for a game and it was very bizarre," Jansen said. "The yell leaders were right in front of us so whenever they did a yell we stood up. There were maybe 10 people in our section who were standing. So we were up and down the whole time. It was great seeing lots of maroon again."
Many students want the players to see a sea of maroon when they make the trip to an away game.
The 12th Man Student Foundation is planning a group trip to the Oklahoma State University game in November.
"We are actually staying in Oklahoma City and taking the 12th Man charter bus," said Angela Milmo, a senior sports management major. "We are in the process of finding out about Midnight Yell. We will probably just go out to eat as a group, but we are looking through a brochure about Oklahoma city and the attractions there. Pretty much the game will be our focus."
Luann Hedrick, class of 1998, warns that obnoxious fans at away games are to be expected, but there is "a huge difference between obnoxious and rude."
"I had a few Ohio State fans who stood outside the game after it was over-we lost by eight points-telling us how our team shouldn't have even been there, because we weren't nearly on the same level, and went as far as to make fun of my mom, who was with the group at the time," Hedrick said.
However, Hedrick said her worst experience was at a game in Austin in 1995.
"I remember t.u. fans throwing full souvenir size cups of Coke at Reveille that the Corps guys had to defend her from," Hedrick said. "Throughout the whole game I heard comments about Aggie women and how they were planning to throw a few Aggies into their fountain and, of course, a lot of comments I wouldn't repeat."
Hedrick had a suggestion on how to handle such situations.
"Best thing to do is ignore them unless you want to end up in a fight," she said. "We got our revenge with a win."
Also Found Here
