Proof that the Texas A&M/Texas Rivalry is Far From Dead

The Texas A&M/Texas rivalry was one of the best ones in college football. Yes, I say 'was' but only because the two teams no longer meet on the gridiron and it does not look like they will anytime in the near future. However, unlike many folks out there I do not think that the rivalry stops just because the game does.

And now there is proof.

If the rivalry was dead than there are two things that I don't think should/would happen. For one--trash talk. Some people might do it for sport, but I would say most don't. They talk smack to someone they don't like.

You know--like a rival or something. 

Now I don't think that Texas A&M defensive back Tony Hurd Jr. was looking to shoot a salvo towards Austin, but he certainly did with this tweet:

Texas A&M is the university of Texas.
— Toney Hurd Jr. (@HURDjunior) September 8, 2013

Okay. I can dig it. The way he sees it the Aggies are becoming 'the' school in the state of Texas. Whether he intended it as a slight to the University of Texas I don't know; I haven't heard or seen anything to make it appear that he did.

That doesn't mean that several people will not see it as a slight (just search for 'Tony Hurd' on Twitter). Many have--including the head coach for the University of Texas, Mack Brown.

Wednesday afternoon Kirk Bohls, a sports reporter for the Austin-American Statesman, sent this tweet out:

Mack Brown: "We are the university of Texas in this state and will be, regardless of what some (Texas A&M) kid tweets."
— kbohls (@kbohls) September 11, 2013

Mack Brown has some problems of his own to deal with right now and I am sure the last thing he needed or wanted was a question about the Aggies. However, by answering it he made a pretty big mistake.

The pressure and criticism is getting to him. Why else would he let a simple statement sent out by a young, college football player get to him so much?

Why would it get to him if the rivalry was not alive?

Sometime in the last year Johnny Manziel ruffled a few feathers when he stated the rivalry was dead. To be fair, many folks did agree with him; no game no rivalry.

At the same time there were many that did not.

The rivalry is alive and well. It is something that will never go away. There just isn't a game anymore that gives one school a chance to win bragging rights in the state of Texas.