Spring Break
Dealing with the Success
By: Brett Sebastian
Issue date: 6/8/09 Section: Sports
A week after Texas A&M's first national championship since 1987, I am still a little giddy and unsure of how to act. As a Houstonian and an Aggie it has been a long time since I could associate myself with an actual championship of any kind that doesn't involve minor league hockey or MLS.
However, outside of lots of fist pumps and dousing the newsroom in champagne, I have struggled a bit in how to conduct myself from here. I figured our university, starved for actual championships, is going through the same collective feeling. So here is my four-point plan on how to act like a champion.
1. Don't let the haters get you down. The minute golf won its championship the Internet filled with Aggie haters, only half of which were from Tech! There were even a few Texas fans, jealous of the fact that for the first time since Reagan was president, A&M has the most recent national championship.
2. Build on it. Don't let golf's improbable championship seem like an aberration on A&M's recent hard luck playoff record. Look at it instead as a foundation or an icebreaker. Texas A&M has done a great job of providing the coaches and facilities to be a world-class athletic competitor; all they were missing were on-the-field results. Well, now those results are starting to come in. A championship in golf, a highly favored track team, a world-class swim team, a basketball team reaching never-before-seen success. This isn't a fluke, this is hard work paying off by everyone from the administration to the athletics to the Twelfth Man; and there is no reason more success can't be in the future.
3. Be a good sport. What separates us from the panhandle is the fact that A&M does not riot after major victories or rub success in the loser's face. Remember to take the high road College Station, if for no other reason than to keep karma on our side. Also, I don't want to see any more golf-related riots in town. It reflects poorly on us all.
4. Don't forget your roots. Namely, don't forget the hard work involved in winning at the highest level. Practice, whether it be running laps or yelling, is crucial to success. Don't start going all rock star with your golf championship; remember the traditions and people involved that got you to where you are.
Follow these steps and everything should be just fine.
So stay classy College Station, and enjoy being the best.
However, outside of lots of fist pumps and dousing the newsroom in champagne, I have struggled a bit in how to conduct myself from here. I figured our university, starved for actual championships, is going through the same collective feeling. So here is my four-point plan on how to act like a champion.
1. Don't let the haters get you down. The minute golf won its championship the Internet filled with Aggie haters, only half of which were from Tech! There were even a few Texas fans, jealous of the fact that for the first time since Reagan was president, A&M has the most recent national championship.
2. Build on it. Don't let golf's improbable championship seem like an aberration on A&M's recent hard luck playoff record. Look at it instead as a foundation or an icebreaker. Texas A&M has done a great job of providing the coaches and facilities to be a world-class athletic competitor; all they were missing were on-the-field results. Well, now those results are starting to come in. A championship in golf, a highly favored track team, a world-class swim team, a basketball team reaching never-before-seen success. This isn't a fluke, this is hard work paying off by everyone from the administration to the athletics to the Twelfth Man; and there is no reason more success can't be in the future.
3. Be a good sport. What separates us from the panhandle is the fact that A&M does not riot after major victories or rub success in the loser's face. Remember to take the high road College Station, if for no other reason than to keep karma on our side. Also, I don't want to see any more golf-related riots in town. It reflects poorly on us all.
4. Don't forget your roots. Namely, don't forget the hard work involved in winning at the highest level. Practice, whether it be running laps or yelling, is crucial to success. Don't start going all rock star with your golf championship; remember the traditions and people involved that got you to where you are.
Follow these steps and everything should be just fine.
So stay classy College Station, and enjoy being the best.
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