Baylor's Last Refuge: Don't Mess With Texas Football

Pity poor Baylor. Notch your school's biggest win in decades and your head is still on the conference realignment chopping block. So the Baylor Bears have struck back with a weak, misguided, and entirely self-serving plea: "Don't Mess With Texas Football." What Baylor's slogan really should be is, 'Don't Mess With Baylor Football." How well do you think that would have sold? Yep, not well at all. So now Baylor is encouraging fans to email the Presidents of the schools with options: Texas, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M.

It's hard not to see, by the way, the fingerprints of the University of Texas on this campaign as well. Suddenly aware that its rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma are sick of being pushed around, A&M wants to go to the SEC and Oklahoma wants to go to the Pac12, the Longhorns are nervous. Only, you guessed it, Texas is best suited to remain the bully in the Big 12. So what does it do? Convince the littlest runt to make the argument in favor of the Big 12.

It's cute, really.

And pathetic.

Here is Baylor's message:

"Football in Texas is more than a passing interest, it is a part of the fabric of this great state.

Texans must stand up and call the leadership of the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech to clear-headed thinking about the state's future. Texas' flagship institutions of higher learning are the guardians of the state's future—their loyalties must first be to Texas and to her citizens. Ask these leaders to take a stand for Texas and to stop this madness that will lead to the dissolution of the Big 12 and the end of an era for Texas."

Of course this message would work better if it wasn't based on naked self-interest. And, by the way, this whole campaign is written as if Texas is a different country than us. Which, to be fair, maybe it is. The irony of a state that has been fuled by illegal immigration lamenting the "export(ing)" of "the great minds of the next generation" is laughable.

Don't mess with Mexico?

First, most of the games will still be played in Texas. (At least seven home games a year). Second, how jingoistic can you get? Doesn't this just reinforce to Oklahoma that it needs to look West? Third, how does a state institution "pledge their loyalties to other states?" Is the SEC actually annexing College Station? Because I missed that. Also, couldn't you lure the most promising student athletes of other states to Texas if you weren't so obsessed with your own state? It's a two-way street, some students will leave, but some will come.

Finally, Baylor is a private institution. So the whole Texas state pride thing doesn't work as well.

Bottom line, Baylor President Ken Starr should be even more ashamed of this campaign than he was of the Monica Lewinsky investigation.

But expect more of these crap arguments as conference realignment picks up steam.

Just remember one thing, "Don't mess with Baylor football."

Also, while we're having fun, this is Texas Tech's intro for football season.

Can you imagine what they'll think at Cal-Berkeley when this video comes on? Good luck in the Pac 12.