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| Photo courtesy @joeymichelle, Twitter |
Those of you who didn't attend large universities with storied athletic programs (i.e. football) may not get what the big deal is in the above link. You might find it silly or even a complete waste of time. To myself and many others, it reminds us of what makes college unique and fun.
The Hex Rally is the University of Texas' annual pep rally the Monday immediately preceding the big game against in-state rival, Texas A&M University. The two of us don't like each other much. Perhaps you saw the recent ESPN doc, "Roll Tide/War Eagle," detailing the Alabama/Auburn rivalry. Yeah, our respective fans that circle the fringe of the bowl are a lot like that, too. For the rest of us, the game's ultimate outcome has a lot to do with bragging rights for the next 364 days with family, friends, co-workers, Pastors. Most of which will occur over Thanksgiving left-overs.
My first Hex Rally experience came during my Freshman year, 1999. Lest you think us all heathens at the University of Texas, the tone and purpose of the Rally that year took a complete 180 as a result of the tragic events that occurred only days prior with the collapse of A&M's bonfire tower, their own tradition celebrating the big game. The two communities joined hands in Austin and, together, mourned the unnecessary loss of young life. We're rivals, not monsters.
With A&M's pending departure to the SEC, this should prove to be the final Hex Rally for a while. At least against the Aggies. Perhaps it'll be the Horned Frogs we hex next Thanksgiving. Or the Mountaineers? Huh. But even though the Hex Rally tradition only clocks-in at 26-years old, it's still one of the bits of uniqueness of college life that's getting trampled by conference realignment.
Never mind the game itself that's been played 118 times.
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