August 23, 2024 • 17 mins
The voice of the Texas A&M Aggies, Andrew Monaco, joins the program after yesterday's special event commemorating the revival of the Lone Star Showdown. Craig and Andrew discuss the days proceedings before talking about what it means to the state of Texas to have this rivalry game back. Plus, Monaco's thoughts on Mike Elko and if the Aggies can pull off a big upset against Notre Dame in Week 1.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's The Craig Way Show with the Voice of the
Texas Longhorns in Hall of Fame Broadcasting Craig.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
A Friday afternoon on the program, it's a fire me
up Friday for the producer Cameron Parker.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
What do you fire me up with? Here? Right out
of there?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Nothing crazy yet? Well, you'll get there soon enough, all right.
I have a suggestion for you as well. Okay, all right,
we'll get to that later. I'll tell you why. Uh no,
not Berry Mantel. Uh Nope, won't be Berry Mantale. I
can tell you that, uh we uh.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
One thing that had.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A lot of folks fired up yesterday was the announcement
of Cotton Holdings being named the title sponsor of the
lone Star Showdown rivalry series uh where Walkhorns and Aggies
gathered together, yes, under one roof and uh and acted
civilly And that was that was really cool. I always
have a chance to act civil around a good friend.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
And now entering.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
His seven seasons play by play voice of the Haggie
said Texas A and M joins us on the hotline
right now.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's Andrew Monica.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I when I looked at our bios when it came
down andrew all of a sudden.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's like time flies seven years for you at the mic.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Now, hey, how many years? How many? How many years
for you?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Did you say?
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Thirty eight?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It's thirty eight on the networks, it's thirty four in
the broadcast booth and twenty four in the play by
play thing.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
So yeah, it's how about that.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You remember your first one, Craig, Remember how nervous we
used to be, And now it's like, what are they
going to do?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Fire us? I mean they can, they can, don't get
me wrong.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
But if I'm going out, baby, I'm going guns and
blazes's memorable.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
I can just see you and Dave Ellmandorf walk it out,
you know, to Yeah, and you made a very good
point yesterday when we did our our they had us
sing for our supper, so they had us do a
little song and dance thing up there before where the
athletic directors got up there, and he brought up Dave Elmendorff,
and you mentioned that his roommate with Rams and what
(02:08):
you said was long Horn, and I knew it was
Jim burleson the former Longhorn because I'm and you know this,
I'm a lifelong Rams fan, and I was rooting for
them when Dave was wearing number forty two playing there
in the secondary for the Rams back then. But now
Dave's been at the mic for a while, hadn't he.
I mean he was with it for years with your Yeah,
(02:30):
long time.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I think this is thirty two for him, and he
missed two years because he was out designing golf courses
and working for Don Adam that he was out for
two Yeah, he's And that's what gets me.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Craig. You give that number and it's it's stunning.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And it's also why I wanted to list the great
Brook And I didn't even get on the TV side.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Like Ron Franklin.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
He covers both sides of this right, the radio and
the TV.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
It does Brad Sham and look, you know we all
we all strive tom board, Jerry Trupiano, just talk with
Bill Shooning and you, I mean, so much get gets
covered throughout this rivalry.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And it was fun yesterday. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There was some.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Power in that room.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Now we kind of joked at each other. I looked
at you saying, I have no idea why I'm here.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They had us, but it was fun. It was fun.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
They had Andrew and I went into a green room,
kind of a holding area. We went in there, and
we're in there and and there's CDC, and there's Trevor Alberts,
and there's Pete Bell, the owner and CEO of Cotton Holdings,
and then I had some other people in there with
various degrees of power. We looked at each other and said,
two of these things are not like the other.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I was just it's the old I'm just glad to
be invited. Yeah, I'm glad to be able to participate.
I'm not gonna medle, I'm not gonna even go for gold,
silver bronze.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
I'm just happy to participate.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, I had I made the comment yesterday on my
show down there in Houston, and I might have alluded
to it when we were up there speaking that that
there was a different vibe. I got a different vibe
(04:18):
being up there about the relationship and the rivalry and
everything between Texas and Texas A and M. And I
talked to your basketball broadcast partner John Thornton about this
and he totally agreed. And these are John's words. Oh yeah,
we got some loonies on both sides of it. However,
he said, by and large, I think everybody is happy
(04:40):
that it's back and and and it'll be it'll obviously
be a lot of fun. And the proximity of being
ninety five miles apart and all that other kind of stuff.
I mean, it's that's what I think is really cool.
And the fact that it was brought up that this
will be the restoration not only of the football rivalry
since that's the only thing that hadn't been played over
(05:01):
the last thirteen years, but the other sports at least
in part and every now and then have met one
another and now it's all part of one big series
where points of are rewarded on the outcome of the
games and things like that.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, I think it's great, And Craig, let's be honest,
it's a brave new world now in college athletics. You've
seen a change in that and to be in the SEC,
the SEC and the Big ten are going to drive
what's going to happen, and you've got to be a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
And here's the other thing.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't think either school is the same that they
were in twenty eleven. They're stronger and they are ready
for what is next. I think they're going to be.
Both universities are going to be able to handle what
is coming. They have been ahead of the curve talking
with states when it comes to nil being getting the
(05:52):
personnel needed in their sports to deal with transfer portal
in and out right as well is the recruiting, taking
care and making sure with high school coaches for all
the sports there.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah, it's that's the thing you hate asking. You hate
answering the question why aren't you too playing?
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, you know what, you've got to ask Eric Byrne
or Scott Woodward or ross Byorke.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
That's way above my pay grade, right, it's Craig.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
It's the same way everybody says, well, why are we
still playing Arkansas in Arlington? I said, because there's a
contract that Jerry is paying us money for this, I said.
And the thing that always got me is, like, do
you all ask Hunter you're a check up in Arkansas?
You always ask ross Byorke about this like it's a
and m's fault. Right, I'm like, you know what, have
Arkansas tell Jerry not to take the money and you
(06:41):
guys can play back in Fayetteville.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That would be great.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
But just I think the way it is now, the
sixteen teams in the SEC, and what I like, Craig is,
you know what, the Texas Oklahoma rivalry isn't going anywhere now.
It's going to be shined on by the SEC, not
just the Big twelve.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Right, they keep the rivalries.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
They've kept Florida, LSU, they have kept Auburn and Florida,
they have kept those even East West in the old days.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Now it just adds to those rivalries.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
It's new to the conference, it's not new to the
rival schools. But I think it just gets elevated. I'm
happy it's here. I love that we're going to play. Now,
we can get rid of the NCAA being too clever
trying to have A and M and Texas meet in
the postseason. Right, they always try to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Now they can get Penn State and Pitt together like.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
They can look for somebody else to.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Do that with.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
And I just think the atmospheres, my friend, are just
going to be absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, both of us knew we could see it coming,
like so many others one hundred miles away, that Texas
was going to be sent to College Station for the
Baseball region.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We knew that was good, that was gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
And by the way, and I want this set for
the record as well, no matter how anybody feels about
anything with regard to Jim Slosnagle leaving Texas A and
m coming up of the Texas Andrew Monico yesterday yesterday
could not have been nicer to me what he was
talking about, how great it was to work with Schloss,
And I'm looking forward to doing that. And and I've
(08:10):
known Jim for a long time, Like I was telling you,
he's the only only coach I've ever known that as
a University of Texas coach that before he was hired,
I had his cell phone number from his days when
he was in Fort Worth at TCU. So I'm looking
forward to it. But like you said, he was always
great to work with. I know, and I know you're you're,
(08:31):
You're there's there's a bit of relief and excitement also
with Michael Ealy being there to carry on the.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Things that went so well last year.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean Michael was a big part. And
you got to give Schloss a ton of credit for
putting that staff together. You give him a ton of
credit for Nolan Kane and Chuck Box to be moving
with him and Max Wiener and looked for three years.
And I told you it's a combination of professional and personal.
With Schlass, he's one of my favorite people that I
(09:00):
have had to work with. He gave me all the
information that I needed. I felt there was a friendship there,
not just me, but with my wife Laura, and I
absolutely appreciate what he has done. And you know what,
I wish him the best.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Craig.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I put it this way. He wants to be a Texas.
He wants to work.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
With Crystal Content because they have a relationship. Dirty little secret.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm trying to get the A and M job, but
I'm still working with the San Antonio Spurs. This happens
in our business.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And all this.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
You see what happens, It goes. It hurts because of
so much success. And I think because the way he
embraced A and M for the three years. Guess what,
that's what he's going to do now on the forty acres.
Y'all are going to be happy. He will never get
out managed. He may lose, but he's not going to
get out managed. He's one of the best baseball people
I have been around, for sure, and I did.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I enjoyed.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I enjoyed every game together. Look, I enjoyed the non games.
When he joined us court side for basketball, he be
sidelines and fluids where he's going to flat out embrace.
I wish him the best except for those three games
we play, I understand.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
And by the way it was brought up to CDC yesterday,
would he be in favor of going back to the
way they did it in the Big Twelve and playing
the series as a split series, one at one ballpark
and the other two at the other.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now, I will tell you this, it worked. The reason
why it worked.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
So well back then is because Baylor was involved with
as well. So he had a triangle where Texas would
play one at home against the Aggies and two in
College Station, but two at home against Baylor and one
in Waco, and Baylor would play two at home against
A and M and one in College So it worked
out in round robin fashion. So it may just be
an alternating thing. He said this year, we've got it
all set anyway for the series, but that in the
(10:47):
in the future he wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Be opposed to it.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Like we said, it's ninety five miles away that you know,
that'd be unique. I don't think I'd have a real
big problem with that, would you now?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Because you know what it's two programs, Craig. You think
of all the players who are coming from all across
the state. You know who comes out of the DFW area.
You know who comes out of Houston, you know who
comes to be there. And think of the stadiums now,
Craig in twenty twenty four, if you want to play
you know in Houston or Arlington, you could do that.
You want to go round Rock, you want to go
(11:17):
Corpus Christy like you have great ballparks to be able
to do this. And I think it catches the imagination
as well as everybody around the state. I think that's
the other thing about this rivalry being back right, the
state gets to be divided all over again for those states.
But there's so many families and if you grew up
(11:37):
but you know in the Tyler area, and if you
grew up it's just the two universities resonate throughout the state,
it would be fun. I have to say, I just
had to crack up when Chris told everybody that football
was going to be at a neutral site. He unleashed
that perfect timing, Craig. That was perfect timing by him.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Everybody just you could just hear the heads snap up
or what you know, it was. It was great. Andrew
Monica is with us here. Let me let me get
a few football questions in for you. First of all,
how's it been with coach Elco? And then the other thing.
Obviously Texas has experienced them with the injuries to the
running back situation, with the running back room being affected
(12:20):
with CJ. Baxter and Christian Clark being out for Texas,
and we know what happened with Ruben Owens as well.
How about what it's been like so far with coach Elco?
As you get ready for the season opener eight days off.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Craig gets familiar, but it's all so new. It's familiar
because he's the former defensive coordinator, had great success under
Jimbo Fisher and I joked with him, I said, you
had to leave in order to come back, because Craig,
I don't know if he would have gotten the job
if he stayed, he might have been ushered out with
the old regime. Now there could have been different results.
But and you know, we hated to lose him, but
you almost became. And I hate saying this is a
(12:53):
Duke fan from a guy who went to Maryland who
hated Duke in the ACC but we rooted for Mike Elko.
But it's in new role as head coach, and as
you know as broadcasters, we have to speak every new
coaches language.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
So it's not so much getting used to that, but
you know, doing that.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
But it's not often that a coach comes in and
knows over half the players. Like when he was introduced,
he hugged over fifty players that he either coached or
he had recruited and brought onto.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Campus before he left. I think the one.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Change that he has he's absolutely embraced the nil part
and the transfer portal part.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
And Craig's he really has.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
A personnel department now, and I think you have to
do that in twenty twenty.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Four and beyond. You've got to have almost like an
NFL setup.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
But he brings in Jay Bateman as a defensive coordinator
and they are on the same page. And he brings
in Colin Klein from Kansas State who have flat out
blew away Mike.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Elko to become the offensive coordinator.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
The Owens injury hurts, but like you said, A and
M lost one running back, Texas lost two running backs.
I don't know what that room would be like if
another running back goes down. I think, first and foremost
you can talk about all the players that came on
the portal, But Craig, I'm excited about the players who
are now healthy for A and M. And that begins
with Connor Wigman at quarterback. To have him for an
(14:08):
entire season will be something that will be new. To
bring back Shamar Turner on that defensive line, which has
a chance to be good one. Adding with Nick scurt
who comes from Purdue of Brian product to his back
home if you will, I'm excited about that. About who
are the healthy guys on the offensive line. And believe
it or not, you know you win in the line
of scrimmage. The defensive line is gonna cause problems. The
(14:31):
offensive line is gonna have to be better, Craig. Look,
Arc Slocum was saying, what's the key third and three? Right?
You love to get teams in third and long, but
can you stop a team on third and three?
Speaker 4 (14:41):
On third and short.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
RC's defenses were able to do that, right, Can Mike
Elko's defenses do that? Get off the field and give
it back to the offense. This offensive line, can you
convert on third? Can you stop them on third? I'm
a big believer those guys with the hands on the
dirt determine whether your skill guys can play the way
you want them to, like, whether you can get those
interceptions and those turnovers. That's what's going to have to
(15:04):
change for Texas A and M this season to be successful, no.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Doubt about that. Tell everybody a little bit of hell.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I'm sure the excitement level is really ratcheting up, if
only because what I've seen what the secondary ticket market
prices are for that Notre Dame game. It's the highest
in the country right now, at least until if Texas
and Georgia have a great run at it and then
wound up on October nineteenth that game in Austin.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
But right now, that A and M Notre Dame game.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Is the hottest ticket in the country right now, looking
at the numbers.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeah, I have to chuckle, Craig, because you know you
were talking with people and they can't wait for November thirty.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
There's eleven games before then, right, that are going to
have a little bit of importance leading into that.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I joked with Mike.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I said, you looked at the schedule when you said
yes to coming here, right, you knew it was Notre
Dame for that one.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Yeah, I mean right out of the gate, Craig. You
know when when you look.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
At future schedules, you get excited about seeing who's on there,
and then when it hits that reality hits. Yet, what
a way to kick off a season, right, What a
way to kick off the Mike Elko era with a
coach who had Riley Leonard as his quarterback at Duke,
a coach who was at Notre Dame as the defensive
(16:20):
coordinator before he joined Texas A and M So there's
even those types of storylines. But I really think that's
how twenty twenty four is setting up, Craig.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
That August thirty first is.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Going to be you know, you're going to have that
secondary ticket market and it's going to be a bucket
list type game and everybody's.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Going to want to see it.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And then two weeks later there's going to be another one.
Two weeks later is going to be another one. As
you mentioned, it could be Texas and Georgia on October nineteenth.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Like that's the way it is, and it's going to
be that build up.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Also, you can be one of those twelve teams in
the postseason, which I think is going.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
To be special as well.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm really excited about what this season has.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
To offer, no doubt about it. Hey, I appreciate you
taking the time. I know it's going to really get
busy for both of us next week, but we'll keep
in touch and and and help each other out along
the way. And then yeah, eventually November thirtieth will get here,
but but we'll we got a little bit to do.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Before then, so we'll look forward to that. Hey, it's
always great to visit.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
And it was great seeing you yesterday. My friend you too.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Thank you. Andrew.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
All right, that's Andrew Monica lay by play, voice of
the Aggies of Texas A and M.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
And Yes, they will be busy. Uh, Notre Dame huge game.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I saw secondary ticket market, Yeah, I think you and
I were looking at it came at one point it
was like five thousand dollars for a decent ticket to
that game.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Some some crazy amount like that.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
A little bit, uh, a little too rich for my
taste there, Craig by thousand, I don't know if I
would pay that for Oh.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
It was, it was. It's pretty steep, I'll tell you that.
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Coming up, we have Inconceivable on a Friday afternoon right
here on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.
It's The Craig Way Show with the Voice of the
Texas Longhorns in Hall of Fame Broadcasting Craig.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
A Friday afternoon on the program, it's a fire me
up Friday for the producer Cameron Parker.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
What do you fire me up with? Here? Right out
of there?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Nothing crazy yet? Well, you'll get there soon enough, all right.
I have a suggestion for you as well. Okay, all right,
we'll get to that later. I'll tell you why. Uh no,
not Berry Mantel. Uh Nope, won't be Berry Mantale. I
can tell you that, uh we uh.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
One thing that had.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
A lot of folks fired up yesterday was the announcement
of Cotton Holdings being named the title sponsor of the
lone Star Showdown rivalry series uh where Walkhorns and Aggies
gathered together, yes, under one roof and uh and acted
civilly And that was that was really cool. I always
have a chance to act civil around a good friend.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
And now entering.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
His seven seasons play by play voice of the Haggie
said Texas A and M joins us on the hotline
right now.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
It's Andrew Monica.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
I when I looked at our bios when it came
down andrew all of a sudden.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
It's like time flies seven years for you at the mic.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Now, hey, how many years? How many? How many years
for you?
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Did you say?
Speaker 4 (01:20):
Thirty eight?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
It's thirty eight on the networks, it's thirty four in
the broadcast booth and twenty four in the play by
play thing.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
So yeah, it's how about that.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
You remember your first one, Craig, Remember how nervous we
used to be, And now it's like, what are they
going to do?
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Fire us? I mean they can, they can, don't get
me wrong.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
But if I'm going out, baby, I'm going guns and
blazes's memorable.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
I can just see you and Dave Ellmandorf walk it out,
you know, to Yeah, and you made a very good
point yesterday when we did our our they had us
sing for our supper, so they had us do a
little song and dance thing up there before where the
athletic directors got up there, and he brought up Dave Elmendorff,
and you mentioned that his roommate with Rams and what
(02:08):
you said was long Horn, and I knew it was
Jim burleson the former Longhorn because I'm and you know this,
I'm a lifelong Rams fan, and I was rooting for
them when Dave was wearing number forty two playing there
in the secondary for the Rams back then. But now
Dave's been at the mic for a while, hadn't he.
I mean he was with it for years with your Yeah,
(02:30):
long time.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
I think this is thirty two for him, and he
missed two years because he was out designing golf courses
and working for Don Adam that he was out for
two Yeah, he's And that's what gets me.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Craig. You give that number and it's it's stunning.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
And it's also why I wanted to list the great
Brook And I didn't even get on the TV side.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Like Ron Franklin.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
He covers both sides of this right, the radio and
the TV.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
It does Brad Sham and look, you know we all
we all strive tom board, Jerry Trupiano, just talk with
Bill Shooning and you, I mean, so much get gets
covered throughout this rivalry.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And it was fun yesterday. I enjoyed it.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
There was some.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Power in that room.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Now we kind of joked at each other. I looked
at you saying, I have no idea why I'm here.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
They had us, but it was fun. It was fun.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
They had Andrew and I went into a green room,
kind of a holding area. We went in there, and
we're in there and and there's CDC, and there's Trevor Alberts,
and there's Pete Bell, the owner and CEO of Cotton Holdings,
and then I had some other people in there with
various degrees of power. We looked at each other and said,
two of these things are not like the other.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
I was just it's the old I'm just glad to
be invited. Yeah, I'm glad to be able to participate.
I'm not gonna medle, I'm not gonna even go for gold,
silver bronze.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
I'm just happy to participate.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Well, I had I made the comment yesterday on my
show down there in Houston, and I might have alluded
to it when we were up there speaking that that
there was a different vibe. I got a different vibe
(04:18):
being up there about the relationship and the rivalry and
everything between Texas and Texas A and M. And I
talked to your basketball broadcast partner John Thornton about this
and he totally agreed. And these are John's words. Oh yeah,
we got some loonies on both sides of it. However,
he said, by and large, I think everybody is happy
(04:40):
that it's back and and and it'll be it'll obviously
be a lot of fun. And the proximity of being
ninety five miles apart and all that other kind of stuff.
I mean, it's that's what I think is really cool.
And the fact that it was brought up that this
will be the restoration not only of the football rivalry
since that's the only thing that hadn't been played over
(05:01):
the last thirteen years, but the other sports at least
in part and every now and then have met one
another and now it's all part of one big series
where points of are rewarded on the outcome of the
games and things like that.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, I think it's great, And Craig, let's be honest,
it's a brave new world now in college athletics. You've
seen a change in that and to be in the SEC,
the SEC and the Big ten are going to drive
what's going to happen, and you've got to be a
part of it.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
And here's the other thing.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I don't think either school is the same that they
were in twenty eleven. They're stronger and they are ready
for what is next. I think they're going to be.
Both universities are going to be able to handle what
is coming. They have been ahead of the curve talking
with states when it comes to nil being getting the
(05:52):
personnel needed in their sports to deal with transfer portal
in and out right as well is the recruiting, taking
care and making sure with high school coaches for all
the sports there.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Yeah, it's that's the thing you hate asking. You hate
answering the question why aren't you too playing?
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, you know what, you've got to ask Eric Byrne
or Scott Woodward or ross Byorke.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
That's way above my pay grade, right, it's Craig.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
It's the same way everybody says, well, why are we
still playing Arkansas in Arlington? I said, because there's a
contract that Jerry is paying us money for this, I said.
And the thing that always got me is, like, do
you all ask Hunter you're a check up in Arkansas?
You always ask ross Byorke about this like it's a
and m's fault. Right, I'm like, you know what, have
Arkansas tell Jerry not to take the money and you
(06:41):
guys can play back in Fayetteville.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
That would be great.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
But just I think the way it is now, the
sixteen teams in the SEC, and what I like, Craig is,
you know what, the Texas Oklahoma rivalry isn't going anywhere now.
It's going to be shined on by the SEC, not
just the Big twelve.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Right, they keep the rivalries.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
They've kept Florida, LSU, they have kept Auburn and Florida,
they have kept those even East West in the old days.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Now it just adds to those rivalries.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
It's new to the conference, it's not new to the
rival schools. But I think it just gets elevated. I'm
happy it's here. I love that we're going to play. Now,
we can get rid of the NCAA being too clever
trying to have A and M and Texas meet in
the postseason. Right, they always try to do that.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Now they can get Penn State and Pitt together like.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
They can look for somebody else to.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Do that with.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
And I just think the atmospheres, my friend, are just
going to be absolutely awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Yeah, both of us knew we could see it coming,
like so many others one hundred miles away, that Texas
was going to be sent to College Station for the
Baseball region.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
We knew that was good, that was gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
And by the way, and I want this set for
the record as well, no matter how anybody feels about
anything with regard to Jim Slosnagle leaving Texas A and
m coming up of the Texas Andrew Monico yesterday yesterday
could not have been nicer to me what he was
talking about, how great it was to work with Schloss,
And I'm looking forward to doing that. And and I've
(08:10):
known Jim for a long time, Like I was telling you,
he's the only only coach I've ever known that as
a University of Texas coach that before he was hired,
I had his cell phone number from his days when
he was in Fort Worth at TCU. So I'm looking
forward to it. But like you said, he was always
great to work with. I know, and I know you're you're,
(08:31):
You're there's there's a bit of relief and excitement also
with Michael Ealy being there to carry on the.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
Things that went so well last year.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean Michael was a big part. And
you got to give Schloss a ton of credit for
putting that staff together. You give him a ton of
credit for Nolan Kane and Chuck Box to be moving
with him and Max Wiener and looked for three years.
And I told you it's a combination of professional and personal.
With Schlass, he's one of my favorite people that I
(09:00):
have had to work with. He gave me all the
information that I needed. I felt there was a friendship there,
not just me, but with my wife Laura, and I
absolutely appreciate what he has done. And you know what,
I wish him the best.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Craig.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I put it this way. He wants to be a Texas.
He wants to work.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
With Crystal Content because they have a relationship. Dirty little secret.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
You know what.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
I'm trying to get the A and M job, but
I'm still working with the San Antonio Spurs. This happens
in our business.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
And all this.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
You see what happens, It goes. It hurts because of
so much success. And I think because the way he
embraced A and M for the three years. Guess what,
that's what he's going to do now on the forty acres.
Y'all are going to be happy. He will never get
out managed. He may lose, but he's not going to
get out managed. He's one of the best baseball people
I have been around, for sure, and I did.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I enjoyed.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
I enjoyed every game together. Look, I enjoyed the non games.
When he joined us court side for basketball, he be
sidelines and fluids where he's going to flat out embrace.
I wish him the best except for those three games
we play, I understand.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
And by the way it was brought up to CDC yesterday,
would he be in favor of going back to the
way they did it in the Big Twelve and playing
the series as a split series, one at one ballpark
and the other two at the other.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Now, I will tell you this, it worked. The reason
why it worked.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
So well back then is because Baylor was involved with
as well. So he had a triangle where Texas would
play one at home against the Aggies and two in
College Station, but two at home against Baylor and one
in Waco, and Baylor would play two at home against
A and M and one in College So it worked
out in round robin fashion. So it may just be
an alternating thing. He said this year, we've got it
all set anyway for the series, but that in the
(10:47):
in the future he wouldn't.
Speaker 3 (10:48):
Be opposed to it.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Like we said, it's ninety five miles away that you know,
that'd be unique. I don't think I'd have a real
big problem with that, would you now?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Because you know what it's two programs, Craig. You think
of all the players who are coming from all across
the state. You know who comes out of the DFW area.
You know who comes out of Houston, you know who
comes to be there. And think of the stadiums now,
Craig in twenty twenty four, if you want to play
you know in Houston or Arlington, you could do that.
You want to go round Rock, you want to go
(11:17):
Corpus Christy like you have great ballparks to be able
to do this. And I think it catches the imagination
as well as everybody around the state. I think that's
the other thing about this rivalry being back right, the
state gets to be divided all over again for those states.
But there's so many families and if you grew up
(11:37):
but you know in the Tyler area, and if you
grew up it's just the two universities resonate throughout the state,
it would be fun. I have to say, I just
had to crack up when Chris told everybody that football
was going to be at a neutral site. He unleashed
that perfect timing, Craig. That was perfect timing by him.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Everybody just you could just hear the heads snap up
or what you know, it was. It was great. Andrew
Monica is with us here. Let me let me get
a few football questions in for you. First of all,
how's it been with coach Elco? And then the other thing.
Obviously Texas has experienced them with the injuries to the
running back situation, with the running back room being affected
(12:20):
with CJ. Baxter and Christian Clark being out for Texas,
and we know what happened with Ruben Owens as well.
How about what it's been like so far with coach Elco?
As you get ready for the season opener eight days off.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Craig gets familiar, but it's all so new. It's familiar
because he's the former defensive coordinator, had great success under
Jimbo Fisher and I joked with him, I said, you
had to leave in order to come back, because Craig,
I don't know if he would have gotten the job
if he stayed, he might have been ushered out with
the old regime. Now there could have been different results.
But and you know, we hated to lose him, but
you almost became. And I hate saying this is a
(12:53):
Duke fan from a guy who went to Maryland who
hated Duke in the ACC but we rooted for Mike Elko.
But it's in new role as head coach, and as
you know as broadcasters, we have to speak every new
coaches language.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
So it's not so much getting used to that, but
you know, doing that.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
But it's not often that a coach comes in and
knows over half the players. Like when he was introduced,
he hugged over fifty players that he either coached or
he had recruited and brought onto.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
Campus before he left. I think the one.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Change that he has he's absolutely embraced the nil part
and the transfer portal part.
Speaker 4 (13:27):
And Craig's he really has.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
A personnel department now, and I think you have to
do that in twenty twenty.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Four and beyond. You've got to have almost like an
NFL setup.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
But he brings in Jay Bateman as a defensive coordinator
and they are on the same page. And he brings
in Colin Klein from Kansas State who have flat out
blew away Mike.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
Elko to become the offensive coordinator.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
The Owens injury hurts, but like you said, A and
M lost one running back, Texas lost two running backs.
I don't know what that room would be like if
another running back goes down. I think, first and foremost
you can talk about all the players that came on
the portal, But Craig, I'm excited about the players who
are now healthy for A and M. And that begins
with Connor Wigman at quarterback. To have him for an
(14:08):
entire season will be something that will be new. To
bring back Shamar Turner on that defensive line, which has
a chance to be good one. Adding with Nick scurt
who comes from Purdue of Brian product to his back
home if you will, I'm excited about that. About who
are the healthy guys on the offensive line. And believe
it or not, you know you win in the line
of scrimmage. The defensive line is gonna cause problems. The
(14:31):
offensive line is gonna have to be better, Craig. Look,
Arc Slocum was saying, what's the key third and three? Right?
You love to get teams in third and long, but
can you stop a team on third and three?
Speaker 4 (14:41):
On third and short.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
RC's defenses were able to do that, right, Can Mike
Elko's defenses do that? Get off the field and give
it back to the offense. This offensive line, can you
convert on third? Can you stop them on third? I'm
a big believer those guys with the hands on the
dirt determine whether your skill guys can play the way
you want them to, like, whether you can get those
interceptions and those turnovers. That's what's going to have to
(15:04):
change for Texas A and M this season to be successful, no.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Doubt about that. Tell everybody a little bit of hell.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I'm sure the excitement level is really ratcheting up, if
only because what I've seen what the secondary ticket market
prices are for that Notre Dame game. It's the highest
in the country right now, at least until if Texas
and Georgia have a great run at it and then
wound up on October nineteenth that game in Austin.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
But right now, that A and M Notre Dame game.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Is the hottest ticket in the country right now, looking
at the numbers.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
Yeah, I have to chuckle, Craig, because you know you
were talking with people and they can't wait for November thirty.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
There's eleven games before then, right, that are going to
have a little bit of importance leading into that.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
I joked with Mike.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
I said, you looked at the schedule when you said
yes to coming here, right, you knew it was Notre
Dame for that one.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
Yeah, I mean right out of the gate, Craig. You
know when when you look.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
At future schedules, you get excited about seeing who's on there,
and then when it hits that reality hits. Yet, what
a way to kick off a season, right, What a
way to kick off the Mike Elko era with a
coach who had Riley Leonard as his quarterback at Duke,
a coach who was at Notre Dame as the defensive
(16:20):
coordinator before he joined Texas A and M So there's
even those types of storylines. But I really think that's
how twenty twenty four is setting up, Craig.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
That August thirty first is.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
Going to be you know, you're going to have that
secondary ticket market and it's going to be a bucket
list type game and everybody's.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
Going to want to see it.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
And then two weeks later there's going to be another one.
Two weeks later is going to be another one. As
you mentioned, it could be Texas and Georgia on October nineteenth.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
Like that's the way it is, and it's going to
be that build up.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Also, you can be one of those twelve teams in
the postseason, which I think is going.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
To be special as well.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm really excited about what this season has.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
To offer, no doubt about it. Hey, I appreciate you
taking the time. I know it's going to really get
busy for both of us next week, but we'll keep
in touch and and and help each other out along
the way. And then yeah, eventually November thirtieth will get here,
but but we'll we got a little bit to do.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Before then, so we'll look forward to that. Hey, it's
always great to visit.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
And it was great seeing you yesterday. My friend you too.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Thank you. Andrew.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
All right, that's Andrew Monica lay by play, voice of
the Aggies of Texas A and M.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
And Yes, they will be busy. Uh, Notre Dame huge game.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
I saw secondary ticket market, Yeah, I think you and
I were looking at it came at one point it
was like five thousand dollars for a decent ticket to
that game.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Some some crazy amount like that.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
A little bit, uh, a little too rich for my
taste there, Craig by thousand, I don't know if I
would pay that for Oh.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
It was, it was. It's pretty steep, I'll tell you that.
All right.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Coming up, we have Inconceivable on a Friday afternoon right
here on Sports Radio AM thirteen under the Zone.
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