A&M and UT aren’t rivals

Regarding “Texas A&M official may bring bonfire tradition back to campus, 25 years after tragedy that killed 12,” (April 10): As an alumnus of the University of Texas, I always get a chuckle when I read the (too) frequent articles in the Chronicle where, in any context, A&M inserts the notion that UT is their rival. Once again, this front-page article regarding the renewing of the Aggie bonfire tradition states this same concept, and once again, it doesn’t fail to make me laugh.

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone at UT who thinks, states or believes that A&M is our rival. There are so many qualifications to be a true rivalry, and this relationship fails to meet most if not all of them. Just like no one thinks the roadrunner is the coyote’s rival. Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote are adversaries, maybe even enemies, but not rivals. Big difference.

Let’s be clear: UT has a rival, and UT’s rival is the University of Oklahoma. Always has been, always will be. Without interruption (for a reason). It seems a little desperate and contradictory for A&M to continue to yell for a rivalry to an adversary who is not listening and doesn’t care.

Jay Kopfer, Houston