Kyle Field’s fearsome reputation crumbles as humiliating home losses mount, casting the storied 12th Man tradition as one of the most underwhelming spectacles in modern sports.
Veteran Texas sportswriter Richie Whitt offers a top 10 ... that the Aggies won't love ...
Pre-pre-pre-game yell practice. Lots of shaved heads. Dudes wearing milk man costumes on the sidelines. Funky hand gestures. A crisp band. And, sure, some incessant towel-waving.
But, let’s face it, Texas A&M’s Kyle Field is far from scary.
After another home loss Saturday - this one to a ho-hum Kentucky team the Aggies were favored to beat by 17 points - College Station is starting to feel less intimidating and more … inviting?
The reputation of opponents fearing to face the “12th Man” is in tatters. A&M has lost at least one home game in each of the last six seasons. Included in the defeats: an embarrassing upset to lowly Appalachian State in 2022 and showdown losses to marquee opponents Alabama (2023), Notre Dame and Texas (2024) and a hapless L to Miami in last season’s College Football Playoff in which the Aggies managed only three points.
Kentucky, which entered the game 1-1 after a 45-17 throttling to Alabama last week, dominated throughout and won comfortably, 31-21. Once and for all, can we put to bed the myth that is the 12th Man and big, bad Kyle Field?
Yes, we can. And we are.
In fact, let’s find it a place among the Top 10 Most Overrated Events in Sports:
10. Tour de France - Lance Armstrong ruined cycling for everyone.
9. A&M Home Game at Kyle Field - Kentucky hung 31 on ’em. K-e-n-t-u-c-k-y!!
8. Indianapolis 500 - Bet you didn’t know this year’s winner was a guy named Felix Ronsenqvist, from Sweden.
7. Kentucky Derby - Horses over humans. Yawn.
6. Any Heavyweight Boxing Championship Fight - First names of belt-holders since 2024 : Oleksandyr, Mahmoud, Kubrat, Fabio, Murat, Agit and Filip. I kid you not.
5. College Football Conference Championship Games - With the expanded playoff field, they’ve become as much liability as asset.
4. Winter Olympics - Less than half of the world’s countries send athletes into the snow and ice.
3. NFL Scouting Combine - Because he dominated the Underwear Olympics, scouts projected Tony Mandarich to be a better player than Troy Aikman. I rest my case.
2. Major League Baseball Opening Day - In a 162-game season, it’s a lot of hype for just 0.61 percent of the schedule.
1. Heisman Trophy - If it’s so prestigious and predictive, then why have exactly 0 of the last 24 quarterbacks to win the award not gone on to win a Super Bowl?
Right, Andre Ware. Ty Detmer. Gino Torretta. Charlie Ward. Danny Wuerffel. Chris Weinke. Eric Crouch. Carson Palmer. Jason White. Matt Leinart. Troy Smith. Tim Tebow. Sam Bradford. Cam Newton. Johnny Manziel. Jameis Winston. Marcus Mariota. Lamar Jackson. Baker Mayfield. Kyler Murray. Joe Burrow, Bryce Young, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels?
