Secretary of Defense/message board lurker

Unless you're a Michigan fan in an alcohol/depression induced coma, you've probably heard that Texas A&M's Robert Gates was confirmed by the Senate (95-2) to become the next Secretary of Defense.

What you and most Aggies DIDN'T know is that Gates has been lurking on TexAgs.com for the past year under the name "Ranger65". It's funny to read how he refers to himself in the third-person.

some of the posts he made over the past year:

• On the proposal to move the A&M/Texas Tech game to Dallas:
  

  Ranger65: There is only one person standing between keeping this game on campus and going to Dallas -- Dr. Gates. He has met with State Fair officials, with Regents, and knows what the Athletic Department and football coaches want. I am told he remains firm -- and pretty much alone. While he might agree to one away game at the State Fair at which we play different teams -- including but not limited to Tech -- he is adamant against locking in the annual game with Tech there. I think you can take this to the bank: the annual meeting with Tech will not move to Dallas as long as Gates is President of Texas A&M. He has said not only that college games should be played on college campuses and that A&M students would be the losers, but I'm told he has said in private he would never agree to being locked into an annual competition that relgated us to a permanent second class status behind tu and Oklahoma. So, despite all the speculation on this board, don't underestimate one tough SOB standing up for what he thinks is right.
  
  Ranger65: I'm told that Byrne, the coaches and even some of the Regents want the Tech game moved to Dallas. I was at an A&M club meeting last spring where Gates was asked this question and he replied that he is opposed to moving the game because he believes 1) other than Bowls, college games should be played on college campuses, 2) most A&M students couldn't go to the game in Dallas, and 3) he doesn't want to elevate Tech to be our equal and principal rival -- that role should be reserved for tu, and our time to regain the upper hand in that relationship will come. He said the $ in Dallas are certainly attractive as is the impact on recruiting in the Dallas area, but his bottom line: he still needs to be convinced of the net benefit of playing the game in Dallas. I think, at this point, he alone stands between playing Tech at Kyle Field or in Dallas.



• On the "12th Man" trademark settlement with the Seattle Seahawks:
  

  Ranger65: Wake up and smell the coffee. A&M's trademark was protected only for college teams -- not the pros. We had a weak legal hand to play. This deal gives A&M a legal basis now to protect the 12th Man trademark in the pros because the Seahawks have recognized our claim and are going to pay us to license it. Not for a buck but for $100k plus enforcement costs each year. The administration made this deal, not Athletics. If you think they'll license the 12th Man to anyone else, you have not been paying attention. But we do now have a much stronger case for extending trademark protection to the pros as well as colleges. Moore took a weak case and built us a wall -- and got money for it besides.



• On some drama involving the Corps of Cadets:
  

  Ranger65: KillerClamsAg, I hope before you graduate you figure out how to get more reliable information instead of believing gossip, especially from a CTO. Gates was out of town all week and, I'm told by an official in Student Affairs, he first learned about all this well after the fact when informed by Bresciani. He has stood aside, leaving decisions to the Trigon and Student Affairs. All the BS rumors aside, neither Gates nor the Governor nor anyone else outside the Trigon (note: Corps Commandant office) had anything to do with the decisions that were made.
  
  Another false rumor was that JVA (Gen. John Van Alstyne, Commandant) has resigned. Not only am I told that is wholly wrong, but anyone at the game today could see Gates schmoozing and laughing with JVA after march-in. JVA sure didn't look like a guy out of favor or quitting to me.
  
  Two things you can take to the bank: 1) regardless what KillerClamsAg thinks, Gates has gotten the Corps 100s of thousands of dollars extra for recruitment and loves the Corps more than many Aggie presidents; and 2) in previous Corps flaps, he has been heard to say that JVA has saved the Corps and Gates won't allow him to leave before Gates himself does. My money is on JVA staying at least until mid-2009.

on a sidenote:
Today is Gates' last official day as President of Texas A&M University. He will be leaving his office in Rudder to walk to his car in Koldus around 6:00 pm. If you're in the B/CS area, come join the student body in bidding Dr. Gates farewell as we sing the Spirit of Aggieland along his walk to Koldus.