Does it bother anyone else that Texas A&M has comandeered a hand signal that is regularly used by people that have no connection with backwoods Texas towns or bestiality with sheep?
The Fonz: Just not that into sheep
In my more self-conscious moments I hesitate to use the thumbs up when I want to signal that "I'm all good", or that "everything's going according to plan." I feel like someone might mistake my innocent hand-signal for a show of partisanship with second-most hated rival in all of sports. Why would the they do that to me (or to us if you happen to share that special kind of neurosis)?
According to tradition, the thumbs up was invented in the 1930s at the same time as the Gig 'em by an Aggie named Pinky Downs, gigging being either a term for punishing cadets at fish camp or a term for hunting frogs invented while playing TCU. Considering either context, the only reason I can think of for a thumbs up is to signify an Aggie sticking their thumb up someone else's ass. Alternatively it could have been because so many Aggies had to hitchhike to College Station on their way home from breaks. This is ultimately more believable, considering how long they'd have to hold that thumb out to find someone going to College Station.
The Longhorns, by comparison, look pretty smart (imagine that). Our sign is an obvious reference to the horns of our beloved mascot and only has other meanings in certain parts of Europe, where flashing the horns to someone implies that you're sleeping with their wife, so TBone and AMB need be careful, but the rest of us can rest easy in the knowledge that our hand signal can be easily understood.
But to get back around to the point, I want the thumbs up back, so I want to make the Aggies this offer: if the Longhorns win this Friday, Aggie Nation, you give up the thumbs up, and if y'all win you can have the peace sign. That's right. I'm willing to risk the sign of the hippie movement, of which I am not a part despite what my little brother might say. Long hair doesn't automatically make you a hippie.
Don't take this the wrong way, but the shocker's on the table too.
--AR--