The deaths of 11 Aggies in the collapse of logs stacked for the traditional bonfire had many players focusing on the tragedy, rather than their meeting with No. 6 Texas. Young people tend to consider that it's old people who die. The bonfire, the torching of a 55-foot stack of logs that annually precedes the Aggies' battle with archrival Texas, is one of the most visible traditions at a school that prides itself on togetherness and school spirit.
People come first.
This is just a game. Our hearts go out to the families who lost their loved ones. The team canceled practice for Thursday and Friday, some of them helping remove logs at the accident site. But the players will return to practice on Saturday and say they plan to play their best on the day after Thanksgiving against the Longhorns at Kyle Field. Quarterback Randy McCown said those who died would have wanted the game to go on.