Last night I posted audio from an angry voicemail that Texas A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne recently left to a fan who had sent him a critical and off-color email. In a statement on A&M’s official website today, Byrne acknowledged that he left the voicemail and apologized:
After reading over 200 similar e-mails the other night, I finally had one set me off and I called the writer. I’m a very competitive person and like many of you, I was raised not to back down when challenged. I’ve also got a bit of an Irish temper which came across in my voicemail. I regretted what I said as soon as I hung up. I should have been above that, and I made a mistake. For those of you who were offended by my response, I apologize, and I assure you that it will not happen again.
As I wrote last night, Aggie fans are mostly incensed at Byrne over the school reportedly resisting overtures from the SEC and the perception that Texas dictated the terms of the Big 12’s survival.
Byrne in fact was a proponent of moving to the SEC but was cut out of the decision making process on conference affiliation. To illustrated that point, The A&M AD actually spent last weekend at a family reunion in Idaho.
Of course, none of that excuses Byrne’s off-color voicemail to a fan, but under the circumstances, a single lapse of judgement was somewhat understandable.
So long as it doesn’t happen again.
Though from my inbox and Twitter account, indications are that Aggie fans aren’t nearly as forgiving.
6:54 pm on June 16th, 2010
why are old white guys such morons?
7:24 pm on June 16th, 2010
Have you seen the old black guy suggesting that Guam could tip over?
8:42 pm on June 16th, 2010
this is typical rich old white guy behavior, drunk dialing. i bet he drives drunk, cheats on his wife with a girl 20 years younger, and embezzles money. I’m not racist but facts are facts. i am going to stop following conference realignments if these old white people continue with their thuggish and uncouth behavior.
not all white people are bad, I have a lot of white friends, but guys like this give a bad name to all the good white people who don’t make any noise.
10:07 pm on June 16th, 2010
Good for Bill Byrne.
The email he received was out of line. While his reply was what a self respecting man would do.
10:16 pm on June 16th, 2010
Not sure what he said wrong.
11:07 pm on June 16th, 2010
What he said WAS NOT wrong. Good grief cut this dude some slack already. I fear our country’s future with this political correctness BS.
6:44 am on June 17th, 2010
GOD,
WHY DID YOU MAKE AGGIES? WE DON’T NEED ENTERTAINMENT THAT BAD!
7:56 am on June 17th, 2010
I totally agree with what he did and said, any man with a set of ba*** would have done exactly what he did. Don’t be such a chicken sh** and hide behind e-mail, if you have the guts, say what you said to the man’s face. I’m not a Texas A&M fan at all, GO TROJANS!!!, but what’s right is right, he had every right to stand up for himself and his school.
8:16 am on June 17th, 2010
I have more respect for Texas A&M now than ever before. No more apoligizing Bill, the guys an idoit, just like AG.
9:06 am on June 17th, 2010
Bill, You are da man! Even I would have liked to have seen us move to the SEC but that phone call was deserved and I applaud you for it! Thanks for making my day and keep up the good work.
9:25 am on June 17th, 2010
You go, Bill! Like some others have posted here, enough of this politically correct stuff. If you feel like your remarks were below you, then fine. But don’t feel too bad about it. A lot of your supporters don’t!
9:41 am on June 17th, 2010
AG.. You are an idiot. He did nothing wrong. What does being white have to do with it. No need to start a racial war jerk.
9:45 am on June 17th, 2010
It’s funny how the aggies think they are second fiddle to UT and then expect better if they move to the SEC… Do you think they’d get better treatment from UF, Bama, the other UT, UGA, Auburn, etc..
they would soon end up third fiddle..
1:15 pm on June 17th, 2010
it’s best you stay in the big 12.i recall tenn.giving a and m a few blisters in your bowl against tenn ,not counting bama lashing texas,ole miss scurching texas tech……larry
3:43 pm on June 17th, 2010
Pretty sad when the AD of Texas, Deloss Dodds, controls most of the conversations and shots for Texas, but A&M’s AD doesnt get to sit at the big boy table at A&M. Byrne should’ve just forwarded all of his emails and voicemails to the A&M president.
4:45 pm on June 17th, 2010
This was pretty funny actually. I like his style and spirit, even though Im a UT fan………BUT all you Aggies torn up over not going to the SEC, c’mon, I understand the excitement of being in that conference and the prestige, BUT, you guys have had a hard time even winning 9 games in the Big 12, the SEC would almost certainly hand you 5 losses every season, maybe more. You would trade excitement for those wins. Its respectable to want to play the best, but UT is considered one of the best of all time, and we’ve won over 75% of games played against you. You’d die a slow death in the SEC. Recruiting might turn in your favor a bit at first cuz of the change, but when you barely make a bowl game, if at all, in your first 4 seasons there, that recruiting will fade away, just like you………..
5:12 pm on June 17th, 2010
I do not know what the email stated, but I do not mind Mr. Byrne saying what he said…some folks go to far and need to be confronted. For anyone to say anything because he is white, is wrong. If he was black and said the same thing there would have been a stink, but some folks need to be set straight. I bet that fella will think twice before he sends another email….LOL
9:57 pm on June 17th, 2010
Has A&M looked at their record in every sport? They’re not even competetive in the Big 12 every season. Refresh my memory on their athletic successes. They think they have a better chance in the SEC ???? C’mon. The question is this: How much revenue do you currently add to the Big 12? And, why would the SEC want you mooches with a lackluster record in every sport?
11:51 am on June 18th, 2010
Ah, good ol’ Dollar Bill. I remember his Irish temper well back when he was running things in Nebraska. Glad to see he hasn’t changed any. Staying in the Big 12 is a HORRIBLE move for A&M - they’ve already got a rep for being nothing more than Texas’ tag-alongs and now this cements that vision in stone. They’ll always be Texas’ weak sisters, as much as Dollar Bill was trying to get them out from under Texas’ shadow.
And make no mistake about it - all this conference shifting is the work of Texas. They want to pin it on Nebraska, but the bottom line is Texas has all the money and power in the Big 12 and Nebraska (and Colorado) called their bluff when push came to shove. The other schools have done nothing more than sign their significance away by serving as nine versions of the Washington Generals to Texas’ Harlem Globetrotters.
12:56 pm on June 18th, 2010
You people coming down on this AD are all the morons. That is what is wrong with people now days, you think that as a fan you can say whatever you want to someone in his position, but just because he responds back he is the one who is wrong….BS! I dont care what his position is, YOUR BOTH MEN AREN’T YOU. If your man enough to call him out then you better be man enough to face him when he answers!!!!!!!!!!!!
12:58 pm on June 18th, 2010
One more thing, all you Aggie fans that continue to complain need to be thanking this guy. Do you not realize that A&M has a losing record against EVERY SEC team except 1, Ole Miss. So in other words, you want to go get your asses kicked. Damn, no wonder they make so many Aggie jokes, your all morons!
HOOK ‘EM
8:47 pm on June 18th, 2010
Doug, Having been raised in SEC country, I remember just about every school going through below average years. As for lackluster record in every sport, baseball, Big 12 tourney champs, track mens and womens national champs, basketball been in tourney 4 of last 5 years, golf last years national champs. Sometimes people get tired of the stupidity they hear and react, just like the AD.
10:17 pm on June 19th, 2010
What ever Bill Byrnes had to say I am sure it had to be said. Texas is high now but they forget about the 70’s , 80’s and early 90’s when you couldnt give away a T U shirt- they were poor fans then and winning doesnt change’em much now. Ride it while you can T-sips, the tide changes and so does the winning. Moving to the SEC wasn’t about winning anyway it was about playing with a classier bunch of teams than T U, O U and Baylor. Now suppose we class it up really good and invite Houston in, or maybe UTEP? GIGEM
7:20 pm on June 20th, 2010
That was a pretty cool ending to the email but this is a total non-story. Who cares. This spineless guy writes an email saying things he would never say in person, then forwards the vmail of the guy who calls him out. Hope someone does beat is a$$.
And what’s up with the racist white guy comments? That guy needs to get a life. “Embezzle money”? WTF dude? You’re an idiot.
11:58 pm on June 20th, 2010
Haha sticking his tongue up Deloss Dodd’s ass just goes to show that Texas A&M will always be Texas’ bitch
6:04 am on June 21st, 2010
WHY IS THIS ON THE FRONT COVER OF THE PAGE, THIS WAS OVER DAYS AGO, GET SOME BETTER REPORTER WITH SOME BETTER STORIES. This is why i get my sports news from Disney,ABC, ESPN you guys are a joke when it comes to sports. I hate Dollar Bill, but i can understand him being a man and standing up. So what hes got money, more than i can say for the welfare cases getting money from the goverment. Welfare is the reason for college football. 90% of those guys are getting a check, then they get a full ride , fn joke of America. Go AGS and go the 12th Man.
11:03 am on June 21st, 2010
I am a die hard Illinois fan. Mr Byrne said NOTHING wrong. I wish more people were more DIRECT as he was!. Kudos mr byrne for your response, and being PROFESSIONAL enough to apologize for the public leaking of this. NO MORE APOLOGIZES SIR! You have done NO wrong!
3:24 pm on January 27th, 2011
I doest live in BR, LA.,
And pull for Tigers nite & day.
But methinks AG is ‘Otay’,
‘Tis with sarcasm he doth play!
Alarums raised in race offense,
Be better heard by thinking sense.
When your team has a stout defense,
Perhaps you’ll be of consequence!