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Coaches live in fear of being blind-sided, but Dennis Franchione was never so glad to be caught off-guard as he was Tuesday. Texas A&M's 130 football players decided to demonstrate their unity behind the embattled coach at his weekly press conference. They politely waited until he showed up, then stood and clapped. They listened to his every word until someone reminded them to go back to class. Then they exited in an orderly fashion, shaking their coach's hand and, in most instances, hugging him. It was a firm reminder that a show of actual hands does speak louder than words, especially those that are e-mailed, whether they're the words that Franchione sent to get himself in this mess or the words now being sent by irate fans wanting him fired. We don't know what A&M's internal investigation into Franchione's secret newsletter will uncover. And we don't know what's in store for the football team in the next seven regular season games. But one thing we do know: To a man, the Aggie football team is sold on Franchione. Nothing anyone says or thinks is going to change that. The faith they have in Franchione is unwavering. It's not surprising that spearheading it was quarterback Stephen McGee, who is the son of a minister. He understands what blind faith is, which is why he's been so adamant about supporting someone who has made a difference in his life since he stepped on campus. And he sees his teammates feeling the same way and wonders what outsiders are not seeing. "They don't see how much we believe," McGee said. Well, now they do. It was a scene that Hollywood might have nixed, because it's not a true reflection of our society or college athletics today. It's kinda hard to fathom such a scene happening in Los Angeles or Austin. But it happened in Aggieland, the heartland of character. These players are heroes, because they are Aggies, who say Howdy, go to class and recently have stayed off the police reports. Ironically, Franchione gets criticized for not showing enough emotion, for not being an Aggie and for being an outsider. The young men who play for A&M beg to differ. Their coach has made mistakes, but they'd rather point out his good qualities. He's had more big losses than big victories, yet the players believe he's constructing a foundation of greatness, and they're glad to be on the ground floor. It will be interesting to see if the players' show of support leads to victories, which ultimately is the only way to quiet Franchione's critics. "Having to deal with all this frustrates you [to the point] that you want to hit someone," senior defensive end Chris Harrington said. "Thankfully, we can go out and hit someone and do something about." Saturday night when Oklahoma State comes to Kyle Field, we'll find out how much the Aggies' belief in Franchione is worth. That's when it will be time to put words into the actions that really could get people's attention.
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The statement by athletics director Bill Byrne about Franchione's status didn't convey the same firm backing that Franchione's words conveyed.
Byrne simply reiterated that he doesn't discuss head coaches and their job status during the season.
But Franchione said Byrne has "affirmed me in every way and has left no doubt that he has confidence in me and has every intention of helping me succeed in building this program, and for that I am deeply grateful."
Then a couple seconds later, Franchione added: "With Bill Byrne's affirmation of my role here, and my commitment to the program, there is no need to discuss this matter."
Byrne and Franchione won't, but everyone else will.
For Franchione to make those statements about solid support, he'd have to have Byrne firmly in his corner. Wouldn't he?
The players and Franchione have signed off on this, but with an internal investigation under way, it will have a longer shelf life.
• Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com.
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