Chad S. Conine - Texas Sports: Unforgettable Stories for Every Day of the Year

Publication of this work was made possible in part by support from the J. E. Smothers Sr. Memorial Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Copyright 2017 by Chad S. Conine

All rights reserved

First edition, 2017

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Conine, Chad S. (Samuel), 1977, author.

Title: Texas sports : unforgettable stories for every day of the year / Chad S. Conine.

Description: First edition. | Austin : University of Texas Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017009445

ISBN 978-1-4773-1273-5 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-1-4773-1499-9 (library e-book)

ISBN 978-1-4773-1500-2 (nonlibrary e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: SportsTexasHistory20th century. | SportsTexasHistory21st century.

Classification: LCC GV584.T4 C66 2017 | DDC 796.09764dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017009445

doi:10.7560/312735

To John and Shana Conine.
Ill call you after the game.

Contents

Introduction

I wrote most of this book in the first six months of 2016. It was interesting, at least to me, to see how the writing of it evolved. At first, with the whole calendar open and waiting to be filled, I would pick a subjectEarl Campbell or Hakeem Olajuwon or Sheryl Swoopes or Nolan Ryan or Jody Conradtand find a few highlight-worthy days to write about that Texas sports personality. From this start, the research branched out into events like the Super Bowl or the Ryder Cup, but the process stayed basically the same and worked for a long time, for the first 250 entries or so. It served its purpose well and gave me a greater perspective on the pervasiveness of Texas and Texans in sport. When it came to the final hundred days to write, I took a break and traveled to St. Andrews, Scotland, to play golf and hang out in a pub I love, one, not coincidentally, owned by Texans (one native and one adopted).

While sitting in the pub one afternoon, I met a gentleman from Buffalo, New York. Like me, he had come to St. Andrews by himself to play golf and sit at the bar at the Dunvegan. We played golf late in the afternoon and then sat down for dinner. He was a former hockey player and current hockey coach, so I couldnt resist asking him about the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. The Dallas Stars defeated the Buffalo Sabres in that series, grasping Lord Stanleys cup on a controversial triple-overtime goal by right wing Brett Hull (June 19, 1999). I expected him to react, but I was still thrown by his visceral, severe reply. His face went stone cold and he said, We dont talk about that.

On my return trip to Texas, I stopped for a day in New York City. I turned on the television in my hotel room and found a Yankees versus Red Sox game in the early innings. The broadcasters were discussing pitcher David Price having signed a photograph commemorating Derek Jeters 3,000th hit, which Price surrendered, and how it signaled a softening of the rivalry between hitters and pitchers. The broadcasters first point of reference for the bygone days of vitriolic competition was, of course, the Nolan Ryan versus Robin Ventura brawl (August 4, 1993). That also happened to be the very first day I wrote about.

So there it was. Even on a trip intended as a mental break from writing this book about Texas sports, Texas sports proved inescapable.

As I reached the final days of writing, it became a challenge to identify subjects for specific days, something for April 18 or July 12 or May 14. I scoured old newspapers, hoping to find the right topic. I feared I would have to settle for events more ordinary than had become standard for the preceding 360-something days. But it ended with a testament to Texas sports when I landed on the spectacular high school track career of Nanceen Perry for the subject of the 366th day I wrote about (May 14, 1994).

I know some will argue that I picked the wrong subject for certain days. That kind of disagreement is inevitable, and I invite the debate. I didnt attempt to pick the grandest thing that ever happened on each day. I simply set out to show that Texas sports pack a punch 365 days a year366 in leap years.

The Houston Astros carry Nolan Ryan from the field following Ryans fifth career no-hitter, September 26, 1981. Photo courtesy of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

January

JANUARY 1, 1964

Southwest Conference champion and top-ranked Texas rolled to a 286 victory over second-ranked Navy, featuring Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach, in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

Longhorn quarterback Duke Carlisle tossed first-half touchdown passes of fifty-eight and sixty-three yards to wingback Phil Harris, and Carlisle ran nine yards for another score to boost Texas to a 210 lead by halftime.

Though Texas coach Darrell Royal famously eschewed the passing gamesaying that only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are badhe turned to it to flog the Midshipmen. We hadnt thrown that deep before, Royal explained in the Associated Press account of the game. But they were crowding up on us and we had to throw deep.

The Longhorns defense stymied Staubach and the Navy offense, which finally got on the scoreboard when Staubach ran two yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

Staubach passed for 228 yards, but it wasnt enough to overcome being thrown for -47 rushing yards by a relentless Texas defense. When asked after the contest which Texas players gave him the most trouble, Staubach had a colorful answer. Well, they all had me down at one time or another and I didnt notice their numbers, Staubach said.

The Longhorns, already ranked first in the final polls of the season, completed a perfect 110 season to claim their first national championship.

JANUARY 2, 1978

Notre Dame, led by junior quarterback Joe Montana, snapped Texass twelve-game winning streak and ruined the top-ranked Longhorns bid for a national championship when the Fighting Irish seized a 3810 victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

Notre Dame running back Vagas Ferguson, the games offensive most valuable player, ran for touchdowns of three and twenty-six yards and caught a seventeen-yard touchdown pass from Montana to help the Fighting Irish pull away from the Longhorns.

Texas was undone by six turnovers.

Do you realize what six turnovers will do to your offense? Longhorns coach Fred Akers asked reporters after the game. Weve had days like that when people turned the ball over to us and we took advantage. It was just one of those days. We had a bad one and Notre Dame had a good one.

By defeating Texas, and benefiting from losses by second-ranked Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and fourth-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Notre Dame ascended from the number five ranking to national champion. The Fighting Irish leapfrogged third-ranked Alabama despite the Crimson Tides 356 victory over Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.

JANUARY 3, 1983

In a Houston Post column, sportswriter Thomas Bonk referred to the University of Houston mens basketball team as Phi Slama Jama.