The Tiger football team has another big game on Saturday night down in Seguin against Texas Lutheran. Here are some facts about the series with the Bulldogs, as well as some fun (and-not-so-fun) memories I have of ETBU-TLU football:
-- The Tigers haven't won in Seguin since 2002. ETBU has lost the last two games played in Matador Stadium.
-- The 2004 game played down there was a heartbreaker for us. We were in the middle of one of those years where nothing -- absolutely nothing -- went right for ETBU. TLU quarterback Sean Salinas passed for over 500 yards that day, including a 98-yard bomb to Jason Trahan that stands as the longest play ever against the Tigers. Still, it took TLU going on a 20-0 run in the fourth quarter to pull out a wild 39-28 win.
-- The last three games of the series have been quite exciting. The margin of victory in those games is by a total of six points, including ETBU's 19-17 win last season in Ornelas Stadium.
-- Just as Seguin has been a tough place for ETBU, TLU hates coming to The Jungle. The Bulldogs are 0-4 all-time against the Tigers in Marshall.
-- TLU head coach Dennis Parker was my high school football coach here in Marshall, back in the late 1980s. I've always had the utmost respect for Coach Parker. I just wish I'd been about 6-3, 290 or so so I could have actually helped the Mavericks out back then. But alas, I was only a 5-10 or so, 190-pound (dripping wet) O-lineman. I have always proudly boasted to any Marshall fans who would listen -- I was part of the last team to finish with a losing record under Coach Parker with the Mavs. In the three years after my graduation, the Mavs won like 40 or something games, played deep into the state playoffs every year and won a state championship once. Either my class was a springboard for that program, or I probably should have not wasted his time...
-- The 2003 ETBU-TLU game is memorable for me in a not-so-nice way, I guess. The reason: I was sick as all get out that day, which ended with a 45-21 Tiger romp in The Jungle. I had been battling some nausea and stomach pain for a few days, but thought it was just something, well, not major. El Chico catered the press box meal that day, which didn't help matters with my nausea -- nothing against El Chico, but the smell of tacos and enchiladas isn't something that's prescribed when your stomach is turning somersaults up into your throat... I went home after the game and woke up the next morning in a bad way, and by late Sunday night I was in the hospital with what the surgeon would later describe to me as a "ripe" gallbladder. I was on the shelf and hospitalized for almost a week, and missed the Tigers' thrilling overtime loss at Hardin-Simmons the next week. The Tigers went 9-3 that year, but I was 9-2. And minus a minor body part... On that note, you know what minor surgery is? It's surgery that's happening to somebody else.
-- The most exciting game in the series, probably for ETBU fans, has to be the 2001 contest. That's the game where Jabori Jackson exploded on the national scene by single-handedly whipping the Bulldogs. The Tigers won 38-24, and Jackson accounted for 24 points himself. Jabori scored in every way possible, almost -- he took two passes for touchdowns, and he returned two kicks for scores. The numbers speak for themselves: 4 catches for 187 yards and 2 TD, and 3 kickoff returns for 190 yards and 2 scores. I will go on record and I'm pretty sure there are a lot out there who will back me up -- there hasn't been a better kickoff returner in the ASC in the last nine years than Jabori Jackson. There's been some good ones, but his name is at the top of the list.
-- Finally, can't forget the memories of the 2005 game in which Jeremy Seeton kicked the game-winning field goal with 12 sacks. TLU was nationally-ranked, coming off that impressive 2004 season, and Salinas was back for his senior year. I had a lot of respect for Salinas in the two games I saw him play against us -- he was as elusive a quarterback as we've seen in this league and he simply made the Bulldogs into a contender by being on the field. He was a special player. But we got to him nine times that day -- Micah Rucker had three sacks -- and that kept the game close into the fourth quarter. The offense got things going in the final 15 and managed to put enough points on the board to Seeton a chance to win it at the end.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
A Tail Of A Tale
Let's talk about traditions today -- specifically, tailgating.
I cannot express how much I was impressed as both a part of a college football athletics program -- specifically, football in this particular case -- and as a fan with the game day atmosphere that awaited us at Saint John's a few weeks ago. Of course, those folks up there have nearly a 100-year head start on us down here with their football program, but somehow I don't think it took them that long to figure out that a huge part of the college football experience involves tailgating.
We've come a long way here at ETBU in nine years. I actually see some small tailgating parties going on outside Ornelas Stadium on game day. I'm not talking about the larger ones sponsored by, say, cheerleaders, or the alumni association, or any of that. Nothing at all wrong with any of those and we certainly welcome the efforts of the people involved with that in generating game day spirit for the Tigers.
But up at Saint John's, let me tell you, there were some people doing some serious partying. Nothing obnoxious, mind you, just good-natured tailgating in the middle of the parking lot. There were burgers on the grills, brauts, krauts, whatever. It was being cooked. I tried to sneak through there unnoticed, but the blue and gold I was wearing made me about as invisible as The Incredible Hulk. But the folks up there invited me over for some kind of mini-burger that tasted like pork sausage on a bun, and let me tell you it was -- delicious.
There's a certain science to tailgating. Go to a Cowboys game at Texas Stadium, for example, and you'll find all food groups represented in some form or fashion. And, I might add, some food that doesn't belong in any food group.
Most places we go, if there are tailgaters, it's most hamburgers, hot dogs, maybe some barbeque. You know, it all depends on how much you want to eat before a game, and how much you're willing to spend to make it all happen. With the food, I mean.
I actually thought about hosting a little tailgate this past Saturday for the Tigers' game against Sul Ross. I typically arrive at Ornelas Stadium about three hours or so before a game, anyway. That's probably way too early, but I don't work well under pressure. If I can get everything set up and ready to go well ahead of time, trust me, my day goes much, much better. If I'm rushed because of time, well, it doesn't go so well.
I was thinking about setting up a tailgate, getting there a couple of minutes earlier than normal, and seeing what might happen. Then it hit me about Thursday of last week -- what kind of tailgate can you have at 8 in the morning? Kickoff for our first two games at home this year have been moved to 11 a.m., to help with the brutal East TexaS heat that pounds on our fans and press box in the middle of the afternoon in September.
Eggs? Bacon? Pancakes, maybe? The ideas starting popping into my head. But somehow that didn't fit my definition of a tailgate. I was having visions of burgers and hot dogs, maybe some sirloin, you know, anything that smells good on the grill and tastes even better. And despite my physical appearance, I don't do much red meat in the mornings.
My tailgate would probably have been reduced to Frosted Flakes. So I declined. But I'm thinking about the future.
I've thought about suggesting a tailgating contest at some point, where we appoint a committee in true Baptist fashion to survey the various sites around the stadium for the best fare. Maybe we could get a sponsor of some sort to donate something like a barbeque grill or something, and at the end of the year make it worth everyone's while. I don't know.
Or maybe I'm just trying to envision a place that is hopping on game day, getting ready for the Tigers to chomp somebody to bits. Trust me, it's not the reason Saint John's has won all those championships, but it's a lot easier to get ready to play when you've got 50 barbeque grills smoking out there a few hundred yards away, whetting your appetite.
Or maybe, just maybe, I'm being selfish and just want to smell it myself. Hmmm. I can taste it already...
I cannot express how much I was impressed as both a part of a college football athletics program -- specifically, football in this particular case -- and as a fan with the game day atmosphere that awaited us at Saint John's a few weeks ago. Of course, those folks up there have nearly a 100-year head start on us down here with their football program, but somehow I don't think it took them that long to figure out that a huge part of the college football experience involves tailgating.
We've come a long way here at ETBU in nine years. I actually see some small tailgating parties going on outside Ornelas Stadium on game day. I'm not talking about the larger ones sponsored by, say, cheerleaders, or the alumni association, or any of that. Nothing at all wrong with any of those and we certainly welcome the efforts of the people involved with that in generating game day spirit for the Tigers.
But up at Saint John's, let me tell you, there were some people doing some serious partying. Nothing obnoxious, mind you, just good-natured tailgating in the middle of the parking lot. There were burgers on the grills, brauts, krauts, whatever. It was being cooked. I tried to sneak through there unnoticed, but the blue and gold I was wearing made me about as invisible as The Incredible Hulk. But the folks up there invited me over for some kind of mini-burger that tasted like pork sausage on a bun, and let me tell you it was -- delicious.
There's a certain science to tailgating. Go to a Cowboys game at Texas Stadium, for example, and you'll find all food groups represented in some form or fashion. And, I might add, some food that doesn't belong in any food group.
Most places we go, if there are tailgaters, it's most hamburgers, hot dogs, maybe some barbeque. You know, it all depends on how much you want to eat before a game, and how much you're willing to spend to make it all happen. With the food, I mean.
I actually thought about hosting a little tailgate this past Saturday for the Tigers' game against Sul Ross. I typically arrive at Ornelas Stadium about three hours or so before a game, anyway. That's probably way too early, but I don't work well under pressure. If I can get everything set up and ready to go well ahead of time, trust me, my day goes much, much better. If I'm rushed because of time, well, it doesn't go so well.
I was thinking about setting up a tailgate, getting there a couple of minutes earlier than normal, and seeing what might happen. Then it hit me about Thursday of last week -- what kind of tailgate can you have at 8 in the morning? Kickoff for our first two games at home this year have been moved to 11 a.m., to help with the brutal East TexaS heat that pounds on our fans and press box in the middle of the afternoon in September.
Eggs? Bacon? Pancakes, maybe? The ideas starting popping into my head. But somehow that didn't fit my definition of a tailgate. I was having visions of burgers and hot dogs, maybe some sirloin, you know, anything that smells good on the grill and tastes even better. And despite my physical appearance, I don't do much red meat in the mornings.
My tailgate would probably have been reduced to Frosted Flakes. So I declined. But I'm thinking about the future.
I've thought about suggesting a tailgating contest at some point, where we appoint a committee in true Baptist fashion to survey the various sites around the stadium for the best fare. Maybe we could get a sponsor of some sort to donate something like a barbeque grill or something, and at the end of the year make it worth everyone's while. I don't know.
Or maybe I'm just trying to envision a place that is hopping on game day, getting ready for the Tigers to chomp somebody to bits. Trust me, it's not the reason Saint John's has won all those championships, but it's a lot easier to get ready to play when you've got 50 barbeque grills smoking out there a few hundred yards away, whetting your appetite.
Or maybe, just maybe, I'm being selfish and just want to smell it myself. Hmmm. I can taste it already...
Friday, September 19, 2008
That's What I'm Talking About!
Thursday night was a very exciting time down in the House of Blues.
Credit for unofficial nickname for ETBU's Ornelas Gym, I think, goes to former Lady Tiger volleyball coach Suzanne Wingrove. Suzanne brought an attitude to our volleyball program back in 2001 along with an ability to recruit really, really well. In one year, back in 2001, she led a transformation of ETBU's volleyball program from a middle-of-the-road outfit to a conference champion, literally overnight. The program has just continued to build tradition since then, including the march of the 2008 club.
That bunch finally got to play a home game Thursday night in the House, and it was one of the best atmospheres I've been around going on nine years here at ETBU. We of course earned the distinction in 2007 as the No. 1 team in the nation in terms of attendance average at our volleyball games. I will be the first to admit that setting attendance is an inexact science. We don't charge admission to our volleyball games, so we can't count tickets. It's pretty much an eyeball process.
According to our facilities director, Mr. Randy Pringle, one middle section of Ornelas Gym -- from floor bleachers, to chairback mezzanine to upper bleachers -- can hold 700 people. There's two sides, of course, in the gym, so technically if those sides are full that's 1,400 people. Considering capacity in the gym is 1,700 thereabouts, that's a pretty even gauge when we have to compute attendance.
Using this as a guideline, that's how we determine our attendance at volleyball, basketball and soccer games. Like I said, it's an eyeball process, but there is a method to it most of the time. By the formula above, there were well over 700 people in the gym last night because the far side of the House was nearly full. And there was a pretty good crowd behind us at the scorer's table, so... who knows, there might actually have been well over the "estimated" 732 as posted on the final box score.
All that to say this -- having people in the gym at ETBU really creates an atmosphere that has been lacking in some years, and it was really, really nice. I have the opportunity to travel with some our teams on occasion, and the ASC -- and probably D-III in general -- is really underrated in terms of genuine game-type atmosphere. We have great fans and great programs in this league, and ETBU's facility for indoor sports is one of the best around.
When it is rocking like it was Thursday night for volleyball, it can be one of the toughest places to play. Volleyball in and of itself is made for emotion and momentum, and as Coach Mashe mentioned this week, having a big, loud crowd behind you in a match really, really does make a difference. The Lady Tigers were going full-bore last night, diving for balls and giving maximum effort on every point. And when things went our way -- and sometimes not -- the House of Blues responded in loud fashion.
It was a great start to what we hope is a fun year in all of our athletics programs. It's a college atmosphere. Obviously winning helps to generate excitement but I think the biggest thing in the building last night was that -- finally -- we had a team playing in front of us. Since the start of school nearly a month ago, we'd had exactly two games played at home -- both women's soccer, and both on back-to-back nights at the very end of August -- so it kind of felt like nothing was going on.
Remember the "phony war" phase at the beginning of World War II? It was kind of like a "phony" fall athletic season around here for awhile.
But the Lady Tigers helped usher us back to competition Thursday night. And Tiger football will get to unveil itself before the home fans Saturday...morning? That's going to be nice, the 11 a.m. kickoff.
And don't forget that soccer will be back in town next week, with a rescheduled men's game on Tuesday night followed by back-to-back conference matchups for the men and women next weekend.
Also...cross country's season will officially begin Saturday, with a meet up at Southern Arkansas in the morning.
Athletics is picking up steam at ETBU. That's what I'm talking about.
Credit for unofficial nickname for ETBU's Ornelas Gym, I think, goes to former Lady Tiger volleyball coach Suzanne Wingrove. Suzanne brought an attitude to our volleyball program back in 2001 along with an ability to recruit really, really well. In one year, back in 2001, she led a transformation of ETBU's volleyball program from a middle-of-the-road outfit to a conference champion, literally overnight. The program has just continued to build tradition since then, including the march of the 2008 club.
That bunch finally got to play a home game Thursday night in the House, and it was one of the best atmospheres I've been around going on nine years here at ETBU. We of course earned the distinction in 2007 as the No. 1 team in the nation in terms of attendance average at our volleyball games. I will be the first to admit that setting attendance is an inexact science. We don't charge admission to our volleyball games, so we can't count tickets. It's pretty much an eyeball process.
According to our facilities director, Mr. Randy Pringle, one middle section of Ornelas Gym -- from floor bleachers, to chairback mezzanine to upper bleachers -- can hold 700 people. There's two sides, of course, in the gym, so technically if those sides are full that's 1,400 people. Considering capacity in the gym is 1,700 thereabouts, that's a pretty even gauge when we have to compute attendance.
Using this as a guideline, that's how we determine our attendance at volleyball, basketball and soccer games. Like I said, it's an eyeball process, but there is a method to it most of the time. By the formula above, there were well over 700 people in the gym last night because the far side of the House was nearly full. And there was a pretty good crowd behind us at the scorer's table, so... who knows, there might actually have been well over the "estimated" 732 as posted on the final box score.
All that to say this -- having people in the gym at ETBU really creates an atmosphere that has been lacking in some years, and it was really, really nice. I have the opportunity to travel with some our teams on occasion, and the ASC -- and probably D-III in general -- is really underrated in terms of genuine game-type atmosphere. We have great fans and great programs in this league, and ETBU's facility for indoor sports is one of the best around.
When it is rocking like it was Thursday night for volleyball, it can be one of the toughest places to play. Volleyball in and of itself is made for emotion and momentum, and as Coach Mashe mentioned this week, having a big, loud crowd behind you in a match really, really does make a difference. The Lady Tigers were going full-bore last night, diving for balls and giving maximum effort on every point. And when things went our way -- and sometimes not -- the House of Blues responded in loud fashion.
It was a great start to what we hope is a fun year in all of our athletics programs. It's a college atmosphere. Obviously winning helps to generate excitement but I think the biggest thing in the building last night was that -- finally -- we had a team playing in front of us. Since the start of school nearly a month ago, we'd had exactly two games played at home -- both women's soccer, and both on back-to-back nights at the very end of August -- so it kind of felt like nothing was going on.
Remember the "phony war" phase at the beginning of World War II? It was kind of like a "phony" fall athletic season around here for awhile.
But the Lady Tigers helped usher us back to competition Thursday night. And Tiger football will get to unveil itself before the home fans Saturday...morning? That's going to be nice, the 11 a.m. kickoff.
And don't forget that soccer will be back in town next week, with a rescheduled men's game on Tuesday night followed by back-to-back conference matchups for the men and women next weekend.
Also...cross country's season will officially begin Saturday, with a meet up at Southern Arkansas in the morning.
Athletics is picking up steam at ETBU. That's what I'm talking about.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Stats, Music, Etc.
We've added a new feature to our website that will debut this weekend (I hope). For the first time, ETBU will have a "live-stats" feature for football games.
Basically, what the feature will allow is for anyone unable to attend the game to follow the action -- at least statistically -- through the website. Our football stat program has a feature that allows the stats to be uploaded to the website, so you'll know exactly what the stats are as they occur. We have recently added the software that makes this possible, and hopefully it'll be smooth sailing this weekend since it's the first time I've tried to use it.
Ideally, you can listen to the Internet broadcast if you're unable to attend the game, and follow the broadcast and the game statistics simultaneously. If you can't watch the game here, well, hopefully we can bring it to you as closely as we possibly can.
I expect to use the live stats feature during home basketball games this year, as well as in the spring for baseball and softball. Occasionally this fall we'll test it out with soccer, and I hope to add volleyball for sure next fall. Problem with volleyball is the speed of the game, and it's very tough to keep the stats accurately on computer. We continue to keep those by hand here, as do most of our opponents in the ASC. But I have made it a personal challenge to learn the computer program for volleyball, and hopefully it will allow us to post the live stats from our home volleyball matches in the very near future.
The other change you might notice at our events this year is pregame music. In the past it's been tough finding an even balance between what the young today and the young-at-heart-today find suitable for their listening pleasure. I wouldn't call it a problem per se over the years, but I would call it very difficult to find the balance we are looking for as East Texas Baptist University.
To that end, you will hear primarily Christian-based music at our events this year. It's the type of stuff you hear on the radio all the time, and it will be upbeat and positive. There will be times during certain events that we play some nice, popular secular stuff, but by and large we will play inspirational and upbeat Christian contemporary music.
It's all part of our goal of creating a family-friendly atmosphere and a place where our fans can come and watch the Tigers without having to worry about what might be coming out of the stadium or gym speakers. Not that we've had problems with what's been played before, but the Christian-based theme just fits well with our university.
So we invite you out to our events so you can enjoy some family-friendly atmosphere and hopefully see some winning along the way. If you can't make it, then by all means use the technology available through our website stats and broadcast. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will certainly appreciate it.
Basically, what the feature will allow is for anyone unable to attend the game to follow the action -- at least statistically -- through the website. Our football stat program has a feature that allows the stats to be uploaded to the website, so you'll know exactly what the stats are as they occur. We have recently added the software that makes this possible, and hopefully it'll be smooth sailing this weekend since it's the first time I've tried to use it.
Ideally, you can listen to the Internet broadcast if you're unable to attend the game, and follow the broadcast and the game statistics simultaneously. If you can't watch the game here, well, hopefully we can bring it to you as closely as we possibly can.
I expect to use the live stats feature during home basketball games this year, as well as in the spring for baseball and softball. Occasionally this fall we'll test it out with soccer, and I hope to add volleyball for sure next fall. Problem with volleyball is the speed of the game, and it's very tough to keep the stats accurately on computer. We continue to keep those by hand here, as do most of our opponents in the ASC. But I have made it a personal challenge to learn the computer program for volleyball, and hopefully it will allow us to post the live stats from our home volleyball matches in the very near future.
The other change you might notice at our events this year is pregame music. In the past it's been tough finding an even balance between what the young today and the young-at-heart-today find suitable for their listening pleasure. I wouldn't call it a problem per se over the years, but I would call it very difficult to find the balance we are looking for as East Texas Baptist University.
To that end, you will hear primarily Christian-based music at our events this year. It's the type of stuff you hear on the radio all the time, and it will be upbeat and positive. There will be times during certain events that we play some nice, popular secular stuff, but by and large we will play inspirational and upbeat Christian contemporary music.
It's all part of our goal of creating a family-friendly atmosphere and a place where our fans can come and watch the Tigers without having to worry about what might be coming out of the stadium or gym speakers. Not that we've had problems with what's been played before, but the Christian-based theme just fits well with our university.
So we invite you out to our events so you can enjoy some family-friendly atmosphere and hopefully see some winning along the way. If you can't make it, then by all means use the technology available through our website stats and broadcast. The Tigers and Lady Tigers will certainly appreciate it.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Record-Setting
Congrats to ETBU Volleyball senior Traci Twardowski, who set a new career milestone this past weekend by passing former three-time ASC East Player of the Year Allison Castillo on the Lady Tigers' all-time assists list.
I would be the first to admit that I really don't know the first thing about volleyball in terms of game strategies, X's and O's, etc. It's a game pretty much, to the untrained eye, that looks like hitting the ball as hard as you possibly can either at or around an opponent on the other side of the net.
But my experience here has managed to teach me one thing -- you don't win much in volleyball without a setter, and ETBU has been fortunate enough to have three pretty good ones in a row.
Traci is the latest, and hopefully will put a lot of miles between the new record and second place before her career ends this season. Starting the setter line was Castillo, who was arguably the most dominant player in the ASC from the setter position for four years, the last of which was spent at Texas Lutheran after three years at ETBU.
In the middle part of the setter trio is current ETBU head coach Lyndsay Mashe, known back then as Lyndsay Simpson. Lyndsay was an all-state setter at Pine Tree, signed with Panola College and then finished her career at ETBU in 2004.
The setter is kind of like a point guard, or, maybe even, the quarterback, on the volleyball court. The offensive numbers and kills put up by current Lady Tigers such as Katie Graves or Jane Hays, for example, wouldn't be nearly as gaudy without Twardowski setting the table for them at the net.
The volleyball program here at ETBU has quietly been one of the most consistent and productive programs on campus over the last seven years or so. The Lady Tigers have made the playoffs seven straight years and have never finished lower than second place in the division since 2001. Lyndsay Mashe took the coaching reins of the program less than a year after graduating from ETBU, and the team hasn't missed a beat.
A big reason for that has been the consistent play at the setter position. Congratulations Traci, and to all the Lady Tigers as you finally get a chance to play before the home folks this week.
I would be the first to admit that I really don't know the first thing about volleyball in terms of game strategies, X's and O's, etc. It's a game pretty much, to the untrained eye, that looks like hitting the ball as hard as you possibly can either at or around an opponent on the other side of the net.
But my experience here has managed to teach me one thing -- you don't win much in volleyball without a setter, and ETBU has been fortunate enough to have three pretty good ones in a row.
Traci is the latest, and hopefully will put a lot of miles between the new record and second place before her career ends this season. Starting the setter line was Castillo, who was arguably the most dominant player in the ASC from the setter position for four years, the last of which was spent at Texas Lutheran after three years at ETBU.
In the middle part of the setter trio is current ETBU head coach Lyndsay Mashe, known back then as Lyndsay Simpson. Lyndsay was an all-state setter at Pine Tree, signed with Panola College and then finished her career at ETBU in 2004.
The setter is kind of like a point guard, or, maybe even, the quarterback, on the volleyball court. The offensive numbers and kills put up by current Lady Tigers such as Katie Graves or Jane Hays, for example, wouldn't be nearly as gaudy without Twardowski setting the table for them at the net.
The volleyball program here at ETBU has quietly been one of the most consistent and productive programs on campus over the last seven years or so. The Lady Tigers have made the playoffs seven straight years and have never finished lower than second place in the division since 2001. Lyndsay Mashe took the coaching reins of the program less than a year after graduating from ETBU, and the team hasn't missed a beat.
A big reason for that has been the consistent play at the setter position. Congratulations Traci, and to all the Lady Tigers as you finally get a chance to play before the home folks this week.
Friday, September 12, 2008
A Day Remembered
Pearl Harbor Day in December is a day that will always "live in infamy" for Americans. But there are those out there who can't remember the exact day the Japanese invaded.
Dec. 7, 1941 -- for anyone who's wondering.
But we just passed another date on the calendar that also is infamous, and I'd daresay that every American remembers it.
Our memories fade with time for most things. For example, I can't tell you what I got on my fifth birthday, but I'm pretty sure at the time I was pretty excited about it.
But memories such as Sept. 11, 2001 never fade. I can remember exactly what I did that morning, where I was at when the news was breaking, what I was doing throughout the entire day.
Sept. 11, 2001 affected the ETBU campus as it did everywhere they day. The world was forever changed because of it. I remember running late, as was normally the case in those days with a four-year-old and two-year-old in the house. But if I hadn't been running late, I would have missed the news on the radio.
I, like most sports fans, am hooked on talk radio. I don't hardly ever agree with what's been said on sports talk shows, but I listen nonetheless. I was listening to a local sports talk show that morning, and when I turned on the radio I knew something was happening -- because the host wasn't talking.
He was ooing and aaahing, and later I guessed he was watching a TV set. It was about this time that the first plane was crashing into the World Trade Center North Tower (yes, I can remember the North was the first tower hit because I thought it incredulous that the South Tower could be hit second and yet be the first to collapse, later. I have never forgotten that.)
It was then that I knew something bad was happening. I got to the office and immediately went down to the Communications Services department. Back then, I was still officially in the Athletic Department on campus, but would be shifted over to Public Relations, which is now an arm of the Enrollment and Marketing division here at ETBU.
But Communications Services back then was, effectively, the PR department. For those who don't know, the Communications Services/PR offices used to be in what is now Carlile-Howell Fieldhouse, but as part of the renovation of that building for football, was housed in the new Herrington Service Center with our Physical Facilities department. The office is now used by ETBU's IT department, and we are now on the third floor of Marshall Hall.
But back to the memories. I went down to Communications Services because I knew my good friend and then-Director of Communications Services, Mark Dimmitt, would know what was going on. Mark is a former member of the Air Force and had a radio and TV on in his office, as all good PR and news folks do. I watched a little of the carnage there and then stopped by Dean Healthplex on my way to my old office -- in the new football field house.
There was a huge crowd standing around the TV in the Healthplex, and I realized it was one of those days where everyone was going to be glued to a TV set somewhere. I went down to my office and tried to follow the news on the Internet, but every major news organization's website was down. The usage volume apparently was just too high.
There were frantic phone calls, messages, you name it. The world was turning upside down. Coach Ralph Harris met with the Tiger football team early that afternoon and there was a team discussion about what was taking place. There were a couple of team members back then who actually had relatives up in New York for various reasons, and there was some concern about their safety.
Eventually, of course, one of the team members that year -- a freshman middle linebacker named Greg Washington -- would put ETBU on the national stage a couple of years later by being called to active duty in the middle of the Tigers' playoff run in 2003.
Most of our athletic events that week would be postponed or cancelled, as I remember, but there was the discussion about the football game scheduled for the following Saturday, Sept. 15. Most colleges or conferences immediately cancelled games. Ours left it up to the individual schools. We were scheduled to play Mississippi College in the conference opener that week, and our officials got with their officials and courageously made the decision to play.
I say courageous because we knew we were going to be the only game in town that weekend, at least within a 600-mile radius or so of Marshall. There were no high school games, nothing -- but ETBU was going to play Mississippi College. We didn't know what to expect in terms of backlash, but our university felt it was important for us to play and try to do what the President George W. Bush was urging -- return to some sense of normalcy.
We decided to play nothing but patriotic music in pregame warmups. We handed out flags to everyone who attended. And it was a good afternoon of football -- American-style. The Tigers lost in overtime, but everyone who attended that game that day felt like a winner.
I went home that Tuesday, Sept. 11, night and wept on the way home. I felt like our country was falling apart and at that time we didn't quite know what we had to do. I wanted to get home and take care of my wife and two small kids, because that was the one part of the world I could understand.
We ate dinner in silence that night, turning the TV off. I wanted to keep the kids away from news as much as possible. But as I would find out during the course of the meal, my son Coby had already seen enough.
I don't know if it was the look on my face, or what, but Coby wanted to say the blessing -- at four years old. He said his typical "thank you for this food, dear God," prayer but then he closed it by saying this:
"And please take care of the people in the buildings. Amen."
The tears welled up again. And that was the spirit that I think all Americans were trying to muster that day. We were wanting to take care of each other, and saddened when the stories came out that some of us didn't make it. We were attacked collectively -- not just in New York, or Washington, or Pennsylvania -- but right here in Texas, Marshall, Texas. Right here at East Texas Baptist University.
We honor those people whose lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11. May we continue to honor them by never forgetting that terrible day, no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Dec. 7, 1941 -- for anyone who's wondering.
But we just passed another date on the calendar that also is infamous, and I'd daresay that every American remembers it.
Our memories fade with time for most things. For example, I can't tell you what I got on my fifth birthday, but I'm pretty sure at the time I was pretty excited about it.
But memories such as Sept. 11, 2001 never fade. I can remember exactly what I did that morning, where I was at when the news was breaking, what I was doing throughout the entire day.
Sept. 11, 2001 affected the ETBU campus as it did everywhere they day. The world was forever changed because of it. I remember running late, as was normally the case in those days with a four-year-old and two-year-old in the house. But if I hadn't been running late, I would have missed the news on the radio.
I, like most sports fans, am hooked on talk radio. I don't hardly ever agree with what's been said on sports talk shows, but I listen nonetheless. I was listening to a local sports talk show that morning, and when I turned on the radio I knew something was happening -- because the host wasn't talking.
He was ooing and aaahing, and later I guessed he was watching a TV set. It was about this time that the first plane was crashing into the World Trade Center North Tower (yes, I can remember the North was the first tower hit because I thought it incredulous that the South Tower could be hit second and yet be the first to collapse, later. I have never forgotten that.)
It was then that I knew something bad was happening. I got to the office and immediately went down to the Communications Services department. Back then, I was still officially in the Athletic Department on campus, but would be shifted over to Public Relations, which is now an arm of the Enrollment and Marketing division here at ETBU.
But Communications Services back then was, effectively, the PR department. For those who don't know, the Communications Services/PR offices used to be in what is now Carlile-Howell Fieldhouse, but as part of the renovation of that building for football, was housed in the new Herrington Service Center with our Physical Facilities department. The office is now used by ETBU's IT department, and we are now on the third floor of Marshall Hall.
But back to the memories. I went down to Communications Services because I knew my good friend and then-Director of Communications Services, Mark Dimmitt, would know what was going on. Mark is a former member of the Air Force and had a radio and TV on in his office, as all good PR and news folks do. I watched a little of the carnage there and then stopped by Dean Healthplex on my way to my old office -- in the new football field house.
There was a huge crowd standing around the TV in the Healthplex, and I realized it was one of those days where everyone was going to be glued to a TV set somewhere. I went down to my office and tried to follow the news on the Internet, but every major news organization's website was down. The usage volume apparently was just too high.
There were frantic phone calls, messages, you name it. The world was turning upside down. Coach Ralph Harris met with the Tiger football team early that afternoon and there was a team discussion about what was taking place. There were a couple of team members back then who actually had relatives up in New York for various reasons, and there was some concern about their safety.
Eventually, of course, one of the team members that year -- a freshman middle linebacker named Greg Washington -- would put ETBU on the national stage a couple of years later by being called to active duty in the middle of the Tigers' playoff run in 2003.
Most of our athletic events that week would be postponed or cancelled, as I remember, but there was the discussion about the football game scheduled for the following Saturday, Sept. 15. Most colleges or conferences immediately cancelled games. Ours left it up to the individual schools. We were scheduled to play Mississippi College in the conference opener that week, and our officials got with their officials and courageously made the decision to play.
I say courageous because we knew we were going to be the only game in town that weekend, at least within a 600-mile radius or so of Marshall. There were no high school games, nothing -- but ETBU was going to play Mississippi College. We didn't know what to expect in terms of backlash, but our university felt it was important for us to play and try to do what the President George W. Bush was urging -- return to some sense of normalcy.
We decided to play nothing but patriotic music in pregame warmups. We handed out flags to everyone who attended. And it was a good afternoon of football -- American-style. The Tigers lost in overtime, but everyone who attended that game that day felt like a winner.
I went home that Tuesday, Sept. 11, night and wept on the way home. I felt like our country was falling apart and at that time we didn't quite know what we had to do. I wanted to get home and take care of my wife and two small kids, because that was the one part of the world I could understand.
We ate dinner in silence that night, turning the TV off. I wanted to keep the kids away from news as much as possible. But as I would find out during the course of the meal, my son Coby had already seen enough.
I don't know if it was the look on my face, or what, but Coby wanted to say the blessing -- at four years old. He said his typical "thank you for this food, dear God," prayer but then he closed it by saying this:
"And please take care of the people in the buildings. Amen."
The tears welled up again. And that was the spirit that I think all Americans were trying to muster that day. We were wanting to take care of each other, and saddened when the stories came out that some of us didn't make it. We were attacked collectively -- not just in New York, or Washington, or Pennsylvania -- but right here in Texas, Marshall, Texas. Right here at East Texas Baptist University.
We honor those people whose lives were snuffed out on Sept. 11. May we continue to honor them by never forgetting that terrible day, no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tales From The North
Wow.
That's pretty much my first impression of the experience I enjoyed this weekend with the Tiger football team up in Minnesota. In a discussion with Coach Sartain this morning, really, the only bad thing about the whole trip was the loss, which was disappointing to the fullest. But everything else that could have been gleaned from the Saint John's trip was fulfilled.
All that will come later in different blogs and stories, hopefully. Here, though, I just wanted to relate some things that you really had to see to believe up there in Collegeville. If you read the blog here and were actually there in the stands watching the game, please post your own comments as to give even more perspective.
But Saint John's is about as real as it gets in Division III. You talk about college football and a game-day atmosphere -- this writes the book. Everything from having to park literally miles from the campus and be bused to the stadium -- as some were -- to walking through a sea of barbeque grills and sweet aroma of cooked meat on the open flame, to a stadium that was filled with red as the Johnnies' home stadium was and is every Saturday..
What an experience. It's the kind of thing I personally hope we will one day see here at ETBU. We've got the facility -- and to a certain extent we are developed our own little game-day atmosphere. But this was the icing on the cake, the light at the end of the tunnel, if you will.
Over 8,000 people-- 50 or so being the loyalest of the loyal Tiger backers -- were in attendance Saturday. The official count is just under 8,000, but with players and game workers, well, it was well over the 8,000 figure. They all sat on the home side, filling it up, or down in an enormous temporary bleacher in the end zone that was filled with up to nearly 2,000 Johnnie students, again, all of them in red. Think of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers -- on a much smaller scale. But a much larger one than any of us in these parts have seen in eight-plus years.
There were people staked out on the hillsides surrounding Clemens Stadium. People on the track around the field. People everywhere. And every one of them breathed a huge sigh of relief when the gun sounded.
That's because ETBU didn't play its part most of the day. You couldn't find anyone who considers themselves a follower of D-III or a D-III expert who expected the little bunch of Tigers from the ASC to do much against the behemoth from the North in Saint John's. As I mentioned in an official press release last week, well, David had better odds against Goliath. Without the slingshot.
I saw some predictions for a 40-point whipping in some areas. ETBU was going to be mere fodder for the Johnnies, who have bigger and better fish to fry down the line. But that sea of red was very quiet and quite concerned when the fish jumped out of the frying pan, so to speak. When the fourth quarter rolled around, the nobodys from Texas had a one-point lead and were looking at pulling off perhaps the greatest upset -- or without a doubt one of the greatest upsets -- in D-III memory.
But here's the thing -- no, the upset didn't take place. The Johnnies did what they have done traditionally for decades, and that was find a way to win a game that wasn't going their way at crunch time. When it absolutely had to make a play, the Saint John's defense rose up in the fourth quarter and made several. Enough to squeak by with a victory.
But the most impressive thing and promising one for us is that there wasn't a single Tiger in the entourage satisfied with just coming close. As a biased observer, I think the best team on the field didn't win. The Johnnies are a great program and deserve every bit of accolade they have and will continue to receive. And they seemed to be as classy in everything they did and, like I said, were extremely hospitable with the tailgating and just overall being good people.
But Saint John's got away with one this weekend. Man for man, and again I know I'm accused all the time of being the ultimate homer, but -- I think the Tigers had the better team. We just didn't play better than they did at the key moments of the game. And there was the difference.
Knowing that, this team wasn't satisfied with just almost pulling off the shocker. That's because the Tigers themselves wouldn't have considered it a shocker. This bunch truly believes they belong on the same field with Saint John's, and by all accounts Saturday they proved it. They didn't win the game, no, but they were not overwhelmed by the Johnnie mystique.
Now it just comes down to making the plays it takes to win games like that. Competing against the Saint Johns of the world now has been proven. Now it comes down to going out and winning the game when it's on the line, just like the Johnnies did Saturday.
Congrats to everyone who participated in the contest on both sides, and a heartfelt thanks to the good folks out there in the parking lot of who wouldn't let yours truly pass by in his ETBU garb without sharing some of the local fare. It was like a Bubba Burger Saint John's style, and it was definitely delicious.
Best of luck to the Johnnies and their fans, and hopefully ETBU is on its way to some of that same type success down the road...
That's pretty much my first impression of the experience I enjoyed this weekend with the Tiger football team up in Minnesota. In a discussion with Coach Sartain this morning, really, the only bad thing about the whole trip was the loss, which was disappointing to the fullest. But everything else that could have been gleaned from the Saint John's trip was fulfilled.
All that will come later in different blogs and stories, hopefully. Here, though, I just wanted to relate some things that you really had to see to believe up there in Collegeville. If you read the blog here and were actually there in the stands watching the game, please post your own comments as to give even more perspective.
But Saint John's is about as real as it gets in Division III. You talk about college football and a game-day atmosphere -- this writes the book. Everything from having to park literally miles from the campus and be bused to the stadium -- as some were -- to walking through a sea of barbeque grills and sweet aroma of cooked meat on the open flame, to a stadium that was filled with red as the Johnnies' home stadium was and is every Saturday..
What an experience. It's the kind of thing I personally hope we will one day see here at ETBU. We've got the facility -- and to a certain extent we are developed our own little game-day atmosphere. But this was the icing on the cake, the light at the end of the tunnel, if you will.
Over 8,000 people-- 50 or so being the loyalest of the loyal Tiger backers -- were in attendance Saturday. The official count is just under 8,000, but with players and game workers, well, it was well over the 8,000 figure. They all sat on the home side, filling it up, or down in an enormous temporary bleacher in the end zone that was filled with up to nearly 2,000 Johnnie students, again, all of them in red. Think of Lincoln, Nebraska, and the Cornhuskers -- on a much smaller scale. But a much larger one than any of us in these parts have seen in eight-plus years.
There were people staked out on the hillsides surrounding Clemens Stadium. People on the track around the field. People everywhere. And every one of them breathed a huge sigh of relief when the gun sounded.
That's because ETBU didn't play its part most of the day. You couldn't find anyone who considers themselves a follower of D-III or a D-III expert who expected the little bunch of Tigers from the ASC to do much against the behemoth from the North in Saint John's. As I mentioned in an official press release last week, well, David had better odds against Goliath. Without the slingshot.
I saw some predictions for a 40-point whipping in some areas. ETBU was going to be mere fodder for the Johnnies, who have bigger and better fish to fry down the line. But that sea of red was very quiet and quite concerned when the fish jumped out of the frying pan, so to speak. When the fourth quarter rolled around, the nobodys from Texas had a one-point lead and were looking at pulling off perhaps the greatest upset -- or without a doubt one of the greatest upsets -- in D-III memory.
But here's the thing -- no, the upset didn't take place. The Johnnies did what they have done traditionally for decades, and that was find a way to win a game that wasn't going their way at crunch time. When it absolutely had to make a play, the Saint John's defense rose up in the fourth quarter and made several. Enough to squeak by with a victory.
But the most impressive thing and promising one for us is that there wasn't a single Tiger in the entourage satisfied with just coming close. As a biased observer, I think the best team on the field didn't win. The Johnnies are a great program and deserve every bit of accolade they have and will continue to receive. And they seemed to be as classy in everything they did and, like I said, were extremely hospitable with the tailgating and just overall being good people.
But Saint John's got away with one this weekend. Man for man, and again I know I'm accused all the time of being the ultimate homer, but -- I think the Tigers had the better team. We just didn't play better than they did at the key moments of the game. And there was the difference.
Knowing that, this team wasn't satisfied with just almost pulling off the shocker. That's because the Tigers themselves wouldn't have considered it a shocker. This bunch truly believes they belong on the same field with Saint John's, and by all accounts Saturday they proved it. They didn't win the game, no, but they were not overwhelmed by the Johnnie mystique.
Now it just comes down to making the plays it takes to win games like that. Competing against the Saint Johns of the world now has been proven. Now it comes down to going out and winning the game when it's on the line, just like the Johnnies did Saturday.
Congrats to everyone who participated in the contest on both sides, and a heartfelt thanks to the good folks out there in the parking lot of who wouldn't let yours truly pass by in his ETBU garb without sharing some of the local fare. It was like a Bubba Burger Saint John's style, and it was definitely delicious.
Best of luck to the Johnnies and their fans, and hopefully ETBU is on its way to some of that same type success down the road...
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Heat Is...On?
I've been virtually an East Texan all my life. Except for a couple of years finishing my degree down at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, and about nine months of living in Southeast Texas for my first newspaper gig, I've been right here in Marshall or the Marshall area -- 39 years and counting.
And this has got to be the wackiest August I've ever seen.
Where was this back in the mid-80s when I was playing high school football and dreaded -- absolutely dreaded -- two-a-days? I would leave the morning practice with borderline heat stroke, go home and sleep, and then stumble back for another two-hour-plus session in the heat. Those were the good old days!
There have been days here in August at ETBU where our football players and soccer players, in particular, had to battle that kind of furnace. It's just part of the drill while living in East Texas. It's like living up in Canada I guess -- you know there's going to be five, six, seven months with snow on the ground, so you always keep a snow shovel handy. Around here, you always know where the water hose is for a good dousing if needed.
But I would estimate that at least a dozen days in August was spent with rain either falling or getting ready to fall. The temperature for most of the month struggled to get into the high 90s, which is usually a break from the low 100s with 800 percent humidity. And now I look out my office window and we are getting drenched -- albeit not as much as forecast yet -- from what's left of Gustav.
Gustav has played havoc with our practice schedules here. Coach Sartain was busy calling around Monday, trying to secure an indoor practice facility in the area. There aren't many of those to begin with, and what was there is being used as a hurricane shelter, so it's unavailable. I stopped by practice yesterday afternoon and there was some good work going on, and that might have to be it as far as good practice time goes leading up to the opener Saturday in Minnesota.
Won't complain about the rain -- ever. It is a blessing. But it's putting a crimp in our schedules here as far as athletics. We'll see what happens the rest of the week.
And this has got to be the wackiest August I've ever seen.
Where was this back in the mid-80s when I was playing high school football and dreaded -- absolutely dreaded -- two-a-days? I would leave the morning practice with borderline heat stroke, go home and sleep, and then stumble back for another two-hour-plus session in the heat. Those were the good old days!
There have been days here in August at ETBU where our football players and soccer players, in particular, had to battle that kind of furnace. It's just part of the drill while living in East Texas. It's like living up in Canada I guess -- you know there's going to be five, six, seven months with snow on the ground, so you always keep a snow shovel handy. Around here, you always know where the water hose is for a good dousing if needed.
But I would estimate that at least a dozen days in August was spent with rain either falling or getting ready to fall. The temperature for most of the month struggled to get into the high 90s, which is usually a break from the low 100s with 800 percent humidity. And now I look out my office window and we are getting drenched -- albeit not as much as forecast yet -- from what's left of Gustav.
Gustav has played havoc with our practice schedules here. Coach Sartain was busy calling around Monday, trying to secure an indoor practice facility in the area. There aren't many of those to begin with, and what was there is being used as a hurricane shelter, so it's unavailable. I stopped by practice yesterday afternoon and there was some good work going on, and that might have to be it as far as good practice time goes leading up to the opener Saturday in Minnesota.
Won't complain about the rain -- ever. It is a blessing. But it's putting a crimp in our schedules here as far as athletics. We'll see what happens the rest of the week.
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