Jason Witten's Record Setting Year

Jason Witten is a Pro Bowl tight end who makes Pro Bowl type plays for the Dallas Cowboys. His catch against the Philadelphia Eagles last month was one for the ages when he was hit, lost his helmet and kept going on a play that gained 53-yards.

“I've always like him but now I like him more than ever,” explained John Madden who was the color analyst for the NBC Sunday night broadcast team.

Former Cowboys Tight end Billy Joe Dupree is impressed as well. “He's a tough guy,” Dupree says laughing. “He's a tough guy.”

Was Dupree ever that tough? “Different time yeah, but I always kept my helmet on,” says Dupree.

What Witten is doing is next to phenomenal. He's always had the size, the speed and the hands, but now in his fifth year in the NFL, he's also rewriting the record book.

Since Witten entered the league, only Tony Gonzalez has more catches. No other tight end in Cowboys history has more yardages after he passed Doug Cosbie last week for the top spot, a record he had held since 1988.

He is just 7-receptions shy of Jay Novacek's franchise record of 339,
but he will need three more touchdowns if he expects to top Billy Joe Dupree's 1978 record of 9.

“I made my living 20-yards on in,” says Dupree. As for his touchdown record, he says “Well, let's call that a deficiency rating. Actually, its odd that it happens that way, because during my career, my position initially was used as the western union man, to deliver the messages to Roger. So actually, that put me in half the game.”

Witten takes his success in stride. “Its kind of hard to sit back and look back at it, but i don't think I'm one of those guys that really looks at those kind of things. I think one day it will be special for me, and those guys are great players and those records have stood here for a long time. You know to be in that mix, that’s going to be special for me one day, hopefully I can get some of those records.”

Some already think Witten is the top Tight End in team history. “That is special, it is just because there have been so many good ones play. I think you take pride in being that buy, and you always want to be the best.”

Here is a look at where Jason Witten Stands in three key categories:


Most Receiving Yards for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Jason Witten 3,793
Doug Cosbie 3,728

Most receptions for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Jay Novacek 339
Jason Witten 332

Most Touchdowns in a single season for Cowboys Tight Ends:

Billy Joe Dupree 9 1978
Billy Joe Dupree 7 1980
David LaFleur 7 1999
Jason Witten 7 2007

UT Arlington Off To Best Start In School History

UT Arlington Head Basketball Coach Scott Cross is in his second season on the job, but already he's turning heads.

“Obviously we're not there yet,” says Cross. “We're a long ways from it, but we're headed in the right direction.”

Friday night, the Mavericks beat Wichita State, escaping with a 1-point victory when Brandon Long hit the game winner with 6.3-seconds left, to keep a perfect start to their season alive. The game was played in front of the biggest road crowd of the year.

After the game, Cross said “I've been here for over a decade, thirteen something years as a player and a coach, and I'd say without a doubt, this is definitely the biggest win since I've been around. Sports Information Director, Bill Pettit, was saying it was the biggest win in the history of the program.

It’s big because UT Arlington is a perfect 8-and-0. That's the best start in school history and leaves them just one short of the school's longest winning streak of 9.

“I really never won more than three games in High School, so winning eight or more than eight games, I mean it actually feels good especially since we're making history,” says Center Jermaine Griffin.

“It is early, but it means a lot,” says Guard Rod Epps. “It feels good to make tradition like this. Hopefully we can extend it a little bit more.”

“It’s exciting for us because last year we had kind of bad season,” says Forward Larry Posey. “Before the season, we worked real hard, and we told ourselves that we were going to give it our all, and for me I'm a senior, so it’s my last time to go around.”

“It’s been a struggle but it’s not what everybody things,” says Cross. “This school, I think is a diamond in the rough and a sleeping giant.”

UT Arlington is one of fourteen schools still undefeated around the country. They play TCU on Monday, then Oklahoma State the following Saturday. So for this streak to get longer, life on the road will not get easier.

Celina Running Back Charley Waldrep Keeps Running

At Celina High School, the practices are enthusiastic and upbeat as the Bobcats get ready for another playoff game.

“It’s really fun and having the community that supports you like this and knowing that everybody has got your back,” says Quarterback Seth Davis

Its a school that is no stranger to championships. After all they have seven state titles to their credit. But while the Bobcats are trying to put together another championship run, running back Charley Waldrep learned a long time ago that football isn’t just about the final score.

Through eleven games, Waldrep has rushed for more than eleven hundred yards, but despite his athletic ability, he has never seen his dad walk.

As a running back for TCU in 1975, his dad Kent Waldrep sustained a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.

“The first think I've always told him, get up quick,” says his father Kent. “Be the first one off the pile. But I try not concentrate on something like an injury happening, Charley is a tremendous talent, he's a great kid, hopefully he's got the opportunity to play sports in college.”

Asked whether he thinks his father worries about his health, Charley is quick to reply. “Yeah he does, he worries about me most just getting hurt. Anything else isn't to much of a worry to him.”

And does his father give advice on what to do and what not to do, “Not too much,” Charley says.

The younger Waldrep is a gifted athlete, who excels not only in football, but is an all state baseball player as well.

“Most parents would decline their kid the opportunity to play, if they had been in that situation,” says Butch Ford, Celina’s Head Football coach. “I don't know that would be a hard decision to make when you back up and take a look at it. but he's real supportive of him, i think he enjoys watching him get up.”

Says Kent, “he knows baseball is my choice, ha, its a much longer career, but the last think I’m going to do, if he has an opportunity to play football, I'm not going to stop him just because of what happened to me. Charley will make the right decision and hopefully God will keep his hand on his shoulder.”

In the meantime, Charley keeps running and adding to the legacy of Celina High School Football

Cowboys Linebacker Greg Ellis Is Enjoying His Finest Season

Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis is having a great year. Last Thursday, Ellis notched the 17th multiple sack game of his career. His 10 and half so far is a single-season career best and he can thank Cowboys Head Coach Wade Phillips’ system.

“What we are is a team that has a lot of exotic things that we do not necessarily predicated on what the offense is giving us,” says Ellis.

His teammate, Defensive End Chris Canty is impressed with what Ellis is doing. “I mean I've been telling people this for three years, Greg Ellis might not have had enough time to get there, but I've never seen him get blocked in pass protection,’ he says. “I’ve never seen it happen.”

It was in week nine, nearly thirteen months ago, that Ellis thought his career might be over. He tore an Achilles tendon in Arizona, and in sports, that may be one of toughest injuries to overcome.

“I don't know how it happened. It just felt like somebody kicked me,” says Ellis remembering that day.

Ellis made it a point to return to the field that day and walk off under his own power, just in case it was his last game. We know now, it wasn't

By week seven of this season, Ellis was starting again. He leads the team in sacks, is fourth in the NFL, and has a theory as to why he's been able come back strong from such a serious injury.

Says Ellis, “When I tore my Achilles, somebody had actually stepped on it as opposed to it just rupturing just out of the blue. Does that make a difference, I don't know. But my common sense would say, someone actually put pressure on it to break it, you know, as opposed to you just running, and it snaps.” That he says may have been the key to his amazing recover.

Whatever happened Ellis knows he's a lucky man.

Cowboys Renew Old Rivalry

The Cowboys Packers may not be the greatest rivalry of all time, but the history between the two teams is unmatched.

It began in the 60's when they played in back to back NFL Championship games. Green Bay won both, including the ice bowl of 1967. That was the first of a string of games that always seem meaningful.

Former Cowboys Quarterback Don Meredith remembers the ice bowl of 1967. “Green Bay had the better team in 1966, we weren't quite there, but in 1967, I really though we did. But, in my mind the best team doesn't always win.”

Of the 26-meetings, the most significant have been the 6-playoff games. In January 1983, the Cowboys and Packers played a second round divisional playoff game. It was won by Dallas before eventually losing their third straight NFC Championship game.

During the 90's there were three playoff games, all were played at Texas Stadium and all were won by the Cowboys. The biggest was in January 1996, the NFC championship game. Dallas won 38-27 reroute to winning their third super bowl in four years.

“It just seems like there is never an opportunity to relax when you play the Green Bay Packers,” Cowboys Fullback Daryl Johnston explained after advancing to the Super Bowl.

Cowboys Quarterback Troy Aikman agreed. “How sweet it is.!”

There were other memorable games. In 1994, Quarterback Jason Garrett beat the Packers on Thanksgiving Day 42-to-31 and he beat them again eight years ago, the last time the Packers played at Texas Stadium.


“It’s been a great rivalry for a long time, long before I was ever around,” says Jason Garrett, the teams Offensive Coordinator. “You think about the ice bowl and all those great games they played. It’s just been a great history between the two teams.”

The Cowboys and Packers have played twelve games in Texas stadium since it opened in 1971, and Dallas has lost only twice. In this series, home field means everything.

DeMarcus Ware Is Having A Pro Bowl Year

Cowboys Linebacker DeMarcus Ware's heads up play against the Redskins was the product of hours and hours of studying tape.

“The two people that get the ball the most in touches, are the center and the quarterback,” he explains. I mean they always have some type of tendency and I use it to my advantage.”

As a result, Ware was able to get a tremendous jump on the defensive end to make the play on Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell. But away from the tape room, Ware credits Head Coach Wade Phillips' defensive philosophy for giving him a leg up this year.

“This year you can be more aggressive, you can get to the passer a little bit more, and that's what they brought me in here to do,” he says, “so I'm able to do that.”

“I've never seen an outside linebacker make as many plays as he does, says Head Coach Wade Phillips. “I call him an all star. He's an all star kind of person that you want on your team. He’s a great pass rusher and has that sixth sense. Those type of players get off the ball quicker than everybody else.”

So far this season, Ware has nine sacks. That ties him for the lead in the NFC. He's a player whose effort never seems to stop.

“Its big, it’s big,” says Safety Ken Hamlin. “We have got to keep an air pump over there for him, because he's going so fast.”

“We trained together for the better part of two and a half years now,” says Linebacker Kevin Burnett. “When we train we try to out do each other, so for us you either leave it out on the field, or be embarrassed by what you see on the film.

As many sacks as Ware has this season, he's still not even close to the team record. That's held by Harvey Martin who had 23, thirty years ago. But despite that, Ware is having a Pro Bowl year.

Ware is in his third year and has already become the only player in Cowboys history to either lead or tie for the team lead in sacks in each of his first two pro seasons.

Disabled NFL Players Say League Needs To Step Up

It’s a topic being discussed more and more around the National Football League, former players being denied medical benefits for injuries they claim happened when they played in the league.

Players like Brian Demarco, who played for Jacksonville and Cincinnati, can barely walk. He has been home homeless on 3-different occasions, and is suffering from a cracked back and nerve damage, but has yet to have a claim opened.

“This is corporate corruption at its greatest, says Demarco. “This is larger than Enron. Men are dying. People are dying. Understand that, they're dying because of this.”

So many players, who are injured here on the field of play, eventually need help, long after their NFL medical insurance runs out. And that's the issue as more and more players are spending all of their money on medical issues and eventually have to file for bankruptcy.

The NFL players association released a statement this week, saying "The individuals making complaints about the decisions regarding their lack of eligibility, were evaluated on the merits, and professionally respected neutral physicians found, in effect, that their alleged disability were not caused by injuries sustained playing football."

Former Cowboys Fullback Daryl Johnston has become a supporter of their cause. “When you go to a doctor, that is hand selected by the NFL in your host city, your not to bring in an MRI, your not allowed to bring in an X-Ray, you can bring in text, they don't want to talk to your doctor, they don't want any input from your trainers, they don't really want to know your injury history throughout your career, what we as players supposed to think of a system that's run that way,” Johnston explains. ”The system is broke, and what we have to do is start moving forward and get it fixed as soon as possible, and to do that we are going to need the NFL and the NFLPA to get this done.”

Johnston believes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodel is the right man at the right time to help the former players out, but it will take time, time that some of the players may not have.

Former NFL player Dave Pear, a pro bowl nose guard for Tampa Bay and Oakland, gets emotional when he talks about the leagues lack of support for their former players. “What the NFL does is,” he says, “they try to tell you what's wrong with us, that we're whiners, and we're crying and complaining. I'm crying for my family, I'm crying for me, those are the losers here, your family.”

Former NFL player and Coach Mike Ditka is responsible for setting up the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund which is helping their cause. The website, which takes donations, is Gridirongreats.org. It’s a nonprofit humanitarian organization which is overseen by a board of directors consisting of players who are advocates of retired NFL players’ rights and also include Gale Sayers, Joe DeLamielleure, Harry Carson, Willie Davis, and Tom Nowatzke.

The organization provides immediate aid, and support services, to retired NFL players who are in dire need due to lack of adequate disability, medical, and other issues.

Blake Bleavan Signs Contract To Pitch For Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers first round draft pick Blake Beavan spent the day on the golf course with his family, one day after signing a contract to pitch for the team.

Ranger’s fans were told of Beavan's signing during the eight inning of Tuesday night’s game against the Royals.

“Thank heaven for Blake Beavan. That's what rangers fans are hoping to say in x-number of years,” said Rangers Announcer Josh Lewin.

“It feels great,” says Beavan. “I'm so glad it’s out of the way. It took the stress off me, time to go play ball, get down to business and do what I've always wanted to do.”

Beavan is a recent graduate of Irving High School and pitched a perfect game in March against Irving MacArthur. His new contract with the Rangers includes a 1.5-million dollar signing bonus, and came just 25-hours before a signing deadline.

“Now the work begins,” said his Father Bill. “I'm not going to lie, he dedicated his whole life to baseball, and he did it at his own choice, and all we did is equip him as a family.”

After he was drafted, Beavan was the center of criticism for being too brash during a radio interview. His parents helped set him straight.

“They guided me,” says Beavan, “And the Hendrick brothers (his agents) helped me out with that stuff, and friends and family. I got advice from all over, kind of brought that into one kind of source, let it sink in, and you know talked the way I was supposed to. I made a mistake and realized what happened in heat of the moment kind of stuff, its good now.”

“Everybody that knows him, loves him,” says Michele, Beavan’s Mother. “The ones that don’t don't quite get it sometimes, but they get to it, once they sit with him a little bit, he's pretty interesting.”

Beavan is headed to Arizona to start his strength and conditioning program. He'll be part of the Arizona instructional league, but he's not scheduled to pitch in the Rangers organization until next year. He grew up in nearby Irving, Texas and has been cheering for the Rangers for as long as he can remember.

As a senior at Irving High School, Beavan threw 66 innings with 124 strikeouts and a 0.23 ERA. He was the 17th overall pick in the June 2007 Amateur Draft.

Michael Irvin's Acceptance Speech In Canton

Former Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Irvin's induction speech at the NFL Hall of Fame on Saturday August 4, 2007, was one for the ages. Here is the transcript of his speech:

Thank you. Father, I’d like to thank you for allowing us all to travel here safely, thank you in advance for the same in allowing us to travel home.

Father, thank you for the man that you sent me to help me in Bishop T.D. Jakes, my spiritual father. I ask you now to put your arms around my Hall of Fame classmate Gene Hickerson and his family. Father, hold them tight and love them right. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Thank you.

I want to send a special love to all the people in Dallas, Texas, special love to all the Dallas Cowboy fans all over the world. Special love goes to my hometown of South Florida and all the Miami Hurricane fans, St.Thomas Aquinas fans.

I want to send love to every fan everywhere because you hear so often that people say, Oh, these are the guys that built the game. No. It’s your hunger and your love for the game, your love for what we do that make this game what it is. I thank you for loving the game like we love it.

Jerry, those were kind words. Thank you. You know, when I first met Jerry he had just purchased the Dallas Cowboys. He had a bit of a concerned look on his face. I said to him, I said, We will have fun and we will win Super Bowls. You see, I knew Jerry had put all he had into purchasing the Cowboys. That’s the way I see Jerry. He’s a man that’s willing to give all he has and all he wants to bring the Cowboy family Super Bowls.

Jerry, I appreciate your commitment to family, the Dallas Cowboy family and your own family. He has a beautiful wife, Jean. I tell her this. I just love her to death. Her spirit exudes beauty. Her mannerisms exude class. She’s one of a kind. Jean, I do love you.

They have beautiful kids, daughter Charlotte, son Steven and Jerry, Jr. Each have played a role in my life and I thank all of them.

A heartfelt thank you to the selection committee, especially Rick Gosselin and Charean Williams. Charean is the first woman to have a seat on the selection committee. Charean, congratulations to you.

These gentlemen behind me, these men, they inspired me to become the player that I became. As I spent this week with these gentlemen that I’ve admired growing up, I kept thinking about how gifted they are. Man, they’re gifted to run and cut, gifted to throw and catch, gifted to run through blocks and make great tackles.

And then I met their wives and their families and I realized that it’s not only about the gift God gave us, but equally important is the help that God gave us. It’s the people that God put in place to support us on our journey. So I will try to put the credit in the right place tonight and share with you my help and my journey.

I thank God for the help of my father Walter Irvin, whom I lost at the age of 17. He was my hero and he loved, I’m telling you, he loved the Dallas Cowboys. I woke up this morning smiling knowing that my father had not be here in the flesh but that he is in heaven watching and celebrating with his alltime favorite coach, Coach Tom Landry.

Also Tex Schamm, Derrick Shepard and Mark Tuinei. Those guys, we think about them here, we feel them here. They will always be with us.

Before my father made his journey to heaven I sat with him. His final words to me were, Promise me you will take care of your mother. She’s a good woman. As you’ve heard, my mother raised 17 children, most of whom are here tonight. There were challenges. But she would never complain. She always walked around the house and said, God has promised me that my latter days will be better than my former days. My mom and my Aunt Fanny, her oldest sister, they are part of my travel squad now.

As we travel, all they want is a nice room and an open tab on room service. When my workday is done I get to come by their room and we tell stories and we laugh and we have fun. We always end the night with them telling me, Baby, this is what God meant when he said, Our latter days will be better than our former days.

I can’t tell you how it makes me feel to know that God uses me to deliver His promise. I love you, mom. I love you, Aunt Fanny.

For better or for worse, those are the vows we take before God in marriage. It’s easy to live with the for better, but rarely can you find someone who sticks around and endures the for worse. Sandy, my beautiful wife, I have worked tirelessly, baby, to give you the for better. But I also gave you the for worse, and you didn’t deserve it. You didn’t deserve it.

But through it all I experienced the depth of your love and I thank God for you. I love the mother that you are, the wife that you are, I love the way that you take care of our family, our daughters Myesha and Chelsea, and our sons Michael and Elijah. I thank you from a place that I can’t mention, I can’t even express, baby, for keeping our family together. I love you so much.

My football family, as Jerry told you, began at St.Thomas Aquinas High School under the wise tutelage of a great coach named George Smith. George Smith dedicated 37 years to that great program. He’s a great man. I thank all the people at St.Thomas for believing in a young man like me.

And then I went on to the University of Miami. I think most of y’all know how I feel about the U. Yeah, the U. You better believe it. After that I was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys where I played and worked with some of the best to ever be around this game. For example, Emmitt Smith. Emmitt Smith is the alltime leading rusher.

The great thing about that, his rookie year he said to me he was going to become the alltime leading rusher. I doubted him like I think everybody would have. But what an inspiration to be in a room and see a man set a goal so high and then be persistent, be dedicated, and accomplish that which he set out to accomplish. Emmitt, you’re an inspiration to so many.

The third part and the third member The Triplets is Troy Aikman. My quarterback, our leader. Troy Aikman led us to three Super Bowls. When I said "led," I mean led, to three Super Bowls. He’s the winningest quarterback in the decade of the ’90s. If you talk to him and you ask him what’s his most memorable game, he will tell you that ’94 NFC Championship game that everybody’s talking about.

It’s a game we were down by 21 and we lost, but we never gave up. That’s the mark of a true leader. All he wants is for each player to give all he has all the time. That’s Troy Aikman.

That game is one of my most memorable games for all those reasons, but it had a little something extra for me. We were down 21. Troy came to that huddle with those big blue eyes and he looked up and he said, Hey, I’m coming to you no matter what. Whew, let me tell you. As a wide receiver, that’s all I ever wanted to hear. Just come to me no matter what. And he did, he did. He came to me no matter what.

But, Troy, you’ve always come to me no matter what, and I’m not just talking about on the football field. For that, you have a special place in my heart. You always will no matter what. I love you, Troy. I love you deeply.

As The Triplets, we received most of the press, the credit. But we were surrounded with some great guys, great players, talented guys. Guys like Darren Woodson, Dallas Cowboys alltime leading tackle. My Cowboy counterpart Jay Novacek, what a great tight end he is. Daryl Johnston, the unsung hero, Moose. Larry Allen and Eric Williams are two of the better linemen, if not the best linemen, to ever play this game. The big fella, Nate Newton. Jim Jeffcoat. And one of the best cornerbacks and the finest athlete I’ve ever been around, that’s Deion Sanders, Prime Time.

So, so many more.

You can’t accomplish what we’ve accomplished with just great players. You also need great coaches. And we had that. We had guys like Norv Turner, Dave Wannstedt, Dave Campo. My position coach, coach Hubbard Alexander, who is my heart. Coach, you took me as a young man out of high school, and I know I gave you a lot of mess through the years. Thank you for being there, Coach. And our head coach, he had always be my head coach, that’s Jimmy Johnson.

We worked hard. We had the best, and I’m telling you the very best, and I’m willing to take an argument with anybody on this, strength and conditioning coach in the world. His name is Mike Warsick. He has six Super Bowl rings. Six, people. Twice he has won three Super Bowls in four years, once with us and now with the New England Patriots. So if anybody wants to take an argument, I am a debater. I am here and ready.

Mike Warsick, you are, man, the very best. You put me back together from that knee injury. As we always tell each other when we say goodbye, MissPaw (phonetic), which means may God hold you till we see each other again.

I also walked on campus at the University of Miami the same day with our PR director, Rich Dalrymple. I know some of you are saying it’s fitting that you are tight with the PR director, Michael. But Rich has been a great friend. When I walk in his office now Rich has a picture of us. He has pictures of us at the University of Miami with this nice beautiful black hair, and then he has pictures of us now when he’s all gray.

He says to me all the time, You see these gray hairs? I say, Yeah. He says, You gave them to me. I tell him, I say, Well, you see those four championship rings you have? I gave them to you, too.

I have experienced all this game has to offer on the football field, the losing, going 3-13, even 1-15. In my second season the career-threatening knee injury, thinking I would never play this game that I love again. And even in 1999, the career-ending neck injury. That which football players fear the most.

But I’ve also had some beautiful victories. We won three Super Bowls in four years. I can’t tell you what that feels like. And we did it with guys that we loved to play with and guys that we loved. Folks, I’m telling you, that’s the true essence of a football family, and that’s exactly what we are not was what we are. I love all of those guys that I played with.

Since retiring I have developed a deeper awareness and understanding for this game. First as a fan and then as an analyst. That is why I’ve learned it’s so much more than merely a game. Thanks to ESPN. Thank you, ESPN, for giving me the opportunity to travel to NFL stadiums throughout this country, visiting with fans, and seeing this game from a completely different perspective.

The movie, Remember the Titans, is my favorite movie, staring Denzel Washington. I love the way in this movie the game of football brings those boys together, it unites those boys on that football field. It unites a whole town, black, white, old, young, rich and poor. It happens every year around this time in NFL locker rooms and NFL stadiums. So don’t tell me it’s just a game.

My favorite day was Monday, September the 25th, 2006. New Orleans, Louisiana, site of the Superdome. I watched our people who had suffered so grievously through Hurricane Katrina fill a stadium hours before a game and stay hours after the game. I witnessed those fans as they looked for each other, hugged one another and just be thankful to be in that stadium.

You see the game flexed its greatest muscle that day: the ability to heal. I experienced a football game that contributed to the healing of a city. So don’t tell me it’s just a game.

You know the Bible speaks of a healing place. It’s called a threshing floor. The threshing floor is where you take your greatest fear and you pray for help from your great God. I want to share something with you today. I have two sons. Michael, he’s 10, and Elijah, he’s 8. Michael and Elijah, could you guys stand up for me.

That’s my heart right there. That’s my heart. When I am on that threshing floor, I pray. I say, God, I have my struggles and I made some bad decisions, but whatever you do, whatever you do, don’t let me mess this up.

I say, Please, help me raise them for some young lady so that they can be a better husband than I. Help me raise them for their kids so that they could be a better father than I. And I tell you guys to always do the right thing so you can be a better role model than dad. I sat right here where you are last year and I watched the Class of 2006: Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Harry Carson, Rayfield Wright, John Madden, and the late great Reggie White represented by his wife Sara White. And I said, Wow, that’s what a Hall of Famer is.

Certainly I am not that. I doubted I would ever have the chance to stand before you today. So when I returned home, I spoke with Michael and Elijah . I said, That’s how you do it, son. You do it like they did it. Michael asked, he said, Dad, do you ever think we will be there? And I didn’t know how to answer that. And it returned me to that threshing floor. This time I was voiceless, but my heart cried out. God, why must I go through so many peaks and valleys?

I wanted to stand in front of my boys and say, Do it like your dad, like any proud dad would want to. Why must I go through so much?

At that moment a voice came over me and said, Look up, get up, and don’t ever give up. You tell everyone or anyone that has ever doubted, thought they did not measure up or wanted to quit, you tell them to look up, get up and don’t ever give up.

Thank you and may God bless you.

Michael Irvin Enters The Pro Football Hall of Fame

When he arrived for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, former Cowboys Wide Receiver Michael Irvin made sure his former boss looked his best. He straightened out team Owner Jerry Jones’ tie.

“How does it look?” Jones chuckled toward the crowd gathered behind the fence.

Jones would be his presenter while inside, former teammates and coaches, gathered to watch. I counted about a dozen, but there may have been more.

Dave Campo, a former Head Coach in Dallas, was excused by his boss, Head Coach Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville to witness the event. “I tell you what, he's probably the best overall competitor that I've ever been around,” said Campo.

Former Cowboys Safety James Washington said “When we didn't have to be there in the film room, he was there anyway, and the reason why he was doing all that is the reason you'll see him on that stage in a moment.”

Former Defensive Lineman Jim Jeffcoat was there as well. “Michael wanted to win in the worst way, and that was wonderful to see, and it’s wonderful to have teammates like that,” he said.

Irvin's most loyal fans made the trip to Canton, like Carolyn Price, considered by many to be the team’s number one fan.

“Michael signed this shirt for me, he autographed that, you see it,” she said. “We have Troy in, and we get Michael in, and then Emmitt has yet to come.”

The Cowboys now have eight former players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Irvin is the first wide receiver from the Cowboys organization. If you include Former Head Coach Tom Landry and Former Team President Tex Schramm, the number for Dallas is ten. But three was a time not too long ago that Irvin didn't know if he would ever be voted in and join the elite group.

“I sat right here where you are last year and I watched the Class of 2006, and I said, Wow, that's what a Hall of Famer is. Certainly I am not that. I doubted I would ever have the chance to stand before you today,” Irvin said during his speech.

Irvin's emotional address alluded to off the field incidents that spoiled his reputation, and apologized to everyone for his behavior, including his wife.

“It’s easy to live with the for better, but rarely, can you find someone who sticks around and endures the for worse. Sandi, my beautiful wife, I have worked, I worked tireless baby to give you the for better, but I also gave you the for worse, and you didn't deserve it. You didn't deserve it,” Irvin said.

After his speech, his wife Sandi talked about Irvin and his apology to her.

“I think tonight, he's going to grow even more past that, because I forgive Michael, totally. I know what he went through, is what made him the man he is today, and he's a good man, good man,” she said.

Saturday's induction clears the way for Former Cowboys Running Back Emmitt Smith, to eventually share a spot in the Hall of Fame with Irvin and Troy Aikman.

“I think the fact that each of us have had, or will have our own moment on that stage alone, I think is somewhat meaningful,” said Aikman.

Smith, who will be eligible in 2010 said “its a great tribute to the organization, to the leadership of Jerry Jones and what he's been able to accomplish, since he's owned the team, and its also a tribute to all the players, Troy, Michael, and hopefully myself, to be positioned for this opportunity.”

Irvin's speech turned out to be one for the ages, and talked about revealing a side of him never before seen.

“It was real. I needed to share, with all that had gone on in my life, and everything, I just wanted to let people know where I am,” he said. “So many people think he did all this stuff, and he's still in the hall, and they think I got away with something, I didn't get away with it, it haunts me, it haunts me all the time. It’s something I live with every day.”

Regardless of what happens from here on, he will always be a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Colt Knost Wins His First Major Amateur Tournament

Former SMU golfer Colt Knost won the biggest tournament of his life last week when he won the US Amateur Public Links Championship in Illinois. His achievement was quickly recognized at Royal Oaks Country Club a day later, when he arrived for an interview at the practice range.

“What's up Buddy? I'm proud of you,” said one of the club members.

Knost is just the sixth player from Texas to have won the amateur tournament. “I feel like I needed a big amateur win, to get me going and that was a good one to win,” said Knost.

The win enhances his chances of making the USA Walker Cup team.

“Ever since the EDS Byron Nelson Golf Championship, things have just totally changed for me, but winning US Amateur Public Links Championship just totally changed my life it feels like,” said Knost.

Golf fans who were in Irving for the EDS Byron Nelson Golf Championship remember watching Knost set a new amateur standard for the tournament with a 6-under par 64 to become the first non-professional to make the cut at the tournament since University of Texas golfer Justin Leonard in 1993.

“He's a very, very consistent player,” says Randy Smith, the Head Pro at Royal Oaks Country Club. “He's not a big high and low guy, he shoots consistently good scores.”

But now, he has a new dilemma. His latest win earns him exceptions to the US Amateur and the Masters, two invitations he would lose if he turned pro.

“All the people that play golf dream about playing at the masters,” says Knost. “It’s a nice problem to have. I have to turn professional, or go play at Augusta National, so, it’s a nice problem to have, but it’s a tough one to have too.”

Knost was going to turn professional this fall, but now he's reevaluating his options. First up, will be his selection to the USA Walker Cup team.

“I feel like I should be on there, I mean like I told the people up there, the USGA selects people to play and I just won one of their national championships.

Todd Dodge Is Helping Ticket Sales at The University of North Texas

New York Giants defensive end Adrian Awasom knows it’s tough to earn respect after playing college ball at North Texas. He always hears thinks like “Is that D-1 football, do you all have a stadium, you all this and that, I'm fighting them off though man. I'm fighting them off,” he says.

But the hiring of former Southlake Carroll Head Coach Todd Dodge as the schools new field boss during the off season may change all that.

To take advantage of the surge in ticket sales, season ticket holders have to make a bigger donation to the Athletic Department.

“We need to take advantage of a product that is valuable, that people put a value on, and will help us to continue to increase our funding,” says Rick Villarreal, Athletic Director for the University of North Texas. “We wanted to put a situation in that protected fans that didn't allow people to come off the street, being a new fan, and getting 50-yard line seats.”

What they have done is added a priority points system used by other Universities around the country for their most loyal fans. In this case, an extra 5-hundred dollars will allow fans to buy seats on the 50-yard line in section E. They've added this system because there is more demand on tickets now, since Dodge was hired.


Larry Collister of Denton, Texas, is one of those season ticket holders who have already secured his seats. “Dodge and his staff, they were meeting and greeting everybody. It was unbelievable watching how all that was going on,” said Collister as he recalled a gathering of season ticket holders. “I thought it was great what they did. When they hired Todd Dodge, we decided to double our pledge immediately, because of the buzz that was going on and having watched him stop Denton Ryan all the time.

In the meantime, donations are up and so are ticket sales.

“We've sold just about every seat in the center section and are now starting to both sections on the other side,” says Villarreal. But what start it will be, when they travel to Norman, Oklahoma for the season opener on Saturday, September 1, 2007.

Sat, Sep 01 Oklahoma at Norman, OK 6 p.m.
Sat, Sep 08 SMU at Dallas, TX 7 p.m.
Sat, Sep 22 Florida Atlantic Denton, TX 6 p.m.
Sat, Sep 29 Arkansas at Fayetteville, AR 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct 06 Louisiana-Lafayette at Lafayette, LA 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct 13 Louisiana-Monroe Denton, TX 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct 20 Troy at Troy, AL 2:30 p.m.
Sat, Oct 27 Middle Tennessee * Denton, TX 6 p.m.
Sat, Nov 10 Navy Denton, TX 3 p.m.
Thu, Nov 15 Arkansas State at Jonesboro, AR 6 p.m.
Sat, Nov 24 Western Kentucky Denton, TX 3 p.m.
Sat, Dec 01 Florida International at Miami, FL 6 p.m.

Rangers Outfielder Rusty Greer Is Back In Baseball

Former Texas Ranger outfielder Rusty Greer always liked baseball.

“Yeah I miss it everyday and I wish I was out there with them,” Greer said sitting in a dugout in Colleyville.

Greet is coaching the Colleyville Lone Stars of the Texas Collegiate League, but his pre game ritual isn't quite the same as it was when he played in the Major Leagues.

“We used to chill in the clubhouse, drink coffee, drink diet coke, eat a good sandwich, but now, I'm watering the field,” said Greer while spraying water over the infield.

But that's only part of his routine. While I was there, he put out the bases, took time to pose for a program cover, and give advice to one of his players. All are part of his schedule.

“If you back off the plate a little bit, you can give yourself just a little more time, you can hit the ball here, versus here,” said Greer talking to another player.

Playing the game of baseball and coaching it are two totally different challenges. We know he can play the game. Now we'll see if he can teach it and coach it as well.

“You know what the biggest challenge was, is filling out the lineup card right,” he said. “It took me three games to get one perfect.”

“He tells us we're all men out here,” says Austin Knight, an infielder for the Lone Stars. “He doesn't even let us call him coach. We have to call him Rusty.”

In the meantime, this summer league seems to be the perfect place to launch a career, to see if he has a future as a manager or a coach.

In 3,829 at-bats, Greer hit 119 home runs, 614 RBI and had 31 stolen bases. He decided to retire prior to the 2005 season. He played for the Rangers nine seasons and was a 10th round draft pick in 1990. He had his first 100-RBI season in 1996, and followed that with 108 RBI in 1998, and 101 in 1999. Injuries ended his career in 2002 when he played in just 51 games.

“I would like to get back into the professional game at some point in time, but when that is, I don't know. I'm really going to pursue the college deal right now and see where that might lead me.”

Dirk Nowitzki Wins MVP For Dallas Mavericks

It was an historic day Dallas Mavericks Forward Dirk Nowitzki. Not only was he named the NBA’s most valuable player, but he became the first player in franchise history to be so honored.

“Today is your day Dirk,” said Head Coach Avery Johnson.

Nowitzki wasn’t sure how to handle the day. “Its definitely a weird felling,” he said. “For me at this stage right now, its still a little hard for me to be happy because of the way the season ended, but this is an award for the regular season, that's the way I got to look at it.”

NBA Commissioner David Stern thought it was important enough to present the award himself, a milestone for the NBA since Nowitzki is the first player from Europe to receive the award.

“I'm here today to present this award to really the iconic elite athlete from Europe, who has not only learned how to play our game, but mastered it,” said Stern.

Guard Jerry Stackhouse, one of three teammates in attendance, was happy for Nowitzki, even if the Mavericks failed to win their first round playoff series.

“Obviously he's not the happiest about everything right now, because of how the playoffs ended, but I think over time, he'll see that he had a Helluva year,” Stackhouse said.

Said Nowitzki, “Its definitely a special day for me and my family, you know coming all this way from Germany where I grew up and being fan of this league, its definitely almost overwhelming for me.”

The Mavericks 67-regular season wins tied for the sixth best winning percentage in NBA history, but their collapse in the playoffs was monumental.

An emotional team owner, Mark Cuban summed it up in with tears. “You don't have to fit a certain role, you don't have to fit a certain model, but if you work hard enough and care enough, anything is possible, and you made so many things possible for me, and this city. And I'm sorry for getting emotional about it, but that's how special you are. thank you.”

There is only one way this could have been better for Nowitzki and the Mavericks and that's to accept the award prior to a playoff game. That didn't happen, but the bottom line is, he is still the league's MVP.

Nowitzki totalled 1,138 points, including 83-first place votes from a panel of 129 journalists. Twice-MVP Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, Nowitzki’s good friend and former teammate, finsihed second in the voting with 1,013 votes and 44-first place votes.

Dallas Mavericks Ready For Championship Run

For the last 10-months, despite 67-wins this season, the Mavericks have been living with the taste of defeat. That's how long its been since they lost to Miami in the NBA Finals.

Addressing a rally at the American Airlines Center, Donnie Nelson, the teams General Manager, told the crowd, “Its time to get something done here in Dallas.”

Mavericks fans can't wait to see if this is the year Dallas delivers an NBA Championship to the City.

“I love the mavericks plus we're winning the NBA. We have the number one record. woo, woo, woo, woo,” yelled on of the Mavericks Cheerleaders.

“We are ready,” said Guard Jason Terry. “We are just excited right now to be back in the playoffs. As I look back and reflect on the season, it went by so fast.”

Fast because the Mavericks played the entire year with one goal in mind, not just return to the playoffs, but return to the finals and win a championship.

“You know we've been looking forward to the playoffs since basically the season started. this is what you live for and what we worked all season long for you know last season ended very disappointed for all of us,” said Forward Dirk Nowitzki. “Hopefully we can get this bad memory out of our mouth, but we got lots of work to do.”

“The good teams I've been a part of you, you don't quote unquote, turn it on,” proclaimed Head Coach Avery Johnson. “I think you try to play at a high level all year, but during this time of the year, you got to try to minimize your mistakes and eliminate some, but ah we've been gearing up for this, we've been down this road before.”

One year ago, Dallas finished the season with 60-wins.. They had the third best record in the league behind Detroit and San Antonio.

Miami, the team that won the championship, had only 52-wins with the 5th best record in the league. The Mavericks feel the experience of one year ago will be a determining factor.

Says Terry, “I think we're a whole lot more mature team than we were. obviously, we've added some more pieces to help us defensively. “Our confidence right now is very high.”

Guard Devon Harris looked at the playoffs this way. “Well I think we did a lot of growing up, obviously everyone's first chance at the finals last year, being there and going threw with what we did and what not, everyone is a year longer in the system. I think everybody is on the same page playoff wise, what we need to do and what we need to accomplish. I think everyone is ready to go and do it,” Harris said.

“I 'm always concerned. there may be one or two things a little bit more, and I don't want to use the word comfortable, but ah, maybe not as concerned with,” said Johnson. “I know our weaknesses, I know how we're vulnerable, so there are a lot of things that I'm concerned about. I will say that the men are very resilient, they handle adversity well, and this is a seven game series, and we've been here before.”
But, just because they're the top seed in the west doesn't guarantee them anything. Its all about positioning and right now this team is in great position to make a run at a championship.

50 Years of Racing For AJ Foyt

Its a special year for racing legend A J Foyt. It’s not that he's already celebrated his 72nd birthday, but 2007 will mark his 50th year in auto racing.

Is he amazed by such longevity? “Yeah, really, I wasn't supposed to live this long,” says Foyt laughing. “Everybody said I'd never live to be twenty-two, and lot of them said that are gone, and I'm still here.”

Foyt will forever be remembered as the King of the Indy 500, winning the race on four different occasions and remains the only driver to win the Daytona 500 and the 24-hours of lemans. But his contributions as an owner have been equally as impressive.

“Oh i love him to death,” says Nascar Driver Tony Stewart. “He's my hero. He gave me my first opportunity to sit in an Indy car and drive an Indy car, so I've had a lot of fun with him we've got a great relationship with each other. I'm really proud for him this year, to not only have been a great race car drive, but just to be involved in racing as a driver slash car owner, for 50-years as of this year, is a pretty remarkable feet.”

Foyt's legend grew when he slugged Arie Lynendyk following the first ever IRL race at the Texas Motor Speedway. A scoring error showed Foyt's driver Billy Boat had won, but Lynendyk was the real winner. Foyt never gave up the trophy.

“The tropy is sitting in my office,” says Foyt sitting next to Eddie Gossage, President of Texas Motor Speedway. “But I tell you what. I'll make you a deal. I was fortunate to win the second race here. Why don't i give you that damn trophy, because I like to be number one.”

Foyt's racing operation will not involve NASCAR any more, but Indy Car Racing alone.

“Indy car has always been my favorite,” says Foyt, “So we're really counting on the Indy program real strong this year, to try and get it back up running.”

Foyt's impact on auto racing on so many different levels is impossible to measure. Fifty years in the business is a long, long time, and not even thinking about retirement yet

The Future of Michael Young and Mark Teixeira With Texas

No one knows how long Shortstop Michael Young and first baseman Mark Teixeira will be together in Texas. Young is signed for 2007, with a club option for next year, and negotiations are underway to extend his contract.

Teixeira is under contract for 2007, but 2008 will be an arbitration year. That means Teixeira will be eligible to become a free agent after the 2008 season, and since Scott Boras is his agent, the money to keep him will be the main issue.

“Well Tex is a little different, (than Michael Young)” says Rangers Owner Tom Hicks. “We'd love to have Tex, but Tex has an agent who has a process he follows that, we'll respect that process. So, our conversation with Tex will be down the line.”

An extension for Young would be similar to Chase Utley and Vernon Wells. Utley received $85 million dollars while Wells received a $126 million dollar contract. That makes the median average annual salary around $15 million dollars.

“We're talking to him, (Michael Young)” says Hicks. “We'd love to do something. It’s a business and he's got an agent who's doing his job for him, but Michael is the kind of guy I think who should be the face of this franchise, he has been, and he should be.”

Fans know that unless something is done, time is running out for both players.

“If I thought that way, I'd be thinking to the future,” say Young. “I'd be thinking about what lies in store for both he and I, but for me, its always like this. Last year, it was 06 or die, the year before it was 05 or die, and I'm taking the same attitude this year. This team is going to get everything I have for the 07 season. After that, we'll take it as it comes.”

For Teixeira, the future is now.

“You always want to win now, after June, July or August, when your out of the race, you start thinking for next year,” says Teixeira. “You start thinking for next year. You know its here. One more year, and it may not be anymore in Texas, so we're just going to go out there and play hard to win here because we want the fans to be excited about Texas again.

There is no question that the Rangers would like to have Young and Teixeira to have long productive careers in Texas, but in the end it will come down to two things, one is money, the second is their desire to be on a team that can win a championship.

Lincoln Kennedy Trys Comeback at Age 36

Lincoln Kennedy has been out of pro football for the past three seasons, but this year at age 36, he's trying to make a comeback with the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football league.

“It’s just trying to get acclimated,” says Kennedy. “It’s like that old theory, once you learn how to ride a bike, you learn how to ride it. You may not be as proficient as if your riding every day, but once you get back on you know what you’re doing.”

Kennedy retired from pro football in 2003 after a career that included three trips to the pro bowl as a member of the Oakland Raiders. He was drafted in the first round 1993 by the Atlanta Falcons. He never won a Super Bowl, but he did play in one, losing in Super Bowl XXXVII against Tampa Bay. Talk about credentials.

“Yeah the guy is a three time pro bowler, All American, and the guys look up to him, just from the standpoint from what he's done,” says Desperados Head Coach Will McClay. “He's come in, and fit in within the group. He's realized that he's got a lot of things to learn. He’s fit in well, so that's clearing the first hurdle there.”

“I’m not sitting here to say I'm going to go another ten years,” says Kennedy. “I mean that's not realistic. I don't want to be George Blanda playing this game. I'm trying to get this last bit out of me. I want to finish off what I started a long time ago when I said i want to play 12-years professionally. I finished with 11. I came up a little short of my goal, so I want to see that 12th.

Kenney has no idea how long he'll be able to play the indoor game, but as long as he likes football and is still able to play, it really doesn't seem to matter.

“What I'm doing right now, at this particular point of my life, is that you play for just the year that your in,” says Kennedy. “Let everything fall in front of you. Come as they may. I didn't leave with an injury. I left because I was burned out. I was mentally burned out, and when I reenergized mentally, and put that focus back into perspective I was able to come out.”

Kennedy admits his body has been slow to catch up, but if he can make it a12th year, there is certainly nothing wrong to shoot for 13.

Hall Of Fame Racing Prepares For Second Year

It was Roger Staubach's 65th birthday, but it could just as easily have been a celebration for the start of Hall of Fame Racing's second season. Last year, the team owned by Staubach and Troy Aikman finished the year without any wins. For two former quarterbacks used to winning, that may have been the hardest adjustment of all.

“I remember when we coming in 17th and we're high fiving each other,” says Staubach. “it was last year at Daytona, and we're like in a state of shock. We didn't know what was going to happen.”

Driver Tony Raines finished nearly 98-percent of the races he started, and in NASCAR, that's always a good start.

“Ha ha, we did that pretty well, says Aikman. “If you win prizes for that, then we would have won something.”

Even better news is that the team finished high enough last year to be locked in for the first five races this year. Last season, Raines had 29-starts for Hall of Fame Racing, and this year he is guaranteed to be in the field for only the second time at Daytona.

“Having been through everything, that's a plus,” say Raines. “As a group, we're not nervous, we're not going in there looking around, and looking over our shoulders, we know what we need to do now, we've been there.”

“He's ready,” says Aikman. “He's ready to race a full schedule, and we're looking forward to now seeing how he'll do, under better circumstances, and also what we feel is a good crew chief, should help him.”

So while Staubach is celebrating a birthday, Hall of Fame Racing is celebrating the beginning of their second year. But the event they're all waiting for is that first celebration in the winners circle.

Ron Washington Era Begins In Arlington With First Mini Camp

The temperature was in the upper 30's at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, but that didn't stop new Rangers Manager Ron Washington from holding a portion of a mini camp outdoors.

“Beautiful baseball weather,” he said with a laugh. “I love it. We got our work done.”

Most of the work was actually moved to the indoor batting cages. These days the focus of General Manager Jon Daniels is to bring stability to the organization.

“The reality is I'm the third General Manger in the last six seven years,” said Daniels. “Ron's the third or fourth manager we're having. We've had too much turnover in the leadership here, and in our scouting and development departments.

With Washington as the new manager, young players know their careers are getting a fresh start. Once again, it’s all about first impressions.

“I know that he is going to bring a positive upbeat energy to this club,” says Rangers Pitcher Cameron Loe. “That's just the feeling I get from him, every time I talk to him. But I don't know how its gonna work. I'm very interested to see how it works.”

Pitcher Thomas Diamond shares a similar view. “Since he was in Oakland, he's seen most of the guys,” says Diamond. “He really hasn't seen any of the guys in the minor leagues, so its like a first impression here.”

Washington says he's contacted most of the players about what he expects. It was something he wanted to address as quickly as possible.

“I wanted to get that out of the way before spring training started,” says Washington. “I wanted them to know what I'm about. I wanted them to know my attitude. I wanted them to know my effort level, my commitment, and I wanted them to match it. And if they match my level of attitude commitment and effort, I'm not going to have any problems.”

This mini camp will last only two days. It’s designed for the pitchers, because that's what the team needs to work on most. All will be in Surprise, Arizona in about two weeks. Those who attended, included C.J. Wilson, John Koronka, Kameron Loe, A.J. Murray, Kevin Millwood, Thomas Diamond, Eric Hurley, Robinson Tejeda, Edinson Volquez, Francisco Cruceta and Brandon McCarthy.

Matt Doherty Is Trying To Change SMU Culture

Matt Doherty won a national championship as a player at North Carolina. He even played with Michael Jordan. But now he's trying to turn a program around as the head basketball coach at SMU.

At his weekly radio show at Ten Sports Grill in Downtown Dallas, he spends time talking to loyal SMU fans.

“My wife always called me the mayor anyway,” he says. “I mean its kind of what I do, shake hands and greet people. That's the Irish Catholic in me.”

Doherty has been a college coach for 16-years, and uses a weekly radio show, broadcast on KAAM 1770 AM, to get the word out.

He preaches a philosophy similar to that of Bob Knight. “You know if you make more foul shots, they are free shots, if you make more, than the other team takes, your gonna be in good position to win a basketball game.”

jennifer henry-smu fan
“I love that he can be the face of our program,” says Jennifer Henry who sits in the crowd listening to the radio show. “I mean this event right here is one example. He's out, he's greeting people, he's making relations in the community, and I think that's really important, and something we've really missed.”

In his 9-months on the job, Doherty has helped the school install a new digital scoreboard, and even got construction started on a state of the art practice facility. The SMU Tennis Center had to be removed.

“That big mud pile, that big, big mud pit, is one of the most exciting things I've ever seen,” says Doherty as he looks over the construction site. “That's the future of our program.”

Doherty also appears weekly on Southwest KIA Sportstalk on Channel 52, and opened the show this week by saying: “I just want to say one thing. Okay, I'm not a candidate for the head coach of the Dallas. Okay I just wanted to make that clear.” It’s a clear indication of a likeable personality.

Doherty also has his own Blog at MustangHoopsBlog.com.

“I now am proud to say I'm a Mustang player,” says SMU Forward Ike Ofoegbu, “I know looking back in about two or three years, it’s going to be a big time program. I mean he wants it to be like a Duke or North Carolina, so I mean, he's going to get it done.”

The bottom line is that folks on campus like what Doherty are doing. He's accessible, he's promotable, and he's trying to change the culture. But just like the new basketball facility, it’s not going to happen overnight

Indoor Golf At Its Finest

While the average Texan was worried about slick roads, traffic jams, and avoiding outside activity, some folks headed to the golf course.

The place is Texas Indoor Golf, located in Grapevine, Texas. It’s on the access road, across the freeway from Grapevine Mills Mall.

“I have a sixty degree rule. Sixty degrees or warmer, that's the only time I play outside,” said Brian Beasley of Bedford.

Here when the golfers check in, they are asked if they prefer wind on the course, background crowds, are fans yelling when you hit a bad shot. It’s computerized golf using your own clubs and your own shots.

. “We like bad weather days,” says Jim Buchanan, General Manager of Texas Indoor Golf. “That's not a problem for us. As a matter of fact, rain sleet snow, like the post office, we're open.”

Just because they play indoors, doesn't mean you have to give up all the comforts of golf. It may be nasty outside, but in here, the weather is not a problem.

Says Beasley, “You’re playing golf at Pebble Beach, what more could you ask for, unless they had free beer!”

Al Slutz of Fort Worth was just as excited. “It’s snowing and icy outside, here we are playing Pebble Beach, with my friends, what could be better than that.

Not only is it 72-degrees in here, but you can choose from the finest layouts in the world. So while you're reliving your commute to and from work, on this icy, snowy day, you can think of these folks, teeing it up at Pebble Beach, and never left Texas