While we are patiently waiting for the college season to begin and other professional leagues to get completely back to “normal”, Russ and I have really been taken in with other leagues that are not the NFL. One reason is that we are Cowboy fans and are used to disappointment by now, another is the…
For 11 years, from 1982 to 1993 the hit show Cheers ran on television. It was set in a fictional bar in Boston, with a central cast of characters such as Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Norm Peterson, Cliff Clavin, Woody Boyd, Carla LeBec, Rebecca Howe, etc., and other recurring characters. It was a place where…
Greetings, Lion fans, and in today’s installment of 100 Days, 100 Reasons; Why We Love College Football, we examine reason number 97: Tragedy and Triumph. College football is unique in that it has experienced more than it’s share of tragedy and heartbreak. More than just the loss of a game or disappointing season. Some programs…
Greetings, Lion fans, and welcome back to 100 Days, 100 Reasons, and today, we reveal Reason #98, Fantastic Finsihes and Miracle Comebacks. If you want a fantastic finish, look no further than the bizarre match up between the Lions and the Mustangs of Midwestern State. A game that took two days and two different stadiums…
Greetings, Lion fans, today we’re back with reason #99 of what makes College Football so great, and why we love it so……rivalries. The Game, The one on the schedule that everyone points to as soon as it comes out. Oh my goodness, rivalries. There’s nothing else like them. Again, unlike the pro game, where players…
Greetings, Lion fans. Normally, This would be a summary of the Blue/Gold game, but, because of public health concerns, the game has been canceled. Hopefully, September 2nd, the season will open, at full capacity, in Pueblo, Colorado, against a thorn in the Lions side the past few years, Colorado State-Pueblo. Until then, as the great…
As I write this article, it is hard to believe that yet another college basketball season has come and gone. Thankfully, this one was the bridge to normal given everything that has happened. This past season was a down year for the Lion Men’s program, while the Women continued their sure and steady progress as…
In his nearly 30 years of coaching offense for East Texas State, Ernest Hawkins coached a lot of Quarterbacks. Some went to the NFL and started games. Some had great college careers and set records that might never be broken, even in today’s passer conducive offenses. However, when Hawkins took over as Head Coach in…
30 years ago Texas A&M-Commerce (formerly East Texas State University) made our inaugural appearance in the NCAA playoffs and what a ride it was. The 1990 team came into the season not expected to do much of anything coming off an injury riddled 4-6 campaign in the 1989 season. That in itself was a huge…
May your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be sung May you stay……forever young Bob Dylan 40 years ago, they were lean, tough, battle tested. They bonded through a…
70 years ago today, the East Texas State Lions took the field in front of 12,000 fans against regional rival North Texas State for the first game at Memorial Stadium on the campus of East Texas State University on a crisp fall evening. I wish I could tell you that our beloved Lions came out…
In many Football programs across the country, there is somewhat of an initiation for new players who come into the program. Usually it involves pain, a test of endurance, and an attempt to see who has what it takes to be in that respective program. For over 60 years, there was a tradition that every…
Contrary to what some might think or might not even know, Texas A&M-Commerce/East Texas State has a strong tradition in Men’s Basketball, and as many know has had a lot of recent success in Women’s Hoops. This past season saw the largest attended Women’s game in program history as the Lion Women took down defending…
Billy and I here at The Wire wanted to pass along the best of birthday wishes to our editor and, more importantly, our friend, Brian Pate. Brian’s love for Commerce, superb writing style, and willingness to take a chance with a couple of older Lions make him a great friend. Happy Birthday, sir.
Lion Wire contributor Billy Minor has a ton of great stories when it comes to his playing days. The two time All-LSC Receiver and 1990 conference champion told us the story of playing in one of the best small college towns in America, Pittsburg, Kansas. B.Minor recounts; ” I saw for me what was the…
The 1980 football season in Commerce was eagerly anticipated. After a lackluster 4-7 season in 1978, 1979 showed promise despite an average looking 5-5 record. They had shut out the defending NAIA champions in Texas A&I, and were in the hunt for a conference title until the very end of the season. The Wizard of…
This is Part 3 in a Multi-Part series of the great traditions of our Alma Mater. In sports, the old saying goes that “defense wins championships.” Personally I have not bought totally into that, I prefer that “the best defense is an unstoppable offense.” That being said, nobody can doubt that a team that plays…
This is Part 2 in a Multi-Part series of the great traditions of our Alma Mater. Part of this article is taken from my piece on the Championship Chronicles for the 1958 team. Every great college team has a tradition. Texas A&M has yell practice the night before home games. Texas Tech picks members of…
Just a little more quarantine fun. The only qualification to make this team is to have been a teammate of mine at East Texas State. Each guy will have the year they played labeled. That means players who roamed the Hawk between 88-92. This is strictly my picks. Again we will do it two-deep style…
This is Part 1 in a Multi-Part series of the great traditions of Alma Mater Dear. In the Fall of 1964, Sports Illustrated visited the small hamlet of Commerce, Texas to feature the Football program of East Texas State College. They were there to cover the recent passing of Head Coach J.V. Sikes, and the…
