This is something I have been wanting to write about for a long time, and I mean a really long time. This past season was one of the best that our athletic department has had in a very long time, from start to finish. All team sports went to the postseason, we collected a lot…
This weekend in Commerce, there will be a 5K run and event honoring the late Dr. Dan Jones, our Alma Mater’s President from 2009-2016. During that time, our institution grew exponentially in enrollment, endowment, and some great things happened. Our Education school was ranked number 1 in the State of Texas and 13th in the…
As many of you know, Billy Minor has been writing for the Lion Wire for almost a year now. He is our most recent addition, and he has been a great addition to our staff. However today, myself and Russell McLean have decided to start something that both of us feel strongly about, and that…
As many of you know I have been a big advocate for many of the current guys who have recently been inducted into the TAMUC-HOF. We here at the Wire have a few guys who we feel are worthy of nomination and this is my first guy. HOF spotlight: Jim White, 1991 Jim White was…
The year was 1199. King Richard I of England was suppressing a rebellion in his territory when he walked toward the castle of his rival. He came too close and ignored warnings from his knights not to get too close, lest he might be struck by an arrow being fired by his enemy’s troops. He…
Wade Wilson’s passing this past Friday was a shock to Lion Nation to say the least. We have had personal dedications to him over the past couple of days courtesy of Russell McLean, who had a personal relationship with him. However, I have been prompted by something I heard this morning to tell the world…
Coach Carthel, I have to admit I was disappointed when I saw you had taken the job at Stephen F. Austin. However, as someone who bleeds the blue and gold, you have to understand that my hope for you to stay here would be biased, but as the brother of a high school coach, I…
Greetings, Lion fans….normally, you would be seeing 5 Minor Thoughts, or the Pre Snap Read, but we received a question about the regional rankings, what they are, and how they affect playoff seeding. We here at The Wire welcome any questions our readers might have, and we’re more than happy to answer. To begin, Division…
Today’s Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine came out, and with the hope that the Lions would be on the front cover for the first time ever, but that did not happen. They placed first year Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher on the cover. Now, to be fair and realistic, more Texans are going to…
Ever since I can remember, I have loved looking at stadiums across Texas. I remember when I was a kid the first stadium I ever saw was Canton’s Norris Birdwell Stadium. I was born in Dallas and my family would drive through the smaller towns to get to East Texas when were moving from the…
Rivalries are what make sports fun. Nothing is better than beating a team that is the polar opposite of you and rubbing their face in the fact that you beat them, and I mean nothing. Some people believe that smaller schools do not have rivalries but nothing could be further from the truth. In some…
(Author’s Note: I have tried on multiple occasions to get Coach Hawkins nominated for inclusion into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame without success. I have reached out to AD Tim McMurray, who also has had no luck. Thank you, sir. What follows is from the heart.) To Whom It May Concern: I represent a…
You all know Carthel. You all know Hawkins. Some of you might not know Eddie Vowell, but you will now. Coach Vowell was the man who had the last run of serious success in Commerce, America before Colby Carthel came to town. The Stafford, Oklahoma native joined the Lions staff in the early 1980’s as…
It all began with a general conversation between Brian and I one evening last fall, around the time that the football facility became Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium. There have been more than a few named that have etched themselves in Lion Football coaching history-Smith, Sikes, Vowell, and Carthel, to name a few. There…
Editor’s Note: This Article was published by the Dallas Morning News in September of 1992. It was written by Kevin Sherrington and is not the work of The Lion Wire or any of the staff or the writers. It is here for reading enjoyment purposes only and every attempt has been taken to ensure the…
First, I wanted to thank my partners in crime, Billy Minor and Russell McLean. This list of top 20 was a complete team effort. Having to be able to have guys on this staff who actually played with some of these great players and saw first hand how truly great they were. We our proud…
Bigger…faster…stronger. After a successful 1988 season we were anxious to get back at it again and getting prepared for the 89 season required each of the returners to become the 3 things mentioned above. I was ready to go as the guy who started ahead of me had graduated and the “Z “receiver spot was…
The Scene: Pure Bedlam.. On a cold evening at Texas A&M-Commerce’s Memorial Stadium on Ernest Hawkins field, students and fans rushed the field to celebrate something they have not celebrated in 45 years. Their team was going to the National Championship. In fact, that very day marked 45 years since The Lions lifted the N.A.I.A…
(Note:Due to an unforseen family situation, I will not be able to attend Saturday’s services, so I’ve taken the opportunity to express my thoughts here. Thank You, Brian) I won’t use the word goodbye here. That has a sense of finality that my faith and education tell me doesn’t fit. The loss of a loved…
(Author’s Note: For those that may not be aware, Coach Hawkins suffered both a heart attack and stroke Wednesday of this week. According to his son, Ray, he is in the hospital under hospice care with no change to his current condition. He is unable to speak or use his right hand, and remains asleep…
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