by Ray Sanchez 04.13.14
For several years, some El Pasoans, including KVIA-TV general manager Kevin Lovell, sportscaster Tom Ciaburri and your friendly sports columnist, have been nominating Nolan Richardson for induction into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Year after year he has been turned down.
The Man Upstairs must have noticed and said, okay, if he’s not accepted there we’ll give Nolan an even bigger honor: Induction into the national Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
And so it came to happen. The announcement was made this past week.
I’M PRACTICALLY jumping up and down with joy. Nolan and I go back a long way. I gave him his first writeup in 1950. I was in my first year as a sports writer at the El Paso Herald-Post and Little League Baseball was in its first year of existence. Nolan, only 9 years old, hit a long homerun over the fence at Houston Little League field and I put it in my story. I still have the clipping.
Then I followed and recorded his athletic career at Bowie High School where he was so good he was picked All-District in all three major sports (football, basketball and baseball). Then I continued following his sparkling basketball career at Texas Western College.
After graduation, he became such a good golfer that he could have tried for the PGA Tour. People were lining up to back him financially.
He led the Bowie Bears to a 190-80 record then coached Western Texas to a junior college championship, Tulsa to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title and University of Arkansas to a NCAA crown. He is the only coach in the country to record such a trifecta.
Needless to say, he has a major spot in my latest book, “The Good, the Bad and the Funny of El Paso Sports History,” and his photo blesses the front cover along with other of El Paso’s greatest stars.
He hasn’t forgotten me. I was among the first people he invited two weeks ago to the Naismith Hall of Fame induction ceremonies Aug. 8 in Springfield, Massachusetts. I knew then he had been inducted but couldn’t say anything because it was in confidence but I did hint about it in my column.
Quick, mama, call the airlines and reserve my flight. I plan to be there to join in the cheers.
TRIVIA QUESTION: Can you name the longest professional boxing match ever held? Answer at end.
KROD RADIO sports talk show host Steve Kaplowitz keeps bringing in outstanding athletes for the annual El Paso Sports and Get Fit Expo. This year it was former New York Yankees pitching great Goose Gossage and current No. 2 Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams.
Williams, young and so shy it makes him likeable, had some interesting things to say about the Cowboys.
He was almost apologetic about replacing Miles Austin as quarterback Tony Romo’s No.2 target. Austin was let go by the Cowboys because he was injury-prone and Williams said he wasn’t trying to replace him but was just doing his best to earn a spot on the team.
AS FOR ROMO, he said Romo is a great quarterback but when Romo makes a bad play he’s criticized more than other quarterbacks because he has such a high profile. Williams added that once the Cowboys make the playoffs Romo will get his due.
He thanked owner Jerry Jones for giving him a chance with America’s Team.
And he said the Cowboys will be better next season because they’re getting to be a closer-knit team. He said the players are doing a lot more things together and that will be a big help.
Dallas Cowboys fans sure hope he’s right.
ANSWER to trivia question: Andy Bowen and Jack Burke went 110 rounds in 1893.