There’s an exciting new network on Facebook. And when I say exciting, I mean exciting.
It’s called “Texas Western (UTEP) Road to Glory” where anyone can go and re-live and comment on the Miners who changed basketball with a victory over University of Kentucky in 1966.
To say the network is a big hit would be an understatement. Scores of fans who lived through that wonderful year have already commented and even posted photos of the Miners. In fact, one person, Ellington Ellis, even put up a video of the championship game.
Following are some of the comments from present and former El Pasoans I found especially interesting:
Raúl Enrique Burciaga, now living in Albuquerque — I saw every home game that season thanks to my sister Margarita and her husband, who had season tickets. Plus, I watched every game that was televised and heard the games broadcast by radio only. I was 10 years old but I remember the entire season so vividly. I had a basketball signed by several of the players just a few days before they went to the Final Four. Later my niece, who was assistant location manager for “Glory Road”, was able to get the rest of the players’ signatures including Coach (Don) Haskins and most of the actors who portrayed the players. I will forever be a Miner Basketball fan.
Brian Phillips — Some of y’all know this, but when I was attending UTEP I worked for AM 690 KHEY (before the format flip) and I was asked to cover the press conference where Haskins formally announced his retirement. Back then, I knew of the TWC team but nothing more than that. Well, fast forward nearly 20 years later, I cannot be more proud to call myself a UTEP Miner and to have walked the same halls as those amazing guys. Once a Miner, Always a Miner!
Eddie Mullens — If The Shadow (Nevil Shed) had been as large then as today, he would have been dangerous … I still get a chuckle each time I think about how excited, clapping his hands, running in front of the TWC bench when he had a great play but running down the opposite sideline with his head down when he didn’t do well.
Ellington Ellis – I love this man (Shed)! Full of humility and love … No wonder God chose him for this game.
Richard Glancey — I’ve always said, “when he (Shed) came to TWC, he was so skinny he could hide behind a telephone pole.” Retired, he did a tremendous job at UTSA. I used to see him at UTSA basketball games.
Charles Hill — Shed could hide behind a telephone pole and according to Haskins, he couldn’t guard a telephone pole.
Margarita Kanavy of El Paso posted a photo (shown here) from the movie Glory Road which showed 
AND SO IT GOES on Facebook. What fun.
TRIVIA QUESTION: In 1963, The Dodgers swept the Yankees using only four pitchers. Can you name them? Answer at end.
SPEAKING OF Charles Hill, he’s turned into quite an asset to sports in El Paso. He’s a statistician at UTEP football and basketball games, serves on the board of directors of the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame and the UTEP Athletic Hall of Fame and has written a book on sports.
He says he got the idea of a book after he read my latest book, “The Good, the Bad and the Funny of El Paso Sports History.”
My book included high school champions from El Paso only in the major sports so he decided to research state high school champions from El Paso in all sports. You can see the book now on KVIA-TV.com. For more information contact Hill at 590-4024 or email him at chill@elp.rr.com
ANSWER to trivia question: Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres and Ron Perranoski.