by Ray Sanchez 10.18.15
Oh, how 
college football has changed. It used to be about size and muscle. Now it’s more about speed and quickness.
It’s like watching a bunch of crazed hornets out there buzzing around and devouring slower beings.
A huddle? What’s that? Man, just get up there and bang, bang, run a play.
UTEP lost one of its two fastest players, running back Aaron Jones, in the second game of the season. The other, Autrey Golden, just became UTEP’s all-time leader for kickoff return yards. Golden had five returns for 92 yards last Saturday, giving him 2,758 in his career.
Still the Miners were severely stung by lightning-fast Florida International, 52-12.
GOLDEN GIVES the Miners, and El Paso, something to talk about but let’s face it, the Miners were a step slower on both offense and defense than the two Conference USA teams to which they’ve lost this year, UTSA and Florida International.
The Miners have a week off now to ponder those losses. There’s no magic potion to make them faster. But it’s too early to throw in the towel. Maybe coach Sean Kugler can come up with something.
ALL THIS IS not to say that the faster pace of college football these days is not enjoyable. Heck, I got a big kick out of watching TCU come back to beat Kansas State last week. If TCU isn’t the quickest, fastest team in the country, it’s close. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is not only blazing fast with his feet, he has a quick and accurate release of his passes. No wonder the Frogs are 6-0.
So sit back and enjoy the rest of the college football season. Just don’t blink. You might miss a touchdown.
TRIVIA QUESITON; When the Washington baseball team in the Major Leagues was called the Senators, who was the last man to lead the league in homers? Answer at end of column.
SOME FOLKS are surprised to learn that Sean Kugler is getting more than half a million dollars a year to coach the Miners. Seems like a lot for a seasonal job.
“Yeah,” a friend says, “but think of the daily stress and worry that comes with the job. I wouldn’t want that for any amount of money.”
True. But hey, that makes the pay of our city manager seem not so outlandish after all. He’s getting much less.
THE LATE Frank Redman, a 7-time amateur city golf champion, and Jim Thomas, golf editor at the El Paso Herald-Post, approached me in 1983 when I was sports editor at the El Paso Herald-Post and asked if I would help them start an El Paso Golf Hall of Fame. Of course, I said yes.
It was quite a success and an induction banquet was held annually for years. Then it sort of went into hibernation.
So as a charter member one can imagine how happy I was to learn that Rita Aguilar Lacey, who has been trying to revive the Hall for some time, has announced that the El Paso Community Foundation and the El Paso Golf Hall of Fame are teaming up “to promote education, greater awareness of the game and induct some of El Paso’s greatest players.”
An induction banquet is planned for Nov. 17 at Coronado Country Club. For details: Rita Aguilar Lacey at 915-781-2739
I pray it happens.
TALKING ABOUT golf, congratulations to Robert Pounds, son of Coronado High School golf coach Robert Pounds. He won the club championship at Dos Lagos Golf Course last weekend with a 77-71–148 scratch total. I was also happy to see my golfing buddy, musician/golf guru Jack Welch, tie for third with Tim Crenshaw and Jimmy Menchaca in the first flight with a handicap score of 148. Nice folks all.
ANSWER to trivia question: Frank Howard in 1970.