Posts Tagged ‘Don Haskins’

2 Jan

Books of ’66 Miners Signed by Haskins Found

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 12.13.15

Sometimes you get lucky. '66book.jpg

I went to clean out my storage room the other day and lo and behold, there, under a pile of other books, were four brand new hard cover copies of the book, “Basketball’s Biggest Upset,” signed by late coach Don Haskins..

“My God,” I thought, “What a treasure.”

If you know local sports history, “Basketball’s Biggest Upset” is the most comprehensive history ever written about the Texas Western Miners’ march to the 1966 NCAA basketball championship and led to the movie, “Glory Road,” being made.

It has more details than any other book written on the subject and includes bios of all the players, how the big games were won and a play by play description of the title game against University of Kentucky.

I found other “Basketball’s Biggest Upset” books, both hard cover and paperback, but only those four were signed by “The Bear.” 

BUT WHY am I telling you all this? It’s because the downtown El Paso Public Library has invited me to make an oral presentation of the history of El Paso sports, including the 1966 Miners, and at the same time have a book signing. The event will be held next Sunday, Dec. 20, at the downtown El Paso Public Library. 501 North Oregon Street, at 2 p.m.

donhaskinsWhat with Christmas and the 50th anniversary of the Miners’ amazing 1966 victory coming up next year, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

I mean, UTEP will be celebrating the Miners’ championship next year and the surviving members of the ’66 team will be present and honored at the men’s basketball game against Western Kentucky on Feb. 6 at the Don Haskins Center. Wouldn’t it be great to have a copy of a book for the Miners to sign? 

THE FOUR books signed by Haskins will be up for auction at the oral presentation and book signing at the El Paso Public Library downtown next Sunday but if you’re not lucky enough to get one signed by Haskins you can get an unsigned one. If you want a special and unique gift for someone, it’ll be hard to find a better Christmas stocking filler.

I’ve also had many requests for copies of my latest book, “The Good, the Bad and the Funny of El Paso History” and “Haskins: The Bear Facts” and those, too, will be available along with other books I’ve had a hand in writing or producing. 

TRIVIA QUESTION: Of all the players who have played Major League baseball, Hank Aaron ranks first alphabetically. But can you tell me who comes in second? Answer at end of column.  

IT’S GOOD to see local athletes receive their due. Don Maynard, one of UTEP’s greatest football stars, has been chosen the 2015 Legend of this year’s Hyundai Sun Bowl game which will be played Saturday, Dec. 26.

Maynard helped UTEP to victory in the 1957 Sun Bowl then helped the New York Jets to victory over Baltimore in one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history in 1969.

I’ve written countless stories about Maynard some of which are included in some of my books. He made receiving look easy – and fun. My favorite story about him is that he was so fast that he would mutter “beep-beep” as he flew by pass defenders.

 

AND HOW’S this for more excitement to the holiday season? Live horse racing returns to Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino on Friday, Dec. 18. We’ll see the finest horses, owners and trainers in the Southwest competing for big purses on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays through April 19.

As I’ve noted before, with UTEP, the El Paso Chihuahuas, our high schools, Sun Bowl, beautiful golf courses, great weather and Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, my sports cup runneth over 

ANSWER to trivia question: Tommy Aaron, Hank’s younger brother.

8 Jul

Remembering the 1966 Miners on Facebook

Posted by EL PASO SPORTS in El Paso Sports, Ray Sanchez. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .

by Ray Sanchez 07.05.15

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 haskinspumpingasHaskins pumping gas, which led Charles Hill to comment that “Coach said he would have said more lines if he knew what they were paying for his one line.”

 

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.