BTEXDAD
06-07-2007, 02:11 PM
I almost wrote all this in the thread about best athletes you saw in person, but decided a different thread was better.
I never saw Earl Campbell in high school, but saw him play at UT and with Oilers. He was great. The old luv ya blue Houston oilers did lots of things to keep in close contact with fans back then, and I met Earl at memorabilia site. Never was an eloquent speaker, but you have to give him credit. From what I understand, he majored in speech at UT to help him overcome shyness, stuttering and to simply aid him in what was going to be a future in the public eye.
About those same Luv ya blue oilers, this would never happen any more with danger of injuries and overall lack of commitment to fans, but those Oilers of the late 1970's used to travel in off season and play like pick up basketball games against teams of coaches/athetes at area high schools. Money raised went to charities if I remember right.
They actually came to Bellville in late 70s and played a team made up mostly of our coaches. Giff Nielsen was very good, Mike Reinfeld (safety), center, Karl Mauck was fat and pidgeon toed but probably didn't miss a shot all night. LInebacker Robert Brazile, WR Kenny Burroughs and I can't remember who all else was there. Was partly done in a comical way, but even the pickup basketball game, they played to win.
I think the Cowboys used to do these same kind of basketball games in their off season, but I never saw them play. I did hear that Too tall Jones was an unbelievably good basketball player though.
Wish there were ways kids could see today's pro athletes in a friendly, fun way like that, but things are just so different now.
I never saw Earl Campbell in high school, but saw him play at UT and with Oilers. He was great. The old luv ya blue Houston oilers did lots of things to keep in close contact with fans back then, and I met Earl at memorabilia site. Never was an eloquent speaker, but you have to give him credit. From what I understand, he majored in speech at UT to help him overcome shyness, stuttering and to simply aid him in what was going to be a future in the public eye.
About those same Luv ya blue oilers, this would never happen any more with danger of injuries and overall lack of commitment to fans, but those Oilers of the late 1970's used to travel in off season and play like pick up basketball games against teams of coaches/athetes at area high schools. Money raised went to charities if I remember right.
They actually came to Bellville in late 70s and played a team made up mostly of our coaches. Giff Nielsen was very good, Mike Reinfeld (safety), center, Karl Mauck was fat and pidgeon toed but probably didn't miss a shot all night. LInebacker Robert Brazile, WR Kenny Burroughs and I can't remember who all else was there. Was partly done in a comical way, but even the pickup basketball game, they played to win.
I think the Cowboys used to do these same kind of basketball games in their off season, but I never saw them play. I did hear that Too tall Jones was an unbelievably good basketball player though.
Wish there were ways kids could see today's pro athletes in a friendly, fun way like that, but things are just so different now.