FB: American Southwest Conference

[kickhoe]

I know that Gil & Gary DeShazo in Abilene have to be sick about Caldwell's......they had 4 stores in Abilene, Midland, San Angelo, and Odessa....a very nice business....they actually had the largest instrument repair shop in the country...right there in Abilene....I know Gil and Gary got a lot of money for the business, but it still has to be very difficult seeing something that was your love go down the tubes.....just not right!!!!

I live in SA to....I noticed the H&H Music over at the 1604/281 area was having the big sale......not too good, eh???

[wildcat11]

wildcat I am assuming you were in attendance, what were your thoughts on the atmosphere of Texas football.  I guess im really asking on your overall thoughts on your visit to our wonderful state???

Minni,

I was at the game.  My thoughts on the atmosphere of the HSU game:  Good enthusiastic crowd.  Very vocal students sections and a fun atmosphere.  However, I could really do without the PA doing the whole "Another First Down" gimmick....that seemed out of place for a classy program.  That's just personal preference...I like my PA's to be the "backdrop music" to a game and not a cheerleader. 

HSU has a great band, but you all should know that since they are called The "World Famous" Cowboy Marching Band.   

Liked the HSU campus but not the surrounding neighborhoods (took a wrong turn near the college).  Reminded me of the surrounding neighborhoods of PLU (Parkland, Wa) but Texas style.

In terms of HSU's team.  Hard working, very athletic skill people, well coached, and they play the game the right way.  I'm really proud that our programs would step up and play each other.  Looking forward to hosting you next year.  I think you'll enjoy the Linfield atmosphere.  Good luck the rest of the year!

Josh,

I was going to track you down on the sideline and say hello.  I went up to a guy that I thought might have been you (he was a little on the "bigger side") and asked him if his name was Josh.  After he looked at me funny and said no, I decided that I would stop asking dudes with cameras if they were Josh.  It was a little uncomfortable....

[WLCALUM83]

Finally a big shout-out to the McMurry Marching Band.  Director Chris Neal is marching 55 members plus a twirler and a flag corps of 9.  The six Double B-flat Bass Horns (my instrument  ) give a full sound and the Drum Line is great!!!  They make for a real college football environment!

Ralph, I too was impressed by the McMurry Marching Band...a couple of weekends ago I was in Abilene visiting the in-laws and I was helping out with the West Texas Fair & Rodeo Parade and saw the McMurry Marching Band come by....I have never seen them bigger!!!  Being a former member of the World Famous Cowboy Band, we always made fun of the MC band...

By the way, former Tuba/Sousaphone player here as well!!!  I miss it!!!

Kickhoe, I played for the famous HSU grad, Prof Raymond Bynum, when he was at McMurry.  We were marching about 60-65 back then, too.

When Prof Bynum was at Abilene HS, he supposedly was the first one to have a Marching Band in Texas, 1926.

Now we have never marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade,  , but having a real band program at McMurry has done much to improve the environment on campus.

Ralph, up here in the North Country back when I was in high school and college we used to use "Smear it Up," "Minnesota Rouser," (my HS song was to the tune of the latter), "Cute," and "Watermelon Man". Any of  those tunes ring a bell? (I played the clarinet in small pep bands at WLC.)

[kickhoe]

wildcat I am assuming you were in attendance, what were your thoughts on the atmosphere of Texas football.  I guess im really asking on your overall thoughts on your visit to our wonderful state???

I was at the game.  My thoughts on the atmosphere of the HSU game:  Good enthusiastic crowd.  Very vocal students sections and a fun atmosphere.  However, I could really do without the PA doing the whole "Another First Down" gimmick....that seemed out of place for a classy program.  That's just personal preference...I like my PA's to be the "backdrop music" to a game and not a cheerleader. 

HSU has a great band, but you all should know that since they are called The "World Famous" Cowboy Marching Band.   

Liked the HSU campus but not the surrounding neighborhoods (took a wrong turn near the college).  Reminded me of the surrounding neighborhoods of PLU (Parkland, Wa) but Texas style.

Wildcat11,
HSU has a great campus...you are correct, the surrounding neighborhoods are not so great....Linda Carleton, retired Dean of Students at HSU, started up a program at HSU to help beautify the surround neighborhoods.....HSU has removed tons of garbage, and I mean tons....   The university is really trying to revitalize the area, but it takes people that live in those homes to have some pride....

I'm glad you liked the Cowboy Band....the best thing I ever did while at HSU.....my freshmen year, we did not have football, so we played at b-ball games....when football was brought back in 1990, we began doing the games.....we were not your traditional marching band, we were out there more to ham it up..... .....good times!!!

[Ralph Turner]

wildcat I am assuming you were in attendance, what were your thoughts on the atmosphere of Texas football.  I guess im really asking on your overall thoughts on your visit to our wonderful state???

...
Liked the HSU campus but not the surrounding neighborhoods (took a wrong turn near the college).  Reminded me of the surrounding neighborhoods of PLU (Parkland, Wa) but Texas style.

Wildcat, there is only so much beautification that you can do on an annual ranfall of 23" per year!

The biggest improvement to Abilene is the use of effluent (non-chlorinated) water to irrigate many of the locales in Abilene, e.g., HSU, MCM, ACU, Hendrick Medical Center and various places along the major thoroughfares.

All three schools are trying to buy up the lands around their campuses, houses that were built in the 1930's and early post-war 1940's.  It is a slow process, and those property-owners are looking to scalp the schools.

We hope you had a good time in your visit to Abilene and hope to see you in the Semi-finals in December! 8)

[Josh Bowerman]

Josh,
I was going to track you down on the sideline and say hello.  I went up to a guy that I thought might have been you (he was a little on the "bigger side") and asked him if his name was Josh.  After he looked at me funny and said no, I decided that I would stop asking dudes with cameras if they were Josh.  It was a little uncomfortable....

That was the competition, Wildcat!  I should have clarified my "big" statement to be "big--as in tight end-sized big".  While I'm sure I need to drop a few lbs., I'm not yet playing in the same league as the competition, either--if you know what I mean.   

I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you.  I did meet John Hornung (sp?) before the game, and enjoyed visiting with him for a few minutes.  I should have probably described myself a little better.

We'll meet up in McMinnville next year, OK?

Oh, and the PA announcer is one of the faculty members in the school of theology at HSU.  He's a really nice guy and great with the students, but does have a bit of a reputation for being a bit of a cornball.  He's fairly benign--just one of those slightly eccentric local characters you run into on college campuses.  He just happens to be our PA announcer. 

[kickhoe]

I had Dr. McGraw for Old and New Testament......great professor....you are correct, a little eccentric.....you may know this, Dr. Phil is his cousin......

[Josh Bowerman]

OK, I did not know that.  If that's true, there are waaaaaay too many connections to the Oprah show on that campus for my mental well-being!   

Oh, and Wildcat, I forgot to mention about the band.  They actually are kinda famous.  Maybe not world famous, but famous enough to play a couple of presidential inaugurations. 

It used to be a men's only band, but they got into some trouble a few years back, and the single-sex membership policy (which was already under review) got scrapped in favor of gender equity as part of their punishment. 

I'm sure kickhoe could shed some light on that subject, but at the same time, it may still be an open wound.

[dsc]

Josh, don't forget all the USO trips that the World Famous Cowboy Band took many years ago...to support the troops!

Just finished fishing at Jackson Hole...two days of rain, cold and wind!  ...and one day of SNOW!  Lousiy fishing weather...only seven trout...largest 13 inches.

But Yellowstone NP is beautiful.

Great win for the Cowboys!

Go HSU!!!

[kickhoe]

I'm not sure how many years ago women were allowed in the Cowboy Band.....it was not part of their punishment......the writing was on the wall....while there was no rule saying that women could not be in the band, it was understood....after a band director change, the university thought that allowing women in the band would eliminate future problems.....I think it has gone over pretty well, but still very hard for me to get used to!!!   

Josh and dsc are correct....the Cowboy Band has a rich history and is very much part of what makes them so unique.....they were started in 1923, they have performed all over the world, they were at the inaugurations of Herbert Hoover, FDR, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nixon, and the current president, Bush.  The Cowboy Band has performed on USO tours in Europe, Veterans conventions, rodeos, Texas governor inaugurations, etc.

When I was in the band from 1989-1993, the guys that came in with me are still very close friends.  One of the best times in my life.....I think I'm gonna cry now!!!!   

[minni]

wonderful memories and i enjoy the cowboy band when i played because we didnt have a band when i was in high school but can we get back to football??

id like to talk a little more about how tlu got beat !!!!!!!

[Bill McCabe]

minni, I agree.  The HSU band is really fun to watch, but let's get back to football.  Anyone out there go to the TLU-MC game?  What did you think?

[evacuee]

I'd like to discuss that too, and I have one explanation.  It took everything they had to beat Trinity with their third string qb and back up tailback.  You might beat Trinity, but you won't beat them all, as history has proven.  

[tlcbdawg]

I have been meaning to get on here and post and I am sure the absence of TLU posters has been conspicuous.

First hats off to a good Mississippi College team. Does anyone doubt that Norman Joseph is one of the top coaches in DIII?

Second, this loss maybe just what the Bulldogs need to refocus. They have always played UMHB tough and come up just short. Maybe this can motivate them even more(?)

Third, as I said earlier, this is just a phenomenal conference and should be a lot of fun to watch. Does anyone doubt that the top six or seven teams are capable of beating each other any given Saturday?

Should be a great game in Belton! Wish I could be there.

[Zmotion10 out on 2]

Does anyone doubt that the top six or seven teams are capable of beating each other any given Saturday?

I doubt it.

The Cowboys they look very good.  Maybe UMHB or TLU or maybe even HPU, but I 'm not convinced that any of the other colleges could beat the Cowboys.  I'll keep an eye on MC though.