Sept. 4, 2003

This is another "B" Line column, a collection of news items of particular interest to members of the Baylor "B" Association. Contribute news about you or your teammates via e-mail to Lee Harrington (leenelaine@281.com), Dutch Schroeder (Dutch_Schroeder@baylor.edu), Reba Cooper (Reba_Cooper@baylor.edu) or Jack Loftis (Jack.Loftis@chron.com). The mailing address is Baylor "B" Association, P. O. Box 8120, Waco, TX 76714.

ANY GIVEN SATURDAY - Consider it a coincidence or not, but when the Baylor Bears travel to Denton this weekend for their game with the University of North Texas Mean Green, former BU quarterback (1947-1949) and former assistant coach Hayden Fry will be the center of attention. North Texas will be celebrating Fry's induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The former head coach at North Texas, SMU and Iowa will be honored at a 5 p.m. reception on Friday at the Club at the Gateway Center on the North Texas campus and again at a letter-winners gathering at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Mean Green Tailgate Village, located adjacent to Fouts Field. Fry also will be introduced at halftime of the 7:05 p.m. game. Fry coached at North Texas from 1973 through 1978, recording a record of 40-23-3. In 1973 Fry led North Texas to the 1973 Missouri Valley Conference championship and to a combined 19-3 record as a Division I-A Independent in 1977 and 1978. He was inducted into the North Texas Hall of Fame in 1978. Any of his Baylor friends and former teammates interested in attending the Friday event may contact Mandy McKinley in the North Texas athletic department at 940-369-7034. For more information on Saturday's pre-game event call the North Texas Ticket Office at 940-565-2527 or 1-800-UNT-2366 . . . Incidentally, The 2003 College Hall of Fame class, which also includes former SMU receiver Jerry Levias, will be inducted during the 46th annual awards dinner on Dec. 9 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The new members will be enshrined officially at the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana, in August of 2004 . . .

UPBEAT GATHERING - One of the largest crowds in recent years jammed the Baylor "B" Association Room at Floyd Casey Stadium prior to the Baylor-UAB game on August 30. And despite all of the bad news associated with Baylor athletics in recent months, the letterwinners in attendance were in an upbeat mood, and remained that way even after the Bears' last-minute, 24-19 loss. BU Hall of Fame member Jerry Mallett (baseball and basketball 1955-57) liked the spirit and hustle demonstrated for the full 60 minutes by Coach Guy Moriss' troops. And so did legendary sportswriter Dave Campbell, who currently covers the team for the Baylor Bears Foundation's weekly Insider newsletter. And speaking of Campbell, when is someone going to nominate the former Waco Tribune sports editor and founder of Texas Football magazine, for a spot in the Baylor Hall of Fame? . . . Four good seats for the BU-UAB game went unfilled as Dr. Jerry Marcontell (football 1955-57), Gale Galloway (football 1949-51) and their spouses were not in attendance. Marcontell and wife Mary were flu victims, while the Galloways had to return to Austin before the game . . . Jinx Hoover (baseball 1957) and son Matt were in the "B" room telling friends about their summer golfing expedition to Scotland. They played five of the top courses, including - of course - St. Andrews . . .

THE SUMMER OF 2003 - When the "B" Line column was suspended in early June due to the usual vacation doldrums, little did anyone suspect that the Summer of 2003 would find Baylor's athletic program involved in improbable news stories in every daily newspaper and on every television network in America. But it happened and the news was sad. This column, sanctioned by the Baylor "B" Association (formerly the Baylor Lettermen's Association), has always intended to focus its attention on former Baylor teams and players. "Writing about '60 something' athletes who deserve to see their names in print just one more time" has been the column's oft-repeated, tongue-in-cheek motto. Thus, as Baylor begins another sports year with the national media breathlessly watching the Bears' every move, perhaps the "B" Line can offer those interested in BU athletics an alternative read. And as always, the column will be no better than the items submitted to those e-mail addresses listed in the above preface. It should be an interesting year, but that description - in one context or another - could be applied to every Baylor athletic season since a running back named Wesley Bradshaw became the school's first All-American in 1921. As stated earlier, the "B" Line relies heavily on 20/20 hindsight . . .

(The "B" Line column is written by Jack Loftis, editor emeritus of The Houston Chronicle and chairman of the Baylor "B" Association Communications Committee.)