Texas A&M officials announced today that KRLD-FM (105.3 FM, The Fan) will be the Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate for Aggies’ football broadcasts this season. The all-sports station has a 100,000-watt signal and also is the flagship station for Dallas Cowboys’ radio broadcasts. Terms of the deal were not announced. A&M’s first game is Sept. 5 against New Mexico (6 p.m., Kyle Field).
_ Jimmy Burch
Texas pitching was too much for TCU batters in Game 3 as starter Taylor Jungmann pitched six scoreless innings and usual starter Chance Ruffin came back on one-days rest in the ninth to record the last two outs to seal the victory. Texas advances to the College World Series in Omaha, which begins June 13.
The Frogs finish their season at 40-18.
Taylor Jungmann has left the game with a 5-0 lead after six innings of two-hit work. Jungmann struck out five and walked one. Austin Wood started the seventh inning for the Longhorns.
Matt Curry and Aaron Schultz started the sixth inning with a single and hit by pitch to give the Frogs their first serious scoring opportunity of the game, but Taylor Jungmann escaped the inning thanks to a double-play off the bat of Taylor Featherston. Corey Steglich grounded back to Jungmann, who threw to third base to force Curry. Featherston then hit a 3-2 pitch back Jungmann, who started the 1-6-3 ending-inning double play.
Bryan Holaday led off the fifth with a single to right field for TCU's first hit of the game. Taylor Jungmann has only allowed two Frogs to reach, a first inning walk by Matt Carpenter and Holaday's single. Holaday was erased with a 6-4-3 double-play ball from Jason Coats. Jungmann has faced one over the minimum through five innings.
Kevin Keyes doubled to lead off the fourth for Texas. After forcing Brandon Loy to ground out to shortstop, Lockwood was replaced by Eric Marshall. Marshall struck out Preston Clark but then gave up a run-scoring double to Cameron Rupp and a run-scoring single up the middle to Connor Rowe. Texas leads 5-0.
Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann has only surrendered one TCU baserunner through four innings, a first inning, full-count walk to Matt Carpenter. The Longhorns lead 3-0. TCU's starter Tyler Lockwood has ssettled down a bit in the second and third innings.
Frogs third baseman Matt Carpenter had a few words for Kevin Keyes as he rounded third following his home run in the first inning. Keyes watched his homer sail towards the leftfield foul pole before starting for first base. Keyes looked back at Carpenter and said a few words as touched home plate. The third base umpire spoke with Carpenter after the incident.
Brandon Belt tripled off the centerfield wall to drive in Michael Torres, who led off with an infield single up the middle. After Russell Moldenhauer scored Belt from third with a ground out to second, Kevin Keyes homered down the left field line to make it 3-0.
Game 3 has begun in Austin. The winner of tonight's game advances to the College World Series in Omaha. A Frogs' win would give TCU its first CWS berth.
Taylor Jungmann (7-3), a freshman is starting for the Longhorns.TCU sends junior Tyler Lockwood (4-1) to the mound.
Eric Marshall picked up his ninth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to preserve the Frogs 3-2 win Sunday. Game 3 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
Eric Marshall came in to relieve starter Paul Gerrish after Gerrish hit the lead off batter in the top of the 8th. Marshall forced out the runner at second on a fielder's choice and got a ground out to short four the second out. Brandon Belt singled up the middle to score Michael Torres to make it 3-2 Frogs. Marshall forced Kevin Keyes to pop out to second base to end the inning.
Three more outs for the Frogs to force a Game 3.
Matt Carpenter homered to right field to give TCU a 3-0 lead headed into the top of the seventh. It was Carpenter's second home run in two games and the Horned Frogs' fifth homer overall. Matt Vern has also homered in both games. All of TCU's seven runs in the series have come on long balls.
Matt Vern drove a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field in right to give the Horned Frogs a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning.
TCU pitcher Paul Gerrish had held Texas to one hit through four innings.
Chance Ruffin held the Horned Frogs to seven hits as he pitched his third complete game of the season for Texas to take Game 1 in the best of three series 10-4.
Ruffin surrendered three home runs, but two of them were solo shots, and walked only one while striking out seven.
Michael Torres' second home run of the game -- a three-run shot to center in the seventh -- has opened up the Longhorns' lead 10-4 in the seventh inning. Trent Appleby, in an 1.1 innings of work has allowed four runs on four hits, including Torres' homer in the seventh.
The Longhorns' seventh sacrifice of the game set a new NCAA record and put TCU in a 7-4 hole in the seventh inning.
The seven sacrifices is the most in a game -- regular season or postseason. UC-Irvine had six against Texas in the 2007 regional.
Trent Appleby got Kevin Keyes to strike out swinging on a 3-2 rising fastball to retire the side with the bases loaded. Texas scored two runs in the inning to take a 6-4 lead headed into the top of the seventh inning.
Connor Rowe singled up the middle against his former Georgetown High teammate Erik Miller to score Preston Clark to put Texas up 5-4 in the sixth inning. Miller relieved starter Kyle Winkler with one out in the inning after Winkler walked the first batter and Texas moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt.
Miller has given up two singles and an RBI-double by Travis Tucker.
He is being replaced by Trent Appleby. Appleby will face a bases-loaded jam with two outs and the Horns' clean up hitter Kevin Keyes at the plate.
TCU's Matt Vern sent a two-run homer over the left-center fence to tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning. Matt Carpenter reached a single before Vern's blast.
Matt Carpenter took Texas pitcher Chance Ruffin deep to right field in the fourth to bring the Frogs within a run, 3-2. Michael Torres homered to right-center in the second to put the Longhorns up 3-1.
Kevin Keyes two-run double scored two runs in the bottom of the first to give Texas a 2-1 lead. The Longhorns are still threatening with Keyes on second and one out against pitcher Kyle Winkler.
TCU shortstop Taylor Featherston drove an 0-1 fastball over the left-center fence to give the Horned Frogs a 1-0 lead in the first inning at Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
Texas officials announced today that the Longhorns’ Sept. 26 game against UTEP has been selected as an FSN telecast. Kickoff will be at 2:30 p.m. in Austin.
_ Jimmy Burch
Baylor’s football season opener, Sept. 5 at Wake Forest, will be televised regionally on ABC with a simultaneous national telecast on ESPN2, school officials announced today.
It marks the first time since 1997, and only the fifth time in school history, that the Bears will open the season on network television. The contest will begin at 2:30 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.
In addition, Baylor officials announced a 4 p.m. kickoff for the team’s home opener, Sept. 19 against Connecticut. Additional non-conference home games against Northwestern State (Sept. 26) and Kent State (Oct. 3) will begin at 6 p.m.
_ Jimmy Burch
Freshman pitcher Kyle Winkler will get the start for TCU Saturday in Game 1 against Texas in the best-of-three NCAA Super Regional series at Disch-Falk Field in Austin.
The series schedule:
Game 1: 5 p.m. Saturdayy (ESPNU
Game 2: 2 p.m. Sunday (ESPN)
Game 3*: noon or 6 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
* -- If necessary
In case you missed it, six Horned Frog baseball players were named to the Fort Worth NCAA Regional All-Tournament team. Freshman Jason Coats, who had the winning hit in the bottom of the ninth for TCU, was named Most Outstanding Player.
The five other Frogs named to the team included: Shortstop Taylor Freshman, outfielder Chris Ellington, first baseman Matt Vern and pitcher Kyle Winkler.
Oklahoma basketball players Blake Griffin and Ashley Paris have been selected as the 2008-09 Big 12 Sportspersons of the Year, conference officials announced today.
Griffin, a sophomore who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, led the Sooners to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Paris, a senior, led the OU women’s team to a berth in the 2009 Final Four.
Dan Jenkins, renowned author from Fort Worth, was selected today as recipient of the National Football Foundation’s 2009 award for outstanding contribution to amateur football.
Jenkins, 79, has served in recent years as the NFF historian and has covered college football for several publications, including Sports Illustrated. The award is given to someone who has made “significant contributions” to the way football is played, coached or enjoyed by spectators.
Tim Millis, executive director of the NFL Referees Association and a former Big 12 conference supervisor of officials, will receive the outstanding football official award. Other honors announced Wednesday included the NFF’s highest honor, the gold medal, which will go to Nike co-founders Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman.
The awards will be presented Dec. 8 in New York.
_ Jimmy Burch
Texas A&M will begin its first two home football games of the 2009 season at 6 p.m., school officials announced today.
The contests include the season opener against New Mexico (Saturday, Sept. 5) and a Sept. 19 contest in Kyle Field against Utah State. Neither of those games will be televised.
A&M discussed the possibility of moving the New Mexico game to Sunday night for television purposes “but we were not able to pull it off,” athletic director Bill Byrne said in a statement released by the school.
Because the Big 12 television schedule is set for the first three weekends of season and no A&M games were selected to be televised in that time frame, kickoff times for the Sept. 5 and Sept. 19 games are set. The Aggies’ other home contest with an established start time is the season finale against Texas, a 7 p.m. ESPN telecast on Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving night).
Of the Aggies' six home games in 2009, those three are the only ones with established kickoff times.
Kickoff times are tentative for A&M’s remaining home games, depending on whether the contests are picked up by Big 12 television partners on a 12-day or six-day advance notice.
For contests in College Station that are not selected as telecasts, A&M officials have set the following tentative kickoff times: UAB (Sept. 26, 6 p.m.); Oklahoma State (Oct. 10, 2:30 p.m.); Iowa State (Oct. 31, 2:30 p.m.) and Baylor (Nov. 21, 2:30 p.m.).
_ Jimmy Burch
Texas A&M 2009 football schedule
Sept. 5 _ New Mexico, 6 p.m.
Sept. 19 _ Utah State, 6 p.m.
Sept. 26 _ UAB, 6 p.m. (time subject to change)
Oct. 3 _ vs. Arkansas (Arlington), TBA
Oct. 10 _ Oklahoma State, 2:30 p.m. (time subject to change)
Oct. 17 _ at Kansas State, TBA
Oct. 24 _ at Texas Tech, TBA
Oct. 31 _ Iowa State, 2:30 p.m. (time subject to change)
Nov. 7 _ at Colorado, TBA
Nov. 14 _ at Oklahoma, TBA
Nov. 21 _ Baylor, 2:30 p.m. (time subject to change)
Nov. 26 _ Texas, 7 p.m.
Big 12 officials announced the telecast times for 2009 football games that have been selected to be aired on ABC, ESPN, FSN and Versus.
The list, released Monday, includes 14 telecasts on ABC or ESPN. Nine of the games are part of the Big 12’s conference package and five will be aired as non-conference road games. Of the 19 games selected, eight will be played on days other than Saturday.
Colorado emerged as the early leader for guaranteed air time, with five telecasts. Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Missouri were selected three times. Texas Tech and Nebraska have two guaranteed telecasts. Texas A&M, Kansas and Iowa State have one appearance each.
Other games will be added to the mix once the season begins, with either a six-day or 12-day advance notice.
Among the notable selections:
-- Oklahoma’s season opener against Brigham Young, on Sept. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, will be a 6 p.m. telecast on ESPN.
-- The Texas-Oklahoma game, Oct. 17 at the Cotton Bowl, will be an 11 a.m. national telecast on ABC.
-- Texas Tech’s game at Texas on Sept. 19 will be a 7 p.m. national telecast on ABC.
-- The Texas-Texas A&M game, set for Nov. 26 in College Station (Thanksgiving night), will be a 7 p.m. telecast on ESPN.
-- Oklahoma State’s opener, Sept. 5 against Georgia in Stillwater, Okla., will be a 2:30 p.m. telecast on ABC.
-- The Big 12 Championship Game, set for Dec. 5 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, will be a 7 p.m. national telecast on ABC.
_ Jimmy Burch
Big 12 football telecasts
A list of 2009 Big 12 football telecasts announced Monday:
Saturday, Sept. 5
Georgia at Oklahoma State, ABC, 2:30 p.m.
Missouri vs. Illinois (St. Louis), ESPN, 2:40 p.m.
Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma (Arlington), ESPN, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6
Colorado State at Colorado, FSN, 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11
Colorado at Toledo, ESPN, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12
Iowa at Iowa State, FSN, 11 a.m.
Houston at Oklahoma State, FSN, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 19
Duke at Kansas, Versus, 11 a.m.
Tulsa at Oklahoma, FSN, 2:30 p.m.
Texas Tech at Texas, ABC, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 25
Missouri at Nevada, ESPN, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 26
Texas Tech at Houston, ESPN2, 8:15 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Colorado at West Virginia, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 8
Nebraska at Missouri, ESPN, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17
Oklahoma vs. Texas (Dallas), ABC, 11 a.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19
Colorado at Oklahoma State, ESPN, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 26
Texas at Texas A&M, ESPN, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 27
Nebraska at Colorado, ABC, 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5
Big 12 Championship Game (Arlington), ABC, 7 p.m.
TCU and Texas begin a best-of-three NCAA Super Regional at 5 p.m. Saturday at Disch-Falk Field in Austin. Game 2 is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and, if necessary, Monday's rubber game will be played at noon or 6 p.m. The winner advances to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.
All three games will be televised by ESPN networks. Game 1 will be on ESPNU; Game 2 on ESPN; and Game 3, if necessary, on either ESPN or ESPN2.
The No. 5-ranked Longhorns (44-13-1) are playing in their 31st Super Regional. The No. 13 Horned Frogs advanced to their first Super Regional after defeating Oregon State 5-4 Sunday. Texas scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth to win its regional Sunday with a game-winning walk-off grand slam.
Jason Coats nailed a 3-2 pitch to the right-field corner to drive in Bryan Holaday from second base to give the Frogs a 5-4 victory over Oregon State. The Frogs will most likely travel to Austin for the schools' first Super Regional against the Longhorns. Texas, the national No. 1 seed, defeated Army 14-10 to clinch its own NCAA Regional with eight runs in the bottom of the ninth, including a game-ending grand slam.
TCU has scored three runs in the fifth inning to tie Oregon State 4-4. The Frogs have runners on second and third with two outs. The Beavers just made a pitching change.
Oregon State knocked Texas A&M out of the postseason with a 13-5 drubbing Sunday afternoon setting up a championship-round game against TCU at 7 tonight at Lupton Stadium.
The Beavers (37-18) got a complete game from pitcher Jorge Reyes, who held the Aggies to three earned funs on 10 hits.
The Horned Frogs baseball team is one win away from advancing to the school's first NCAA Super Regional after a 13-1 rout over Oregon State Saturday.
TCU plays at 7 p.m. Sunday against the winner between Texas A&M and Oregon State. Those teams play at 2 p.m. for the right to play the Horned Frogs (38-16). If TCU loses Sunday night the same two teams meet at 7 p.m. Monday for the title.
The Frogs pounded out 17 hits, including eight for extra-bases to win the first two regional games for the first time in school history. Matt Carpenter and Matt Vern had three hits, including two doubles each, and three RBI apiece to lead the Frogs. Chris Ellington got the Frogs on the board with a two-run homer in the second. With a 6-1 lead, TCU exploded for seven runs on seven hits in the ninth inning to run away with the win.
Kyle Thebeau pitched 6 2/3 innings out of the bullpen as the Aggies came back for a 6-4 win to stay alive at the NCAA Regional at Lupton Stadium.
The Aggies scored the tying run in the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings. DH Joe Patterson's two-run homer to centerfield in the 11th gavethe Aggies their first lead of the day. Thebeau (3-1) had eight strikeouts, including three in the 11th. Wright State (33-30), which is eliminated from the tournament with their second loss, had two runners on with two outs before Thebeau got Aaron Fields looking on an 0-2 pitch.
Designated hitter Joe Patterson drove the first pitch he saw in the 11th inning over the centerfield wall to give Texas A&M a 6-4 lead. Three outs against Wright State in the bottom of the inning and the Aggies will survive to play again at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Texas A&M scored a run in the top of the ninth to tie Wright State 4-4. Wright State was retired in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extra innings.
The Aggies got three ground-ball singles from the middle of their lineup, including Joe Patterson's single up the middle which scored Luke Anders.
Texas A&M scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but Oregon State escaped with a 9-8 win Friday afternoon in Game 1 of the NCAA Regionals at Lupton Stadium. The Beavers scored four runs in the second and three more in the fourth to take a 9-1 lead entering the bottom of the seventh Texas A&M scored four in the seventh and Caleb Shofner's three-run homer in the ninth got the Aggies within a run. Oregon State reliever Kevin Phoderirck struck out Adam Smith to end the game.
Oregon State plays the winner between Friday's late game between TCU and Wright State at 7 p.m. Saturday. The Aggies play the loser at 2 p.m. Saturday.
No. 1 seed TCU lost 6-4 to Utah Friday afternoon, eliminating the Horned Frogs from the Mountain West Conference tournament. Utah, the No. 6 seed, defeated TCU Wednesday 9-7 to put the Frogs in a must-win situation.
TCU was 4-2 against the Utes (24-29) during the regular season, but Frogs coach Jim Schlossnagle said before the tournament that Utah scared him the most.
TCU (36-16), which won the MWC regular-season title for the fourth consecutive season, has the 8th best RPI (ratings power index) in the country which should help them with an at-large NCAA Regional bid. The tournament winner gets an automatic bid. In its 10-year history the MWC has never had a team receive an at-large bid.
For the second time in three days, UT-Arlington suffered a stinging 4-3 defeat against Lamar and was eliminated today from the Southland Conference baseball tournament in Corpus Christi.
The Mavericks led 3-2 going into the ninth inning after an error, Preston McCoy's double and a two-run double by Jay Pitschka in the bottom of the eighth.
Lamar strung together four hits and a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth for the winning runs.
In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Collin Garner singled and reached second base for the Mavericks but was left stranded.
Lamar rallied to beat UTA on the tournament's opening day Wednesday by a 4-3 score.
The Horned Frogs got the nasty taste of Wednesday's loss out of their systems with a 9-2 romp over BYU Thursday afternoon at Lupton Stadium.
The Frogs will play at 3 p.m. Friday against the loser between Utah and San Diego State, which play at 7 p.m. Thursday night.
TCU starter Kyle Winkler, a freshman, pitched his first-career complete game and improved to 6-0 as he scattered 11 hits, but only three for extra bases. Winkler had six strikeouts and didn't walk a batter.
An inning after he stole two bases, including home, Matt Vern slammed his 15th home run to right field to give the Frogs a 9-1 lead heading into the top of the 9th.
Matt Vern stole home and Bryan Holaday drove in Chris Ellington wit a single up the middle to give TCU a 6-0 lead heading into the eighth inning. With two outs in the seventh, Vern doubled and stole third on BYU left-hander Jared Miller. Vern took off for home and got to the plate just after Miller's pitch reachedcatcher J.T. Musso. Musso had no chance to block the plate or apply a tag because Vern's outstretched hands had already touched home for the run.
Matt Otteman hit a two-run home run and Nathan Long pitched seven strong innings as No. 5 seed UT-Arlington defeated eighth-seeded Stephen F. Austin State 7-4 today to stay alive in the Southland Conference baseball tournament in Corpus Christi.
Otteman's home run in the fifth inning gave the Mavericks a 4-1 lead. UTA scored in six of nine innings to back Long, who gave up eight hits and three runs in seven innings.
UTA will play an afternoon game Friday in a bid to come out of the loser's bracket and earn the Southland's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Mavericks lost their opening game Wednesday night when Lamar rallied with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 4-3 victory.
Otteman, Michael Choice, Andrew Kainer, Mitch Putman and Chad Comer each had two hits in a 12-hit Mavericks attack.
Adam Boyston pitched 1 1/3 innings for the save.
After the Horned Frogs lost their opening-round game in the Mountain West Conference tournament Wednesday, TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle wanted to clear his player's heads of their postseason prospects.
"We don't need to be thinking about regionals, hosting regionals, seedings," Schlossnagle said. "We need to be thinking about winning one game. We sure did lay an egg in front of a good crowd."
The announced attendance was 2,112 but the crowd was noticeably thinner after Utah took an 8-4 lead with a six-run fourth inning.
TCU is the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 6 seed in the MWC's 10-year history.
The Frogs play at 3 p.m. Thursday against the winner of the 11 a.m. game between BYU and New Mexico.
-- Stefan Stevenson
Country singer and Fort Worth resident Pat Green will toss the ceremonial first pitch before TCU takes on Utah at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Lupton Stadium. The No. 10-ranked Horned Frogs are the top seed in the Conoco Mountain West Conference tournament, which began Tuesday. No. 6 seed Utah upset No. 3 seed BYU 2-1 Tuesday. The Frogs had a first-round bye. TCU has won five consecutive conference tournaments, including the last three in the MWC.
-- Stefan Stevenson
A major challenger to Kansas and Texas in next season's highly-anticipated Big 12 basketball season may have fallen back with the news over the weekend that Oklahoma's Jeff Capel has dismissed forward Juan Pattillo from the program.
The release stated it was for a second violation of team rules and Capel promised no comment on the matter. But many close to the program believe that Pattillo's downfall was in particular in his lack of committment to doing his due diligence in the classroom and his failure to understand there is more to major college basketball than just playing the game.
Pattillo was projected as a major contributor next season along what was to be and now most certainly will be an inexperienced front line because of the loss of Blake and Taylor Griffin. He provided a January boost for the Sooners after shedding a redshirt, though he faded in significance as the season progressed. He was suspended for the Feb. 28 game against Texas Tech for another violation of team policy with the subplot again a failure to grasp the big picture. Doubtful he will get it elsewhere.
His loss means real dependence on the emergence of a group of young and promising freshmen (Tiny Gallon, Kyle Hardrick and Andrew Fitzgerald) among five signed frontcourt players, and returnees Orlando Allen and Ryan Wright if OU is to be a strong contender. The Sooners nevertheless should be able to play to the level of NCAA Tournament capability led by sophomore guard Willie Warren and the ultra-talented power forward Gallon.
Pattillo overaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds over 18 games but blew a promising finish to his major college career.--Mike Jones.
The effervescent smile is what we'll all remember the most about Wayman Tisdale. Almost every time I saw him, or interviewed him during his NBA playing days, Tisdale always flashed his trademark smile that would just light up a room.
Unfortunately, we won't see that smile again. Tisdale lost his two-year battle with bone cancer Friday when he died at a hospital in his hometown of Tulsa, OK.
He was only 44 years old.
For those of us who knew Tisdale, it's as if we just lost a brother, a friend or a close confidant.
Sam Perkins, the vice-president of player relations for the Indiana Pacers, was a teammate of Tisdale's when the United States captured the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. They had first met earlier when Tisdale's Oklahoma Sooners faced Perkins' North Carolina squad on the basketball court.
"First off, Wayman was like my little brother,'' Perkins said in a statement released by the Pacers. "I enjoyed being around him all the time. The way we met made it so much sweeter, and I know he may have had the same impact on all the people he came in contact with, because Wayman was just that way.
"He was a great, fun person who just loved to joke around and laugh. Our Olympic friendship was the best.''
Tisdale was a three-time All-American who also played 12 years in the NBA. He was the No. 2 overall pick by the Pacers in the 1985 NBA Draft -- behind Patrick Ewing -- and never met a person he didn't like.
"We are deeply saddened with the news on the passing of Wayman Tisdale,' Pacers' co-owner Herb Simon said in a statement. "His personality, his smile, his laugh and his positive outlook on life were such that anyone who ever came in contact with Wayman immediately loved him.
"He was a very good basketball player, but an even better human being. He was a much-loved and respected member of the Pacers' family. The Indiana Pacers send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Regina, their children and the entire Tisdale family.''
The last time I talked with Tisdale was last year. A pretty darn good jazz musician, I wrote a story about his jazz career and about how he was coming to the Metroplex to stage a jazz concert.
Other job commitments that night kept me from attending the concert. But I do have a copy of one of his CD's, and I'm telling you, his music abilities were just as good as his basketball skills.
Tisdale's debut album, "Way Up,'' spent four weeks on top of the contemporary jazz charts after its release in July of 2006.
"We had a great time when we got together, and playing alongside of him was just icing on the cake,'' Perkins said. "He had a heart as big as Texas and Oklahoma put together. His smile was genuine and I will miss my brother because he was music for the soul.''
One of only 10 players who were named college All-Americans in three different seasons, Tisdale discovered he had a cancerous cyst below his right knee after he broke his leg while falling down a flight of chairs at his home in Feb. of 2007. Tisdale's right leg was amputated last August, but that never dampened his spirit.
Tisdale, who was selected last month to be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, just kept on smiling and kept on being a positive influence for others.
"I just felt good in his presence because he was a real friend,'' Perkins said. "He loved you for you, and I loved him for being my friend and allowing me into his life. I would be surprised if he had any enemies.
"As a father, husband and friend you just can't say enough about him, because he was more than words can describe. I will miss him.''
So will everybody else whose life he touched. So will I.
_ Dwain Price
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