1983 Sun Bowl and DMN Question

[The XtC]

[quote="jtstang"]Rumor I heard was the team partied its @ss off in Juarez the night before the game, and it showed on the field.[/quote]

Not the night before, several nights before. We were there for a week, and guys crossed the boarder every night. Most waited until after 8 PM, though, thats when the hotel would shut off the complimentary cocktails for happy hour in their bar. After the free booze dried up at the hotel, the Bowl committe's cars would take us out to nightclubs around El Paso, or to the border.
At 10-1, and ranked in the top-10, most of us sort of assumed we'd be playing in the Sugar Bowl. The team was split down the middle about even accepting the Sun Bowl bid. There was a team meeting, and the vote was close, but even though we voted to play, alot of guys didnt have their hearts in it. There was too much free booze, and too much indifference, and discipline broke down fast.

The weather was a surprise, the temp drop 30 degrees the morning of the game, and before the game ended we had snow flurries. But the weather was the same for both teams, it wasnt any kind of deciding factor. What happened was one team had a lot of key personnel who werent interested in playing.

[The XtC]

[quote="solomouse"]i was at that game...smu had brought cleats for a dry field,the weather had changed,smu had lots of time to fly in the correct shoes,but did not do so...they slipped all over the field...an early indication of an inept athletic department...i sat in the press box that day and it was terrible...of course,there were lots of other reasons,i am sure...but that is one part of the story..[/quote]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The field was cold, but not wet, there wasnt any rain, and the little snow flurries didnt start until late in the day. ANd I might add that we only had one set of cleats for astroturf. We wore the same cleats we wore at Arkansas during a monsoon.

[ThadFilms]

X - glad to have your insight. I loved reading it.

And, '98, where have you been?

[2112]

i was at that game...smu had brought cleats for a dry field,the weather had changed,smu had lots of time to fly in the correct shoes,but did not do so...they slipped all over the field...an early indication of an inept athletic department...i sat in the press box that day and it was terrible...of course,there were lots of other reasons,i am sure...but that is one part of the story..

I have no idea what you're talking about. The field was cold, but not wet, there wasnt any rain, and the little snow flurries didnt start until late in the day. ANd I might add that we only had one set of cleats for astroturf. We wore the same cleats we wore at Arkansas during a monsoon.[/quo


what number were you xtc????

[The XtC]

[quote="2112"][quote="The XtC"][quote="solomouse"]i was at that game...smu had brought cleats for a dry field,the weather had changed,smu had lots of time to fly in the correct shoes,but did not do so...they slipped all over the field...an early indication of an inept athletic department...i sat in the press box that day and it was terrible...of course,there were lots of other reasons,i am sure...but that is one part of the story..[/quote]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The field was cold, but not wet, there wasnt any rain, and the little snow flurries didnt start until late in the day. ANd I might add that we only had one set of cleats for astroturf. We wore the same cleats we wore at Arkansas during a monsoon.[/quo


[b]what number were you xtc????[/b][/quote]

I wore #50 that year. I wore a few different numbers in my time here, because I was switched from guard to tight end, and back to offensive guard, but at the Sun Bowl I was #50. I still have the jersey from that game, somewhere. If I can dig it out, I'll wear it to the game this weekend.

[Stallion]

ugggghhh without the new and improved 8 rings around each sleeve? That is so 1980.

[Mustang98]

X - glad to have your insight. I loved reading it.

And, '98, where have you been?

Hiding under a rock praying that Bo Levi and Company can get a big league victory soon. Maybe we can pull off an upset against the Cougars this weekend, so I can talk trash all year to anyone from Cougar High.

Sure would be nice to go to the Sun Bowl next year perhaps.

P.S. ThadFilms: Sherwood told me to tell you he sends his best. He wants to know who is auditioning for his character.

[Stallion]

Your chance to go to the Sun Bowl will come in a few weeks when we play UTEP. Otherwise, the Sun Bowl isn't a CUSA bowl and that will be impossible quite frankly. Pick from Mobile, Ft. Worth, New Orleans, Houston, Memphis(best choice-CUSA Champs), and Orlando(not likely) if we retain present bowl lineup.

[Mustang98]

Your chance to go to the Sun Bowl will come in a few weeks when we play UTEP. Otherwise, the Sun Bowl isn't a CUSA bowl and that will be impossible quite frankly. Pick from Mobile, Ft. Worth, New Orleans, Houston, Memphis(best choice-CUSA Champs), and Orlando(not likely) if we retain present bowl lineup.

Sure would be nice to make the Liberty Bowl next year.

[FWMustangGirl]

But it would be so convenient for me if we went to the Ft. Worth Bowl.

[Mustang98]

But it would be so convenient for me if we went to the Ft. Worth Bowl.

Liberty Bowl = CUSA Champions = $2,000,000 well spent on a first class coach (June Jones)

[Longtime]

Xtc speaks the truth.

And he might notice if he digs that Sun Bowl jersey out of his closet, that it is an open-weave mesh jersey. Bama wore cloth jerseys- looked like cotton, but not sure, but they sure looked warmer than what SMU was wearing.

I'm not sure SMU even had cold-weather jerseys, but I heard the higher-ups felt compelled to wear the mesh ones because they had the Sun Bowl logos on each shoulder. After the way our players dissed El Paso, it was for P.R. purposes, but we still got booed by El Pasoans on game day. Bama's jerseys had no Sun Bowl logos - if they had special-made Sun Bowl jerseys, I'm sure they ditched them when they saw how cold it was.

Of course, jersey thickness is not the reason Bama whipped us. But it just adds to the misery of that day.

Oh, and while the Sun Bowl wasn't a New Year's Day Bowl, it was hardly the Weedeater Bowl in terms of stature. Remember, back then there were only a few bowl games, not like the 50 (seemingly) they have today.

Other contributing factors to SMU's distaste for the Sun Bowl: SMU had played at UTEP the year before, so there was no sugar-coating the trip (although if the players had known about the free booze and Juarez...) Also, SMU ended the 1983 season playing Houston in the Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, so the players had already enjoyed a major bowl-like experience. You don't get go from being the toast of Tokyo to looking forward to El Paso.

And as for the Herald: Yes, it was an afternoon paper (except on Sundays) which contributed to its death. I believe it eventually switched to mornings full-time before it died. But in the days before the internet, there was nothing like having two huge sports sections to devour every Sunday. It was greatness.

[SmooBoy]

Other nice thing about the Times Herald was that it captured all of the late baseball on the left coast and had the box scores. Same for football scores. The comics were also supreme to the Morning News.

Also believe it was the first to be sent with a plastic cover, not just when it rained. For those that delivered it, I am sure I'll be corrected if wrong on that.

[Mexmustang]

Maybe it was just me, but the Herald seemed to have much better sports writers.

[orguy]

The SUN BOWL was actually a REAL bowl back in those days.

Guess I have a completely different perception. It certainly wasnt cotton or orange but it was nothing to sniff at. I was around in 83 and I think people are blowing the whole "its just the SUN" thing out of proportion. Expectations were so high after the previous season. Alabama came to play and the results were ugly but it was still a memorable season. That close loss to UT at Texas stadium sealed our fate.

The SUN BOWL is still nationally broadcast by CBS sports on regular TV.
How refreshing. College football on free TV.