Around the Horned With Brian Estridge
Oct. 18, 2001
Don't Jump Off Just Yet:
With just one Conference USA loss, the Frogs are still right in the hunt for a postseason bowl bid. Now I know many of you are looking at me kind of funny after seeing that game last weekend, but I think in the coming weeks you'll find that that was an aberration and not your typical Frogs. When you take everything into account--inexperience, injuries and a schedule that isn't conducive for the fans much less the players--Gary Patterson has found a way to keep this team together. They are more focused in practice this week than at any point during the season. And more importantly, the seniors on this year's team have stepped up vocally.
Saturday Should Be Special:
Not only is it Homecoming and the return of the Frogs to Amon Carter after a month on the road, Saturday will be a special day for everyone in the stands for other reasons as well. We know that the purple pride of TCU will be evident and with all of the special events that will be taking place around the game, we will all be proud to show our red, white and blue as Americans. It will all begin before the game in Frog Alley with a display that will include a Chinook helicopter, Humvee's and an Army climbing wall. From there things really start to happen. The world-famous Golden Knight paratroopers will bring in the game ball as two of Fort Sill's finest provide an explosive rendition of the National Anthem. At halftime, in addition to introducing our homecoming court and the playing of the TCU band, we'll honor over 100 members of "The Greatest Generation," World War II veterans who are either TCU or West Point alums. They will then, in turn, serve as witnesses, along with the thousands in the stands, to an enlistment ceremony for some of the latest Army recruits from the North Texas area. I am telling you this is going to be a moving Saturday. Not to mention it's an important football game for the Frogs!
Tough Loss:
Head Coach Jeff Mittie's women's basketball team suffered a tough setback in the first day of practice when last year's team MVP Tricia Payne tore the ACL in her left knee. Tricia will undergo surgery next week and will be lost for the year. She has an option to receive a medical redshirt and will still have one year remaining in the purple and white. Not only was Tricia a leader in nearly every statistical category, she was a leader off the court as well. In fact, she recently spoke to a group of fans gathered to assist in women's basketball ticket sales, and remarked how excited she was to be playing with the group of first-year players that the coaching staff brought in. Now she'll just have to wait a year to make that happen.
Frogments:
The word from Dr. Steve Brotherton is that wide receiver Shane Hudnall's surgery went well on Tuesday evening. Shane suffered a break of both the tibia and fibula in practice on Tuesday, a similar injury to what punter Joey Biasatti experienced last year...Fans, make a note that the home game on Tuesday, October 30 against East Carolina will be heard on Disney Radio AM 620 due to a conflict with the Dallas Mavericks and the World Series...For the first time ever, basketball tickets are now being sold online right here at GoFrogs.com. Just click on the above banner for details...The local television package for men's basketball has been announced and features the SMU and Baylor games on KSTR 49, while the matchups at UAB and at South Florida will be on KFWD TV 52. These are in addition to the previously announced ESPN/ESPN+ schedule that includes Texas Tech, both Memphis clashes and the Tulane game on Jan. 19 here in Fort Worth...And I continue to be impressed by the fact that TCU swimming coach Richard Sybesma will be one of the torch runners for the Winter Olympic games this December. He' ll run in honor of Matt Walters, a former Frog swimmer from the late 1980s who passed away recently... Don't forget, our airtime this Saturday for the TCU vs. Army football game is 12:30 on the network and kickoff is set for 2:00.
From the streets and avenues of North Texas to the information super highway, I'm Brian Estridge. We'll see you on the radio.
