By Brian Roe, Sports Writer Front Roe Seat Every year a reporter keys in on a certain story he wants to cover. In my last semester at ACU, that specific story I wanted to cover was the Friday Night Lights phenomenon and how it relates to ACU. The book turned movie is about a 1988 West Texas football team in Odessa: the Permian Panthers. ACU ... [Read More…]
Seeing the lights: Gary Gaines’ road to ACU winds through West Texas
By Brian Roe, Sports Writer Gary Gaines lives in a world few will ever experience. His resume includes district championships, playoff appearances and even a 1989 high school state championship. Even more surreal, the coach was featured in a best-selling book, Friday Night Lights and that portion of his life from 1988 will also be shown in the ... [Read More…]
Creating a Buzz: Getting his side
By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor Weck's World Last week I relayed one side of the stir that H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger's 1991 book, Friday Night Lights, created. I talked to now-ACU head coach Gary Gaines and his wife, Sharon, who are still feeling the sting from Bissinger's portrayal of Gaines' 1988 Odessa Permian coaching staff as racist. The only ... [Read More…]
Friday Night plights? Setting the record straight
By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor Weck's World If he could go back in time, Gary Gaines would have said no to that nice man from Philadelphia. He would have calmly listened to Mr. H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger's pitch about covering his high school football team for one season, about how this book would be a positive reflection of a sports-crazed town ... [Read More…]