Pic of Craig Way & Bill Mercer at Fouts Broadcast Booth

PlummMeanGreen · October 9, 2016

Fall, 1985.

I took this pic of Craig Way (the radio voice of the Texas Longhorn Network for many years) & his UNT teacher, ie one Bill Mercer who taught many UNT-graduated sports broadcasters that have had impressive broadcast jobs just about everywhere here in Texas and the great Southwest. Many of you might be able to name some of them & those they broadcasted for. Please list them as my memory is getting short.

Former UNT athletic promotions director Jim Hobdy had had a silent auction at a Dallas Mean Green Club gathering & I won the "Mean Green Radio Network" press box guest pass at that auction. The late, great Ron Shanklin & friend to many of us on GMG.com was behind me as I took this pic.

GMG!

PS: Read where Mrs. Craig Way was fighting cancer so from many of us in the Mean Green Nation good thoughts and prayers for our fellow alum's wife.

Eagle-96 · October 9, 2016

4 minutes ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

Fall, 1985.

I took this pic of Craig Way (the radio voice of the Texas Longhorn Network for many years) & his UNT teacher, ie one Bill Mercer who taught many UNT-graduated sports broadcasters that have had impressive broadcast jobs just about everywhere here in Texas and the great Southwest. Many of you might be able to name some of them & those they broadcasted for. Please list them as my memory is getting short.

Former UNT athletic promotions director Jim Hobdy had had a silent auction at a Dallas Mean Green Club gathering & I won the "Mean Green Radio Network" press box guest pass at that auction. The late, great Ron Shanklin & friend to many of us on GMG.com was behind me as I took this pic.

GMG!

PS: Read where Mrs. Craig Way was fighting cancer so from many of us in the Mean Green Nation good thoughts and prayers for our fellow alum's wife.

His wife passed away last night.

PlummMeanGreen · October 9, 2016

50 minutes ago, Eagle-96 said:

His wife passed away last night.

Good Lord I didn't know. Thank you for that sad as day update, Eagle-96. Our prayers for Craig and family now.

Edited October 10, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

PlummMeanGreen · October 9, 2016

I've seen film footage of that day in Dallas, November 22, 1963, & saw Bill Mercer strolling the hallway of a very crowded Dallas Police Department. I read where Mr. Mercer was at KRLD-Channel 4 at the time. Others at the Dallas Police Department in that vintage black & white footage was a Canadian named Peter Jennings, CBS Dan Rather, PBS Jim Lehrer & others.

Mr. Mercer was also the first voice of the Texas Rangers when the Senators of Washington D.C. moved to Arlington. HOF & former Los Angeles pitcher Don Drysdale was his color man. I remember as a UNT student living off Denton's Eagle Drive listening to that first broadcast.

GMG!

Edited October 9, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

greenjoe · October 10, 2016

Jim, Bill Mercer was in the brief press conference thrown together for Lee Harvey Oswald. In the press conference LHO stated that he had not been charged with anything. To wit Bill Mercer said to LHO, "Well you have been charged now" (or words to that effect). Bill Mercer actually spoke with LHO. A brush with history teaching broadcasting pros at our university. Very proud.

Edited October 18, 2016 by greenjoe

VideoEagle · October 10, 2016

Check out the book "When the news went live," about the coverage. Back then you were a reporter who happened to cover sports but if needed covered everything! On the cover you will see Bill at the midnight press conference where they brought out Oswald to meet the press. It's a great book.

https://www.amazon.com/When-News-Went-Live-Anniversary/dp/1589798953/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476067960&sr=8-1&keywords=When+the+news+went+live

PlummMeanGreen · October 10, 2016

Some of you in Denton may know your former fellow Dentonite & UNT alum as well as NFL woman pioneer broadcaster Phyllis George, but I often wondered if she took broadcast classes with Professor Bill Mercer? Anyone know?

GMG!

Edited October 10, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

PlummMeanGreen · October 10, 2016

10 hours ago, VideoEagle said:

Check out the book "When the news went live," about the coverage. Back then you were a reporter who happened to cover sports but if needed covered everything! On the cover you will see Bill at the midnight press conference where they brought out Oswald to meet the press. It's a great book.

https://www.amazon.com/When-News-Went-Live-Anniversary/dp/1589798953/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476067960&sr=8-1&keywords=When+the+news+went+live

Great find, VideoEagle! I never knew this book was available so now I get to order it!

GMG!

PS: Wharton , Texas own Dan Rather behind man with microphone.

Of course, Bill Mercer is at far right.?

Edited October 10, 2016 by PlummMeanGreen

VideoEagle · October 10, 2016

43 minutes ago, PlummMeanGreen said:

Great find, VideoEagle! I never knew this book was available so now I get to order it!

GMG!

PS: Wharton , Texas own Dan Rather behind man with microphone.

Of course, Bill Mercer is at far right.?

I recommend any RTF student to read this as this was the event that changed a LOT of things in how reporters interact with police. It was MUCH cozier in those days and that caused problems no one could have foreseen. The book is written by people who were actually there. A guy who I knew in the 90s for repairing equipment for Barney & Friends was running one of the camera's in the basement at police headquarters for KRLD-TV (channel 4). He wasn't on THE camera that got the close up, but he got a lot of the action after Ruby fired. All of them had to testify before the Warren Commission.

Bill Mercer is a really special guy with a LOT of skins on the wall.

Now back to normal football talk....

gruu · October 18, 2016

RIP Jim English. Nice guy.

greenjoe · October 18, 2016

To my knowledge, Bob Hufftaker is still around Denton. I bet someone at RTVF knows how to get in touch with him and he not only had "When the News Went Live" at hand, he would autograph a book.

Beat West Point

GO MEAN GREEN

untcampbell · October 20, 2016

The picture captures a poignant moment between two broadcasting professionals. I literally mean between the two. Look. See. A crowd at Fouts! On a sunny day. At halftime. That is me, on the South 47 yard line, about 30 rows up.

GMG

RushnStudies · October 23, 2016

This is a great pic.

I grew up outside Houston and only knew Bill Mercer as the voice of World Class Championship Wrestling. As I have gotten older and lived in NoTx, it has been nice getting to learn about his history and relationship with UNT.