PLAY-BY-PLAY

Harry · June 17, 2005

PLAY-BY-PLAY, An Evening Honoring Sportscaster Bill Mercer, EVENT PROFILE.

Date: August 18th

Time: 7:00pm

Location: UNT Gateway Center on the North Texas campus

Ticket cost: $50 per person….$350 for a table of 8 …500 tickets will be available.

Sponsor: Building Believers, Inc., who are sponsoring the event as a fund raiser for the organization.

Dress: Black tie optional….valet parking available

Featured speakers: Dave Barnett, ESPN sports, Craig Way, voice of Texas Athletics, Norm Hitzges, KTCK sports personality, Bill Blakeley, former UNT basketball coach, Jimmy Gales, former UNT basketball coach, Bill Conway, KOIT radio, San Francisco, Doug Adams, Colorado Symphony, Carl “Killer” Cox, former pro wrestler, Bob Baillargeon, former Fort Worth Ranger, Mickey Grant, movie producer, Russ Campbell, KNTU radio and Fred Graham, former North Texas sports information director.

About Building Believers, Inc.: A non-profit organization that serves D/FW youth, both urban and rural, through fundamental basketball training. The organization stresses the teaching of valuable life lessons and skills through basketball. Former NCAA players concentrate on core principles of hard work, determination, perseverance, patience, respect for others, self-confidence, self-control, desire and purpose.

To buy tickets: call 817-491-9602, on line at Hoophunter@hoophunter.com or a two locations in Denton. The Denton locations are: Joe Holland’s Denton Bicycle Center, 1700 N. Elm or Denton Athletics, 908 W. University Drive. Will call tickets can be purchased.

About Bill Mercer: Mercer was the voice of North Texas athletics for over 30 years and has done broadcasting for the Dallas Cowboys, the Texas Rangers, the Chicago White Sox, as well as pro wrestling. Bill founded KDNT-AM radio in 1959 and has served as an instructor in UNT’s Department of Radio for many years. He also helped start the campus radio station, KNTU-FM. Many of Mercer’s colleagues and former students are expected to attend.

PlummMeanGreen · June 17, 2005

Great idea for a well deserving person who has not been in the best of health lately. Great to see some "now famous" ex NT students of Mr. Mercer's who will be special guest among many others, yet others seem to be missing from the list, for instance...........

..............anyone know if former Mean Green football great and NBC sportscaster Beasley Reece is aware of this event? And for heaven's sake, why wouldn't our own women's sportscaster pioneer and one of 2 Miss Americas from NORTH TEXAS, ie, the one and only Phyliss George be invited to this very special NORTH TEXAS happening (if she hasn't been already)? Who am I leaving off this list of famous NT Exes who are products of our Radio & TV program of past decades?

At NT (and IMHO) we have to start honoring our elder Eagles and Mean Greeners more often much like this.

................................................................................

MERCER MOMENTS:

I think we all have memorable radio and/or TV Bill Mercer broadcast moments whether they were when he was the "Voice of the Mean Green" (which he still officially is emeritus); or when Mr. Mercer was the Texas Ranger's 1'st play by play guy with his sidekick, the late Don Drysdale; or whether you listened to him when he was with Harry Carey and the White Sox; or when Mr. Mercer was the first radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys; OR even when Mr. Mercer hammed it up on the old pro wrestling TV days of yester-year here in DFW.

Yet my own (as I'd bet many of yours) favorite Bill Mercer radio moment was when I was an NT student listening to the NORTH TEXAS/Tennessee Volunteer football game of 1975. It was about as electric in that Mean Green broadcast booth as I can ever recall the day Coach Hayden Fry's team upset the mighty UT Vols. Funny thing, but I cannot remember who his color commentator was that day. Anyone remember who that was?

Edited June 18, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

greenjoe · June 18, 2005

I've got tickets. Stop by or call for directions (940) 387-9314.

Stop in for a Mean Green visit.

Join the Mean Green Club

Buy season tickets

GO MEAN GREEN

bflan · June 18, 2005

Bill was recently (a couple of weeks ago) doing color for the Round Rock Express Games. (AAA Astros) He did several games as a fill in guy and did a great job. Still doing what he loves.

FirefightnRick · June 18, 2005

Mr. Mercer will ALWAYS be THE VOICE of the Mean Green!

Rick

tonyhuntoon · June 18, 2005

One of the worst broadcasters ever. I was happy when they dumped him.

CAV · June 18, 2005

He is still doing some Frisco Roughrider games on 1700 AM. Bill is the greatest. I'm glad to see the University finally doing something to honor him in this way!

PlummMeanGreen · June 19, 2005

I've got tickets. Stop by or call for directions (940) 387-9314.
Stop in for a Mean Green visit.
Join the Mean Green Club
Buy season tickets
GO MEAN GREEN

Looking at SUMG's "Non UNT Sports" thread about Dallas Maverick radio announcer (and yet another NORTH TEXAS grad) the great Mark Followell reminds us of yet another media celebrity who should also be at this NT banquet that honors the great Bill Mercer.

Edited June 19, 2005 by PlummMeanGreen

gruu · June 20, 2005

One of the worst broadcasters ever. I was happy when they dumped him.

My friend... don't show your vast amount of ignorance... Bill is one of the greats. Everyone gets old and his style may not appeal to your taste. He has trained so many of the best people you hear on the radio and see on TV today. If you want to hear one of the "worst broadcasters", just turn on your radio to most stations today... where their content is missing and their standards are gone. You want some T&A with those fries?

Edited June 20, 2005 by gruu

DallasGreen · June 20, 2005

Great idea for a well deserving person who has not been in the best of health lately. Great to see some "now famous" ex NT students of Mr. Mercer's who will be special guest among many others, yet others seem to be missing from the list, for instance...........
..............anyone know if former Mean Green football great and NBC sportscaster Beasley Reece is aware of this event? And for heaven's sake, why wouldn't our own women's sportscaster pioneer and one of 2 Miss Americas from NORTH TEXAS, ie, the one and only Phyliss George be invited to this very special NORTH TEXAS happening (if she hasn't been already)? Who am I leaving off this list of famous NT Exes who are products of our Radio & TV program of past decades?
At NT (and IMHO) we have to start honoring our elder Eagles and Mean Greeners more often much like this.
................................................................................
MERCER MOMENTS:
I think we all have memorable radio and/or TV Bill Mercer broadcast moments whether they were when he was the "Voice of the Mean Green" (which he still officially is emeritus); or when Mr. Mercer was the Texas Ranger's 1'st play by play guy with his sidekick, the late Don Drysdale; or whether you listened to him when he was with Harry Carey and the White Sox; or when Mr. Mercer was the first radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys; OR even when Mr. Mercer hammed it up on the old pro wrestling TV days of yester-year here in DFW.
Yet my own (as I'd bet many of yours) favorite Bill Mercer radio moment was when I was an NT student listening to the NORTH TEXAS/Tennessee Volunteer football game of 1975. It was about as electric in that Mean Green broadcast booth as I can ever recall the day Coach Hayden Fry's team upset the mighty UT Vols. Funny thing, but I cannot remember who his color commentator was that day. Anyone remember who that was?

After Stanley Morgan, The TN great TE had scored the final TD for the Vols, Mercer was in the booth talking about how a tie in Neyland Stadium before a usual sellout crowd would be quite an accomplishment for the Mean Green. Then Sears Wood took the ensuing kick off near his own goal line and broke free at mid field. The last 50 yards of the TD jaunt all Mercer was saying to his color man was "I don't see any flags do you see any flags?"

Of course this was an era where we went for wins rather than just "trying to hold it close to the fourth quarter and see what happens". Ask OK St., U of H, SMU, UT, Miss St., San Diego State, and many others if we played a hold it close approach and you'll get a resounding NO WAY!! With much more in facilities, more and significantly higher paid coaches, better athletes, an institution with greater enrollment, more alumni, and a more populated Denton no one can seem to give a plausible reason as to why we continue to pull off embarrasements like UT and in all probability LSU by a failure to compete now when we competed under much more detrimental circumstances. 0-92 for two trips to UT is an absolute atrocity not to mention CU and Baylor!! BEAT C-USA NOW--- BEAT LA TECH & BEAT TULSA and MOST OF ALL BLAST SMU in 2006!!!!

drex · June 20, 2005

Just for the record, this is not a university sponsored event. It is being put together by Deon Hunter and Wendell Williams, both of whom were on the 1988 men's basketball team that went to the NCAA Tournament. Bill has graciously lent his name to the event in an attempt to help the guys raise money for Building Believers, Inc. It seems a nice way to honor Mercer and raise some money for the non-profit Building Believes, who teach character, etc. through basketball for kids.

Starchild0224 · July 12, 2005

Bill was 100% of the reason why I went to UNT. I can't wait for this. I'll be there!!!

My favorite Mercer moment:

He was interviewing the legendary manager Gary Hart on the WCCW show one time and Hart was going on about how brilliant he was.

Mercer: "Do you matriculate?"

Hart: "(pauses) about twice a week.."

FirefightnRick · July 17, 2005

I'll never forget the night that NT was down by 1 and Deon Hunter took the inbounds pass with less than 10 seconds to go at ULM, drove the length of the court and laid it up at the buzzer to win Conference. Mr. Mercer went bananas and the team nearly tackled him at his table. He was doing the game alone that night and witnessed the end of what would turn out to be our most memorable basketball season ever. We hosted the post season tourney and won the championship on ESPN enroute to our only ever trip to the dance.

Rick