Mea culpa

["Gene Kirkpatrick" <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us>]

It is all my fault--that WNBA thing.  And as Dave Barry would say,
"I'm not making this up."

It all started in a little two-bit college town in Nacogdoches,
Texas, back in 1979.  Our girls team, Stephen F. Austin, had a 6'2"
All-American and we whipped lots of people.  Having just organized a
network TV showing of--get this--a graduation at a nearby prison, I
knew a few people at NBC and gave one a call.  At that time, NBC had
begun the first focus on women's sports in TV history, probably, a
fifteen minute recap on Sunday afternoons.  I talked to the producer
of that show and convinced her she should follow up on the women's
college game, look into televising the championship game, and if they
didn't hurry, CBS was sure to do it.  Soon, we were corresponding and
I put her in touch with the championship committee chairwoman and the
rest is history.  

Ironically, while our team did not make it, my alma mater did and
played in the first women's tv championship:  La. Tech v. Old
Dominion.  Alas, we lost but began our historic run at final fours
over the last twenty years.

So, blame it on me.  Sure, it was bound to happen and some other poor
schmuck would have put it together before long, but that is my claim
to fame--the rest is history, annual final fours, numerous college
games on tv, the new league.  Hey, those women owe me a part of their
salaries and don't know it.

True story.  Gene