Bone Daddy tells the story about taking Rags Murphy….only the best “fan ragger” in the history of sports fandom….to the Texas Longhons men’s basketball games at the University of Texas Erwin Center every time they played against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks from 1976 thru 1982….for these two teams were coached by two legends of college coaching….Abe Lemons for Texas….and Eddie Sutton for Arkansas….as these two men could teach the game of basketball as good as any…and better than most…. which translated into make good players better….so, they could both recruit really well.
Anyway, since Bone Daddy had access to the Erwin Center on the UT campus…..as part of the business relationship that BD had with Abe for hosting his weekly “Lunch With Abe” luncheon every Thursday during season at The Sports Place, Madison Square Garden at 302 E. 6th St…..and since BD also new that Coach had two seats reserved for “rag men”…..and there was no one better that “Rags” Murphy to bring to the game with him….and BD being the kind of guy that he is….always made sure that he and Rags would show up real early for the games….and Rags would start in on Coach Eddie Sutton.
Now Rags wasn’t foul mouthed….no cuss words….and he wasn’t degrading like “your mother wears combat boots” kind….but Rags was a master at finding out what types of things irritate a particular coach or athlete….and he’d start itching that lil irritation and before you knew it…..he was under their skin….plus Rags had a voice that penetrated like a lazer….he was just the best “rag man” Bone Daddy ever knew. The affect that “Rags” Murphy had on that legendary Arkansas coach over six seasons was significant….especially the night that Sutton went after Abe’s point guard Johnny Moore….which lit a fire under Coach Abe Lemons that led to his getting fired at Texas….a day Bone Daddy calls the worst day in the University of Texas sports history.
So, it is video like this one that brings back memories of the best kind at the best of times….when Bone Daddy and Abe teamed up to promote his basketball program….which makes this an “absolute diamond” in our treasure chest of memories.
