I don't feel like paying the Trib for the story.

Do you mean Brice Cherry? The one where he says Art Briles being on the Hall of Fame ballot is a dark day for the museum?


Nope. I don't have it.

Delmar 2.0 said:

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Do you mean Brice Cherry? The one where he says Art Briles being on the Hall of Fame ballot is a dark day for the museum?


Nope. I don't have it.

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Cherry, Petty . . . that's the one. Has anybody seen this column ? I'd like to read it if anyone could post it.

Have you checked the bottom of birdcages?

Dude is an aggy. I don't read chimp.

BellCountyBear said:

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Dude is an aggy. I don't read chimp.

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C'mon, he's a goat.

Yall out here with the internet skills of 2005

https://archive.is/Bl1tg

BaylorHistory said:

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Yall out here with the internet skills of 2005

https://archive.is/Bl1tg

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the only thing I miss about the Trib is the daily crossword.

here the over bloated Trib column:

place on the Hall of Fame ballot signals dark day for museum
Brice Cherry

Over the last few days, I've vacillated between feelings of anger, sadness and shame when it comes to the release of the latest Texas Sports Hall of Fame ballot.

Anger that nobody had the good sense to stop it from happening. Sadness, because of what it would force me to do. And shame, on behalf of the many who will look at the most striking name on the ballot and say, "Wait … really? Why?"

You see, Art Briles' first day on the Texas Sports Hall of Fame ballot signaled my last day as a member of the Hall's selection committee.

Man, I didn't want to quit. No way. I've enjoyed my 16 years serving on this esteemed panel. We've honored many worthy athletes, coaches and administrators over the years. I've seldom felt prouder than when the groundbreaking 1966 Texas Western basketball team was enshrined in this year's class.

But I also couldn't stand by and remain aligned with a group that wants to glorify Briles, to hell with the character clause that we've always adhered to in our nomination process, just so a few more tickets can be sold to the induction banquet
.
I know how unpopular such a sentiment is in Waco. I know Briles has legions of lap dogs who will never admit that he ever did anything wrong. I don't care I'll stand by my convictions. Lord knows I've been unpopular before.

It's also readily apparent that I'm not going to change anyone's mind when it comes to Art Briles. You've already made up your mind one way or the other. It's like politics. It's pointless to even argue about it, and I honestly don't have the energy to readjudicate his past misgivings.
What I know is this: Nothing has happened in the past decade to change my mind that Baylor was completely justified in terminating his employment.

Many will disagree. That's fine, you're entitled to your opinion, too. But at the very least, shouldn't it be enough that Briles' status as the face of one of the worst scandals to hit college athletics prevents him from being recognized as a Texas Sports Hall of Famer? Isn't that, at the very least, a bad look?

I'll answer the questions, just to dispel any confusion. Of course.

Of course, it's more than enough to keep him off the ballot. Of course it's a bad look.
That's not even controversial, that's just obvious.

Let Art live his life. That's fine. I'm not calling the man a criminal. I'm not saying he should be prevented from seeking employment in coaching, if someone really wants to go down that road. I'm not even saying the Texas Sports Hall of Fame can't hold a Briles love-fest luncheon, as a fundraiser for the museum, as it did last fall. (I didn't attend, I had no desire to be there. The Trib still covered it. Until the announcement of that luncheon, I'd never pulled on a TSHOF polo and felt "icky" before.)

What happened to character?

But induction into the Hall of Fame means more. It's an honor that comes with esteem and acclaim. With all of our nominees, we as a selection committee have always considered a potential inductee's character along with their athletic skill or coaching achievements. It's one reason Lance Armstrong has never been inducted.

At least it always meant something in the past. Now, I fear that our committee because of the board's influence has taken a step toward becoming a money-grubbing good ol' boy network, one seemingly unconcerned with how tone-deaf Briles' inclusion on the ballot might feel to those who suffered from Baylor's sexual assault scandal.

Crazy thing is, I wasn't even at the meeting.

Let me peel the curtain back a bit. I don't think I'll be revealing any state secrets here.
Some five to seven years ago, the Hall of Fame's board of trustees asked for a seat at the table. As I recall, they had grown tired of not having a direct say in who made the annual ballot and asked that four spots on the selection committee be reserved for board members. Until then, the selection committee had always been comprised of 25 members of the state's sports media, people who presumably had a good working knowledge about the elite athletes, coaches and administrators in Texas. People who, believe it or not, traffic daily in objectivity.

Roll your eyes if you wish. I know how many in the public view the media. But I can vouch for the fact that many are still out there fighting the good fight, seeking to always tell both sides of the story.

We as a committee heard the board's pitch and agreed to add the new members. And, truthfully, I think that the old committee members tried to be welcoming and accommodating to the additions from the board. Everyone got along fine.

They made strong nominations, too. I'm not sure they made any that the old committee wouldn't have made, but the more the merrier, right? I recall a couple of times where some of the board members wanted to put Jordan Spieth on the ballot, knowing that Spieth would likely sell tickets, and several of the media members of the committee felt that it was too soon to consider Spieth and that we should let his career play out a little more. It was a minor dispute, and things proceeded as normal.

How it all works
The way the process works is this: Each June the committee meets, either in person or remotely via videoconference, to set the ballot. There is a 20-person primary ballot and a 12-person veterans ballot, the latter being reserved for Texas athletes, coaches and administrators who have been retired for 20 years or more.

At that meeting, we each take turns submitting our nominations for the two ballots, the primary ballot first and then later the veterans ballot. If we end up with a clean number of 20 candidates on the primary ballot, the process is pretty cut and dried. Boom that's the group. Granted, it's rarely that simple, as we usually end up with more candidates than we need for the ballot, which leads to a paring-down process without any hard-and-fast method. Usually, we talk it out and eliminate candidates for one reason or another, or a committee member may fall on his or her sword and eliminate their own nomination, holding the nominee back for a future year, in order to expedite the process.

After several hours, when the dust settles, we have a full 32-person ballot, one that is released to the public the next day. That's the group that we as a committee vote on over the course of the summer, ranking our choices from 1 to 20 and 1 to 12. People who have paid the TSHOF to become a voting member also have the privilege of voting for the next year's class.
Anyway, it's a lot of fun. And it's an honor. I loved the process.

This year, I had a conflict that prevented me from attending the meeting. It was scheduled months ago, before we even set the date of our TSHOF meeting, as I had been asked to speak on a panel at the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association conference in Round Rock.
I did send in a few nominations for the ballot in advance. I also had an inkling that Briles may come up for discussion, and I sent in a statement that I asked to be read if he was nominated. It read:

"I have a feeling that Art Briles may end up getting nominated for induction, possibly by one of our TSHOF board of trustees committee members. While I respect everyone's opinions regarding their own nominations, I feel very strongly that it would be a big mistake to include Art on the ballot.

"I know some people believe Art was railroaded or scapegoated by Baylor. I do not feel that way. I'm not saying Art shouldn't be able to live his life, and honestly I had a good working relationship with him during his time at Baylor. But he's a controversial enough selection to easily institute the character clause in our vetting process, and I think his inclusion on the ballot would ring tone deaf to those who suffered from Baylor's sexual assault scandal. My two cents it's probably worth about that."

Sure enough, Briles was nominated by one of the board of trustee selection committee members. I'm told that, earlier in the meeting, a discussion arose about how well the Briles-Bryce Petty luncheon did from a ticket sales standpoint, and that when Briles' name was presented for nomination it was done so "on behalf of the board."
Unsurprisingly, there were some voices of opposition, including the reading of my statement, according to those in the room. I've also been told by multiple committee members that they were uncomfortable with Briles being nominated. Some have said that they would vote Briles 20th on their own ballots when it came time to vote.

It does sadden me that apparently there wasn't enough reasoned discussion to prompt the reconsideration of putting Briles on the ballot. I really wish I'd been there. I would have rather expressed my thoughts in person. It might not have changed anything, but that's a big regret that I have.

At any rate, I'm told that after an initial bit of friction between the board member who submitted the nomination and one of our longstanding members, another committee member said that the meeting should move along with the process. So it did. Later, after a few overflow names were pared off the list, Briles' name remained.

When I got that bit of news later in the day, my heart sank. As I said, I knew what I had to do, because I just wouldn't feel right about staying on the committee if this was the direction we were headed.

Not that it makes any difference. Who cares about me? I filled a spot. I had a voice, someone else will take my place and have their own voice. Life will go on, and so will the Texas Sports Hall of Fame process.

Ultimately, though, every person has to look themselves in the mirror at the end of the day. I couldn't have done that without standing firm in what I believe.

If that comes off as holier than thou, forgive me. I'm not holier than anyone. I'm a sinner saved by grace, eternally grateful for that gift.

Several of my fellow committee members have reached out and offered encouragement and wise counsel. I appreciate that. I also have several close friends who not only told me that they were proud of me, but agreed with my stance. That means more than all of the hater comments combined. Believe it or not, there are people in Waco who understand why Briles had to go.
Yes, I know many will disagree. Again, if that's you, that's your right. I hope people won't be mean-spirited, but I'm skeptical about that. This is the world we live in. I could write a few of the Facebook comments that will be uttered myself "Briles was EXONERATED!" or "This is why the Trib sucks! Liberal rag!" I'm glad I got those out of the way, because no offense, I'm not diving into that social media cesspool after this piece is published. Send me an email if you want I'll read that. Otherwise, I'll remain happily oblivious.

This isn't about me, anyway. Good Lord, I've written too much about me. Move along, indeed.
One of the great athletes that we as a selection committee have been trying to get inducted to the Hall of Fame in recent years is Simone Biles. Talk about someone who could sell tickets. (Which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, by the way). Biles is the GOAT of her sport, a hero to little girl gymnasts all over the world. She's already been elected by our committee, she's just in the "waiting room" of big-name athletes whose busy schedules have prevented them from attending thus far.

She's also a champion of women's rights, an advocate for the protection of survivors of abuse. She faced such abuse firsthand, at the hands of former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar.

If Biles had an opening in her schedule next spring and Briles the CEO of the Baylor football program during a university-wide sexual assault scandal that involved multiple football players was also announced as part of the class, would she still want to come?
I'm not going to answer for Simone Biles. But it's a fair question to ponder. (Not my question, either. It's a thought I borrowed from another committee member, one a heck of a lot smarter than me.)

If nothing else, it's just bad optics.

Under the "selection process" tab of the TSHOF website, it reads, "The Texas Sports Hall of Fame is designed to be fair, thoughtful, and respectful of the legacy it represents. Each year, eligible candidates are carefully reviewed through a structured nomination and selection process that reflects the values of excellence, integrity, and lasting impact on Texas sports."
Not carefully reviewed enough. Not in 2026, anyway.

I have such a heart for the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and its wonderful staff. They truly do great work. God bless those folks.

But it's a truly dark day for the museum when candidates who don't meet the "integrity" standard are included in the process, just so the Hall of Fame can keep the lights on.

does no one at the Trib even edit that guy?

EatMoreSalmon said:

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BellCountyBear said:

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Dude is an aggy. I don't read chimp.

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C'mon, he's a goat.

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My baaaa-aaaaad.

He thinks he's Scott Pelley.

LOL. We are Baylor! (In my very best Forrest Gump voice) My wife graduated from SWT. My best friend graduated from SWT. My Mom had three degrees from SWT. The money that is remaining will head to San Marcos, - not Waco. In 2015, Baylor told me to go **** myself. When I die, I will return the sentiment.

RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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LOL. We are Baylor! (In my very best Forrest Gump voice) My wife graduated from SWT. My best friend graduated from SWT. My Mom had three degrees from SWT. The money that is remaining will head to San Marcos, - not Waco. In 2015, Baylor told me to go **** myself. When I die, I will return the sentiment.

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The product Baylor is offering in 2026 is not worth the price tag imho. Baylor provides a good education, but with the soaring cost of tuition, it's not like we're on our way to becoming an Ivy League institution. I really think the main draw for Baylor is the college experience, but choosing a college for the college experience is becoming something that very few can afford when they're weighing the cost/benefit.

Youre a clown said:

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RD2WINAGNBEAR86 said:

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LOL. We are Baylor! (In my very best Forrest Gump voice) My wife graduated from SWT. My best friend graduated from SWT. My Mom had three degrees from SWT. The money that is remaining will head to San Marcos, - not Waco. In 2015, Baylor told me to go **** myself. When I die, I will return the sentiment.

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The product Baylor is offering in 2026 is not worth the price tag imho. Baylor provides a good education, but with the soaring cost of tuition, it's not like we're on our way to becoming an Ivy League institution. I really think the main draw for Baylor is the college experience, but choosing a college for the college experience is becoming something that very few can afford when they're weighing the cost/benefit.

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Boom! You've nailed it. Well said.