Major TCU historical documents rediscovered

[Deep Purple]

Next week I have to move out of Sadler Hall for 6 months while they gut and renovate the second floor. Today I was cleaning out my office when I came across some historically significant TCU documents I had carefully collected , preserved, and stashed away more than 14 years ago. The documents are a collection of essays and letters by an anonymous TCU fan (or group of fans) known under the pseudonym of "the Border Collie."

In those days before e-mail and the internet were almost universally available as a means of communication, the Border Collie was a phantom critic who faxed and photocopied his way to notoriety with a series of piercing commentaries on the sad state of TCU football during our pathetic 4-7 and 1-10 seasons of 1996 and 1997. He spared no one. Not the athletics administration, not the university administration, nor even the coaching staff. We often discussed the Border Collie's observations on this very board (or a more primitive version of it) back then.

For those of you under age 24, if you could read these documents, you'd see a time-capsule picture of a TCU you wouldn't recognize. It was as different from today as... like reading about America during slavery times. Just unfathomable.

The Border Collie documents are historically significant because they were among a series of factors at the time that catalyzed the TCU administration to address the problem of football and athletics in general. Some of TCU's trustees agreed with the criticisms voiced by the Border Collie, and that added to the pressure to act.

So now I'm wondering how best to preserve these documentary treasures for TCU posterity? Should I turn them over to the TCU History section of Special Collections in the library? Should I have them mounted in a vacuum-sealed frame for display in the Heritage Center? Inquiring minds want to know. Please give me your wisest suggestions.

 

[JurisFrog]

Post them here for starters

 

[Horned Toad]

Yeah, scan and post! What's the hold up?

 

[Frog_Fan71]

Well, first make a digital copy and post them here for our viewing pleasure. I'd then say give copies to the Heritage Center and the Athletic Department and the originals to the TCU History section of Special Collections. I wonder if we could copies of this in the new stadium complex.

 

[Limp Lizard]

Your mention of the 4-7 and 1-10 seasons reminds me how we were Baylor-esque when we moved to the WAC, assuming we would dominate. Our last two years in the SWC we had winning seasons. Then we moved to the WAC, went 4-7 and 1-10. My point is... a bad team is a bad team, is a bad team, no matter the conference. Sort of an eye-opener for many of us.

The Border Collie was great. Wasn't there one with Sully wondering how come we didn't worship him for his Heisman, and kept talking abou "Danny O'Brien" and some such mistake about Baugh's name?

 

[Horny4TCU]

A scan and copy would be wise. Then putting the originals in a safety deposit box, or personal safe at your home (preferably one that's built into the concrete foundation, so as to prevent thieves from just carrying away the safe).

 

[phony pony]

sounds like a bad dream to this young alum

 

[wes]

The Border Collie was greatness. Wish I knew who did that, I'd shake his hand

 

[Big Frog II]

Long live the Border Collie! Thank the Lord this university finally woke up. I shudder to think where we would be if we hadn't gotten the lead out of our pants.

 

[don]

Yeah, scan and post! What's the hold up?

Well if he has all the editions, its like 500 pages.

 

[LVfrog]

I remember people talking about the Border Collie. Whoever it was, the insight was fabulous.

 

[ShadowFrog]

What HT said - Scanner!

I vaguely recall The Border Collie.
I remember more the 2 underground campus "newspapers" - The Raven and oh snap...what was the other one in the 70's??

 

[60s Frog]

It's your own collection, so maybe you could get a charitable deduction [if you figure out a value - priceless??] if you give them to the library.
And in their own way, these are priceless . . . part of the long road to the Rose Bowl and beyond.
If you decide to scan some of them in & share, check with a conservator to make sure no real damage to the image from the scanning light.
Great to have a reminder of how it was in the Dark Ages. Thanks

 

[Bonner4Prez]

Just make a website where people can download PDFs. Let me know if you need help.

 

[researchfrog]

The problem with posting them here is that Deep probably does not own the copyright. While it is doubtful that the copyright owners would complain, that cannot be ruled out.

 

[Froggy Style]

Hang them on your wall as your best writings to date?

 

[Deep Purple]

Well if he has all the editions, its like 500 pages.

Don's correct that a complete edition of the Border Collie papers would run to hundreds of pages. I only have a random sampling of about 20 pages, but they're still pretty entertaining and revealing of the state of TCU athletics at the time.

I can easily scan them, but then what do I do with the resulting PDF file? Somebody more technologically adept than me, please advise.

Not too worried about infringing on the Border Collie's copyright, since the Border Collie didn't worry about copyrights himself. He pretty liberally copied and used (and in some cases modified) copyrighted stuff from other people, including Gary Larsen cartoons.

 

[Bonner4Prez]

Don's correct that a complete edition of the Border Collie papers would run to hundreds of pages. I only have a random sampling of about 20 pages, but they're still pretty entertaining and revealing of the state of TCU athletics at the time.

I can easily scan them, but then what do I do with the resulting PDF file? Somebody more technologically adept than me, please advise.

Not too worried about infringing on the Border Collie's copyright, since the Border Collie didn't worry about copyrights himself. He pretty liberally copied and used (and in some cases modified) copyrighted stuff from other people, including Gary Larsen cartoons.

You would upload it onto a website. I would group them into collections to keep the PDF files to reasonable sizes.

 

[Deep Purple]

Hang them on your wall as your best writings to date?

I wish. But during the period in which the Border Collie was active, I was in my first 2-3 years at TCU and wasn't knowledgeable enough about TCU or its athletic programs to write half the stuff he did. I eventually learned a lot, but during the Border Collie's time, I was a babe in the woods. And it showed the first time I "distinguished" myself on the board.

This was on Don's old "Online With the Horned Frogs" board, which was the first TCU board and the direct predecessor of this board. Under my then-handle of P. Cornutum, I got into a pretty ill-advised debate about Frank Windeggar with a guy named Tired of Frank (now known as Wes), whom I didn't know at the time, but who knew a heckuva lot more about TCU athletics than me. He sent me down in flames pretty handily.

 

[Bonner4Prez]

I wish. But during the period in which the Border Collie was active, I was in my first 2-3 years at TCU and wasn't knowledgeable enough about TCU or its athletic programs to write half the stuff he did. I eventually learned a lot, but during the Border Collie's time, I was a babe in the woods. And it showed the first time I "distinguished" myself on the board.

This was on Don's old "Online With the Horned Frogs" board, which was the first TCU board and the direct predecessor of this board. Under my then-handle of P. Cornutum, I got into a pretty ill-advised debate about Frank Windeggar with a guy named Tired of Frank (now known as Wes), whom I didn't know at the time, but who knew a heckuva lot more about TCU athletics than me. He sent me down in flames pretty handily.

This is some good TCU history as well!