Sptspage: The Pizza Papers and TCU's 1985 football scandal

[Gil LeBreton]

The Pizza Papers and TCU's 1985 football scandal

By JOHN HENRY

This week, a famed Fort Worth pizzeria celebrated 50 years of greatness in serving up its rendition of the Italian pie.

Most everybody who has spent any time in this part of North Texas has a memory of Mama's Pizza.

One of them involves one of the most infamous episodes in the history of TCU and the then-owner of Mama’s, who was alleged to have had a role in the paying of seven Horned Frogs football players in the early 1980s.

Chris Farkas, a 1971 TCU graduate, always denied he was part of any slush fund that involved, among others, Heisman Trophy candidate running back Kenneth Davis, who confessed to the whole scheme after one of coach Jim Wacker’s sermons on the perils of players accepting gifts from school boosters.

Read more at https://sptspage.com/the-pizza-papers-and-tcus-1985-football-scandal/

 

[Hoosierfrog]

Goo read!

 

[Frog-in-law1995]

Goo read!

Kennedy took money from boosters too?

 

[Hoosierfrog]

Kennedy took money from boosters too?

Shhhhhhhh!

 

[Dogfrog]

Whitewolf.

 

[RollToad]

I can’t read “slush fund” without wanting a Slurpee.

 

[Double D]

Wow! That was informative. A lot went on back in the day.

 

[Leap Frog]

Good men who used their hearts instead of their heads. I had a relative who was part of it, and I can also tell you that he was as fine a man as I have ever known. They were just sick of being kicked around, and got swept up without thinking down the line. They can all thank Mr. Richard Lowe for taking the heat-- for that, he saved a lot of good men's names.

 

[Froginbedford]

I signed up for a trial subscription to sptspage and all I get when I click on the above link is the cover page....

 

[Hoosierfrog]

It was a sign of the times. Everyone was doing it, but notice the little guys were the only ones taking a hit.

I remember when Wacker distributes a letter all SWC schools about trying to clean up the mess and was met with a lot of derision, especially from Akers and Sherrill who all but told him to mind his own business.

 

[Gil LeBreton]

I signed up for a trial subscription to sptspage and all I get when I click on the above link is the cover page....

FIBedford, I know the link works. Let me know if you're still having trouble and I'll have our tech guy try to help you.

 

[ShadowFrog]

FIBedford, I know the link works. Let me know if you're still having trouble and I'll have our tech guy try to help you.

You’re a good man, Gil.
And an excellent sports columnist.
Please be advised, those 2 lists are mighty short these days.
Thanks & keep up the good work.

 

[FrogAbroad]

You’re a good man, Gil.
And an excellent sports columnist.
Please be advised, those 2 lists are mighty short these days.
Thanks & keep up the good work.

And finding a guy on BOTH lists is exceedingly rare.

Glad to have you aboard, Mr. LeBreton.

 

[Froglaw]

News broke on Thursday as I recall.

I was leaving on a dive trip to Cozumel that morning.

Dad told me and it was on national TV.

Made me want to swim over the reef wall and keep going.

 

[TemCatFrog71]

It was a sign of the times. Everyone was doing it, but notice the little guys were the only ones taking a hit.

I remember when Wacker distributes a letter all SWC schools about trying to clean up the mess and was met with a lot of derision, especially from Akers and Sherrill who all but told him to mind his own business.

I first learned about the Wacker letter from University of Houston Line Coach "Pup" Willingham shortly after it was sent. He said that they knew what TCU folks had paid to Kenneth Davis because he had trurned down a lesser amount from U of H when they recruited him from Temple High. Unfortunately that was just SOP in the SWC in those days. Sad, so sad!

 

[Froginbedford]

FIBedford, I know the link works. Let me know if you're still having trouble and I'll have our tech guy try to help you.

Tried again this afternoon and got the same results....

 

[Hoosierfrog]

I first learned about the Wacker letter from University of Houston Line Coach "Pup" Willingham shortly after it was sent. He said that they knew what TCU folks had paid to Kenneth Davis because he had trurned down a lesser amount from U of H when they recruited him from Temple High. Unfortunately that was just SOP in the SWC in those days. Sad, so sad!

Yeah, Bill Yeoman was no choir boy in the recruiting wars.

 

[Gil LeBreton]

Tried again this afternoon and got the same results....

I hate to sound like one of those customer service centers in Mumbai, but the link may indeed be taking you to the Sptspage landing page. If so, either go to the upper right (on a PC) and Sign In (or wherever you see the "Sign In" link on your phone or tablet). From there you need to click on the headline in the photo. That should bring up the entire story.
Our tech support thinks you're somehow not getting logged in. Not sure why that is happening. Keep me posted.
We've had thousands of visitors to the website these past few days, so I know it's not a server issue. #beyondmypaygrade

 

[BedfordFrog68]

I hate to sound like one of those customer service centers in Mumbai, but the link may indeed be taking you to the Sptspage landing page. If so, either go to the upper right (on a PC) and Sign In (or wherever you see the "Sign In" link on your phone or tablet). From there you need to click on the headline in the photo. That should bring up the entire story.
Our tech support thinks you're somehow not getting logged in. Not sure why that is happening. Keep me posted.
We've had thousands of visitors to the website these past few days, so I know it's not a server issue. #beyondmypaygrade

I

 

[BedfordFrog68]

I

I hate to sound like one of those customer service centers in Mumbai, but the link may indeed be taking you to the Sptspage landing page. If so, either go to the upper right (on a PC) and Sign In (or wherever you see the "Sign In" link on your phone or tablet). From there you need to click on the headline in the photo. That should bring up the entire story.
Our tech support thinks you're somehow not getting logged in. Not sure why that is happening. Keep me posted.
We've had thousands of visitors to the website these past few days, so I know it's not a server issue. #beyondmypaygrade

I was able to connect...thanks