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Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming: Texas vs. Arkansas in Dixie's Last Stand | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Category: EBooks
List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $7.00 (41%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 35894
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.332630976431
ASIN: B001BQULZG
Publication Date: November 1, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
If it were just a game, it would still be heart-pounding enough to justify book-length treatment. The last game of the season, two conference rivals and nearby neighbors, two coaches whose legends still run strong in their home states some thirty years later, both teams unbeaten, ranked #1 and #2 in the nation - with a President in attendance, and seemingly the whole of the country watching. And then, as if that setup wasn't enough, the teams played a game for the ages, a 15-14 contest that turned on an incredible gamble by the winning coach, calling for a long pass play on fourth-and-three in his own territory with a little over four minutes to go in the game. (The young man who made the reception is now in his fifties, and when he is introduced to people to this day he is always greeted with, "Oh yes - you're the guy who caught The Pass.")But it was not just a game, because nothing was so simple in December 1969.The South in general had violently resisted the winds of change that blew through the rest of the country in the 1960s. George Wallace had run an effective and divisive campaign for the presidency the year before, ensuring the election of Richard Nixon and blasting apart the Solid South that had been the backbone of the Democratic party since the Civil War. Nixon's "Southern Strategy" was aimed at building a new coalition by drawing disaffected whites into the Republican ranks; he succeeded spectacularly, losing only Massachusetts and the District of Columbia in the '72 election. And nowhere was the pride of Southern Man more alive than on the gridirons of the colleges throughout the south.In Texas, it is said that the only two true sports seasons are college football and spring college football practice. The Southwestern Conference - no longer in existence today, a victim of shifting alliances of the NCAA and the TV networks - consisted of seven teams in Texas and one outlander over in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 HOOK 'EM HORNS! July 14, 2007
This is one of the best sports books I have ever read. The author does an excellent job of presenting alternating points of view without bias. I really felt like I was there, on campus with the players and students and fans, captivated by everything going on in 1969. The book is entertaining throughout and even inspirational at times. It would make a great gift for a teenager or high school athlete with college in their near future.
Much More Than Football July 3, 2004
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
I was seven years old when Texas and Arkansas met in their 1969 battle. While I remember little of the game, my father was a big college football fan and I do recall sitting down with him to watch it and seeing shots of President Nixon arriving at the game. As a typical seven year old, the game was all I cared about and I had virtually no appreciation for what our country was going through. The author does a great job of describing the social setting including war protests, the draft lottery and racial unrest (as reflected by a controversy surrounding the playing of "Dixie" by the University of Arkansas band). Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming is a great recipe mixing one part football and one part history to create a gourmet masterpiece. If you have any interest in football or American History you will enjoy this book. If you like both subjects, it surely will be one of the best you have ever read.
Feels like I was there... Thank you, Mr. Frei... June 29, 2004
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Frei has an amazing way with words. He has been able to paint a picture that with such clarity that I could almost smell the Fall air... This book falls into the category of books that makes you lose sleep as it becomes impossible to put down ("... I'll just read one more chapter... and THEN I'll turn off the light...")Any football fan or anyone who is a student of the 60's will appreciate "Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming." If you're both, you'll be twice-blessed! Mr. Frei, thank you for an exciting and well-painted story! Please continue to supply us with historically accurate sports-related stories. P.S. I felt compelled to provide a review about this book after reading the one and only "yawn" review written about this book. I'm certain this review was provided by someone whom thinks he/she is an avid Denver sportsfan and didn't appreciate one of Frei's columns or something. I'm doubtful that "reviewer" ever opened the front cover to the book...
Outstanding gift for any occasion! June 29, 2004
I was a grade schooler in Colorado when this game was played but I still remembered it when I saw the book. I grabbed a copy, and much to my wife's dismay, I couldn't put it down. Finished it off in a couple of days and have loaned it to several friends, each of whom has thoroughly enjoyed it! While I remember the game and the subsequent tragedy involving Freddie Steinmark, this book provided interesting background and history on the coaches, the teams, and the game as well as great insight into the changing socials conditions of the late 60s and the seeds of integration into Southwest Conference football. For those of you who are true college football fans, this is a MUST READ. But for those of you who aren't football fans, the surrounding social events will be of interest to you as well. I've heard the author has another book coming out shortly on the Wisconsin football team and the members of that team who ended up serving their country in World War II. I will be watching for its release and recommend that after finishing "Horns, Hogs and Nixon Coming," you look for his new one. Mr Frei is a talented author!
What a game! What a book! June 28, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Having spent 4 years as a manager for the Longhorns, I search out books on UT sports. Imagine my surprise in finding one with my picture (in the team photo) on the back of the dust jacket! Seriously, a well-researched, well-written book. How do I know? For starters, I was there at some of those conversations, both as an observer & participant. Many of the incidents Frei describes brought back many memories. I knew the Texas players & coaches very, very well. Some of them I still see on occasion.I particularly enjoyed Frei's delving into more than just the game itself. For those of us in college during the late 60's, it was a tumultuous time. Sports often was a "safety-valve release" for the on-campus tensions that raged around us. Gathering in stadiums across the country was one way of forgetting about the social unrest threatening to tear our country apart. Frei made all of those memories come alive. I commend Terry Frei for his book. Sure, he could have gone for pumped-up sales by getting into the "dirt" (& every sport has it!), but instead he chose to do a more serious work. I congratulate him for that. The book both gets across the intensity of the game - & of the rivalry between UA & UT - & its connection with the times. I heartily recommend "HHNC" to all sports fans. It will be enjoyed by all who love college athletics, especially football.
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