Spirit of (19)’76
It was the early spring of 1976. I was the 23-year-old sports editor of the Hattiesburg American. My daddy was the sports information director at Southern Miss.
One of our mutual best friends was John Buckley, then the proprietor of Cap’n John’s, a restaurant and unofficial meeting place for coaches, referees, sports writers and sports fans from all over South Mississippi. (I can still taste those crab claws.)
Buckley, a Starkville native, was then – and still is – as devout a Mississippi State fan as ever lived. Cut him and you’d find his blood runs maroon.
Buckley called us one morning and told us the new Mississippi State baseball coach was coming to his house later that day, and he wanted us to come meet him.
clarionledger.com
5/15/08
