Phillips roast moved to Bowers Center

Published 11:39 pm Saturday, April 9, 2016

Those who were disappointed at not being able to get tickets before the June 3 Port Arthur News Homecoming Roast of Wade Phillips sold out are going to get a second chance.

Ongoing talks with the Bob Bowers Civic Center have resulted in the roast being moved there from Lamar State College Port Arthur’s Carl Parker Center. What that means is roughly 35 more tables are potentially available.

The additional tables, as well as individual tickets, will go on sale Monday morning. Call either Sam Monroe at 984-6262 or Lori LaBove at 984-6445. Tables of eight in all price ranges — $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 — can be purchased.

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“We are extremely grateful to Port Arthur [Bob Bowers] Civic Center management for working this out for us,” said Monroe, the president of the Port Arthur Historical Society. “They understood how important this event was for the community and worked out an alternate plan with people who had reserved the Civic Center for June 3.

Monroe said he isn’t sure exactly how many tickets he has to work with, because of the waiting list that had been compiled once the roast sold out the Parker Center. He encourages those who want to attend to call as soon as they can.

“With the extra tables, I feel like we are going to be able to accommodate everybody who wants to attend,” he said. “I felt bad about having to tell people we didn’t have any tables left. This should solve the problem.”

Phillips, a former quarterback/linebacker at Port Neches-Groves, is being honored for his role in helping the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl 50. He was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for the way his defense throttled the NFL’s top offenses and quarterbacks.

Headlining the roasters are Houston Texas star J.J. Watt, Denver linebacker DeMarcus Ware and Jimmy Johnson, the Port Arthuran who led the Dallas Cowboys to back-to back Super Bowl victories in the early 1990s.

Also roasting are Wade’s son Wesley, the tight ends coach of the Washington Redskins, long time Houston Chronicle NFL writer John McClain and former Houston Oilers center Carl Mauck.

Houston sports talk legend Barry Warner will be master of ceremonies.

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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