As a starter on the 1982 Texas team that lost to Oklahoma and Marcus Dupree, then was on the winning side against the Sooners in 1983, Lamar football coach Ray Woodard says he’ll never forget his out-of-control feelings coming down the ramp and out the tunnel into the Cotton Bowl. “It’s the only time I didn’t have complete control of my emotions,” said Woodard, during a guest stint on Sportsrap Wednesday night. “That first time, when the game started, I couldn’t play. It didn’t last long, but I’ll always remember what the feeling was like.” Woodard, who watched on TV Saturday, said he’s viewed the Red River shootout twice in person in the 25 years since he graduated from UT. “There’s nothing quite like it,” he said . . . Woodard and his six assistant coaches fanned out to attend their first high school games in Southeast Texas Friday night, with the head coach on hand for the Livingston-Port Neches-Groves game. While he can’t discuss players Lamar will be recruiting, it’s no secret there’s a mutual interest going with Indians’ quarterback Harrison Tatum. But don’t be surprised if the heart of the Cardinals first recruiting class comes from Woodard’s former team at Navarro College. Navarro is currently the No. 1 ranked JC team in the nation, and has been winning big with a roster loaded with players from this area. Woodard says the quality of players he signed from here while at Navarro was a major reason in him pursuing the Lamar job.

It’s been a tough week for Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. First he took a serious bashing from some in the Dallas media because he refused to criticize players after Sunday’s uneasy victory over Cincinnati. Being publicly critical is not Wade’s style -- he deals with things behind the scenes — but that’s not acceptable to some in the Dallas media, so they ridicule him. Things got worse later in the week, when Wade was the first one in the organization thrown to the wolves over the Pacman Jones brawl. Jerry Jones should never have let that happen, because Pacman’s his guy and he should have been the first one to face questions about his Tuesday night episode . . . The Cowboys, by the way, will have their hands full today in Arizona, if they aren’t able to get a lot of pressure on Cardinal QB Kurt Warner. With Terence Newman out of a secondary that has looked extremely vulnerable at times, Warner will put up big numbers unless Demarcus Ware and friends don’t force him out of a comfort zone. The betting line has already dropped from Dallas being a six point to a 4 1/2 point favorite. That almost never happens . . . After watching the Texans let the Colts off the hook last Sunday, I’m about convinced the franchise was somehow cursed by Bud Adams. Almost from day one, when their top pick in the expansion draft — Tony Boselli — never was able to play because of an injury, bad things have repeatedly happened to this team. Blowing a 21-point lead in the final five minutes was the worst. They are a much better than 0-4. Hopefully they get it going today against Miami.

Great news for those of you like me, who never get tired of watching the movie Bull Durham. The NY Post reported Monday that a sequel is in the works, with Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) and Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) the married owners of a major league team managed by Crash Davis (Kevin Costner). According to the report, Ron Shelton, who wrote and directed Bull Durham, has been hired to perform the same roles for the sequel. Much of the filming will be done at the home field of the Durham Bulls . . . Speaking of sports movies, advance buzz suggests The Express, which premiered Friday night, is outstanding. It’s about Ernie Davis, the Syracuse running back who became the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy, went on to become the first pick in the NFL draft, was stricken with leukemia and died before he every played a down of pro football. A Lone Star tie to the movie is Syracuse playing Texas in the 1960 Cotton Bowl and some of the racial problems — embellished by Hollywood — that ensued with black players competing in the South at that point in time . . . One of the interesting sidebars to The Express involves former University of Texas coach Darrell Royal. According to the Houston Chronicle, Royal sought out John Brown, one of Davis’ two black teammates on that Syracuse team, at ceremonies in 2001 enshrining Davis in the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, and apologized for the racial indignities heaped on the black players from Syracuse. If you know Darrell Royal, you should not be surprised to hear something like that.

It’s going to be interesting to see if America’s financial woes finally reel in spiraling NFL ticket prices. In 1991, the average price for a ticket to an NFL game was $25. In 2008, it’s $72.20. But that’s just the fare for one ticket. According to Team Marketing Report, the average cost (Fan Cost Index) for a family of four to attend an NFL game — four tickets, two beers, four soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two programs and two adult-size souvenir caps — is $396.36. New England tops both the average ticket ($117.84) and the FCI ($596.25). Dallas is No. 9 at $84.12 and $435.49, but wait until JerryWorld Opens. Houston is 19th at $66.69 and $376.75 . . . The annual study of NFL rosters has determined that Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Tustin High in California lead the way in placing the most players in the NFL with six each. Four others — Catholic of Baton Rouge, De La Salle of Concord, Calif., Evangel Christian of Shreveport and Glennville High in Cleveland — placed four on NFL rosters. I wish somebody would do a study of what high schools all-time have put the most players in the NFL. Port Arthur Lincoln, with 15, would have to be near the top . . . Long-time Dallas Cowboy fan favorite Don Meredith will be returning to the city where he played college football next week to be saluted by his alma mater, SMU. “Dandy Don,” as Howard Cosell’s chief antagonist came to be known, is having his No. 17 jersey retired. He will be become only the sixth SMU player so honored. The others are Eric Dickerson, Raymond Berry, Doak Walker, Forrest Gregg and Lamar Hunt.

Basketball comes front and center at Lamar this week, what with the Cardinals Tip-Off Banquet featuring John Lucas as the guest speaker Thursday night, then the start of practice on Friday night. All five of Lamar’s Southland Conference championship teams from last year — men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s cross country, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball — will be toasted at the banquet. Cardinal coach Steve Roccaforte, as he usually is at this time of the year, is bouncing off the walls in his zeal to get going. Roc is especially excited about his three new assistants — Tic Price, Silvy Dominguez and Dr. Mark Honea . . . Southeast Texas’ breathlessly awaited professional basketball team is planning to hold free agent tryouts Oct. 25-26 at the Milton YMCA in Beaumont and, if nothing else, you have to give Mustangs management credit for a clever ploy to make money. Players who try out will have to pay $125 in advance or $150 if they wait until the last minute. P.T. Barnum would no doubt love the concept. The tryouts, incidentally, are open to the public. And don’t forget tickets to Mustangs games range from “only” $11 for value seats to $15 for the lower level, to $27 for courtside to $38 for courtside tables . . . Some of you, especially those who attended Port Arthur News Homecoming Roasts, remember the late Judge James Farris. Farris, who brought the house down as emcee of the Ann Richards Roast in 1992, was saluted Friday with the unveiling of a portrait and the courtroom in the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center being named after him. It was my honor to be one of four people asked by his wife Ellarence to speak about “the short, fat judge from Hull-Daisetta.” You were the best, Jim, and as good a friend as I’ve ever had.

Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at rdwest@usa.net. His Sportsrap radio show airs Wednesdays at 8:05 p.m. on KLVI (560 AM).