From Deseret News archives:
Company delivers once again
For the past 14 years, they've never been late or failed to deliver the Utes' gear to sites away from Salt Lake.
Don Wehrli, operations manager, and his son-in-law Dean Espinoza hauled 12,000 pounds of equipment to the Armed Forces Bowl. It took them 27 hours to make the 1,300-mile journey. They left Monday night and endured several weather-related situations along the way.
A blizzard outside of Moab was followed by heavy snow in Shiprock, N.M., and freezing rain near Albuquerque. Conditions led to stretches of 20-mile-per-hour driving and a three-hour break when visibility was poor. At one point, they drove by six semi rollovers.
"It's always an adventure," said Espinoza, who has three kids waiting for him to celebrate Christmas.
Wehrli and Espinoza are hoping to begin the journey back to Utah shortly after Saturday's bowl game is complete.
"It's fun work," said Wehrli, who takes satisfaction in helping the team.
SIZED UP: Utah coach Kyle Whittingham and athletics director Chris Hill were fitted for a new pair of cowboy boots during Wednesday night's function at a Fort Worth restaurant.
"I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival," said Whittingham, who has never owned a pair before.
The boots will include an Armed Forces Bowl logo.
BEST SEATS IN HOUSE: TCU coach Gary Patterson will have quite the vantage point for Saturday's game. His office has a balcony that overlooks Amon G. Carter Stadium. Patterson has friends on both coaching staffs and wishes each team well.
"I like both of them," he said while noting it's kind of interesting to see someone else's logo on the Horned Frogs' field.
FAST TRACK: Tulsa coach Steve Kragthorpe checked out the field at TCU's stadium Thursday and said it's in excellent shape, "so I think it's going to be a fast track for both teams," he said.
'ROCKY' START: Kragthorpe is a big-time fan of Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" movies and took his team to see the current one Thursday night. "We're going to go to the opening of 'Rocky,' and then go back to the hotel and kind of play a few video games and then get ready to go again," he said following Thursday's practice.
"I have watched every 'Rocky' so far, so this is what, my sixth? I'm a huge 'Rocky' fan, and I'm old enough to remember the first ones," the 41-year-old Kragthorpe said. "Some of these guys that we're talking to right now aren't.
"It will be fun to see that. The only thing is, I'm not aging quite as gracefully as Sylvester is, so I'm going to have to give him a call and see if I can get his potion."
