Latest news with #NewMexicoSportsHallofFame
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rodeo Hall of Famer Roy ‘Super Looper' Cooper dies in house fire at 69
DECATUR, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Roy 'Super Looper' Cooper, a rodeo legend and a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Hall of Fame, died Tuesday in a house fire at his home in Decatur, Texas. He was 69. 'The rodeo world has lost a legend,' the PRCA stated in an announcement following Cooper's death. Cooper was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 1979, only a few years after the Rookie of the Year title in 1976. During his career, he won seven individual event world championships, the PRCA noted. He was also one of only 10 people to win three world titles in one year, winning the tie-down roping, steer roping and All-Around titles in 1983. His roping skills are also what earned him the nickname 'Super Looper,' his Hall of Fame bio explains. New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame inducts new members to 2024 Hall of Fame Class In addition to his honors with the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, Cooper has been honored in the Rodeo Historical Society's Rodeo Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame and the Lea County Sports Hall of Fame. In 2024, when he was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame, the organization called him one of 'the most significant former athletes in the state of New Mexico's History.' PRCA added that Cooper also went on to host an annual junior world roping championship for over 40 years. Childress cowboy, 2008 world champion to be inducted into ProRodeo Hall of Fame Officials in Wise County, Texas, confirmed Cooper's death Wednesday after a fire tore through his Decatur home the night before, the Wise County Messenger reported. The cause of the fire was not immediately disclosed. His son, Tuf Cooper, also a professional rodeo competitor, shared a statement on Cooper's passing, the Fort Worth Star Telegram reported. 'We're all in shock and at a loss for words from this tragedy at the moment,' Tuf Cooper said. Country legend George Strait, whom Cooper has called 'one of his very best friends,' said Cooper was one of his heroes in a tribute posted to social media. 'We lost our good friend and my hero Roy Cooper yesterday. He's with our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ now,' Strait wrote. 'God please be with the Cooper family and friends. We'll miss you amigo. I'll come find you one day.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Proposed Albuquerque museum could have AI chats with state legends
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Imagine it's 30 years from now and you can talk to and have a conversation with a legendary New Mexican who has died on a screen. That's not a far-away dream, instead, with new technology, one New Mexico man is pushing for a New Mexico Sports and Cultural Museum where people can talk to local sports legends, movie stars, and politicians. Story continues below NM Film: Storied New Mexico movie ranch transitions into a new era Investigation: 'I'm scared to death': Defense attorney at center of DWI scheme reports burglary Real Estate: $16M Abiquiu farm for sale offers chance to live inside an O'Keeffe painting Walk through a hallway in the Albuquerque Convention Center and you might just miss the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame where you can find all the greats like Bobby Unser, Bob King, and, Brian Urlacher. Marty Saiz, with the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame, believes more should be done to honor them. 'I envision you walk in and multiple faces in all fields of endeavor,' said Saiz. He's been working on a museum that has morphed into celebrating the achievements of all successful New Mexicans. 'This project now is way more than a sports hall of fame museum, I call it the Inspiration Dream Center…So we want these to be a place of interaction and so our kids can say, you know, how did Brian Urlacher go from Lovington to the NFL? And or, you know anybody else, you know, Holly Holm,' Saiz said. But it's how people will share their stories that will really make this museum stand out. It would be the first in the nation to use Storyfile which allows people to have a conversation with someone even decades after they are gone. 'You can actually educate yourself and talk to some historian, person who's just not sports, but we've got Gary Johnson here, and we've done Barry Switzer, and we also done Jim Hulsman,' said Steve Davis, Proview Networks. Saiz has teamed up with Davis, who founded Proview Networks 16 years ago. The company is a New Mexico sports broadcasting company. Davis learned about Storyfile on a 60 Minutes episode during the pandemic… and reached out…Being the first in the nation to bring the technology to the United States. Storyfile lets anyone digitally record their answers to 600 questions. which are then loaded into the program. Artificial intelligence does the rest. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was one of the first to take part. His AI version can answer almost every question about him. Saiz and Davis, through the City of Albuquerque, are requesting $700,000 to get plans moving forward for the museum. They say these personal stories could inspire future generations. 'Our kids need to know how they can dream dreaming. And it's possible people have come from New Mexico to be successful,' said Saiz. Saiz says the goal is to have a mix of private and public funding to build the museum. He says they have been working with the city to find the best location. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
