​As the Southwest Conference football beat writer for the Houston Post from 1985-90, John Klein got to pick the best SWC game to cover every week. That meant he spent a lot of Saturdays on-site for Texas A&M games or Texas games, some Arkansas games, and some Baylor games.What he really looked forward to was covering Texas Tech football games, especially the ones in Lubbock.He was likely to see an entertaining game. He was sure to have a good time.”I looked forward to road trips to Lubbock like nobody’s business,” said Klein, now retired in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “I was like, ‘Oh, good. Tech may be good enough to get me to that Tech-A&M game next week.’ I’d always check my schedule: ‘Who’s Tech playing this week? Can I get out there?’ “More: In the orbit of an icon: Ex-Texas Tech teammates share recollections of Zach ThomasMore: Houston game brings Friday Night Lights memories for Texas Tech footballLubbock was full of attractions for Southwest Conference sportswriters: Scrumptious steaks at the 50 Yard Line restaurant. Funny quotes from Spike Dykes. Revelry in Room 214 at the Lubbock Inn, a hospitality hangout for visiting media. An encounter, possibly, with Robert Walker, better known as “Daddy Warbucks,” the cigar-chewing, whiskey-drinking character who counted among his best friends a legion of sportswriters.Trying to ride herd over it all was Joe Hornaday, the longtime Texas Tech sports information director.”I think one of the main reasons around-the-state media would even think about coming to cover Texas Tech back in those days was because of the relationship they had with our office and Joe in particular,” said Kelly Robinson, Hornaday’s assistant sports information director. “They knew if they came out here that he was going to treat ’em right and they could get their job done. I think he was kind of legendary in that regard with some of the sportswriters around, especially the state.”Hornaday, who served Tech from 1978 through 2008, died on Sept. 9, two weeks after suffering a fall at home that caused a head injury. He was 79.Tech plans to observe a moment of silence for Hornaday before the Red Raiders’ Friday, Sept. 18, home game against Houston. A celebration of his life is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 10 in the north end zone club at Galaxy Stadium.Hornaday served Tech as an assistant sports information director in 1978 and 1979 before leading the SID department from 1980 through 1996. Then he was assistant athletics director for public relations until his retirement in 2008.”Joe was really a PR guy’s PR guy,” said Bo Carter, who was media relations director from 1986-96 for the Southwest Conference and from 1996-2006 for the Big 12.Klein, before and after his five years in Houston, spent his 42-year sports-writing career at the Tulsa World near his hometown of Perry, Oklahoma. He says the only time he’s ever made a financial donation to a university athletics department, it was to Texas Tech. When he left the Post and the S