Get better soon, Bum!

Former Houston Oilers Coach and Official State Treasure Bum Phillips is recovering from surgery.

Doctors discovered blockage in Phillips' arteries and performed triple bypass surgery on Friday after he was taken to the hospital with chest pains.

No evidence of heart damage was found, said Dr. Ronald Mahoney, a cardiologist with Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital.

The 81-year-old Phillips lives on his horse ranch in Goliad. He had experienced some symptoms of heart problems recently.

His son Wade, who is the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, said his father joked as he was going into surgery that if the operation didn't work, he expected to receive double his money back.

"He just wants to get back on his ranch," Wade Phillips said during a news conference today.

Phillips coached some of the Oilers best teams from 1975-80 and was responsible for drafting running back Earl Campbell in 1978.

He was fired on New Year's Eve of 1980 after the Oilers lost a playoff game to the Oakland Raiders.

And a dark day in Oilers history that was, but let's not dwell on the negative. Get well soon, Bum!

UPDATE: Fuller story here.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on July 12, 2005 to Other sports | TrackBack