See 1989 come to a close through Houston Chronicle photos

Weather conditions force closure of the Southwest Freeway inbound at Newcastle, Dec. 22, 1989. Weather conditions force closure of the Southwest Freeway inbound at Newcastle, Dec. 22, 1989. Photo: Steve Ueckert, Houston Chronicle Photo: Steve Ueckert, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 71 Caption Close See 1989 come to a close through Houston Chronicle photos 1 / 71 Back to Gallery

December started out great for Houston football fans.

By Dec. 31, though, many were ready for whatever the 1990s would hold.

UH quarterback Andre Ware became the school's first and, so far, only Heisman Trophy winner. As reporter Al Carter wrote in the next day's editions:

Ware, the Cougars' bandy-legged junior quarterback, polished off the Rice Owls 64-0 on Saturday in what proved to be a preliminary to a more prestigious buff job.

An hour after the game, Ware marched in triumph down the Rice Stadium ramp to greet screaming Cougars fans as the winner of the 1989 Heisman Trophy.

In one of the most poignant scenes in Houston sports history, Ware climbed an equipment cart and proclaimed to the crowd: "We've brought the Heisman Trophy to Houston, Texas. And to the University of Houston!"

Ware, mobbed by well-wishers, used the occasion to announce the rebirth of UH athletic prominence.

"We're back, baby! We're back!" he yelled. "No more Cougar High!"

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At the time, the program was under probation and unable to take part in nationally televised games or bowl games.

At the end of the month, the 9-7 Oilers found themselves in a wildcard game against their AFC Central rival, the Steelers. The closely matched game went into overtime, but a fumble by Lorenzo White soon led to a 50-year field goal by Pittsburgh's Gary Anderson, dashing the Oilers' playoff hopes and bringing Jerry Glanville's head coaching tenure to an end.

* Sean Jones, Oilers defensive end, loves a good movie. Perhaps when his playing days are done, he might become a film critic, he figured.

Here's what he told John McClain in a Dec. 2 article:

"Next to being an NFL player, I think being a movie critic would be a fun job," Jones says. "If you like to watch movies and analyze them like I do, it would be a great job to have.

"There is a similarity between football and movies. As a player, I watch film almost every day. I have to break down the film and analyze my opponent and their tendencies. You have the same type of analysis as a movie critic."

So what did Jones like and dislike? On a scale of one ("don't waste your time") to four ("a must-see, Oscar-caliber movie") stars, here were some of his reviews:

"Back to the Future: Part Two": 3 1/2 stars

"Harlem Nights": 2 stars

"Steel Magnolias": 4 stars

Best movies of the decade: "Runaway Train," "The Big Chill," "Jagged Edge," "When Harry Met Sally," "Lethal Weapon 2," "Cry Freedom," "Rain Man," "Cry in the Dark," "E.T.," "48 Hours."

See what else happened in December 1989 in the photos that follow.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.