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Pat Conroy was my favorite writer
From the movie CONRACK- a first year teacher Pat Conroy, as white as the sand beaches of the island of South Carolina on which his school sits, talks to his all black class, kids that have never traveled ten miles across the water to the nearest town, Beaufort, SC. The kids are of elementary age upwards to higher junior high:Pat Conroy: Gang, we’re going to learn all these records. We’re gonna look like geniuses when we know all these songs. Visitors are going to come here, expecting nothing but stupidity and poverty – I’m going to switch on this record player – you’re going to look those people right in the eye, and exclaim: “Are you perchance… familiar with the works of Rimsky-Korsakov?” We’ll knock their behinds off… Now here we got something very sweet
[begins playing record]
Pat Conroy: … Brahms’ Lullaby. You don’t need any Seconal, any Phenobarb, or any Miltown. You just drop this on, and The Sandman’s got you.
Pat Conroy passed away yesterday in his beloved Beaufort, South Carolina. The author of works like “The Great Santini”, “Conrack”, “The Prince of Tides”, and the “Lords of Discipline” was 70. Pancreatic cancer was the cause of his death. He was my favorite writer.I first discovered Conroy when I was beginning my teaching career in a mostly black school in a disadvantaged part of Oklahoma City in 1974. The movie “Conrack” was based on the book and hit the big screen in that first year of teaching for me. That film became significant for me, giving some very valuable insights of the morality of teaching in general and working with the downtrodden in particular. I was, in fact, not ready to teach a group of 5th grade students, and being only 21 at the time, was just not that ready to do that job. But with time and experience, things fell together. Just as “Pat” did in the movie and the novel. Autobiographical in nature, a trait of Conroy’s novels, it set the tone of how I do my business teaching of teaching children and, in time, become a competent and skilled instructor. During my early adulthood, I too, had the same political views of the author, that being anti-war and one that supported racial equality for all. As Conroy suffered for some from his beliefs (as brought out in his writings) by his family, his beloved South, and the foes of justice for all, his trail was not unique, and it was a difficult time for many on the path of right over wrong. The nation had to grow up after the previous tragedies of the 1960’s. It was still a time of turmoil and the Reagan come-together regime was still some years in the future. The film still stands fresh, as does the novel it was derived, “The Water is Wide”.
I can say I have read as much of Conroy as possible. His books are a reflection on a time that has come and gone, and is coming back again. Not all that has gone and is returning is bad. Conroy’s last book, “The Death of Santini” is a must read for closure for this author. First read “The Great Santini” and if interested, his other major offerings. But in the end, read his novel on his father, the Great Santini. Life is never simple, never a paint by numbers, and sure as hell not as easy as eating a piece of mom’s apple pie. The world is a more enlightened place for a twenty-year old first year teacher on the bad side of town, thanks to Pat Conroy. I sure would not have made thirty-seven years in the profession without his novels. That is for damn sure.
Quote from the movie CONRACK when a small male student was given the business by an older student in the school’s rest room. To his class and said with emotion:
Pat Conroy: On the outside of every men’s room in the world is the word “Gentlemen.” I’ll tell you what that means. A gentleman treats his fellow man with respect for his person and for his dignity. He doesn’t slander his religion, his color or his pecker. And if he does any of these things around me, I’m going to lay this fist ‘longside his jaw.
Note: Conroy was a outstanding high school and college basketball player, a starting guard for his alma mater, The Citadel Military Academy in Charleston, SC.
The Cookie that wouldn't crumble
Gilchrist (2), running against his former team (Buffalo) as a member of the Denver Broncos
My formative years were shaped by many great players in the major professional sports. The NFL and AFL were going head to head and I watched games and followed both leagues. I was a football junkie at age 5 as I remember watching the Game of the Century between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. That game is vivid in my 62 year old brain. Watching that game on my family's 19 inch Admiral TV in our 2nd living room the final score allowed me to go outside and put on my painted NY Giant helmet and pretend to stop the Colt's Alan Ameche from scoring that overtime winning touchdown. It was dark and I still was outside playing football in my mind.
Today I am remembering one of my favorite players, Cookie Gilchrist. . The man was the "big" running back of his time. Yes, a really big man, larger than most linemen of the day. You will read that the man came in at 6'3 and a little over 250 lbs. Matter of fact, he went upwards to 275 lbs and was a load to bring down. He started his career in the Canadian Football League but moved on to the Buffalo Bills, then other NFL teams, where he did his most noted damage. A three time Pro Bowler and 4 time all-AFL, Gilchrist was the gold standard in professional football for the big back. No, he wasn't Jim Brown, but he was as fantastic football player.
Today I am remembering one of my favorite players, Cookie Gilchrist. . The man was the "big" running back of his time. Yes, a really big man, larger than most linemen of the day. You will read that the man came in at 6'3 and a little over 250 lbs. Matter of fact, he went upwards to 275 lbs and was a load to bring down. He started his career in the Canadian Football League but moved on to the Buffalo Bills, then other NFL teams, where he did his most noted damage. A three time Pro Bowler and 4 time all-AFL, Gilchrist was the gold standard in professional football for the big back. No, he wasn't Jim Brown, but he was as fantastic football player.
Marques Haynes Dies; World’s Greatest Dribbler Succumbs at 89
See more at: http://prosportsextra.com/2015/05/22/marques-haynes-dies-worlds-greatest-dribbler-succumbs-at-89/#sthash.qFoKavfL.dpuf
Known as “the world’s greatest dribbler”, Marques Hayes died today of natural causes in Plano, Texas. From wiki: Many consider him the premier ballhandler who ever lived, and his game influenced players such as Bob Cousy, Pete Maravich, and Fred “Curly” Neal. It is possible that Haynes has played more professional basketball games than anyone else in history, staying active well into his sixties. Marques is known for his catch phrase, “I’m Marques Haynes, I’ll show you how!” Born in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Haynes attended Langston University (Langston, OK) from 1942-1946. While at Langston, a significant event led to his future fame in basketball. As reported by wiki: he once dribbled out the clock in a conference tournament game to ridicule an opponent, Southern University, which had just run up the score against an inferior team (Sam Huston College, later Huston-Tillotson University), which incidentally, was coached by a young Jackie Robinson. Haynes’ own coach, the legendary Zip Gayles, reprimanded him for the showboating display, but it helped draw the attention of the Globetrotters, always on the search for trick ballhandlers; Langston was invited to play an exhibition game against the Globetrotters in Oklahoma City. In that game, Haynes led Langston to a 4-point win and was immediately invited to join the Globetrotters, and (after returning to Langston to complete his degree) his long professional career began. Playing with the Trotters from 1947-53, Haynes turned down a contract to play for the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA worth $35,000, which would have made him the second highest player in the Association at the time. Haynes was inducted into the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Mr. Haynes getting his Hall-of-Fame of Oklahoma award below.
Minnie Minoso Dies at 89 (or 92);
Passes Away in Chicago; Played in 5 Decades in the Majors
by Fred PahlkePosted on Sunday, March 1st, 2015
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Legendary Major League Baseball icon, Cuban born Minnie Minoso died today in his beloved Chicago at age 92, or 89. Actual date of birth is discussable. Minoso was found dead in his car at a local gas station. Foul play has been ruled out with death from natural causes.
Never a Hall-of-Fame member, Minoso superseded that honor with his unique name, the time table of his career, and a personality that allowed him to be as honored a White Sox as any that played on the South side. Without a doubt, he was a great ball player.
The city of Chicago’s first black player, a 7 time All-Star, Minoso was traded to the White Sox in 1951 and played 12 of his 17 seasons for the Pale Hose. Retiring his #9 jersey in 1983, the White Sox erected a statue of him at US Cellular Field in 2004.
Getting two official at-bats in 1980, he was only one of two players in MLB history to play in five decades (1940-1980). A tough cookie, Minoso led the lead in hit-batsmen 9 times from 1952 through 1961 and with 192 plunks, is 9th all-time in that category. Minoso was a big time player in the Negro Leagues where he played his first five seasons in professional baseball in the US, beginning in 1945.
From Minnie Minoso’s website: America came calling and for the remainder of 1945 and the next three seasons he would play for the New York Cubans of the Negro National League. His initial salary was only $150 a month, well below what he could have earned in Mexico. Minnie wanted to play baseball in America. In both 1947 and 1948, the Negro Leagues had two east-west All-Star games. Minoso was selected to play in all four games and had an impressive .304 batting average. The Sunday, July 27, 1947 game was attended by more than 48,000 enthusiastic black and white fans. This was thousands more than attended the major league All-Star game played less than three weeks earlier. Minoso’s New York Cubans would later play the Cleveland Buckeyes in the 1947 Negro League World Series .423 batting average, Minoso would lead his team to the championship.
http://www.minoso.com/index.html
A wonderfully skilled ball player, Minoso was a career .298 hitter, a three time Gold Glove outfielder, and four times finished in the top four of American League MVP voting. His combination of power and speed also put him in rare company. During the 1950’s, two players had 100 HR & 100 SB while hitting .300, Willie Mays & Minoso.
“Despite the push by the White Sox and other prominent Latin players, Minoso has never made it to Cooperstown. His highest percentage during his 15 years on the writers’ ballot was 21.1 in 1988. He was considered by the Veterans Committee in 2014 and fell short of the required percentage for induction.”
“’My last dream is to be in Cooperstown, to be with those guys,”’ Minoso said at not being in the Hall. “’I want to be there. This is my life’s dream.”
Chairman of the Board of the Chicago White Sox Jery Reinsdord released a statement today: Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today. We have lost our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling … When you talk about the top players in the American League in the 1950s, you talk about Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Minnie Minoso.”
Never a Hall-of-Fame member, Minoso superseded that honor with his unique name, the time table of his career, and a personality that allowed him to be as honored a White Sox as any that played on the South side. Without a doubt, he was a great ball player.
The city of Chicago’s first black player, a 7 time All-Star, Minoso was traded to the White Sox in 1951 and played 12 of his 17 seasons for the Pale Hose. Retiring his #9 jersey in 1983, the White Sox erected a statue of him at US Cellular Field in 2004.
Getting two official at-bats in 1980, he was only one of two players in MLB history to play in five decades (1940-1980). A tough cookie, Minoso led the lead in hit-batsmen 9 times from 1952 through 1961 and with 192 plunks, is 9th all-time in that category. Minoso was a big time player in the Negro Leagues where he played his first five seasons in professional baseball in the US, beginning in 1945.
From Minnie Minoso’s website: America came calling and for the remainder of 1945 and the next three seasons he would play for the New York Cubans of the Negro National League. His initial salary was only $150 a month, well below what he could have earned in Mexico. Minnie wanted to play baseball in America. In both 1947 and 1948, the Negro Leagues had two east-west All-Star games. Minoso was selected to play in all four games and had an impressive .304 batting average. The Sunday, July 27, 1947 game was attended by more than 48,000 enthusiastic black and white fans. This was thousands more than attended the major league All-Star game played less than three weeks earlier. Minoso’s New York Cubans would later play the Cleveland Buckeyes in the 1947 Negro League World Series .423 batting average, Minoso would lead his team to the championship.
http://www.minoso.com/index.html
A wonderfully skilled ball player, Minoso was a career .298 hitter, a three time Gold Glove outfielder, and four times finished in the top four of American League MVP voting. His combination of power and speed also put him in rare company. During the 1950’s, two players had 100 HR & 100 SB while hitting .300, Willie Mays & Minoso.
“Despite the push by the White Sox and other prominent Latin players, Minoso has never made it to Cooperstown. His highest percentage during his 15 years on the writers’ ballot was 21.1 in 1988. He was considered by the Veterans Committee in 2014 and fell short of the required percentage for induction.”
“’My last dream is to be in Cooperstown, to be with those guys,”’ Minoso said at not being in the Hall. “’I want to be there. This is my life’s dream.”
Chairman of the Board of the Chicago White Sox Jery Reinsdord released a statement today: Our organization and our city have suffered a heart-breaking loss today. We have lost our dear friend and a great man. Many tears are falling … When you talk about the top players in the American League in the 1950s, you talk about Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Minnie Minoso.”
Clay/Liston 2
50 Years Ago, May 25, 1965
See more at: http://prosportsextra.com/2015/05/23/clay-over-liston-2-50-years-ago-may-25-1965/#sthash.V0zliT9Q.dpuf
The heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali stood over Sonny Liston in the first round of their title fight in Lewiston, Me., on May 25, 1965, and was heard to say, “Get up and fight, sucker!” Credit John Rooney/Associated Press - See more at: http://prosportsextra.com/2015/05/23/clay-over-liston-2-50-years-ago-may-25-1965/#sthash.V0zliT9Q.dpuf
May 25th, 1965, Lewiston, Maine. A Tuesday night.
The boxing world took focus on the re-match of the Heavy-weight Championship of the World between the title holder, the former Cassius Clay, now fighting for the first time as Muhammad Ali, and the challenger, Sonny Liston, whom Clay beat for the title just 15 months prior.From the ending of the first Clay-Liston fight on February 25, 1964, until the two stepped into the ring in Lewiston, chaos and controversy engaged both fighters as boxing game audience was enthralled in a day to day, month to month soap opera that would make a one hell of a mini-series.
Boxing was in a dark era of commotion as many questioned the legitimacy of the fight (1st Clay-Liston) in the Convention Hall in Miami Beach in February 1964. It was a 6th round TKO win for Clay as Liston didn’t come out of his corner for the 7th round.Clay had complained at the end of the 4th round to his corner man Angelo Dundee that he couldn’t see, as it was speculated that Clay’s eyes had been affected from some substance on Liston’s gloves in that round. Years later Liston’s trainer confessed that Liston ordered him to “fix” the gloves to blind Clay.
A few days later it was found out that Liston and Clay had a re-match already scheduled and many believed that Liston would make a lot more money if he lost the fight and had the 2nd fight as an ex-champ.Liston complained he hurt his shoulder and gave some reason that was why the towel was tossed in the ring after round 6. Some boxing aficionados say he was hurt, many others say Liston was faking it, and gave no credence that he couldn’t have continued.Issue after issue continued to surface. Was the fight fixed by the Mob? The fight was examined as high as a US Senate subcommittee, which found no basis of Liston or Clay or their handlers fixing the bout. Liston/Clay was the first heavyweight title bout to change hands since 1919 ending with the champ sitting on his stool.The fight was fodder for the press. It was a zoo from Liston/Clay to the 2nd Clay/Liston 15 months later.
Two days after becoming the champ Clay announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and wanted to be recognized as Cassius X. That didn’t go over with the boxing public. Many believed that Ali had joined a black hate group toward whites.On March 12, less than a month after “One”, Sonny Liston was arrested on charges of reckless driving, speeding, and carrying a concealed weapon just to mention the nature of the beast. Ali and Liston were not doing boxing any favors and neither were held in high esteem by the American public, not to even mention the sports fans of the nation now being divided by race, war, and social unrest. It would be the start of the end of innocence in the United States and within a short few years all hell would burn in cities across the land.
The first date for the 2nd fight was Nov. 16, 1964 in the Garden in Boston. Liston got into the best shape of his life for that date but three days before they were to step in the ring Ali underwent hernia surgery which pushed the fight back 6 months.As the new fight date of May 25th approached, Liston was again arrested and speculation of his involvement with organized crime again surfaced. On May 7th the Boston Garden and the State of Mass. backed out on the fight and Boston was now shelved as the location of Liston/Ali 2.The fight was quickly moved to Lewiston, Maine, a city of 41,000, and the Androscoggin Bank Coliseum (4,900), a junior hockey venue would be the site. It would be the smallest city since a Jack Dempsey heavyweight championship in 1923 to host. Only 2,434 attended Liston/Clay 2 as the public was disgusted with both fighters, their activities leading up to the contest not pleasing the boxing public.
As for the fight, it would become the most controversial and shortest heavyweight title fights in history. Needless to say, Ali defended his title with a first round KO. As for the particulars and such of the historic fight, you can go to the history books and film (below). This is a good place to let you do the homework if you care about boxing, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, the heavyweight division, and May 25th, 1965, 50 years ago this Memorial Day.
(As a 12 year old on the day, my Daddy and I attended the fight at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Oklahoma City. As we entered the Auditorium, we were running late and just as we ascended the runway into the cavernous auditorium, we heard a shout and almost immediately men started running at us from the top of the runway down toward the exits. The fight was over and my Dad and I missed it. Damn, we missed it. The announced crowd at the Municipal Auditorium in OKC was 1500 for the closed circuit TV broadcast. Clay/Liston had sold 3,500 tickets in OKC. It was the last event I can recall that I was late. Sports events that is. I was ruined that day. Never to be late for a sports event. Below is the newspaper ad from the May 24th Daily Oklahoman giving information about the fight the next day. Notice, no time was given. It still hurts me to this day I didn’t see the one rounder. My Dad and I were Cassius Clay fans even if the Daily Oklahoman would not call Ali by his new name. Interesting.)
The boxing world took focus on the re-match of the Heavy-weight Championship of the World between the title holder, the former Cassius Clay, now fighting for the first time as Muhammad Ali, and the challenger, Sonny Liston, whom Clay beat for the title just 15 months prior.From the ending of the first Clay-Liston fight on February 25, 1964, until the two stepped into the ring in Lewiston, chaos and controversy engaged both fighters as boxing game audience was enthralled in a day to day, month to month soap opera that would make a one hell of a mini-series.
Boxing was in a dark era of commotion as many questioned the legitimacy of the fight (1st Clay-Liston) in the Convention Hall in Miami Beach in February 1964. It was a 6th round TKO win for Clay as Liston didn’t come out of his corner for the 7th round.Clay had complained at the end of the 4th round to his corner man Angelo Dundee that he couldn’t see, as it was speculated that Clay’s eyes had been affected from some substance on Liston’s gloves in that round. Years later Liston’s trainer confessed that Liston ordered him to “fix” the gloves to blind Clay.
A few days later it was found out that Liston and Clay had a re-match already scheduled and many believed that Liston would make a lot more money if he lost the fight and had the 2nd fight as an ex-champ.Liston complained he hurt his shoulder and gave some reason that was why the towel was tossed in the ring after round 6. Some boxing aficionados say he was hurt, many others say Liston was faking it, and gave no credence that he couldn’t have continued.Issue after issue continued to surface. Was the fight fixed by the Mob? The fight was examined as high as a US Senate subcommittee, which found no basis of Liston or Clay or their handlers fixing the bout. Liston/Clay was the first heavyweight title bout to change hands since 1919 ending with the champ sitting on his stool.The fight was fodder for the press. It was a zoo from Liston/Clay to the 2nd Clay/Liston 15 months later.
Two days after becoming the champ Clay announced that he had joined the Nation of Islam and wanted to be recognized as Cassius X. That didn’t go over with the boxing public. Many believed that Ali had joined a black hate group toward whites.On March 12, less than a month after “One”, Sonny Liston was arrested on charges of reckless driving, speeding, and carrying a concealed weapon just to mention the nature of the beast. Ali and Liston were not doing boxing any favors and neither were held in high esteem by the American public, not to even mention the sports fans of the nation now being divided by race, war, and social unrest. It would be the start of the end of innocence in the United States and within a short few years all hell would burn in cities across the land.
The first date for the 2nd fight was Nov. 16, 1964 in the Garden in Boston. Liston got into the best shape of his life for that date but three days before they were to step in the ring Ali underwent hernia surgery which pushed the fight back 6 months.As the new fight date of May 25th approached, Liston was again arrested and speculation of his involvement with organized crime again surfaced. On May 7th the Boston Garden and the State of Mass. backed out on the fight and Boston was now shelved as the location of Liston/Ali 2.The fight was quickly moved to Lewiston, Maine, a city of 41,000, and the Androscoggin Bank Coliseum (4,900), a junior hockey venue would be the site. It would be the smallest city since a Jack Dempsey heavyweight championship in 1923 to host. Only 2,434 attended Liston/Clay 2 as the public was disgusted with both fighters, their activities leading up to the contest not pleasing the boxing public.
As for the fight, it would become the most controversial and shortest heavyweight title fights in history. Needless to say, Ali defended his title with a first round KO. As for the particulars and such of the historic fight, you can go to the history books and film (below). This is a good place to let you do the homework if you care about boxing, Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, the heavyweight division, and May 25th, 1965, 50 years ago this Memorial Day.
(As a 12 year old on the day, my Daddy and I attended the fight at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Oklahoma City. As we entered the Auditorium, we were running late and just as we ascended the runway into the cavernous auditorium, we heard a shout and almost immediately men started running at us from the top of the runway down toward the exits. The fight was over and my Dad and I missed it. Damn, we missed it. The announced crowd at the Municipal Auditorium in OKC was 1500 for the closed circuit TV broadcast. Clay/Liston had sold 3,500 tickets in OKC. It was the last event I can recall that I was late. Sports events that is. I was ruined that day. Never to be late for a sports event. Below is the newspaper ad from the May 24th Daily Oklahoman giving information about the fight the next day. Notice, no time was given. It still hurts me to this day I didn’t see the one rounder. My Dad and I were Cassius Clay fans even if the Daily Oklahoman would not call Ali by his new name. Interesting.)
Article on Oakland's Move to OKC Draws 15,000 Facebook Likes
Oakland Raiders Make Move to OKC;
New Ownership Richest in the NFL
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2015
It might be a surprise to the nation, but to the folks in Oklahoma City, the buzz of having the NFL come and locate to the great state of Oklahoma, it wasn’t. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders, wanting to get a new place to play, either in Oakland or in Los Angeles, have been bought by big oil from the south plains and will be coming to downtown OKC for the 2016 NFL season as plans for a 65,000 seat stadium on the banks of the Oklahoma River have been approved. The ownership group that bought out the Raiders is led by Oklahoma billionaires Harold Hamm and Francis Kaiser. The cost, a whopping 1.5 billion dollars. No Oklahoma City money was involved. Spokesmen for the new ownership, called the Raiders on the River, OKC.LLC, said the deal had been in the works for about a year. NFL approval was granted by the league on Friday. The new money the ownership brings to the league was a strong selling point for the move. More to come later in the day as the news hits the wires. Happy April Fools Day from OKC!
PS-if this is the first time for you to read this article it has been stated that the Raiders are not coming to Okla.City at this time but reserve the right to move the team at anytime.
You and 14,155 others like this.
www.http://prosportsextra.com/2015/04/01/oakland-raiders-make-move-to-okc-new-ownership-richest-in-the-nfl/
PS-if this is the first time for you to read this article it has been stated that the Raiders are not coming to Okla.City at this time but reserve the right to move the team at anytime.
You and 14,155 others like this.
www.http://prosportsextra.com/2015/04/01/oakland-raiders-make-move-to-okc-new-ownership-richest-in-the-nfl/
Westbrook’s Historic Play Supercedes MVP Honor
by Fred Pahlke
| Posted on Monday, March 9th, 2015
As followers of the Association can attest to, Russell Westbrook is playing in rarified air with five of six triple doubles in his past games. This following an incredible month of February has put the point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder on level with historic greats such as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson, just to mention three of the highest echelon of NBA royalty. Westbrook’s play for a certain time period, and his accomplishments could be the springboard for career numbers that could transform him into belonging with the MJ’s, Wilts, and Oscar’s for life time achievements in professional basketball. This string of excellence supersedes MVP honors as Westbrook is statistically becoming the greatest on-court basketball player currently on the court.
At the end of February, ESPN Tom Haberstogh summed it up:
“Westbrook is doing things right now that we’ve never seen. This month, he’s averaging 30.4 points, 10.2 assists and 8.7 rebounds — all in less than 35 minutes per game. But relying solely on the box score doesn’t capture his overwhelming brilliance on the basketball court. On Friday, the opening day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, there’s no better time to walk through why Westbrook is having statistically the most offensively dominant NBA season ever.”
If you do not understand the significance of Westbrook’s historic play I would suggest you read Haerstogh’s complete article found here: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12391824/russell-westbrook-most-offensively-dominant-player-league-history-nba
Yes, it will be a crap shoot in who wins the MVP for the season. Curry, Hardin and Westbrook seem to have the inside tract over James, Davis and anyone else. But when this season is said and done and five, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, Westbrook’s name will emerge when other future greats meet or break some of the records of Michael, Wilt, Pete, Oscar, and yes, Russell. At 26, Westbrook is playing the best basketball of any human on the earth. You can take that to the bank without discussion.
At the end of February, ESPN Tom Haberstogh summed it up:
“Westbrook is doing things right now that we’ve never seen. This month, he’s averaging 30.4 points, 10.2 assists and 8.7 rebounds — all in less than 35 minutes per game. But relying solely on the box score doesn’t capture his overwhelming brilliance on the basketball court. On Friday, the opening day of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, there’s no better time to walk through why Westbrook is having statistically the most offensively dominant NBA season ever.”
If you do not understand the significance of Westbrook’s historic play I would suggest you read Haerstogh’s complete article found here: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12391824/russell-westbrook-most-offensively-dominant-player-league-history-nba
Yes, it will be a crap shoot in who wins the MVP for the season. Curry, Hardin and Westbrook seem to have the inside tract over James, Davis and anyone else. But when this season is said and done and five, ten, fifteen, twenty years down the road, Westbrook’s name will emerge when other future greats meet or break some of the records of Michael, Wilt, Pete, Oscar, and yes, Russell. At 26, Westbrook is playing the best basketball of any human on the earth. You can take that to the bank without discussion.
Tark Gone
Tarkanian Dies; Thanks for the Memories
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2015
Jerry Tarkanian died today in Las Vegas at the age of 84. Tark was one of the greatest coaches in College basketball history. My first game to watch this man coach was in the early 70’s when he brought his Long Beach State’s nationally ranked teams to Oklahoma City to play the Chiefs of OCU. A match-up between two Hall-0f-Fame coaches, the Abe Lemons/Jerry Tarkanian buzz was about as good as game itself. Two of the most colorful coaches, winners in all respect. As much as I love Abe and his teams (my alma mater), the Shark’s 49ers came from behind in the second half to beat Abe’s boys. Again, as was his history, Abe Lemons, his team with a lead playing a run and gun/man defense, he took his team out of what was working to try something else. OCU played like the team to do in the Top Ten 49ers. But Abe outcoached himself as his team went into a zone in the second half and Tark took advantage of the adjustment and pulled out the win.
I also remember when Tark brought his Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebs to OKC a few years later on a rainy night in OKC. The State Fairgrounds Arena leaked like an OCU defense and I was there when both Tark and Abe stood in the wings of the building discussing what to do. Finally, with heart felt friendship, the shook hands and told the officials that the game would be cancelled. Disappointed, I still got a memory of the two men making an education decision that the floor was dangerous and the game would not be played. I could tell that both men would go out to eat that night, as the two had great respect for each other as a coaching friendship is hard to beat.
Jerry Tarkaian took some fine teams to the final four finally winning one with Las Vegas. You can read the incidentials of Tark’s life at this site: www.http://sports.yahoo.com/news/son-former-unlv-coach-tarkanian-dies-las-vegas-171512953–ncaab.html
As for me, never a good day to hear about someone of greatness that passes. Thank you Tark and you too Abe. It is always a significant memory when you get to see the best do their job. Appreciated more than you know.
I also remember when Tark brought his Las Vegas Runnin’ Rebs to OKC a few years later on a rainy night in OKC. The State Fairgrounds Arena leaked like an OCU defense and I was there when both Tark and Abe stood in the wings of the building discussing what to do. Finally, with heart felt friendship, the shook hands and told the officials that the game would be cancelled. Disappointed, I still got a memory of the two men making an education decision that the floor was dangerous and the game would not be played. I could tell that both men would go out to eat that night, as the two had great respect for each other as a coaching friendship is hard to beat.
Jerry Tarkaian took some fine teams to the final four finally winning one with Las Vegas. You can read the incidentials of Tark’s life at this site: www.http://sports.yahoo.com/news/son-former-unlv-coach-tarkanian-dies-las-vegas-171512953–ncaab.html
As for me, never a good day to hear about someone of greatness that passes. Thank you Tark and you too Abe. It is always a significant memory when you get to see the best do their job. Appreciated more than you know.
(January 21, 2011 - Source: Ethan Miller/Getty Images North America)
Brian Kelly Burden: An Oklahoma Treasure
Myself on the left with Brian Kelly Burden, the 1st Oklahoman to fight for a World Boxing Title.
(Photo by Charolet Pahlke-Copyright 2003)
I was driving through Drumright, OK a few years ago and as I looked over to my right going west on the state highway that ran through the neat little city. Near the large high school building/auditorium I caught a man running down the hill toward me in a steady but strong jog. Immediately I said to my wife that I knew that man and pulled the car over, got out, and greeted the single runner.
Surprised in seeing him, I called out and said, "hey, where you going." The man didn't immediately recognized me but I again called out, "Mr. Burden, how you doing. Remember me, Mr. Pahlke, Principal at North Highlands Elementary?"
After a second or two, more like a minute, the man gathered his mind and then said, "Sure. Mr. Fred. Yes". He had a surprised look but was happy to see a stranger that was befuddling to his mind.
"Fred Pahlke. What are you doing in Drumright Mr. Burden?"
We visited for about ten minutes about old times. I introduced him to my wife. Finally we shook hands. saying goodbye,.I knew that I would probably never see the man again. He looked great but mentally not too sharp. That didn't matter. The years of his profession, his first profession, had caught up with him. I learned, from our conversation, he had a wonderful family living in the area, with one son coaching at Drumright, another at Cushing, his birthplace. He was proud of his children and his grand children and such. Before we drove off I had my wife snap a picture of the man standing next to me.
Back in the car I gave my wife a little history I had of the man and how I was to know him.
Brian Kelly Burden grew up in Oklahoma, Cushing to be exact. He was a college graduate, was the former School superintendent at Thackerville, OK, a long time educator. I met him later in life when he was a substitute teacher in Oklahoma City, mostly at North Highlands. Mr. Burden was a believer in children. Children, to him could do no wrong. He believed them no matter what they said. He taught PE for me. He officiated my children at the Edmond YMCA when they played sports. He was ever mindful of being a positive role model for them. He apologized when he called a foul on a child, trying not to hurt their 5 year old feelings. Get the picture. Mr. Burden is a unique individual. He is a one of a kind. A true Oklahoma treasure.
Mr. Burden is one of the best people I have every run the same path with. I have a list of my all-time best people I have ever met and Mr. Burden is on the list. A very short list. Again this is just my list, something I think about a lot, as I get older. Currently the list has only four members. Yes four. My list only includes people that I have met. Nothing negative, always positive. Burden is on my list and unless I hear something or witness something he will always be on my list.
I told my wife that he was physically doing great. Running miles a day, still in great shape. Strong as a sixty plus year old man could be.
Brian Kelly (Burden) was the first Oklahoman to fight for a World's Boxing Championship. He lost, in Dec. 1971, at the Fairgounds Arena to Bob Foster, a 3rd round TKO. The fight was for the WBC Light Heavy Weight title. He was a game fighter that night, being knocked down twice in the 2nd round, getting up each time. At the end of his career he was 45-12-0 with over 300 hard rounds. Those rounds took some of the spark out of him, but he would never tell you that.
Kelly Burden was the forerunner for Sean O'Grady, and I learned that Sean's father was his trainer. I haven't seen Mr. Burden for a time so how he is doing (mentally sharp I'm not too sure.) I can't be specific. But it was an honor to know him and be on his path. (A story about young children boxers on the south side touched my memory to write this. Mr. Burden started/worked at that gym. The pic was the one my wife took that day when we met in Drumright. Currently as of 2015 Mr. Burden is living with assistance but I am sure he is still brightening the people around him.
at
dateopponentW-L-Dlast 6location
1974-03-14Charles Atlas5-6-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USALKO3
1974-02-05Mike Quarry39-4-3Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USALUD1010
1974-01-18Jimmy Cross19-7-1Memorial Hall, Joplin, Missouri, USAWTKO610
referee: Pug Walker
according to Dick Reekie of Boxing News Harrington was in fact Jimmy Cross a well know user of aliaii
1973-11-14Pete Ellison Knight5-20-3Memorial Hall, Joplin, Missouri, USAWTKO310
time: 1:26
The show had three professional bouts and several amateur bouts.
1973-10-16Larry Brazier32-11-1Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1212
1973-07-17Jimmy Cross17-4-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1973-07-03Bob Crutison0-5-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1973-06-19Johnny RiggsOklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO210
time: 2:10
1973-06-05Jimmy Cross15-3-0Fairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1973-04-09Chris Finnegan24-4-1Hilton Hotel, Mayfair, London, United KingdomLTKO410x3
time: 2:09 | referee: Harry Gibbs
1972-11-30Jimmy Cross11-2-0West Memphis, Arkansas, USAWPTS1010
1972-11-09Rich Williams0-2-0West Memphis, Arkansas, USAWKO5
Main-Event
1972-10-11Ray Vega7-20-1Memphis, Tennessee, USAWKO2
1972-09-05Jimmy Phillips1-2-1Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO3
1972-05-16Pat O'Connor29-0-0Auditorium, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USALTKO110
time: 2:05 | referee: Billy McCabe
Kelly down 3 times. St. Paul Pioneer Press 5-17-72. Attendance: 3,700 Gate: $18,000
1972-03-27Sarel Aucamp16-3-0Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South AfricaLDQ610
referee: Stanley Christodoulou
1972-03-08Jim FisherOklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO1
1972-02-08Scott Wisooker10-21-1Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO4
1971-12-16Bob Foster45-5-0Fairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USALTKO315
time: 1:56 | referee: Earl Keel
WBC World light heavyweight title
Kelly was down twice in the 2nd, and once in the 3rd.
1971-10-26James Tyler Singleton0-7-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO3
1971-10-02Bruce Scott7-16-0Community Center, Cushing, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1971-08-10Roger Rouse37-16-5Assembly Hall, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USAWUD1010
Rouse was knocked down in the 7th round.
1971-07-03Willis Earls12-14-2Cushing, Oklahoma, USAWKO5
1971-06-01Alonzo Harris14-21-6Fairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWTKO1020
Promoter Pat O'Grady scheduled this bout for 20 rounds.
1971-05-18Billy Marsh51-75-16Fairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1971-04-15Joe Murphy Goodwin1-10-1Austin, Texas, USAWTKO2
1971-04-06George PriceFairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO310
1971-03-23Cassius Clay Scott6-19-0Tulsa, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1971-03-02Alonzo Harris12-19-6Fairgrounds International Building , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWUD1212
USA Oklahoma State light heavyweight title
1971-02-02Allen Moten6-28-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO2
1971-01-19Harold Brown2-7-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO1
1970-12-01Tommy Sims35-32-4Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1970-10-20Spider Jenkins0-1-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO3
1970-09-01Larry Brazier26-8-1Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1970-08-18Freddie Calloway5-16-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO5
1970-06-09Frank Evans2-10-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1970-05-05Paul Patin34-6-1Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWUD1010
1970-04-28Ben StevensCrushing, Oklahoma, USAWKO1
1970-03-17Robert WilliamsOklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1010
1970-02-03Cassius Clay Scott6-16-0Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWKO910
1969-11-25Alonzo Harris12-18-6Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USAWPTS1212
1969-10-14Ricardo Williams4-1-0Stockyards Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USALPTS66
1968-01-29Bob Harrington9-2-4Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, USALUD1010
1967-12-12James WilsonArena, Saint Louis, Missouri, USAWKO2
time: 2:01
1967-10-16Rudy Rodriguez16-11-6Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, USAWPTS1010
Rodriguez was knocked down once in the fourth round and once in the ninth round.
1967-10-03Bob Harrington8-1-4Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, USALTKO610
1967-05-23Alonzo Harris10-14-6Saint Louis, Missouri, USAWKO8
1967-03-21Jack McCracken13-16-0Kansas City, Missouri, USAWTKO410
referee: Jerry Morales
1967-02-28Art Hernandez30-5-2Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, USALUD1010
1967-01-10Henry Burton6-22-5Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, USAWKO410
1966-12-12Art Hernandez28-5-1Auditorium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USALUD1010
referee: Paul Konnor
1966-10-25Tom Smiley Johnson2-4-0Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, USAWKO210
time: 1:05
1966-05-23Art Hernandez28-4-1Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, USAWTKO310
time: 2:04 | referee: Sammy Anch
1966-05-02Ray Vega6-4-1Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, USAWUD1010
1965-10-13Tiger Joe Davis0-1-0Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas, USAWKO3
1965-08-09Joe DavisMemorial Hall, Kansas City, Missouri, USAWPTS66
1962-10-23Eddie MendezCandlestick Park, San Francisco, California, USALPTS44
Trained by Pat O'Grady.
Worked as a high school
principal in Oklahoma.
Rated in the top 10 of the lightheavyweight division
in the early 1970's.
Global ID: 10870
nationality: U.S. American
sex: male
division: light heavyweight
stance: orthodox
height: 5′ 10″ / 178cm
reach: 72″ / 183cm
alias: Kelly Burden
country: United States
residence: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
birth place: Cushing, OK
won 45 (KO 26)
+ lost 11 (KO 4)
+ drawn 0 = 56
rounds boxed: 355 KO% 46.4
Banks Gone
Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks passed away this week at the age of 83. The Baseball Hall-of-Famer was the greatest baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, and with respect to the White Sox on the south side, arguably the best and most popular player in the Midwestern City. Some say that Banks is looked upon as the most memorable athlete ever the Chi-town, trumping Michael Jordan. Banks’s Cubs had only 6 winning seasons and he never played a post-season game, let alone a World Series appearance.
Banks began his professional baseball career in 1948 with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League followed by two years in the Army. Chicago bought his contract from KCM he and made his Major League debut in 1953, becoming the Cubs first black franchise player. Banks was the face of the club for the next 19 years and one of the best players of all-time. His numbers: 2,583 hits, 11 National League All-Star selections, two of the league’s Most Valuable Player and 512 home runs, including five seasons hitting more than 40 homers. A first ballot Hall member, Mr. Cub/Mr. Sunshine will never be forgotten.
A personal note: As a young child and teenager, the Cubs were often on TV and those not-so-great teams that played for Mr. Wrigley were none the less loaded with some great ballplayers. Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ryne Sandberg and others later, Ernie Banks was always the man. I loved watching those Cubs for the star quality, the great Wrigley Field (high scoring games), and most importantly, the competition of the National League…..you cannot beat the NL for the stars that played……Stan Musial comes to mind. Stan the Man verses Mr. Cub? Couldn’t get better than that.
Banks began his professional baseball career in 1948 with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro League followed by two years in the Army. Chicago bought his contract from KCM he and made his Major League debut in 1953, becoming the Cubs first black franchise player. Banks was the face of the club for the next 19 years and one of the best players of all-time. His numbers: 2,583 hits, 11 National League All-Star selections, two of the league’s Most Valuable Player and 512 home runs, including five seasons hitting more than 40 homers. A first ballot Hall member, Mr. Cub/Mr. Sunshine will never be forgotten.
A personal note: As a young child and teenager, the Cubs were often on TV and those not-so-great teams that played for Mr. Wrigley were none the less loaded with some great ballplayers. Ferguson Jenkins, Ron Santo, Billy Williams, and Ryne Sandberg and others later, Ernie Banks was always the man. I loved watching those Cubs for the star quality, the great Wrigley Field (high scoring games), and most importantly, the competition of the National League…..you cannot beat the NL for the stars that played……Stan Musial comes to mind. Stan the Man verses Mr. Cub? Couldn’t get better than that.
Thunder Struck With Another Loss; Presti, What Are You Going to Do?
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Thursday, January 29th, 2015
A sore toe, a broken Jones bone, a wrist that needed surgery, and a turned ankle. Injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook that give credence to why the Oklahoma City Thunder are currently stuck at a precarious 23-23 season record and four or so games out of playoff contention in the Western Conference of the NBA. All things considered, OKC is standing on the middle rung of the ladder, ready to either ascend to the top (or at least one or two steps up to get into playoff position), or fall completely off. This franchise is on the clock and after a 100-92 loss to the bottom feeding New York Knicks, it is apparent that Thunder GM Sam Presti has come to a crossroads in his tenure in OKC. Can Presti make the necessary changes in the coaching staff to jumpstart this most disappointing team or does he let the team play it out, hoping to see the injuries stop and hoping that the Thunder can string together a significant winning streak?
Kevin Durant is the key to what Presti does. Wanting KD’s approval as I watch this GM work, would firing Head Coach Scott Brooks have any effect in what the superstar does next year; making his decision to stay In OKC or leave and try his chances somewhere else, such as Washington, LA, or anywhere in-between? That decision, as important as it is, is, I believe, what is holding Presti back in doing what is needed for this current squad to meet expectations, that is, making a coaching change. Presti has always put the franchise first in drafting and dealing players to win games. He has been, for the most part, an excellent General Manager. Yet, when a GM caters to certain players such as a KD or a Russell Westbrook, the unraveling of an organization can come fast and furious. Presti has to treat his coaches as he would his players. When the time comes for make changes (again, my opinion that we have reached that time) for the betterment of the team, a GM must do what he has to do. Brooks, a good coach, one that has been successful in developing a young team into their maturity, is falling short with an older and more experienced group.
Playing hard every game, taking each opponent as a serious threat to beat you, has become somewhat of a joke in OKC. The Thunder didn’t respect New York last night as they didn’t respect Sacramento a couple of weeks ago, as they didn’t even attempt to play in a road game Houston during that same week. Taking games off is not acceptable in any respect and the Thunder are now in a pattern of doing just that. A media response that Coach Brooks might not be the answer had Russell Westbrook in a foul and immature mood, an unjustified response from any veteran professional. A true professional does not act like a that. Sure, the two superstars want Brooks as the coach but where is their leadership in directing the team to “put out” every game? If they really wanted Brooks to have job security they could show it in a better way.
As much as Westbrook plays hard, I must say that he is part of the problem. Either he doesn’t follow Brooks direction during games or he has been coach in a less than winning manner; or he has a basketball IQ in the range of a not-so-with it junior high baller. Fact is , Westbrook’ attitude has a significant bearing on Brook’s staying or not. As he gets into his late twenties, his act will wear thin not only with the local media but the fan base and his supporters. Acting moody or angry is not the Thunder way.
KD’s lack of intensity to play with injuries is becoming a significant problem. I probably shouldn’t go there. But I will. Sore big toe? KD, maybe that sore big toe might not be so sore if you weren’t paid for those games that you are day-to-day and not going. Get real. People work hurt, they suck it up. Right now that sorry big toe is going to sink this season and quite possibility your head coach.
Every day I wake up after a Thunder loss thinking that Scott Brooks has been relieved from his job and a new coach has been hired. If the situation in OKC doesn’t change that will happen, sooner or later, or sooner. Will someone in OKC get with the program. Presti? KD? Russell? Bennett? Ish Smith? Leadership is needed and I just don’t see it. Time is ticking this franchise into mediocrity.
Kevin Durant is the key to what Presti does. Wanting KD’s approval as I watch this GM work, would firing Head Coach Scott Brooks have any effect in what the superstar does next year; making his decision to stay In OKC or leave and try his chances somewhere else, such as Washington, LA, or anywhere in-between? That decision, as important as it is, is, I believe, what is holding Presti back in doing what is needed for this current squad to meet expectations, that is, making a coaching change. Presti has always put the franchise first in drafting and dealing players to win games. He has been, for the most part, an excellent General Manager. Yet, when a GM caters to certain players such as a KD or a Russell Westbrook, the unraveling of an organization can come fast and furious. Presti has to treat his coaches as he would his players. When the time comes for make changes (again, my opinion that we have reached that time) for the betterment of the team, a GM must do what he has to do. Brooks, a good coach, one that has been successful in developing a young team into their maturity, is falling short with an older and more experienced group.
Playing hard every game, taking each opponent as a serious threat to beat you, has become somewhat of a joke in OKC. The Thunder didn’t respect New York last night as they didn’t respect Sacramento a couple of weeks ago, as they didn’t even attempt to play in a road game Houston during that same week. Taking games off is not acceptable in any respect and the Thunder are now in a pattern of doing just that. A media response that Coach Brooks might not be the answer had Russell Westbrook in a foul and immature mood, an unjustified response from any veteran professional. A true professional does not act like a that. Sure, the two superstars want Brooks as the coach but where is their leadership in directing the team to “put out” every game? If they really wanted Brooks to have job security they could show it in a better way.
As much as Westbrook plays hard, I must say that he is part of the problem. Either he doesn’t follow Brooks direction during games or he has been coach in a less than winning manner; or he has a basketball IQ in the range of a not-so-with it junior high baller. Fact is , Westbrook’ attitude has a significant bearing on Brook’s staying or not. As he gets into his late twenties, his act will wear thin not only with the local media but the fan base and his supporters. Acting moody or angry is not the Thunder way.
KD’s lack of intensity to play with injuries is becoming a significant problem. I probably shouldn’t go there. But I will. Sore big toe? KD, maybe that sore big toe might not be so sore if you weren’t paid for those games that you are day-to-day and not going. Get real. People work hurt, they suck it up. Right now that sorry big toe is going to sink this season and quite possibility your head coach.
Every day I wake up after a Thunder loss thinking that Scott Brooks has been relieved from his job and a new coach has been hired. If the situation in OKC doesn’t change that will happen, sooner or later, or sooner. Will someone in OKC get with the program. Presti? KD? Russell? Bennett? Ish Smith? Leadership is needed and I just don’t see it. Time is ticking this franchise into mediocrity.
Midwest City Bombers/Oklahoma University Track
Wayne Long-High School sprinter and All-American 1968, 60 yard dash – University of Oklahoma
2009. This is a photo of three of the 1966 OU Freshmen 440 yard relay team that tied the National Freshmen record of 40.7 (twice). We beat the varsity (1966 Big 8 champions) one week after they had won the Big 8 meet, and our time was one-tenth of a second faster than their Big 8 championship time. Left to RIght: Coach Martin, Wayne Long, Glen Long, Mike Gregory. Missing is Rip Van Winkle. The Long’s are from OKC, Van Winkle and Mike Gregory from Midwest City. All lived within five miles of each other.
Travel back in time to 1965. Track field at Murray State College in Tishomingo OK; a fine spring Saturday afternoon. A high school track meet hosted by the junior college, bringing the finest track speedsters in the state together for a run off. In fact, a trio of three of the fastest high school dash men in the country, including twins from one inner-city high school in Oklahoma City, Glenn and Wayne Long, and the fastest white kid in Oklahoma High School history, a two-time State Champion at the distance, a kid named Rip Van Winkle. In all, the three had dominated the track scene from their sophomore days and all three had multiple State Titles before their senior year.
At a time when the World’s Record for the 100 yard dash was held by the great Bob Hayes at 9.0 seconds (and also the future holder of the 100 meter record at 10.0), the trio would pushing the limits of the 100, with all three timed at various meets in their high school careers at 9.5, non-wind aided.
The three would line up for the most significant race in Oklahoma high school track history. As their schools didn’t compete in the same state division, this race against each other was rare. All three were state champions and high school All-Americans as juniors. As a footnote, the Long brothers were black, Van Winkle, as already mentioned, white. At the time it was believed that “white” men couldn’t be fast, or at least, not as fast as a black man. Fact was that all three, in the time of racial inequality, of blatant racism across the county, with the historically significant events of Dr. Martin Luther King to follow, the three lived within five miles of each other and were friends in every respect. (They would all attend the Univ. of Oklahoma after high school to win Big 8 individual championships, both as team mates on relay teams and as individuals in dash events.)
As each runner set himself in the blocks of the 100 yard dash, the thousand or so true track fans were to witness high school greatness. At the gun the Long twins and Van Winkle didn’t give an inch and after 100 speed yards, all three were clocked (non-wind aided) in running the fastest 100 yard dash in Oklahoma history, with Glen Long breaking the tape for the win. With that, all three ran a 9.4 100, when the State record had been previously set at 9.5 by all three. A .4 off the world record and a .2 off a future and still high school record set in 1971 by Pharnell Raines in Florida (at 9.2).
Rip Van Winkle passed away a few years ago, the most decorated Oklahoma trackster of his time. The Long twins are still with us. The day belonged to the trio in the greatest 100 yard dash in state history. The greatest day in Oklahoma track and field for my money. And yes, I was there.
Rip Van Winkle:
220 yard – State Champion 2A: 1963, 1964, 1965
100 Yard – State Champion 2A: 1963, 1964, 1965
100 x 4 Relay – State Champion 2A: 1965
Member of the State Track & Field Championship Team (Midwest City – 1965 Class 2A Highest class in the State)
Glen Long:
220 yard – State Champion A: 1964, 1965
100 yard – State Champion A: 1964, 1965
Glen and Wayne Long:
200 x 4 Relay – State Champion A: 1964, 1965
100 x 4 Relay – State Champion A: 1964, 1965
400 x 4 Relay – State Champion A: 1964, 1965
Members of the State Track & Field Championship Team (Douglas High School-Okla.City – 1963, 1964. 1965 Class A)
NCAA All-Americans 60 yard dash, Univ. of Oklahoma: 1967 Glen Long; 1968 Wayne Long
Big Game Bob is on the Clock
Head Football Coach Bob Stoops, Univ. of Okla. (AP photo)
The Oklahoma Sooners will never win another National Championship in football until a couple of things happen. First, Head Coach Bob Stoops will have to challenge the Alabama’s, the USC’s, the Auburn’s, and the Ohio State’s for the very best talent in the high school ranks, year in and year out. Without getting the best of the best on a consistent basis, which means winning their share of the recruiting battles with these bad boys, OU football isn’t going to get back to the promised land. As a matter of fact, even as the third or fourth best team in the Big12 (yes, OU is not the best team in the league, far from it) the Sooners are now in an inferior position when it comes to recruiting even against conference members.
Second, which relates to the first conclusion, OU’s two game losing streak to Baylor (and it looks very likely that will grow to three) and a second consecutive loss to TCU next year won’t cut it for National honors. Oklahoma should never lose three consecutive years to Baylor and two consecutive years to TCU. That tells me that Bob Stoops, right now, today, is not cutting it, and in truth, not doing a satisfactory job as the Head Coach at the Univ. of Oklahoma. Maybe satisfactory at Texas Tech, and yes, at a Kansas State. But not at OKLAHOMA. Never ever should OU’s football program be taken to the woodshed by a Baylor for that period of time and the same with TCU. Yes, I am repeating myself, saying the same thing in different words. It’s that important. The coaching at Baylor under Art Briles and the coaching at TCU under Gary Patterson is better than Bob’s at OU Throw in recruiting and developing players inferior to more than one league member, along with poor game time coaching decisions and lack of preparation of players to be enthused to put the pads on, OU is skidding on uncharted territory. Even John Blake and Howard Who had their players pumped for a game, even if they still got rolled. Briles, Patterson and that old senior citizen coach in the Little Apple are getting it done. And you could also say the name Gundy also…..didn’t OSU beat OU? These coaches have replaced Bob Stoops as the benchmark coaches of league. Want to argue Gundy, go ahead, OSU “did” win.
OU’s total lack of play (or in other words, not showing up) in their bowl game against Clemson was a game changer with regard to Bob Stoops and OU football. It was offensive. Never should an OU team take the field without even an ounce of passion for the game. That Sooner team was disrespectful toward the Sooner program, the Sooner nation, and the Big 12 family.
Finally, with the improvement of the Univ. of Texas under Head Coach Charlie Strong and the again up-surge of in state rival Oklahoma State, Coach Stoops is in a precarious position and the program at OU might not even hit rock bottom as of this off season. Five loses in 2015 could balloon to six plus loses in 2016, and that’s not good news in Norman. Out with the old and in with the new in Norman?
Stoops better get with the program as three star recruits will not be the answer. A lack of talent at too many areas of the football team will not be corrected by getting players in recruiting battles with the lower echelon teams in the country. Out-recruiting Memphis or Colorado State is not Oklahoma. Alabama is not going anywhere soon as they again have the best new group of high school talent coming in again. OU? Sad isn’t it Sooner fans? And punting the ball over again when you can just give the other team the ball deep on their side of the field with seconds remaining can cost a Head Coach a job if it happens too much. A five million dollar contract is not worth a plug nickel if you lose football game at OU. That is why OU has been OU since World War Two. You start losing at OU and you are gone. There are only so many coordinators that Bob can fire. Feed the monster with grade A prime or someone else will. Hear that Big Game Bob.
The Oklahoma Sooners will never win another National Championship in football until a couple of things happen. First, Head Coach Bob Stoops will have to challenge the Alabama’s, the USC’s, the Auburn’s, and the Ohio State’s for the very best talent in the high school ranks, year in and year out. Without getting the best of the best on a consistent basis, which means winning their share of the recruiting battles with these bad boys, OU football isn’t going to get back to the promised land. As a matter of fact, even as the third or fourth best team in the Big12 (yes, OU is not the best team in the league, far from it) the Sooners are now in an inferior position when it comes to recruiting even against conference members.
Second, which relates to the first conclusion, OU’s two game losing streak to Baylor (and it looks very likely that will grow to three) and a second consecutive loss to TCU next year won’t cut it for National honors. Oklahoma should never lose three consecutive years to Baylor and two consecutive years to TCU. That tells me that Bob Stoops, right now, today, is not cutting it, and in truth, not doing a satisfactory job as the Head Coach at the Univ. of Oklahoma. Maybe satisfactory at Texas Tech, and yes, at a Kansas State. But not at OKLAHOMA. Never ever should OU’s football program be taken to the woodshed by a Baylor for that period of time and the same with TCU. Yes, I am repeating myself, saying the same thing in different words. It’s that important. The coaching at Baylor under Art Briles and the coaching at TCU under Gary Patterson is better than Bob’s at OU Throw in recruiting and developing players inferior to more than one league member, along with poor game time coaching decisions and lack of preparation of players to be enthused to put the pads on, OU is skidding on uncharted territory. Even John Blake and Howard Who had their players pumped for a game, even if they still got rolled. Briles, Patterson and that old senior citizen coach in the Little Apple are getting it done. And you could also say the name Gundy also…..didn’t OSU beat OU? These coaches have replaced Bob Stoops as the benchmark coaches of league. Want to argue Gundy, go ahead, OSU “did” win.
OU’s total lack of play (or in other words, not showing up) in their bowl game against Clemson was a game changer with regard to Bob Stoops and OU football. It was offensive. Never should an OU team take the field without even an ounce of passion for the game. That Sooner team was disrespectful toward the Sooner program, the Sooner nation, and the Big 12 family.
Finally, with the improvement of the Univ. of Texas under Head Coach Charlie Strong and the again up-surge of in state rival Oklahoma State, Coach Stoops is in a precarious position and the program at OU might not even hit rock bottom as of this off season. Five loses in 2015 could balloon to six plus loses in 2016, and that’s not good news in Norman. Out with the old and in with the new in Norman?
Stoops better get with the program as three star recruits will not be the answer. A lack of talent at too many areas of the football team will not be corrected by getting players in recruiting battles with the lower echelon teams in the country. Out-recruiting Memphis or Colorado State is not Oklahoma. Alabama is not going anywhere soon as they again have the best new group of high school talent coming in again. OU? Sad isn’t it Sooner fans? And punting the ball over again when you can just give the other team the ball deep on their side of the field with seconds remaining can cost a Head Coach a job if it happens too much. A five million dollar contract is not worth a plug nickel if you lose football game at OU. That is why OU has been OU since World War Two. You start losing at OU and you are gone. There are only so many coordinators that Bob can fire. Feed the monster with grade A prime or someone else will. Hear that Big Game Bob.
It Was Better in 63′ – NFL’s St. Louis Football Cardinals
Football at Busch Stadium…circa 1962 AUTHOR : ADMINISTRATOR PUBLISHED: AUGUST 3RD, 2010 Football at Busch Stadium…circa 1962 Portable stands along the right field baseball line and gravel in front of the bleachers ten yards behind the end zone ….but hey, the players had a ball….fans did too! Great picture to enlarge on your computer screen…get the full effect of a by-gone era.
Growing up in the early 1960’s I was treated on Sunday afternoons with only a couple of NFL games on the TV. Oklahoma City was in the St. Louis Football Cardinals market before there was a Dallas Cowboys, and viewing those early time-slot games out of St. Louis on the CBS network were never missed. Those games were played in a baseball stadium in St. Louis and I was always intrigued that the corners of the end zones banked right up to the wall of the stadium seating. Those pointy corners were always causing players smash themselves into oblivion. I cannot even remember if they were padded. The injuries say no. Those were the days for this really young kid to brainwash himself into a true sports fanatic.
Jack Drees was the TV announcer on those Cardinal broadcasts. Drees became my all-time favorite voice for NFL football, a couple of degrees hotter than the great and more famous Lindsay Nelson. Don’t get me wrong. Nelson was a historic voice, every bit the best NFL announcer of the day; but Drees was my favorite, only if by the number of times I heard his voice on any given Sunday. I can still remember that voice, that wonderful sports voice.
The Football Cardinals also wore my favorite uniforms, with respect to the Chicago Bears. Their all-white roadies, with the Bird head on that white helmet, was total classic. Since I watched those games in black and white, the contrast of those whites against a usually brown dirt field stood out with distinction. The Football Cardinals were always a step or two behind the better teams in the league, but not on star power on defense. Larry Wilson, good ole #8, the hardest hitter this side of anything the New York Giants could put on the field, was a safety blitz master. Hearing Mr. Drees calling out the great Cardinal defensive back crushing an opposing quarterback with a safety blitz was the best it could get. He did it often, most always effective, many times knocking himself out of the game as much as the quarterback. A Hall-of-Fame member, Larry Wilson was the best safety in the League when he played, with respect to the others in the league.
St. Louis now has the Rams and Arizona has the Cardinals. But for me, the Cards will always be the St. Louis Football Cardinals and the Rams will always be the Los Angeles Rams. Sure, some twenty, thirty years later after the franchise moves, the Rams and Cards are now elsewhere. But when I see those unique helmets, the Rams horn and the Cards bird head, I always think back to what was. And that will never change. Not ever.
Hall-of-Fame Safety, the great Larry Wilson
Jack Dress, NFL announcer
Nothing Has Changed as TCU is a Deserving National Champion
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Wednesday, December 31st, 2014
A Year of Significant Loss
Today’s TCU romp over the SEC’s Ole Miss Rebels proved that the Big 12 was not the pushover conference of the Five major ones in Division One. TCU’s win 49-5 over shadows the less than poor showings of Texas, Oklahoma and West Virginia in the first three bowl games that the Big 12 played in prior to today’s game. TCU and Baylor were the first two teams out when the selection committee picked Ohio State over them to play in the National Championship semi-finals allowing the Big 10 to take one of the four slots. Today’s win was decisive and put to rest the so-called superiority of the SEC over the rest of college football. Ole Miss was beaten like an old dog as TCU dominated in every aspect. It wasn’t close. Maybe the college football world will understand that even with one of the four teams selected to win the National Title that the winner will still be a “mythical” National Champion as TCU wasn’t “allowed” to participate. TCU, for my “VOTE”, is every much a National Champ as the one that wins on Jan. 12th in Jerry’s World. Nothing has changed on the National Championship crowing as it continues to be a fraudulent system. That’s the way I see it.
2014 might be the most heart breaking one in the loss of great individuals we have seen in many years. As I rack up years myself, I cannot remember a list of wonderful achievers in the political, artistic, and humanistic domains. My first significant loss of someone in one of these fields was the death of Marilyn Monroe when I was ten which was followed shortly with the assassination of President Kennedy. Both were game changers for me in understanding death and the consequences of such loss to the world. I remember those days like they were yesterday. I don't know why a ten year old would cry when an actress would die, and still don't; I do understand the loss in terms of what could have been when our President died. This year (it is still 2014 as write this) was a very sad one and the people listed here made a significant impact on my thoughts and well-being as a human. Some more than others, all were favorites. RIP you wonderful people. (and no, I do not need psychological help.....it wouldn't help me anyway as my wife has just said)
Nebraska of Old?
No, Nebraska of Mediocrity;
Pelini Fired
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Sunday, November 30th, 2014
The University of Nebraska has one messed up football program. The Huskers are not in the top echelon of Division One football programs as they once were and quite possibiliy might not be for a long time. The administration in Lincoln along with the fans of the so called “Big Red of the North” are in denial. Once upon a time the Huskers were the northern monsters of the midlands, had the Black Shirt defense, second to none from Canada to Norman, Ok, and were the school of Heisman Trophy football legends. Today they are just another fine educational institution of the Big Ten that can be lumped in with the Iowa’s, the Minnesota’s and even the Michigan’s of the landscape of college football at the highest level. Viable national title contenders, you wish. Perennial good programs on the scene; not worthy of a chance at a top-four ranking to make the playoffs, to win it all. Nebraska just fired a winning coach that gave the school at least 9 wins in 7 straight seasons. Folks, that’s good for where the Husker program is right now. Don’t expect better. Your program is not that good. The University of Nebraska is not what they think they are. National titles and Heisman winners are in the past and not the future. And yes, they are as I stated, this is one messed up football program. Bo Pelini now knows this.
Have we forgotten the history of the program in Huskerland? Can we dismiss the fantastic tradition of playing Oklahoma on or around Turkey day? Do the historic meetings with Colorado way back give the Husker fans good memories? How about those guaranteed wins against Kansas and Kansas State, and let’s not forget Iowa State? Nebraska got the big head and didn’t like the Univ. of Texas dictating the Big 12. And now, because they decided to run away and take their ball elsewhere they are mirrored in mediocrity in another league. Nebraska believes that their institution is on a higher level than the ones in the Big 12. They think of themselves of a Big 10 institution, in the league of a Northwestern, or Purdue, or even an Ohio State, intellectually speaking. Good for you Nebraska, you got what you asked for. What about your football program? It is also in a league on par with the Wildcats and the Boilermakers, not the USC’s, Alabama’s or even the Ducks of the U of O. Ohio State and Michigan State rule the Big 10 in football, not the Huskers.
Now you get to start over with a new coach in 2015 and that will take you back a step or two. Can you bring in a Coach that is better than Bo? Frank (Solich)? Maybe. Better than Urban? How do you Husker fans like it, being just being “another” football program.
Have we forgotten the history of the program in Huskerland? Can we dismiss the fantastic tradition of playing Oklahoma on or around Turkey day? Do the historic meetings with Colorado way back give the Husker fans good memories? How about those guaranteed wins against Kansas and Kansas State, and let’s not forget Iowa State? Nebraska got the big head and didn’t like the Univ. of Texas dictating the Big 12. And now, because they decided to run away and take their ball elsewhere they are mirrored in mediocrity in another league. Nebraska believes that their institution is on a higher level than the ones in the Big 12. They think of themselves of a Big 10 institution, in the league of a Northwestern, or Purdue, or even an Ohio State, intellectually speaking. Good for you Nebraska, you got what you asked for. What about your football program? It is also in a league on par with the Wildcats and the Boilermakers, not the USC’s, Alabama’s or even the Ducks of the U of O. Ohio State and Michigan State rule the Big 10 in football, not the Huskers.
Now you get to start over with a new coach in 2015 and that will take you back a step or two. Can you bring in a Coach that is better than Bo? Frank (Solich)? Maybe. Better than Urban? How do you Husker fans like it, being just being “another” football program.
With Respect, My Family Military Heroes
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The SEC has sold a bill of goods to the college football world. Dive in and see the walk-over games that this conference as produced this year and to think they deserve TWO teams in the new play-off system is ludicrous.
Missouri in the East is an average team that has won that side of the conference. They lost to a 3-8 Indiana team at home. Indiana is not a good football team yet they scored 31 points on a SEC defense. Missouri came into game 4 beating the likes of South Dakota State, Toledo, and Central Florida. All three of those non-conference teams brought nothing to the table, including a usually good UCF team. This year UCF wasn’t a world beater, losing to a UConn team that is just 3-8 going into its last game. Missouri’s signature win this year? They don’t have one. By the way Georgia destroyed the Tigers 34-0. Missouri is a fraud.
As for the runner-up team in the SEC East, Georgia is one of the better teams in the conference. But he hiccup on their home field with a 38-20 loss to another mediocre East team Florida ruined there persona. It exposed them for what they are. A major player in the weak East yes, but as a national power this year, not on your life. Credit goes to the Bulldogs in playing Clemson in the non-conference and beating them, but a following loss to another suspect SEC rival South Carolina the next week nullifies any gain in the Clemson win. This that, chalk up a nice win for the SEC in the Clemson victory, an we can count to one. Troy and something called Charleston Southern were non-league wins. Not impressed.
That basically sums up the SEC East. The rest of the teams were average at best. FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE AND VANDERBILT HAD ZERO (0) SIGNIFICANT WINS AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES IN 2014. That says a lot about the weak half of the SEC. It was nothing special, NOTHING.
In the “Great” West of the SEC, Alabama played West Virginia, a middle of the road team in the Big 12 and played a close but winning game against the Mountaineers on a neutral field 33-23. Bama did not dominate the Big 12 team. It was a 4th quarter game. Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss and Western Carolina filled out the remaining non-conference schedule, all home games. Alabama showed nothing in those games. A national power playing those teams and they are rewarded as being the best team in the country? Let’s play “Go to the Head of the Class.” What a pitiful schedule. Outside of the conference Bama doesn’t rate.
Mississippi State’s inbreeding in the SEC West has them the fourth rated team in the country. Yes, they played nobody in the non-conference. A total wash out to put it bluntly. I don’t even want to list those four bottom-of-the barrel foes. Disgusting and embarrassing.
Auburn beat the third or fourth best team in the Big 12. The most significant non-coference win the SEC West had this season. A good win. The other three non-conference teams we don’t need to mention. What is a Samford?
What did Ole Miss do to deserve a high initial ranking? Beat Bosie State? Or be in the SEC West? The Rebs scored 35 on the Bronco’s at home. A terrible New Mexico scored 49 on Bosie this year. Bosie State, despite their record, is average at best. The other non-conference games of Ole Miss are just like other SEC non-conference games…..not worth the price of admission.
The other SEC West teams are just what they are. Yes, they beat up on each other but they do not challenge the nation by playing a non-conference schedule that proves they are the superior league in the country. The best non-conference win for Arkansas, and aTm is a win by the Pigs at Texas Tech, the 8th best team in the Big 12. The SEC West could be the best sub conference we have, but they haven’t proved it, not by a mile.
In summary, the SEC has built a national groundswell with the media that they are the top conference in the nation. They might be, but the league is a family league. They don’t like to put their reputation on the line during the regular season. They will tell you that their in-breeding conference schedule is good enough to prove they are the best. Well, maybe they are but maybe they are full of it. Yes, they can prove it in the bowl season. But for now, at the beginning of December, the SEC has proved nothing. And it is to the detriment of the top level of college football for one conference to hog the playoff system, especially through a flawed subjective system of opinion.
Missouri in the East is an average team that has won that side of the conference. They lost to a 3-8 Indiana team at home. Indiana is not a good football team yet they scored 31 points on a SEC defense. Missouri came into game 4 beating the likes of South Dakota State, Toledo, and Central Florida. All three of those non-conference teams brought nothing to the table, including a usually good UCF team. This year UCF wasn’t a world beater, losing to a UConn team that is just 3-8 going into its last game. Missouri’s signature win this year? They don’t have one. By the way Georgia destroyed the Tigers 34-0. Missouri is a fraud.
As for the runner-up team in the SEC East, Georgia is one of the better teams in the conference. But he hiccup on their home field with a 38-20 loss to another mediocre East team Florida ruined there persona. It exposed them for what they are. A major player in the weak East yes, but as a national power this year, not on your life. Credit goes to the Bulldogs in playing Clemson in the non-conference and beating them, but a following loss to another suspect SEC rival South Carolina the next week nullifies any gain in the Clemson win. This that, chalk up a nice win for the SEC in the Clemson victory, an we can count to one. Troy and something called Charleston Southern were non-league wins. Not impressed.
That basically sums up the SEC East. The rest of the teams were average at best. FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE AND VANDERBILT HAD ZERO (0) SIGNIFICANT WINS AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES IN 2014. That says a lot about the weak half of the SEC. It was nothing special, NOTHING.
In the “Great” West of the SEC, Alabama played West Virginia, a middle of the road team in the Big 12 and played a close but winning game against the Mountaineers on a neutral field 33-23. Bama did not dominate the Big 12 team. It was a 4th quarter game. Florida Atlantic, Southern Miss and Western Carolina filled out the remaining non-conference schedule, all home games. Alabama showed nothing in those games. A national power playing those teams and they are rewarded as being the best team in the country? Let’s play “Go to the Head of the Class.” What a pitiful schedule. Outside of the conference Bama doesn’t rate.
Mississippi State’s inbreeding in the SEC West has them the fourth rated team in the country. Yes, they played nobody in the non-conference. A total wash out to put it bluntly. I don’t even want to list those four bottom-of-the barrel foes. Disgusting and embarrassing.
Auburn beat the third or fourth best team in the Big 12. The most significant non-coference win the SEC West had this season. A good win. The other three non-conference teams we don’t need to mention. What is a Samford?
What did Ole Miss do to deserve a high initial ranking? Beat Bosie State? Or be in the SEC West? The Rebs scored 35 on the Bronco’s at home. A terrible New Mexico scored 49 on Bosie this year. Bosie State, despite their record, is average at best. The other non-conference games of Ole Miss are just like other SEC non-conference games…..not worth the price of admission.
The other SEC West teams are just what they are. Yes, they beat up on each other but they do not challenge the nation by playing a non-conference schedule that proves they are the superior league in the country. The best non-conference win for Arkansas, and aTm is a win by the Pigs at Texas Tech, the 8th best team in the Big 12. The SEC West could be the best sub conference we have, but they haven’t proved it, not by a mile.
In summary, the SEC has built a national groundswell with the media that they are the top conference in the nation. They might be, but the league is a family league. They don’t like to put their reputation on the line during the regular season. They will tell you that their in-breeding conference schedule is good enough to prove they are the best. Well, maybe they are but maybe they are full of it. Yes, they can prove it in the bowl season. But for now, at the beginning of December, the SEC has proved nothing. And it is to the detriment of the top level of college football for one conference to hog the playoff system, especially through a flawed subjective system of opinion.
OU’s Perine Goes for 427 and NCAA Rushing Record
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Saturday, November 22nd, 2014
Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine, right, is lifted up by his teammates in the fourth quarter, after breaking the NCAA FBS single-game rushing record of 408 yards, set last week by Melvin Gordon, with 427 yards in an NCAA college football game against Kansas in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014. Oklahoma won 44-7. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon’s one week old record of 408 yards rushing lasted on week as Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine ground up Kansas today in the tune of 427 yards in 34 carries breaking the NCAA FBS rushing record. The Sooners took the Jayhawks to the wood shed with a 44-7 win in front of 84, 908 on Owen Field at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Perine totaled 5 scores with TD runs of 49, 33, 34, 66 and 27 yards. His 42 yard scamper early (12.16) in the 4th quarter gave him the record. It was his last of the day.
“It’s still surreal,” Perine said. “I just looked at it as doing what I had to do to help my team. I’m not really feeling special in any type of way.”
Perine is becoming a much beloved team-mate for the Sooners. Hoisted up on their shoulders after the historic run on hollowed ground (Billy Vessels, Billy Sims, Steve Owens all Heisman winners called that field home, not to mention greats Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt, Adrian Peterson and Clendon Thomas) Perine has now become another of the great Sooner running backs that have rewrote the record books of NCAA football. Perine broke Greg Pruitt’s school record of 296 yards.
“This is really awesome that he goes down in the record books,” Oklahoma center Ty Darlington said. “He’s such a team player. What people won’t see is he’s covering kickoffs, he’s blocking for other guys who don’t have the ball. He plays so hard every play, and he’s such a humble guy.”
Sufice to say, Coach Bob Stoops has shown his pleasure in the 19 year old from Phuggerville, TX, a suburb of Austin. A mature young man in both body and intelligence, Perine has been allowed to speak to the media during press conferences, something that is not allowed freshmen on many college teams. A straight A student in the classroom, Perine has been compared to Texas great Earl Campbell with his power and running style. Perine goes just under 6′ and comes in around 243 lbs. Today he showed the ability to run away from defenders with a continued ability to punish them with extreme physicality.
Running backs coach Cale Gundy gave Perine the option to come out of the game if he so chose but the true freshman was content to bash the Kansas line.
“He (Gundy) overheard other people on the sideline saying I needed this amount of yards, and I went over and told him I really don’t care,” Perine said. “I just want to play the next play, but if you want another guy in there, he can go in there and try to get us some yards.”
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was not going to pull Perine once they became aware that he was closing in on records.
“The guy is just so exceptional in everything that he does,” Stoops said. “We were thinking about resting him, and then someone said he only needs 35 more yards, and you know, that’s just too close not to do it, and there’s too much time left in the game
“It’s still surreal,” Perine said. “I just looked at it as doing what I had to do to help my team. I’m not really feeling special in any type of way.”
Perine is becoming a much beloved team-mate for the Sooners. Hoisted up on their shoulders after the historic run on hollowed ground (Billy Vessels, Billy Sims, Steve Owens all Heisman winners called that field home, not to mention greats Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt, Adrian Peterson and Clendon Thomas) Perine has now become another of the great Sooner running backs that have rewrote the record books of NCAA football. Perine broke Greg Pruitt’s school record of 296 yards.
“This is really awesome that he goes down in the record books,” Oklahoma center Ty Darlington said. “He’s such a team player. What people won’t see is he’s covering kickoffs, he’s blocking for other guys who don’t have the ball. He plays so hard every play, and he’s such a humble guy.”
Sufice to say, Coach Bob Stoops has shown his pleasure in the 19 year old from Phuggerville, TX, a suburb of Austin. A mature young man in both body and intelligence, Perine has been allowed to speak to the media during press conferences, something that is not allowed freshmen on many college teams. A straight A student in the classroom, Perine has been compared to Texas great Earl Campbell with his power and running style. Perine goes just under 6′ and comes in around 243 lbs. Today he showed the ability to run away from defenders with a continued ability to punish them with extreme physicality.
Running backs coach Cale Gundy gave Perine the option to come out of the game if he so chose but the true freshman was content to bash the Kansas line.
“He (Gundy) overheard other people on the sideline saying I needed this amount of yards, and I went over and told him I really don’t care,” Perine said. “I just want to play the next play, but if you want another guy in there, he can go in there and try to get us some yards.”
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was not going to pull Perine once they became aware that he was closing in on records.
“The guy is just so exceptional in everything that he does,” Stoops said. “We were thinking about resting him, and then someone said he only needs 35 more yards, and you know, that’s just too close not to do it, and there’s too much time left in the game
Nov 22, 2014; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners running back Samaje Perine (32) runs for a touchdown against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)
I watched my first college football game live in Norman, Ok in the late 50’s and know the landscape and traditions of the varsity game. I also know that any National Championship that has been won on the field or won in a poll is representative of a fine football team but not necessarily the true best football team of that year. The various claimed National Championships is sometimes in the minds of the fans of the individual schools. Multiple subjective bias is glaring. The National Champ is often in the eye of the beholder. Yes, some schools claim championships that are laughable; yet look at the posted years of the Champs and and there it is. A complete mess. Alabama, some of your claims are what I am talking about. Joke me, but National Titles? Alabama, humor me on that one in 1926…..really, you and Lafayette, Michigan, Navy and Stanford. I’ll vote for Lafayette in ’26. I know they were better than the others…….they just were?
Yes, a four team playoff opinion is better than a two team playoff opinion which is better than a poll of opinions at the the end of the season. But I will say until we get of an eight team playoff I will not give in and say that the winner of this year’s playoff (or any future year) is the best team in the country. You might come back at me and say “an eight team poll of opinion?” I will come back at you and say give each champion of the Big 5 conferences a bid along with three additional teams picked by my hated poll of opinion to derive at the 8 teams. When a one loss team from Big 5 conferences does not make the top four and another one does, we shall not really know who the best really is. When an undefeated non-Big 5 team goes undefeated and gets no chance at the big prize, well, that is wrong. With 8 teams participating I really don’t think the 9th team has an argument. Don’t lose two games.
This current 4 team playoff is bull hockey. When you use subjective information to pick those four teams you still have a system that makes college football at the D1 level a bogus way to pick the teams that rate for a national championship.
Let the arguments continue and if you are a team with a 11-1 record and you do make it (the final four) and a two loss team does, enjoy the system. Your team has just been hosed. They don’t rate because of someone’s subjective bias.
A follow up to the real problem of College Football at the major level: I have learned some things about D1 college football. The powers to be really do not take the National Championship as something serious. I am talking about the NCAA and a majority of the college presidents. My belief is that at the D1 level, college football is a “money” game. The colleges make money, the football coaches make money, the big-time vendors/bowls/administrators/networks of the game make money, and the system doesn’t really care about anything else. The players are just the pieces of the puzzle that allow these fat cats to get rich, filthy rich. Don’t fall for the idea that it is about something else. 4 years of college for the players? How about a life long pain for injuries. At Oklahoma, a football factory, the most important sports “franchise” in the state, the football program is self-supporting. Not a dollar of state money goes to the program. The former OU president George Cross wrote back pre-Bud Wilkinson “I would like to build a University of which the football team could be proud.” That quote sums up OU’s importance on football but not unlike the programs in Austin, Tuscaloosa, or Lincoln. The football team is bigger than the university. We know that Bob Stoops $5 million dollar yearly salary is fully supported by the program. And yes, that money is blood money, the blood and knee injuries, neck injuries, head injuries of the Sooner players that put it on the line, not just during football season, but for two, three, four, and even five years while they attend the University. Those player will live with injuries for life. Yes some do make it in the NFL Some might become the Gov. of the great state of Oklahoma. So? Is it worth it? How many ex-Sooners hobble, hurt, take pain pills, and suffer brain injuries that will make them vegetables and/or cause their suicide? They will live with debilitating health problems because of their choice to play football. And Coach Stoops makes $350,000 every two weeks to lead these young kids in doing what they want to do. Ever wonder why the first line troops in the military are 18, 19, or 20? Yes, in a sense, blood money Coach Stoops. What a crock of poo. No fricken football coach should get that kind of money. It is obscene. How about some of that income going back to the player of the past. Ask some of the Sooners that walk with a limp at 35 and can’t run a lick. $350,000 paycheck every two weeks.
I watch this game for the entertainment, abet on TV. I am complicit. Yet, I do not attend Division 1 games unless I am treated with a free ticket. Cheap Fred? Say what you want but I will not give another D1 university that plays football a dine to attend their game. That love affair is over. When I attended a D1 venue a few years ago to watch my son’s friend play and his father, also my friend, coach for Sam Houston State (a team in a lesser division), price of the ticket was $96 (I was using a comp ticket). I knew that college football was out of control. $96 face value for a ticket to see a D1 school play a D-1A school? Outrageous! The game was not worth even a $5 ticket; it was a blowout. A scheduled win. A sham of a game. (SEC schools, shame on you for playing the soft non-conference teams that are not D1…..shame….shame…..and again SHAME! I lost all interest to attend another D1 game that day. That game was bogus. Yes, I attended games after that but, but hell no I didn’t pay another dollar to see them.
By the way my first ( mentioned in the beginning of this article) college game was in 1958 and I was five. It was a battle of O’s. The OU Sooners ranked #1 beat Oregon 6-0 and I sat in my Uncle John’s seat in Sec. 9, Row 58 on the Northwest corner of Memorial Stadium overlooking Owen Field. Sometimes I wish that my Uncle didn’t take me to that game.
Yes, a four team playoff opinion is better than a two team playoff opinion which is better than a poll of opinions at the the end of the season. But I will say until we get of an eight team playoff I will not give in and say that the winner of this year’s playoff (or any future year) is the best team in the country. You might come back at me and say “an eight team poll of opinion?” I will come back at you and say give each champion of the Big 5 conferences a bid along with three additional teams picked by my hated poll of opinion to derive at the 8 teams. When a one loss team from Big 5 conferences does not make the top four and another one does, we shall not really know who the best really is. When an undefeated non-Big 5 team goes undefeated and gets no chance at the big prize, well, that is wrong. With 8 teams participating I really don’t think the 9th team has an argument. Don’t lose two games.
This current 4 team playoff is bull hockey. When you use subjective information to pick those four teams you still have a system that makes college football at the D1 level a bogus way to pick the teams that rate for a national championship.
Let the arguments continue and if you are a team with a 11-1 record and you do make it (the final four) and a two loss team does, enjoy the system. Your team has just been hosed. They don’t rate because of someone’s subjective bias.
A follow up to the real problem of College Football at the major level: I have learned some things about D1 college football. The powers to be really do not take the National Championship as something serious. I am talking about the NCAA and a majority of the college presidents. My belief is that at the D1 level, college football is a “money” game. The colleges make money, the football coaches make money, the big-time vendors/bowls/administrators/networks of the game make money, and the system doesn’t really care about anything else. The players are just the pieces of the puzzle that allow these fat cats to get rich, filthy rich. Don’t fall for the idea that it is about something else. 4 years of college for the players? How about a life long pain for injuries. At Oklahoma, a football factory, the most important sports “franchise” in the state, the football program is self-supporting. Not a dollar of state money goes to the program. The former OU president George Cross wrote back pre-Bud Wilkinson “I would like to build a University of which the football team could be proud.” That quote sums up OU’s importance on football but not unlike the programs in Austin, Tuscaloosa, or Lincoln. The football team is bigger than the university. We know that Bob Stoops $5 million dollar yearly salary is fully supported by the program. And yes, that money is blood money, the blood and knee injuries, neck injuries, head injuries of the Sooner players that put it on the line, not just during football season, but for two, three, four, and even five years while they attend the University. Those player will live with injuries for life. Yes some do make it in the NFL Some might become the Gov. of the great state of Oklahoma. So? Is it worth it? How many ex-Sooners hobble, hurt, take pain pills, and suffer brain injuries that will make them vegetables and/or cause their suicide? They will live with debilitating health problems because of their choice to play football. And Coach Stoops makes $350,000 every two weeks to lead these young kids in doing what they want to do. Ever wonder why the first line troops in the military are 18, 19, or 20? Yes, in a sense, blood money Coach Stoops. What a crock of poo. No fricken football coach should get that kind of money. It is obscene. How about some of that income going back to the player of the past. Ask some of the Sooners that walk with a limp at 35 and can’t run a lick. $350,000 paycheck every two weeks.
I watch this game for the entertainment, abet on TV. I am complicit. Yet, I do not attend Division 1 games unless I am treated with a free ticket. Cheap Fred? Say what you want but I will not give another D1 university that plays football a dine to attend their game. That love affair is over. When I attended a D1 venue a few years ago to watch my son’s friend play and his father, also my friend, coach for Sam Houston State (a team in a lesser division), price of the ticket was $96 (I was using a comp ticket). I knew that college football was out of control. $96 face value for a ticket to see a D1 school play a D-1A school? Outrageous! The game was not worth even a $5 ticket; it was a blowout. A scheduled win. A sham of a game. (SEC schools, shame on you for playing the soft non-conference teams that are not D1…..shame….shame…..and again SHAME! I lost all interest to attend another D1 game that day. That game was bogus. Yes, I attended games after that but, but hell no I didn’t pay another dollar to see them.
By the way my first ( mentioned in the beginning of this article) college game was in 1958 and I was five. It was a battle of O’s. The OU Sooners ranked #1 beat Oregon 6-0 and I sat in my Uncle John’s seat in Sec. 9, Row 58 on the Northwest corner of Memorial Stadium overlooking Owen Field. Sometimes I wish that my Uncle didn’t take me to that game.
It’s Not the End of the World Thunder Fans
by Fred Pahlke | Posted on Sunday, October 12th, 2014
Kevin Durant
(Getty Image)
Kevin Durant’s broken foot, the Jones bone is what has fractured, will sideline the super-star for six to eight weeks. Bad for the Thunder for the beginning of the season but in no way a game changer for the team. This injury could be what brings the team together for a stronger run at an NBA title at playoff time. The added rest will allow Head Coach Scott Brooks to flip the consistent and traditional play of the team trying new line-ups and giving Perry J0nes III and Jeremy Lamb a chance to shine in a starting and significant substitutions role. This will give Thunder GM Sam Presti an opportunity to see if these two players can do the work in a championship way or if they need to be moved later this year. Injuries are always a part of the game and giving minutes to players that tend to get lost on the bench might be just what the doctor ordered with regard to team improvement. KD’s injury and the time missed should not be an issue for the team long term.
Look for Jones III to start for Durant during the month of November. A talented third year man out of Baylor, the 6’9” forward is an un-tapped reserve that has outstanding athletic skills that can do it all if motivated. He has had this lack of intensity since his days at Waco and team officials will now have an opportunity to see if he can get the job done. He will finally get an extended run as a significant clog in these first ten to fifteen games and his job security with the Thunder will be on the line. It has often been said that Jones III is the most talented player on the team (with respect to Russell Westbrook) including Kevin Durant.
Scoring will be a must with KD out an Jeremy Lamb will need to provide that punch. Lamb is a hot and cold player (just look at the Thunder’s first two pre-season games) and if he can get into a grove look for his play to elevate. He is capable of averaging double digits and Coach Brooks will give him added minutes with KD out.
If Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson produce, their floor play at point will be the real key during this short period of KD-less-Thunder. They cannot go all out and be scoring hogs, as overall team chemistry can/must improve during this time. Stronger team play (think Spurs) especially on offense, will be the result if those two get it. Westbrook will see more double-teams but that will open the floor for other players to find their shot. Westbrook can dominate the ball but he needs to understand that in the absence of KD, team and individual player improvement trump the wins and losses.
Look for a starting line-up to include Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson at the guards, Perry Jones III and Serge Ibaka teaming with Steven Adams as the bigs. Not at all a bad starting five. This is a potent five, with Westbrook as the General of the Thunder. He has complete control to take over any game. Let’s hope that he is not overworked as was KD last season when Westbrook went down. The Thunder need not worry about wins in November. Adams has proven he can be an offensive threat and Jones III needs to come to the party and produce points.
It is what it is, but the best organizations make positives out of negatives. I suspect the Thunder will. It will be a fun time for OKC even without KD.
Look for Jones III to start for Durant during the month of November. A talented third year man out of Baylor, the 6’9” forward is an un-tapped reserve that has outstanding athletic skills that can do it all if motivated. He has had this lack of intensity since his days at Waco and team officials will now have an opportunity to see if he can get the job done. He will finally get an extended run as a significant clog in these first ten to fifteen games and his job security with the Thunder will be on the line. It has often been said that Jones III is the most talented player on the team (with respect to Russell Westbrook) including Kevin Durant.
Scoring will be a must with KD out an Jeremy Lamb will need to provide that punch. Lamb is a hot and cold player (just look at the Thunder’s first two pre-season games) and if he can get into a grove look for his play to elevate. He is capable of averaging double digits and Coach Brooks will give him added minutes with KD out.
If Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson produce, their floor play at point will be the real key during this short period of KD-less-Thunder. They cannot go all out and be scoring hogs, as overall team chemistry can/must improve during this time. Stronger team play (think Spurs) especially on offense, will be the result if those two get it. Westbrook will see more double-teams but that will open the floor for other players to find their shot. Westbrook can dominate the ball but he needs to understand that in the absence of KD, team and individual player improvement trump the wins and losses.
Look for a starting line-up to include Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson at the guards, Perry Jones III and Serge Ibaka teaming with Steven Adams as the bigs. Not at all a bad starting five. This is a potent five, with Westbrook as the General of the Thunder. He has complete control to take over any game. Let’s hope that he is not overworked as was KD last season when Westbrook went down. The Thunder need not worry about wins in November. Adams has proven he can be an offensive threat and Jones III needs to come to the party and produce points.
It is what it is, but the best organizations make positives out of negatives. I suspect the Thunder will. It will be a fun time for OKC even without KD.
D-Day 69 Years Ago Today
In honor of the troops of World War II maybe we could give these men a minute or two of thankful remembrance for their sacrifice on this 69th anniversary of D-day. My dad didn't make this invasion but he hit the shores at North Africa, Anzio, Salerno, and fought with the 45th Division until wounded just before Mark Clark's army crossed into Germany. In this day and times with all the problems our county is having with phone taps, IRS scandal, lack of protection of our State Department people in other countries, and the lack of respect for the people that report the news, I hope that these men have not died in vein.
Freshman Samaje Perine rushed for 242 yards on 34 carries as the Oklahoma Sooners defeated West Virginia in Morgantown 45-33 in front of a sellout crowd of 60,000. The Sooners proved they are a serious threat to participate in the new playoff system at the end of the year. Tied at 24 at the half, OU dominated the line of scrimmage in the final 30 minutes. West Virginia had no answer for the running of Perine. Perine surpassed Adrian Peterson’s freshman total of 241 yards in a single game. Looking like the second coming of former Sooner rusher Marcus Dupree, the 6’ 243 pound back from Pflugerville, Texas had been sharing duties with OU starter Keith Ford and Alex Ross. Ross did his part in rushing for 56 yards on 19 carries also returned a kickoff for 100 yards and a touchdown. Ford didn’t make the trip because of injury. OU had over 500 yards of offense and rushed for over 300. West Virginia moved the ball also, getting over 500 yards but ineffectiveness of WV quarterback Clint Trickett in the second half hurt the Mountaineers upset chances. OU plays in two weeks in a road contest with TCU in Ft. Worth as they continue their strong push for national honors. Perine’s performance could push him into a Heisman pursuit, if not this year, next. He was that good. http://http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:11560719
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Tennessee Vols
Eric Striker eyes the Tennessee Qb in OU's 34-10 win in Norman. (Getty photo)
In time the Tennessee Volunteer football program will be very good. Good enough to challenge the top echelon of the SEC. The wait will be short. Talent in Knoxville is on the rise and even though a young Vol team was taken out by Oklahoma Sooners last night the future is bright under the fine leadership of head coach Butch Jones. If they can find a quarterback look for next year’s game with OU on the river in Knoxville to be quite a slugfest. And don’t be surprised that the winner in that won wears orange.
As for Oklahoma, defense wins championships and the Sooners have the stoppers to make a great run to play in the first college football playoffs for the big boys. Led by a front seven that is as good as any and a big play secondary, OU dominated the game from the start, winning 34-10 in Norman, OK. Eric Striker showed he might be the best defensive player in college as Tennessee signal caller Justin Worley found out. Worley survived the beating, but watching his eyes last night did begin to bother this writer. Was he in complete focus or did his conscience hear the tune of Rocky Top as he gazed at the sea of red in the likes of Grissom, Nhuhue, Tapper and Striker play after play? It was disconcerting.
OU head coach Bob Stoops is now five wins and four loses against SEC teams in his sixteen years in Norman. Will the next chance to improve that record be against Alabama in the playoffs? If it is, this Sooner team will give Bama all she wants in SEC fashion. OU is that good.
As for Oklahoma, defense wins championships and the Sooners have the stoppers to make a great run to play in the first college football playoffs for the big boys. Led by a front seven that is as good as any and a big play secondary, OU dominated the game from the start, winning 34-10 in Norman, OK. Eric Striker showed he might be the best defensive player in college as Tennessee signal caller Justin Worley found out. Worley survived the beating, but watching his eyes last night did begin to bother this writer. Was he in complete focus or did his conscience hear the tune of Rocky Top as he gazed at the sea of red in the likes of Grissom, Nhuhue, Tapper and Striker play after play? It was disconcerting.
OU head coach Bob Stoops is now five wins and four loses against SEC teams in his sixteen years in Norman. Will the next chance to improve that record be against Alabama in the playoffs? If it is, this Sooner team will give Bama all she wants in SEC fashion. OU is that good.
Steve Davis Was a Winner
Photo: The Oklahoman, Jim Arego
Former Oklahoma Sooner football quarterback Steve Davis died yesterday in a plane crash in Indiana. He was sixty years old. He was, to me, the most winning QB in OU history, with all my respects to Jimmy Harris who won 23 games as a starter without a loss, and Landry Jones, who has the record with most wins as a starting qb. Steve Davis won 32 games as a starter, with one loss and one tie. He won two National Championships.
I followed the Sooners of the late sixties through the Barry Switzer years, missing only a couple of home games and attending various road contests each year. The 1974 and 1975 seasons, the National Championship teams were the best of the best teams. The not seen on TV probation team of 1974, quarterbacked by Davis, was, in my estimation, the greatest OU team in history. A team with Lee Roy Selmon, Joe Washington, etc, etc, etc, was an undefeated 11-0 Associated Press Title team. Steve Davis was the qb on that team.
Steve Davis was not the most athletic signal caller in OU history. He was not the greatest wishbone general either. His statistics were not the most impressive, except one. He lost only one game in three years. As a sophomore starter, in his first game against Baylor in Waco OU beat up on a so so Bear team, Coach Switzers first. The following week the Sooners showed what kind of team they were to be for the next decade, taking defending National Champion the Univ. of Southern California to a not as close 7-7 tie. The Sooners dominated the Trojans in the statistical game and showed the Pac 8 team that the best players on the field that night in front of 90,000 people were wearing white with red numbers. OU, with Steve Davis leading the offense, reeled off 28 straight wins from Oct. 6 1973 to November 8, 1975. That streak is the third longest winning streak in OU history and the 15th longest in NCAA D1 history. Note: OU's football record inclusive of the 1971 season through the 1975 season was 54-3-1. That record trumps Alabama's record during their current run from 2008-2012, also a five year period, which stands at 61-7. Those five years at OU were historic in winning in D1 college football.
The game I most remember during Steve Davis's career might be the only game the Sooners lost during his run as the qb for the Sooners. Just like any other day on a nice sunny warm autumn afternoon, OU was expecting to run up the score on a Kansas Jayhawk team. Sitting in my regular seat just under the Press Box door on the top row of Sec. 106, the Kansas Jayhawks came to Norman with the intent to play mistake free football. They new that they could not beat OU. But they also knew that OU could be OU. OU's wishbone was a hit and miss offense, high risk, high octane, but prone to the fumble. OU was ranked number one and was the defending National Champion. The undefeated Sooners found out what former OU Head Coach Jim Mackenzie once said. Football is like a two edged sword. Without going into detail, Coach Mackenzie would tell that if you did things right, you would more often than not win the game. When the opponent did things right, and you didn't, more often you would lose. On that sunny day in Norman, November 8th, OU had 12 possessions of the football. They fumbled the football away 9 times. OU scored only 3 points, while Kansas, also running the wishbone scored 23. OU had lost. At home they had lost. That, though, is not what I rememberd most that day. After 28 wins in a row before that day, OU wasn't good enough to win a football game. And the great Oklahoma fans, the so called stand by your team at all times fans, had the audacity to boo their team. I'll never forget that no matter how good a team is, fans forget fast. I was ashamed to be a Sooner fan that day. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced at Norman and I will never forget the uglyness of those fans. I have heard Steve Davis tell the story of the game in his own words. Late in the game Davis said he asked Coach Switzer if he should be taken out of the game and replaced by the 2nd string qb. Davis said that Switzer gave him a casual look and in a way only Switzer could say, "get out there....you brought us this far....." Davis returned to field, the game was in its final minutes as the boo's showered the stadium (disgusting). In the huddle before the final possession of the game for OU, Davis asked his offenisve linemen who the fans were booing at. One of the linemen (no name was given by Davis) told him that they weren't booing him....implying that they were booing you (Steve Davis). I'll never forget that Davis said at that moment he would never care again about how the Sooner fans felt about him or the team again. The OU crowd that day was just horrible. I never boo my teams, ever. If you are a real fan of a team you do not boo them. (To this day, I have attended many games at Stillwater to watch the Cowboys play and have attended all Thunder games in that first losing season and in all those games I have never heard fans booing either the Pokes or Thunder. (And you know how bad some of the OSU teams have been). At the press conference after the game Coach Switzer was somewhat in a daze, but as only Coach can be, his comments on his first Soooner loss were gracious. Coach said he had just visited the Kansas locker room and congratulated the KU coach and had words of praise for the Kansas players. He specifically said on that day the best football player on the field was KU qb Nolan Cromwell. (OU might have had the Selmons and Little Joe that day, but Nolan Cromwell was the man that day.) People need to remember that Cromwell, maybe not the greatest football player in the Big 8, was the greatest total athlete in the Big 8 during his playing time at Kansas. World class in track, great in football (NFL career) Cromwell could be the greatest pure athlete the Big 8 ever had. Cromwell was a leader like Steve Davis. A winner.
The following week OU recovered from the loss as Steve Davie handed the ball to Joe Washingion (twice) on that cruddy field in Missouri and the rest is history. Steve Davis will forever be by my starting OU quarterback.
I followed the Sooners of the late sixties through the Barry Switzer years, missing only a couple of home games and attending various road contests each year. The 1974 and 1975 seasons, the National Championship teams were the best of the best teams. The not seen on TV probation team of 1974, quarterbacked by Davis, was, in my estimation, the greatest OU team in history. A team with Lee Roy Selmon, Joe Washington, etc, etc, etc, was an undefeated 11-0 Associated Press Title team. Steve Davis was the qb on that team.
Steve Davis was not the most athletic signal caller in OU history. He was not the greatest wishbone general either. His statistics were not the most impressive, except one. He lost only one game in three years. As a sophomore starter, in his first game against Baylor in Waco OU beat up on a so so Bear team, Coach Switzers first. The following week the Sooners showed what kind of team they were to be for the next decade, taking defending National Champion the Univ. of Southern California to a not as close 7-7 tie. The Sooners dominated the Trojans in the statistical game and showed the Pac 8 team that the best players on the field that night in front of 90,000 people were wearing white with red numbers. OU, with Steve Davis leading the offense, reeled off 28 straight wins from Oct. 6 1973 to November 8, 1975. That streak is the third longest winning streak in OU history and the 15th longest in NCAA D1 history. Note: OU's football record inclusive of the 1971 season through the 1975 season was 54-3-1. That record trumps Alabama's record during their current run from 2008-2012, also a five year period, which stands at 61-7. Those five years at OU were historic in winning in D1 college football.
The game I most remember during Steve Davis's career might be the only game the Sooners lost during his run as the qb for the Sooners. Just like any other day on a nice sunny warm autumn afternoon, OU was expecting to run up the score on a Kansas Jayhawk team. Sitting in my regular seat just under the Press Box door on the top row of Sec. 106, the Kansas Jayhawks came to Norman with the intent to play mistake free football. They new that they could not beat OU. But they also knew that OU could be OU. OU's wishbone was a hit and miss offense, high risk, high octane, but prone to the fumble. OU was ranked number one and was the defending National Champion. The undefeated Sooners found out what former OU Head Coach Jim Mackenzie once said. Football is like a two edged sword. Without going into detail, Coach Mackenzie would tell that if you did things right, you would more often than not win the game. When the opponent did things right, and you didn't, more often you would lose. On that sunny day in Norman, November 8th, OU had 12 possessions of the football. They fumbled the football away 9 times. OU scored only 3 points, while Kansas, also running the wishbone scored 23. OU had lost. At home they had lost. That, though, is not what I rememberd most that day. After 28 wins in a row before that day, OU wasn't good enough to win a football game. And the great Oklahoma fans, the so called stand by your team at all times fans, had the audacity to boo their team. I'll never forget that no matter how good a team is, fans forget fast. I was ashamed to be a Sooner fan that day. It was the worst thing I had ever experienced at Norman and I will never forget the uglyness of those fans. I have heard Steve Davis tell the story of the game in his own words. Late in the game Davis said he asked Coach Switzer if he should be taken out of the game and replaced by the 2nd string qb. Davis said that Switzer gave him a casual look and in a way only Switzer could say, "get out there....you brought us this far....." Davis returned to field, the game was in its final minutes as the boo's showered the stadium (disgusting). In the huddle before the final possession of the game for OU, Davis asked his offenisve linemen who the fans were booing at. One of the linemen (no name was given by Davis) told him that they weren't booing him....implying that they were booing you (Steve Davis). I'll never forget that Davis said at that moment he would never care again about how the Sooner fans felt about him or the team again. The OU crowd that day was just horrible. I never boo my teams, ever. If you are a real fan of a team you do not boo them. (To this day, I have attended many games at Stillwater to watch the Cowboys play and have attended all Thunder games in that first losing season and in all those games I have never heard fans booing either the Pokes or Thunder. (And you know how bad some of the OSU teams have been). At the press conference after the game Coach Switzer was somewhat in a daze, but as only Coach can be, his comments on his first Soooner loss were gracious. Coach said he had just visited the Kansas locker room and congratulated the KU coach and had words of praise for the Kansas players. He specifically said on that day the best football player on the field was KU qb Nolan Cromwell. (OU might have had the Selmons and Little Joe that day, but Nolan Cromwell was the man that day.) People need to remember that Cromwell, maybe not the greatest football player in the Big 8, was the greatest total athlete in the Big 8 during his playing time at Kansas. World class in track, great in football (NFL career) Cromwell could be the greatest pure athlete the Big 8 ever had. Cromwell was a leader like Steve Davis. A winner.
The following week OU recovered from the loss as Steve Davie handed the ball to Joe Washingion (twice) on that cruddy field in Missouri and the rest is history. Steve Davis will forever be by my starting OU quarterback.
Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday This Week
Oklahoma songwriter Woody Guthrie celebrates his 100th birthday this Saturday, July 14. Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born on this day in 1912 in Okemah. Guthrie, along with Will Rogers and Jim Thorpe, is one of the three greatest born on Oklahoma native lands.
Woody's greatest song "This Land Is Your Land" is the greatest folk song ever written and is the people's National anthem.
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me.
I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land,
this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
Happy Birthday Woody!
Woody's greatest song "This Land Is Your Land" is the greatest folk song ever written and is the people's National anthem.
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me.
I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
While all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting,
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land,
this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
Happy Birthday Woody!
Oklahoma City Blazers Circa 1965-67
The Original Big Time Professional Team of the City
It was the spring of 1966 and my team, the Oklahoma City Blazers, had won the championship of the Central Hockey League, the Adams Cup. No, the Blazers were not the Stanly Cup winners and the Central Professional Hockey League was not the National Hockey League. But don't forget, the NHL had six teams at the time, Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, New York and Boston. Only six, not the 30 something the League has today. The top 120 players in the world played on those six teams. The players of those Blazers teams would have played at the major league level if the era of the sixties had 30 teams.
I was witness to major league hockey at the time and didn't realize. Lord Stanley's Cup was fought over by those one hundred twenty men, and the winning players on the team that won the Cup, as is still today, were members of the best hockey team on earth. But unlike today, most of the great players that were young, say 18, or 20, or 21, played in the CPHL, not the NHL.
Oklahoma City's new hockey team of the 1965-66 season was franchised to our city by the Boston Bruins organization through the oversite of the NHL. Boston's Baby Bears were to be named Blazers, not Bruins when they relocated their team of future NHL stars from Minneapolis. The Blazers woulld wear the same uiforms as the Boston Bruins, with the large B on the hockey jersey standing for both Blazers and Bruins. At the time of 1965 this new reorganized of the Central Professional Hockey League, 2nd season would have teams in St. Louis, Tulsa, St. Paul, Memphis, Houston, and Oklahoma City. The CPHL had rules that kept the best young professional players that didn't make the NHL on the rosters of one of the six teams in the CPHL. Older veteran hockey players at the highest minor league level were assigned to the American Hockey League, which also had six teams. Because the new CPHL (which was owned by the NHL and started one year earlier for the 1964-65 season) had the cream of the youngest players in professional hockey, the league allowed a sprinkling of a few older experienced players on each team. All most all of these older players had NHL or AHL experience. The CPHL became the best minor league in the world along with the youngest talent in pro hockey not playing in the NHL. The league would be known as the fastest hockey on earth. The skill and play of the teams in the CPHL was outstanding. With expansion and the coming of the World Hockey League a few years later, hockey became watered down at every level, including the CPHL. We didn't know it in 1965 but Oklahoma City in truth had a real taste of ice hockey at the highest level with future greats of the NHL adorning the rosters of the six teams. The many of the young guns of the original Blazers moved up a few years later to the parent club and as the Boston Bruins claimed Lord Stanley's Cup in the 1970 and 1972 seasons. Even the Blazers Head Coach Harry Sinden, moved up with his talented players and coached both NHL title teams for Beantown. The only regrets is that the greatest Bruin ever, Bobby Orr, didn't get to play on one of the OKC Blazer teams. We all know why Mr. Orr didn't come to OKC but without the Blazers who reached Boston through OKC , he wouldn't have his name on the Cup. Those Blazers of 1965-66 were the backbone of the Boston Bruins great teams of the 1970's.
The memories of those teams will never be forgotten. Like when Glenn Sather skated along the boards and without warning punched a opposing team fan in the face for mouthing him with obscenities during the game. Mr. Sather busted the fan and blood spilled in the stands. Or when Blazer goalie Gerry Cheevers went after a Tulsa winger with his stick and tremendous fight followeded, where in Mr. Cheavers beat the crap out of the Oiler hockey player.
Even though some of the players were just eighteen, twenty , or twenty-one, they were the future of the NHL. They cut their professional teeth in the new league, and the fans who attended Blazer games watched great hockey.
My Blazers that won the Stanley Cup with Boston included:
John Arbour, Garnet Bailey, Nick Beverly, Wayne Cashman, Gerry Cheevers, Gary Doak, Jim Harrison, Bill Lesuk, Jim Lorentz, Don Marcotte, Derrick Sanderson, Dallas Smith, Rick Smith, Frank Spring, Tom Webster, Barry Wilkins, and Bob Stewart. Harry Sinden was the player coach for the Blazers during the 65-66 season. This list doesn't include other Blazers who made their mark with other NHL or WHL teams of the time.
I was witness to major league hockey at the time and didn't realize. Lord Stanley's Cup was fought over by those one hundred twenty men, and the winning players on the team that won the Cup, as is still today, were members of the best hockey team on earth. But unlike today, most of the great players that were young, say 18, or 20, or 21, played in the CPHL, not the NHL.
Oklahoma City's new hockey team of the 1965-66 season was franchised to our city by the Boston Bruins organization through the oversite of the NHL. Boston's Baby Bears were to be named Blazers, not Bruins when they relocated their team of future NHL stars from Minneapolis. The Blazers woulld wear the same uiforms as the Boston Bruins, with the large B on the hockey jersey standing for both Blazers and Bruins. At the time of 1965 this new reorganized of the Central Professional Hockey League, 2nd season would have teams in St. Louis, Tulsa, St. Paul, Memphis, Houston, and Oklahoma City. The CPHL had rules that kept the best young professional players that didn't make the NHL on the rosters of one of the six teams in the CPHL. Older veteran hockey players at the highest minor league level were assigned to the American Hockey League, which also had six teams. Because the new CPHL (which was owned by the NHL and started one year earlier for the 1964-65 season) had the cream of the youngest players in professional hockey, the league allowed a sprinkling of a few older experienced players on each team. All most all of these older players had NHL or AHL experience. The CPHL became the best minor league in the world along with the youngest talent in pro hockey not playing in the NHL. The league would be known as the fastest hockey on earth. The skill and play of the teams in the CPHL was outstanding. With expansion and the coming of the World Hockey League a few years later, hockey became watered down at every level, including the CPHL. We didn't know it in 1965 but Oklahoma City in truth had a real taste of ice hockey at the highest level with future greats of the NHL adorning the rosters of the six teams. The many of the young guns of the original Blazers moved up a few years later to the parent club and as the Boston Bruins claimed Lord Stanley's Cup in the 1970 and 1972 seasons. Even the Blazers Head Coach Harry Sinden, moved up with his talented players and coached both NHL title teams for Beantown. The only regrets is that the greatest Bruin ever, Bobby Orr, didn't get to play on one of the OKC Blazer teams. We all know why Mr. Orr didn't come to OKC but without the Blazers who reached Boston through OKC , he wouldn't have his name on the Cup. Those Blazers of 1965-66 were the backbone of the Boston Bruins great teams of the 1970's.
The memories of those teams will never be forgotten. Like when Glenn Sather skated along the boards and without warning punched a opposing team fan in the face for mouthing him with obscenities during the game. Mr. Sather busted the fan and blood spilled in the stands. Or when Blazer goalie Gerry Cheevers went after a Tulsa winger with his stick and tremendous fight followeded, where in Mr. Cheavers beat the crap out of the Oiler hockey player.
Even though some of the players were just eighteen, twenty , or twenty-one, they were the future of the NHL. They cut their professional teeth in the new league, and the fans who attended Blazer games watched great hockey.
My Blazers that won the Stanley Cup with Boston included:
John Arbour, Garnet Bailey, Nick Beverly, Wayne Cashman, Gerry Cheevers, Gary Doak, Jim Harrison, Bill Lesuk, Jim Lorentz, Don Marcotte, Derrick Sanderson, Dallas Smith, Rick Smith, Frank Spring, Tom Webster, Barry Wilkins, and Bob Stewart. Harry Sinden was the player coach for the Blazers during the 65-66 season. This list doesn't include other Blazers who made their mark with other NHL or WHL teams of the time.
Gerry Cheevers
OKC Blazers
Wayne Cashman
OKC Blazers
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Harry Sinden
OKC Blazers
|
Marcus Smart
People who live their lives with the wins and loses of their particular team, happy and feeling good when they win, and not so, often in a depression, sometimes for days, weeks, months when they lose are in a way psychologically damaged. In... the long of it, they are a sad lot, using sports to define their lives in how they will react to the everyday grind of life. Don't get me wrong, I am just as happy as a pig in slop when my favorites win and upset when they get beat. That feeling may last for a good time on a victory, but forgotten five minutes after a defeat, knowing that the loss is now just part of history, knowing that the game will never be won or lost again. People like Mr. Orr are just like many who follow sports. I'm sure he is a good person, a man that you would like, an individual that wouldn't hurt his fellow man. Yet, put him in a crowd with other like people with the same spirit for the good team they follow and they forget themselves. Lessons of life get thrown out the window and the "average" joe becomes the mad hatter of Lubbock. Lest we forget, the incident on the South Plains could have had more serious consequences. Had Mr. Orr fallen backwards on the push by the upset Marcs Smart, he could have been seriously hurt and then where would we be. The lack of crowd control at the conclusion of the game with the rushing of the court could have been an incident of mayhem with any such negative results ensuring. Marcus Smart will do his time for his wrong doings. Deservingly so. Mr. Orr, not so sure. As for the Big 12, another chance to show true leadership seems to have come and gone. It seems to me that the Big 12 didn't think that the behavior exhibited by Mr. Orr or the rushing of the court in Lubbock mattered in the same degree with that of the Cowboy star. Having attended Big 12 contests in both basketball and football at most all stadiums and gyms, a major undertaking of educating fans on what is not appropriate needs to take place. Mr. Trammel, as I see it, you hit it the nail on the head in your column. http://newsok.com/marcus-smart-incident-big-12-wants-to-preach-basketball-sportsmanship-but-not-practice-it/article/3932729?custom_click=columnist
Smart Should Have Acted Like He'd Been There
A player should never go into a crowd to touch a fan. A player that is on the court of play and a
fan comes on the court where they should not be a player should protect himself
at all times. A fan should never call a
player a personal negative name that would incite a fight in any other situation. A fan should never come on a court at any
time while a game is in progress, or should never touch a player in a negative situation. And finally, any game official should have
the right to kick any person involved in a contest, including but not limited
to a coach, player, fan, or school associated personnel, at any time before or
during out of the arena.
With that said, Marcus Smart messed up yesterday in Lubbock in a game between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Secondarily, the man that Marcus Smart pushed was out of line and should be banned in attending other Big 12 sporting event for life.
Marcus Smart is not a kid anymore. This is a highly skilled athlete on the second highest level in his sport knows the finer points of athletics. He has been told never to engage fans in any manner. Yet he allowed yourself to be suckered in by an old fart that cursed him. Marcus is guilty and there are no excuses.
Mr. Orr, you are not allowed to say what you said to Marcus Smart. If you used the N word more to the negative. If, as you say, only called him “a piece of crap”, what are you doing? This is not a war. This is a sporting event. You are a loser and you are not needed at contests between college athletes. No, you need to go, forever. Your money to Tech is not needed. Your little smile after the incident was also offensive. If Marcus was my son and I heard what you had said I would have met you after the game and I would have kicked your ass. That I promise. No, we don’t need punks, no matter what their age, at college sporting events.
As for the OSU coaching staff, it is your responsible to protect your players. To know what the fuck is going on. You failed Marcus last night. You didn't protect him. Coach Ford, you stood around like you had no clue what happened. And you didn't. Ford, watch the game. Coach, you are on your last legs if I had anything to say about it.
From reports today Mr. Orr has taken is own action and will not attend any more Tech games this season. Not good enough.
As for Marcus Smart, use this incident for your future career. When in the NBA you will be called names also. But in the NBA if you use language such as the N word or say personal things about a player you will be taken out of the arena and could/will lose your right to attend future NBA games.
With that said, Marcus Smart messed up yesterday in Lubbock in a game between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Secondarily, the man that Marcus Smart pushed was out of line and should be banned in attending other Big 12 sporting event for life.
Marcus Smart is not a kid anymore. This is a highly skilled athlete on the second highest level in his sport knows the finer points of athletics. He has been told never to engage fans in any manner. Yet he allowed yourself to be suckered in by an old fart that cursed him. Marcus is guilty and there are no excuses.
Mr. Orr, you are not allowed to say what you said to Marcus Smart. If you used the N word more to the negative. If, as you say, only called him “a piece of crap”, what are you doing? This is not a war. This is a sporting event. You are a loser and you are not needed at contests between college athletes. No, you need to go, forever. Your money to Tech is not needed. Your little smile after the incident was also offensive. If Marcus was my son and I heard what you had said I would have met you after the game and I would have kicked your ass. That I promise. No, we don’t need punks, no matter what their age, at college sporting events.
As for the OSU coaching staff, it is your responsible to protect your players. To know what the fuck is going on. You failed Marcus last night. You didn't protect him. Coach Ford, you stood around like you had no clue what happened. And you didn't. Ford, watch the game. Coach, you are on your last legs if I had anything to say about it.
From reports today Mr. Orr has taken is own action and will not attend any more Tech games this season. Not good enough.
As for Marcus Smart, use this incident for your future career. When in the NBA you will be called names also. But in the NBA if you use language such as the N word or say personal things about a player you will be taken out of the arena and could/will lose your right to attend future NBA games.
One of the Band Of Brothers (HBO) passed away Saturday in Washington. Lynn "Buck" Compton was 90. Never shall we forget what the Greatest Generation did for us. Thank you Mr. Compton and all of your "Brothers."
http://news.yahoo.com/band-brothers-soldier-dies-90-wash-172718718.html
http://news.yahoo.com/band-brothers-soldier-dies-90-wash-172718718.html
The Baseball hall of Fame will be adding three members this year. Because of the way players are chosen, the Hall has a serious flaw. Men are inducted into the Hall while others just as deserving, are left out in the cold. This year we have people not put in because one or two writers didn't thin any player that was part of the steriod age should garner votes. That was wrong. And others are not put in because they didn't play their careers in cities like New York, St. Louis or LA. Playing on a team that is not the media darling hurt their chances. The Hall needs to change to get it right.
A little history: Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers Association of America (or BBWAA), or the Veterans Committee,[11] which now consists of three subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more. From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances, the screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee.[12]
Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on the ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente's induction in 1973 set the precedent when the writers chose to put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972.
Lineup for Yesterday
Z is for Zenith
The summit of fame.
These men are up there.
These men are the game.
— Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949)[13]
The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although an exception was made for Joe DiMaggio because of his high level of previous support, thus permitting him to be elected within four years of his retirement. Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig, other than to hold a special one-man election for him. There was no waiting period at that time and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season, but the BBWAA decided to hold a special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it was known that he was terminally ill, making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter the Hall while still alive.
If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 20 years of his retirement from active play, he may be selected by the Veterans Committee. Following the most recent changes to the election process for that body made in 2010, it is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot—both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). With these changes, each candidate can now be considered once every three years.[14] A more complete discussion of the new process is available below.
From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures:
Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over the merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James' book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame.
A little history: Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers Association of America (or BBWAA), or the Veterans Committee,[11] which now consists of three subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more. From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances, the screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee.[12]
Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on the ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente's induction in 1973 set the precedent when the writers chose to put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972.
Lineup for Yesterday
Z is for Zenith
The summit of fame.
These men are up there.
These men are the game.
— Ogden Nash, Sport magazine (January 1949)[13]
The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although an exception was made for Joe DiMaggio because of his high level of previous support, thus permitting him to be elected within four years of his retirement. Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig, other than to hold a special one-man election for him. There was no waiting period at that time and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season, but the BBWAA decided to hold a special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it was known that he was terminally ill, making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter the Hall while still alive.
If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 20 years of his retirement from active play, he may be selected by the Veterans Committee. Following the most recent changes to the election process for that body made in 2010, it is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot—both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). With these changes, each candidate can now be considered once every three years.[14] A more complete discussion of the new process is available below.
From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures:
- One committee voted on managers and umpires for induction in every even-numbered year. This committee voted only twice— in 2007 for induction in 2008 and in 2009 for induction in 2010.
- One committee voted on executives and builders for induction in every even-numbered year. This committee conducted its only two votes in the same years as the managers/umpires committee.
- The pre–World War II players committee was intended to vote every five years on players whose careers began in 1942 or earlier. It conducted its only vote as part of the election process for induction in 2009.[15]
Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over the merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James' book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame.
WT Sherman Had It Right: War is Hell
I have read various books on the Civil War, been to many battlefields of the great event of our country, and visited many historical graves of the principals of the conflict. Of all the main characters of the 1861-1865 fight, two men stand out as the most complex and interesting to study. The first, our 16th President Abe Lincoln, is a given. I think more books have been written about this great American than any other in our history. The second, William Tecumseh Sherman, was just as complex a person, and in my opinion, just as important in ending the War Between The States as any other. I might note, a great number of books have been written on him also. Sherman was a man that reflected the human condition in his time. He was most often unsuccessful in life,including business, family, and relationships. He was successful in waging war. He was a warrior leader and somebody we could dearly use today in all the messes we have in this nation of ours. He was a man that would have influenced the world if he lived today. His famous quotes are apropos today, just as they were when he made them almost one hundred fifty years ago. His beliefs on war and the world in general were more sophisticated and visceral than any person our two hundred years plus as a country. Sherman was resolute in his beliefs. If our current leaders would reflect on his ideas, we as a nation of good over evil, might benefit.
Some quotes that give you a sense of what General Sherman was all about included:
In our Country... one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.My aim then was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us.This war differs from other wars, in this particular. We are not fighting armies but a hostile people, and must make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.
War is at its best barbarism.
War is hell.
Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.
I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace
I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.
If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfastIf the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking.
If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.
In reading about Sherman some important beliefs come to mind.
Sherman hated war and wanted the Civil War to end as fast at it could. He believed that war should be fought in a particular hard and deadly fashion. He believed war was between two groups of people and he coined the term "modern warfare." When Sherman's army took its' famous march through Georgia and North Carolina, he wanted to make "Georgia howl." Going into a town or community during the march he would burn it if citizens of the town had anything to do with guerrilla warfare against his army. He would, at last resort, line up citizens and shoot them if need be. On the other hand, if the town didn't wage war against his army, he wouldn't burn it down, just taking anything of worth to his army. Sherman's modern warfare, or total warfare, was used during World War 2 as when thousands of Allied bombers would incinerate a German city without regard to civilian deaths, such as the 22,700 dead men, women and children of Dresden.
Sherman's army was ruthless in killing their enemy, and in making his enemy fear them. Sherman's Union Army of the West was the greatest army the world had ever seen at the time. They were, in brutal terms, young, tough, hardened, and finally, deadly killers.
The newspapers (media today) were looked as the devil. He hated newspaper men, thought they were the enemy, said they were like spies.
Sherman could have been President of the United States but in the above quote he had no interest in the job.
He was not a racist but in truth had issues with the competence of the black man. Fact is, his actions helped free the black man in this country. He held the American Indian in high esteem, as part of his name and one of his children honored the great Indian leader.
It was said he burned Atlanta to the ground, which was not true. Southerners didn't hate the man as many might believe. Point in fact, Sherman was the first president of LSU and loved living in South before the war. He counted my Southern leaders and future Confederate generals as friends before and after the war. During the war they were his enemy. After the war Sherman, who lived in New York City, would give handouts to needy veterans of the war, both Union and Confederate.
Sherman was credited for saving countless American lives on both sides for ending the war sooner than later. His brutal warfare helped in getting the conflict to end.
Sherman was respected by his men, but was also respected by the Confederate's he fought in battle. Reb General Joe Johnston, Sherman's opposing general in the war "never forgot the magnanimity of the man to whom he surrendered, and would not allow an unkind word to be said about Sherman in his presence. Sherman and Johnston corresponded frequently and they met for friendly dinners in Washington whenever Johnston traveled there. When Sherman died, Johnston served as an honorary pallbearer at his funeral; during the procession in New York City on February 19, 1891, he kept his hat off as a sign of respect in the cold, rainy weather. Someone with concern for the old general's health asked him to put on his hat, to which Johnston replied "If I were in his place and he were standing here in mine, he would not put on his hat." He caught a cold that day, which developed into pneumonia, and he died several weeks later in Washington, D.C.
In reflecting on the latest incident of American Marines urinating on dead combatants in Afghanistan, I wonder what General Sherman would have thought. Some might suggest that he would approve the actions of the Marines, while others would say he would have not only approved of it, but applaud them in doing it. My opinion is that Sherman would not have approved in the actions, but knowing that the Marines involved were probably in the age range of nineteen or twenty (they wore one stripe, indicating a Private First Class). They were caught up in the moment and did something that if they had thought about it, might not have carried it out. War is fought by young men. Putting these young men in situations that are life and death anything can happen, and usually does. You don't just "calm" down in deadly warfare. You better not love your enemy. You can respect them as combatants, but you have the right not to respect them as men, or human beings. If you do, you are not in the right frame of mind to kill someone. They were not in a unique situation, as fighting men throughout history have done things just as crazy. Some much worse. You tell a man to kill another man then crucify him for peeing on the dead corpse is not appropriate. Punish him with a reprimand but do not put him in prison. Want to stop this sort of thing, then have the powers to be, the President, the War Lords of this nation, the Marine commanders and the Marine officers of these men to suffer the same reprimands.
We need end the war. End it now, by winning it like Sherman would have done if he was our Commander of the military today.
Point in fact, we end wars today not by winning them, but by abandoning them, quitting the war either in defeat or indifference.
Our President, his advisors, have to make a choice. Sherman made his choice, a choice to win, because he was a leader who had a moral backbone, something our leaders lack today, in spades.
(Point in fact: Generals Grant (Army of the Potomac and then General of the Army) and General Sherman (Army of the West) had more authority than Generals of today, and could wage war with the goal of winning it, Today, our Presidents control the military in a way that our military leaders have restraints on how they wage/win wars.)
Point in fact: Sherman was in fact, the most powerful man in the United States just days after the Civil War. US President Johnson and US War Secretary Stanton believed that Sherman had intentions of crossing the Potomac River just days before the great celebration parades in Washington DC and take over the nation. They believed that Sherman would, in fact, name himself King or Minister of the Nation. Sherman's disdain for the American leaders just after the was noted historically and point in fact, Sherman's army had enough men and fire power to defeat the "other" Union Army (Army of the Potomac). Sherman was infuriated with Johnson and Stanton with regard to "surrender terms" that he, Sherman had given the Southern Army. The President thought Sherman was too easy on the Rebels and forced Sherman to resend them and make them harsher. Make sure that Sherman could have taken over the country, by force, and that Sherman was not only the most powerful man in the United States at this critical moment of our history, but also the most popular, even more than the great General Grant.
Some quotes that give you a sense of what General Sherman was all about included:
In our Country... one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.My aim then was to whip the rebels, to humble their pride, to follow them to their inmost recesses, and make them fear and dread us.This war differs from other wars, in this particular. We are not fighting armies but a hostile people, and must make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war.
War is at its best barbarism.
War is hell.
Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.
I know I had no hand in making this war, and I know I will make more sacrifices today than any of you to secure peace
I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for mercy.
If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfastIf the people raise a great howl against my barbarity and cruelty, I will answer that war is war, and not popularity seeking.
If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.
In reading about Sherman some important beliefs come to mind.
Sherman hated war and wanted the Civil War to end as fast at it could. He believed that war should be fought in a particular hard and deadly fashion. He believed war was between two groups of people and he coined the term "modern warfare." When Sherman's army took its' famous march through Georgia and North Carolina, he wanted to make "Georgia howl." Going into a town or community during the march he would burn it if citizens of the town had anything to do with guerrilla warfare against his army. He would, at last resort, line up citizens and shoot them if need be. On the other hand, if the town didn't wage war against his army, he wouldn't burn it down, just taking anything of worth to his army. Sherman's modern warfare, or total warfare, was used during World War 2 as when thousands of Allied bombers would incinerate a German city without regard to civilian deaths, such as the 22,700 dead men, women and children of Dresden.
Sherman's army was ruthless in killing their enemy, and in making his enemy fear them. Sherman's Union Army of the West was the greatest army the world had ever seen at the time. They were, in brutal terms, young, tough, hardened, and finally, deadly killers.
The newspapers (media today) were looked as the devil. He hated newspaper men, thought they were the enemy, said they were like spies.
Sherman could have been President of the United States but in the above quote he had no interest in the job.
He was not a racist but in truth had issues with the competence of the black man. Fact is, his actions helped free the black man in this country. He held the American Indian in high esteem, as part of his name and one of his children honored the great Indian leader.
It was said he burned Atlanta to the ground, which was not true. Southerners didn't hate the man as many might believe. Point in fact, Sherman was the first president of LSU and loved living in South before the war. He counted my Southern leaders and future Confederate generals as friends before and after the war. During the war they were his enemy. After the war Sherman, who lived in New York City, would give handouts to needy veterans of the war, both Union and Confederate.
Sherman was credited for saving countless American lives on both sides for ending the war sooner than later. His brutal warfare helped in getting the conflict to end.
Sherman was respected by his men, but was also respected by the Confederate's he fought in battle. Reb General Joe Johnston, Sherman's opposing general in the war "never forgot the magnanimity of the man to whom he surrendered, and would not allow an unkind word to be said about Sherman in his presence. Sherman and Johnston corresponded frequently and they met for friendly dinners in Washington whenever Johnston traveled there. When Sherman died, Johnston served as an honorary pallbearer at his funeral; during the procession in New York City on February 19, 1891, he kept his hat off as a sign of respect in the cold, rainy weather. Someone with concern for the old general's health asked him to put on his hat, to which Johnston replied "If I were in his place and he were standing here in mine, he would not put on his hat." He caught a cold that day, which developed into pneumonia, and he died several weeks later in Washington, D.C.
In reflecting on the latest incident of American Marines urinating on dead combatants in Afghanistan, I wonder what General Sherman would have thought. Some might suggest that he would approve the actions of the Marines, while others would say he would have not only approved of it, but applaud them in doing it. My opinion is that Sherman would not have approved in the actions, but knowing that the Marines involved were probably in the age range of nineteen or twenty (they wore one stripe, indicating a Private First Class). They were caught up in the moment and did something that if they had thought about it, might not have carried it out. War is fought by young men. Putting these young men in situations that are life and death anything can happen, and usually does. You don't just "calm" down in deadly warfare. You better not love your enemy. You can respect them as combatants, but you have the right not to respect them as men, or human beings. If you do, you are not in the right frame of mind to kill someone. They were not in a unique situation, as fighting men throughout history have done things just as crazy. Some much worse. You tell a man to kill another man then crucify him for peeing on the dead corpse is not appropriate. Punish him with a reprimand but do not put him in prison. Want to stop this sort of thing, then have the powers to be, the President, the War Lords of this nation, the Marine commanders and the Marine officers of these men to suffer the same reprimands.
We need end the war. End it now, by winning it like Sherman would have done if he was our Commander of the military today.
Point in fact, we end wars today not by winning them, but by abandoning them, quitting the war either in defeat or indifference.
Our President, his advisors, have to make a choice. Sherman made his choice, a choice to win, because he was a leader who had a moral backbone, something our leaders lack today, in spades.
(Point in fact: Generals Grant (Army of the Potomac and then General of the Army) and General Sherman (Army of the West) had more authority than Generals of today, and could wage war with the goal of winning it, Today, our Presidents control the military in a way that our military leaders have restraints on how they wage/win wars.)
Point in fact: Sherman was in fact, the most powerful man in the United States just days after the Civil War. US President Johnson and US War Secretary Stanton believed that Sherman had intentions of crossing the Potomac River just days before the great celebration parades in Washington DC and take over the nation. They believed that Sherman would, in fact, name himself King or Minister of the Nation. Sherman's disdain for the American leaders just after the was noted historically and point in fact, Sherman's army had enough men and fire power to defeat the "other" Union Army (Army of the Potomac). Sherman was infuriated with Johnson and Stanton with regard to "surrender terms" that he, Sherman had given the Southern Army. The President thought Sherman was too easy on the Rebels and forced Sherman to resend them and make them harsher. Make sure that Sherman could have taken over the country, by force, and that Sherman was not only the most powerful man in the United States at this critical moment of our history, but also the most popular, even more than the great General Grant.
Sherman at Atlanta
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Sooner fans, we have somewhat of a problem in Norman with regard to the football program. Have you noticed that the Baylor Bears have replaced the Big Red at the top of the Big 12 standings. Have you noticed that the Pokes in Stillwater have put on the field a better product than OU during this season and have a better than not chance to put another loss on this current Sooner team? Have you wondered why OU was beaten by a Texas team that is on the verge of firing one of its greatest coaches in their programs storied history? I will stop. Take a look at today's Daily Oklahoman and read the latest Sooner recruits, ones that have pledged to attend OU next year. OU gets a commit from a tight end from California. The Sooners beat Illinois, Akron, and Bowling Green for this kid. Wow! Did you see any of the Illinois game Saturday? Me too. They sign a defensive end from Alabama. They beat out Alabama...........whoops, sorry, they beat out Western Kentucky to get this young man, along with Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State and UAB. Do I need to go further? (When Coach Bob Stoops and staff become like Coach Snyder from Kansas State and can develop two star recurits into All-Americans I will approve this type of recruit.) And OU is wanting to get back to be a National Title Contender? You wish.
Bob Barry Sr Was One Hell of an Announcer
I grew up listening to Bob Barry announce OU Sooner sports. As a junior high student at Classen High School, the same Classen that Mr. Barry would graduate from in 1946, I remember one Saturday in October (circa 1967) when I was painting house numbers on driveways in northwest OKC for the school's Key Club. Iowa St or Kansas was the opponent, and the best college play by play man that I had ever heard was dolling out "35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5 TOUCHDOWN OKLAHOMA!" Mr. Jack Ogle, Bob's great color analyst would then bark out "that was a great run by Steve Owens." Those two great voices ring in my ears today just as they did forty or more years ago. The greatest play by play man in OU history, Walter Cronkite, Curt Gowdy, and John Brooks included, Bob Sr was OU sports on WKY Radio or whatever station carried the games. No contest, the best. Sure he lost some in his final years on the air but the Great One never announced a bad ball game. He was a total professional and in the long of it, a great human being. (Bob Barry passed on Oct. 29,2011)
PS: One final thought about Bob Barry Sr. In all my times listening to him on the
radio I can never remember him saying something that my kids couldn't hear and
he never embarrassed the schools he repsesented, the game he called, or
himself. Never ever. Now that is a professional who was a good positive man.
He knew his business and he respected his listeners.
If we remember last year OSU played Arizona on the road in Tuscon and were run out of the stadium. Tomorrow the Cowboys will display a very good offense and a defense that will be able to put the clamps on the Bulldogs just enough to gain a hard fought win on a neutral field in Houston. Look for OSU to score often and early to run up a big lead by half and hold on in the second half for a 38 to 26 win. A telling tale in the game will be if OSU struggles on offense early, and if they do, Miss. St. will give the Pokes a close ball game worthy enough to pull the upset. Still, It's OSU's game to win and I'll say they will do it with a strong game from the duel quarterbacks and a better defense, one that will be able to stop the Miss. St inside run game enough to pull out a win.
Star of the Game: The two starting Poke Qbs.
Star of the Game: The two starting Poke Qbs.
A College Football/Basketball Career Cut Short By World War 2
My dad, Fred Pahlke Sr., graduated from Classen High School in Oklahoma City where he was a two sport starter on both the Comet's basketball and football teams (1938). He played guard on the hoops team and was a 6' 160lb fullback on the gridiron. After graduation he went to Centenary College in Shreveport La. in 1940 where he played both football and basketball. Freshmen were not allowed to play on the varsity and my dad was slated to play on the 1940 Centenary varsity football and basketball teams. War in Europe broke out and my Dad enlisted in the Army in the Summer of 1940, where he played football in 1940 with other college players for a major Army Division team. The team was scheduled to play a Army Championship game in the the famous Sugar Bowl Stadium when he was shipped out to fight in North Africa.
Today, Centenary College doesn't play football, but did play a good schedule when my father went to school there. The 1939 team played a schedule including Texas A&M, Rice, Ole Miss, Tulsa, Texas Tech, and Baylor. The team that my father would have taken the field for in 1940 finished only 3-7, but again played a nice schedule that included a road game in Tucson against the Univ. of Arizona.
As much as my father liked to play sports, he gained more satisfaction fighting in General George Patton and General Mark Clark's armies. He had great love and respect for those two great American Generals and found it an honor to be in the 45th Division, participating in the battles of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, the liberation of Fance, and invasion of Germany. My dad was a medic and suffered war injuries in battle just before he crossed the Rhine River.
Today, Centenary College doesn't play football, but did play a good schedule when my father went to school there. The 1939 team played a schedule including Texas A&M, Rice, Ole Miss, Tulsa, Texas Tech, and Baylor. The team that my father would have taken the field for in 1940 finished only 3-7, but again played a nice schedule that included a road game in Tucson against the Univ. of Arizona.
As much as my father liked to play sports, he gained more satisfaction fighting in General George Patton and General Mark Clark's armies. He had great love and respect for those two great American Generals and found it an honor to be in the 45th Division, participating in the battles of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, the liberation of Fance, and invasion of Germany. My dad was a medic and suffered war injuries in battle just before he crossed the Rhine River.
Saturday OU opens the season against a team that you better have your A game working for you. Lousiana Monroe will come to Norman with every intent to take the Sooners out. With a win over Arkansas and a tough loss to Auburn last season, the Warhawks will play to win and not just to look respectful. From the La. Monroe website, some interesting notes for the game:
• When ULM lines up against Oklahoma Saturday night, it will mark the sixth straight season that the Warhawks have opened the season against a ranked foe... The streak began in 2008 when ULM faced No. 10 Auburn... Since then, ULM has opened seasons with: No. 2 Texas (2009), No. 14 Arkansas (2010), No. 5 Florida State (2011), and No. 8 Arkansas (2012).
• Saturday’s game marks just the ninth time since joining the NCAA ranks in 1975 that ULM has played a game in the month of August... The Warhawks are 4-4 in the month of August
• After lining up against the Sooners, the Warhawks will have faced eight of the current 10 members of the Big 12 Conference... The only schools ULM has not faced are Texas Tech and West Virginia.
• The contest against the Sooners is the first trip to the state of Oklahoma for the Warhawks since the 1999 season when they defeated Tulsa, 37-34, in the season finale (Nov. 13)... All-time it is just the fourth trip to the state for ULM (at Tulsa, 1977; at Oklahoma State, 1997).
• A total of seven Warhawks earned preseason recognition from either the Sun Belt Conference or a preseason watch list (Josh Allen, OL; Kolton Browning, QB; Kentarius Caldwell, NT; Je’Ron Hamm, WR; Justin Manton, K / P; Tavarese Maye, WR; Isaiah Newsome, S).
• Four different Warhawks enter their final season in a ULM uniform with 30 or more career starts (Kolton Browning, 36; Isaiah Newsome, 31; Josh Allen, 30; Tavarese Maye, 30).
• Kolton Browning enters his senior season at the top of the charts with 60 career touchdown passes... He is tied with Steven Jyles (2002-05) with 76 total career touchdowns... Browning meanwhile ranks in the top 10 in seven other categories including the number two spot in passing yards, passing attempts, pass completions, total yards of offense and plays.
• Three other Warhawks enter the 2013 season in the top 10 in various statistical categories... Jyruss Edwards sits fourth in program-history with 21 career rushing touchdowns... Tavarese Maye ranks seventh with 149 career receptions... Justin Manton is sixth in punting average (39.8) and ninth in total points by a kicker (124).
• A total of seven Warhawks have ties to the state of Oklahoma... Todd Berry (Head Coach) calls Miami his hometown, while Steve Farmer (Asst. Head Coach / Off. Coord. / O-Line) lists Coweta as his hometown... The five players from the state of Oklahoma are: Colby Mitchell (OL; Bartlesville); Ben Risenhoover (OL; Jenks); Jeremy Burton (OL; Muskogee); Brayle Brown (QB; Shawnee); Ray Stovall (LB; Tulsa).
• Last season, the Warhawks played in a FBS-high four overtime games and ULM won three of those contests... ULM def. No. 8 Arkansas, 34-31 (OT; Little Rock, Ark.; Sept. 8); ULM lost at Auburn, 28-31 (OT; Auburn, Ala.; Sept. 15); ULM def. Western Kentucky, 43-42 (OT; Bowling Green, Ky.; Oct. 20); ULM def. FIU, 23-17 (OT; Miami, Fla.; Nov. 24).
• ULM’s upset of Arkansas marked the first time a Sun Belt Conference school defeated a team ranked in the top 10... It was also just the second win for the SBC over a ranked foe (Troy def. No. 19 Missouri, 24-14; Sept. 9, 2004)... Arkansas State made it two wins over ranked opponents for the SBC last season as they defeated No. 25 Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl (W, 17-13; Jan. 6).
• ULM won eight games during the record-setting 2012 campaign... The eight wins were the most since the squad won nine games in the final year at the 1-AA level in 1993.
• The Warhawks made their first bowl appearance of the FBS-era as they battled the Ohio Bobcats in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
Look for a close 4th quarter game. New starting QB Trevor Knight will give way to Blake Bell and OU wins a close hard fought game 35 to 30. Star of the game: Blake Bell OU
• When ULM lines up against Oklahoma Saturday night, it will mark the sixth straight season that the Warhawks have opened the season against a ranked foe... The streak began in 2008 when ULM faced No. 10 Auburn... Since then, ULM has opened seasons with: No. 2 Texas (2009), No. 14 Arkansas (2010), No. 5 Florida State (2011), and No. 8 Arkansas (2012).
• Saturday’s game marks just the ninth time since joining the NCAA ranks in 1975 that ULM has played a game in the month of August... The Warhawks are 4-4 in the month of August
• After lining up against the Sooners, the Warhawks will have faced eight of the current 10 members of the Big 12 Conference... The only schools ULM has not faced are Texas Tech and West Virginia.
• The contest against the Sooners is the first trip to the state of Oklahoma for the Warhawks since the 1999 season when they defeated Tulsa, 37-34, in the season finale (Nov. 13)... All-time it is just the fourth trip to the state for ULM (at Tulsa, 1977; at Oklahoma State, 1997).
• A total of seven Warhawks earned preseason recognition from either the Sun Belt Conference or a preseason watch list (Josh Allen, OL; Kolton Browning, QB; Kentarius Caldwell, NT; Je’Ron Hamm, WR; Justin Manton, K / P; Tavarese Maye, WR; Isaiah Newsome, S).
• Four different Warhawks enter their final season in a ULM uniform with 30 or more career starts (Kolton Browning, 36; Isaiah Newsome, 31; Josh Allen, 30; Tavarese Maye, 30).
• Kolton Browning enters his senior season at the top of the charts with 60 career touchdown passes... He is tied with Steven Jyles (2002-05) with 76 total career touchdowns... Browning meanwhile ranks in the top 10 in seven other categories including the number two spot in passing yards, passing attempts, pass completions, total yards of offense and plays.
• Three other Warhawks enter the 2013 season in the top 10 in various statistical categories... Jyruss Edwards sits fourth in program-history with 21 career rushing touchdowns... Tavarese Maye ranks seventh with 149 career receptions... Justin Manton is sixth in punting average (39.8) and ninth in total points by a kicker (124).
• A total of seven Warhawks have ties to the state of Oklahoma... Todd Berry (Head Coach) calls Miami his hometown, while Steve Farmer (Asst. Head Coach / Off. Coord. / O-Line) lists Coweta as his hometown... The five players from the state of Oklahoma are: Colby Mitchell (OL; Bartlesville); Ben Risenhoover (OL; Jenks); Jeremy Burton (OL; Muskogee); Brayle Brown (QB; Shawnee); Ray Stovall (LB; Tulsa).
• Last season, the Warhawks played in a FBS-high four overtime games and ULM won three of those contests... ULM def. No. 8 Arkansas, 34-31 (OT; Little Rock, Ark.; Sept. 8); ULM lost at Auburn, 28-31 (OT; Auburn, Ala.; Sept. 15); ULM def. Western Kentucky, 43-42 (OT; Bowling Green, Ky.; Oct. 20); ULM def. FIU, 23-17 (OT; Miami, Fla.; Nov. 24).
• ULM’s upset of Arkansas marked the first time a Sun Belt Conference school defeated a team ranked in the top 10... It was also just the second win for the SBC over a ranked foe (Troy def. No. 19 Missouri, 24-14; Sept. 9, 2004)... Arkansas State made it two wins over ranked opponents for the SBC last season as they defeated No. 25 Kent State in the GoDaddy.com Bowl (W, 17-13; Jan. 6).
• ULM won eight games during the record-setting 2012 campaign... The eight wins were the most since the squad won nine games in the final year at the 1-AA level in 1993.
• The Warhawks made their first bowl appearance of the FBS-era as they battled the Ohio Bobcats in the AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.
Look for a close 4th quarter game. New starting QB Trevor Knight will give way to Blake Bell and OU wins a close hard fought game 35 to 30. Star of the game: Blake Bell OU
A College Football/Basketball Career Cut Short By World War 2
The above picture was taken in the fall of 1940 at Centenary College. (Note the photo is reversed as the letters on the basketball practice jersey is a mirror reflection)
A picture of the Head Coach Jake Hanna talking to the Gents at Spring Practice. My dad is the blond headed player in the upper left.
Another photo of my dad. Notice the Chuck Taylor high tops and knee pads.
Dunjee Was No Place to Play Basketball
The Daily Oklahoman reported today that Star Spencer High School would remember Dunjee High School by wearing the colors and name of the former school in a basketball game. Dunjee was at one time a great basketball power in the State of Oklahoma and won many games as an all black school.
http://newsok.com/star-spencer-salutes-its-heritage-dunjee-tigers/article/3754574
http://newsok.com/star-spencer-salutes-its-heritage-dunjee-tigers/article/3754574
Mike Gundy to Change from Brightest Orange to Tennessee Orange
Will be named new Head Coach of the Vols Tomorrow
Sources out of Knoxville have leaked that Oklahoma State University football coach Mike Gundy was offered the top job for the Volunteer football team and he will accept the position on Tuesday. Gundy has been the head Cowboy for eight years in Stillwater and had always said the the OSU coaching position was his New York Yankee job. Gundy will be offered a multi-year deal worth over 22 million dollars. He will have full control over scheduling and will have the opportunity to bring his staff to Knoxville. Rumors of a riff between Gundy and Poke AD Mike Holder seem to be a deciding factor n the move, along with the opportunity to take the Vol program back to national status. If true, Gundy becomes the most loved coach in OSU history to another Les Miles, but much worse. Miles didn't graduate from OSU as Gundy played and was a great quarterback in Stillwater.
Mike Gundy
Photo by ESPN.GO.COM
Bedlem Contest
Oklahoma State's football team is a better team today than it was at the beginning of the season. The Oklahoma Sooners football team is not better than it was when it lost to Kansas State and Notre Dame eariler this year. OU's defense is bad. The Cowboys have a legit chance to win Bedlem Saturday at Owen Field against Oklahoma and it might be a humdinger of a game.
1. OU will have problems stopping the Poke run game. OSU's offensive line should have its way with the OU defensive front. Mike Stoops won't sellout the run like they did against Baylor and West Virginia, but that won't make much of a difference. Big plays in the run game and key mistakes in the defensive secondary should allow OSU to move the ball with ease. Can OU's defensive line get to the Poke quarterback? They better. Remember, OSU has a better offense than West Virigina
2. Can OU run the ball on Oklahoma State? Probably not. OU must make big plays, and a lot of them in the passing game. And Landry Jones cannot throw the oskie. Turnovers by either team is a killer, and it's about time for Jones to show his bad side.
3. Playing in Norman gives OU an advantage, and the youth of the Poke quarterbacks, whomever plays, lends the Sooners a chance.
4. OSU is better in the kicking game. Don't overlook Quinn Sharpe.
Look for OSU to win 37 to 34. My heart tells me it could be much like last year. OSU is the better team and the tougher team.
1. OU will have problems stopping the Poke run game. OSU's offensive line should have its way with the OU defensive front. Mike Stoops won't sellout the run like they did against Baylor and West Virginia, but that won't make much of a difference. Big plays in the run game and key mistakes in the defensive secondary should allow OSU to move the ball with ease. Can OU's defensive line get to the Poke quarterback? They better. Remember, OSU has a better offense than West Virigina
2. Can OU run the ball on Oklahoma State? Probably not. OU must make big plays, and a lot of them in the passing game. And Landry Jones cannot throw the oskie. Turnovers by either team is a killer, and it's about time for Jones to show his bad side.
3. Playing in Norman gives OU an advantage, and the youth of the Poke quarterbacks, whomever plays, lends the Sooners a chance.
4. OSU is better in the kicking game. Don't overlook Quinn Sharpe.
Look for OSU to win 37 to 34. My heart tells me it could be much like last year. OSU is the better team and the tougher team.
It's A Great Day in Oklahoma/Mack Brown's Time is Up at Texas
Mack Brown Hot In Cotton Bowl Today
(Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell-Austin American Statesman)
The Oklahoma Sooners smashed Texas for the 3rd straight time today and Horn's coach Mack Brown might have coached his last Red River game. Newspapers all across Texas are admitting that the Texas football program is at a crossroads and that Mack's time in Austin is coming to a close. Another blow-out loss to OU by a Mack Brown coached team is not acceptable at UT and the heat is on. Look for Texas to take up Mack's buy out clause and the Horn's will be courting a new head football coach next season.
http://www.chron.com/sports/longhorns/article/Red-River-Rout-Sooners-roll-Longhorns-3945815.php
http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/mac-engel/2012/10/texas-fight-texas-quit-will-mack-brown-finally-feel-the-heat-of-texas-mediocrity.html
http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/college-football/bohls-texas-needs-to-define-what-unacceptable-real/nScbh/
http://www.chron.com/sports/longhorns/article/Red-River-Rout-Sooners-roll-Longhorns-3945815.php
http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/mac-engel/2012/10/texas-fight-texas-quit-will-mack-brown-finally-feel-the-heat-of-texas-mediocrity.html
http://www.statesman.com/news/sports/college-football/bohls-texas-needs-to-define-what-unacceptable-real/nScbh/
Big 12 Officials-We Expect More Than What We Got
It is all good in Stillwater. For the Texas Longhorns that is. When I watch a game, win or lose, I expect the game to be called clean. That is, the game officials have no excuse for not making the correct calls on the most important plays of the game. All touchdowns are looked at in the replay box by the replay officials. The play that gave the Horns the win, the runner fumbled the ball before he crossed the goal line and a Poke defensive player picked up the ball at the one. Technically, the Cowboy player took the ball and downed it in the end zone. That might be considered a safety, giving UT two points and the lead. But the officials, all around, on the field, in the replay booth, erred. No touchdown was scored. I expect more from the officials that what they gave us last night. This is bigtime Division One football as a former coach at Colorado has said in the past. We got less from the Big 12 last night. And it is inexcusable.
In other Big 12 play: West Virginia/Baylor - It was a shit played game by both so called defenses. It was like neither team had coaches who knew what the hell was going on as the piss poor play on both sides was not even of high school caliber. If I was the Head coach of either team both my D coordinators would be out of work immediately and my secondary coaches would join them. I do not think, I DO NOT THINK, that the defensive players on the field, both teams, were that much inferior to the offensive players of the other team. It was not a matter of schemes, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. BAD BAD BAD D! It reminded me a few years back when Sam Bradford had put 59 on the board against K-State in Manhattan and the Cats had 28. Both coaches got together at half and both teams went to the run in the second half, even K-State. OU could have scored 100 that day and K-State 60. OU scored a second half touchdown that day as the coaches had the fix in for the second half.
Don't allow yourself to get suckered in on next weeks Texas/West Virginia game. Texas will play defense and will win the game. Look for OU to bounce back and beat Texas Tech. If the Sooners lost in Lubbock, OU won't win five games this season.
In other Big 12 play: West Virginia/Baylor - It was a shit played game by both so called defenses. It was like neither team had coaches who knew what the hell was going on as the piss poor play on both sides was not even of high school caliber. If I was the Head coach of either team both my D coordinators would be out of work immediately and my secondary coaches would join them. I do not think, I DO NOT THINK, that the defensive players on the field, both teams, were that much inferior to the offensive players of the other team. It was not a matter of schemes, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. BAD BAD BAD D! It reminded me a few years back when Sam Bradford had put 59 on the board against K-State in Manhattan and the Cats had 28. Both coaches got together at half and both teams went to the run in the second half, even K-State. OU could have scored 100 that day and K-State 60. OU scored a second half touchdown that day as the coaches had the fix in for the second half.
Don't allow yourself to get suckered in on next weeks Texas/West Virginia game. Texas will play defense and will win the game. Look for OU to bounce back and beat Texas Tech. If the Sooners lost in Lubbock, OU won't win five games this season.
Photo: Austin-American Statesman
OU Loses Because Landry Jones Makes Too Many Losing Plays
Statistics will tell you that OU quarterback Landry Jones was a great player. History will write that Landry Jones was a good player that made losing plays in big games. Kansas State took OU to the woodshed tonight and whipped the Sooners 24-19 in front of another sellout crowd in Norman. Rack up the loss to a fumble by Landry Jones and a bad pass thrown by the qb. Another fumble by Blake Bell inside the five yard line going in for a score also hurt the Sooners.
The future for OU football is now or it could be next season. Continue to go with "your" first round NFL draft choice in Landry Jones, get beat in three, four, or even five future games this season, or get your team ready for next year and make a change. This horse doesn't ride, and Bob Stoops needs to understand that.
I really like what Kansas State is doing. Having the best coach in the country, the old guy had his players ready to "not make mistakes." It's going to be a long season for OU.
The future for OU football is now or it could be next season. Continue to go with "your" first round NFL draft choice in Landry Jones, get beat in three, four, or even five future games this season, or get your team ready for next year and make a change. This horse doesn't ride, and Bob Stoops needs to understand that.
I really like what Kansas State is doing. Having the best coach in the country, the old guy had his players ready to "not make mistakes." It's going to be a long season for OU.
My Take (Week 2): Sooners Have Huge Task Ahead; Pokes Defense Sucks
Kansas State is no FAMU or UTEP. In two weeks the Sooners will host the Wildcats in a game that should be a joy to watch. OU will need to upgrade their play and show the country they are a legit Top Ten team. Kansas State is not a world beater but they are extremely well coached and the game should go down to the final moments. OU's win yesterday was expected and the jury is still out on this current team. As I predicted in my pre-season look a win by KSU at Norman is a possibility. Still, at home, OU should pull it out.
As for OSU, I was impressed with the new qb Wes Lunt. He is the real deal and has a chance to be as productive as Brandon Weeden. His ability level is outstanding and all freshmen will make mistakes such as he did against the U of A last night. The Cowboy defense was like last year without the caused turnovers. That is a disaster and if the Pokes don't get the oskie or the fumble recovery, they will have to fight it out most every Saturday, home or away. With the added mistakes they made last night, like holding and hitting late, OSU won't win any of those close games. Look for a new defensive coordinator next year at Stillwater. That defense OSU put on the field last night won't cut the mustard.
As for OSU, I was impressed with the new qb Wes Lunt. He is the real deal and has a chance to be as productive as Brandon Weeden. His ability level is outstanding and all freshmen will make mistakes such as he did against the U of A last night. The Cowboy defense was like last year without the caused turnovers. That is a disaster and if the Pokes don't get the oskie or the fumble recovery, they will have to fight it out most every Saturday, home or away. With the added mistakes they made last night, like holding and hitting late, OSU won't win any of those close games. Look for a new defensive coordinator next year at Stillwater. That defense OSU put on the field last night won't cut the mustard.
Richard Rowe/US PRESSWIRE
My Take: OU No Top Ten Team; OSU Totally Ready For Arizona
I am not sure what kind of Sooner team we have this season but the same cannot be said for Oklahoma State. OU played a not so good UTEP Miner team in El Paso last night and could have left the West Texas city with a loss on its record. OU will be hard to win the Big 12 let alone challenge for the National Title. The distance between this OU team and powerhouses such as Alabama and USC are bigger than a Sooner fan wants to admit. UTEP, with a kicker that could make field goals, could have upset OU, as the home team outplayed the visitors for the better part of three quarters. A better conditioned Miner squad might have pulled the upset. Conditioning of teams was significant, as OU's offense was inept in rushing the ball and protecting Sooner qb Landry Jones from a very good pass rush. The upset was set up. Mistakes in the kicking game gave the Miners it's only touchdown, but three makeable but missed field goals kept OU in a 10-7 lead going into the 4th quarter, instead of trailing 16-10. A risky coaching decision by UTEP HC Mike Price to go for a 4th down in their territory late in the game allowed the Sooners march a short field to build the lead to 17-7. That was all she wrote. With OU's interior defensive line missing its two best players from suspension, UTEP running back Nathan Jeffery gashed the Sooner defense for 177 yards on 21 carries. Leg cramps put Jeffery on the bench in the final quarter, snuffing any chance for a UTEP win. Lucky for OU Jeffery's mustard treatment didn't work for his cramps. The Sooners didn't have an answer for him. With all the bragging that OU's defense pitched a shutout (UTEP's only score came on a blocked punt run in by that man Jeffery), the fact of the matter is that OU wasn't all that in stopping Jeffery's running and the Miners missed three field goals. The defensive effort by the Sooners was good, which tells me that a lack of improvement in stopping the run OU will have all it wants when they play the better teams. Mike Stoops had them playing hard. As for the running game, the Sooners did not run all over UTEP. Whaley and newcomer D. Williams were adequate, but the o-line blocking was not even average at best. Passing game was satisfactory, but I question the receivers in that Jones couldn't get the ball out because of good coverage by UTEP's secondary. Jones won't last the season if he gets mugged like he did last night against last years 114th ranked defense. UTEP is not all that improved on that side of the ball. All in all, OU is not a top ten team (right now) and their total performance was very disapointing.
As for OSU, they play their first real game next week in Tucson against U of A.
As for OSU, they play their first real game next week in Tucson against U of A.
Nathan Jeffery leaps Sooner Defender
(photo by
Mark Lambie, El Paso Times)
Sooners My Pick for Big 12 Title, Kansas State 2nd, Pokes 3rd
Cowboy Head Coach Mike Gundy
Photo: KRMG.com
With Landry Jones coming back for his senior season, the Oklahoma Sooners are my pick to win the Big 12 conference football championship for 2012. Kansas State is my second choice with the Oklahoma State Univ. Cowboys finishing third. My order of finish is as follows.
1. OU
2. Kansas State
3. Oklahoma State
4. West Virginia
5. Texas Christian
6. Texas
7. Baylor
8. Iowa State
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas
My thoughts on OU
OU: Will score lots of points with Jones having a big year. OU will have a superior passing game. Mike Stoops will have his defenders in the right places and the defense will be the best in the conference, even better than Texas. Look for big blowout wins against Texas and Notre Dame. Look for tough games against KSU at home and TCU and the Hillbillies in Morgantown. OU will not go undefeated in conference play and the may suffer two conference loses and still win the league. No National Championship again but a BCS bowl.
Prediction of big games for OU
OU 38 KSU 28 (Sooners could get upset in this one)
OU 45 UT 10
OU 56 Notre Dame 21
OU 34 OSU 17
OU 28 West Virginia 29
OU 20 TCU 9 (another close one for OU-upset special possible)
My thoughts on OSU
Defense will be much better but the turnover ratio will not. New quarterback will be a hit if his pass catchers do their job. Poke running game will be the best in the league with RB's Randle and Smith tearing up defenses. Look for OSU to be much better in the later games as the Qb develops. Another nice year for OSU and a good bowl.
Prediction of big games for OSU
OSU 26 Arizona 24
OSU 24 Baylor 35
OSU 24 UT 20
OSU 27 West Virginia 24
OSU 17 OU 34
OSU 28 TT 12
OSU 16 TCU 14 (a toss up game-good that the Pokes host in this one)
OSU 20 KSU 35
OSU 90 Savanna State 7 (not a big game but this one is special)
1. OU
2. Kansas State
3. Oklahoma State
4. West Virginia
5. Texas Christian
6. Texas
7. Baylor
8. Iowa State
9. Texas Tech
10. Kansas
My thoughts on OU
OU: Will score lots of points with Jones having a big year. OU will have a superior passing game. Mike Stoops will have his defenders in the right places and the defense will be the best in the conference, even better than Texas. Look for big blowout wins against Texas and Notre Dame. Look for tough games against KSU at home and TCU and the Hillbillies in Morgantown. OU will not go undefeated in conference play and the may suffer two conference loses and still win the league. No National Championship again but a BCS bowl.
Prediction of big games for OU
OU 38 KSU 28 (Sooners could get upset in this one)
OU 45 UT 10
OU 56 Notre Dame 21
OU 34 OSU 17
OU 28 West Virginia 29
OU 20 TCU 9 (another close one for OU-upset special possible)
My thoughts on OSU
Defense will be much better but the turnover ratio will not. New quarterback will be a hit if his pass catchers do their job. Poke running game will be the best in the league with RB's Randle and Smith tearing up defenses. Look for OSU to be much better in the later games as the Qb develops. Another nice year for OSU and a good bowl.
Prediction of big games for OSU
OSU 26 Arizona 24
OSU 24 Baylor 35
OSU 24 UT 20
OSU 27 West Virginia 24
OSU 17 OU 34
OSU 28 TT 12
OSU 16 TCU 14 (a toss up game-good that the Pokes host in this one)
OSU 20 KSU 35
OSU 90 Savanna State 7 (not a big game but this one is special)
Spurs Finish Off Thunder In Game One
Midway through the second half with the Oklahoma City Thunder nursing a nine point lead over the San Antonio all seemed well for a first game "steal" for the visitors. False feelings. The best team in the league got it in gear, both defensively and offensively, and took control in the final twelve minutes and ruined the Thunder's upset bid with a not as close as the score indicated 101-98 win. Everything said about the Spurs and their dominance in the Western Conference was proven true as veteran Spurs guard Manu Ginobili and friends were allowed to slice and dice the Thunder defense for thirty-nine fourth quarter points. What is troubling for the Thunder in this series is that the Spurs didn't play well for three quarters and like superior teams playing lesser ones, they, the Spurs, knew that that could turn it on when needed and win the contest. In fact, in my opinion, home court advantage didn't have anything to do with it. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the right things to his players and the best coach in the league had his Spurs leave the Thunder in the Texas dust.
Why the Thunder is over-matched:
1. Coaching- From the first comments of Thunder coach Brooks claiming that the Spurs were the best team in basketball the Spurs held the psychological advantage. You don't do that. Ever. What does that say to your players? Stupid stupid stupid. Plus, after game comments were not good by Brooks. Don't compliment your own players in a loss and don't compliment the other team. Sure I know the Thunder do well after a loss and Brooks seems to be level headed. In this series that could get you swept. Brooks need to get real and tell it like it is. The team fell apart and losing this way is not going to be accepted. Too much goody goody. I sure the hell hope that Coach Brooks shows his negative side when off camera with his players but he has sent a message to the Spurs that they are not so concerned with the final result of Game One. Get concerned. Going back to OKC down two is not good for the Thunder. If things continue with the coaching disparity this series could be over in five, even four. And that is a shame as the Thunder can match the Spurs in talent. As the Thunder cannot match the Spurs in coaching, the Spurs do not have a Kevin Durant. And where was Serge Ibaka in the final quarter. Having the best defender sitting on the bench while the Spurs carve up the Thunder in the fourth quarter was not good.
2. Game play: Russell Westbrook (and for that matter KD and James Harden) has to stop taking the ball to the hole. He is not making most of his drives and he sure not getting the calls. In this rough and tumble series, Westbrook's mid-range jumper is more appropriate, or getting it in the paint then passing it out for a jumper would be a better choice. Tell Kendrick Perkins not to shoot the ball unless he has a one two footer or dunk. He can't shoot. Sit Derrick Fisher in crunch time. He cannot guard the Spurs perimeter players.
3. The Way of the NBA- The Thunder is not ready to win the Title. This team is a couple of years from winning it all, and that is if they can keep Serge and James in the fold. I don't see a Pop or a Jackson directing this group. Teams that have young twenty something like best players don't win it all. Also, i don't see the Spurs game falling apart anytime soon.
Why the Thunder is over-matched:
1. Coaching- From the first comments of Thunder coach Brooks claiming that the Spurs were the best team in basketball the Spurs held the psychological advantage. You don't do that. Ever. What does that say to your players? Stupid stupid stupid. Plus, after game comments were not good by Brooks. Don't compliment your own players in a loss and don't compliment the other team. Sure I know the Thunder do well after a loss and Brooks seems to be level headed. In this series that could get you swept. Brooks need to get real and tell it like it is. The team fell apart and losing this way is not going to be accepted. Too much goody goody. I sure the hell hope that Coach Brooks shows his negative side when off camera with his players but he has sent a message to the Spurs that they are not so concerned with the final result of Game One. Get concerned. Going back to OKC down two is not good for the Thunder. If things continue with the coaching disparity this series could be over in five, even four. And that is a shame as the Thunder can match the Spurs in talent. As the Thunder cannot match the Spurs in coaching, the Spurs do not have a Kevin Durant. And where was Serge Ibaka in the final quarter. Having the best defender sitting on the bench while the Spurs carve up the Thunder in the fourth quarter was not good.
2. Game play: Russell Westbrook (and for that matter KD and James Harden) has to stop taking the ball to the hole. He is not making most of his drives and he sure not getting the calls. In this rough and tumble series, Westbrook's mid-range jumper is more appropriate, or getting it in the paint then passing it out for a jumper would be a better choice. Tell Kendrick Perkins not to shoot the ball unless he has a one two footer or dunk. He can't shoot. Sit Derrick Fisher in crunch time. He cannot guard the Spurs perimeter players.
3. The Way of the NBA- The Thunder is not ready to win the Title. This team is a couple of years from winning it all, and that is if they can keep Serge and James in the fold. I don't see a Pop or a Jackson directing this group. Teams that have young twenty something like best players don't win it all. Also, i don't see the Spurs game falling apart anytime soon.
(San Antonio Express/News)
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Manu-best player on the court in Game One
(San Antonio Express/News)
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James Harden-Thunder's 6th Man Like Celtic's John Havlicek
JAMES HARDEN 6th Man for 2011-2012 Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
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Hondo Havlicek
Boston Celtics
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Growing up in the sixties I watched the NBA's Game of the Week on Sunday afternoon. I was a couch potato and loved the NBA, loved all the teams, as especially enjoyed watching my favorite players, one who happened to be Boston's John Havlicek. Yesterday, Oklahoma City Thunder's James Harden was named the 6th Man of the Year in the Association. Harden is a very derserving player that could start for most other NBA teams but has sacrificed a starting role to become the Thunder's main scoring machine off the bench. As John Havlicek did with the Celtics before him, Harden is considered a sixth starter and is always on the floor in crunch minutes at the end of close games. Havilcek wore the 6th man designation for his first four years of his career, averaging over 22 ppg in the 1964-65 season. Though the NBA didn't have a 6th Man Award until 1982-83, Havlicek's performance's coming off the bench are the benchmarks of what a 6th man is measured by. His following years in the Association Havlicek worked into the starting lineup, became one the all-time scorers in Association history and is a Hall-of-Fame player. He won 8 NBA titles in his career. OKC's Harden is on his way to becoming an all-star player himself. Let's hope he plays out is career with the Thunder, as Havlicek did with the Celtics.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
http://chasing23.com/john-havlicek-best-nba-sixth-man/
"As with my previous ranking of the most dominant NBA teams, I am limiting the ranking of top 6th Men to those that I have actually
seen play. However, doing so makes for one big omission: John Havlicek, who pretty much invented the role of 6th Man when he joined the Celtics in 1962 and who was good enough to not only become a starter but to become the
all-time leading scorer in the franchise’s glorious history. Not only
that, but this year marks the 35th anniversary of the epic Game 5
of the 1976 Finals between the Celtics and Suns (considered by many to be the greatest game in league
history), and Havlicek’s role in that game, especially his running jumper in
traffic in the final seconds of double-overtime to save the Celtics from a
series-turning defeat, deserves greater historical mention than it has received
(since his shot was largely overshadowed by Garfield Heard’s buzzer-beater to
force a third overtime). So,in his honor and without further adieu, I hereby present the John
Havlicek Best Sixth Men of the Past 35 Years:" (read the above article at the website listed for the rest of the story)
________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
http://chasing23.com/john-havlicek-best-nba-sixth-man/
"As with my previous ranking of the most dominant NBA teams, I am limiting the ranking of top 6th Men to those that I have actually
seen play. However, doing so makes for one big omission: John Havlicek, who pretty much invented the role of 6th Man when he joined the Celtics in 1962 and who was good enough to not only become a starter but to become the
all-time leading scorer in the franchise’s glorious history. Not only
that, but this year marks the 35th anniversary of the epic Game 5
of the 1976 Finals between the Celtics and Suns (considered by many to be the greatest game in league
history), and Havlicek’s role in that game, especially his running jumper in
traffic in the final seconds of double-overtime to save the Celtics from a
series-turning defeat, deserves greater historical mention than it has received
(since his shot was largely overshadowed by Garfield Heard’s buzzer-beater to
force a third overtime). So,in his honor and without further adieu, I hereby present the John
Havlicek Best Sixth Men of the Past 35 Years:" (read the above article at the website listed for the rest of the story)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Kudos For Ryan Broyles
NCAA's Record Holder Is Best Sooner Receiver And A Great Of College Football
Here is a big congrats to Sooner All-American Ryan Broyles who went through his pro day in Norman this fine Thursday. Let's hope the NFL scouts are as impressed with Ryan's 40 numbers as everyone seems to say. Three months ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation of his knee blowout, the work ethic of Broyles has been proven. The NCAA all-time leader in pass catches, Broyles will go gown in history as one of the greatest Sooner football players at any position. I cannot wait for him to make his first NFL catch.
Ryan Broyles
(Photo by AP)
North Carolina's Basketball Coach Roy Williams Is a Coward
Actions at Fla. State Game Show His True Colors:
YELLOW
Wouldn't want to share a fox hole with this man. His actions at a game this week shows how despicable he is. Leaving your scrubs on the floor while you and your star players run to the locker room before the game is over is just plain yellow. What more can I say. You can read the whole story from this site:http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news;_ylt=ApVIImtIombFTxKrlBsiHlM5nYcB?slug=pf-forde-minutes_teacher_coaches_011712
Roy Williams-Head Coach NC (Photo: USPRESSWIRE)
Wear Thunder Gear if You Attend an NBA Game
Leave Your College Colors At Home
This is the NBA People
Don't wear this.
Wear this.
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and please don't wear this
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If you are attending a Thunder game at the Chesapeake Energy and you count yourself an Oklahoma City fan please refrain from wearing college crap. This is the NBA, not an OU or OSU event. Have some pride in the Thunder, spend some money and get some Thunder gear to wear to the games. Nothing against our great college teams but this is a professional sport at the highest level in the world and it is not a place to show that you are a Sooner, a Cowboy, or a Longhorn. It looks bad. Have some pride in our big league professional team. It's great when I see Boston fans wear Celtic wear at the Arena. It's great when I see LA gear when the Lakers or Clippers come to town. If you are not a Thunder fan, or an NBA fan, then wear that hell what you want.
BCS National Championship Game Is Not My Cup of Tea
A conference inbreed game was not what the BCS should be all about. Allowing one part of the country with one conference dominating because some "voters" think by the "eye" test that one team is better than another in picking two teams to play a bogas "National Championship" game makes big time college football look like a little league organization. Once money stops running the show through the Presidents of the BCS schools we will finally make the sport of college football at the highest level meaningful at an honest level.
Over-rated coach Les Miles
All-College: Sooners Win; Pokes Need Work, Lose
Coach Lon Kruger is a Division One basketball coach and a damn good one. The Oklahoma Sooner basketball team is a good basketball team, better than one expected at the beginning of the current season. Lon Kruger coaches OU. They play hard. They play unselfish basketball. And they have more talent than some want to believe. OU beat a mediocre Houston Cougar team in the first game of the All-College last night in Okla. City. Coming back from a nine point second half deficit the Sooners rallied to win behind Steven Pledger's thirty-one points. Pledger scored his points on only 13 shots from the field. Pledger will be a Big 12 all-star this season. He is an outstanding player. The Sooners will push twenty wins this year and a NCAA Tournament bid is not out of the question. Exciting news for OU basketball as the Sooners seem to have found a great coach who can recruit and make those recruits better.
Coach Travis Ford is a Division One basketball coach and he might be a good one in time. The Oklahoma State basketball team is not a good basketball team at the present time, but with the youth on this team, it is not unexpected that the Pokes are just 6 wins up and 4 losses down currently. The Pokes play hard. I cannot say they play selfish basketball, but something they seem out of place on the offensive end of the floor. They are not a good rebounding team. Their biggest post man, and I guess their best one (he started) doesn't have an offensive game. As Abe Lemons would say, he scored as much as a dead man. The Pokes are talented, but the way Coach Ford runs players on and off the court I couldn't tell if they are good basketball players or not. Glimpses of talent show up at times, but with an irregular substitution pattern continuity seems to be missing. Maybe if Coach Ford would find his best eight players and dedicate a major majority of playing time to those eight best might mold into a strong unit. As it is now, OSU will have a hard time finishing with a winning record this season. Watching a good, but not anything special New Mexico team dismantle the Cowboys in the final seven minutes last might, the Lobo's won a hard 66-56 game. Coach Ford seemed mentally wasted at the post-game press conference. Good video. New Mexico should not have a better team than OSU and the Lobos should never beat OSU in the state of Oklahoma. Two freshmen started last night. One, the player from OSU and a five star McDonald's High School All-American recruit, didn't look like he could start at a high end NAIA school. The other, a guard for New Mexico, via Australia, was on the floor during the final 7 minutes, hitting a nice 3, getting fouled and scoring from the line, and outplaying OSU's best player and leading scorer Quinton Page, even blocking one of his shots as the Lobos shut down the ineffective Poke team. Coach Ford makes over 2 million dollars a year coaching OSU basketball. Looking across the court last night I viewed retired former Poke coach Eddie Sutton watching the game. I thought to myself what Coach thought about what he was seeing. I couldn't tell you what he might have been thinking but I sure as hell can tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that the old man sitting over there has forgot more basketball than Coach Ford has ever learned and this OSU team would be better if that old guy was coaching it right now. Coach Sutton didn't stay for the second half. I think he had seen enough.
Coach Travis Ford is a Division One basketball coach and he might be a good one in time. The Oklahoma State basketball team is not a good basketball team at the present time, but with the youth on this team, it is not unexpected that the Pokes are just 6 wins up and 4 losses down currently. The Pokes play hard. I cannot say they play selfish basketball, but something they seem out of place on the offensive end of the floor. They are not a good rebounding team. Their biggest post man, and I guess their best one (he started) doesn't have an offensive game. As Abe Lemons would say, he scored as much as a dead man. The Pokes are talented, but the way Coach Ford runs players on and off the court I couldn't tell if they are good basketball players or not. Glimpses of talent show up at times, but with an irregular substitution pattern continuity seems to be missing. Maybe if Coach Ford would find his best eight players and dedicate a major majority of playing time to those eight best might mold into a strong unit. As it is now, OSU will have a hard time finishing with a winning record this season. Watching a good, but not anything special New Mexico team dismantle the Cowboys in the final seven minutes last might, the Lobo's won a hard 66-56 game. Coach Ford seemed mentally wasted at the post-game press conference. Good video. New Mexico should not have a better team than OSU and the Lobos should never beat OSU in the state of Oklahoma. Two freshmen started last night. One, the player from OSU and a five star McDonald's High School All-American recruit, didn't look like he could start at a high end NAIA school. The other, a guard for New Mexico, via Australia, was on the floor during the final 7 minutes, hitting a nice 3, getting fouled and scoring from the line, and outplaying OSU's best player and leading scorer Quinton Page, even blocking one of his shots as the Lobos shut down the ineffective Poke team. Coach Ford makes over 2 million dollars a year coaching OSU basketball. Looking across the court last night I viewed retired former Poke coach Eddie Sutton watching the game. I thought to myself what Coach thought about what he was seeing. I couldn't tell you what he might have been thinking but I sure as hell can tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that the old man sitting over there has forgot more basketball than Coach Ford has ever learned and this OSU team would be better if that old guy was coaching it right now. Coach Sutton didn't stay for the second half. I think he had seen enough.
OSU/UNM at All-College in Oklahoma City
(Photo by Duke Skadoris)
The Color of the Culture of Division One College Football is Evil Green
The evil of what we call Division One College Football reared its' ugly head again today when Western Kentucky University was shut out of the end of season bowl games. The 7 up and 5 down Hilltoppers were denied a bowl invitation while a coachless, and I might say, a losing team, UCLA will play in a rewarding game in San Francisco. This is another example of the ills of this great sport that is spinning completely out of control. Coaches earning over five million dollars a year, schools changing one conference to another without regard to anyone but themselves, and regulating bodies such as the NCAA and BCS totally supported by such institutions. Big time college football has made its' bed with the all mighty green dollar. Money has corrupted the sport and the goodness and pureness of the sport has turned the corner heading straight for depths of financial greed.
Today the folks at WKU are very sad and angry at the same time. The football bowl system shafted them. Coming off a great season in their third season in D1, finishing second in their conference, it would be expected that the Hilltoppers would enjoy a bowling experience. Not on your life. Despite the third and fourth place teams in the Sun Belt Conference going bowling, WKU was not a "name" team to garner a bid. Money talks and in this situation the twelve senior players at WKU are screwed by the system. UCLA going to a rewarding bowl? A 6-7 losing team without a coach going to a bowl game? Totally disgusting. Anyone associated with D1 college football should be ashamed. Problem is, most don't give a care unless it effects their own team.
Today the folks at WKU are very sad and angry at the same time. The football bowl system shafted them. Coming off a great season in their third season in D1, finishing second in their conference, it would be expected that the Hilltoppers would enjoy a bowling experience. Not on your life. Despite the third and fourth place teams in the Sun Belt Conference going bowling, WKU was not a "name" team to garner a bid. Money talks and in this situation the twelve senior players at WKU are screwed by the system. UCLA going to a rewarding bowl? A 6-7 losing team without a coach going to a bowl game? Totally disgusting. Anyone associated with D1 college football should be ashamed. Problem is, most don't give a care unless it effects their own team.
Don't Like BCS?
Blame Your College Presidents For This Mucked Up System
College football got it right tonight as #1 LSU will play #2 Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game on Jan. 9th in the Sugar Bowl, 80 miles from the campus of the SEC's Bengal Tigers. The best two BCS teams will play. BCS teams. BCS. EYE TEST TEAMS. POLITICALLY CHOSEN TEAMS
As Yahoo writer DaWetzelel reports, "no matter what it says, the BCS is not a system designed to choose a championshimatch upup. It is merely a tool to stave off the inevitable playoff bowl directors fear will cut into their millions in tax-free profits, a casino-style distraction to placate the masses."
He goes on to say,"it currently consists of two-thirds human opinion polls that are ripe for political foolishness, full of oft-uneducated voters and subject to groupthink. The other third features an average of six computer formulas, which quantitative analysts have declared mathematically unsound and their own proprietors admit are not as accurate as they could be. Five of the computer formulas are secret, even kept from the BCS, which means no one, absolutely no one, knows if they are accurate or honest."
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In his final analysis, Mr. Wetzel says"The current formula is nothing more than nonsense math and an unsound popular vote that gets polished up by television. Anyone who cares about college football should demand something better.
If you want to read tinformativeormative article on the BCS go to http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dwetzel_football_hostage_illegitimate_bcs_112911
If you want to thank the people responsible for a LSU and Alabama rematch you have to go no further than Stillwater and Norman where OSU President Hargis and OU President David Boren reside. The major college presidents set up this system and support it. They do not want a Division One playoff for football so we get what we get. We get OSU screwed. As it is said in my favorite movie, a great movie about the American spirit, "The Right Stuff", the system "screwed the pooch" for Okie State. And let's get serious, the BCS is more than a crappy system. It is just flat (and I would use the other word but out of respect I won't use it) out un-American. The BCS does not respect the players or the fans of college football. A system that allows politics and voting to determine a champion is just FUBAR (again if you don't know what FUBUR is, look it up). College football at the top level has been a flawed system since its inception. Wonder way Alabama claims twenty or so National Titles? Anyone can use any system they want. All National Titles at this level are mythical, every one of them.
Division One College Football is about one thing and one thing only, money. The BCS was set up for the Big 12, SEC, Big East, ACC and PAC 12 to horde the top tier bowls and the money given out for those bowls. OSU got what it deserved, supported by the system it is a part of. If you didn't hear, the BCS is about money and running rough shot over others. The BCS it is a double edged sword. OSU died on this BCS sword tonight. Burns Hargis has blood on this sword, and his finger prints also. He stuck this sword into his own school.
Presidents Boren and Hargis continue to support the might dollar and how much your university can make, so nothing will change, ever. The BCS won't change as long as money drives the system. Good luck Bama and LSU. Good luck Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl. Cowboys, you are not good enough, as the voters say, to be considered a National Championship contender. Sorry, blame your University President.
As Yahoo writer DaWetzelel reports, "no matter what it says, the BCS is not a system designed to choose a championshimatch upup. It is merely a tool to stave off the inevitable playoff bowl directors fear will cut into their millions in tax-free profits, a casino-style distraction to placate the masses."
He goes on to say,"it currently consists of two-thirds human opinion polls that are ripe for political foolishness, full of oft-uneducated voters and subject to groupthink. The other third features an average of six computer formulas, which quantitative analysts have declared mathematically unsound and their own proprietors admit are not as accurate as they could be. Five of the computer formulas are secret, even kept from the BCS, which means no one, absolutely no one, knows if they are accurate or honest."
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In his final analysis, Mr. Wetzel says"The current formula is nothing more than nonsense math and an unsound popular vote that gets polished up by television. Anyone who cares about college football should demand something better.
If you want to read tinformativeormative article on the BCS go to http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dwetzel_football_hostage_illegitimate_bcs_112911
If you want to thank the people responsible for a LSU and Alabama rematch you have to go no further than Stillwater and Norman where OSU President Hargis and OU President David Boren reside. The major college presidents set up this system and support it. They do not want a Division One playoff for football so we get what we get. We get OSU screwed. As it is said in my favorite movie, a great movie about the American spirit, "The Right Stuff", the system "screwed the pooch" for Okie State. And let's get serious, the BCS is more than a crappy system. It is just flat (and I would use the other word but out of respect I won't use it) out un-American. The BCS does not respect the players or the fans of college football. A system that allows politics and voting to determine a champion is just FUBAR (again if you don't know what FUBUR is, look it up). College football at the top level has been a flawed system since its inception. Wonder way Alabama claims twenty or so National Titles? Anyone can use any system they want. All National Titles at this level are mythical, every one of them.
Division One College Football is about one thing and one thing only, money. The BCS was set up for the Big 12, SEC, Big East, ACC and PAC 12 to horde the top tier bowls and the money given out for those bowls. OSU got what it deserved, supported by the system it is a part of. If you didn't hear, the BCS is about money and running rough shot over others. The BCS it is a double edged sword. OSU died on this BCS sword tonight. Burns Hargis has blood on this sword, and his finger prints also. He stuck this sword into his own school.
Presidents Boren and Hargis continue to support the might dollar and how much your university can make, so nothing will change, ever. The BCS won't change as long as money drives the system. Good luck Bama and LSU. Good luck Cowboys in the Fiesta Bowl. Cowboys, you are not good enough, as the voters say, to be considered a National Championship contender. Sorry, blame your University President.
OU President Boren
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OSU President Burns Hargis
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OSU/OU: MEN AGAINST BOYS
As I Said "IT WON'T BE CLOSE"
It's the end of the 3rd quarter in Bedlam and even though there is 15 minutes left the game, this dog don't hunt. A piss poor OU team was totally routed. Beat like a dead dog. Lack of effort and performance by the Sooners was all she wrote. Good night John Boy. Good night Brandon Weeden.
Mack Brown's Last Game Today Against Baylor?
Rumors afloat that UT football coach Mack Brown might be coaching his last game for the Horns today against the Baylor Bears. A loss today might catapult the powers to be in Austin to make a change. Let's hope that Coach Brown sees another day as the Texas football coach. Like him or not (what's not to like about Brown) Mack has done a great job at UT and has always been a positive supporter of sportsmanship in college football. Ever complimenting his opponents throughout the years, Brown has been a great leader at Texas and a pillar (along with Bob Stoops at OU) of the Big 12, leading the Horns to the last National Title by a league team. It worked out that Coach Brown became the coach at Texas, but there was a time when this coach was mentioned as a possible head coach for the Sooners. Without any argument, Coach Mack would have been a great coach in Norman as he has been at Austin. Again, let us hope that there will be a 2012 for this coach in the Big 12.
(AP Photo/The Arizona Republic, Rob Schumacher)
Okie State Is My Pick; It won't even be close
Don't look now but Oklahoma State's football team is on the verge of winning a Big 12 Conference Championship. Throw away the history in the series on Saturday. The Pokes are a better team than Oklahoma. They get the home field again and even with OU winning in Stillwater last year, I think this is something not to overlook for this game. Look for OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden to have a super big day with great support from his receivers. OU will miss college football best pass catcher Ryan Broyles. OSU will play effective defense, enough for a Cowboy win, somewhere in the range of 44 to 28. Look a little lower score if the wind and rain is significant, but OSU will take this one.
Justin Blackmon-College Football's Top Pass Catcher-
Brett Deering / Getty Image
Crown LSU and Bama NOW! They Are Not Going Anywhere Soon
When College Football talks National Championship the opinion of the majority (Harris Poll and Coaches Poll) will tell us that the SEC is the league of greatness, and the rest of Division One football can go just take it to the house. The SEC might as well crown two National Champions this season, as it has been mentioned that LSU should lay claim to the Associated Press National Title for going undefeated during the regular season/conference championship game even if it drops a BCS National Title game to Alabama in January. I believe the BCS has fixed Division One football like a pet owner fixes his dog, with the Pac 12, Big 12, Big 10, Big East and ACC being little doggies. We all know that the SEC plays the best defense in the country and defense wins championships. To hell with the great offenses of the Big 12, the tough minded teams of the Big 10 or the great play of the Luck's of the Pac 10. They don't deserve a chance at greatness. With the exception of LSU's win over Oregon, the SEC teams are like an inbreeding machine. Alabama played the likes of Kent St, Georgia Southern and North Texas this year. Arkansas played Missouri State, New Mexico and Troy. Well, you might say that the other conferences play Sisters of Mercy Univ also. Sure, they do, but who did Alabama beat for a signature win this year? It was an inbreed SEC Arkansas who played that crappy non-conference schedule. Who did Arkansas beat in the SEC that was a signature win? I guess you can say an inbreed South Carolina. The SEC is a conference that loads up on lower divisIon (former D2) teams like Samford, Univ of Tenn Martin, S Illinois, Furman, Costal Carolina, Jacksonville State, Citadel, Montana, and Elon. And this great conference plays lots of the bottom feeders of D1 like Western Ky, Middle Tenn and New Mexico St for example. Be prepared for continued SEC dominance in college football. Both LSU and Bama will be better next season, Arkansas will improve with their easy schedule, and teams like Tennessee, Miss. St, Vandy, and Ole Miss will stay one step behind medicore SEC teams Fla. Missouri, aTm, Georgia, and South Carolina. Don't get me wrong in that those medicore teams are not bad, but they won't beat Bama or LSU. Crown them now. With this system and all losses equal, the college football pickers will pick the SEC everytime. Bama and LSU will play again and I won't watch. Defense wins football games in the SEC because the modern offenses have not arrived in the SEC where every game your opponent can score and beat you.
LSU Smokes Pigs In SEC Battle
Arkansas Coach Shows Again That He Is Worthless
Make no mistake about it. I don't like LSU because of their fan base. Second, I do like LSU coach Les Miles because he is the type of coach you want on your side. His teams win football games and his players love to play for him. Third, I found out today that I really don't like Arkansas Head Football Coach Bobby Patrino. The LSU bandwagon continued their road for another National Title ripping the Pigs today 41-17. It could have been a larger winning margin, but the 24 point kicking will do. For the 12th game this season the Tigers showed that they are a very good football team. It will take a great football team to beat them. Alabama might be that team, but if they do play again and win, that would only even up the series for the year.
As for Coach Patrino, he yelled cuss words (MF'r) toward Miles after the Tigers hit a field goal with five minutes to go. After the game his handshake with Miles was not that of a big time classy college football coach. Patrino was mad that the Tigers "ran" up the score with the late three and the Arkie coach acted like a child. This is the same coach that would beat you like a dead dog if given the chance. Patrino has been an ass since his early departure from Atlanta (Falcons) to take the Arkie job. I took a trip to Arkansas last week and all that I heard on Arkie radio was how the Pigs were not given credit for their great season. Lets make sure we understand what the Pig program is all about this season. They beat two good teams this season in the over rated SEC and were taken to the house buy the real programs in the conference Bama and LSU. Arkansas is a lower top ten team at best.
As for Coach Patrino, he yelled cuss words (MF'r) toward Miles after the Tigers hit a field goal with five minutes to go. After the game his handshake with Miles was not that of a big time classy college football coach. Patrino was mad that the Tigers "ran" up the score with the late three and the Arkie coach acted like a child. This is the same coach that would beat you like a dead dog if given the chance. Patrino has been an ass since his early departure from Atlanta (Falcons) to take the Arkie job. I took a trip to Arkansas last week and all that I heard on Arkie radio was how the Pigs were not given credit for their great season. Lets make sure we understand what the Pig program is all about this season. They beat two good teams this season in the over rated SEC and were taken to the house buy the real programs in the conference Bama and LSU. Arkansas is a lower top ten team at best.
mysanantonio.com
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Photo by Gerald Herbert / AP
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Oklahoma State Plays Biggest Game In School's History Tomorrow
Pokes Should Rout Texas Tech
Okla. State, the #2 team in the current BCS plays its most important game in school history tomorrow against Texas Tech in Lubbock. At a perfect nine wins without a loss, the Cowboys are seventeen point favorites in the eleven am kickoff at Jones Stadium. Texas Tech has dropped its past two games after upsetting the Oklahoma Sooners 41-38 three weeks ago in Norman. Tech's defense will be no match for the passing game of the Pokes and with problems stopping the run, OSU has to decide how they are going to run up their offensive totals. Tech has been a loser at home this season and if they want to stay close to the visitors tomorrow they will need help from OSU (turnovers) and the Tech offense will need to be void of their own turnovers and score when they have the ball. This one could go either way with OSU blowing the Red Raiders out early or we might have another Kansas State game, high scoring and down to the last play. My take is a blowout early. Prediction: OSU 55 Tech 35.
Former Ed.Santa Fe QB Brandon Weeden Leads the Pokes
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Seth Doege beat OU in Norman
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LSU/Bama Big Game: How Bout Big Bore! Great Defense? How Bout Bad Offense
t will give it up to LSU and Alabama. Both have fine defenses with outstanding defenders. Yet if this is the best two college football teams in the country we might have set college football back fifty years tonight. Great teams? No. Great teams can score touchdowns. What a crappy game. Both teams could not move the ball with consistency, neither could find a running or passing game, and neither could cross the goal line in the worst #1 and #2 match up in Associated Press history. As for big plays, well, maybe a couple. As for the most significant play, an interception at the goal line. The second, a nice run, ruined by the ball carrier running out of bounds on a possible touchdown. Field goal kicking was not especially good for a game that ended with five three point kicks. How many attempts for three field goals were missed? Too damn many. As for coaching, didn't see much either. The coaches didn't have any answers and they didn't have any players on offense that could make a difference. Great running back at Bama for Heisman? Richardson won't win it. Want to see them play again? Nope. Can someone in another conference beat LSU if the Tigers get to the BCS National Title game? Hell yes. I'm not sold this year on the the SEC.
LSU Wins (Dave Martin AP)
Great Job Joe Pa!
The great Joe Paterno passed Grambling State's Eddie Robinson today in winning his 409th game of his career. Congratulations to Coach and I'm pulling for the Nittnies in taking the Big Ten title this year.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/10/29/joe-paterno-409-wins-penn-state/index.html?sct=cf_t11_a2
Joe Paterno has made history once more, passing Eddie Robinson as the all-time winningest NCAA Division I football coach with his 409th victory. The Nittany Lions improved to 8-1 on a game-winning touchdown from Silas Redd (pictured) in the final minutes, while the Illini suffered their third loss in a row.
Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1110/top-25-review-week-9/content.13.html#ixzz1cEnS3ciB
Photo by: zumapress.com
Welcome West Virginia to the Big 12
Morgantown Will Fit In With Other Conference Towns
Congratulations to the Univ. of West Virginia in their admittance to the Big 12 Conference. If you have ever been to Morgantown, the home of the Mountaineers, you will experience a walk back into the past. On a recent visit to the city (town) (along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area. It is best known as the home both of West Virginia University and the one-of-a-kind Morgantown Personal Rapid Transit system), I I was taken back to the historic setting and "oldness" of the region. With little more than 30.000 in population, it will fit well with other venues of the Big 12, such as Stillwater, Waco, Norman, Manhattan, and Lawrence. In fact, with the exception of Austin and Ft. Worth, Morgantown is a Big Twelve type city. I have been to all twelve big twelve cities and I will rank them according to the best to the least.
10-Easy choice is Waco. Stadium placement give the Baylor experience last place. Waco is a stop on I-35 only and it is hot in th summer. Stadium ranking: F
9-Manhattan is bad because of the city and the stadium (not including the fans) The people of Manhattan are white conservative middle class boring cookie cutter Stepford like robots. Don't it in the upper deck at the stadium if you need to use the rest room much. It's 54 steps from the upper deck landing to the bottom of the stadium where the rest rooms are located. They didn't build RR's for the upper deck. Imagine that. Stadium ranking: D
8-Stillwater has a nice college landscape and the stadium is outstanding. The town is a dump. Stadium ranking: A- (Scoreboard size and placement not the best)
7-College Station is not really anything but the college. I'll give them credit for that. Stadium: A
6-Lubbock is not much but the college is very nice and the stadium is on campus. Stadium: C Great fans, and nasty too. Good redneck cussing can be heard.
5-Morgantown is historic and old. Because of the setting you get a unique setting for the Big 12. Stadium: B
4.Norman is not a dump like Stillwater and it's close of OKC. Stadium: A
3.Lawrence is Lawrence. Historic, old, and one of the greatest looking campus sites for watching a football game. Stadium: D Visual view from the stadium: A+
2.Ft. Worth is a great mid-sized city and the campus of TCU is first rate. A small stadium but new. A great addition to the Big 12. Stadium: B (Size does count)
1.Austin-Except for all the Tea Sippers, what's not to like about Austin? Stadium: A Longhorn fans: D (they sit on their butts and do not cheer-totally opposite of Aggie fans.
In the phots below, the stadium and city of Morgantown are shown.
10-Easy choice is Waco. Stadium placement give the Baylor experience last place. Waco is a stop on I-35 only and it is hot in th summer. Stadium ranking: F
9-Manhattan is bad because of the city and the stadium (not including the fans) The people of Manhattan are white conservative middle class boring cookie cutter Stepford like robots. Don't it in the upper deck at the stadium if you need to use the rest room much. It's 54 steps from the upper deck landing to the bottom of the stadium where the rest rooms are located. They didn't build RR's for the upper deck. Imagine that. Stadium ranking: D
8-Stillwater has a nice college landscape and the stadium is outstanding. The town is a dump. Stadium ranking: A- (Scoreboard size and placement not the best)
7-College Station is not really anything but the college. I'll give them credit for that. Stadium: A
6-Lubbock is not much but the college is very nice and the stadium is on campus. Stadium: C Great fans, and nasty too. Good redneck cussing can be heard.
5-Morgantown is historic and old. Because of the setting you get a unique setting for the Big 12. Stadium: B
4.Norman is not a dump like Stillwater and it's close of OKC. Stadium: A
3.Lawrence is Lawrence. Historic, old, and one of the greatest looking campus sites for watching a football game. Stadium: D Visual view from the stadium: A+
2.Ft. Worth is a great mid-sized city and the campus of TCU is first rate. A small stadium but new. A great addition to the Big 12. Stadium: B (Size does count)
1.Austin-Except for all the Tea Sippers, what's not to like about Austin? Stadium: A Longhorn fans: D (they sit on their butts and do not cheer-totally opposite of Aggie fans.
In the phots below, the stadium and city of Morgantown are shown.
Sooners Take on K-State In the Little Apple
Best Coach in NCAA Gives Wildcats Fighting Chance to Win
After a bad loss last Saturday against an underrated Texas Tech team, the OU Sooners play an undefeated and surprising Kansas State Wildcat squad today in Manhatten. A solid performance by OU could keep the Sooners on tract to win their 8th Big Twelve football championship. A loss would spell a "wait until next year" for title hopes. The Wildcats, coached by the best college football coach in the country, Bill Synder, brings in an undefeated team to fact OU. A team that does not beat itself, K-State will be a good test for the Sooners. Not as talented as OU, the Wildcats do posses a team that is also looking to win the Big 12 and to play in a BCS game, if not the National Title tussle. Give OU the edge, but it would not be a shocker to see the mentor beat the student today. Final: OU 28 K-State 24
Coach Synder-KSU
PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY!
Play Like a Champion Today
Notre Dame's sign
Both great football programs use the "Play Like a Champion Today" and from my research, I cannot tell you which school actually used the slogan first or if either or both schools have a copyright on it. Irish Coach first started using the logo while coach at South Bend (saying that he saw a sign with the slogan in some some old Irish photographs). I have not been able to find the photos. OU used the slogan before Lou's Irish teams, dating back to Coach Wilkenson't Sooner teams of the late 1940's. Notre Dame plays up the slogan more than OU does currently. You can find Irish merchandise with the slogan while I haven't found any Sooner stuff. Yet, both teams currently use the sign to enter the field of play.
TEXAS NEEDS TO BOOT MAC AND HIRE MIKE.......GUNDY
The Univ. of Texas at Austin is having problems with winning football games as of late. Coach Mac Brown is in a funk, and his changing of assistant coaches, his lack impact football players, and the general overall condition of the program is not to the tea sippers standard . Another five loss season is a strong possibility this season and improvement is not assured for the 2012 season. Texas needs to hire Mike Gundy, head coach Okla. St. Yes, you will laugh at me. Mike Gundy bleeds Poke orange and he is a legend at Stillwater. The program is in better condition today than it ever has in history. The facilities are top notch and the players are excellent with the possibility to getting better. All that is good is good in the Poke corral. Why in heaven would Mike go to Texas? I'll tell you. To answer the question is easy. Oklahoma State is Oklahoma State and Texas is Texas. It is as simple as that. Oklahoma State is wonderful for Mike Gundy the person. Texas is the job for Mike Gundy the football coach. Ask former OSU coach Pat Jones if he would have done it differently after his last great winning season and took one of the better jobs he was offered. Ask former OSU coaches Jimmy Johnson and Les Miles if they made the correct move from Cowboyland to South Beach and Baton Rouge respectfully when given the opportunity to get the better job. I didn't say Texas would be the the feel good job, which Mike seems to have at the moment. In ten years OSU might or might not be a top contender in the country, but I bet in a short time Texas would and probably would be a National Title contender, and the Division One football championship with Mike as leader a strong possibility, every year. Texas could offer Gundy $$$'s and the best football program in the country. Texas will not accept a loser. Gundy is the a man, over 40 for sure. Coach Gundy, it is always easier to stay at a comfortable place and make your mark. I bet Mike Gundy could make a larger mark at Austin. I'm serious about this. Stop the laughing.
Player Mike Gundy and Head Coach Pat Jones
Bye Bye Mike Stoops As Arizona Fires Coach
Mike Stoops was a great defensive coordinator at Oklahoma but his antics became too much to handle, especially with a losing streak ongoing (currently 10) at Arizona and the school canned the younger brother of Bob today. As mentioned in a previous post (below), Coach Stoops was not a good head coach and his crazy displays on the field with players and his assistant coaches were not positive. Let's hope that Mike gets back into his element as a great defensive coach, where being a little crazy is not as noticeable. Who knows, OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables might take a head job very soon and Mike can come back to Norman. And when Bob steps down, Coach Venables will be successful as a head coach and will be ready to take the Sooner rein as its new Head Coach.
Mike Stoops, former Head Coach of Arizona Football
Big 12 To Texas Christian University: Welcome Horned Frogs and Good Luck!
Been to Fort Worth and to the campus of the Texas Christian University many times. Recall the Sooners visit with the Horned Frogs during Coach John Blake's tenure as head coach. Remember just as many Sooner fans attending than those in purple; remember a western singer doing the National Anthem drunk as a skunk (he double clutched on some of the words and had to be held my the arm to get off the field without falling down); remember the large version of the State Flag of Texas brought out on the field before the game and all Sooner fans sat, booing it loudly. We won in the last minute when TCU gave the game away and a nice little fight between teams ensued just after the end of the game; watching a Sooner fan running to the exit with a TCU helmet in his hand. He ran hard and got out of that stadium with the helmet......nice looking helmet to boot. It was a nice Sept. night. Looking for more great experiences on the fine looking TCU campus.
ROMO Chokes Dallas as Detroit Goes 4-0
Another choke job by Dallas Cowboy qb Tony Romo has allowed the Detroit Lions to open the season with four straight wins. Game over in the thrid quarter with Dallas having a comfortable 27-3 lead. Wrong. Romo's three picks and a furious Lion rally and the Cowboys lose in its largest collapse in a 30-27 final. I bet Jerry Jones is happy. Time to say "see ya later" to Mr. Romo.
STAR-TELEGRAM/PAUL MOSELEY
OU's Ryan Broyles 12 Catches From Becoming College Football's Greatest Receiver
Broyles became the Big 12's leader in career receptions after catching four passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a 62-6 blowout of Ball State. Broyles' 304 career receptions broke the record formerly held by Texas Tech's Taurean Henderson, who caught 303 passes from 2002-05. Broyles is 12 catches away from the NCAA record owned by Purdue's Taylor Stubblefield, who caught 316 passes from 2001-04. (Yahoo.com)
Hope he breaks the record against ut Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.
Hope he breaks the record against ut Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.
Broyles TD Catch Against Ball State (photo by Brian Terry/Oklahoman)
Aggies Go to SEC to Get Butt Whipped!
Loser. That sums up the Texas A&M football program. Today the Arkansas Razorbacks pulled a nice second half comeback and whipped the loser Aggies. Glad to see you go you bunch of LOSERS gp to the SEC. They are waiting for you.
Backs over Aggies (AP Photo)
POKES GET UNIFORMS RIGHT-NICE WINNING LOOK
After a bad look in game 1 at home, Okla. St.'s uniform combination Saturday at Kyle Field was, in my opinion, strong. From the flat gray helmets and orange OSU decals, to the white jerseys down to the black over white Nike shoes, the Cowboys look NFL like. That is not bad.
Photo Source: Sporting News
Arizona Head Coach Mike Stoops Is One Crazy Dude
Arizona Head Football Coach Mike Stoops
I am sitting in my easy chair after a great day off watching football, first with Okla. St.'s exciting win over the Texas Aggies, followed by the Sooners pasting of Missou in Norman. Finishing off the day I am viewing the Arizona Wildcats comeback against the Oregon Ducks. The only reason I have the Arizona game on my tube is because it's always intriguing watching the Wildcat Head Coach Mike Stoops. This is one crazy dude. He's like a little kid that throws fits, all the time. When things don't go his way, he's in someones face shouting, mouthing, cursing, or screaming up a storm. I have always loved watching crazy coaches, since way back. I can list at least ten coaches who were absolutely mental, some at the high school level, and some at the college level. Basketball crazy is better than football crazy. Even now, if I go to a basketball game in which I know that one of the coaches is on the crazy side, I will, if possible, find a seat just behind the bench, just to observe the abuse that will certainly come. The real crazy ones are the coaches that chew out their players, face to face, using extremely colorful language. I really like the ones who challenge the players manhood. One day, if lucky, I hope to see one of such coaches get punched out by a player. Just once. The real nut jobs are the coaches that cannot forget the players miscue and totally abandon the game play and continue to ride the player beyond belief. The best in this was the former head basketball coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State. I could watch a game by this coach any day. He was really entertaining. (Not to mention, he was a good coach in wins and loses, and I think his players did play hard for him).
Mike Stoops can turn it crazy at any time, calm down, then go right back to it. It is never good to berate an assistant coach in front of a crowd, which Mike Stoops does. It's ok to berate a player, but do it without looking like you are in a fit of rage. "Bull Shit," I see Coach Stoops yell out as I type, his tongue half crocked between his teeth. Not a good role model a hot head make. Not a good head coach Mike Stoops makes.
Mike Stoops can turn it crazy at any time, calm down, then go right back to it. It is never good to berate an assistant coach in front of a crowd, which Mike Stoops does. It's ok to berate a player, but do it without looking like you are in a fit of rage. "Bull Shit," I see Coach Stoops yell out as I type, his tongue half crocked between his teeth. Not a good role model a hot head make. Not a good head coach Mike Stoops makes.
Oklahoma Sooners
Big Red To Kick Ass In 2011
The 2011 Oklahoma Sooners will score enough points to be a contender to win it all, yet road games at Florida State and Oklahoma State do not guarantee a perfect season. No weakness on offense but short yardage run game could be better. The short passing game and explosive play makers such as Ryan Broyles, Kenny Stills, and a corral of fast and shifty running backs should make up for any third and one or two. The defense could have problems but don't expect that to slow the scoring machine. This OU team could average 50 points and 500 yards a game.
 Chad and the Big Fish on the Sooner Board |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Pokes Offense Can Beat You Like A Dog
Brandon Weeden might be the most overlooked QB in the country. With Justin Blackmon leading a long list of outstanding ball catchers, four excellent running backs, and the best O-Line this side of the Mississippi River, the Cowboys will run up big scores on many of its opponents. Conversely, the defense can and will give up lots of points and that could be the Achilles heal for the team. The Texas Aggies, Missouri, Baylor and OU will all score in the high twenties or more against that defense. OSU has a 50/50 chance to outscore these teams.
 The Boone |
Aggies Bolt the Big 12 for the SEC
Texas A&M's move to the SEC is a mistake for the Aggies and will dismantel the conference unless the Big 12 can leuer teams like BYU to join the conference. The Aggies move will not help the them in winning conference titles and they could develop into a whipping boy in the SEC. Will the Big 12 get teams like BYU, TCU and maybe Air Force to join the league or will teams like OU and Texas move on to another conference? Only time will tell. My opinion is that the Big 12 needs to grow to at least 12 teams, maybe 16, and become a super conference. The league needs to add, if possible, BYU, SMU, Houston, Memphis, Louisville, TCU and the Univ of Texas at San Antoino.
Sooners, horns, Red Raiders and Cowboys To Pacific Athletic Conference
It's only Monday, Sept. 5, 2011 and the four members of the Big 12 (ut, OU, TT and OSU) haven't as of today jumped conferences the Pacific Athletic, but it is only a matter of time. OU's decision to make the move now shows that the Sooners are not going to sit and let the moment slip them by. They will not let the orange steers south of the border rule the roost, thus forcing them to either move to the PAC or go Independent. (If I was the the president of the ut I would jump the Aggie and ask the SEC for admittance to the conference. That would frost the balls of the Aggies, for sure. Make no mistake, I have no respect for aTm in any way.) Good for OU, OSU and Texas Tech. When the ut makes it decision to go out west the deal will be done.
Coach Mack Brown of texas
OSU's Opening Night Uniforms Ugly
(AP Photo/Brody Schmidt)
Saturday night the Cowboys played in new uniforms. The gray jerseys need to be burned, immediately. Fans in the stands complained, the OSU broadcast team complained (coudn't read the numbers) and the team looked like they were out for a team scrimmage. It reminded me of some basketball uniforms that Oklahoma Christian University wore some years back. Practice uniforms. The new Maryland uniforms (below) look great compaired to these home grays.
Mitch Stringer/US Presswire
USC and LSU have my favorite uniforms....note, uniforms only.
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 Tigerrag.com |
aTm To SEC
Aggies to the SEC. Screw ut.
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Aggies to SEC. Screw the aggies.
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Univ of Texas San Antonio Football
A Team For The Future
Don't look now but a new football program is building in the southwest at the Univ. of Texas San Antonio. In its first year of playing football at any level, the Roadrunners opened their program with a win over NE Okla. State Univ. in the Alamo Dome in front of a record crowd (for a new program) of 56,000. The score, the opponent, etc., didn't matter. This program will build into a major football power in time and with the great location and facilities, the sky is the limit. Led by former Miami Fla.coach and Oklahoma native Larry Coker, the Roadrunners have in place a National Championship coach. With his leadership, UTSA will quickly become a force in college football. The schedule will greatly improve as the Roadrunners have future games scheduled with Oklahoma State, Baylor, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado State, Virginia, Kansas State, Houston, and Rice. (Okie State will play in San Antonio in 2013 and the Roadrunners will return to Stillwater in 2014 and 2015).
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