By GUERIN EMIG Sports Writer on Oct 4, 2012, at 7:44 AM Updated on 10/04 at 7:44 AM
OU SPORTS
Cornerback Aaron Colvin returned for his senior year at Oklahoma to win some games, win some awards and put himself in prime ...
Keeping with the Big 12 vs. SEC theme of the week, I found something pretty cool from a year ago, when the two conferences ...
We're still more than a year and a half from the first College Football Playoff, and the first CFP selection committee, and ...
All of Wednesday's buzz about the Big 12 admitting it hosed Oklahoma State and apologizing for it? Took me back six years, to the Oregon onside kick fiasco, and the letter of apology the Pac-10 sent Oklahoma as a result.
I remembered the apology, but I had forgotten Bob Stoops' response to it:
"Truly there can be no amends to it and it can't be corrected… I've made a million mistakes; I'll make a million more. In each game and in that game included… there are things I could have done differently or changed. Unlike officials, players and coaches don't have that opportunity. They had an opportunity to get it right and chose not to…
(That was a specific shot at replay official Gordon Riese, who upheld the on-field ruling of Oregon possession despite the fact replays showed OU's Allen Patrick emerged with the ball.)
"… So I find it still absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable."
I went to Wednesday's post-practice interview opportunity curious if, six years later, the ordeal chapped Stoops still. It does, something apparent by an answer he gave to Berry Tramel's opening question about the Big 12's apology.
"We're all in a big boy world. We have to answer to everything we do. Players do. Even my college kids do. Why wouldn't professionals?" Stoops said. "And listen, I think our officials do an awesome job. I'm not commenting on that. But in the end, everyone is human. Everyone is going to make a mistake here or there. I believe our officials are awesome. Nothing would ever be intentional. It's a judgment call sometimes. It's tough. Some of those decisions aren't very easy.
"I'm still not gonna let the guys at Oregon off the hook."
There it was. So I jumped in and reminded Stoops he received an apology, too.
"Yeah. It didn't do much for our record and our ranking and everything else," he said. "The sad part was… There were so many sad parts. You take away a win from kids. It's obvious to the whole stadium he's got the football. And guys who you wanna say didn't do what they needed to to win… well, yeah, they did. And in a tough environment. A guy like Adrian (Peterson) has over 100 yards in the fourth quarter, and it's never even brought up.
"It's just not right."
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