Back to the Blog, Big 12 style
Published: 7/24/2007 3:56 PM
Last Modified: 7/24/2007 3:56 PM
OK, we're back in the blogosphere after four straight weeks of vacation, and ready for action. Sort of.
A colleague said yesterday before Oklahoma's Bob Stoops opened the dais that, for a beat writer, Big 12 media days is a lot like the first day of school falling on a Thursday. Summer vacation is, alas, officially over. But there's still a week before the start of two-a-days, which is like that weekend after coming back. After that, it's on to the grind, and it's non-stop.
This is my sixth consecutive year to do Big 12 media days, and this one's by far the most challenging. See, I'm writing this and everything else with a bright yellow cast on my right hand. I broke the first knuckle on my pinky finger while roughhousing with my dog, Cooper. He's a Dalmatian/hound mix, and he's very hard-headed. In more ways than one. So I have two fingers immobilized and pointing downward, like I'm trying to come up with a variation of the Funky Chicken. Seems my doctor has a sense of humor. And the guy who set the bones and wrapped the cast always has a future as a master of torture for the mob.
Anyway, typing has become excruciatingly slow and excruciating. So I've taken up holding a pencil, eraser-side down, in my right hand. It's basically relearning how to type, on the fly. The lengths we go to for our readers …
On to the beat. Bob Stoops was upbeat again yesterday, telling us that despite no proven quarterback, he thinks the Sooners "should have an overall stronger team than a year ago." I believe that if the quarterback can simply not get his team beat. If the early learning curve is too great (read: if Miami's corners and D-ends are too fast on Sept. 8), then things could get rocky. I wouldn't be surprised to see all three guys play this season.
As you can read in tomorrow's World, I covered Iowa State and Gene Chizik today. An interesting story and all, but, as usual, Texas Tech's Mike Leach was the most entertaining speaker. Kansas' Mark Mangino also had us rolling a couple times, too. Maybe it's something about working for Stoops that gives a guy a good sense of humor. Or maybe it's a characteristic that Stoops looks for.
OK, more later. My hand's starting to cramp…
– John E. Hoover
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
