READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
Barry Sanders: Just a matter of time
Published: 10/19/2009 6:16 PM
Last Modified: 10/19/2009 6:16 PM

This is how many Big Eight or Big 12 football championships that Oklahoma State has won: One. The Cowboys celebrated a title the same year the nation celebrated a bicentennial.
Now that Boone Pickens and other folks have chipped in to make OSU a player in the facilities arms race, do the Cowboys have a legitimate chance to pursue more conference championships in football?
That was the question I pitched to three prominent OSU alums -- Barry Sanders, Garth Brooks and Robin Ventura -- during a press conference in Stillwater.
There was a bit of silence after the question was asked, then Brooks decided Sanders was best equipped to provide an answer since Sanders is an ex-football player. Sanders was the only one of the three to respond and this is what he said.
He said he can see "very clear" improvement in the football program since Mike Gundy became head coach.
He indicated facilities will give OSU a chance to recruit top-notch student-athletes.
"You can look in the NFL and see that they have had some good players here," Sanders said. "They have got some players here now that can play on Sunday."
And then, getting to the point of whether OSU can compete for conference championships, Sanders said it's just a matter of time.
Said the 1988 Heisman winner, "I think we are at a point where we can have big expectations -- same as all the other schools."



Reader Comments 2 Total
DanDDiver (3 years ago)
Like Barry Sanders, most people and OSU fans are in a hopeful wait-and-see mode.

For decades OSU has had up and down success. Just when things started looking good, a coach would leave or there'd be some sort of NCAA sanction or there would be apathy within the administration siting not enough money to go up against the likes of Texas.

I do recall when Florida State was NOT a football school. That was before Bobby Bowden and before FSU decided it wanted to compete.
FSU has had a long line of success since. Of course, there will be some down time. Just look at ou this year.

However Boone Pickens' and other donators have given OSU a huge boost and even an edge that's paying off in better recruits, which make winning seasons much easier.

Coach Gundy and Mike Holder have also held up their end in making OSU more competitive.
All the naysayers that said OSU couldn't build and fill a stadium are now eating their words. The crowds are coming and the fans are starting to believe that this could be a long term successful program.

Like Barry Sanders, when it comes to whether or not OSU can compete for National Championships, it's better to talk softly and carry a big stick. In other words, let the results speak for themselves. And also like Barry Sanders, he never boasted nor predicted greatness -- he just went out and did it.
NN (3 years ago)
You gotta love seeing Garth showing up in Stillwater in a more visible way this year. OSU has LOTS of star power to say the least. The top selling recording artist and the greatest running back of all time AND one of the most influential businessmen in the world makes for a pretty impressive list.
2 comments displayed


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Games People Play

Tulsa World sports writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. He is the OSU basketball beat writer and a columnist and feature writer during football season. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

Follow Jimmie Tramel on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog


Archive

 
Jimmie Tramel's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.