Let Oregon bygones be bygones? Not if you're this guy
Published: 10/19/2009 11:35 PM
Last Modified: 10/19/2009 11:35 PM
The Oregonian's John Canzano, a terrific columnist and world class grudge-holder, has posted a blog you might find interesting. It is entitled, "How Oklahoma intends to beg its way into the BCS."
See, OU associate AD Kenny Mossman sent national media an email detailing the fact that the Sooners' three losses have come by a total of five points against ranked opponents away from Norman.
Canzano's reaction: "I suppose Oklahoma feels it's a sore-luck loser for losing so many close games. And I get that Mossman's job is to deal with Coach Stoops and put out a weekly release, box score, injury report (I wish, actually), etc. But damn. Pandering and begging for votes in the hours before the (AP) pollsters meet their deadlines?"
My reaction: The bitterness over Gordon Riese hasn't dulled in three years' times.
Not that you need a refresher, but Riese was the replay official who played an infamous role in that infamous onside kick at Oregon's Autzen Stadium Sept. 16, 2006. At the time, I remember thinking how overboard OU president David Boren went for writing a letter to the Big 12 commissioner asking, among other things, that the game shouldn't go down as a win or loss in the record books.
I remember thinking how overboard overzealous OU fans went in their harassment of Riese. Canzano, in fact, yanked the lid off that ugliness by visiting Riese's home and detailing some of the threats in a moving column. Really, the man can write.
I also remember thinking how overboard some Pac-10 outlets went in closing ranks.
Mindful the week after the Oregon loss that OU was scheduled to visit Washington in 2008, where Pac-10 officials would be allowed to work the game, Stoops said: "I think there's no question that Joe Castiglione and I or President Boren will, if that rule is not changed, that we may reconsider that game. I think it's justified that we look into that."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Art Thiel responded by labeling Stoops' suggestion "moronic" and his threat "petulant."
(To be fair, Thiel also raised the valid point that had OU's Garrett Hartley simply made his last-play field goal, the onside kick would have been a weird footnote.)
After reading Canzano's rant, however, it seems pretty clear we have a new man overboard. Three years later, I'd like to believe the OU fan base has let Riese go and moved on to more relevant issues.
Canzano? Not so much.
Here's how he closed his blog: "Peppering the national media with a note like that... as many are prepping their ranking votes? I suppose outside of actually winning the games that's as ambitious as it gets.
"Well at least they didn't blame Gordon Riese."
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
