Positive information plentiful for OSU’s media relations office
Published: 10/4/2011 2:38 PM
Last Modified: 10/4/2011 2:38 PM
Of the 120 teams that play major-college football, 15 – including Oklahoma State – are undefeated. Six teams remain winless. Florida Atlantic, Western Kentucky, UAB, Oregon State, Miami (Ohio) and New Mexico have a combined record of 0-25.
If you think it’s a tough season for fans of the Sad Six, imagine the challenge of working in the media relations office of a university that has a terrible, winless football team. The mission of a media relations employee is to fill press releases with positive information.
Oregon State is 111th nationally in scoring and lost to Sacramento State, but you can find this in the current football press release: “The Beavers continue to perform well in the classroom, with most of this year’s senior class on track to graduate, if not already.”
UAB is 115th in total offense, but, as we’re reminded by the school’s current press release, it wasn’t always so bleak: “UAB posted a school-record total of 5,111 yards in 2009 and followed that up with 5,074 yards a season ago.”
New Mexico is 116th in total defense, but, the university reports, “The Lobos, who scored 26 points in their first three games combined, scored 24 in the fourth quarter and overtime alone against (Sam Houston State).”
For members of the Oklahoma State media relations staff, these are the best of times. The Cowboys are 4-0 and ranked No. 6, with a prolific offense, so everything is positive. Excerpts from this week’s press release:
* In a splashy, full-page presentation, Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon are promoted as being “America’s Best Pass-Catch Combo.”
* Among current Big 12 members, OSU has the best conference record since the start of league play in 2009. The Cowboys are 13-4. OU is 12-5, while Texas is 11-6 and Missouri 10-7. Texas A&M and Texas Tech each is 9-8.
* Since the start of the 2008 season, OSU is one of only 11 programs to record as many as 33 victories.
Older Oklahoma State fans can relate to the plight of the Sad Six. Twenty years ago, the Cowboys were 0-10-1. As OSU and Kansas line up for Saturday’s opening kickoff, Cowboy fans should savor the moment and circumstances. It wasn’t easy to reach this position of national relevance, and it won’t be easy to sustain it.
In a few months, the business of OSU football continues without Weeden and, probably, without Blackmon.
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
