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Thunder vs. OU football: Who wins?
Published: 5/21/2012 10:49 AM
Last Modified: 5/21/2012 10:51 AM

I was asked a question, but I don't have the answer. Help?

The Oklahoma City Thunder has sold out 60 consecutive home games. The Tulsa World's Bill Haisten wrote a piece last week about how interest in the down-the-turnpike NBA team seems to have grown in Tulsa.

People seem to be "Thundered up" not just in Tulsa, but across the state. One of my aunts who lives near Kenwood (good luck finding that with your GPS) was ready to get medievel on Metta World Peace after the artist formerly known as Ron Artest elbowed James Harden's skull.

Until she broached the subject, I didn't know if she could name an NBA player. In fact, a lot of people in this state were probably like her until the NBA dropped an orphan (Hornets) on the doorstep and, thanks to Oklahoma City's parenting skills, the city was rewarded with a child of its own.

Now comes the question: Someone with out-of-state roots asked me if the Thunder has rivaled or surpassed interest in OU football in this state. Only Sooner fans are on the schooner. But the Thunder is a bandwagon that fans of all schools -- OU, OSU, TU, ORU -- in this state can ride together. So I thought about the question some more. And I'm really not sure what the answer is.

Opinions?




Reader Comments 11 Total
126413 (9 months ago)
Everyone knows OU football ........What is this Thunder you speak of ?
Danomite Dandy Dan (9 months ago)
If the Thunder has a bad season, you won't hear a word about them.

If the Sooners have a bad season, the talk gets louder.

Thunder is a fad at this point. Let's talk about it again in 20 years.
colhi64 (9 months ago)
I agree with Danomite. OU and not even a close call. Thunder are hot because they are winning, that is all.
4200011l (9 months ago)
As much as this pains this Poke to say, I gotta go with OU football.

The NBA puts me to sleep, literately I feel asleep during the third quarter of Game 2, but OU/Baylor last year was must-watch TV.

In fact, I've watched OU's 2011 last regular season game 4 times this year. That is probably double the amount of Thunder basketball I've watched in 2012.
But What Do I Know? (9 months ago)
Another question. Which coach can have the lowest winning percentage and still keep his job?

And another. Which coach can have the lowest winning percentage and still get huge pay increases?
laz (9 months ago)
not an ou fan but, i goota go with them my queation is why anybody would waste the time(not to mention the $$$'s) watching a bunch of thugs play basketball?
laz (9 months ago)
not an ou fan but, i gotta go with them. my question is why anybody would waste the time(not to mention the $$$'s) watching a bunch of thugs play basketball?
JED (9 months ago)
OU football hands down. The Sooners have ALWAYS been here and ALWAYS will be. Can't say the same for the Thunder.
Flash (9 months ago)
How come no one mentions the Tulsa Shock? They haven't been doing well so far but with a new coach and a bunch of new players they are looking pretty exciting and they are TULSA's pro basketball team!
Prothromos (9 months ago)
Sooner born and Sooner bred. Not to mention that one of the Thunder shooters is a dang short-horn from Austin. Like their name-sake, the Thunder will roll through the state in the Spring and Summer but be forgotten when pigskins start flying through the air. OU Football rules supreme in the land of the Red Man.
golden boy (8 months ago)
If we are talking about pure "passion", the sooners take the cake. But in talking about overall "interest", it's the thunder and it's not even close. I never recall bars and restaurants so full of enthralled viewers, everyone of them in support of a team, like what is going on now with the thunder. Not even when ou is playing in the MNC. Literally, everyone in this state is supporting and behind the thunder. The sooner fan base, while huge and incredibly passionate, simply do not come close in actual numbers to thunder fans in this state.
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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.

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