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Tulsa: Not A Great Sports Town
Published: 12/31/2007 2:13 PM
Last Modified: 12/31/2007 2:13 PM

Perhaps you read this morning that University of Tulsa basketball coach Doug Wojcik is aggravated that too few eyeballs are watching his team play home games.
Wojcik's comments lead me to repeat this opinion: Much as I would like it to be otherwise, Tulsa is not a great sports town. We like to think we are a great sports town, but, in fact, we talk a good game and buy tickets only when the bandwagon is bound for a joy ride.
I remember talking with former TU guard Jason Parker during the season after the Golden Hurricane's last NCAA Tournament trip and he told me then he was disappointed that many fans just seemed to stop showing up. People were breaking limbs jumping off the bandwagon.
But lack of loyal support isn't just the case with TU basketball. It's the case with every college and minor league pro franchise we have in the city. We're not a season ticket town. We're a "walk up on game day and buy a ticket just before tipoff or kickoff" kind of town.
And, in case you haven't noticed, fewer people are showing up to watch men's basketball games in Norman and Stillwater, too.
Someday, maybe some new sports team will want to call our new downtown arena home. I have doubts about the city supporting that team, whoever it is.
On the other hand, all sports teams need to realize there is more competition for the entertainment dollar than ever before. You're fighting against more than just movie theaters. Casinos are all over the place. The Internet is in virtually every home.
To get butts in the seat, you either have to provide a better bargain than other entertainment outlets or manufacture a must-see product.
The ball is in the court of the fans and the teams to do better.





Reader Comments 10 Total
Rick (5 years ago)
Ok, not alot of us can remember, but it was not that long ago when we were all pleasantly entertained by the student involvement and especially halftime entertainment of TU B-ball games. I'd pay the 10 bucks to see the frisbie dog, flying trampline dunkers or some other odd ball bunch instead of a group of four year old cheer leaders or some goob who can't hit a free throw for a saw-buck. Wojcik has a scary resemblance to JD Barnett with his on-court attitude. Doug, we all appreciate the hard work but check the popping veins in your neck at the door. A graduated from this place in '83 and it looks like they want to keep the environment strerile for all the big money donors so their blue hair won't be upset by loud music and a heart pumping atmosphere. We want entertainment Bubba, not a waltz in a rest home. Just my opinion
Shiloe (5 years ago)
Jimmie, I totally agree. Tulsa for some reason just does not get behind its teams. For instance, has anyone been to a 66ers game? Do you know who the 66ers are??? We have an amazing basketball team
frank (5 years ago)
Rick, you're ageism is showing. Without the attendance of older fans, there wouldn't be many spectators there at all. You should be proud that older people are supporting TU's athletic program. The young folks doen't seem to be.
VR (5 years ago)
The Tulsa Oilers hockey team is another tragic example of Tulsa's lack of support for local teams. When they were winning the CHL championship in the 92-93 season a ticket could hardly be found. When they become average or below we quit going. Being a Dallas Cowboys fan I by nature hate any Philadelphia team, but we could learn from the fans, whether the team is winning or losing you will be hard pressed to find a ticket to any game much less get on the waiting list for season tickets.
Sloppy Seconds (5 years ago)
Tulsa is a minor league town. I can't see the BOK Center being consistnetly sold out for sporting events in this town. Support for the oilers is weak as is support for TU.
Adam (5 years ago)
I dissagree. Tulsa has plenty of support for local teams. Anyone catch a Union-Jenks football game? Ever go watch a Central-BTW basketball game? They're huge. Oklahoma is primarily a football state, so you can't complain that we don't support hockey. TU needs to put a team together that's worth going to see in person. We're all fair weather fans, but that doens't have to be bad. Get a winning program, we'll fill the seats, and we'll compensate you very well. Just ask Bob Stoops.
Adam (5 years ago)
I dissagree. Tulsa has plenty of support for local teams. Anyone catch a Union-Jenks football game? Ever go watch a Central-BTW basketball game? They're huge. Oklahoma is primarily a football state, so you can't complain that we don't support hockey. TU needs to put a team together that's worth going to see in person. We're all fair weather fans, but that doens't have to be bad. Get a winning program, we'll fill the seats, and we'll compensate you very well. Just ask Bob Stoops.
Jimmie Tramel (5 years ago)
At some TPS football games, there are almost more people on the field than in the stands.
tyler (5 years ago)
the fear of gang violence might have something to do with that Jimmie. weren't there tsst games that weren't even played at their home field because of the problems they were having?
BruMo (5 years ago)
You make some excellent points. Bottom line, as has been stated for eons,, there's a core base of "season ticket holders" for TU football and basketball games. The rest is up to the marketing, the COACH, and the players.....

....and the best point you make concerns the very different world that we live in:

You say, " On the other hand, all sports teams need to realize there is more competition for the entertainment dollar than ever before. You're fighting against more than just movie theaters. Casinos are all over the place. The Internet is in virtually every home."

Casino's, Internet gambling combined with the myriad of cable/satellite sports on the tube EVERY NIGHT; and one other fact you didn't mention is,,, SPORTS itself...they are a changing~~~ Way back when,,, in the Polka Dotted Nolan Richardson days,, there was no such thing as X GAMES. Alternative sports..? Huh, what is that? Kids are watching X GAMES now,, not college basketball....unless they ARE basketball players.

A local private high school does not have FIVE PLAYERS come out to form a 9th grade basketball team. WHAT? True..... I bet if you had a sidewalk surfboard team,, wait,, my age is showing, I mean a SKATEBOARD TEAM,, you would be back to having TRYOUTS.

Well, gonna go home and watch me some high school basketball tonight,, a little EAST CENTRAL at MEMORIAL.... yeah, Coach Wojcek might even be there tonight....will probably be a packed house.......Coach Doug, better go early, the fire marshal won't even let YOU in if it's too crowded.
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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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