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Sooners most tangled in Web
But other schools preach importance of low Net profile.

OU coach Bob Stoops, yelling at an official against Washington, says "I don't know what is private anymore" due to the Internet. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World

 
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Published: 9/21/2008  2:05 AM
Last Modified: 9/21/2008  2:50 AM

But other schools preach importance of low Net profile.



NORMAN — Few college football teams have been more negatively impacted by the Internet than Oklahoma.

In late July, Josh Jarboe, projected as a star at wide receiver, was kicked off the team after his appearance on YouTube, rapping about guns and shooting people.

In early July, a University of Nebraska fan (and University of Texas employee), who runs a fan Web site called DarthHusker.com, posted a fictitious report on his site's message board that OU quarterbacks Sam Bradford and Landry Jones had been arrested on cocaine charges.

In 2005, a fan posted a message on a Texas A&M forum claiming knowledge of OU players who received illicit paychecks from a Norman automobile dealer.

The first episode is still being debated among fans, whether Jarboe should have been dismissed for what he and others said was artistic impression. The second was a fabrication and resulted in a lawsuit for Darth Husker.

But the third — started by an anonymous phone tip to the OU compliance staff, from information gained second-hand from someone who knew someone who worked at the dealership — launched a yearlong NCAA investigation, got two starters (one the quarterback) kicked off the team and has the Sooners on probation for two more years.

"It's sad," said Kenny Mossman, OU's associate director of communications, "because we have to create kind of a bunker mentality."

OU isn't alone. In 2005, photographs of a 2004 party involving the Northwestern University women's soccer team were posted on the Internet, and the program was temporarily shut down amid national allegations of a hazing scandal.

"We tell them there's no such thing as anonymity because there's always a camera somewhere," said Kevin Klintworth, associate AD for media relations at Oklahoma State. "Primarily it's someone's digital camera or cell phone, but you have to assume that everything you do at some point will see the light of day."

For coaches, it's tough.

"It's incredibly difficult now," said OSU coach Mike Gundy. "You have all these message boards now and people are posting stuff on there that may or may not be true. But that's how it has gotten the last few years. I'll get calls every season from parents stating they read something on the Internet about their son that I have to clear up."

Said OU's Bob Stoops, "I think there's just such an invasion of privacy anymore, or areas where I don't know what is private anymore. I'm not speaking just for me or us; I think that's the case for everybody. As much as anything, it's just educating our players."

Players from smaller, private schools aren't immune.

"It's something that you have to educate your players on," said University of Tulsa coach Todd Graham. "People are always watching and listening. You may have bloggers in the same class as your players. Everyone has to be cognizant of what they're putting on the Internet and whose taking pictures of them."

Klintworth recalls a basketball player who transferred from a Big 12 school because one day he was out with friends eating pizza, went home, logged on and saw a picture of himself out with friends eating pizza.

"In the position we're in," said OU quarterback Sam Bradford, "coaches say it all the time: we live in a fish bowl."

With YouTube — an independent Web site where anyone can upload, for free, videos — and social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, it seems everyone is a reporter.

"Student-athletes have to realize that they're always on the record," said Dom Tomkalski, associate AD for communications at Tulsa. "The bloggers out there — the fan at practice, the student you're eating lunch with, a friend of your girlfriend — you never know who they are. You're always on the record with the advancement of the Internet."World sports writers Eric Bailey and Matt Doyle contributed to this report

OU UP NEXT



Vs. TCU

6 p.m. Saturday

TV: FSN-27
Radio: KMOD fm97.5, KTBZ am1430



John E. Hoover 581-8384
john.hoover@tulsaworld.com
By JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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9 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you.  -- Web Editor Jason Collington
 

 
Report Comment
HVJ, (9/21/2008 9:48:41 AM)
The freedom of expression provided by the internet has reduced everyone's freedom of expression.
Report Comment
Dave Vessels, (9/21/2008 1:03:12 PM)
Are you kidding me? This is a news? Where are the facts that OU has been more negatively affected than anyone else? Why was it bad that OU's cheating was exposed? Typical OU whining because they haven't won anything in the last eight years and won't win anything as long as Stoops is the head coach. Hoover this article is garbage, obviously you had nothing to write this week so you decided to make somthing up.
Report Comment
us4Sooners, (9/21/2008 3:02:32 PM)
Hey DV:

So I guess conference championships don't mean anything, huh?

I guess whoever you root for doesn't know anything about them.
Report Comment
Dave Vessels, (9/21/2008 5:29:48 PM)
How many times in the last four years has OU won its last game?Answer: once. Obviously the conference championships don't mean a whole lot when you're beaten by teams from the WAC, PAC 10 and Big East. All are perceived as weaker conferences, but yet the Sooners have lost to all of them. The conference crowns evidently don't mean much if you can't beat teams in games in which you're favored.
Report Comment
us4Sooners, (9/21/2008 6:16:43 PM)
Oh, I see. What have you done for me lately?

Oklahoma is the winningest program in what is widely considered the modern era of college football. OU has the most victories and best winning percentage of any team since the end of World War II.

Nobody consistenly wins them all. That's impossible. Sometimes the best team doesn't win. Cudos to the underdog when that happens. Life goes on.

I would rather have a conference championship trophy than a BCS bowl trophy (unless, of course, it was for the NC).

So, who do you root for?
Report Comment
OU247, (9/22/2008 9:57:44 AM)
Vessels doesnt know his ass from a hole in the ground whatever team he roots for wouldnt hold a candle to what Bob Stoops has done with the OU program
Report Comment
Dave Vessels, (9/22/2008 10:44:20 AM)
Why is it the Sooners go on probation after every national title they win? You talk about the winningest program in college football? Try Michigan you rubes, they have more wins than anybody. They suck now, but you did too in the 90s. Who sends more players to the NFL? Its USC of course, who by the way has more national titles than Zero U too. How about academics? Nebraska has twice as many academic All-Americans as Zero U. The only thing your Godforsaken college has accomplished is getting the NCAA to inact a rule banning paying players, which you all pioneered back in the 1950s with your dirty oil money. Stoops will always be outcoached and outclassed by Les Miles, Pete Carroll, and any other coach with NFL experience.
Report Comment
Aqua, (9/22/2008 11:32:55 AM)
The things you can find on the web.
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (9/25/2008 1:08:44 AM)
It sounds like you're kind of confused about where your loyalties lie Dave. You mention all these great football programs but yet you don't seem to be a fan of any. I would have to assume that you're simply too embarrassed to admit who your team is because they have never done anything. Also, anyone who thinks that "sucker" Lucky Les is a classy and competent coach has definitely got Gum(by) for brains.
 

 
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