Cheater (the one in the hoodie) doesn't prosper
11/16/2009 6:02:39 PM
Observations following an NFL weekend:
1, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is getting scalded because his decision to go for it on fourth down in his own territory backfired.
Reaction: Calling plays sure was easier when he was stealing signals.
2, Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable should be upset.
Reaction: Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals hired a "hitting" coach and Cable wasn't even considered for the job. Who's more qualified than Cable?
3, The Cincinnati Bengals, after reaching the top of the AFC North, want to hitch their wagon to Chiefs castoff Larry Johnson.
Reaction: Need amy more proof that the Bengals haven't yet learned how to handle prosperity?
4, The Cleveland Browns -- really -- are playing on Monday Night Football.
Reaction: If the NFL handled its TV business like the Big 12 (wait until the last minute to pick which games should be in on the tube in prime time), then the Browns would be playing one of those 11:30 a.m. games on perhaps, a channel like Animal Planet. Or maybe the Browns would be bumped off the air in favor of one of those infomercials for Time/Life music collections. The little singer from Air Supply could play quarterback for the Browns.
5, If the St. Louis Rams had beaten the New Orleans Saints, would that have been the sports upset of the year?
Reaction: The sports upset of the year is that Landry Jones has not gotten hurt while playing behind Oklahoma's patchwork line.
Emergency: Is there a ref in the house?
11/14/2009 1:59:00 PM
Oklahoma State's basketball season opener against Seattle University was supposed to start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
It's just before 2 p.m. and the game hasn't started yet.
Reason? The refs either weren't aware or weren't told what time tipoff was supposed to be. They supposedly are en route to Stillwater while fans (some with crossed arms) sit in their seats and play the waiting game.
If there was a medical emergency at Gallagher-Iba Arena, someone would take the public address microphone and ask "Is there a doctor in the house?"
Can't someone take the mike and ask "is there a ref in the house?"
The latest update is the game could start at 2:30 p.m. The refs need to have a good day. I sense a crowd that is ready to boo them.
Why the confusion?
This is what I first thought was the reason: OSU has home football and basketball games today and didn't want them to occur at the same time.
Big 12 schools are at the mercy of television networks when it comes to football starting times, so the basketball start time couldn't be determined until the football start time (7 p.m.) was chosen.
Maybe someday the Big 12 will be big-time enough in football that member schools will be able to set their starting times in advance of the season -- a move that would benefit everybody except the networks, especially in regard to travel and hotel plans.
But the "real" reason why the refs aren't here, I am told, is because this game is affiliated with a Las Vegas tournament that OSU will participate in later this month and the Vegas folks were in charge of assigning officials for this game. I am also told that the Vegas folks were told about the tipoff time once it had been determined. Regardless, someone dropped the ball.
Breaking news update at 2:28 p.m.: Even if the refs arrive in time for a 2:30 start, the latest scuttlebutt is that Seattle's team has left to go get something to eat!!!! Allegedly, Quizno's got some unexpected business. Were the Redhawks really hungry? Or was Seattle coach Cameron Dollar so aggravated at the botched start time that he was taking his team to lunch out of spite?
Breaking news update at 2:51 p.m.: Seattle players walked back through the Gallagher-Iba Arena doors at 2:38 p.m. The refs are here. The new start time was supposed to be 3 p.m. One of the refs just came over and lobbied for a 3:09 start instead.
Unbelievable.
Maybe Josh Fields can help Chiefs
11/7/2009 9:10:21 PM
Mike Gundy held onto his title as OSU's all-time passing leader for 21 years before losing it Saturday night to Zac Robinson.
Gundy is fortunate his record lasted this long because it could have been shattered five years ago.
Josh Fields ended his OSU career only 143 yards shy of becoming OSU's all-time passing leader, but he elected to pursue a professional baseball career instead of returning to campus for a final year of football eligibility.
Fields just got traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals. Anyone who saw Fields play college football can tell you that, while in Kansas City, he should go ahead and suit up for the need-lots-of-help Chiefs.
OSU basketball roster gains population
11/4/2009 8:44:24 PM
Oklahoma State's basketball roster grew by two spots.
Coach Travis Ford staged a walk-on tryout for the second consecutive season and this year's survivors were added to the team roster Wednesday by basketball publicist Michael Noteware.
One of the newcomers played on a national championship team, albeit at a lower level. Former Broken Arrow High School player Steven Cantrell, a 6-foot-6 forward, played one year at Oklahoma City University when the Stars were 31-7 national champs in 2008. Cantrell averaged 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 20 games, starting five times. He was a student at OSU last season, but did not play basketball.
The other walk-on survivor is Lee Ledford, a 6-0 guard from Perkins who did not participate in athletics during his first two years at OSU. He averaged 15 points and seven rebounds as a high school senior.
Cantrell and Ledford will serve as practice bodies who perhaps will make a game appearance or two if scores are lopsided. The big reward could come at season's end.
Four students survived a walk-on tryout last season and got to travel with the Cowboys to first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games in Dayton, Ohio. One of them, Garrett Thomas, is back for a second go-round.
Landry Jones: starter and finisher?
11/1/2009 8:38:56 AM
During Landry Jones' first go-round as Sam Bradford's replacement, the redshirt freshman quarterback knew he was just keeping the seat warm until the Heisman Trophy winner returned.
Now that Bradford is out for the season, Jones knows that he isn't keeping the seat warm for anybody. The starting quarterback job is his, at least until a quarterback derby is staged in the spring.
There's a different mindset when you know that you are "the guy" instead of "the temp" and it showed in Jones' performance during a 42-30 win over Kansas State.
If the offense had flopped around like a fish, OU would have lost a home game for only the third time in the Bob Stoops era. But Jones directed two fourth-quarter scoring drives to help the Sooners get enough breathing room to survive.
Jones hit his last 14 pass attempts and was 10-of-10 in the fourth quarter. Jones also did some nice things in his earlier tour of duty as the guy taking snaps, but he and the Sooners didn't make enough plays to finish games against BYU, Miami and Texas.
Maybe Jones has progressed to the point where he is a starter and a finisher.
Monster game on Halloween
10/27/2009 2:53:00 PM
Oklahoma State’s colors are orange and black -- colors traditionally associated with Halloween.
OSU is playing a Halloween home game Saturday against Texas.
Hmmm. Could it be that the Cowboys are destined to spring an upset?
“Anything can happen on Halloween, so we are just hoping everything goes in our favor that night,” receiver Isaiah Anderson said.
OSU’s all-time record in Halloween games is 7-7.
The Cowboys have dropped two consecutive Oct. 31 games (to ranked Texas A&M and Kansas squads in 1998 and 1992) since their last Halloween victory, a 56-7 knockout of Kansas State in 1987, when Thurman Thomas ran for 130 rushing yards and Barry Sanders came off the bench for 105. The guy handing off to them was Mike Gundy.
What would Anderson be doing Saturday night if he didn’t have a Halloween game? He said he would probably be taking his 2-year-old son, Isaiah, Jr., trick-or-treating back home in Wichita Falls, Texas.
“I bought him a little monkey costume,” Anderson said. “He reminds me of Curious George because he is always getting into stuff.”
Anderson hasn’t been a dad for long, but he sounded like a Halloween veteran when asked if he will let his son eat all the trick-or-treat candy.
“I’ll do what most parents do,” he said. “I will go through and pick out my favorites and let him have the rest.”
Stop the presses. Here comes another chapter.
10/21/2009 5:33:22 PM
Coming soon to a book store new you: A biography of Tulsa's new WNBA coach.
Rus Bradburd (and, yes, he spells his first name with one 's') was working on a Richardson book long before the former Tulsa and Arkansas coach decided to come out of retirement to take on the challenge of steering a WNBA team.
Bradburd sent me an e-mail this week suggesting that maybe he needs to add another chapter -- a WNBA chapter -- to the book, which is scheduled to be released in late January.
Bradburd said he is happy for Richardson in regard to the new job. Richardson will be the coach and general manager of the Tulsa franchise.
Richardson seems to be having some fun with his dual role. He said Tuesday that anyone who wants to complain about the coach will have to go see the general manager.
Said Richardson, "The general manager and the coach are pretty good friends."
Barry Sanders: Just a matter of time
10/19/2009 6:16:33 PM
This is how many Big Eight or Big 12 football championships that Oklahoma State has won: One. The Cowboys celebrated a title the same year the nation celebrated a bicentennial.
Now that Boone Pickens and other folks have chipped in to make OSU a player in the facilities arms race, do the Cowboys have a legitimate chance to pursue more conference championships in football?
That was the question I pitched to three prominent OSU alums -- Barry Sanders, Garth Brooks and Robin Ventura -- during a press conference in Stillwater.
There was a bit of silence after the question was asked, then Brooks decided Sanders was best equipped to provide an answer since Sanders is an ex-football player. Sanders was the only one of the three to respond and this is what he said.
He said he can see "very clear" improvement in the football program since Mike Gundy became head coach.
He indicated facilities will give OSU a chance to recruit top-notch student-athletes.
"You can look in the NFL and see that they have had some good players here," Sanders said. "They have got some players here now that can play on Sunday."
And then, getting to the point of whether OSU can compete for conference championships, Sanders said it's just a matter of time.
Said the 1988 Heisman winner, "I think we are at a point where we can have big expectations -- same as all the other schools."
Different day at office for OSU receivers
10/12/2009 9:30:41 AM
Ever been to a workplace meeting where the topic of discussion is something you know isn't going to involve you?
Tough to stay interested, huh? That's when you twiddle thumbs or doodle cartoons and discreetly show them to the guy sitting next to you (and hope that he doesn't laugh out loud).
I suspect that's what OSU receivers meetings were like when Dez Bryant was eligible.
When you've got an All-American playmaker like Bryant, it's foolish not to toss a ball in that guy's direction as often as possible. But if he's Gladys Knight, then the rest of the receivers attended staff meetings knowing that they will be not much more than Pips.
Then a crazy thing happened after Bryant was declared ineligible last week. Receiver meetings took on a different tone. All the Pips had reason to be keenly interested in what was being said because they were going to be a bigger part of the game plan than ever before.
Then the Pips went out and made big plays as OSU won at Texas A&M for only the second time since the Big 12 was formed.
"I think it’s a case of when you have a fallen soldier, everybody steps up to the plate," co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Gunter Brewer said.
Of course, OSU would prefer to get Bryant re-instated. But, in the meanwhile, don't be surprised if receiver meetings are a lot more fun for a lot of other players.
Fear the All-Big 12 curse
10/8/2009 11:38:00 AM
Allegedly, bad things happen after you appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated or the front of the Madden video game.
OSU's Dez Bryant appeared on SI's cover after the Cowboys opened the season with a win over Georgia. Then the Cowboys lost to Houston and lost Bryant because he committed the NCAA equivalent of perjury.
Troy Polamalu shared the Madden box with Larry Fitzgerald. Polamalu was injured in the season opener when he tried to pick up a ball followed a blocked field goal.
But if you really want to be jinxed, just get yourself named to the first-team All-Big 12 preseason offensive unit. Bryant? He was on the preseason squad. Just about every one of his preseason first-team teammates has gotten a big kiss from Lady (No) Luck.
QB--OU's Sam Bradford injured a shoulder in the season opener and hasn't returned.
RB--OSU's Kendall Hunter missed the nonconference finale with an injured foot and likely won't play in a league opener at Texas A&M.
TE--OU's Jermaine Gresham suffered a season-ending injury in a practice prior to the season opener,
OL--Texas Tech's Brandon Carter was stripped of his captaincy and was suspended because of a Tweet.
WR--Kansas' Dezmon Briscoe was suspended for violating unspecified team rules in the spring and also missed the season opener, but has played in every game since. (Coaches need to think of something else to say besides "unspecified team rules," because don't most of us assume those kind of violations were herbal in nature? If not, the coaches are letting us jump to that conclusion.)
OL--Texas center Chris Hall got knocked around pretty good against UTEP and twice left the game, but is expected to be available for a Saturday game against Colorado.
OL--OU's Trent Williams hasn't been struck by catastrophe, but offensive line play has been a sore spot for the twice-beaten Sooners. Maybe he doesn't deserve to be on this list.
Who has been immune? OSU lineman Russell Okung, Texas lineman Adam Ulatoski and OU running back DeMarco Murray, who may have used up all his bad luck -- at least injury-wise -- before this season.
For the first time, OSU needs map
10/5/2009 7:31:51 PM
Trivia question: Who will be the last major college football team to play a game away from home this season?
Hint: It’s one of the three Division I-A squads in this state.
Second hint: It’s not the school in Norman or Tulsa.
Oklahoma State, which played its first four games at Boone Pickens Stadium, will be the last FBS squad to play somewhere besides its home stadium when the Cowboys go to Texas A&M for an 11:30 a.m. Saturday game.
Hey, Perrish Cox. Is it possible to explain to first-year players about what it’s like to play a college football game on the road?
“You can do all the explaining, but it takes going through the whole away game thing,” the OSU senior cornerback said. “It was different for me when I first came in. I played a lot when I was a freshman. It’s a different environment, especially going into conference. From nonconference to conference game, it’s a big difference man. The first away game and a conference game, you can only just explain so much, but you have got to put it in their heads that it’s another game.”
Kentucky and Texas A&M are the only other FBS schools who haven’t played true road games yet, but they have participated in neutral-site games.
A&M will be the last FBS team to play a true road game when the Aggies go to Kansas State on Oct. 17.
Doing Thorpe's Legacy Proud
9/29/2009 4:08:27 PM
I always wanted to do this story: How many current athletes are descendants of Oklahoma-born Jim Thorpe, reputed to be the greatest athlete who ever lived.
The master plan was to visit with Grace Thorpe, Jim’s daughter, and have her help me trace the family tree to see if there are a bunch of Thorpe kinfolk who score touchdowns, make baskets and hit home runs for their high school or college teams.
I talked with Grace Thorpe on a couple of occasions (visited her once in the hospital), but we never got around to the big project and she passed away in 2008.
Just recently, I stumbled onto a Thorpe descendant without intending to do so. Former Pawnee basketball player Caleb Tiger is a cancer survivor. He was presented the Larry Brummett Courage Award at a Tulsa Sports Charities dinner Monday night.
Tiger belongs to seven tribes, but he usually just says he is Pawnee and Sac & Fox. Thorpe was Sac & Fox. Tiger said he is related to Thorpe and said they are both from the Sac & Fox’s Thunder clan.
George Thurman, principal chief of the Sac and Fox Nation, was among dignitaries seated at a table purchased by the tribe. Tiger’s father, Randall, was seated at the table as well.
Tiger’s mother, father and tribes should be proud of how the kid handled himself when he accepted the courage award. He told a story about how he checked into a state tournament game and had no fear because the score was lopsided and the outcome had been decided. He pointed to the parallels between his life and that game.
“No matter what life brings, I’ve already won,” he said. “That’s the best way to live.”
Three Baseball Hall of Famers -- Goose Gossage, Lou Brock and Rollie Fingers -- signed autographs at the banquet where Tiger received his award. Tiger's father called to tell me the Hall of Famers asked for Caleb's autograph.
TU alum Ruffin Thunderstruck
9/28/2009 5:30:09 PM
The Oklahoma City Thunder won't play a regular season game in Tulsa. The franchise chose to name itself the Oklahoma City Thunder instead of the more all-inclusive Oklahoma Thunder.
Considering the aforementioned, do the franchise's actions indicate that the Thunder values Tulsa as a valued partner in the NBA business?
Just about a year ago, I wrote a column suggesting that if the Oklahoma City Thunder really wanted to be a statewide franchise, maybe the team should consider employing someone -- ideally, Michael Ruffin -- with Tulsa ties.
And, today, I am writing this: Thanks, guys.
The Thunder released its training camp roster today and one of three new additions is -- surprise! -- Ruffin, a 32-year-old former University of Tulsa player who has played for six NBA teams during a 414-game career.
What you really should know about Ruffin is that he's one of the smartest dudes in the league (at one point, he was considering going to vet school after his career ended; while in college, he had more critters than Elly Mae Clampett). And, bonus, he's one of the best guys you could ever have in a locker room. Thunder players should love him because he concentrates on defense and rebounding and won't be taking any shots away from Kevin Durant and his supporting cast.
Ruffin still must make the team, of course, but Tulsa now has two reasons on the roster to feel connected to the Thunder. Booker T. Washington alum Etan Thomas of Syracuse also is on the squad.
March Madness in October
9/28/2009 2:39:46 PM
Oklahoma State is a bubble team.
Say what? Isn’t it half a year too early to be talking about bubble teams?
This isn’t about college basketball. It’s about college football.
Just for fun, Sports Illustrated and SI.com unveiled a mythical college football playoff bracket Sunday. The 16-team bracket will be updated each week throughout the rest of the season.
As of now, Oklahoma is a No. 8 seed and would play No. 9 seed Houston in a first-round game.
Oklahoma State is ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll and No. 14 in the Associated Press poll, but the Cowboys were not among the 16 teams chosen for SI’s playoff bracket by a 14-person panel of college football writers, editors and producers.
OSU was the best team left out of the bracket. The Cowboys got enough support from the SI panel to rank 17th nationally. By the time a bye week is finished, perhaps the Pokes will move into the mock bracket.
All this speculation is sort of fun. Too bad it’s only pretend. I wouldn’t mind a little March Madness in October, November and December.
Following is this week’s mock bracket, courtesy of SI.com.
No. 1 Florida (209 points) vs. No. 16 Auburn (18)
No. 2 Alabama (208) vs. No. 15 Miami (24)
No. 3 Texas (197) vs. No. 14 Oregon (28)
No. 4 LSU (158) vs. No. 13 Iowa (72)
No. 5 Virginia Tech (154) vs. No. 12 Ohio State (77)
No. 6 Boise State (140) vs. No. 11 TCU (81)
No. 7 Cincinnati (130) vs. No. 10 USC (105)
No. 8 Oklahoma (112) vs. No. 9 Houston (107)
Also receiving points: Oklahoma State (17), Michigan (10), Ole Miss (10), BYU (9), South Florida (8), Kansas (7), Nebraska (6), Georgia Tech (6), Missouri (6), Georgia (5), Cal (1), Penn State (1), South Carolina (1).
Bring more madness, please
9/22/2009 12:30:17 PM
Let’s get greedy.
The NCAA Tournament is coming to Tulsa in 2011. The city doesn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. We want all the March Madness we can get -- the crazier the better.
BOK Center general manager John Bolton said Tulsa submitted bids for 2011, 2012 and 2013 in hopes of being granted tournament games in any of those years. Bolton said he was glad to get the earliest date because that would give Tulsa a chance to prove itself as a good host ASAP.
“I’m thrilled to have (2011) instead of ‘12 or ‘13 just because it gives us that extra tournament experience and reputation that will be very beneficial to us as we bid for other tournaments,” Bolton said.
In that respect, 2011 is an audition for the city and the BOK Center.
Mike Dodson, executive director of the Tulsa Sports Commission, wants Tulsa to become a regular stop in the NCAA Tournament rotation.
“We sure hope it’s not a one-shot deal,” Dodson said. “I don’t think it would be. But the competition for these things is very stiff. As I understand it, almost 70 markets across the country submitted bids to host the event. For Tulsa to get it in 2011 is a testament to the quality of our community.”
Regardless of what the state of the economy might be in 2011, I'm betting every ticket will be sold.
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