What to do in Oklahoma on September 2, 2010
Today’s featured event:
Go see the excellent indie movie Winter’s Bone, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, tonight at 7:30 pm at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Dr, OKC, OK.
For more information, click here.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
—3D
Video of the Day: Das Racist, “Who’s That? Brooown!”
Himanshu Suri, Victor Vazquez and Ashok Kondabolu drop some 8-bit wisdom (well, maybe not wisdom, but certainly hilarity) in this Atari 5200 or TRS-80-level game-oriented video. You’re going to be singing the refrain all day, and you’re going to hate StaticBlog for it. Well, more.
– Lang
No weight loss this week
Not surprising, considering the way I’ve been eating and not exercising enough.
Not pleasing, either.
OU football: Fans owed a good schedule
This non-conference scheduling debate refuses to go away. Bob Stoops, still smarting from two non-conference defeats last season, again is talking about how a good non-conference schedule doesn’t help you.
The preponderance of evidence the last decade shows that Stoops is wrong, but let’s drift away from the discussion of how non-conference scheduling affects national championship hopes. Way too much debate is wasted on that particular angle.
Here is something much more important to the overall health and wealth of a football program: its fans.
If OU was to disarm and play a weak non-conference schedule, a slate of games with automatic victories, it would pad Stoops’ record and it would make Owen Field a very dull place to be in September. It would make OU’s season ticket worth much less than the face value.
Look at it this way. OU fans generally love the tradition of the OU-Texas game being played in Dallas, but it comes at a cost. The Longhorns never play in Norman. That means the annual biggest game of the year is NEVER played at Owen Field.
So no Texas, and if you gut the non-conference schedule, no decent non-conference foe comes to Norman, either. No Oregon, no Alabama, no UCLA, no TCU, no Miami, no Cincinnati, no Florida State, no Notre Dame, no Ohio State, no Tennessee, no LSU.
Just a series of Utah States and North Texases and Tulsas and Chattanoogas.
Factor in the new order (Nebraska never will return to Owen Field), and you’re talking about a season ticket that will highlight OSU and Texas A&M in odd-numbered years, and Texas Tech and some team from the Big 12 North in even-numbered years.
Good games. Solid games. But when they are the best games year after year, the entertainment value lessens.
OU football has a certain status nationally. With that status comes some responsibility. The Sooners’ schedule is to be commended. The Sooners are holding up their end of the sport. Not all programs are doing that.
A couple of unfortunate losses — which have as much to do with finding a kicker and not jumping off sides as they do with how tough the schedule was — shouldn’t change OU’s commitment to quality football.
OU fans deserve better than to gut the schedule. They have been loyal customers. Don’t forgot the fans when deciding how to schedule football games.
Brooks & Dunn to play final show tonight in Nashville
It’s a sad day for country music fans: The final concert for stunningly successful duo Brooks & Dunn is set for 7:30 tonight at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
A little more than a year ago, former Tulsan Ronnie Dunn and Louisiana native Kix Brooks announced plans to end their two-decade musical partnership after touring this summer. To borrow one of the duo’s song titles, it was “The Long Goodbye,” but not nearly long enough.
“The Last Rodeo Tour” included stops at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City and BOK Center in Tulsa. The latter was familiar territory for Dunn, who moved to T-town after college and became one of the hottest artists on the competitive Oklahoma club scene.
In the past 20 years, Brooks & Dunn have become the best-selling duo in country music history; in fact, they have sold more records than any musical duo in any genre, including Simon & Garfunkel, according to AllMusic.com. They have moved more than 30 million albums, scored 23 No. 1 hits and won more than 80 major industry awards. The pair is the most honored artist in ACM history, with 27 trophies to their name, including 16 top vocal duo titles and three entertainer of the year awards.
Brooks & Dunn’s partnership started out with the record industry equivalent of a blind date. Brooks, who as a child was neighbor to Johnny Horton, moved to Nashville in the early ‘80s and found success as a songwriter but not a solo performer.
A Coleman, Texas native, Dunn relocated to Tulsa, where he fronted the house band at the popular nightspot Duke’s Country and then broke into the national spotlight by winning the Marlboro Talent Competition. His original songs “Neon Moon” and “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” which became No. 1 hits on the duo’s first album, got the attention of Nashville.
Oklahoma native Tim DuBois, then-head of the Arista Nashville label, paired them as a duo and assigned them to write a song together. In one day, they penned “Brand New Man” and “My Next Broken Heart,” the other two chart-toppers from their 1991 debut. It was an auspicious beginning, and the partners continued to find success with a combination of rollicking honky-tonk stompers with tender power ballads.
It isn’t quite over for Brooks & Dunn: The pair was nominated earlier this week for vocal duo of the year for the 44th Annual CMA Awards. Country fans can hope that they’ll show up and maybe even perform at the Nov. 10 awards show.
Dunn told the Associated Press back in spring that he and Brooks may be going their separate ways, but they will continue to make music as solo artists.
“I’m going to buy a secondhand van and get a rusty old horse trailer, throw me some band equipment in it, and go find me a beer joint and keep singing,” he said.
Still, after tonight, country music won’t ever be the same.
-BAM
Scouting report: Washington State
by Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Follow me on Twitter @BChatmon
The Spokesman’s Vince Grippi takes a closer look at Washington State sophomore Jeff Tuel. The Cougars quarterback is looking to limit turnovers while leading an offense which had 31 turnovers in 2009. Tuel started five games last season as a freshman.
Here’s a clip of WSU coach Paul Wulff’s press conference on Tuesday:
Burneyville, in south central Oklahoma, 1.64 inches of rain since midnight, National Weather Service, Norman
FYI: Hurricane Earl, information from National Hurricane Center
…INTENSE HURRICANE EARL CONTINUES ON A NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD
TRACK…EXPECTED TO PASS NEAR THE OUTER BANKS TONIGHT…
SUMMARY OF 800 AM EDT…1200 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————-
LOCATION…30.1N 74.8W
ABOUT 355 MI…575 KM S OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA
ABOUT 820 MI…1315 KM SSW OF NANTUCKET MASSACHUSETTS
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…145 MPH…230 KM/HR
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NNW OR 330 DEGREES AT 18 MPH…30 KM/HR
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…932 MB…27.52 INCHES
WATCHES AND WARNINGS
——————–
CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY…
NONE.
SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT…
A HURRICANE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* BOGUE INLET NORTH CAROLINA NORTHEASTWARD TO THE NORTH
CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER INCLUDING THE PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE
SOUNDS.
A HURRICANE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* NORTH OF THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO CAPE HENLOPEN
DELAWARE.
* WESTPORT TO PLYMOUTH MASSACHUSETTS…INCLUDING MARTHAS
VINEYARD AND NANTUCKET.
A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* CAPE FEAR TO WEST OF BOGUE INLET NORTH CAROLINA.
* NORTH OF THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER TO SANDY HOOK NEW
JERSEY…INCLUDING DELAWARE BAY SOUTH OF SLAUGHTER BEACH AND THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF NEW POINT COMFORT.
* THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND NEW YORK FROM FIRE ISLAND INLET NORTHWARD
AND EASTWARD TO PORT JEFFERSON HARBOR.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR…
* SANDY HOOK NEW JERSEY TO WOODS HOLE MASSACHUSETTS…INCLUDING
BLOCK ISLAND AND LONG ISLAND SOUND.
* THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND NEW YORK WEST OF FIRE ISLAND INLET AND
PORT JEFFERSON HARBOR.
* NORTH OF PLYMOUTH MASSACHUSETTS TO EASTPORT MAINE.
* THE COAST OF NOVA SCOTIA FROM PORT MAITLAND TO MEDWAY HARBOUR.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES…INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS…PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA OUTSIDE
THE UNITED STATES…PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR NATIONAL
METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.
DISCUSSION AND 48-HOUR OUTLOOK
——————————
AT 800 AM EDT…1200 UTC…THE EYE OF HURRICANE EARL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 30.1 NORTH…LONGITUDE 74.8 WEST. EARL IS MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH…30 KM/HR BUT A TURN TOWARD
THE NORTH IS EXPECTED SOON. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AND
AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY. ON THE
FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF EARL WILL PASS NEAR THE NORTH
CAROLINA OUTER BANKS TONIGHT…AND BE VERY NEAR SOUTHEASTERN NEW
ENGLAND FRIDAY NIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 145 MPH…230 KM/HR…WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. EARL IS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. A GRADUAL WEAKENING IS
EXPECTED TO START LATER TODAY…BUT EARL IS EXPECTED TO BE A MAJOR
HURRICANE WHEN IT PASSES NEAR THE OUTER BANKS.
HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 90 MILES…150 KM…FROM
THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES…370 KM.
THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM THE HURRICANE HUNTER
DATA IS 932 MB…27.52 INCHES.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
———————-
WINDS…TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE NORTH
CAROLINA COAST WITHIN THE WARNING AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON. EVEN IF
THE CENTER OF EARL REMAINS OFFSHORE…HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO OCCUR ON THE OUTER BANKS BY THURSDAY NIGHT.
TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS WILL LIKELY REACH THE COAST FROM
VIRGINIA NORTHWARD TO NEW JERSEY BY LATE THURSDAY NIGHT OR EARLY
FRIDAY.
STORM SURGE…A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS
MUCH AS 3 TO 5 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL WITHIN THE HURRICANE WARNING
AREA AND THE LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY. ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE TROPICAL
STORM WARNING AREA…STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH
AS 1 TO 3 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. NEAR THE COAST…THE SURGE WILL
BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.
RAINFALL…ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES…WITH ISOLATED
MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 6 INCHES…ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA INCLUDING THE OUTER BANKS. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2
INCHES ARE POSSIBLE FARTHER TO THE NORTH ALONG THE IMMEDIATE
MID-ATLANTIC COAST.
SURF…LARGE SWELLS FROM EARL WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE BAHAMAS
AND THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES THROUGH FRIDAY. THESE
SWELLS WILL LIKELY CAUSE DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS AND RIP
CURRENTS.
Please monitor weather for severe thunderstorms today, National Weather Service, Norman
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK COVERS NORTHERN…WESTERN…
CENTRAL…AND SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA…AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
.DAY ONE…TODAY AND TONIGHT…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT
ACROSS PORTIONS OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
LOCATION…
ALL OF OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS.
TIMING…
THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FROM 2 PM
THROUGH 2 AM.
IMPACT…
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS…
STORM SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ACROSS THE
RISK AREA SHOULD PLAN FOR SEVERE WEATHER OPERATIONS FROM 2 PM UNTIL
2 AM.
DISCUSSION…
THE EXTREME MOISTURE AND HEAT FOR EARLY SEPTEMBER WILL CREATE LARGE
INSTABILITIES THIS AFTERNOON. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR WHEN
A COLD FRONT APPROACHES NORTHERN OKLAHOMA FROM THE NORTHWEST.
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WILL SWEEP SOUTH ALONG THE FRONT REACHING
SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS LATE THIS EVENING.
DOWNBURST WINDS MAY OCCUR IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF OKLAHOMA DUE TO
THE VERY HIGH TEMPERATURES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
IS LIKELY BUT THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
SUFFICIENTLY QUICKLY TO LESSEN THE FLASH FLOODING RISK.
PROBABILITY TABLE…
VALID THROUGH 700 AM CDT FRIDAY SEP 3.
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING IN THE
NWS NORMAN COUNTY WARNING AREA…100 PERCENT.
PROBABILITY OF SEVERE STORMS IF STORMS OCCUR…80 PERCENT.
OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
NONE.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY…
THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK…
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
Game preview: Star Spencer at Millwood
Star Spencer at Millwood
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: LW Good Stadium
Why Star Spencer could win: Though they’ve got several new starters and a new coach, the Bobcats are a talented team. Their secondary will be able to keep up with Millwood’s speed, and the Star linebackers — though coaches were unhappy with their play last week — will be the foundation of this defense. The offense will find a way to move the ball as sophomore QB Darion Bogus comes along. Stevo Henderson will be crucial as a running back and receiver.
Why Millwood could win: The Falcons won’t face a team with more major-college prospects this season, but recruiting letters don’t always translate to automatic victories. Still, Millwood has the edge in experience, which will pay the most dividends in Week 1. Watch out for RB Shevin Patton. There wasn’t anyone more impressive last week at the Preview than Millwood’s new running back.
Key matchup: Bogus vs. the Millwood secondary. The problem with playing a young, talented quarterback is that his youth contributes to as many plays as his talent does, and against a secondary with guys like Josh Turner and Kevonte Richardson, youthful mistakes turn into interceptions. Too many turnovers will do in the Bobcats real quick.
The pick: Millwood 27, Star Spencer 21. I know the Falcons fell short last week at the All-City Preview, losing to Douglass in the semifinals, but I think that’s a big reason why Millwood flips it around this week. The Falcons are a team that needs a little motivation to push them into the season. Star is still looking for some things to come together with all their new starters. Terrell Love will get them there, but I don’t know if they’ll be ready to take down Millwood in the opener.
– Scott Wright, swright@opubco.com
