BAM’s college football favorites for Nov. 7, 2009
OSU quarterback Zac Robinson (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman)
After a disappointing loss to Texas last week, my Oklahoma State Cowboys will take on Iowa State Cyclones at 2:30 p.m. today in Ames, Iowa. The game will air on ABC.
It’s been a tough week for the No. 19 Cowboys and their fans. After getting blown out last week by the Longhorns, the Cowboy Nation learned this week that All-American wide receive Dez Bryant’s final appeal for reinstatement this season has been denied. That means he most likely will enter the NFL draft. Who can blame him? He could come back and play for OSU next year, but why would he put himself under the fickle authority of the NCAA ever again?
The No. 24 University of Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Nebraska to play longtime rivals the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The game will kick off at 7 tonight and air on ABC.
The No. 1 University of Florida Gators, the McDonnell family’s traditional favorite team, will try to stay undefeated today as they take on Vanderbilt at home in the Swamp. The game will kick off at 6:15 p.m. and air on ESPN2.
Good luck to all my favorite teams.
Carrie Underwood featured on the cover of Country Weekly magazine
Carrie Underwood watches the Ottawa Senators take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in an NHL hockey game March 11 in Ottawa. The country star chats with Country Weekly magazine about her boyfriend, Senators star Mike Fisher, in the current issue. (Associated Press photo)
Country music star Carrie Underwood, who releases her new album “Play On” today, is featured on the cover of the Nov. 9 issue of Country Weekly, on sale now.
In a story titled “Carrie Underwood: What Makes Me Cry,” the Oklahoma native talks with the magazine about her beau, forgiveness, her new music, long-term goals and what makes her tear up.
She tells the magazine that her boyfriend, NHL hockey star Mike Fisher, exhibits the “cowboy” traits she likes in a man.
“When I think of cowboys, I don’t just go stereotypical hats and boots and Wranglers,” she tells Country Weekly. “I think of somebody who’s very strong, and kinda quiet and has this confidence about them. Something that’s very sexy and not overstated.”
Check out my feature on Underwood and review of “Play On” Friday.
-BAM
College football for Oct. 31, 2009
OSU quarterback Zac Robinson has taken to printing the words “Press on” in his eye black this season. (Photo by Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman)
After a scary-tough football season, I’m hoping that none of my favorite teams gets spooked during today’s Halloween games.
My Oklahoma State Cowboys will face a daunting task as the No. 3 Texas Longhorns come to Stillwater today. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and air on ABC.
The No. 13 Cowboys will be pressing on - the message QB Zac Robinson’s has been printing in his eye black the past few weeks – after the NCAA played a nasty trick on the Cowboy Nation this week. The NCAA declined to reinstate All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant, prompting OSU to appeal to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee.
The University of Oklahoma Sooners are pressing on with a home game against Kansas State at 6 p.m. today. The game will air on Fox Sports Net.
It will be the first game in which Landry Jones will officially hold the title of starting quarterback, after Heisman winner Sam Bradford opted this week to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.
The Florida Gators, the defending national champs and the traditional favorite of the McDonnell family, will try to keep their top ranking and undefeated season today as they face the Georgia Bulldogs at home in Jacksonville, Fla. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. today and air on CBS.
Go teams!
-BAM
Oklahoma City Thunder open 2009-10 season tonight
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (35) shoots over Desmond Mason (24) of Sacramento during the preseason NBA basketball game between the Sacramento Kings and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009. Sacramento won, 104-89. Teh teams face off again tonight in the Thunder’s season opener. (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman)
The Oklahoma City Thunder opens its 2009-10 season at 7 tonight at the Ford Center.
Oklahoma City’s NBA team will take on the Sacramento Kings, including former Thunder player and Oklahoma State University standout Desmond Mason.
For Thunder tickets and information, go to www.thunder.nba.com.
-BAM
College football for Oct. 24, 2009
OSU running back Keith Toston (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman)
My Oklahoma State Cowboys will take on the Baylor Bears at 11:30 a.m. today in Waco, Texas. OSU has lost just one game this season and is ranked No. 14 on the AP college football poll.
The game will air on the Versus TV network.
The University of Oklahoma Sooners try to bounce back after a disappointing loss last Saturday to Texas. The No. 25 Sooners will play the Kansas Jayhawks at 2:30 p.m. today in Lawrence, Kan.
That game will be shown on ABC.
The University of Florida, defending national champions and the traditional favorite team of the McDonnell family, will face off against Mississippi State at 6:30 p.m. today in Starkville, Miss. The top-ranked Gators are trying to stay undefeated.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Good luck to all three of my teams today.
-BAM
Photo gallery: Garth Brooks’ big week
Country music star Garth Brooks appears at a news conference in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. Brooks announced that he’s coming out of retirement. He retired in 2000 to spend more time with his three children, and since then has appeared occasionally at special events, awards shows, and charity events. (Associated Press photo)
Oklahoma superstar Garth Brooks experienced a busy and happy few days last week.
On Thursday, he announced in a Nashville press conference that he was coming out of retirement after nine years of staying mostly off the road and out of the recording studio.
Later that day, he traveled to Las Vegas, where he and casino owner Steve Wynn announced in another press conference that Brooks is becoming the resident performer at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, starting in December.
On Saturday, Brooks, along with football great Barry Sanders and baseball star Robin Ventura, was inducted to the Oklahoma State University Alumni Hall of Fame during OSU’s homecoming festivities.
Here are some memorable moments from Garth’s big week:
Garth Brooks mimics a fiddle player as he answers questions at a news conference in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP photo)
Garth Brooks appears at a news conference on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP photo)
Garth Brooks and his wife, fellow country star Trisha Yearwood, leave the Grand Ole Opry House after Brooks held a news conference in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP photo)
Wynn Resorts Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn, right, and country music star Garth Brooks speak during a news conference in Las Vegas, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP photo)
Garth Brooks smiles as he fields questions about his new Vegas gig during a news conference in Las Vegas, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009. (AP photo)
OSU Alumni Hall of Fame 2009 inductees Barry Sanders, Robin Ventura and Garth Brooks wave to the crowd during the walk to the stadium before the college football game between Oklahoma State Universityand the University of Missouri at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (Photo by Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman)
Robin Ventura and Garth Brooks get gifts from fans as they ride to a press conference following their “walk” with the football team OSU-MU game. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman)
Garth Brooks holds up a few of the gifts he received from fans during the homecoming festivities. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman)
Barry Sanders, Garth Brooks and Robin Ventura speak at a press conference before the college football game between Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (Photo by Steve Sisney/The Oklahoman)
Garth Brooks hoists the Alumni Hall of Fame Plaque during the OSU-MU game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla. Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (Photo by Sarah Phipps/The Oklahoman)
Barry Sanders, left, Robin Ventura, center, and Garth Brooks, right, walk off the field after being introduced to the crowd during the OSU-MU game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. (AP photo)
-BAM
Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders, Robin Ventura inducted into OSU Alumni Hall of Fame
Oklahoma State University celebrities Barry Sanders, Garth Brooks and Robin Ventura speak at a press conference before the college football game between Oklahoma State University and the University of Missouri Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. (Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman)
Oklahoma State honored three of its greatest graduates Saturday, when Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders and Robin Ventura were added to the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame.
Country music star Brooks is the No. 1-selling solo artist in U.S. history. Sanders is a Heisman Trophy winner who became a premier running back in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. Ventura is a third baseman who became a college hitting-streak record holder and went on to play professional for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and L.A. Dodgers.
My colleague Nathan Poppe covered a press conference Saturday featuring the honorees: He reports that Brooks called himself the “old guy” and recalled memories of seeing Sanders on the football field and Ventura on the baseball diamond. Sanders said he remembered Brooks being a legend in Stillwater before he got to OSU, but Brooks said that he was overwhelmed by being next to Sanders and Ventura.
Brooks also chatted about his decision, announced last week, to come out of retirement after spending nine years out of recording and touring. Fans have a lot to do with him returning to music, he said.
“The sweetest love in the world is somebody that looks at you, doesn’t know you, but believes in you almost as much as your mom did,” Brooks said.
Brooks said his family also is excited about him performing again.
“I’m (bothering them) all the time,” Brooks said. “So, they are going to be happy that I’m out of town.”
Brooks said it’s a challenge keeping up with his three teenage daughters, and he’s looking forward to getting more sleep while he is on the road.
The superstar will begin playing Dec. 11 at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. Brooks said he doesn’t know for sure what will happen to his career after playing at the Wynn, where he reportedly has signed a five-year deal.
Click here to read the rest of Nathan’s great story about what the honorees had to say.
-BAM
Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders, Robin Ventura joining OSU Alumni Hall of Fame today
Garth Brooks chats with fellow OSU alum Boone Pickens recently at OSU. (Photo by Chris Landsberger/The Oklahoman)
The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association today will be induct into the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame three of the most celebrated and famous names in OSU history.
Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders and Robin Ventura will be added to the hall of fame during halftime of the OSU-Missouri football game, which kicks off at 8:15 p.m.
In addition, they will serve as grand marshals of the Sea of Orange Homecoming parade at 2 p.m. in downtown Stillwater. The OSU Band will perform special music to honor the three OSU greats.
A press conference also is scheduled for today, and Brooks is sure to get plenty of questions about his announcement Thursday that he is coming out of retirement and embarking on a new venture as a Las Vegas headliner.
Here is more information on the 2009 honorees, who are all superstars in their respective career fields:
Garth Brooks, who was born in Tulsa, raised in Yukon and lives in Owasso, graduated from OSU in 1984 and is now certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as the No. 1-selling solo artist in U.S. history. Brooks has sold in excess of 128 million albums and has received every accolade the recording industry can bestow on an artist. His body of work – including the groundbreaking “No Fences,” “Ropin’ The Wind,” “The Hits” and “Double Live” – propelled country music as a genre to the front pages of newspapers and magazine covers worldwide.
Brooks is currently in retirement, but when called upon by events greater than his own self-interest, he returns to the stage. The latest of these was when the president himself requested that he be a part of President Obama’s Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He performed as a crowd of more than 300,000 attended the historic event and did the “wave” to Brooks’ performance of “Shout” while the president sang along. Brooks also performed for President Obama’s first late-night TV appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
When the governor of California asked for Garth’s help, he responded by performing five concerts in two days, selling out all five shows (83,000 tickets) in less than an hour and generating more than $6 million for victims and firefighters of California wildfires in a single weekend. Portions of the live concerts were shown as a TV special titled, “Garth Brooks: Live in L.A.,” in which viewers donated to the organization Fire Intervention Relief Effort (FIRE).
Barry Sanders waves to the crowd at a 2007 OSU football game. (Photo by Matt Strasen/The Oklahoman Archives)
Barry Sanders of Detroit, Mich., is one of the most electrifying running backs in the history of college and professional football. In 1988, Sanders had the greatest individual season in the history of college football on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy. He rushed for 2,628 yards, scored 39 touchdowns, rushed for more than 300 yards in four games, and established 34 NCAA records in 11 regular season games.
After his record junior season at OSU, he joined the Detroit Lions and became one of the most thrilling players in the history of the NFL. The Wichita, Kan., native rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his 10 NFL seasons, making him the first running back to do so. In 1997, he became just the third person to gain more than 2,000 yards in a season. He finished his NFL career rushing for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns.
A first- or second-team All-Pro all 10 of his NFL seasons, Sanders became the first NFL running back to record five 1,500-yard rushing seasons, in addition to being the only back to do so in four consecutive seasons (1994-1997). He is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.
Robin Ventura (Associated Press photo)
Robin Ventura of Santa Maria, Calif., was one of college baseball’s greatest players and an All-Star major-league third baseman. Ventura had a remarkable three-year run at OSU from 1986-88. Baseball America named him Player of the Decade, the starting third baseman on its all-time team, and he was third in its Player of the Century poll. He was elected into the inaugural class of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
He was named All-America all three years at OSU and was Player of the Year his sophomore year in 1987. He still holds college baseball’s hitting-streak record at 58 games and had a .428 career batting average. He holds seven OSU batting records, including the highest single season average at .469.
Ventura was drafted by the Chicago White Sox following his junior year and spent 16 seasons with the White Sox, New York Mets and New York Yankees. He was a Gold Glove winner and All Star. In 1995, Ventura became the eighth player in major-league history to hit two grand slam home runs in one game.
-BAM
College football for Oct. 17, 2009
OSU quarterback Zac Robinson (Photo by Nate Billings/The Oklahoman)
It’s a huge weekend for Oklahoma college football fans.
My alma mater, Oklahoma State University, is celebrating homecoming with events including the 2 p.m. Sea of Orange Parade in downtown. This year’s OSU Alumni Hall of Fame inductees – Garth Brooks, Barry Sanders and Robin Ventura – will be the grand marshals of the parade.
They also will be recognized during halftime of the OSU-Missouri football game. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. at Boone Pickens Stadium. The game will air on ESPN2.
This weekend also marks one of the biggest and most contentious rivalries in college football history: OU-Texas.
The University of Oklahoma Sooners will play the University of Texas Longhorns at 11 a.m. in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The game will be carried on ABC.
The reigning national champions the Florida Gators will try to stay undefeated when they take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 2:30 p.m. in Gainesville, Fla. The game will air on CBS.
The University of Florida, where my husband started his college education, also is celebrating homecoming.
-BAM
What to do in Oklahoma on Oct. 17, 2009
A float moves through downtown Stillwater as part of the 2007 OSU Homecoming Parade. (Photo by Matt Strasen/The Oklahoman Archives)
Today’s featured event:
STILLWATER – Take in the homecoming festivities at Oklahoma State University, including the Sea of Orange Homecoming Parade at 2 p.m. in downtown.
This year’s OSU Alumni Hall of Fame inductees – country music superstar Garth Brooks, football great Barry Sanders and baseball star Robin Ventura – will be grand marshals for the parade.
For more information, go to www.okstate.edu.
For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.
-BAM
