Bob Stoops’ twin
It was a memorable day at OU football practice on Saturday. First, I had a great chat with the FOX broadcasters. Pat Haden was as interesting and open as anyone I’ve ever interviewed. I don’t get too sentimental, but it’s always cool to talk to a college football hero from the 1970s. The ’70s were my formative years of college football, and the players from your formative years always have an exalted status in your memory. Pat Haden, Archie Griffin, Johnny Musso, players like that defined the ’70s outside the Big Eight area for me. And Terry Donahue, the old UCLA coach, was most gracious, too, and frankly interviewed me more than I interviewed him. Donahue quizzed me on the Sooners, and I’ve got to say, he looks like he still could coach. Donahue is 63 and has been out of the college game a dozen years, 1995; he coached UCLA for 20. But he doesn’t look a day over 52.
Mike Stoops was at practice, too, and regretably I didn’t get a chance to chat. But I did see Ron Stoops Jr. for the first time — I don’t know how I’ve missed him over the years — and while he looks a lot more like Bob than the other Stoops boys, when Ron Jr. starts talking is when it gets scary. He sounds EXACTLY like Bob. You know all the radio guys back in Oklahoma City who do such a good job of imitating Stoops’ voice? Ron Jr. doesn’t sound like that. You hear him, and you don’t think, he’s nailed the voice. You think, that’s Bob.
Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.
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Comments
Berry,
It all began for me in the 70’s as I was born in the 60’s. Keith Jackson (the broadcaster) is college football for me. I could listen to him anytime, doing anything. He used to when ABC covered the Olympics. Maybe even a water polo event or two. I like Ron Franklin alot as well and wish he could emerge more. I do enjoy Brent (Here come the Buckeyes!) Musberger too. They aren’t bigs fans in Ann Arbor of Brent…..thinking he is a little too partial to Woody’s boys. I think he does the same for the Sooners so he gets a pass. Brent had to grow on me over the years though.
I did get to meet Bo my very first trip to Michigan, 5 years ago. How special that was as my son and I were able to take a photo with him. He was really great about it. My son had no idea at the time who he was with. Now years later, after being immersed in the Michigan tradition and after Bo’s death…..he can’t believe it. My son was pretty lucky that year as he caught a 13th inning homerun ball off the bat of Manny Ramirez in Yankee Stadium. It was the game where Jeter dove in the seats. Funny thing is, my son and the folks he was with had to re-buy their seats as they bought tickets on E-Bay and the seats were in the Handicap area. So after a re-purchase, he ended up in left field and got the ball. Not sure luck was the residue of design on that one. I think it was just luck. Darn kid! it was his first time at Yankee stadium, after his first trip to Fenway the Sunday before. Montreal was the closest place to us…40 minutes so he had seen les Expos many times.
My question is this: Do you remember a year where so many players have been suspended or ineligible to play for their teams. It seems like a daily report that someone is lost from making a bad choice. I am glad that coaches are dropping the hammer on them. Stoops holds as high a standard as anyone around behavior. Almost seems epidemic this year though.
One of the worst scenes ever….Woody hitting Charlie Bauman of Clemson. Woody deserved to go out a legend. Maybe he has…but I will never forget that. I will always wish he hadn’t done that.
Here is to Boomer and Sooner! Have a great retirement. Here is to Sooner Nation and here is to you Berry! Happy New Year! I am wishing for a national championship…….in 09.
by the way, Berry, my family gave me a DVD on Memorial Stadium narrated by Brent himself. You were prominently displayed and featured. I have to tell you…..you are older than dirt…man. Had to…….
Have a great time at the game and a safe trip home. I will be on my couch yelling like they can all hear me….eating when I want to and using the bathroom without a line.
Still, I would rather be there.
Jeff
I too was raised on college football during the 70’s, I’ll never forget holding my ear up to the radio as close as I could get to listen to KOMA (or whatever it was called in those days) to catch the Sooner games. All my friends here in the hear of husker country thought I was nuts. I remember the more obscure names such as Dave Robertson, Kerry Jackson, (remember, the guy who gut us on probation?), Jim Latrelle, Wayman Clark, and Tinker Owens just as much as the more famous guys – Tinker Owens, Jimbo Elrod, Rod Shoate, Elvis Peacock, Billy Sims, , , Steve Davis, Little Joe, Thomas Lott, Kenny King, David Overstreet
etc.
About the game, this one is going to be a big time challenge. West Virginia is easily the best team we have played all year. I think the whole thing with Rodrigues has galvenized the Mountaineers. I’m really worried about playing without Reggie Smith and Lendy Holmes, although pass defense is not as huge against these guys, but team speed is. I think English and Beal are going to have come up big in this one.