A step back in time
Sam Aubrey died Monday at the age of 85. When talking to people Tuesday about Aubrey, who played for and coached for Henry Iba, then followed the legend as the Oklahoma State basketball coach, I came across this great old story. Didn’t really fit in my column, but I thought I would share it with you here.
Bob Mattick was a 1953 all-American in Stillwater, and that was Aubrey’s first year back on campus as Iba’s assistant coach. The team didn’t fly much anywhere in those days and returned from a long road trip in December only to arrive at the Stillwater train station and discover that Iba had ordered another long practice.
So off to Gallagher Hall went the team for a three-hour workout, and afterwards Mattick staggered back to his dorm room to study for an exam the next day.
About 11 p.m. that night in Bennett Hall, Mattick got the craving for a cold beer and a barbeque sandwich, which for Iba players was no less dangerous than plotting the overthrow of the United State government. Anyway, Mattick called upon some friends, non-athletes, on the other side of the dorm, and they agreed to take part in the conspiracy.
They helped sneak out Mattick and into the back of a car. The group drove to Aggie Barbeque on south Washington, what is now the Strip in Stillwater. Mattick ducked down, shivering in the backseat of the car while his friends went in. Thirty minutes later, themselves refreshed, the conspirators returned with a sandwich and beer, and Mattick sat in the floorboard enjoying his plunder.
The group made it safely back to Bennett Hall, Mattick resumed studying and the next morning took his test. “I had a hell of an exam,” Mattick said. “Felt good the rest of the day.”
That afternoon, Mattick went to practice, but after the workout, Aubrey approached Mattick. “Bob, Mr. Iba wants to see you.” Mattick had no clue what the Iron Duke wanted.
Iba asked, “Bob, how’d you enjoy that beer?” Mattick still doesn’t know how Iba discovered the crime. Iba ordered Mattick to run seven sets of stairs in Gallagher Hall. He finished about 10 p.m. and headed for the locker room. “Where you going?” Iba asked. “You’re not through.” Iba made Mattick run the football stadium steps in the dark.
The next day, Mattick came bee-bopping into Gallagher Hall and ran into Aubrey. “Sam looks at me, says, ‘Bob, you going to enjoy any more beers the rest of the season?’ He was definitely a product of Mr. Iba.”
Says Mattick, “You paid for your debts in those days. I never touched another beer the rest of the season.”
-------------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. Visit Berry's website here.
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Barry, I want to thank you for letting “the cat out of the bag”.
Just kidding of course. I get kidded still every once in a while about this. I definitely still would like to know who let Coach Iba know about this. A reward of a Beer, Burger and Cheese Fries at Eskimo Joe’s for information leading to the capture and fun of he person who committed this crime. Talk at ya later, Bob.