New emails: Pitfalls for OU, ideas for Thunder
The new emails are in, and the subjects are college football and the NBA.
Todd sees a potential pitfall for the Sooners. “I do think the Sooners had some mental lapses during the game, especially with the personal fouls on defense. Grainger needs to learn from his mistakes and these can be costly in more than one way. Still the early part of the season, but I would like to see the mental aspect of the game improve. Maybe the showboating before the game could be eliminated. It is embarrassing to Midwest Sooner Fans that believe in humility. As much as I hate to admit it, but USC is the best team in country right now. Georgia is second, and then OU. At least that is how I see it.”
Showboating before the game? I haven’t seen that. Either haven’t seen it or have become desensitized to it, which is possible.
Jim, an OSU fan, wrote, “In my estimation, Bradford is as good or better than White in his Heisman year! This looks like a team that will go all the way.”
I don’t know about all the way, but I’ll say this about Bradford. OU has an unbelievably good quarterback or an unbelievably good offensive scheme. And if it’s both, they will go all the way.
Patty took exception to our Saturday cover photo of Jason White. “Well, there he is again, gracing the front page of sports. When is your love affair with Jason White going to be over? He is so old news.”
Interesting. I wonder if Archie Griffin is old news in Columbus or Bo Jackson old news at Auburn? Heisman Trophies tend to have a little staying power.
Slim wrote about the excessive celebration rule. “I just don’t get the unanimous and unmitigated flame of the refs in the Jake Locker affair. The kid threw the ball at least 30 feet in the air. Look at the video, the ball stays in the air for three full seconds from a ‘casual flip’ and hits Locker on the back as it lands. That gets a penalty on the first play of the game or on the last play of the game, no matter what. What did the BYU player do with the ball who scored the go-ahead TD with 3:23 left in the game? He left the ball on the ground. What did the BYU player who scored the tying TD in the third quarter do? He left the ball on the ground. Now, they each did a pose after the score which I’d rather not see, but they had the discipline or the coaching to not throw the ball 30 feet in the air. I’m all for flaming refs whenever they deserve it, but this time it looks a lot like piling on an easy target.”
I don’t know what the answer is, but this I believe. If it’s a bad rule, don’t ignore the rule, get rid of it. And if Locker broke the rule, he’s got no gripe.
Gary took exception to my “cheer” for OSU drawing 45,002 for its home opener, which I labeled a good start. “A good start? That 45,002 mark ranks OSU next to last in attendance last weekend in the Big 12; only Baylor had fewer fans show up. That included horrible games at mediocre programs, like Montana State at KSU and Kent State at ISU. You had a brand new stadium, a team coming off of a rare road win against a name opponent, absolutely perfect weather for a night football game, and one of the most high-powered offenses in the country, and only 45,000 show up? It’s time to start putting pressure on the OSU crowd for their lack of support, just as tons of pressure and criticism — deserved, I might add — are thrown towards OU basketball fans.”
This is classic preaching to the choir. Pressure the OSU “crowd” for their lack of support? The OSU crowd is at the game. There are not thousands and thousands of Cowboy fans slacking off, not coming to the game. OSU’s problem is not apathetic fans. It’s a lack of fans. The Cowboys have to build a bigger fan base. Which they are trying to do.
Barb is fired up about the NBA. She wrote, “The paper has already coined thunderwear and thunderball. It seems the name Thunder lends itself well to new words, play on words and some rhyming words, creating a language called simply Thunderspeak. It’s kind of fun. Here are examples. Thunderpass: season ticket. Thunderroad: P.J.’s game plan. Thunderdolls: dance team. Thunderbolt: field goal. Thunderclap: slam dunk. Thunderman: Coach Carlesimo…”
Well, you get the point. But a couple of Barb’s ideas, I really like. ThunderWonder: Kevin Durant. Thunderblunder: turnover. They won’t catch on in conversation, but they will make great headlines.
Walter, who apparently lives in New Orleans, wrote about the Thunder ticket sales, questioning some of our match, and wrote, “Congratulations on your venture into the NBA. At least it will get you and your friends off of our backs in New Orleans. Also, if it’s not too much trouble, please tell your ‘fan base’ to stop lurking our board and posting at our newspaper’s website about how excited they are to see New Orleans get destroyed in a hurricane.”
It would appear OKC fans are not the only ones who go to another city’s newspaper website.
Ray wrote about my idea to occasionally use Boomers in referring to the Thunder “”I like it! Thunder Boomers is good stuff. However, I think some folks might go one step further calling them the Thunder Boomer Sooners. This might ruffle some feathers.”
I never said call them Thunder Boomers. That doesn’t make any sense. And we’re putting the schooner ahead of the horse. Let’s just call them Boomers on occasion and see where it goes from there.
Robert was upset by the Thunder ticket process, that people went with friends who had an earlier appointment. “If this represents how this organization will run things, I feel they will alienate a lot of potential fans, It appears they did not care one iota about appointments, only getting as many tickets sold as fast as they could. I don’t begrudge them that, only that they told us there was a fair system to work the season ticket sales, I would rather have taken my chances sitting in line at the Ford Center for hours than waiting for an appointment that I feel was tainted. I wish the Thunder good luck this season and I know they will be good for OKC, but I am sticking with college sports from now on. At least everyone has the same chance to get a ticket.”
Well, Robert, I think that depends on which college sport you’re talking about. If you think everyone has the same chance to buy OU football tickets, you’re living in a world with a different colored sky. This is the way the world works. Aggressive people get the jump on non-aggressive people. People who know people of status have the inside track in all walks of life. When you have more ticket demand than ticket supply, someone is going to get left out. The people I feel sorry for are Hornet season-ticket holders, who made this thing possible in the first place. Why the Thunder couldn’t get the Hornet list, I still don’t understand. If George Shinn wouldn’t give it up, why did David Stern not get involved?
Chris liked my “Mad Max” idea, which was to chant “Two men enter, one man leaves” before Thunder games. But Chris had a better idea. “I just read your Thunderdome article and I’m glad I did, because I’ve been preaching the same thing about the Thunderdome chant; it would be creepy and pretty much freak people out. The only difference is I’ve been saying, ‘Two teams enter…’ Don’t you think that would be more appropriate or is it better to just leave the line as is? We need to get on the same page with this because it’s too cool to pass up.”
I like your line, Chris. Let’s get it going. TWO TEAMS ENTER! ONE TEAM LEAVES!
Dan wrote, “A couple weeks ago you were on the great team nickname train. Here’s one for you: the St Louis Cards’ Class A franchise is the Batavia (NY) Muckdogs.”
Thanks, Dan I think it falls well short of the Lansing Lugnuts and the Montgomery Biscuits.
And Joe totally confused me with this: “Just wanted to drop you a note to say that today I think you are one of the best sports writers on the planet. What’s important about that statement is that until I took off my blinders, I thought you were a jerk. But now I can see and hear – blinders are off – and as a result look forward to reading your articles and watching your comments. Please accept my apology for what I once believed.”
Folks, I swear I have no idea what I did to get on Joe’s bad side, and I have no idea what I did to get on his good.
-------------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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Comments
I am pleased with the games outcome, but we have got to find a way to stifle the “trash talking” and “gang salutes” that are amok in sports today. All that crap at the tunnel in Washington was stupid and I can’t believe that Stoops let them get away with it.
I never brag on OU until they win the game, I hate being ranked that high, those kids will start believing their own press, does anyone remember the “greatest offense in college football” (2003) and what happend at the end of that year?? Wait until we have knocked out the Big 12 and actually won a bowl game before we annoint the team this year.
Go OKC THUNDER!!!!
P.S.- I beat you to it Ed!