Thumbs down on OU-BYU
Sorry, but I can’t endorse OU’s decision to play Brigham Young at Jerry’s World in Arlington, Texas, next September.
OU-Texas in the Cotton Bowl? That’s 80 years of tradition. But two OU games in Greater Dallas? Can’t go along.
All the critics who say moving football games to off-campus sites hurts the local economy have a point. I think the grandeur of OU-Texas makes it worthy to take a home game out of Norman every other year.
But now the Sooners are going off-campus twice? OU athletic director Joe Castiglione said this game would not have happened if it wasn’t neutral site. But why not? Why couldn’t OU and BYU play home-and-home? Play in Provo, Utah, in 2009, then in Norman in 2011 or thereabouts.
I suppose another game like this could enhance Dallas recruiting, but I don’t see how OU’s Dallas recruiting could be much higher profile. Since the formation of the Big 12, the Sooners’ status in Dallas has soared. Both the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram have covered the Sooners on a regular basis. Bob Stoops is generally lauded, not hooted, by Dallas media.
Now, I think OU-BYU will be a great trip for fans, and I think Jerry’s World will be mostly filled with Sooner fans.
And I applaud Castiglione for using the 12th game to line up a legitimate opponent. OU’s slate of Miami, Tulsa and Brigham Young is impressive in this day and age.
But the trend to take games off campus, culminating in two neutral-site games 200 miles south of Norman, is a little troubling considering all the money that has been put into OU’s stadium and how a game day boosts not just the Oklahoma economy but the campus energy as well.
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,
Isn’t Joe C. promising six home games regardless? I don’t see how OU-BYU in Dallas hinders the local economy if there will still be six games in Norman.
Berry: you are absolutely right that it would be better to play BYU home-and-home rather than at a neutral site. I wonder, though, if a home-and-home with the Cougars is necessarily what the alternative would be. If the choice is either to play a non-con game with BYU in Arlington or a game in Norman with, say, Western Michigan, I think the choice isn’t so obvious. With Miami already on the schedule for 2009, that seems the far likelier option Joe C would take. And even if our profile in Dallas is already big, scheduling high-profile games under any circumstance would have to be a great recruiting tool, wouldn’t it?
Berry, there will only be one “first” game at the new stadium. It’s pretty neat that the Sooners will have the honor of opening their season there with a win over the Cougars.
I agree with you on this one Berry. I will add to that, screw Jerry Jones and his JerryWorld. I never liked the idea the first time I heard of it. The RRS in Dallas is fun because of the game and where it’s held but I much rather watch OU football in Norman that anywhere else. The team and players get all the exposure they need every year. No need for JerryWorld now or in the future.
I applaud your points Tramel. In this day in age in the neverending quest for a national championship, why in the world would you put a game like this on a neutral field? A home and home series is what this should be. That’s how ball is supposed to be played with the exceptions of the storied histories of some neutral site games (OU/TX, ex.) and bowl games. It is a very risky move. On recruiting, we don’t need to recruit any more than we already are in the Dallas area.
Well done, Tram. My ears will be open on the radio for ya.
Berry,
I realize that you are a supporter of the red river rivalry continuing in Dallas, which I am not. Selfishly, I would like the opportunity to attend every other year rather than watching on television every year.
However, one of the selling points of the rivalry continuing in Dallas is the recruiting edge for OU having a game in Dallas. Maybe Mr. Stretch-face Jones has provided an alternative solution/ OU could play a legitimate non-conference foe every year in Cowboy stadium and have the OU-TX game moved back to Norman/Austin.
I believe this alternative would water-down the argument concerning the recruiting advantages of having OU-TX in Dallas.
As always- enjoy reading your work.
I really like the idea of having the game in the Dallas area. There are thousands of Sooner fans who live in and around Dallas and north Texas. This give us a chance to see the Sooner’s play and not have to go broke to get to go to a game. And we will get to see the new stadium. I also want a home and home game for the Longhorns and Sooner’s.
As long as OU still has at least 6 home games, it doesn’t bother me at all. I live in Arlington. There are a tremendous amount of OU fans and alumni that live down here. It will give us a great opportunity to see our school play.
Picking up BYU is only going to help establish, again, how superior our non-conference schedule is compared to that of the Texas shorthorn’s schedule (has anyone discussed how easy it is?). Although I would have liked this game in Norman, it will demand a huge national television audience, which will help in national, not just local, recruitement. BYU wanted this game on neutral turf because they feel they have a better chance for a win. No team in America wants to play the Sooners in Norman.
Texas’ non-conference schedule:
Louisiana-Monroe
Central Florida
Texas El-Paso
Wyoming
Who are they kidding? This is a schedule for a national championship team? They should be eliminated just on schedule strength alone.
Interesting points, Berry, but all moot. This is strictly a one-shot, made-for-TV game, brokered by ESPN, to draw viewers during the first weekend of the 2009 college football season. There was never any discussion of a home-and-home series between the two schools.
Tramel, I think you’re wrong on this. Besides the reasons stated above, and despite your “Sooner recuruiting in Dallas is great” objection, I strictly think an Oklahoma team opening the newest of new great NFL stadiums is a monumental experience. Again, to mention we have 6 home games in 2009 makes the Jerry World game a wash. To me this is an excellent opportunity to win out the non-con schedule which could have included a lesser opponent and position OU for another title run.
I think neutral site may be the only way we can get big time non conference teams to play us. everyone wants to play at home instead of taking a chance on the road. The best thing about playing the very first game at the worlds greatest football stadium is we get to upstage the longwhorens and okie state on the same day.
What’s not to like? A three day week-end in Big D, get to see the newest and best stadium in the world, essentially a nome game, and play a quality opponent. I think it’s genius, and will give more exposure to Texas kids, something we can never have too much of.
By the way, I like having OU/Texas in Dallas but want it changed to this new stadium. Last year we got moved into the end zone, couldn’t see down markers, couldn’t see replays because the board was behind us out of out view, couldn’t hear the PA announcer. The worse experience I have ever had at an OU game. Cotton bowl only has tradition and the fair, and I’m tired of riding the rides.
Berry….you make some valid points, especially in tough economical times where Norman businesses/OU could use the money more than Dallas, but I have to think of the memories that will be in the hearts of all those players as they look back later in life about the one time they got to be on the home court of the Dallas Cowboys…it will be a once in a life time experience for them they will not soon forget…..I’m sticking with Joe C. on this one…he seems to be earning his stripes quite well.