Emails in on OU hoops trouble & Travis Ford
The new emails are in, and they’re all over the landscape. OU basketball, OSU basketball, my BCS ideas and even the Thunder pre-game prayer.
Let’s start with college basketball. Brad wrote, “I don’t like not giving the Cowboys any chance tomorrow. I think it will be a game.
I think that all depends on whether Blake Griffin allows OSU to get a rebound.
Jerry wrote, “I know it’s been a long tough season, but I have believed all year long that both the men and women teams have been overrated! I do think they are good but they better get their crap together or they are done early! I hope I’m wrong.”
Well, when you’re ranked No. 2, it’s hard to be underrated.
Leonard wrote, “Do you have a sense the OU women are as crisp and as effective as the stretch where they played Tennessee? I cannot remember so many travel calls in a game, never mind too many turnovers, and less than 50 percent at the free-throw line for most of the game. Still a very fine team, but seem some edges are getting rougher than smoother.”
No, OU isn’t as crisp. Just like the last three years, the Sooner guards are wilting down the stretch.
Robert wrote, “I have been buying your paper since I came to Oklahoma. You owe me a favor. Somehow tell Blake Griffin to put his mouthpiece in or get one that is comfortable. This makes me sick .I am about to watch someone else play ball. The OU girls have to quit passing the ball on the floor to Courtney. She is not made to pick up the ball of the floor.”
I would think of some wisenheimer response, except my aunt told my mom that Blake Griffin needs a pacifier, to keep that mouthpiece where it belongs. So Robert’s not the only one bothered.
Jim asked, “So now is the just still out, as you said before on Travis Ford? He is 100 percent better than Sean in coaching and 1000 percent better communicating to the press, students and athletes. I love his style of running full time!! Only problem I have is that I wonder what he sees is wrong with Obi? Hope he does not break the kid’s spirit.”
I would say the jury has come in. And I also hope Obi’s spirit isn’t broken, but I fear that it is.
Jyme wrote, “Seriously, , just go ahead and write your, ‘Fire Travis Ford’ column. You know you want to. You had to take it easy with your negative spin when he was first hired, but now that he had his cussing moment, the gloves are off as far as you’re concerned. It couldn’t have worked out better for you I’m sure. I certainly don’t remember seeing you write this crap when Kelvin Sampson was at OU, or pre Bob Stoops era.”
Do you people have no idea how bad the Poor Aggie act looks? It makes you look pathetic. I have criticized every coach I’ve ever heard call one of their players a f****** idiot. And as for popping the OU football program pre-Stoops, you’ve got to be kidding. Ask John Blake or Howard Schnellenberger how easy I took it on them.
Gene wrote, “Can you explain why the Thunder should not release Robert Swift and then pick up an instructional league player for 10 days and take a look at the prospect? I know we have to pay Swift no matter what, but he is a definite distraction to the team and definitely to the fans. If he is going at the end of the year, why not get rid of him now and start taking a look at some new young blood for a cheap price?”
Easy question. Because there is virtually no young blood at center, for a cheap price or otherwise.
Chris wrote about my Thunder prayer column: “Anything mixing sports and religion can easily stumble from the straight and narrow, and I appreciate how elegantly you balanced the two.”
It wasn’t easy, and I was glad to get out of that one with limited collateral damage.
Michael wrote about my idea to give the Mountain West Conference an automatic berth into the BCS: “I have an even better solution. Have the Mountain West champ play the WAC champ at a neutral site in the region – such as Invesco Field in Denver – on the first weekend in December, with the winner receiving an automatic BCS bid. Here are all the positives: For the BCS, relieves some of the current criticisms without actually guaranteeing anything and preempts the screams of unfair from the equally-good WAC powers (usually Boise State or Fresno State). For the conferences, a guaranteed slot in a BCS game. Even with the money split 18 ways (the total number of teams in the two conferences, I believe), it’s still a nice piece of change. The BCS play-in game offers further national exposure for recruiting and another relatively big paycheck. If, as I expect to happen in the not-too-distant future, the Cotton Bowl becomes the fifth BCS bowl game, then the BCS should take the idea above one step further and do the following: 1. Name the play-in game winner the host school for the Fiesta Bowl; 2. Name the Big 12 champ the host school for the Cotton Bowl. This would make for easier travel for the fans of all three conferences involved, which should translate to better financial results for the two bowl committees and communities, and it would put the Big 12 on a par with the SEC and Pac-10 in terms of hosting a bowl that actually sits within its primary recruiting area.”
So, you want the Mountain West to compromise on my compromise, and you want the Big 12 champ to vacation in Dallas instead of Phoenix? Sounds like a longshot to me, but at least you’re thinking.
Richard wrote, “Whatever happened to the NCAA investigation of the USC football program? Is the NCAA ever going to rule on the Reggie Bush and assorted other infractions?”
Yes, just as soon it rules on allegations against Notre Dame from 40 years ago.
-------------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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