Emails in on Bedlam and Big 12
The new emails are in, and basketball is all the rage. Two Bedlam games within a week, plus the Big 12 Tournament, brings out football-like passion. And stupidity. Let’s get to it.
Thomas: “I have a few comments on your pro-Aggie agenda. First is your new center stud Moses should have been ejected from the game on his intention/flagrant foul on Blake Griffin. I saw no mention of that in your biased article. Then the foul near the end on Griffin that sent Anderson to the line for the winning point was a bad call. They were going for the ball and the foul could have also been called on Anderson. Then at the very end an OSU player mugged Griffin on his last shot. Big 12 buffoon officials swallowed their whistles.”
I have a few comments on your pro-stupidity agenda. If I printed your email the way you sent it in, without cleaning up the spelling and grammar, you would be ejected from the communication marketplace. But aside from that, blaming refs is for losers.
Steve: “Hey, Aggie boy, caught your OSU biased articles of the last three days. I suppose you finally talked your pitiful Aggies into a referee-aided win over OU. Of course you think that the Ford center atmosphere was special and historic. Aggie wins over OU in either football or basketball are extremely rare, so of course a little orange boy like you would see last night as special and historic. Let me clue you in on a few facts – OU is a very special university of which I am a proud graduate. OU sports tradition, feats and wins are historic and legendary world-wide. OSU, on the other hand, is a second-rate school which hates OU because the Aggies know that they will always be the disrespected little brothers of the legendary Sooners. Oklahoma is the Sooner State and if you’d take your orange glasses off, you’d see that OU has the love and forever has the heart and soul of 85% of all Oklahomans. I would encourage you to take a non-biased approach to your writing in the future.”
Ladies and gentlemen, whenever you think OSU has the corner on inferiority complex, go back and read this guy, who has so many self-esteem issues, it would take an army of therapists to straighten him out.
Charlie, a third-generation Oklahoman: “Please stop using the officiating excuse for OU’s losses. You constantly expose yourself as the paid shill for OU and the Gaylords that you are. I hate writing and am terrible at it. At least I can write freely and with integrity. You have neither. You are a simple hired hand for the despised Gaylords. The state of Oklahoma is changing and you will be relegated to the dustbin of our state’s history reviled.”
Charlie, you apparently are a third-generation idiot. You’ve just read all these emails from Sooner goofballs upset that I didn’t write about the officiating. Here’s what I propose. We put you all in a ring and hash it out. May the best man win, although I don’t see any good men to start with.
Nathan: “Did you watch Saturday’s ABC broadcast of Bedlam basketball? I think you may have another story to report. Blake Griffin was given more praises than Tebow during the national championship game. I believe I could possibly draw a sketch of his parents from memory, since I saw them nearly 20 times during that period. One thing that makes it truly unbelievable to me is the fact that the game was very close for the entire game, yet, if you didn’t know the score, you would have thought it was a runaway. Additionally, Griffin wasn’t even the leading scorer in the game, yet James Anderson didn’t even slow the nauseating praises crowned to Griffin. Just wondering if you saw and heard it and if you are going to run a similar story as you did after the BCS title game.”
If the announcers said you are a better person just by spending five minutes with Blake Griffin, then the answer is yes, I will write about it. If not, the answer is no.
Jesse: “James Anderson dropped 37 points on the Goons, in case you didn’t notice. What a joke. If Griffin is the Terminator, then what is Anderson?
Second-team all-Big 12.
Rebecca: Either your Sooners aren’t nearly as good as we’ve heard about all year or the Cowboys are a lot better than ever given credit for. You beat us by only four points and you expect your team to go to the Final Four. I don’t think so. Did you happen to see Pitt and UConn play today? What do you think they’ll do to The Great Blake Griffin besides stuff it down his throat and knock him to the floor every chance they get? You’d think his name is Adonis Griffin to hear the announcers and all the film they show of him. I’m just sorry you don’t have anyone else on your team that warrants being mentioned. And by the way, just how many points did James Anderson score today?”
Here’s a legitimate question. Why are some of these people sports fans? I mean, it’s obvious they’re not happy. It’s obvious they are angry, pathetic people whose misery is fueled by sports. Oh well, I guess that’s like asking why alcoholics drink.
OK, that’s enough from lunatics. Let’s talk about the atmosphere at the Ford Center Bedlam. Brent: “Your column about the atmosphere at the game last night was spot on. I am not sure it beats GI when its full and rock’in, but it was great.”
But that was my point. Gallagher-Iba, or Owen Field, or any home site, is not always rocking. When the visiting team makes a play, the air goes out. No air went out in the Ford Center.
Hardy: “I couldn’t agree with you more as far as your article goes. I’ve been to some games at Gallagher when it was a lot louder, but having it at the Ford Center with fans from both schools was awesome. I kind of thought OSU had more fans, which surprises me, since OU has the better team, but I am an OSU fan so I’m biased. It was awesome to see the back and forth with the fans.”
Here’s what I thought. I thought it was the equivalent of OU-Texas. I talked to Tim Allen, the association commissioner of the Big 12. He’s been around forever and worked at OSU and K-State. Anyway, he said he thought the atmosphere was about the same as a Missouri-Kansas game at KC’s Kemper Arena. But Missouri radio voice Mike Kelly told me he thought Bedlam at the Ford Center was better.
Now, on to the game itself. Darren: “I was disappointed at times with the officiating because they seemed to be calling a lot of ticky tacky fouls that never allowed either team to get into any kind of a rhythm. I’m not blaming the officiating on the outcome because, like Capel, I don’t believe the outcome was decided in the last 2.3 seconds. However, I kept thinking, ‘Why doesn’t Capel apply full-court pressure to the Cowboys?’ Especially in the last five minutes when they were obviously winded, particularly Eaton. The Cowboys just played the night before and the Sooners should have been the fresher team, with fresher legs. Plus, Capel’s got good reserves on the bench, particularly at guard play with Cade Davis and Omar Leary, and the lengthy Juan Pattillo. To me, that’s where Capel went wrong. But, hey, what do I know? I just hope the Sooners can regroup in time for the Big Dance. Otherwise, they might suffer a similar fate as they did against the Cowboys in the Big 12 tourney.”
I don’t think full-court pressure would have helped. OU’s problem clearly was offense. Too many turnovers, not enough touches for Blake Griffin. Don’t worry about a toothache when the house is on fire.
Dan: “I am an OSU fan so I do have a prejudice. However, I do want you to know that your column entitled, ‘OSU’s upset of OU as notable for atmosphere as its drama’ was very, very good. It was very powerful. I really felt the emotion of the game.”
Sometimes you wonder why you do this job. Then you get an email like this.
Katie: “I have continuously over the years written you harsh criticizing emails about your coverage of OSU. In complete sincerity, thanks for giving a little love for the Cowboys in your column.”
Here’s the deal. The amount of love I give is almost always directly related to the final score.
Robert: “I live in Phoenix but am a loyal Sooner fan. As great a year as it has been for Sooner sports, the men’s team really frustrates me in the guard play. I truly believe the two best guards on campus are on the women’s team. No one on the men’s team can push the ball like Robinson, and I would bet that Hand can outshoot anyone on the men’s team. Maybe Cade Davis only could come close but seems he never gets a chance. I think too much loyalty to Austin Johnson. To me such a waste with the Griffin brothers.”
I think Robinson is a very good point guard, but sometimes she pushes the ball right into a turnover. Hand is way better than what OU had last year, but she’s not a great shooter yet. OU’s men are in a slump at guard, but Johnson, Warren and Crowder are the best they’ve got.
Some people commented on my Travis Ford column. Steve: “Wasn’t it less than a month ago you guys (media) were making a big deal over a D-1 coach cussing and generally not too high on Coach Ford and now that his team has won 6 of 7 or whatever, he’s the bomb? Then media members wonder why those guys aren’t always so trusting.”
If it’s your theory that the media criticizes coaches who cuss out their players and praises coaches whose teams go on a winning streak are praised, then we stand guilty as charged.
Todd: “I’m not one to ever write in because I think the zealot fans that write a journalist to gripe at them are a little over the top. That being said, I’m sure you don’t get many email like this – I’m a graduate of Oklahoma State and an avid follower of all sports OSU. GREAT article on Travis. I truly enjoyed reading it and I often enjoy many of your articles.”
Todd is like the good citizens who don’t go out at night, leaving the streets to the crooks.
Don: “On Ford, not enough has been said about the job he’s done. Quite simply, he gets the guys to play at their potentials and develops great game plans. It hasn’t happened yet for everyone on the team, but it will if he stays here long enough. I’m hoping that Kentucky will fire Billy Gillispie quickly while some other coaches may still be in the mix. Then, I’ll hope that whomever they choose’ll be VERY successful.”
I think OSU is better off hoping Gillispie stays, because I think Kentucky would love to have Ford.
And finally, a miscellaneous array of dispatches. Kent: “Big 12 wrestling, OSU finishes fourth and OU fifth. How much longer can Spates be the coach?”
As long as he’s willing to coach a sport that everyone quit caring about 20 years ago.
Mike, a Missouri fan: “The nicest thing about OKC is my sister-in-law was born there, but even she prefers watching her basketball in Mizzou Arena. Seriously, MU fans are more excited about booking multiple games in the Big Dance this season and hope is a fragile thing for anyone who sat through some bad years at Mizzou Arena. It might have discouraged MU fans from heading to OKC as the media has barely blinked when MU is mentioned. We have seen it all and we love basketball – just ask the KU people, who always twitch a little when a game with MU looms in their future. If you gave me a choice between DeMarre Carroll and Blake Griffin, I would pick DeMarre every time. Watching Griffin play (and lose) at MU showed me a lot of talent but a kid who hasn’t quite matured into his own skin (size) yet. DeMarre has embraced all his teammates and it shows every time he hits the hardwood. As for Eaton – I know he has a bright future no matter what.”
I love Carroll myself. In fact, I wish I looked like him. But if you give Mizzou coach Mike Anderson a choice between Carroll and Blake Griffin, Anderson would pick Carroll every time. And Anderson is Carroll’s uncle.
Leonard: “Did you stay for the OSU women’s game against Baylor? What did you think of Riley at the end of the game? I thought OSU had a chance, but I wonder about her mental discipline when everything is on the line. I thought she cost them quite a bit, despite her overall talent and aggressiveness. Baylor clearly is not the team of a year or two years ago.”
Yes, I stayed, and the OSU offense was a total train wreck. The Cowgirls ran no offense in the second half. Inexcusable.
David: I’d like your opinion women’s basketball. Here in Connecticut, I get to see the best there is with UConn’s team, and I get to see OU often. The athleticism of the men’s game is far more prevalent and any men’s team would destroy any women’s team, but the pure style of the women’s game is fun to watch. There’s an article out on the SPORTSbyBROOKS website asking if colleges should drop womens’ basketball. Some schools, I feel, are not competitive and perhaps they should purge their women’s team because they just don’t make sense financially. But look at what happened at OU. What do you think?”
I think you should be more careful on what websites you visit. If we’re going to drop programs that don’t make sense financially, we’re going to have 15 college football programs and five college basketball programs, and everything else will be gone.
PJ: “I don’t understand all the hype about bubble teams and who is in the Big Dance and who isn’t. Every team is in. The question is who gets a second chance. If Colorado wins its next 10 games, they are the national champions. The question seems to be not whether a team is in, but which teams get a second or third chance. At this time of year, with all the conference tournaments, each team plays until they lose. Some teams just get the opportunity to lose twice before they are eliminated. Unlike football, every team in Division I has the opportunity to go undefeated for the season and be the champion. Some teams, though, get a second chance. There are no Utahs going undefeated and being left out of the title game. It doesn’t matter whether Texas beat OU on a neutral field or not, because Texas is in, OU is in and Texas Tech and Baylor are in. Just win, Baby.”
Excellent point. Baylor remains in the national title hunt.
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
[...] sports fans. Of all the blogs Berry writes (and he does indeed blog just about every single day), his responses to e-mails he has received almost reach “must-read” [...]
Berry, your comment on OU guards left me baffled, trying to figure out who the heck “Crowder” was until I realized you must have meant Crocker. Maybe it’s just March Madness…
Just skimming down … a remark or two. if you watched Louisville, Syracuse tonight, Jeff better figure out the in your face full court press really fast both in terms of dealing with it and doing it. As for OSU, what do you expect you play somebody three times … OU got some weird calls, but played careless basketball, which has become a habit. I believe OU is getting shafted in media coverage though, 27-5 or whatever they are, and given all the other losses in tournaments, I’m not ready to concede anything. Still they get next to zero publicity, although it’s not too hard to see why the lack of interest. it’s easy to see why, being objective, I guess but two of those loses are asteriks in fact. I also think Johnson, Crocker and Warren have been the problem and I wonder what’s up with that, that was true two months ago and we seemed to have it fixed. It’s just deja vu. These issues ought to be “coachable” and I have still not seen a single player in the country better than Blake Griffin, so I don’t see why the team with the best player can’t figure out how to adjust and be the best team. At least as a possibility worthy of some ink. Also, anyone who doesn’t think these refs ebb and flow like the tide at Brighton Beach is blind. One game it’s “football,” the next, it’s badminton. How is anybody supposed to a) prepare, or b) know for sure it’s on the up and up?