OU author Jim Fletcher humbled by signing
“I’m too shy to have written a book. Book writers all have an ego to some degree, even ones who write Finding Modesty, or some such title. One cannot assume the masses (hopefully) want to read what one has scribbled, unless the ego is firmly in place.
“For me, I wrote a book about OU football for one reason. Even when Larry Lacewell pulled the football away just as I was about to kick it (“Aw, why do you want to write another book about OU football?”), I persevered. Fifteen years as a book editor, toiling anonymously behind a desk, taught me that actually writing a book is scarier than hang-gliding. Probably.
“So I just decided that I’d close my eyes and plunge ahead with my little ode to the Sooners. It had been done many times, yes, Larry, and very well done by many. Like all OU fans, I scoop up each new title without looking at the price. I would have bought Kenny Mossman’s The University of Oklahoma Football Vault if it had cost $500, and I’m not kidding.
“For my own book, a particular highlight was visiting with the father of the wishbone offense, Emory Bellard, at his Austin home. Past 80, Bellard still believes the triple-option is one of the great achievements in human history, sandwiched between sliced bread and the discovery of penicillin.
“I’m 46 years old and during tight games, I still lay face-down on the carpet and pray earnestly. I lose my voice. During the ’04 Sugar Bowl, I attempted to tear my hat into little pieces and giving up, jumped up and down on it. My hosts have never asked me back to their house for any reason.
“This is the life of a fan. We all have real lives. My family does understand my fanaticism, and I appreciate that.
“I once interviewed Ariel Sharon. That old fox, whose miraculous crossing of the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur War saved Israel, was intimidating. A nice man, but, you know, it’s Ariel Sharon.
“Still, perhaps my favorite interview of all time was at a café with Steve Davis. He’s so articulate, and his recollections so riveting, there was practically no editing of the transcript. I felt good about the book’s potential after visiting with the fellow from Sallisaw.
“After the book went to press, the publisher wanted promotion. I did my best. I felt that I was back on Norman Ave. in the City, selling rollie polies (Armadillidium vulgare, “the common pill bug”). Don’t ask, because I don’t have an answer. I just remember that I was scared to death, sitting there on my front porch at age 6, a failure as a salesman.
“This shortcoming will follow me all the days of my life. Just before the Texas Tech game/rapture last season – when I my son and I did the “Jump Around” with an elderly couple – I did a book signing with Uwe von Schamann at the stadium bookstore. Uwe makes any vacation-winning salesman look like a store mannequin. He makes me look like a mannequin’s stunt-double. The guy can flat schmooze. So a guy comes up to me, looks at the book, looks at me, then says: “Jim Fletcher? I never heard of you!” Uwe almost wet himself laughing.
“That was topped only by the guy who wandered over and plunked down his hat for me to sign. When I told him I had nothing to do with the OU program, he picked up his hat, slammed it on his head and stormed away. Like I had deceived him in some way.
“So I had to do something. I decided to try and put together a really special event. Fans love the players, the legends. I thought about that. I thought maybe, just maybe some of them would appear with me. And it wouldn’t be like my other book signings. After each one, my mother asks me why Barry Switzer didn’t appear with me. “Mom,” I say, “the King doesn’t know who I am.” Then she makes a face like she’s going to beat him up.
“Then I thought of Claude Arnold. OU’s first quarterback to win a national championship, Claude had appeared with me at Barnes & Noble last year. That event was a hit.
“So I sent him an email and asked if he’d consider it again. This man, this gentleman whom I have really grown fond of, said yes.
“If Claude said yes, I reasoned, why not go for broke and ask Jimmy Harris?
“He said he’d do it if Claude Arnold was going to be there.
“I contacted Steve Davis. Yes, he’d do it if Claude Arnold and Jimmy Harris were going to be there.
“And so it went until Jamelle Holieway and Josh Heupel also agreed to appear.
“On June 7, at the Sooner Schooner sports shop in Norman, all five appeared for a book and memorabilia signing. As God is my witness, I naively thought the thing would hold to the official 2-4 p.m. time slot.
“At 6 p.m., Josh Heupel signed the last piece for the last fan. They turned the lights off. The five quarterbacks who brought the program seven national championships had been magnificent, just as they had been all those years before against Nebraska and Texas, and in Miami. Harris should be on Mt. Rushmore; he was a gentleman and consummate storyteller. Claude started the Feeding of the Beast and the fans were well aware of that fact. Davis was too modest; he was quite a fine runner in his day, faster than people realized. He made fun of his own passing ability, but just ask Texas, Miami, and Michigan if the guy could throw the ball. Jamelle worked the crowd like a politician and hugged women who had watched Claude play. Heupel was kind enough, as a busy active coach, to come over after the conclusion of his football camp.
“I watched them and tried to think of one football program in the United States of America that could assemble this kind of royalty. Nobody but Oklahoma.
“It wasn’t perfect. I basically took advantage of the graciousness of five nice men who had better things to do, although I suspect they got some enjoyment out of trading stories and greeting adoring fans. As the day grew longer and the heat intensified, I thought that my book legacy, my last story, might be entitled How I Killed Claude Arnold At A Book Signing. But then I looked at him and realized he’s still tough as a boot, just as he was when he sucked sweat from his t-shirt during those pre-civilization practices – coaches didn’t give the players water in those days.
“Thank you, Claude.
“A shy person like me loathes inconveniencing people. It is painful in the extreme. Those five guys signed stuff for hundreds of fans.
“But as we pulled away, I thought back over the day that was special to OU fans. I got to drive Jimmy Harris to and from the airport and the only downer was, it wasn’t Will Rogers. He flew in from Shreveport to the Max Westheimer Airport in Norman. I was really wishing it had been LAX or Paris’s Charles De Gaulle International Airport. To get the extra time with the peerless Harris, I would have gladly driven him there. Underwater.
“I collapsed at the hotel afterwards and reflected on the day. I was happy. My dad would have been ecstatic. His best friend, O.V. Richardson was there for the signing and it was so great to see him.
“And that was why I wrote the book. I did it for my dad. He passed away many years ago, but when I was a kid, he told me about Claude’s A&M comeback, about seeing Harris return a punt that ignited a comeback against TCU in 1954. And he took me to see Steve Davis play. He would have absolutely loved Jamelle and would have really cheered on Heupel, even though the forward pass was basically foreign to him.
“I loved my dad, and we loved OU football. I’m not shy about that.
“Here’s to a memorable Father’s Day for OU fans everywhere. I hope a signed helmet or poster or book lands in your dad’s lap this year. Boomer Sooner!”
Good stuff from Fletcher. Let me say this about his book: I thought the same thing as Lacewell when I heard it was coming out. Oh brother, another generic OU football book. But you know what? I was pleasantly surprised.
Fletcher’s book had quite a bit of stuff I didn’t know, and his interviews — like the one he mentioned with Emory Bellard — are really interesting. He’s got Q&A interviews with Davis, Jimmy Harris, Claude Arnold, Frank Broyles and Barry Switzer. Awhile back, I ranked the 30something OU football books. This one was 13th, which doesn’t sound great but actually is high praise. I’m not fond of catch-all books. I like specific topics — a president’s viewpoint (George Lynn Cross’ Presidents Can’t Punt), the early history (Harold Keith’s Oklahoma Kickoff). But Jim Fletcher’s book is worth the money.
An afternoon at an OU autograph session
I received a blessed gift Sunday afternoon. I was permitted to sit courtside at the autograph session of the five OU national championship quarterbacks. I wrote about it in Monday’s Oklahoman, of the novelty of having all five Sooner title QBs not only alive — from 84-year-old Claude Arnold to the 31-year-old Josh Heupel — but together in the same place. Heupel actually arrived after Jimmy Harris left to fly home to Shreveport, La., but any industrious OU fan could get the signature of all five in a matter of a couple of hours.
I enjoyed the day at the Sooner Schooner store, though with 75-100 people packed into the little shop at once, the air-conditioning was stretched, and my sportcoat turned a little warm. I wrote about the interaction between the five QBs, but I didn’t write much about the whole process of autograph sessions, which I found very interesting.
I was amazed — and frankly, the quarterbacks were amazed, too — at how much fans value these autographs. I’m not talking about operators who put the stuff up on e-bay, of which there were probably some in attendance. I’m talking about the fans who take their prizes home and treasure the ball or helmet or poster that contains the signature of a hero. It’s a remarkable thing, and while some of it is juvenile, some of it also is kind of charming, to see people of all ages hold dearly onto memories, not just their own, but the memories of the fathers. Several fans who were born decades after Arnold’s final game came by and told him their dads had spoken of seeing Arnold play.
I also was impressed with the cordialness of all parties. All the quarterbacks were very accommodating in difficult circumstances. Imagine sitting at a hot table, signing your name over and over and over, for anywhere from 21/2 to 31/2 hours. The mind numbs and the hand tires and the legs cramp. Yet the quarterbacks sat there and were pleasant and charming to all the fans.
Jamelle Holieway actually worked the room, deciding the table was a little small, so he got up and moved back down the line, signing on a display case while chatting with fans waiting. I had forgotten that Holieway had such natural charm. I first met Holieway in Los Angeles in January 1985, when he was a high school senior at Banning High School. Had dinner with him while on a recruiting trip with Scott Hill. Holieway’s had some hard times since he left football. It was fun to remember the personality I saw a quarter century ago. Davis and Harris, who between them went 57-1-1 as starting quarterbacks, showed a little of the qualities that produced such leadership, telling quick stories when a questioned jogged their memory, and generally making everyone feel like they weren’t imposing. And Arnold was the MVP of the day, as dubbed by Davis, for his tenacity. Arnold, who was born in 1925, sat and signed and signed and signed. The line never backed up because of Claude Arnold.
But I also was impressed by the fans. Most were very thankful and gracious that the quarterbacks had allowed them this chance. Most called everyone “Mister…” Even Holieway, who still acts young even though he’ll be 42 later this month and I promise hasn’t been called “Mr. Holieway” too many times in his life.
This was not a big-time organizational event. Author Jim Fletcher, who wrote The Die-Hard Fan’s Guide to Sooner Football, arranged the event as a book-signing and chose the Sooner Schooner store because that’s where his dad would take him as a boy to shop for OU memorabilia. The nice people at the Sooner Schooner did their best to host such an overwhelming turnout — probably 500 people came through the doors — but it’s obvious why veteran organizers of such events put on strict guidelines.
No limit was placed on the number of items signed, which is madness. You’ve got to cap it, at two or three. Some people brought in five items. One guy brought in a three-foot high box, full of stuff. An easy solution is this: two items signed, except no limit on items purchased in the store. That way, the business is rewarded for hosting, but fans who try to take advantage of the situation can’t step out of bounds.
Also, the venue clearly wasn’t big enough for something this special. Maybe if you have a signing of a couple of random Sooner greats — let’s use two of my all-time favorites, for example, Dewey Selmon and Clendon Thomas — maybe the turnout isn’t so abundant. But if you make it a special club — all three Selmon brothers, for example, or the surviving members of the 1956 backfield, Thomas, Harris and Tommy McDonald, well, get ready for a crush of fans.
I’m 48 years old, have been following OU football all my life, been covering it to some degree since I was 18 years old and consider myself a Sooner historian. And I’m not sure that I still fully realize the depth and passion of the fan base. If I do, I sometimes forget and am reminded during events like Sunday.
It was quite a day.
In praise of Archie Manning
I rarely reply to the comments on this blog. I’ve said my piece, others can say theirs. I answer all my emails, except mass emails, and I figure that’s what a comment on the blog is. A mass email for everyone’s consumption. No reason for me to chime in again.
But I make exceptions when someone is just flat out wrong. Not in opion, but in fact. I see no reason to argue opinion, though others do. When I wrote a week ago that Blake Griffin should inform the Clippers no way he’ll sign with them, some knucklehead spent about 10 angry emails, demanding that I admit that I was wrong. He went down so many crooked roads, he turned into a goober. He ended up arguing that the Green Bay Packers between Vince Lombardi and Brett Favre were no better franchise than the current Clippers. Which means the guy was sending the email from the planet Zoltron.
Anyway, back to the comments. Some guy labeled “Ken Spence” has called me out by saying I didn’t support Eli Manning when he tried — and succeeded — to avoid going to San Diego in the 2004 draft. Said I only embrace player freedom when it benefits an Oklahoma player or an Oklahoma team.
Which is nonsense. I’ve always advocated greater player freedom. Remember, I’m the guy who wants to abolish the NFL draft.
For the record, here’s the column I wrote in April 2004, right after the NFL draft.
By Berry Tramel
| Thursday, April 29, 2004 Edition: City, Section: SPORTS, Page 1C |
Archie Manning hit town Wednesday, bloodied but unbowed. His fame tarnished but his fatherhood not.
Archie and his equally lusciously named son, Eli, last week emerged from the belly of the beast, where few in football have dared to tread. The Mannings stared down the National Football League.
The Manning name carries clout. For going on 40 years,
Manning has meant not just great quarterbacking but rare class. And not only in Oxford and Knoxville, New Orleans and Indianapolis, burgs blessed by the Manning trio of Archie, Peyton and Eli.
Manning spoke — charmingly, with that rich Mississippi drawl — at the Oklahoma chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame’s annual scholar-athlete awards dinner. Good timing for us.
The Mannings last week risked their good name by refusing to play along with the NFL draft. Eli sent word to San Diego, which held the draft’s very first pick, that he would forego the entire season should the Chargers stake claim to him.
You know the rest. San Diego picked Manning, almost immediately shipped him to the New York Giants for the Brooklyn Bridge and a bundle of draft picks, and pro football steamed.
Traditionalists were outraged. Rookie football players should go where they’re told. The system is in place and works mighty fine for America’s runaway favorite sport.
But wait. Put a hold on the mob seeking the scalp of the Mannings‘ reputation. This was a victimless crime. Who got a raw deal?
The Giants get the quarterback they desired.
Eli Manning doesn’t have to wear the lightning bolts.
The Chargers get a quarterback — North Carolina State’s Philip Rivers — some say is a Manning peer, plus all those draft picks that can be turned into quality ballplayers, of which there are darn few in San Diego.
The only loser was the Chargers‘ reputation. Rejecting the tropics of San Diego casts dispersions on the Charger organization. But the NFL is a big-boy league, and we’re not taking 330-pounders. Pro football is big business of the highest order; it’s every man for himself.
And that goes for the ballplayers.
The NFL’s system, including the draft, particularly the draft, is weighted in favor of the franchises. Players have limited options.
To declare that Manning or anyone circumvented the system is laughable. The NFL never is circumvented. Sometimes, it’s outsmarted.
“I understand some people getting mad about it,” Archie said Wednesday at the airport, before driving over to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for the banquet.
“This was a huge decision for Eli. But I told him, “You’re not disrupting the system.’ Sitting out, that’s also part of the system.”
Archie, a star himself at Ole Miss and with the New Orleans Saints, asks to clarify misconceptions over the draft flap.
1. This was Eli‘s decision.
“A lot of people put it on me,” Archie said, “that I was a power broker.”
Not so. “I let my children make their own decisions,” Archie said.
Don’t believe it? Remember that Peyton, now maybe the best quarterback on the planet, signed out of high school not with his dad’s alma mater but with Tennessee. If Archie was going to plant his boys in certain huddles, Mississippi’s would have been a place to start.
2. Eli did not demand to play for the Giants. His stated preference was anywhere but San Diego.
Said Archie, “It was never ‘no to San Diego so I can get to New York.’
“The next team (in the draft) was Oakland. He was prepared to go to Oakland.
“I don’t know if we can ever convince people. Yes, Eli preferred he not go to San Diego. But we were not bold enough to dictate where he goes.”
3. Archie remains peeved at the Chargers for leaking the Mannings‘ threat. That was to remain quiet, Archie said, so that all parties could negotiate in private.
Consider how this script could have played out without the leak. A draft-day swap of draft slots would have had the Giants with their plum QB, San Diego with all those extra picks plus Rivers, and the Mannings‘ good name would shine still.
In truth, the Mannings have taken the high road. The one great mystery is why Eli disdains San Diego. Despite rampant speculation, the truth stays hidden. Archie and Eli have refused to explain their distaste for the Chargers.
“I’m not sure the Chargers appreciate anything we’ve done,” Archie said. “ Eli had a valid reason. But we didn’t expose them.”
Archie says he suspected the fallout might be unpleasant. He warned Eli about possible public indignity. “I guess it goes to show you how strong he felt about it,” Archie said.
At the banquet, Archie joked about his long-time career with the Saints, for whom he once threw for 4,000 yards “in leading the Saints to a 1-15 season.” In 15 New Orleans seasons, he played for 11 coaches and never had a winning season.
Archie Manning knows a bad situation when he sees one, even if the rest of us don’t clue in.
Archie’s NFL days are long gone. Said Archie, “I pretty much go by Eli and Peyton’s daddy, wherever I am.”
It’s a job well done. “
So there it is. My stance on Blake Griffin is virtually the same as my stance was five years ago Eli Manning. Which is this: the NFL and the NBA set up the system. How can anyone get upset when a player works within the system? You draft me, I’ve got two options. Sign or don’t sign. The Mannings did exactly what I recommended Griffin do, which politely tell the Clippers in private he’s not playing there. The Chargers, not the Mannings, went public.
And all three sides turned out fine. Eli didn’t have to play in San Diego, the Giants got a great quarterback who already has led them to a Super Bowl title, and the Chargers got their franchise QB in Philip Rivers, plus draft picks that have helped San Diego turn into one of the better NFL teams of the last few years.
This whole disagreement is very clear. Fans like to think outside the box. Fans don’t like it when the norm is questioned. Fans still say free agency is bad for baseball, when the opposite is completely true.
Emails in on Blake Griffin & the Clippers
The new emails are in, and all five or six Clipper fans in America have written about my suggestion to Blake Griffin to let the Clippers know that no way is he signing with them.
Ulysses: “They honestly allow idiots like you a chance to write a news column. I can’t believe such a desperate attempt to get Blake Griffin to the Thunder. Your attempt is so obvious, you have no shame. First of all, they have a lottery and a draft, so player and family members can’t just go where they want. If they choose to do so, they will not be able to play in the NBA, and the Clippers will always own his rights to play in the NBA. I can’t believe that you don’t get the fact that. Playing in the NBA is a privilege, not a right, and Blake Griffin and his family should be honored to be a part of the NBA family, no matter where he plays. What a jackass, and if everyone in Oklahoma feels the way you do, who in the hell would ever want to play there?”
You’re a Clipper fan, and I’m the idiot?
Halo: “Your so-called article on not letting Blake go to the Clippers is a complete joke. What in the world do you know about pro sports when you live in Oklahoma, for crying out loud? Please stick to college football, cause its pretty obvious you know nothing about Clipper basketball. If you had a chance to live in LA and cover the Clippers, I bet you would jump all over that chance.”
Yes, covering the worst franchise American sport is my life’s desire, and I assume playing for the Clippers will meet all of Blake Griffin’s dreams.
Scott: “Tramel, you, like the rest of the Oklahoma sports people, are hacks. If you ever wonder if Oklahoma will be a major player in the world of sports, just simply take a look around. Do you see anything in this state that would ever make Oklahoma a true player? By the way, don’t show your ignorance and point to the Thunder, the team with a WNBA name. All the Thunder are is a team for the Clippers to point to and state, ‘see, we aren’t the most pathetic team in the league.’”
Goofballs in California, I can understand. But here’s what I don’t get. Why someone who lives here has such anger. Get the heck out of here if you hate it so much.
Zach: “What a jack***. Writers in Oklahoma are really starting to get desperate, to try and reach out to the player’s father and encourage Blake to be a prima donna. Horrible writing. Oklahoma should be ashamed that you write a sports column for one of their newspapers. I never read anything like that before.”
Then you don’t follow the National Football League.
Shlomo sees the other side: “Blake Griffin is of no use to a team for whom he refuses to play. Therefore, if that team wants something rather than nothing, they have no option but to deal the rights. That won’t hurt Blake Griffin’s name and will most definitely help his game. I would love to see him a Knick. But for his future, I hope that he winds up with a good organization that will help him to grow.”
The Knicks are a total mess. Bad management, bad locker room, just praying for LeBron James. And they’re still a million miles ahead of the Clippers.
Rob: “Great read about Blake and the Clippers. The sports world vilified the Mannings when they wanted out of San Diego, but in this instance the entire sports world totally understands the situation and shouldn’t blame the Griffins one bit.”
Anyone who stands up for themselves against the establishment is vilified. Then soon enough wildly cheered.
Chris: “Blake Griffin has way more class than you ever will, you worthless hick! That’s why he will not only be drafted but also play for the Los Angeles Clippers, and not the Sucklahoma Blunder. Any columnist that calls on a player to weasel out of a contract simply because he may not be going to the team of his dreams is a lowlife dirtbag. You qualify. Enjoy Durant, Westbrook et al for the next few years before they become free agents and hightail it out of OKC the first chance they get.”
You’re a little confused. Getting drafted doesn’t mean you have a contract. It appears the intelligence level of the Clippers is matched by the intelligence level of Clipper fans.
Jason wrote about a different aspect of Blake Griffin: “I like your thought of Blake as a kickblocking specialist. I would add one other position that I would have liked to have seen him in the BCS title game against Florida: goal-line specialist. Line him up in the shotgun like Florida does Tebow; 6-10, 250. No 11 men on the planet are keeping him out of the end zone from the 1-yard line. Tebow may be as John Gruden said, ‘cyanide soaked concrete,’ but Griffin would go through or over the pile. That would be cool to see — diving sideways over the goal line with a finishing monster dunk over the goalpost for the 2-point conversion.”
I love Blake Griffin, but he would never see the 1-yard line. Florida’s defense would smother Griffin before he sniffed the end zone. It’s interesting, don’t you think, how we transfer athletic feats from other sports to certain stars. Taken to the extreme, you’ve got Ed “Too Tall” Jones trying to box and Michael Jordan trying hit a double-A curveball.
Keesee wrote about former OSU quarterback Josh Fields, who now is with the White Sox: “He has been replaced by Gordon Beckham (2008 first-round draft choice from Georgia) at third base. Played DH last night. But with Thome and Quentin, I don’t see a future for him there. Seems Fields is very disappointed. Fields has politely indicated 26 is not the time to consider a reserve role. Your paper has often cited sources that believed Fields could have went professional in football. At age 26, is it still possible? I just don’t think Fields has much trade value. His fielding is suspect and he now has a reputation for weakness to the low outside fastball and inability for timely hitting.”
I don’t remember us ever touting Fields as a pro quarterback. Fields was an excellent college QB but didn’t have the arm strength for the NFL.
Josh, a self-proclaimed OSU psycho, likes to play the what-if game with potential three-way ties: “I know the chances of a three-way tie scenario are slim, but with OSU being a preseason top 10 team, and it being the offseason the scenarios are fun to think about. Anyways, here is my scenario. Oklahoma finishes 10-2, 7-1 (losses to Texas and Miami; let’s say that Miami wins the ACC, earns a bid to the Orange Bowl). Oklahoma State finishes 11-1, 7-1 (loses to OU and has beaten a Georgia team that finishes 10-2, second in the SEC East, earning a Sugar Bowl bid). Texas finishes 11-1, 7-1, wins the tiebreaker, goes to Pasadena. Now pretend you are the Fiesta Bowl, who do you take? Do you take an OSU team with the most wins in school history, a team that might not have a chance at a BCS bid for who knows how long, victories over two BCS teams, and making their first Fiesta Bowl appearance since 1974, Or do you take an OU team that is a lock for decent ratings, is a regular in the BCS lineup and will likely be back in the near future, and has lost five straight BCS bowl games, with a chance for a rematch with Boise State?”
You know, this is fun. So here’s an answer. OSU gets the Fiesta. Unless it is Boise State. Then the Fiesta couldn’t resist a rematch.
Craig wrote about my take that ABC’s Mike Breen is awful broadcasting the NBA: “Can’t disagree with you too much, but my worst announcer is Mike Tirico. He has a weird delivery.”
If you tied Mike Tirico’s tongue, put a sock in his mouth and made him watch the game with his eyes closed, he would call a better game than Mike Breen.
Bill wrote about the public schools/private school spat over classification: “Please write an article to the administrators that are so worried about private school sports, and all others who think private schools have a sports advantage. Ask them to stop being afraid and stop obsessing about a bunch of white Catholic kids playing sports. Never in my life did I think I would see people worried about the sports prowess of white Catholic kids. Stunning, amazing. Tell them, ask them, plead with them, to better spend their time trying to see what they can do to try to save their students from the failed public school paradigm that the kids are in that they as administrators are responsible for. And to quit worrying about a bunch of lily white catholic kids. And the dirty little secret is they have almost one-third more to spend per kid per year than the private schools have to spend. They criminally waste money. They are failing their kids, this is just a smokescreen.”
Well, first off, Jonathan Bluitt, Terence Crawford and Daniel Orton, the three most decorated McGuinness players the last decade, aren’t white, lily or otherwise. And I believe some readjustment in classes is warranted. But the point is well made. Public schools do face a lot of serious issues unrelated to gold balls.
PJ wrote about OSU’s failure to win the NCAA golf title: “Are you aware that Mike Holder was on the committee to change the format of the championships, a move that probably cost OSU the championship this year? It appears to me that it might make it more TV friendly or more fan friendly, but probably hurts OSU, which usually has one of the top two or three teams in the country. From looking at this year’s results, when you take the top eight teams in the country and put them in match play, it is a coin flip as to who wins the match. Much like the Ryder Cup, the team with the best players doesn’t always win. Maybe seldom wins.”
I don’t understand all the fuss over the new golf format. How does match play produce all that much more parity than stroke play? Seems to me, match play brings out the best competitors. How is that not a quality you want in a champion?
Steven asked an off-the-wall question: “Do you think Michael Vick could land a spot backing up Tom Brady or running the wildcat offense in New England.”
Sure. When you run a tight ship like Bill Belichick does, you can take a chance on a guy, because you can cut him loose quickly.
Do we deserve a dud NBA Finals?
Game 1 of the NBA Finals was clunker: Lakers 100, Magic 75. And maybe that’s what we deserve.
We’re coming off six weeks of some of the best playoff basketball in memory. Two great conference finals, excluding Game 6 blowouts. A riveting Eastern Conference showdown between Boston and Orlando that was overshadowed by the Chicago-Boston first-round series which was the greatest series in American sports history. Western Conference series (LA-Houston, Denver-Dallas) that while maybe not dramatic on the court all the time, was dramatic in other ways, with the Nuggets and Mavericks spatting all series and the Rockets somehow staying competitive despite losing their two best players.
It’s been a fabulous, fabulous playoff run, and maybe it’s too much to expect a great Finals. It’s not a good matchup for Orlando; the Lakers can plug all the Magic’s openings. I don’t think it will be a sweep, but my prediction of LA in five looks pretty solid.
Oh well. The NBA playoffs were fun while they lasted.
Found: A pioneer for the Griffin Plan
Over the weekend, I wrote how Tommy Griffin, father of Blake, should quietly go to the Los Angeles Clippers and, very cordially, let him know no way in heck his son will with the worst franchise in American sport. Terrible ownerships, terrible locker room, a quarter century of horrible management. Just an awful place for Blake Griffin to land as an NBA rookie.
Some cheered my suggestion and some jeered, and the latter included not just Clipper fans. Anytime anyone stands up to the establishment, it makes some people uneasy. I used Eli Manning as my prime example, but a reader pointed out someone else who actually pioneered such a ploy in the NBA.
Kiki Vandeweghe.
Remember him? A UCLA star who led Larry Brown’s Bruins to the 1980 NCAA championship game. Vandeweghe was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 11th pick in the 1980 draft, the first very pick by the expansion Mavs.
And Vandeweghe refused to sign. Said no way he would play in Dallas. I couldn’t find whether Vandeweghe warned the Mavs not to draft him, but I suppose he did, and I’m not sure exactly why Vandeweghe was so anti-Dallas, other than the futility of going to an expansion team.
Anyway — and here’s the key for Griffin or anyone who wants to try this — Vandeweghe stuck to his guns. He said he wouldn’t play for Dallas. And he meant it. Summer workouts arrived, and Vandeweghe hadn’t signed. Training camp started, and Vandeweghe hadn’t signed. The season started, and Vandeweghe hadn’t signed.
Desperate, the Mavericks finally caved in. On Dec. 3, a month into the season, Dallas traded Vandeweghe and a 1986 first-round pick to Denver for a 1981 first-round pick and a 1985 first-round pick.
How did the trade turn out? Pretty darn well for all the major parties.
That 1986 pick for Denver became Maurice Martin at No. 16; he played just two seasons in the NBA and averaged 3.0 points a game. That 1985 pick for Dallas became Sam Vincent at No. 20; he played seven years for four NBA franchises and averaged 7.8 points a game.
Dallas used that 1981 pick to take Rolando Blackman at No. 9. Blackman was a four-time all-star who averaged 18.0 points a game over 13 NBA seasons.
And Vandeweghe was a two-time all-star for Denver who played 13 NBA seasons and averaged 19.7 points a game.
One argument against holding out is that it gives you a bad name in the league, among players and franchises.
Well, players, that’s just nonsense. Players, more than anyone, know that you have to look out for yourself. Maybe if you walk out on a team, OK. But refuse to play for a team that you’ve never signed a contract with? Refuse to play for a team that you don’t even know the players? No way would veterans hold that against a ballplayer, and there is no evidence that Vandeweghe was punished.
As for the franchises, well, here’s how much Vandeweghe’s rebellion hurt him. He became part of the establishment. Vandeweghe was general manager for the Nuggets and now is general manager for the New Jersey Nets.
In fact, Vandeweghe deserves as much credit as anyone for the current Denver success. He drafted Carmelo Anthony, which is no big deal, since that was a little obvious. But Vandeweghe also engineered a 2002 draft-day trade with the Knicks, sending Antonio McDyess, just-drafted rookie Frank Williams and a 2003 second-round pick to New York for the just-drafted Nene’, Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson.
In July 2004, Vandeweghe traded three first-round draft picks — all of which provided Denver some protection if they turned out to be high — to New Jersey for Kenyon Martin. Those draft picks eventually became No. 16 (OSU’s Joey Graham) in 2005, No. 22 (Marcus Williams) in 2006 and No. 20 (Renaldo Balkman) in 2006.
Three cornerstones of the current Denver team, all obtained without giving up a core player. Nice moves by Vandeweghe, who showed what you can do with accumulated draft picks, which the Thunder has.
By the way, Vandeweghe also played for Portland, New York and the Clippers in his career. Then he got his start in NBA administration by joining a team as an assistant coach and director of player development.
That team that gave Vandeweghe a chance? The Dallas Mavericks.
LeBron fails leadership 101
LeBron James ducked out on the media after losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. I know, I know. Everyone cheers anyone who sticks it to the whiny media. Of course, LeBron didn’t ultimately decline to talk to the media. He declined to talk to his fans, of which there are several scattered across the country.
This is a big deal on a variety of fronts. It shows a misstep in leadership. That’s part of the job for leaders of franchises — LeBron certainly qualifies. You speak after victory and defeat. Maybe you don’t have much to say, maybe you’re angry, maybe you just don’t feel like it. But you don’t walk out and leave the hordes to surround Andersen Varejao and Joe Smith.
Being the team lead spokesman goes with the territory of international superstar. LeBron has done a superb job of that throughout his career, and I’m sure it gets old. So does rush-hour traffic. Sometimes life sucks.
Talking after games is LeBron’s job. It’s Kobe’s job. It’s Kevin Garnett’s job. It will be Kevin Durant’s job when the Thunder gets around to playing meaningful games. LeBron’s disappearing act after Game 6 was an immature act no doubt grown out of frustration.
Of course, he probably did his Cavalier teammates a favor, though he didn’t plan it that way and they may not realize it. Leaving the rest of the Cavs to deal with the media meant this: Cleveland players answered questions about LeBron, instead of LeBron answering questions about Cleveland players and whether they are good enough to win a title and keep him around beyond 2010.
LeBron James has been a fine leader and that didn’t change with a screwup after Game 6. But surely he knows his status and the requirements that go with it.
A college football treat in Iraq
Rob Shahan is a friend of mine. He used to work in sports radio around here but now is working with a private contractor in Baghdad. Gets to come home every four months for 10 days, but in between, it’s a lot of long days in Iraq. But some of those long hours were brightened a couple of days ago by a goodwill visit. I thought I would share his email with you:
“Today in Baghdad, we had a goodwill tour of college football coaches. Mack Brown of Texas, Jim Tressel of The Ohio State University, Houston Nutt of Ole Miss, Rick Neuheisel of UCLA, Jim Grobe of Wake Forest, Troy Calhoun from the Air Force Academy and former coach Tommy Tuberville came in.
“A friend of mine from Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma (Mike Hapgood) was hand-selected to escort the coaches from the USA to Iraq. I got to spend about an hour with my buddy. It was great seeing the coaches but the true highlight for me was seeing an old friend from home.
“Here are some of my thoughts as I met each coach:
“Mack Brown: Just as charismatic as ever, he wanted to call in to James Hale’s show from Iraq but couldn’t for security reasons. My buddy asked if I wanted a pic with Mack, I replied: ‘Are you kidding me? Heck no!, haha…’
“Tommy Tuberville: very cordial and friendly. I think he got the raw deal at Auburn.
“Houston Nutt: He and I talked about Midwest City, he and his wife are Okie State alums.
“Jim Grobe: Very nice, kept asking us what he can do for us!
“Troy Calhoun: Awesome person, we talked about his experiences when he worked at Tinker AFB.
“Rick Neuheisel: best tan of them all, haha…nice guy with a super personality, all the female troops naturally gravitated toward him and his young assistant. We talked surfing and playing the guitar.
“Jim Tressel: very polite and friendly, has that professor type appearance on TVand also in person. Very knowledgeable about most subjects but doesn’t come across as smarter than you. He recognized my AdvoCare shirt (health and wellness products) and said: ‘Drew Brees and AdvoCare!’ He and I are both fans of the AdvoCare line.
“All coaches gave us some swag, mainly hats and tee shirts. All of them signed autographs and took pictures with the troops. The coaches didn’t have to be here in Iraq today, they could have been on a beach or on a golf course. But they all appreciate the sacrifices and hard work our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen do on a daily basis.
“The work here is hard, the hours long, the days off non-existent. But it is all in the name of freedom, the freedom of America and the freedom of others.
“Here is a link to Mack’s blog (http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.c…052909aaa.html) and one of my favorite quotes from it: ‘Baghdad will be really interesting tomorrow. The terrain in Iraq is pure desert, with some breeze, and very thin sand that really burns your eyes. The sun is so hot and so bright the glare makes it hard to be outside without sunglasses. Seventy-five percent of this base has been out in the fight off base, and the average salary is about $25,000. We are so lucky to have great Americans who leave their homes and their families and fight in order to let us have the freedom we have. They are the true American Heroes. I wish our team could have been on this trip with us. Boy would they like their deal better. Pray for our military folks.’”
Embarrassing weekend for OU baseball
The state of Oklahoma never has hosted an NCAA super regional in baseball. The super format arrived 10 years ago, about the time both OSU and OU fell from their lofty perches of the 1980s and 1990s.
This year could have been different. The NCAA gave OU a No. 7 national seed, which means win its regional at Mitchell Park, and the Sooners would get a super regional at home.
Uh, no chance. The Sooners suffered embarrassing 11-run defeats to Arkansas on consecutive nights and are out of the NCAA Tournament.
It’s one thing to lose. It’s another to be non-competitive. The Sooners were the latter. They lost 17-6 on Saturday night, then 11-0 on Sunday night, when the moral victory was a ninth-inning infield single that kept Arkansas’ Drew Smyly from throwing a no-hitter.
College baseball is one of those mid-level sports that struggles to draw mainstream fan support — but it is possible. And the NCAAs are a place to do it. Curious fans will turn out for an NCAA regional, and some will stick with you. It’s a tried and true method to building a fan base.
This regional turned off fans for OU baseball. The Sooners drew 3,176 for a Friday night opener against Wichita State, then 3,064 for the Saturday night Arkansas game. Those numbers dipped to 1,439 (vs. Washington State) and 2,333 (Arkansas) on Sunday, and our man John Helsley said Mitchell Park had a “Fayetteville feel” with all the celebrating Razorback fans.
Instead of building the fan base, this regional probably chipped away at the fan base. A super regional against Florida State would have been a huge event in Norman, giving coach Sunny Golloway a chance to propel his program forward. Home teams have a huge edge in NCAA play. The Sooners did not take advantage of it. Call it opportunity lost on an embarrassing weekend for Sooner baseball.
