Gary Ward: Talking baseball
I chatted with Gary Ward on Friday. That’s always a treat.
Ward is 14 years removed from coaching Oklahoma State baseball, but his passion for baseball hasn’t changed. Or his ability to fill your notebook with interesting stuff.
Ward has a reputation for being long-winded. It’s well-deserved. But he doesn’t repeat himself, and he doesn’t filibuster trying to figure out what he wants to say. Everything Ward says is fresh and new and interesting. There’s just a lot of it.
I talked to Ward on Friday about his great player, Pete Incaviglia, who is being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame on Tuesday. I wrote about Inky for today’s paper. You can read the column here:
And though Ward stayed on point about Incaviglia, I learned other things just listening to Ward talk. For instance, Ward said he knew Inky would not make an infielder after just a few ground balls. Said that when Incaviglia bent his knees or squatted, his hands got slower. Think about that. It’s exactly true. An infielder has to be as quick the closer to the ground he gets as he is standing upright. But that’s something I had never thought about.
You learn 10 things like that every time you talk to Ward. Ward talked about the various forms of weight-training — he actually studied that subject for his master’s degree — and how lifting for bulk didn’t help Incaviglia, but lifting for soft tissue and connecting … well, I better stop because I actually didn’t catch it all, and Ward was on to something else. But Ward made more sense talking about weight training than all the football coaches I’ve heard speak on the subject.
Ward bides his time between Stillwater and Las Cruces, N.M., where his son, Rocky, is the baseball coach at New Mexico State. Ward still tutors hitters, both youth and New Mexico State Aggies.
Ward is an Oklahoma treasure. A Marlboro Man of a coach at OSU, a splendid resource of insight and memories today. And a teacher all along the way.
Bob Stoops: Fan of Colt McCoy, not Texas
Bob Stoops chatted with the Big 12 media the other day and was talking about how much he regretted the way Colt McCoy’s career ended — with a first-quarter injury in Texas’ Big Bowl against Alabama. But Stoops was quick to add a caveat: “Now don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t rootin’ for Texas.”
Alabama won 37-21, denying UT its second national title in four years, and Stoops says he wasn’t pulling for Bama, either: “I wasn’t rootin’ either way to be quite honest with you. I was just watching as a spectator. If it’s not you (OU), I’m not rooting or pulling against, put it that way. You’re kind of just paying attention to it.”
University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy stands on the sidelines during the third quarter of the BCS Championship NCAA college football game against Alabama in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. McCoy left the game after being injured in the first quarter. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Stoops, of course, knows the calamity of losing a quarterback. Sam Bradford went down in the first half against BYU with a major shoulder injury, returned for the Baylor game in October then was lost the next week, for good, in the first quarter against Texas.
So when it happened to Texas and McCoy, “I for sure wasn’t rooting for that or hoping that it ended up that way or happy that happened at all. I think the world of Colt McCoy. I love competitors whether they’re on my team or other teams and appreciate them and admire them.
“Getting to know him at some of the Heisman stuff, I didn’t like it (the injury), to be honest with you. Just for his sake and all. I’m glad he seems to be OK now.”
Of course, you know my stance. I realize Stoops can’t find it in his heart to pull for Texas, just as Longhorns feel about Sooners. But clearly, without question, OU would have been better off had Texas won. Just as Texas would have been better off had the Sooners beaten Florida for the 2008 national title.
Especially now that we know what’s happened to the Big 12. The departures of Nebraska and Colorado have given the conference a reputation hit. Two schools with national titles in the last 20 years (CU 1990; NU 1994, ’95, ’97) are fleeing. In truth, the league won’t fall much, since OU and Texas have been carrying the banner, anyway, but nationally, the reputation takes a hit. Perception, polls, heck, even the computer rankings figure to take a hit, since more games against the remaining Big 12 North schools won’t beef up the old strength of schedule.
Every little bit helps in the dog-eat-dog world of college football. Look at the whisker thin margin by which OU got into the Big Bowl in 2008. Or how the Sooners were involved in 2003 and 2004 controversies to determine title-game participants.
If OU and Texas had won these last two title games, the Big 12′s reputation might not equal the SEC’s, but there wouldn’t be the gulf that now exists, by which even people outside of Dixie tout the Southeastern Conference as something superior to the NFC West. Instead, the SEC has won four national titles and the Big 12 not only lost two national title games, now it has lost two prominent schools.
Maybe you found that monumental Texas victory over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl distasteful. Maybe Longhorns were crushed by OU’s Orange Bowl win over Florida State for the 2000 national title. But those victories were great for the Big 12, which in turn helps every Big 12 school. The Red River rivals most prominently.
Mack Brown: Will Muschamp must wait
Mack Brown said he was tired and worn out after winning the 2005 national championship. He knee was in terrible shape. He didn’t know how long he might coach.
Fast forward almost five years. The Texas coach says he feels “better than I’ve felt in years.” Brown had knee replacement surgery in 2006 and said it feels much better.
In this photograph taken on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, Texas head football coach Mack Brown, left, talks with defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, right, during an evening NCAA college football practice in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)
So even though Texas has a coach-in-waiting, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Brown doesn’t talk like a guy who will step down soon, even though he’s about to embark on his 13th Longhorn season.
“Will makes $900,000, plus bonuses and has no buyout,” Brown said, indicating Muschamp has a pretty good gig. “If he stays, he takes my job (when Brown steps down).”
But until then, “I would be in total control. We would keep this rolling.”
Brown said he warned his staff, “If anyone starts talking about what’s next, I’m going to fire you. That’s not fair to me, that’s not fair to the rest of the staff.”
Brown said he hasn’t set a timetable for his departure, and “Will’s fine with that.”
Brown said Texas analyzed the model at Florida State, where Jimbo Fisher was named head-coach designate for Bobby Bowden, a transition that finally came last off-season.
“Right now, ours is working great,” Brown said. “I’ve enjoyed it more now,” he said of coaching under this situation. “We’ve won more games.”
Big 12 football: OU, Texas dominance will continue
Big 12 football’s structure after this season — 10 teams, round-robin schedule, no conference championship game — means one thing for certain. The dominance of Oklahoma and Texas should continue into the foreseeable future.
With a playoff game, the North Division champion has a puncher’s chance of winning the league title. But under a round-robin format, winning the title for any of the other eight teams likely means beating OU and Texas.
“Yeah, but we got to beat them, too,” Bob Stoops said.
The difference is, OU isn’t playing itself. Texas isn’t playing Texas.
Stoops laughed, which is as close as an admission as he’s likely to give, and said, “Yeah, but we got to beat nine others.
“In the end, I don’t take it for granted. You gotta beat ‘em all and just like this year, it isn’t just Texas. You gotta beat ‘em all to have the chance to be the champions and we’ve done that a fair amount of times. And we’re aware of that. So it isn’t just that game and it isn’t just between us two.”
But OU and Texas already have established their South Division dominance. Since Stoops’ arrival at OU for the 1999 season, the Sooners have won the South seven times, the Longhorns four. The rest of the South combined? Zero.
Now the North Division gets to experience life like Texas Tech and OSU and Texas A&M and Baylor have. North schools have been playing only three South schools a year. Some have OU and Texas split, so that they play just one of the powers per season. Others play them both in the same year, but that means two straight years without having to play the Sooners or Longhorns.
Starting in 2011, the North schools will get OU and Texas every year, along with OSU and Tech and A&M every year. Hey, K-State, Missouri, Iowa State and Kansas. Welcome to the South. Welcome to my world, say the Big 12 South coaches.
Stoops won’t bite on such analysis: “I don’t look at it that way. You know, going to play all those North schools at their place is never a joy. They’ve got good teams and good players and nice stadiums, so I don’t look at it that way.”
Maybe so. But Stoops never has lost to Missouri, Kansas, Iowa State or Kansas State in conference play, though K-State did upset OU in the 2003 Big 12 title game. Which sort of proves out the point that the easiest path to the league championship just closed for those North schools.
Big 12 football: Bob Stoops quick hits
A few Bob Stoops observations and responses during Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday.
On whether he agrees with Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville (formerly of Auburn) that some team — Auburn, OU, Utah — should be awarded the 2004 BCS national championship that will be vacated by Southern Cal because of NCAA sanctions: “No. It’s a long time ago … I’m not much for claiming anything if it didn’t happen on the field.”
On whether Stoops is endorsing anyone for governor, after Barry Switzer endorsed Democrat Party candidate Jari Askins: “I don’t go there (laughing). You know I’m smarter than that. If you tell me and know whos gonna win, then I’ll tell ya.”
On playing in the same division with his brother, Arizona coach Mike Stoops, when it appeared OU was headed for the Pac-10: “He was hoping for maybe North/South divisions. He wasn’t real excited having us and Texas in the same division, but he like I was in a way — and don’t take this wrong — was kind of excited about it. Just a different opportunity. But we’re very excited where we are now and I said this to TV many times today, we’re operating like the Big 10 and Pac-10 have for over a hundred years. What’s the big deal? Now the shoe’s on the other foot. We don’t have a championship game and they do. So in the end, we’re still a strong product, which I think is obvious to everybody.”
On whether from a coach’s standpoint, which is the stronger emotion, the joy of winning the big game or the pain of losing: “I don’t carry either one very long, to be totally honest with you. I see where you’re going with it and I wish I could give you a better answer. But they’re both pretty extreme. But I’m not much on being extreme very long. They hit you, both of them pretty hard, but then you realize there’s another day tomorrow. I got a bigger picture in my life than winning or losing a game. Don’t ever believe for a minute that it doesn’t matter to me; obviously when you see me screaming at an official, it does. But in the end, there’s a lot more to me than that.”
Big 12 football: Mack Brown says Texas will run
Texas coach Mack Brown says the Longhorns will have a new commitment to the run. Will employ less shotgun formation and run the ball more. And Brown said one reason for that is UT’s defense.
“Our last two BCS games, we didn’t play as well on defense as we needed to,” Brown said of a 24-21 victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and a 37-21 loss to Alabama in the Big Bowl last January. Brown said the Buckeyes and Crimson were downhill running teams. “And in both cases, we didn’t tackle the great tailbacks very well.
Texas football player Garrett Gilbert talks with reporters at Big 12 media day in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
“We feel like by having downhill runs and working more in the running game and against the running game in practice would help us if we go out in conference and see someone who wants to just line up and run us.”
Texas got down big to Alabama after quarterback Colt McCoy was injured in the first quarter. “If we could have run better when Garrett (Gilbert) got in the game, we could have stayed in the game better,” Brown said. “We’re not going to be three yards and a cloud of dust, but we’re going to consistently line up and try to run the ball.”
Don’t expect Gilbert to be part of that run game. While Vince Young (2003-05) was a world-class runner and McCoy (2006-09) was a primo scrambler, Gilbert is neither.
“Garrett’s big, he’s about 6-5; he can make people miss him, because he’s quick,” Brown said. “But he’s more likely to throw the ball downfield after he makes you miss, than scramble.”
Big 12 football: Bob Stoops touts O-line
Bob Stoops hasn’t been afraid to temper his enthusiasm about his offensive line in years past. So it was significant Wednesday when Stoops expressed quite a bit of optimism about his blocking wall.
“The way they worked through the winter and through all our conditioning and lifting and strength training, and then the way they competed in the spring,” Stoops said of what has him excited.
“We have, year in and year out, have a fairly good defensive line, and I thought they were toe to toe with them all the time and competed with them well. So the way they finished the year a year ago, I think all of that together gives us an opportunity to be optimistic.”
Senior Cory Brandon, who started seven of 13 games at offensive tackle last season, is not listed on the preseason two-deep depth chart for OU. Stoops said Brandon would be in the mix for playing time, but Brandon’s summer demotion is an indication of a lack of voluntary-workout commitment and OU’s increased depth.
OU lists Donald Stephenson and Eric Mensik as the No. 1 tackles, Stephen Good and Tyler as the No. 1 guards, and Ben Habern at center. The backups are listed as Jarvis Jones and Josh Aladenoye at tackle, Bronson Irwin and Gabe Ikard at guard, and Brian Lepak at center.
“I really believe our offensive line has a chance to be better than what people think,” Stoops said.
Big 12 football: Mack Brown likes Nebraska
If there’s bad blood in the Texas-Nebraska series, it generally flows one way. From north to south. Texas coach Mack Brown will have no talk of venom towards the Huskers.
Nebraska is leaving the Big 12 after this season, and both chancellor Harvey Perlman and Tom Osborne expressed disgust with UT when announcing Nebraska’s departure for the Big Ten. Politics, revenue distribution, conference influence, the controversial Big 12 title game last December, lots of things go into those thoughts.
Now Nebraska is gearing up for hosting Texas on Oct. 16 in a game that has been circled for a long time in Lincoln.
“I really think that’s a compliment to us, very honestly, for a program like Nebraska to be talking about Texas this time of year,” Brown said Wednesday during Big 12 Media Days. “And they should be. They’re good. They’ve gotten back. They’re in the mix on the national scene.
Texas head football coach Mack Brown talks with reporters at Big 12 media day in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
“My only disappointment is that we may never play again unless it just happens, because I love that game. I’ve said many times, and I really mean this, as a young coach growing up in a coaching family, I looked at coaches across the country that I admired and wanted to be like, and Coach Osborne is one of those guys. I’ve enjoyed him. I’ve gone to visit there. I’ve watched Nebraska practice. He helps me in so many ways.”
Brown said much of what he did while on Donnie Duncan’s staff at Iowa State in the early 1980s and Barry Switzer’s staff in 1984, he got from Osborne.
“I can honestly say that if I called Coach Osborne this afternoon and asked for help, he’d give it to me. He’s just a great person and a person I admire a lot. I admire Bo (Pelini, NU’s current coach) a lot. He’s done a tremendous job. I think Bo is very similar to (UT defensive coordinator) Will Muschamp. They’re aggressive. They’ve got a great style of defense. They charge up the kids.”
Brown also spoke glowingly of Nebraska fans’ legendary sportsmanship.
“The highlight of my old sports life in sportsmanship was in ’98, when we played (Nebraska’s) great blackshirt defense. After the game, (Texas’) Ricky Williams gained 150 yards, and we’re out on the field with an ABC interview, and I actually told him to put your helmet on and keep your head down as you’re walking off the field. I’ll never forget that the Nebraska fans gave him a standing ovation and started the chant of ‘Heisman, Heisman, Heisman.’”
Williams won the Heisman that season.
“So I think it’s a great place to play,” Brown said of Lincoln. “There’s a lot of spirit right now between the two schools. There’s none between myself and Coach Osborne, our team and the Nebraska team. We have great respect for them. We look forward to going to play.
“Everybody is talking about Nebraska fans may not give us as good a welcome. I think they will. They’re tremendous fans. I’ve never seen teams that clap for the other team when they leave the field. It’s just an amazing place to me. And we’ve tried to model ourself – our fans in some cases will stand up for the other team as they leave the field, and that was modeled at Nebraska.”
Video: Bob Stoops talks with Berry Tramel
Big 12 football: Missing Folsom Field
Colorado made its likely final appearance at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday. The Buffs are headed to the Pac-10, probably for the 2011 season.
Speaking as someone who will miss Folsom Field, I asked Colorado coach Dan Hawkins if he had developed a scheduling philosophy for the future and if there was a chance CU could play OU or OSU.
Colorado head football coach Dan Hawkins talks with reporters at Big 12 media day in Irving, Texas, on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)
“Well, I certainly love playing both of those teams and both of those guys,” Hawkins said of Bob Stoops and Mike Gundy. “I don’t think anybody really knows right now what that’s going to be. Again, it’s one of our those speculation deals. We haven’t spent a whole lot of time thinking about the what-ifs.
“We’ve spent more time thinking about the concrete things. And for us, it’s the schedule this year and, more importantly, the (Colorado State) Rams in our opener.”
The Buffs are coming off a 3-9 season in which they went 2-6 in the Big 12. Hawkins is 16-33 in four years in Boulder.
Hawkins and his players attended the Rangers-Athletics game on Tuesday night, and Hawkins visited with some Ranger personnel. “I asked them yesterday,” Hawkins said of his team. “What’s been the biggest difference between last year and this year? It’s been just a few little things. They’re rolling. Their club’s on fire, and they’re doing a great job.
“For us, that’s been the whole concept. Let’s look at this thing froom an objective standpoint of what’s really affected the wins and losses. Can we clean this up? Can we be responsible for this?
“So for our team, that’s been the whole focus. So it hasn’t always been so much a rallying as it has been pointing things out and learning and getting better.”
Colorado had better get better, or Dan Hawkins will join me in soon missing Folsom Field.
