Dave Morris NewsOK.com Blogging Community

Apologies to Bill O’Reilly for the inspiration.

If you don’t know what I mean, click here (language NSFW).

My video crew and I laugh about it everytime we go live, mostly because we know how off the rails it could go at any moment.

NewsOK does 6-8 live streams a week: the daily energy update on CleanSkies.tv at 2 pm, the sports segment “Press Row” on Thursdays at 11:30 am, and each at OU home game, a segment called “The Oklahoman’s Pre-Game Show.”

This past Saturday, Campus Corner was a little more pumped than usual. Maybe it was the best football weather imaginable, or the combined enthusiasm of the Nebraska fans who stayed to watch and participate.

Thousands of people pack Campus Corner on game days to watch the Sports Animal’s always good pre-game show, to drink a few beers and to eat and browse the local merchants. This weekend was no exception. And the weather was really great, if not a little warm.

We set up at the corner of Boyd and Asp, between the Starbucks and Louie’s. We stream live on NewsOK.com, thanks to the Internet access from Barrett Williamson Architects, located just above Starbucks. Yes, Barrett tosses us a lengthy ethernet cable that we use to connect to the Internet to stream. That’s how you do live on a budget, people.

From the stage I use the AT&T wifi from Starbucks, $3.99 for a two hour window. I monitor the chat room and field the questions for Berry Tramel and Jake Trotter, who usually sit alongside to talk about that day’s Sooner football game.

We use one of our field cams to shoot, connecting to a Sony converter box. A small PC laptop with Adobe flash encoder. And my MacBook Pro with CoverItLive.com’s software to make it happen. David Jones shoots and directs. Brad Belyeu mans the live stream and set up of the software. Often, Mike Koehler is somewhere in cyberspace regulating the live chat. Probably while multitasking five other duties.

We have more live coverage planned Tuesday night to cover the elections. We’ll go live at 7, 8, 9 and 10 pm at the top of the hour for 10-15 minutes. Thanks to our friends at Saxum PR, we have guests to provide analysis, including Renzi Stone himself. Ed Kelley and Angi Bruss will join me in the studio to provide updates from The Oklahoman’s newsroom and field reporters. We’ll have live updates from the DC Boys - Chris Casteel and Mark Green - in Washington DC. And we’ll try to go live via iChat with our videographers from the watch parties. Should be fun.

We managed to crank out 13 videos today from the OPUBCO Studios crew, including nine in the studio. Topics ranged from sports (go figure) to politics to energy. Our energy segment is doing very well in video traffic. That surprises me. Perhaps it’s a demo that’s been untapped. It routinely ranks in our top five or top ten of videos each day. Usually that’s reserved for sports and breaking news.

And bull elk fights.

Seriously, the bull elk video that was submitted by someone back in January ranked among our highest viewed video for months.

Tomorrow we’ll tackle wake boarding at the Oklahoma River. Tanner has already conquered this once. And we’ll cover the NBA team name being unveiled, announced and promoted. That’s a pretty big deal. I think Angi is getting a hair cut too. And somewhere in there we’ll interview former mayor Kirk Humphreys for an upcoming video/print piece.

Three things you should know about the upcoming OU football season and the OSU basketball court.

Here are 3 Things You Should Know Today... Actually, about five or six...

Clem McSpadden, whose career ranged from public service to rodeo announcing, was praised by former and present political leaders Tuesday as a committed public servant who loved Oklahoma. McSpadden passed away Monday at age 82 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

His friend and Oklahoman columnist Bryan Painter has a good story and video that you can read and watch online at NewsOK.com and in The Oklahoman.

The Oklahoman's Heather Warlick reports The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato rocked The Ford Center in Oklahoma City Tuesday night on the fourth stop of their summer-long "Burnin' Up" tour. Warlick's daughter Amber Gillmore writes today's favorable review you can find on NewsOK.

The Britton Road Starbucks in Oklahoma City, open less than a year, is closing in August. It's one of 600 Starbucks coffee shops nationwide that the coffee giant is closing in a purge of unprofitable stores. The young people working behind the coffee bar at the Britton Road store told The Oklahoman's Jim Stafford that a dozen Oklahoma Starbucks have been marked for closing. Read Stafford's report in today's business section.

Berry Tramel may fire up some people with his column today. Tramel asks "Who's No. 1: OU football or the NBA?" and ranks OU no. 1, followed by the NBA, OSU football, OSU men's hoops and high school football.

Your OKC forecast: expect highs around 90. There is a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms.

Lots to read online at NewsOK.com or in today's Oklahoman. Have a good one, stay with NewsOK for the latest news and information.

Jack Mildren, who quarterbacked the Oklahoma Sooners to great glory and then became the state's lieutenant governor, died Thursday night after a bout with cancer. He was 58.

The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel reports Mildren was diagnosed two years ago with cancer but had continued to serve as a vice chairman for Arvest Bank and host a daily sports radio show on WKY 930-AM.

Here are 3 Things You Should Know about Jack Mildren.

1. Mildren was considered by many the greatest quarterback in OU history. The godfather of the wishbone. He arrived in 1968 out of Cooper High School in Abilene, Texas, as one of the most ballyhooed Sooner recruits ever.

As a sophomore, Mildren set passing records. As a junior in 1970, when the Sooners got off to a struggling start, coach Chuck Fairbanks switched to the wishbone offense in mid-season, and history was made. Mildren was a natural for the option offense and made All-American in 1971, when OU set NCAA rushing records and ignited a nearly 20-year dynasty.

Be sure to read more Berry Tramel in today's editions of The Oklahoman and online at NewsOK, about Jack Mildren. "There will be no more tomorrows for Jack Mildren. But his yesterdays will live forever on this side of the river"

2. Mildren was elected lieutenant governor in 1990. The Oklahoman's John Greiner reports Mildren came into politics directly from a very successful career in the oil business in 1990 when he was elected lieutenant governor. Mildren ran for governor in 1994 as the Democratic Party nominee. He lost that election to Republican Frank Keating.

3. You can read quotes from many of Mildren's friends online at NewsOK. You can also sign a virtual guest book. Here's a few excerpts from those who already have:

Keith Nichol is going home. The former Oklahoma quarterback announced Tuesday that he is transferring to Michigan State, an hour's drive away from where he attended high school.

Tonight, David Cook will find out if he's the next American Idol. Cook, who spent time working and playing in Tulsa, is in the final two vs. David Archuleta. Simon Cowell said in last night's part one of the two part finale that Archuleta was the knockout winner.

Kristi Yamaguchi was named the new "Dancing" champ on the show's season finale, becoming the first woman to win the ABC dance-off since its inaugural season. The figure skater came into the final contest Tuesday with a perfect score and bested fan favorites Jason Taylor and Cristian de la Fuente to claim the mirrorball trophy.

It was the heat of Bricktown this afternoon as Angi and I shot a quick preview of the Big 12 Baseball tournament. Our coverage all week brought to you by Randy Bowen Chevrolet.

AT&T Bricktown Ballpark entertained over 33,000 fans this past weekend for Bedlam Baseball. This week it’s the Big 12 baseball tournament, beginning Wednesday and running through Sunday.

OSU won its final 6 conference series and is the No. 2 seed. The Cowboys face No. 7 seed Kansas State on Wednesday at 7:30 pm.

OU is the No. 8 seed, sneaking into the tournament by beating OSU on Sunday. The Sooners play No. 1 seed Texas A&M on Wednesday at 12:30 pm. A&M has lost five straight games coming into the tournament.

Tickets are on sale. Call 218-1000 or go to ticketreturn.com.

Single session prices are
- $44 for club level;
- $27 for field box;
- $20 for terrace reserved;
- $16 for field bleacher or
- $13 general admission.

All session prices are
- $232 for club level,
- $127 for field box.
- $92 for terrace reserved.

We will have complete coverage in The Oklahoman and online at NewsOK.com all week from the Big 12 baseball tournament, including analysis from The Oklahoman’s reporters. And you’ll find exclusive video online at NewsOK.tv, all brought to you by Randy Bowen Chevrolet.