Oklahoma City’s first major-league sports franchise plays its very first game Wednesday.
OK, OK, so it’s an exhibition, but still, it’s a game.
Crazy thing is, that isn’t the buzz. Not even close.
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That, my friends, is how big this week is for sports in Oklahoma. Even the Cliff’s Notes version is impressive. Oklahoma v. Texas. Oklahoma State at Missouri. Tulsa goes for 6-0. And oh, yeah, those Thunder guys open exhibition play.
Who has it any better than that?
No one, that’s who.
These are the headiest of days for college football in a state that has a storied gridiron history. All three Division I-A teams in the state are undefeated. Oklahoma is ranked No. 1 in the land. Oklahoma State is ranked 17th, its highest poll position in quite some time. And Tulsa should be ranked after blowing out its first five opponents.
Then, there are the opponents this week. OU faces Texas in a game that’s always intense. But with both ranked in the top five, stoking national championship dreams and trotting out Heisman Trophy candidate quarterbacks, the stakes are as high as they’ve ever been. OSU goes to Missouri to face the third-ranked Tigers. It’s a showdown of high-powered offenses. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin in the gold, Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter in the orange. The game could end around sunrise. We’ll try to get something into your Sunday paper about it.
Those couldn’t be any two better match-ups. And as if the football gods hadn’t blessed us enough, they made sure that the games were far enough apart for folks to watch both. OU-Texas kicks off at 11 a.m. while OSU-Missouri goes at 7 p.m. Even fans who are attending either game will have a chance to see the other on TV.
It should make for a beautiful, wonderful week. After all, everyone is going to spend these next few days thinking about these game, talking about these games, wondering about these games. And if the games actually live up to all the hype, well, then, all the better.
And, of course, there’s the Thunder. Remember those guys? They have their first exhibition game Wednesday, then play again Friday and Saturday.
So, my fellow sports fans, enjoy the week.
How could you not?