Thunder’s Collison hosting charity event
Nick Collison made a trip last year that changed his life.
The Thunder forward and his wife, Robbie, went to Africa last September with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders initiative. Both of the Collisons were deeply affected by what they witnessed in a part of the world where the AIDS epidemic is critical.
They realized they wanted to do something to help those who suffer from the disease.
The Collisons will host the Passion for Fashion AIDS benefit on March 5 at the Chesapeake Boathouse. The event will benefit Guiding Right, Inc., an AIDS charity that works in the Oklahoma City area.
The evening’s activities will be highlighted by a fashion show. The fashion show will feature spring fashions from Oklahoma City boutiques as well as Dallas-based designer Abi Ferrin. De Luxe Parties and Events, an event planning business owned by Robbie Collison, along with Regalia Personal Wardrobe Stylists and Fashion Consultants will coordinate the event.
There will be something for sports fans, too, with raffles and a silent auction that includes Thunder tickets and autographed memorabilia. Those in attendance will also be able to mingle with the Collisons and other members of the Thunder.
Tickets start at $75 with a limited number of VIP tickets available at $150.
For tickets or more information, call (206) 359-2054.
More from The Q&A: Austin Meier
Bull riding might not be as big as, say, football or basketball in the sports hierarchy.
That isn’t for lack of personality in the sport’s stars.
I had a chance to chat with Austin Meier a few days before this weekend’s Professional Bull Riders tour event began at the Ford Center. The Checotah native turned Kinta resident is one bull riding’s rising talents, but despite his winnings, he was as genuine and affable as could be.
You’ll want to check out my Q&A with Meier on Saturday’s Page 2, but before you do, here’s more from my interview:
Jenni Carlson: Whenever I interview bull riders, I always ask what your wife thinks about your profession, but I know your wife is a barrel racer and has been around rodeoing. So, what does she think?
Austin Meier: She worries about it a lot. Just like at Tampa, I had a little wreck. It worries her. She’s everything I could ever ask for. There’s a lot of girls out there that it seems like when things are great, they’re all for it, but when things ain’t, they’re ready to hit the road. I think she seen real quick what bull riding could hold. The first month she was with me, I got my face stepped on and got to get plates and screws put in both sides of my jaw. That was a real test for her, and it showed her true colors to me. Never once did she bat an eye at whether she still wanted to be with me. Like I said, it worries her. She knows it’s dangerous. Since I’ve been with her, there’s been kids who’ve been killed doing it, but she knows that’s what I do for a living and that’s what allows us to have some of the nice things we do. But I know we both look forward to when I get to be home.
JC: You wear a helmet when you ride. That’s a hot-button issue — to wear or not to wear?
AM: My cousin Rusty Patrick was one of the first guys. He started, and then, me seeing him, I sort of wondered about it. I figured, “Well, when I start riding bulls, I’ll put one on.” Well, I started riding and didn’t put one on, then I had a bull run over the top of me and scuff my head up. I put a helmet on, and it’s something that has never bothered me. I played football and baseball, and I was a catcher in baseball, so having a helmet has never bothered me. It’s probably saved my life a few times.
JC: Do you wonder about guys who don’t wear one?
AM: I do. I had a buddy of mine, Ryan McConnel, got hit in the face (last) weekend. It didn’t mess him up, but it dang sure didn’t make him look too pretty. Had he had a helmet on, he wouldn’t have got a concussion, a cut, nothing. It’s times like that, I’m like, “Man, guys, if you all just put helmets on, you wouldn’t have to be getting stitches.”
JC: People will still think of you as tough guys even if you wear helmets.
AM: That’s right.
JC: You’re on a bull in the chute right before they open the gate — what is going through your mind?
AM: Most of the time when it’s go time, it’s just ride the bull. Don’t try to set any plans. Sometimes, it just seems like there’s a real peace over you. Other times, it’s like, “All right, it’s time to step up.” It’s kind of like when I had Big Bucks the first time. He’s a world champion bull. Only two guys had rode him. It’s time like that when you’re revved up and it’s time to bear down and get it done.
JC: So the emotions can really vary?
AM: That doesn’t mean you’re going to ride different or better or worse. That’s just some of the emotions you go through. And sometimes it depends on what music is playing. Or for me it does.
JC: Music? Really?
AM: Generally, I’m pretty calm. You’ll see some guys jumping around, slapping themselves. Most of the time, I’m pretty laid back and calm. Shoot, you might even see me yawn. My grandpa, he asked my dad one of the first big events he had seen me at, he says, “Rex, is he OK? He sure don’t act too revved up.” Dad said, “Yeah, that’s just him.” And I went out there and rode my bull … and he said, “Man, I guess so.”
JC: When you had the U.S. Army as one of your sponsors, didn’t you do some basic training with them?
AM: I never got to do the basic training, but now that I’ve got U.S. Border Patrol as my sponsor, we did get to go down to El Paso and see what it’s all about. They took us and we got to shoot some really cool guns, do some repelling and just really see what they’re every day life is all about. It was an awesome experience. I can’t wait to go down and do it again.
JC: Some really cool guns, heh?
AM: Oh, yeah. It was awesome. They’re guns that I can’t afford, though.
JC: You can’t afford them or justify having them probably.
AM: Exactly.
JC: Did you come to Oklahoma City to watch the bull riding event when you were younger?
AM: Before I actually got into the sport, we were bringing bulls to these events with Dillon & H.D. Page, which are there in Ardmore. I got to see when I was 15 … when really that’s a big growth time for a bull rider, got to see what this life was like and what the big show was. It was neat being able to say we helped to train and maintain one of the premier bulls. And it allowed me to meet a lot of guys. Adriano (Moraes) was one of my good friends and Paulo Crimber.
JC: So, you’re back in the back meeting guys?
AM: For sure. Ross Coleman asked me one time — he was doing an autograph signing — he said, “Austin, you want my autograph?” I said, “No, you’re my buddy. I don’t need your autograph.” And at that time, they were my friends. I’ve known a bunch of them from when I was young. I grew up watching them, grew up with them being my friends, and now I’m here riding them them, now and then taking their money. And they’re taking mine sometimes.
JC: You went from Challengers Tour to Built Ford Tough Series in a couple months. Isn’t that like going from Class A ball to the big leagues?
AM: You know, I would say what it would probably be the equivalent of is a kid straight out of college signs into the minor leagues and as soon as he gets his bat stuck in the minor leagues, he ends up having to take it back out and go to the big leagues. It was sure a blessing and a neat experience, and it was an experience that I was ready for at the time. It’s took me a few years to be healthy enough and mature enough. At this level, my buddy Ryan Dirteater is about the only kid that I’ve seen come in this early and be able to dominate and it not bother him.
JC: Is there a better bull rider name than Ryan Dirteater?
AM: Well, you know, I think it’s like calling a fat man “Tiny.” We used to have a big kid in our school, and we always called him Tiny. So I think they call Dirteater Dirteater because he don’t get to each much dirt. He always lands on his feet and rides good.
JC: People in the bull riding world talk about you as one of the rising young stars. Do you look at yourself that way?
AM: You know, I let that kind of talk go in one ear and out the other. I appreciate that, and I hope that I can be a role model to a lot of little kids and be that rising super star that everybody thinks I am. But I think for the most part, I’m going to keep riding my bulls and keeping my faith up and let the rest take care of itself.
Day named to honor local standout
Who wouldn’t mind having a day named in their honor?
That’s what Kansas State has decided to do for Danielle Zanotti. The former multi-sport standout from Mustang is a senior on the Wildcat women’s basketball, and Sunday when Oklahoma State plays in Manhattan, K-State will be celebrating “Danielle Zanotti Day.”
It couldn’t have happened to a better person.
Four years ago, Zanotti was selected as one of The Oklahoman/Jim Thorpe Scholar-Athletes of the Year. She was not only bright but also giving and caring and just genuinely nice. None of that has changed. Zanotti, a role player for the Wildcats, has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll every year she’s been at K-State. Ditto for being Academic All-Big 12.
No wonder K-State has designated Sunday as her day.
By the way, the school is encouraging residents of the Mustang and Yukon area to attend Sunday’s game. Sure, it would be a bit of a drive, but Zanotti has done her hometown and home state proud.
We should all be glad Zanotti calls herself an Oklahoman.
More from The Q&A: Andrea Riley
Andrea Riley is a basketball star despite being only 5-foot-5.
Or is she a basketball star because of that?
Check out some more Qs and As from The Q&A with the Oklahoma State point guard:
Jenni Carlson: Being 5-foot-5 — you and I are the same height, by the way — what’s the best thing about being that height?
Andrea Riley: I like when everybody tells me, “You’re short, and because you’re short, you can’t do anything.” I love when somebody tells me that. It’s so motivating. That has happened since I was a young girl.
JC: You like the doubters.
AR: I love it. It’s so motivating.
JC: So, the worst thing about being 5-5?
AR: Everybody saying, “You’re so cute because you’re little.” I just hate that. Talking to you like you’re a little kid, I really do not like that.
JC: Now, are you like most college students — do you have all the electronic gadgets and stuff?
AR: I’m not a big game person. They only games I know how to play are “Sonic” and “Mario.” I really don’t spend my money on those. What I really want is a keyboard. I really like playing the piano. I really like learning new songs. I used to have a keyboard, but it broke. That’s my next purchase.
JC: Maybe a concert soon?
AR: Yeah. (Laughs.)
JC: Now, what about cell phones and all that?
AR: Oh, I love to text. I would rather you text me than call me. Sometimes, I really don’t’ feel like talking on the phone, but then I’ll text. My family will be like, “Why did you text? Why didn’t you just answer the phone?” I don’t mean to be rude, but I like texting.
JC: Do you text as fast as you talk?
AR: Oh. (Laughs.) Yeah. My brother’s like that, too. He really talks fast. I think he says gibberish sometimes because you can’t understand what he’s saying.
More from The Q&A: Charlie Johnson
Like millions of Americans, Charlie Johnson will watch the Super Bowl this weekend.
But unlike most of us, he’ll watch it after having played in the game.
The former Oklahoma State Cowboy was only a rookie two years ago when the Indianapolis Colts made the big game. He was a reserve offensive lineman, but when one of the starters was injured, he was called into duty. He played the last three quarters and helped the Colts to victory.
Jenni Carlson: Is watching the Super Bowl different after you’ve played in it?
Charlie Johnson: It gives you a different perspective. You see the things the guys go through during the week, and then you watch the game … and I can watch and say, “I know what he’s feeling. I can understand maybe what’s going through his head.” Seeing all the lights, seeing all the cameras, seeing all that stuff, I can kind of get a perspective on what they’re going through.
Before, I would watch it and root for a team, but now I watch it and it’s kind of bittersweet. I’ve been there. I want to go again. Like this year, with
JC: Did you have a “Welcome to the Super Bowl” moment?
CJ: Probably when we went to our media day. Just the amount of people that were at the media day was unbelievable. I think I heard somewhere that this year they gave out 633 credentials, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was close to that and it may have been more. There are sports people there who work ESPN and all that stuff, but then you see people from “Entertainment Tonight,” “Inside Edition.” You even see guest hosts for “The Jay Leno Show.” You see all these outside people. When you see that, you’re like, “This is big.”
JC: So, those type of folks aren’t usually there after practice on, say, a Tuesday in Indy?
CJ: (Chuckles.) No, you don’t see “E! Entertainment.”
JC: If you ever get back to the Super Bowl, is there anything you would do different?
CJ: Hmm, I don’t know. I’m a creature of habit and kind of superstitious. If something works, I’m going to try to stick to it. If I do something during the week and we win a game, I’m gonna do it the next week. Or if I do something and we lose, I’m not going to do it anymore. It’s easy to say I wouldn’t change anything, but I don’t know.
JC: What are you up to this off-season?
CJ: I’m in Indy. Just taking care of some stuff around the house because me and my wife are expecting the first part of April.
JC: Congrats.
CJ: Yeah, we are getting everything ready.
JC: So, does that mean you’re spending the off-season building a crib and things like that?
CJ: Some what. (Laughs.)
JC: Talk about this past season. Do you feel like you’ve found a permanent home on the offensive line?
CJ: I guess individually (the season) went well. I didn’t have any injuries. I started all 16 games, and then the playoff game. Individually, it went well, but as a whole, it’s disappointing. You feel like you have a team that has a chance … a team that could go all the way and win the championship. And when you lose, it hurts. I took it real hard there for probably about a week to two weeks. This was my first year that I played. I played a lot last year, but there was injury and I didn’t play in the playoffs, but this year, pretty much from camp, I was a starter. I went through a whole year. I put a lot more time in because I knew I was going to be playing a lot, so for the season to end like that … it was tough.
JC: What about next season? Change is on the horizon for the franchise, so have you started to think about what’s next?
CJ: Last year, the preseason was kind of weird. I was going to play one spot, and then, I moved over and I stayed there, but it was kind of back and forth. We’re getting some guys back and healthy that were former starters, so I really don’t know what’s going to happen with me. I would hope that last year proved a point that I can play a whole year and play well. Hopefully, I have a spot, but we’ll see.
Team-wise, I’m going to feel like any other guy and think that we have a good team, we have a good core in place. We’ve won a lot of games for a lot of years now, and I really don’t see that changing. A lot of people are going to say, “New head coach. New routine.” But I really don’t see a lot changing. Even with a new coach, things will probably stay how it’s been. I see us winning a lot of games and hopefully being in contention in January.
New ‘do for Sherri? What’s next?
Sherri Coale might be going through a mid-life crisis.
Not that that’s a bad thing.
Watch my latest video commentary or continue reading below:
The Oklahoma women’s basketball coach showed up at Big 12 media days earlier this week sporting a new ‘do. Her signature curly blond locks are gone, replaced by a straighter, more feathered look.
Frankly, I can believe I’m talking about feathered hair, but we know that many of you are. Some of you miss the curls. Some of you love the new look.
Coale knows how all of you feel.
“I can’t decide,” she said, when asked about changing styles.
There’s reason to believe this might be part of a permanent change. You see, I’m buying into the mid-life-crisis theory. The reason? A story that Sooner point guard Danielle Robinson told a couple days ago at Big 12 media day.
Apparently, the Sooners had a throw-back day last season. Everyone wore their high school gear or some sort of old-school apparel to practice one day. There were short shorts and polyester and headbands.
Suddenly, the players looked up and coming down the stairs into the practice gym was Coale. She was wearing her uniform from her college days at Oklahoma Christian.
She last wore that uniform in the mid 80s.
Needless to say, it was short and tight, but she still got it on.
So, maybe this changing hairstyle should come as no surprise.
No word on whether Coale is driving a convertible or planning long vacations these days, but hey, if the 43-year-young coach is having a mid-life crisis, I say live it up. Go for the gusto. Wear the shorts. Embrace the fun.
Heck, go ahead and change the hair. Talk about living on the wild side.
Blast from the basketball past
Receiving a letter in the mail has become a thing of the past, so when one comes my way, it feels like I’ve been given a little gift.
And when a particularly great letter comes my way, well, it feels like a grand surprise.
Such was the feeling earlier this week when I received an envelope with my name scrolled on the front and a Portland, OR, postal mark. I opened it to find a letter sparked by an interview that I did several weeks ago with the former Harlem Globetrotter Hubert “Geese” Ausbie.
It was too good to keep to myself:
When Hubert was in high school in Crescent, Oklahoma — about 1954 or so — I was the basketball coach at Mulhall High School, which is about 15 miles or so from Crescent. We had a reasonably good team — won-lost 19-9 — and this was the first year that the all-black schools of Oklahoma were allowed to compete in the playoffs at the end of the season.
As it turned out, Mulhall and Crescent were placed in the same district tournament held in Guthrie, and both advance to the finals. We had won our first two games rather handily, and Crescent had overwhelmed both their opponents by scores such as 100-20 and 120-55.
After our game in the semifinals, which we won, the boys on the team and I were in a restaurant in Guthrie, and one of the fellows asked, “Hey, coach, do you think we can hold Hubert down?” I remarked, “I can tell you one thing, boys. Hubert will not score 60 points and Crescent will not score a hundred. We’ll just play our game. We’ll be all right.” We finished our burgers and went on home.
The game began, and Hubert scored at will. Everything he threw toward the basket seemed to be on radar. The score at the end of the first quarter was 25-3, halftime was 56-9, and it never got any better.
Sure enough, Hubert didn’t score 60 that night. He scored 72.
And sure enough, Crescent didn’t score a hundred. They scored 111.
What an exhibition of shooting we saw that night. … Thank you for helping me remember Hubert “Geese” Ausbie.
Phil Carrier
Actually, Coach Carrier, I think we’re the ones who should be thanking you for sharing your memories and writing this letter.
QB change with a local flair
Our beloved website, NewsOK.com, had a headline that caught my eye Wednesday afternoon.
“Can Frerotte save Adrian Peterson’s season?” it read.
Watch my latest video commentary or continue reading below:
Apparently, the Minnesota Vikings have decided that Tarvaris Jackson isn’t the answer at quarterback. Of course, they were the only ones who hadn’t come to that conclusion, but finally, they decided to replace him with Gus Frerotte.
That makes this story bigger than big for our fair state. Frerotte is a former Tulsa star, and he’ll be handing off lots to Adrian Peterson, the former Oklahoma standout who is now the Vikings tailback.
The truth is, though, neither Frerotte nor Peterson is the local who is cheering this decision most. Kevin Williams is the one doing cartwheels from one end of the Twin Cities to the other. The former Oklahoma State defensive tackle anchors the Minnesota defense, and no one has seen the bad end of the Tarvaris Jackson experiment more than Williams.
The Vikings have a defense, after all, built to win a bunch of games. They went out and got defensive end Jared Allen in the off-season, and that strengthened an already stout defense. But after two games, the Vikings are winless despite two solid defensive performances.
Minnesota held Green Bay to only 24 points in the season opener but still lost.
Then, last weekend, the Vikings kept the Colts in shackles. Peyton Manning and Co. managed only 18 points, but Minnesota still lost.
Sure, those close calls are tough on everyone, but for a defense that is producing, the frustration rises to a whole other level.
So when Minnesota decided to change quarterbacks, the first person I thought of wasn’t Adrian Peterson or even the guy who will now be taking the snaps, Gus Frerotte. No, Kevin Williams came to mind first. He deserves better than he’s been receiving.
With apologies to my friends who write headlines for our website, the quarterback change in Minnesota wasn’t about saving Adrian Peterson’s season. It was more about saving Kevin Williams’ season — and maybe his sanity.
Love me some gymnastics
Stayed up last night to watch the U.S. men’s gymnastics team try to pull off the upset of the Olympics.
I suspect I wasn’t alone.
I know at least a few other folks were awake watching former Oklahoma star Jonathan Horton and the rest of the Americans in Beijing. I spent the evening at a watch party in Norman.
The watchers: the OU gymnastics teams.
I’m sure it was louder at the arena in Beijing, but I’m not sure how it could have been.
The current and former Sooners went nuts every time Horton hit a routine or stuck a landing, and last night, that meant they were going crazy pretty much all the time. The 22-year-old from Houston was on. He stuck landings on big routines four consecutive times, and for a time, the Americans looked like they might just win the silver medal.
No one thought it possible without the Hamm twins.
Horton almost made it so.
I’ll have more about Horton as well as his biggest supporters back in Norman a little later this morning on NewsOK.com. Check back later this morning for an early web exclusive.
More from The Q&A: Danica Patrick
What could be better than Danica Patrick in “The Q&A”?
How about Danica Patrick talking about pedicures in “The Q&A”?
Here’s the uncut version of my conversation with the IndyCar star:
Jenni Carlson: Fess up — how sick were you of the all the no-wins talk before this season?
Danica Patrick: On a scale of one to 10, I was an 11. But what am I going to do about it? It’s not like I could push a button and make it happen, so I definitely had to ride that out. You just have to know what you can do. You have to believe in your own abilities. Then, the rest of it is just talk.
JC: You got kind of emotional after you scored that first win earlier this season in Japan.
DP: It was necessarily just from winning a race; that’s the sort of thing I expect to do. But I don’t want to cry. You don’t see guys going to victory lane and crying, but I don’t think many people have had to deal with the sort of questions, the repetitive questions. The emotion was really tied to how long that haul was to get there and not just for the win but because of what the win meant and what led up to it.
JC: Do you feel like you’ve faced more scrutiny because of your gender?
DP: You know, the microscope is a little bit bigger. You do well, people notice, and when you don’t do well, people notice. I was always so flattered that people kept asking me when I was going to win. I was frustrated, don’t get me wrong, but the bright side I saw to it was that the still believed I could or they wouldn’t be asking.
JC: Who are the people you think about in those moments after getting that checkered flag on your first win?
DP: The most common denominator in everything has always been my family, so you think about them and you think about how long the haul was. Then you think about your team and how much faith they’ve had in you. I remember seeing Mike (Andretti) afterwards, and he looked like he had a little tear in his eye. I know that’s something he really wanted to happen. He believed in his team, and he believed in me, and he thought, “You put those two together, and we will make some history. We will get to victory lane.” To see that follow through, to see that come true, it was a rewarding feeling.
JC: Tell me about your role models, those people who you looked up to along the way.
DP: I didn’t really have idols or anything like that. I had people that I learned from, but I think always subconsciously I knew I was different. I always wanted to be the first Danica, not the next whoever else. I never really wanted to be like anybody else. I wanted to achieve a lot as some people had, but I just never really had a mold for what I wanted.
JC: It’s interesting because a lot of people now point to you as a role model.
DP: It’s very flattering. The first thought that comes to my head is, “Want to be better than me. You need to want to be the best. You need to want to be better than everyone else.” Sometimes, kids have been like, “I want to be like you.” I’m like, “You want to be better than me, don’t you?” As much as I don’t want to be outdone, I want people to believe they can be the best. That’s how you’re going to follow through with it. That’s how you’re going to get there. When I say to these kids, “Dream big,” I really mean that. I even ask my friends … “If you could do anything in your life, what would you do? Then, try to do it.”
JC: Are you any more mindful of little girls when it comes to being a role model?
DP: They’re so impressionable. They’re so raw. They’ll sit next to you, and they’ll be like, “You’re pretty.” They’re like, “You’re short.” They’re just so innocent and real, and so if you are unable to sign something for them or don’t take the time, they’re going to remember that possibly their favorite driver didn’t have time for them. If I’m really busy, I’ll only sign for the kids.
JC: I was looking at your website. The first photo is you, racing helmet, blue dress, black nails. I gotta ask — are you a girlie girl?
DP: (Laughs.) I’m really pretty feminine. I enjoy being a girl. I like to go get my nails done. I like to go shopping and dress up. I do enjoy all that. My favorite part of a photo shoot is hair and makeup. I think that’s a fun part about me and probably an unexpected part. In the race car, I’m very tough and moody, and I don’t wear makeup and I don’t care, and my hair’s all over the place. It’s just not what matters. But when I go away from the car … I’m still that same tough person, but I look out for my friends and I’m always having the newest fashions. That side of me is pretty different.
JC: Gotta tell you, best part of the pedicure is the foot massage.
DP: I like when they scrub my feet. I work them to death. They need a little bit of tough love.
JC: Being a celeb, you get a leg up on the sales at the stores and the deals, right?
DP: You would think that, but not so much.
JC: No?
DP: Pretty much every outfit except for one or two things that I’ve worn on TV have been from my own closet, bought at full-price. I know what looks good on me, and I’m very picky with my clothes.
JC: We need to get someone to work with you, though, on that discount celebrity thing, don’t we?
DP: I’m lucky enough that I do get sent certain things. But normally … I’m on the road. For me to get a box of clothes the week before is impossible. I have to stockpile dresses. My husband is like, “How many dresses do you need?” I need ‘em when I need ‘em. When you want one, you can’t find one.
JC: Last question — you said earlier that you ask your friends, “If you could do anything, what would you do?” So let me ask you, if you could do anything, what would you do?
DP: At the moment, win races, win championships, be dominant. I would love to be in that position. I’d love to be doing what Scott Dixon’s doing right now. But in the long-term, I’d love to have some sort of a clothing line and go to fashion week all over the world and have a hand in designing. And I’d love to own a winery. That would be a lot of fun.
JC: You are a girlie girl.
DP: Yeah, well, like I said, you’ve gotta dream big, right?
