KNICKS SAY SKIRVIN HOTEL HAUNTED
From the New York Daily News (online version):
OKLAHOMA CITY – TheKnicks were afraid, very afraid. And it had nothing to do with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For two days, several players had trouble sleeping because they were convinced that their downtown hotel is haunted.
“I definitely believe it,” Jared Jeffries said. “The place is haunted. It’s scary.”
Eddy Curry claims he slept for only two hours Sunday night because he couldn’t stop thinking about ghosts roaming the hotel.
For years, guests staying at the Skirvin Hilton have reported ghost sightings and strange noises. Legend has it that sometime in the 1930s, a woman jumped to her death while holding her baby in her hands.
“They said it happened on the 10th floor and I’m the only one staying on the 10th floor,” Curry said. “That’s why I spent most of my time in (Nate Robinson‘s) room. I definitely believe there are ghosts in that hotel.”
Assistant coach Herb Williams teased Jeffries and Curry for believing that the Skirvin is haunted, but Curry wasn’t laughing.
“There are too many stories,” Curry said. “Something is going on there.” [END]
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UPDATE
[excerpt from 1-2-13 John Rhode piece]
The haunts of the Skirvin are alive with this offering from Suns beat writer Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic:
“The legend of the Skirvin Hilton Hotel being haunted has grown ever since the NBA moved to Oklahoma City and visiting teams began staying at the 101-year-old hotel. The list of ghost sightings and tales of strange noises has grown with NBA players who have become believers. On Sunday night, two Suns players swore to odd incidents. One said he woke to a few inches of water in his bathtub behind an open bathroom door that he closed. Another said he awoke to a bathroom sink running with both faucets on.”
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Gimme an ever-loving break. Is this all it takes to get into the heads of one of professional sports’ most storied franchises? Let’s look at some key statements:
* “…they were convinced that their downtown hotel is haunted.” With what evidence?
* “I definitely believe it” (Jared Jeffries)–based on what?
* “I definitely believe there are ghosts in that hotel” (Eddie Curry)–what happened?
Then the truth comes out. “There are too many stories” (Eddie Curry). Oh, so the legend, stories, and suggestion have convinced Eddie that the Skirvin Hotel is haunted. That’s how it happens for almost everyone, Eddie. I hope all NBA visiting teams stay at the Skirvin and feel the exact same way. If that happens, look for the Thunder to have come up with the perfect prescription to win an NBA championship. With this formula, the Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Cavs, and all the rest, don’t stand a chance. File this one under “GIMME A BREAK.”
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Comments
I must have missed it. I stayed at the Skirvin Hotel for a week (meeting) May 10-14th, and never saw anything resembling a ghost or anything else supernatural. The Skirvin was a lovely hotel.
Haha, great post, but the suggestion is laughable. On three occasions i’ve stayed at Chillingham castle, Northumberland, England. Claimed to be the most haunted castle in the whole of the UK. I never saw anything on any occasion that would suggest ghosts exist.
Nonsense, make a trip to the The Lad in the Lane pub near Birmingham and you will see exactly what I mean. You can Google it and read all about it! Scary stuff :s
If I was a ghost haunting somebody, I would haunt someone in my family who did something to me that got me really really angry. Like arresting me in the year 1999 and putting me in a hospital. I would forever whisper in that person’s ear 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99
Ghost don’t exist! Noone has ever caught anything substantial on camera. Until I see something, i’ll continue to be a sceptic.
I am at the skirvin right now…decided after my bath to look up and see if it is haunted…i was in the bathroom and felt like i wasnt the only one in there…after my bath i was touched on my back, no it wasnt my imagination…i know what i felt…there is definitely something here
Bonnie,
1. Did you know about this blog before you checked into the Skirvin?
2. Were you a believer in ghosts before today?
3. I don’t feel different when someone’s in the room with me or not. How does it feel different?
4. Let’s be clear about this: did you feel something on your back or were you “touched” on your back?
I’m not sure if I believe in ghostly rooms or hotels or whatever.
Anyhow,here’s a rather provocative and hilarious article my friend wrote about Ghost Hunting:
http://thingsthatshouldntstillexist.wordpress.com/2010/09/22/01-ghost-hunters/
For anyone who has seen this haunt: Make sure that they never stay at the Biltmore in Clearwater Florida – if there stay had anything to do with their game – they might not even score after a Biltmore night!
Great website. Do you mind if we share some of your information on our blog networks? We love sharing info to our large audience and found your site to have some great articles and info. Thanks
For the time being, I will need to decline your request to “share information” with your audience–I tried to contact you via the email address you left but my email was returned because “USER NOT FOUND.” So, you’ll need to make your request to me again but this time leave a valid email address for me to reply. I don’t want to do this kind of business on the blog itself.
This story is too funny!
I use to work at the Skirvin Hotel years ago before the latest restoration. I too heard about the creepy stories as I’m sure played a role in my own experience while working as a busboy. I recently told my story to my wife and kids as I’m sure every time I have told it the story seems even more believable and scary.
I recall being told to go up to the storage floor and bring down more chairs in the elevator. The storage was on the 13th floor. To be honest I really don’t remember what floor the storage on was however the 13th sounds creepier. When I reached the floor I blocked the elevator with a service cart so I could make a quick exit after grabbing the chairs I needed. The storage area was dim and a bit scary looking just like in the movies. While grabbing chairs away from the elevator I heard noises followed by loud bagging. I was terrified as the elevator closed and left me trapped. To my surprise nothing happened. I pressed the elevator button and I caught the next one going down. My experience while waiting on the elevator for those few minutes has changed over the years.
I’m not saying I believe in ghost. However, my experience at the time was real in my own mind. Human nature I suppose.
It’s interesting how you heard noises while working at the Skirvin and I heard nothing when I walked through the hotel when nobody was present….hmmm……….
Alright, so when it comes to the topic of ghosts I am cautious but open. I have stayed at the Skirvin and experienced nothing, but this does not mean nothing happened. Obviously, I have no way of knowing. What I will say is this; when I was younger I lived in an old plantation house in Virginia. While living there I (and many others) saw things I could not explain. Things that defied the laws of physics and all common logic. I entered that situation as a skeptic and left it a skeptic with a more open mind toward the topic of “ghosts”. I hate that we attempt to define something inexplicable by associating paranormal (in the true sense – i.e. outside of the normal) activities like this as being to do with the dead inherently, but there are many things in life we cannot explain or comprehend. String theory tells us that we are one in a multitude of dimensions, all containing their own realities. Could there be cross over? How the hell should I know? All I know is that inanimate objects don’t normally move around on their own and foot steps, voices, and people shaped (and quasi defined) ‘mists’ are not normal. I know what I experienced and there is still not really a way to explain it. I also know that the family who moved in to the home after us stayed for about two months and left because they couldn’t take “living with ghosts” anymore. All in all, I would say that while ghosts at the skirvin seems unlikely vis a vis reason, the notion is nonetheless plausible. There are reasons people have come up with the term “ghost”. It is to explain activity that occurs but cannot be explained rationally. I will continue to move forward with caution (as a skeptic should), but remain disinclined to throw away an idea because I have not experienced it. This is one thing I have most definitely experienced. Just not at the Skirvin.
Whether or not there are ghosts in that hotel there are other hotels to stay in. If you dont believe in ghosts then stay there if you do go another place rather than complain. Basketball millionaires whine too much when they have so much money. And I agree they have to complain because they arent playing to their potential.
if I played as poorly as they did, I’d probably find something else to blame it on too.