Pat Jones, Doug Gottlieb discuss Mike Gundy’s tirade

 Pat Jones and Doug Gottlieb have strong ties with Oklahoma State University and both are media members. Jones, a former OSU football coach, works as a commentator for the Sports Animal radio network and Fox Sports Net Southwest. He recently released a book. “Tales from Oklahoma State Football.” Gottlieb, a former point guard at OSU, is a basketball analyst with ESPN and hosts his own show, “The Pulse with Doug Gottlieb,” 6 to 9 p.m. on ESPN Radio, which is carried on Jox 930. He also regularly returns to Stillwater to host a pregame show at Eskimo Joes for OSU home games (“Jox at Joes”). I talked with them Monday to get their thoughts on Mike Gundy’s tirade Saturday in response to Jenni Carlson’s column in The Oklahoman about OSU quarterback Bobby Reid.

Jones said he thought the matter should have been handled privately.

“I think he could have handled it differently. If he had a problem with a respective writer, he could have done his regular postgame stuff and then said, ‘Jenni, I’d like to see you over here,’ and then go in a back room and discuss it. If I have an issue with a media person, I try to take it up with them privately. I think I understand what he was trying to do in protecting his player.”

As far as questions with accuracy in the column, Jones said Gundy should be specific in what was inaccurate. “I think if you’re going to discuss the accuracy of the column, he or one of his assistants should go through and explain what it is they have an issue with.”

Jones said the column could have national ramifications, noting a couple of stories, including Dennis Dodds’ story on CBSSportsline.com that said Gundy should be reprimanded or suspended by the Big 12 or the university.

Gottlieb also said Gundy should explain what was inaccurate in Carlson’s column.

“The problem with it was the way Mike went after her. He has every right to protect his player. But even when pressed today about the 75 percent that was wrong in the column, what exactly what was wrong? If you have an issue with it, say here are my issues with it.”

“I do understand what he is saying is that we tear down kids who do the right thing, but we should be after kids who do the wrong thing. That said, unless he is clear and totally honest in what decisions he is making, it allows for speculation. That’s what her piece was kind of. If it’s a column based on her opinion, then that’s how it should be stated. It was kind of mixture of reporting, column, not really a feature. It was kind of a mixture piece. That’s where she got in a little bit of trouble. You need to be very careful, whether she meant it or not, in the chicken thing. I think you’re exceptionally sensitive when it’s a black athlete. I really do. She’s trying to draw an inference that he is a bit of a mamma’s boy. Here is a 21-year-old that needs to be coddled. I get that. This is something that she saw. I think you need to be very careful about it.

“Gundy, how do you not at least talk about the game? And people have done this to me before and say, I don’t read the paper, but this is brought to my attention and I think everybody should read it. Don’t give me you don’t read the paper. … Of course, you read the paper.”

Gottlieb took issue with Gundy’s comments about holding off on criticizing college athletes.

“Can you criticize a college athlete? If that’s the question, I say absolutely. He’s 21. He’s not Sam Bradford or some other freshman. Bobby Reid has been through it. Bobby Reid is a grown man. He’s an amateur athlete. Don’t tell me we’re not supposed to critique and criticize a kid when no one shies away from heaping praise on signing a kid because of how highly touted he is coming out of high school. To me, that’s having it both ways and that’s not fair to the media.

“I think it’s obvious that any voice of the fan, they’re going to support him.

“How does the local media handle Mike Gundy after this? Do they shy away from writing critical columns, for example, if the Cowboys lose their next two Big 12 games because they are worried about him going off on them? I do think that he made a lot of good points. I think he believed he was winning back his locker room. I was up in Stillwater throughout the weekend. There’s a lot of talk that there was a Bobby Reid contingent in that locker room and definitely in the parents’ section. I think he was trying to win them back and I think he probably succeeded. The only thing is he always has been well respected in Oklahoma and his family has been well respected. Will he be treated with kid gloves because of this? Will he be treated like anyone else because of this or will he be treated more harshly because of this. I think that’s the next part of the story?”

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