So I've been away for about 4 days, busy moving. Knew there was a scrimmage this weekend and that one of the top QBs in the country had visited at midweek.
I expected to come here and not only find news from the Crimson Corner staff (which there was) but also a ton of feedback from posters. Really quite amazing that there are so few posts about OU football by anyone. Just go down the board and check out how few new posts there are and also, how relatively few posts there are on the scrimmage. Wow. But it's not just here, it's like this on every OU board.
What gives? What's happened? I'll throw out my thoughts.
First, fans have grown tired of high expectations and disappointing results on the field. Losing 5 games last year when OU was a preseason top 4 has left the Sooner Nation totally apathetic. Really, beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl has been the lone highlight for a long, long time now. Sure, that's one reason. But, I think it really goes beyond that.
Spring football at Oklahoma used to be something many fans looked forward to, some even made plans to see scrimmages or a practice or two in addition to the Spring game itself. It was exciting to soak up some sun, see the players and coaches working hard, while dreaming about the fall. It kept up your interest in OU football pretty much year round. .Now, out of sight, out of mind -- people move on. Their minds aren't on OU football, it's on the suddenly extra day light and warmer weather, getting out, with their families, children. Sadly, many used to include their family activities around OU football in the Spring. That's gone now. Sure, they'll come back in the fall, but the end result is an erosion on many levels (when it comes to Sooner football).
So what truly is Oklahoma gaining by closing everything down? And beyond closing practices, not giving stats, not having coaches or players available, how has that secrecy helped OU on the field or off the field? What's the net gain of existing in such a paranoid world? Is it helping win games? Is it? I saw Mark Andrews' brother post that Mark had 2 long TDs and then change it to say he had a good day. Was he afraid he'd get Mark in trouble for handing out too much information? I can remember the days -- yes Bob Stoops was the head coach -- when I'd take my family out to Sooner media day, take pictures of the players and coaches and have a blast. I have some amazing photos of my children with their arms around Nate Hybl and Jason White. We ran around the lawn and as I was driving back home, I remember thinking how much fun everyone had. And guess what? Not only did OU football make you feel like part of a family and community, but those were also the days of Bob Stoops biggest successes ON the field.
Come on Oklahoma Sooners. Tear down the wall. Make us feel welcome again. We might not be so on edge during games, we might be much more understanding because we feel more part of the process. We're all in this together. Oklahoma University football needs fans as much as the fans need OU football and offer their devotion and allegiance to the school. It runs both ways and there needs to be a balance of giving and taking and most significantly, sharing.
More important than winning, is feeling like you're wanted.
This post was edited on 3/30 2:38 AM by JohnnyStrikesUptheBand
I expected to come here and not only find news from the Crimson Corner staff (which there was) but also a ton of feedback from posters. Really quite amazing that there are so few posts about OU football by anyone. Just go down the board and check out how few new posts there are and also, how relatively few posts there are on the scrimmage. Wow. But it's not just here, it's like this on every OU board.
What gives? What's happened? I'll throw out my thoughts.
First, fans have grown tired of high expectations and disappointing results on the field. Losing 5 games last year when OU was a preseason top 4 has left the Sooner Nation totally apathetic. Really, beating Alabama in the Sugar Bowl has been the lone highlight for a long, long time now. Sure, that's one reason. But, I think it really goes beyond that.
Spring football at Oklahoma used to be something many fans looked forward to, some even made plans to see scrimmages or a practice or two in addition to the Spring game itself. It was exciting to soak up some sun, see the players and coaches working hard, while dreaming about the fall. It kept up your interest in OU football pretty much year round. .Now, out of sight, out of mind -- people move on. Their minds aren't on OU football, it's on the suddenly extra day light and warmer weather, getting out, with their families, children. Sadly, many used to include their family activities around OU football in the Spring. That's gone now. Sure, they'll come back in the fall, but the end result is an erosion on many levels (when it comes to Sooner football).
So what truly is Oklahoma gaining by closing everything down? And beyond closing practices, not giving stats, not having coaches or players available, how has that secrecy helped OU on the field or off the field? What's the net gain of existing in such a paranoid world? Is it helping win games? Is it? I saw Mark Andrews' brother post that Mark had 2 long TDs and then change it to say he had a good day. Was he afraid he'd get Mark in trouble for handing out too much information? I can remember the days -- yes Bob Stoops was the head coach -- when I'd take my family out to Sooner media day, take pictures of the players and coaches and have a blast. I have some amazing photos of my children with their arms around Nate Hybl and Jason White. We ran around the lawn and as I was driving back home, I remember thinking how much fun everyone had. And guess what? Not only did OU football make you feel like part of a family and community, but those were also the days of Bob Stoops biggest successes ON the field.
Come on Oklahoma Sooners. Tear down the wall. Make us feel welcome again. We might not be so on edge during games, we might be much more understanding because we feel more part of the process. We're all in this together. Oklahoma University football needs fans as much as the fans need OU football and offer their devotion and allegiance to the school. It runs both ways and there needs to be a balance of giving and taking and most significantly, sharing.
More important than winning, is feeling like you're wanted.
This post was edited on 3/30 2:38 AM by JohnnyStrikesUptheBand
