Blake's Brain pt 2

I think Willie might have a concussion too.

Blake's Brain

If Blake is so fucked up that he can't look at the scoreboard, send him to the locker room. What the heck is going on?

keith clark: tease

NOW he does it.

Fairwell Bob Barry

Don't get too excited. As far as I know, there has been no announcement of Bob Barry's retirement. But I don't think I am alone in suggesting it is time for Bob to pass the torch.

According to his bio., BBS has been calling OU sports since 1961. That is 48 frickin' years. While I certainly appreciate his contribution, I think anybody would be a little exhausted after that lengthy of a run. And exhaustion, with a hint of dementia, is what comes across during BBS's broadcasts.

BBS may be the biggest fan of OU athletes. He expresses awe in every call, grandfatherly pride in each interview. But I have no clue what is going on in the game when he does play-by-play. Listening to him is like watching a bad movie. The plot is lost in his disorienting jumps back and forward across time. Running Backs score touchdowns then end up down at the 20. Centers miraculously go from diving out of bounds at one end of the floor to instantly hanging on the rim on the other.

Mr. Barry's service to OU athletics is laudable. As his final gift, he should pass the microphone and enjoy his beloved sooners with the rest of the fans.

Get on the Floor

I have never been to one of their practices, but I am certain the Sooners regularly do a hustle drill. Balls rolling, bodies diving after them, teammates in each other's faces. I remember the hustle drill. Different sport, but same thing.

The players receive the most encouragement when they get on the floor and hustle after a loose ball. More so than for a bucket or a rebound. The drill translates directly to the game. Doesn't matter if the ball is out of bounds, or if he gets called for a foul, or if his pants fall down. Get on top of the ball.

In the game against Colorado, during a stretch where the guys relaxed a little up by I think 8, a loose ball rolled a couple feet without a Sooner body hitting the floor. An immediate time out from Capel. He told them to get on the floor.

a black aesthetic

Juan Pattillo's non-functional baseline windmill (Baylor, 18:57) marks a new ethic for a program so defined by a dogged and drab competence since the early 90s. This team has consistently displayed swagger and (functional) flash, on display in whatever Blake does and the brassy penchant for 26-foot field goals through Johnson and Willie. But Pattillo's invention--not at the end of an empty fast break, mind you, but in presence of defenders--embraces a new aesthetic (wilfully disregarding Crocker's cardigan at this point).

I'm not going to complain about the long defensive winter; you do what you have to survive and, on occasion, advance. But we can enjoy this without guilt. The down payment was hefty.

Grateful for Capel

Travis Ford is getting some bad pub. for cussing out his players and calling them idiots. OU fans should be counting their blessing for Capel. In a culture that equates helping with pointing out all the stuff someone is doing wrong, Capel is an exception. Capel coaches instead of scolds, encourages instead of discourages, pumps up instead of knocks down. We've known that positive reinforcement is superior to negative reinforcement since BF Skinner. Why do coaches and teachers and parents continue to try to teach by degrading? Capel seems even more positive following the king of negativity, Kelvin Sampson. Hey Capel, I saw you give that kid an "atta boy"and I appreciate it.