Sooner woes

January 3, 2008 By 14 Comments

Why can’t the Oklahoma Sooners, one of my alma maters, win a post-season bowl game? Last night’s lost to West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl–sorry, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl–was the fourth in four years. And in each of those games the Sooners were, to coin a term, the overdogs.

Filed Under: Football 14 Comments
About Gene Veith

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

  • http://maplemountain.blogspot.com/ samuel

    I am sorry, Doc. But one of my alma maters is West Virginia, and we needed this one BAD.

    And the victorious interim coach, Bill Stewart, was just introduced at a press conference as the new Head Coach. Part of his comments included

    “These men (players) are going to be great Christians and great future fathers, citizens.”

    That’s a paraphrase, but he is a well-known “good-guy” Christian who is so winsome in his demeanor that the media fell in love with him out in Arizona.

    Oh, and our little State has fallen in love with him too.

    I am truly sorry about the loss. But this is a very good story of VOCATION, a quiet and kind Christian man making it big in the cut-throat world of overpaid and under-ethical coaches and agents. Another great comment was Coach Stew holding up his hand and saying “This is my Agent.”

    Montani Semper Liberi

  • http://maplemountain.blogspot.com/ samuel

    I am sorry, Doc. But one of my alma maters is West Virginia, and we needed this one BAD.

    And the victorious interim coach, Bill Stewart, was just introduced at a press conference as the new Head Coach. Part of his comments included

    “These men (players) are going to be great Christians and great future fathers, citizens.”

    That’s a paraphrase, but he is a well-known “good-guy” Christian who is so winsome in his demeanor that the media fell in love with him out in Arizona.

    Oh, and our little State has fallen in love with him too.

    I am truly sorry about the loss. But this is a very good story of VOCATION, a quiet and kind Christian man making it big in the cut-throat world of overpaid and under-ethical coaches and agents. Another great comment was Coach Stew holding up his hand and saying “This is my Agent.”

    Montani Semper Liberi

  • http://www.dawgandponyshow.blogspot.com Van Edwards

    I’m still stuck on “ONE of my alma maters”. I feel blessed to have the one I do.

    GO DAWGS!

  • http://www.dawgandponyshow.blogspot.com Van Edwards

    I’m still stuck on “ONE of my alma maters”. I feel blessed to have the one I do.

    GO DAWGS!

  • http://www.geneveith.com Veith

    You are right, Samuel, I admit it. The way the previous West Virginia coach abandoned his team was despicable, and the way this interim coach stepped up and rallied his disconsolate team is truly a feel-good story.

    That sticks in my craw too, as last year’s OU defeat to Boise State did, that the victorious underdogs always have such an inspiring, uplifting story! The Sooners always have to play the role of the unsympathetic big-guy villain. Maybe next year the feel-good story of the year will be the poor loser Okies unexpectedly winning a bowl game!

  • http://www.geneveith.com Veith

    You are right, Samuel, I admit it. The way the previous West Virginia coach abandoned his team was despicable, and the way this interim coach stepped up and rallied his disconsolate team is truly a feel-good story.

    That sticks in my craw too, as last year’s OU defeat to Boise State did, that the victorious underdogs always have such an inspiring, uplifting story! The Sooners always have to play the role of the unsympathetic big-guy villain. Maybe next year the feel-good story of the year will be the poor loser Okies unexpectedly winning a bowl game!

  • http://www.pagantolutheran.blogspot.com Bruce

    Didn’t Sooners coach Bob Stoops used to be called “Big Game Bob”? I guess that moniker will have to be discarded.

    Rooting for a sports team is so irrational. I grew up in the glory years of the Green Bay Packers–watching Lombardi teams as a kid. I don’t even like Green Bay. Lombardi is long gone, and there really is no reason to care.

    But I do. And the Pack are going to the Super Bowl!

  • http://www.pagantolutheran.blogspot.com Bruce

    Didn’t Sooners coach Bob Stoops used to be called “Big Game Bob”? I guess that moniker will have to be discarded.

    Rooting for a sports team is so irrational. I grew up in the glory years of the Green Bay Packers–watching Lombardi teams as a kid. I don’t even like Green Bay. Lombardi is long gone, and there really is no reason to care.

    But I do. And the Pack are going to the Super Bowl!

  • Elspeth

    I don’t know about the OU game, but after having lived in Virginia over ten years, it’s nice to say Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Way to go KU!

  • Elspeth

    I don’t know about the OU game, but after having lived in Virginia over ten years, it’s nice to say Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Way to go KU!

  • http://www.geneveith.com Veith

    My attention turns to my OTHER alma mater, the University of Kansas!

  • http://www.geneveith.com Veith

    My attention turns to my OTHER alma mater, the University of Kansas!

  • http://maplemountain.blogspot.com/ samuel

    Congrats to Kansas!

    Being no fan of the turncoat ACC (All Cash Conference) team Virginia Tech, I am very happy with the Kansas victory.

    My schadenfroid over the ACC’s miserably bad conference, even after the underhanded and deceitful way they raided the Big East, continues.

    WVU’s new Coach Stew has as many BCS Bowl victories alone as does the entire ACC (not this year, that would be ZERO, but ALL TIME).

    Excellent.
    Way to go Jayhawks!

    As for Oklahoma, maybe one day West Virginia will be in a lofty place like OU, but not now. Oklahoma has an all-time great program. They will bounce back.

  • http://maplemountain.blogspot.com/ samuel

    Congrats to Kansas!

    Being no fan of the turncoat ACC (All Cash Conference) team Virginia Tech, I am very happy with the Kansas victory.

    My schadenfroid over the ACC’s miserably bad conference, even after the underhanded and deceitful way they raided the Big East, continues.

    WVU’s new Coach Stew has as many BCS Bowl victories alone as does the entire ACC (not this year, that would be ZERO, but ALL TIME).

    Excellent.
    Way to go Jayhawks!

    As for Oklahoma, maybe one day West Virginia will be in a lofty place like OU, but not now. Oklahoma has an all-time great program. They will bounce back.