Fire Porter Moser

[AnotherSoonerInTX]

1. This is from memory. The guy who told me this story passed away two years ago. The Sooners were heading to Hawaii for the Diamondhead Classic (something like that. Same tournament we won Buddy's senior year) and had a layover at LAX. Big Time wanders off and then falls asleep somewhere in the terminal. OUr team loads onto the plane and departs without doing any kind of inventory. Big Time wakes up and is dismayed to learn the crew is somewhere over the Pacific. He ends up catching a ride with Dean Smith, Michael Jordan and the 82-83 Tarheels, who beat us in the semifinals. Jones is from Mexia, Texas, the same hometown as Anna Nicole Smith (RIP).

2. I remember the quote being something like "Our plan this season is to run and shoot. Teams better get their licks in now because next year we're going to run and SCORE!"

My old man has spoken many times of how awesome it was to watch weekly coaches' shows from both Barry Switzer and Billy Tubbs. Must See TV !!

Rainbow Classic, forerunner of today's Diamondhead Classic. Longtime holiday tournament hosted by the University of Hawaii. That tournament existed before any of the other Hawaii tournaments. I remember when we played Carolina in that tournament.

I forgot Big Time Jones was from Mexia. "Meh-hay-uh". Lovable Sooner, indeed.

I feel like an old man remembering growing up watching OU in the 70's and 80's. Everyone outside OU hated both Barry and Billy, but we loved them. Their coaches' shows were indeed appointment television. Something that helped Sooner basketball obtain fans wasn't just the winning or the style of play, but Billy's swagger. It was equal to Barry's.

 

[AnotherSoonerInTX]

Waymon is right. Bliss left because he hadn't signed anyone and everyone that played for him had graduated. Billy had to start over. Not sure why he left. We paid less than just about anybody for a basketball coach. I know that is why Billy left to go to TCU. They more than doubled his salary. Maybe Bliss left for that reason, I don't know.

Maybe you remember Waymon, but didn't billy just have 7 scholarship players eligible to play that first year. It was something like that. He had a couple transfers in that had to sit out, including David Little, but I think that is about it. I went to every home game Billy's first year and may did we have an empty gym in those days. Then, Billy turned it around and what a run. Thanks billy and Waymon Tisdale (my favorite athlete of all time).

It's hard to believe we nickeled and dimed a basketball coach that was within 6 points of a national championship, but we did. OU athletics were not well run in those days. Granted, Billy made some enemies in the athletic department, especially after the football scandal when he was trying to get guys eligible.

Back to the theme of the thread: Fire Porter.