I was wrong/dead wrong

[Edmond_Sooner]

Yes...the negative nancys will say i am jumping the gun on this with our 3 victories over Tech, Colorado and Iowa State....not really your big time Big XII teams...but the way we won each of those games and the improvement i have seen from this team has me eating some serious crow...

That is what i get for going away from my usual positive supportive self...

Capel deserves a ton of credit for the progress this team has made...3 victories in Big XII? very few would have predicted....before the start of play i said 1 maybe 2....then after a few games i said at least 3...now we have 3 and are playing very solid ball...possibly a chance to double that with 6...

3 is already quite the accomplishment, if Capel wills this team to 6 conference wins that is just simply amazing...

Still holes on defense, lulls on offense...but i saw some serious coaching in stretches last night...

Succesful plays out of timeouts, great player rotations...I almost think he has grown as much as a coach as these kids have as a team in this season...

Those that arent ready to give it up to him never will...they just want to see someone fail, wouldnt matter who the coach is...

I'm back with you Capel, and this team has won me over...i was in lala land for most of the season just a zombie participant in watching games...Now i'm fully invested...

(P.S. Those Pledger critics can kiss his @SS!)

 

[WaymanFan]

Edmond, knowing you from the other board, you're obviously someone who is more concerned with OU winning than being "right" on a message board. I'm the same way (I predicted 2 conference wins), as are most. Sadly, there are some who are different, but they're clearly not real OU fans.

There really isn't that much of a difference between those who want Coach Capel fired at the end of this season and those like me who are willing to give him one more year. Even with these wins, Coach Capel is still on the hot seat for next year as we all want to get back to the Big Dance. However, as long as the team is competing (and not playing like they did against aTm), there's no reason they don't all deserve our full support.

I mentioned this in another thread, but the Baylor game will dictate team expectations for the rest of the year. If OU wins, there will understandably be talk of a possible NIT berth, or at least a winning record. If OU loses, the talk will center around trying to squeak out another couple of wins and where they will come from.

 

[Sooner23]

(P.S. Those Pledger critics can kiss his @SS!)

I was wrong/dead wrong about Pledger.

 

[Sam]

Right there with you Edmond. The concepts that many of the "sunshine pumpers" (myself included) before the year wanted to see are finally being shown, progress, improvement, actual coaching that is successful etc.

The team and coaching staff seemed to become stagnant and except for the 4 guard lineup (which I still can't stand but I guess its a necessary evil at this point) I don't think much changed till the Tech game. Hope it continues as its actually been fun watching these past 3 games. Don't know if the players are just now getting it or the light bulb came on with the coaching stuff but whatever it is, its nice to see. Now if we can just get on the glass.

 

[AdaSooner]

You can add my name to that list as well, guys!

It doesn't bother me at all to admit that I was wrong. I'm happy to say that this team has improved appreciably in the past two to three weeks, and getting better with every outing. I'm not saying we're on the same level as the top teams in the Big 12. But I'm thrilled with what I saw last night! That was a great win on the road and a gutsy performance when the deck was stacked against us with all of our foul problems.

Congrats to the team and to Coach Capel!!! :clap

I have been a Steven Pledger fan for a long time. But he was amazing in last night's game. I couldn't be happier for Steven!

 

[bocabull]

No need to eat crow. Everybody knows you are a diehard sooner fan. You, bigtime, Traveler, Playmakr, senior, sam, ada, 04, etc ... the people who have attended the most games recently, invested the most time, money, emotion into the program have the right to be honest critics.

My main beef is with the few constant critics who aren't invested as much whose criticism is not honest. Of course we all know who they are by this point.

We can all be better fans, better citizens, better neighbors, etc. Just have to live and learn.

Capel is certainly living & learning to be a better coach.

 

[ousooners1baby]

I knew Pledger had a really good good game in him... just not that big.

Awesomeness.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

There really isn't that much of a difference between those who want Coach Capel fired at the end of this season and those like me who are willing to give him one more year. Even with these wins, Coach Capel is still on the hot seat for next year as we all want to get back to the Big Dance. However, as long as the team is competing (and not playing like they did against aTm), there's no reason they don't all deserve our full support.

This is my exact sentiment, I've always been one that was absolutely positive that he was going to get another year pretty much no matter what, but glad that he seems to be earning on the floor. There was another statement in another thread about Capel growing as a coach, I think there is some truth to that, but I still think that he has been a "good" coach all along...last season we just were too reliant on guys that were uncoachable. This season, we took a few lumps with a bunch of new guys, but we now have a rotation that seems to be coming together as a competitive unit, not "good" or even "great", but competitive.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

There really isn't that much of a difference between those who want Coach Capel fired at the end of this season and those like me who are willing to give him one more year. Even with these wins, Coach Capel is still on the hot seat for next year as we all want to get back to the Big Dance. However, as long as the team is competing (and not playing like they did against aTm), there's no reason they don't all deserve our full support.

This is my exact sentiment, I've always been one that was absolutely positive that he was going to get another year pretty much no matter what, but glad that he seems to be earning on the floor. There was another statement earlier in this thread about Capel growing as a coach, I think there is some truth to that, but I still think that he has been a "good" coach all along...last season we just were too reliant on guys that were uncoachable. This season, we took a few lumps with a bunch of new guys, but we now have a rotation that seems to be coming together as a competitive unit, not "good" or even "great", but competitive. Somewhat like what he did in his first season.

 

[skyvue]

I'm very excited about the recent progress of the team and very much looking forward to enjoying the rest of the season. I do think the Baylor game is a key one, though. This three-game stretch could be just the start of an ongoing upswing in our play, or it could be a temporary uptick, as in 2007, when we won four games in a row at just around this point in the season (it's interesting to note that Baylor was the fourth of those wins), before losing seven of eight to end the season.

Am I predicting a downturn like that? Not at all. But I don't think anyone's been proven wrong or right at this point (not that it matters who's wrong or right, anyway). I'm just going to enjoy the wins as they come and cross my fingers that we continue to improve as the season progresses, even in any losses we might suffer along the way.

 

[coolm]

I'm certainly with ya there. I had resorted to throwing salt over my shoulder and wearing my old OU jerseys from the 80's (which didn't fit very well mind you) to look for any edge.

It's like a light came on. It's still in stretches, but nice to see nonetheless....and the comment about Capel growing is certainly warranted IMO.

I am very happy at the moment with the direction they seem to be going - and that wouldn't matter if they had won these 3 games or not. They're playing better and that's all I ask.

 

[Cheno]

Edmond fantastic post. The negatives always get talked about more than the positives. The team is playing much better right now

 

[OkieTC]

(P.S. Those Pledger critics can kiss his @SS!)

Great to see Pledger have a great game, but I sure hope he can keep it up. Too many games, when he is not hittin' 3's, he disappears on offense. Hope this is really a coming out party for him. We really need his offense to compete with the top half of the teams in conference.

 

[OUGenius]

All we could have asked for this year was improvement...and we're getting it. The team is invested and the coaches are invested. We need to root them on to the end and hope the good times return soon with a good recruiting class.

I am all for Capel succeeding...the key for him will be talent evaluation in recruiting and keeping those recruits here...that's been the problem, even beyond the TMG, WW and Tiny fiascos. But I am starting to see the light.

 

[Section31]

But I don't think anyone's been proven wrong or right at this point

There have been MANY proven wrong. Of course, none of those posters are still around much.

Look, there's nothing wrong with being upset with the direction of the program the past year or so. That's understandable AND warranted.

There's nothing wrong with predicting anywhere from a 1 to 4 win Big XII season. THAT'S understandable.

What's NOT understandable is making retarded statements like "this team is going winless in the Big XII", "Capel is a horrible coach", "this team has no one who'd start for another Big XII team" and MANY other BOLD statements.

 

[Section31]

Oh, and I'm not sure the score of ANY of the remaining games is ANY indication of the direction of this program. If this team continues to play the same way and the team plays disciplined hoops with Capel making a lot of nice adjustments, then this season can be considered a success.

It's nice to pull for a team and a coach that give it their all on gameday.

 

[Krugerfan52]

This is awesome. I love this board right now. It's always fun IMO when there is unexpected success. I hoped we would win 1 or 2 of these last 3 games. But Tech game was the only one where I had much confidence. But to win all 3 and the way we did it (as a team) with guys chipping in all different ways was really fun to see. If we win 2 or 3 more and finish 5-11 or 6-10, not only would be an improvement from last year but it would be above the expectations set for this year.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

:clap:clap:clap

Good stuff Edmond. I learned many yrs ago that numerous Sooner Supporters are very quick to throw in the towel. I learned from the football boards. That is why I have remained positive this yr, even when we looked terrible.

I knew that Capel was devastated by what transpired last yr, and I knew that it would be a struggle this yr. Heck, many of the biggest Capel lynchmob supporters spent the entire summer talking about we would struggle, and then when we did, they wanted him gone. I didn't understand the lack of patience....

Good to see the guys hard work paying off. I agree with you Edmond about the coaching. That easy bucket on the out of bounds play, right after the timeout was AWESOME!! When we did that, I knew that JC had his A-game working.

I also compliment the coaches for making our young guys believe that they could do it. They continued to work hard and are getting better....

 

[skyvue]

What's NOT understandable is making retarded statements like "this team is going winless in the Big XII", "Capel is a horrible coach", "this team has no one who'd start for another Big XII team" and MANY other BOLD statements.

We read a very different board, I guess. I don't recall anyone stating outright that we'd go winless in the Big 12, though some did say that it could happen -- and at the time, with the way we were playing, that was not an entirely unreasonable statement.

I saw posters who said wondered aloud if Capel wasn't in over his head in coaching a big-time program like OU (I was, at times, among those who wondered). I didn't really see anyone saying he definitely wasn't. Perhaps there were some that I missed.

I remember how great we all felt in 2007 entering the ISU game at Ames on on a four-game tear. We went on to lose 7 of 8 to finish the season.

I remember how hopeful we all felt last season after beating oswho and Mizzou at home and then again a few games later when we upset texas. We closed the season with nine losses.

I'm not for a moment predicting similar results this season. I'm feeling quite hopeful about the team, actually, but it's far too early to say we're out of the woods.

A three-game winning streak in January, while an exciting and positive development, proves no one "wrong," except perhaps the true doom-and-gloomers you speak of (if they exist, they were and are in the extreme minority).

But I've seen too many extremes during the Capel years to jump to any conclusions or make any pronouncements, positive or negative, at this point in time. I'm thrilled we won yesterday. I think it's great we're on a three-game roll. I believe we've got a legitimate shot at beating Baylor on Tuesday.

But I haven't forgotten how dismal we looked as recently as Jan. 15, and I need to see more improvement and consistent play before I'm ready to proclaim us as being fully on the road back to where we belong. There are positive signs and I'm very hopeful, but for the long term, I'm taking a wait-and-see approach (which is how I've felt for the majority of Coach Capel's time in Norman). I'm eager for the day when I can feel fully confident in Coach Capel, but of course, he has to earn that, just as Coach Tubbs and Coach Sampson did before him, and if I'm honest about it, I'm not there yet.

But that's for the long term. For the short term, I'm just enjoying these Sooner wins. I'm proud as heck of the guys.

 

[Sooner23]

Post of the year, skyvue.