I was wrong/dead wrong

[sybarite]

I hope that some of this patient good will is still around after the next few games.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

...... 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. .... 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.

Amen.

:clap

 

[Tony]

I can honestly say I do not care one bit who is right or who is wrong about whatever. Everybody just keep posting.

 

[sooner333]

I'm right there with you ES. I was wrong about this team. I said 4 conference wins tops. Even if we only win four this year, I'll still be surprised from my position at the beginning of conference season. Capel has the rotation down, the guys who are good enough to play consistently have gotten so much better...especially the ones who were borderline players at the beginning of the season (Blair played sparingly at the beginning of the year). The players have bought in and I am too.

I was of the thought that Capel should probably go after this year. I'm feeling differently now. Yes, 6-10 won't be good enough, but if we get some talent in here, I feel a lot better now than I did before. I'm not sure how good Osby, Goff, and hopefully Guerrero actually are, but if they are productive players, this team has a future.

We have a lot of dead weight at the end of the bench, but I'm glad they are sitting there for now...we have games to win.

 

[Sooner04]

I was so concerned going into the Tech game at home because I thought a loss there could snowball to 0-16. I was scared of it. Truly scared.

But we've improved by leaps and bounds. It was agony watching the game last night because a win up there could do so much for our guys and our program and you could just see it slipping away at the end of regulation. To claw back and get it to OT showed tremendous guts.

I try to be an optimist in life, but reality had me thinking 2-14 could be an unreachable ceiling for this basketball team. Now we're 3-3, and that's why I work in the oil & gas industry.

Got to rebound better though. At times we don't have a single guy trying to crash the offensive boards.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

I see your point Sky, but I think that you minimized the numbers and aggressive posting style of the doom n gloomers. For a period, it had gotten downright unbearable around here. I never entered the pumper vs cleti debates with KS, and I never intended to enter the JC vs Non JC debates either, but it just got terrible around here a few weeks ago.

I mean come on, guys were starting threads about how much weight Fitz lost, or how Osby looks in practice, and within 2 or 3 posts, it would become a Capel bash..... That was the board that I was reading. It has slowed because of the 3 game streak, but I gurantee you that if we lose 3 straight, they will be back in full force, just like the KS days.......

 

[scrybe]

I don't believe anyone is calling Capel the second coming of John Wooden, but I do believe these last three games provide sufficient evidence that he can coach in the Big XII. And I guess I've also been reading a different message board than some of you, because I've read over and over and over how Capel is in over his head and has no business coaching in this league.

In any case, it's really good to see Capel – and even more so, the Sooners – having some success in league play. It is obvious that these kids have worked hard to make themselves a better team, and it has shown in the last three games.

 

[bocabull]

Questioning Capels coaching ability was never valid IMO. As I have said twenty times they don't just hand out Team USA jobs to knuckleheads.

Seriously the Capel can only win with Blake Griffin argument was so aggy. If he didn't win with Griffin you could question his coaching ... but HE DID WIN WITH GRIFFIN.

Tramel's article was accurate. The evidence was "THIN" (meaning there was some) on whether Capel could "MAINTAIN" (meaning he had done it before) a top program.

If he wrote the same article honestly about Dagwood Ford the title would be "There is zero evidence Ford can ever coach a top program".

 

[campbest]

There is a lot of truth in many of these posts, from both sides of the opinion spectrum. As usual, the reality lies somewhere in the middle. First of all, great win, unfortunately I wasn't able to watch so I can't add much commentary on the game...just looked at the box score. Performances like last night (on the road, giving up a lead, persevering in OT) should be celebrated. Bravo to the program for grinding one out.

On the other hand, we have to be realistic about what's happened and what's still to come. We have beaten the last place team in the league, Texas Tech (who has played better since losing to us, I will concede) and CU which gave us their worst outing of the year (have seen them play eight times now). I still expect to split with OSU, and a win over Nebbish isn't given anymore. Not sure if anyone has noticed, but they are consistent and have given everyone but Mizzou (in Columbia) a run. I think Capel should be commended for taking care of business against equal teams, would love for him to make the jump and beat someone we shouldn't.

Final note, I think we are seeing for the first time this year the true state of the program. Once we got that TT win, the weight was lifted and we began to play with more exuberance...you could see it on their faces during the CU game. Hopefully that continues, even though there are definitely some imminent losses ahead.

 

[IndySooner]

I love the progress. I hope it is sustained.

I have maintained the entire time that Capel should be fine unless there was not improvement and hard play. Both are happening.

The ONLY exception for me is if there is either more NCAA trouble or if Jeff had direct knowledge of Tiny's situation.

 

[Section31]

I see your point Sky, but I think that you minimized the numbers and aggressive posting style of the doom n gloomers. For a period, it had gotten downright unbearable around here. I never entered the pumper vs cleti debates with KS, and I never intended to enter the JC vs Non JC debates either, but it just got terrible around here a few weeks ago.

I mean come on, guys were starting threads about how much weight Fitz lost, or how Osby looks in practice, and within 2 or 3 posts, it would become a Capel bash..... That was the board that I was reading. It has slowed because of the 3 game streak, but I gurantee you that if we lose 3 straight, they will be back in full force, just like the KS days.......

As per usual (on most stuff OU), I agree with jmizz...:clap

 

[StoopsBros]

Basketball is a game of highs and lows. OU's at their season's pinnacle right now...BUT they also have a tough (possibly demoralizing) 8-game stretch coming....There's no chance of OU being a winning team this year. That's the way it is...probably 11-14 wins, obviously that would mean they'll have 16-19 losses. By the end of the season, most will forget the minimal feelings that this 3 game stretch gave us.


Edit: Sorry for being negative...just the way I see it.

 

[Section31]

Basketball is a game of highs and lows. OU's at their season's pinnacle right now...BUT they also have a tough (possibly demoralizing) 8-game stretch coming....There's no chance of OU being a winning team this year. That's the way it is...probably 11-14 wins, obviously that would mean they'll have 16-19 losses. By the end of the season, most will forget the minimal feelings that this 3 game stretch gave us.

...and most LOGICAL people will understand why...NO ONE thinks this team is going anywhere this year. Not many expected much more than this, but a BUNCH people expected A LOT less, complained when they were losing and now are backtracking and taking little jabs (ie. pointing out the obvious that this team will lose more games than they win)...

 

[htownSOONER]

I am happy about the progress, this team has played much better of late. I hope we can continue to improve and Capel can close out some recruits. I am not ready to proclaim hi out of the woods though.

Facts are still facts. 2 if the worst seasons in 30 years have been on his watch. I want to see how we finish before going all in on Capel. This team does seem to play hard though and be a team.

 

[htownSOONER]

I wanted to add, I had to come on here and ask for predictions. I was so busy Workin between maysih and September, I wasnt sure what to expect but knew it would not be good. I'm only saying That because I nEver took the time to predict wins vs losses at the start o the year.

Posted on iPhone, sorry for typos

 

[StoopsBros]

...and most LOGICAL people will understand why...NO ONE thinks this team is going anywhere this year. Not many expected much more than this, but a BUNCH people expected A LOT less, complained when they were losing and now are backtracking and taking little jabs (ie. pointing out the obvious that this team will lose more games than they win)...

I should have read the entirety of the thread I suppose. :facepalm