If Mantle & Bench get statues at Bricktown Park, then....

[NMSooner'80]

Wayman Tisdale should get a statue in front of the Thunder's home arena. He was from Tulsa, but he deserves a statue as an Oklahoma basketball legend as much as Mickey and Johnny did for baseball.

 

[HoHum]

Wayman Tisdale should get a statue in front of the Thunder's home arena. He was from Tulsa, but he deserves a statue as an Oklahoma basketball legend as much as Mickey and Johnny did for baseball.

To play a bit of a devil's advocate, and I know this won't be popular on this board. But, to say he should get a statue because Mantle and Bench did is not a very good argument. Mantle and Bench aren't just two of the best players from Oklahoma, they are two of the best players to ever play the game.

Not saying Tisdale doesn't deserve a statue, but if that's the reason behind it, I think it's not very strong.

 

[Section31]

To play a bit of a devil's advocate, and I know this won't be popular on this board. But, to say he should get a statue because Mantle and Bench did is not a very good argument. Mantle and Bench aren't just two of the best players from Oklahoma, they are two of the best players to ever play the game.

Not saying Tisdale doesn't deserve a statue, but if that's the reason behind it, I think it's not very strong.

Tisdale was the first ever consensus All-American as a freshman, one of the most prolific scorers in the history of college basketball and had a pretty decent pro career, not to mention a true gentleman and life long Oklahoman...he DESERVES a statue as much as those two guys, IMO.

 

[Sooner04]

Tisdale was the first ever consensus All-American as a freshman, one of the most prolific scorers in the history of college basketball and had a pretty decent pro career, not to mention a true gentleman and life long Oklahoman...he DESERVES a statue as much as those two guys, IMO.

You will find no bigger fan Wayman Tisdale than me.

That said, relatively speaking, Wayman is quite a few notches below the Mick and Johnny Bench. At the highest levels of their sport, Mantle and Bench accomplished much, MUCH, more than Wayman.

A statue of Wayman somewhere on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, on the other hand, is not only needed but LONG overdue.

 

[WaymanFan]

You will find no bigger fan Wayman Tisdale than me.

That said, relatively speaking, Wayman is quite a few notches below the Mick and Johnny Bench. At the highest levels of their sport, Mantle and Bench accomplished much, MUCH, more than Wayman.

A statue of Wayman somewhere on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, on the other hand, is not only needed but LONG overdue.

One might consider me a pretty big fan of Wayman as well. Regardless, I agree with your post. Bench and Mantle were icons at every level. If Wayman was like an 8-time NBA All-Star then that would be different.

 

[NMSooner'80]

I never meant to say that Wayman's career equaled Mick's or Bench's - but I was thinking more in terms of emotional impact within his own state. It could also be that I get too caught up in "Wayman's Story" when it's shown on NBATV and wish he could be recognized in a way that I think he still earned in his short life. ldwt356:

 

[Section31]

My post was not to make light of those guys accomplishments. It's not putting those guys down to recognize what a GREAT (that word doesn't even do it justice) player and an even GREATER man who did more for the state of Oklahoma and basketball than anyone. I'm not sure their MLB accomplishments means any more to THIS STATE than the accomplishments of WWT.

WWT is an Oklahoma icon...a legend.

 

[WaymanFan]

Let's also keep in mind that Wayman's name is attached to a very distinguished award that will be presented annually in his name long after we've perished - The Wayman Tisdale Award for College Basketball's Freshman of the Year.

Oddly enough, with all those college football awards which are presented each year, none are named after a Sooner...but one of the biggies in college hoops is...and appropriately so. It's not only because of him being the first freshman AP All-American (though that helped), it's because he accomplished it in a year when there were a ridiculous number of great college basketball players ('82-'83).

My dad and I were watching ESPN back in March when Dick Vitale was interviewed about Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis, and Vitale was saying that he had all but sewed up the Wayman Tisdale Award. My dad perked right up...he didn't know about that. I reminded him that while Wayman will forever remain an icon in the state of Oklahoma, he will also never be forgotten by college basketball.

 

[BoulderSooner]

while he did not attend OU ...... jim thorpe is a "sooner"

 

[Dignon003]

while he did not attend OU ...... jim thorpe is a "sooner"

I was just on Wiki because I was wondering where Thorpe went to school. What a steal for Carlisle University.

 

[ellissooner]

Does Lee Roy Selman have a statue in Norman? I havent been to a game in a couple of years so I wasn't sure.