no apologies here, time to shoot the wounded horse

[Mr.B!!!]

I don't remember anyone having high expectations for Capel's first season.

I didn't, in fact we were picked near the bottom of the Big 12.

 

[boksooner]

I worded that wrong...I meant in their first losing season. Capel's first year ended with a winning record.

Capel had 1 mediocre, 1 good, 1 great and 1 disastrous season. John Blake had 3 bad seasons. I still think the comparison is a stretch.

 

[mattham4]

Both had the first losing season in over 30 years at OU in their respective sports, and both had high expectations prior to their their first losing season.

Call me Captain Obvious...

Both have shown a propensity to get close, some would say TOO CLOSE, to their players to allow them to objectively gauge their worthiness of playing time and of being able to deal with them when they're not getting the job done.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Yep, because CLEARLY Jeff hadn't won anything since being at OU or had success anywhere else prior to coming to OU. That the comparison is even made is absurd to me.

Did he or did he not coach the worst basketball season in at least 30 years?

Blake coached the worst football season in 31 years.

That is a similarity regardless of the color of their skin.

You ask for more comparisons other than the color of skin, and I cite a valid one and you try to knock it down because you know it's true. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

 

[152219]

Did he or did he not coach the worst basketball season in at least 30 years?

Blake coached the worst football season in 31 years.

That is a similarity regardless of the color of their skin.

You ask for more comparisons other than the color of skin, and I cite a valid one and you try to knock it down because you know it's true. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

Blake had ZERO winning season. End of story.

Comparing Capel's tenure to Blake's is beyond is stupid.

 

[NickZepp]

Comparing Blake and Capel is stupid. They aren't even close to the same situation. Jeff's put himself in a bad enough spot but he didn't have 3 bad years with decent talent. He's had trouble getting his own guys.

 

[152219]

Comparing Blake and Capel is stupid. They aren't even close to the same situation. Jeff's put himself in a bad enough spot but he didn't have 3 bad years with decent talent. He's had trouble getting his own guys.

Last year was a really bad season under Capel, but Blake's 3 years were a disaster.

 

[El Jefe]

My four years at OU were Schnellenberger, Blake, Blake, Blake. I would take the last 4 years of OU basketball over those 4 years of OU football in a heart beat. Hell, it wouldn't even be frickin close.

Wow, me too. The memories of mid-'90s gamedays.

 

[152219]

Wow, me too. The memories of mid-'90s gamedays.

Still had a great time and had 50 yard line tickets for the 3 OU/Texas games during Blake's tenure....but the product on the field was a embarrassment.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

Wow, me too. The memories of mid-'90s gamedays.

That is exactly my timeline as well...Shnelly hurt the most, we actually were in the Top 10 and about to knock of CU, then pFFFFFFFt.

 

[152219]

That is exactly my timeline as well...Shnelly hurt the most, we actually were in the Top 10 and about to knock of CU, then pFFFFFFFt.

Game Day in attendance, night game, great atmosphere, OU leading, and then John Hessler lit up OU and the OU football program didn't recover until 1999.

 

[Tony]

Game Day in attendance, night game, great atmosphere, OU leading, and then John Hessler lit up OU and the OU football program didn't recover until 1999.

Hilarious streaker that night, though.

 

[152219]

Hilarious streaker that night, though.

LMFAO...forgot all about that.

 

[Sooner04]

Hilarious streaker that night, though.

Fastest guy on the field too. Took off from the SE corner and the keystone cops didn't corral him until he'd made it to the Union.

I'll never forget Schnelly ruefully admonishing the asterisk they'd place beside the win when we demolished Colorado with Hessler at QB instead of Detmer.

 

[Big Old Booger]

Blake had ZERO winning season. End of story.

Comparing Capel's tenure to Blake's is beyond is stupid.

I never compared the tenures.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

I never compared the tenures.

So basically the comparison is that they each had the first losing season in 30 years in their respective programs. The difference is that before his losing season, Capel had three winning records and had made it to the NCAA Tournament twice, Blake never had a winning season, ever.

 

[152219]

I never compared the tenures.

Outside of each having a losing season, any comparison is beyond ridiculous.

 

[Gutter]

This sounds remotely familiar...weren't we hearing the same thing back in 97 or 98 but with football?

The difference here is football had a firmly established football tradition and with the right person as head coach was able to get it back together fairly quickly. Basketball does not have the luxury of 6 NC's and countless conference titles, so it is in a much more precarious position.

Again, Jeff is one season away from coaching us to the Elite 8. Jeff has earned his share of criticism this year, but equating him to John Blake suggests you're not interested in having a serious conversation about it.

To the poster who asked when you could fire him, here is what I am willing to accept:

Next year, show me a team that plays the right way, one that hustles, one that plays tough defense, has character, dives on the floor for loose balls and has pride for its school. I even will accept - not like, but accept - not making postseason again as long as there are strong signs that we were rebuilding this thing the right way.

The next season after that, we have to be back in the NCAA tourney or you probably have to make the change.

 

[Big Old Booger]

So basically the comparison is that they each had the first losing season in 30 years in their respective programs. The difference is that before his losing season, Capel had three winning records and had made it to the NCAA Tournament twice, Blake never had a winning season, ever.

Correct. You said earlier no other comparisons existed other than color of skin, so I provided a valid one.

I'll also concede Blake never had a season remotely close success-wise as Capel had in 08/09. No question about that.

 

[Mr.B!!!]

Correct. You said earlier no other comparisons existed other than color of skin, so I provided a valid one.

I'll also concede Blake never had a season remotely close success-wise as Capel had in 08/09. No question about that.

There are not many coaches out there that have never had a losing season, even the great ones have them from time to time...would you compare them to Blake as well?