OU vs Tech 3pm CST on ESPNU

[WaymanFan]

I wonder what he must be thinking about while watching this train wreck.

Traveler, I would consider you the most level-headed poster on this board over the past 10 years. I've never remembered you to show your frustrations like you have lately. That tells me things are really bad with this program right now. I have a hard time watching some of the games, and have been posting less and less. What few posts I've contributed lately have been on the NBA thread. Yesterday's game was over at the 25-13 mark...we often can't stay competitive beyond the first few TV timeouts.

 

[coolm]

Traveler, I would consider you the most level-headed poster on this board over the past 10 years. I've never remembered you to show your frustrations like you have lately. That tells me things are really bad with this program right now. I have a hard time watching some of the games, and have been posting less and less. What few posts I've contributed lately have been on the NBA thread. Yesterday's game was over at the 25-13 mark...we often can't stay competitive beyond the first few TV timeouts.

yep. when trav and ada are both saying things then you know it has really turned south.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I don't consider myself to be all that level-headed. I mainly miss the "good old days" of consistent year-to-year good basketball teams ... teams that were playing better in February than they did in December.

I don't go to games anymore, yet I miss going to the games. I miss the fun of going to the games, but the games are no longer fun. Here are the last 4 Big-12 HOME games:

LOST 61-74 ... Kansas State
LOST 47-77 ... Baylor
LOST 74-75 ... Iowa State
LOST 54-66 ... Texas Tech

1. Four (4) AT HOME conference losses in a row.
2. A conference record of 3-8 ... with little realistic hope for the rest of the schedule.

• No interest in the Big-12 Tournament
• No interest in the post season.
• A team that does not improve late in the season.
• For the third year in a row.

Yes. I am frustrated.

I have great memories of the Billy Tubbs and Kelvin Sampson eras. Those teams usually improved during the season and mostly won home games, often with miracle finishes in the last minute of the game. It was fun and exciting. Even the highest-ranked visitors to the LNC rarely left Norman with a victory. My gosh, those were fun times. In hindsight, even some of those "ugly wins" are so beautiful now, in my memory.

For me, the High-Water-Mark of the Lon Kruger era took place on January 30, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I was there inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center when Buddy, Isaiah and Ryan rallied for a last minute victory. Then somehow, that wonderful team of seniors gets absolutely slaughtered as they are a complete no-show in the Final-4. How does that happen?

It has been downhill ever since. Three long years.

Jeff Capel peaked with an Elite-8 in 2009, then he crashed and burned. No consistency. Just a flash in the pan. Penthouse to outhouse. Program in the dumpster. Lon Kruger has followed the same pattern. Frustration is the order of the day. As much as I personally like Lon, I have no confidence that he is able to right the ship.

Six teams get a 1st round bye in the Big-12 Tournament. Lon's teams cannot even accomplish that.

Lon is the head man and he is responsible for this three (3) year slide. At the end of his 8th season at Oklahoma, the program is not in good shape. I hope Lon fully enjoys his retirement, and right soon.

 

[sooner8]

Well said Traveler,Oklahoma basketball is a sad & utterly embarrassing mess right now & it is not fun to watch.Go Sooners!!

 

[AdaSooner]

I don't consider myself to be all that level-headed. I mainly miss the "good old days" of consistent year-to-year good basketball teams ... teams that were playing better in February than they did in December.

I don't go to games anymore, yet I miss going to the games. I miss the fun of going to the games, but the games are no longer fun. Here are the last 4 Big-12 HOME games:

LOST 61-74 ... Kansas State
LOST 47-77 ... Baylor
LOST 74-75 ... Iowa State
LOST 54-66 ... Texas Tech

1. Four (4) AT HOME conference losses in a row.
2. A conference record of 3-8 ... with little realistic hope for the rest of the schedule.

• No interest in the Big-12 Tournament
• No interest in the post season.
• A team that does not improve late in the season.
• For the third year in a row.

.
Yes. I am frustrated.

I have great memories of the Billy Tubbs and Kelvin Sampson eras. Those teams usually improved during the season and mostly won home games, often with miracle finishes in the last minute of the game. It was fun and exciting. Even the highest-ranked visitors to the LNC rarely left Norman with a victory. My gosh, those were fun times. In hindsight, even some of those "ugly wins" are so beautiful now, in my memory.

For me, the High-Water-Mark of the Lon Kruger era took place on January 30, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I was there inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center when Buddy, Isaiah and Ryan rallied for a last minute victory. Then somehow, that wonderful team of seniors gets absolutely slaughtered as they are a complete no-show in the Final-4. How does that happen?

It has been downhill ever since. Three long years.

Jeff Capel peaked with an Elite-8 in 2009, then he crashed and burned. No consistency. Just a flash in the pan. Penthouse to outhouse. Program in the dumpster. Lon Kruger has followed the same pattern. Frustration is the order of the day. As much as I personally like Lon, I have no confidence that he is able to right the ship.

Six teams get a 1st round bye in the Big-12 Tournament. Lon's teams cannot even accomplish that.

Lon is the head man and he is responsible for this three (3) year slide. At the end of his 8th season at Oklahoma, the program is not in good shape. I hope Lon fully enjoys his retirement, and right soon.

Well said, Traveler! I couldn’t add anything if I tried. You also summarized how I feel right now:

Yes. I am frustrated.

I won’t bother to repeat what happened at the team meeting after the season ended last year. I believed then and still do that Lon and his players made a pact to go back to the basics that included playing hard and playing good defense. That commitment brought us through the non conference portion of our season with a much better record than anyone expected.

That was before the wheels came off in conference play and Lon lost this team, just as he did last year. Yes, the players are partly to blame. But, this is a theme we have seen before, and it has finally worn thin on me.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect more from a well paid coach than being a cheerleader on the bench by doing his Jason Garrett imitation. If he had something to smile about, he might look just like Jason with that silly grin.

Sorry, folks, but three straight seasons of mediocrity and being embarrassed by teams we used to own is all I can take! This IS NOT OU basketball!!! I’m tired of pretending that everything is going to alright when I don’t feel that way.

I haven’t given up on our players. But, if this coaching staff fails to turn this train wreck around with the players we’ve got coming back and coming in with next year’s recruiting class, they don’t deserve another opportunity to embarrass us again!

 

[coolm]

I guess it's just me. I think for over $3.1 million per year we deserve a coach who burns the midnight oil daily to keep this team disciplined and invigorated. I'm not seeing that.

IMO the story of Doolittle is telling. They've been trying to get him to "open up" for 3 years. Now maybe it's the years of counseling and therapy I have personally endured but if you can't get that to happen in 3 whole years then you're doing it wrong. You're not doing the homework necessary to find the right triggers. You're not pushing the right buttons and pushing the right buttons is why we pay you $3.1 million per year. You don't get to just say "we've been trying to get him to open up for 3 years". BS. Same for Lattin. Ohhhh so the same. I think Lon has wasted talent we've had for lack of finding how to influence them. And I think that's supposed to be his job. He ain't doing it.

 

[WichitaSooner]

I'm so impressed that many of you seem to know exactly what hours Lon is working. So apparently we can conclude that whenever a team is struggling, it means the coach is playing golf and not putting in the hours at the office. Who knew?!?

 

[coolm]

I'm so impressed that many of you seem to know exactly what hours Lon is working. So apparently we can conclude that whenever a team is struggling, it means the coach is playing golf and not putting in the hours at the office. Who knew?!?

your passive-aggressive crap reminds me of a professional wrestler. you take little swipes at people and hide the pipewrench behind your back when they confront you directly. it's truly pathetic.

someone is not taking enougn time. coach Lon is responsible. so I blame him. thats why he makes $3.1 million per year. why don't you discuss it substantively instead of always resorting to attacking the messenger personally? I suppose more snide remarks about my occupation are coming next? I will await your next crappy, personal remark.

 

[sheepdogs1]

I'm so impressed that many of you seem to know exactly what hours Lon is working. So apparently we can conclude that whenever a team is struggling, it means the coach is playing golf and not putting in the hours at the office. Who knew?!?

Who stated they are privy to how many hours Lon puts forth? Who stated that "whenever a team is struggling, it means the coach is playing golf and not putting in the hours at the office"?