ESPN analyst stands up for the Oklahoma Sooners in the midst of controversy with their fans
It hurts to say or even to type onto a screen, but the Oklahoma Sooners aren't in the best place right now in terms of their athletics department. The sports that they should be dominating in, they aren't, outside of softball. The sports they should be good in, they aren't, outside of baseball and a […]
It hurts to say or even to type onto a screen, but the Oklahoma Sooners aren't in the best place right now in terms of their athletics department. The sports that they should be dominating in, they aren't, outside of softball. The sports they should be good in, they aren't, outside of baseball and a bit of OU women's hoops.
And, the fan base is letting everyone know. And they are doing so by not showing up to some of these games. In the case of basketball, men's hoops specifically, you could make the case that it's because there isn't a new venue or arena, but you can also make the case that the fan support isn't there because they haven't been great in a long time now.
And, it's all just a big huge blame game. But, being in the SEC, you have to have fan support at every single game. And, that just hasn't been the case for men's hoops, women's hoops, or even football at times this year.
"It's a financial boom," OU alum Dari Nowkhah said on The REF. "Overall it's a really good thing for the athletic department. But, it's also a rise in expectations in performance as well as support from the NIL perspective, as well as the in stadium, in venue, in arena perspective. I get it, for softball it's great. For football it's great. Everyone knew that. But this is a league where there is no offseason just because it's not football or softball season. I just don’t want this perception of my alma mater, of the school that I love, of a fanbase that I love, despite coming across as very insulting to a lot of it, to be looked down upon by the rest of this league."
There are a ton of things that need to be done to put the Sooners in a very good place regarding their athletics as a whole. But, they will need the fan's help at the end of the day, regardless of what happens. And, that is especially true if they want to compete in the best conference in college sports.