It looks like offensive linemen are not the only statues moving slowly around the OU campus.
Yesterday afternoon, a giant bronze Bob Stoops statue was spotted rolling the streets of Norman. It was apparently taunting and terrorizing students, alumni, and the local gentry, reminding them all of the Stoops OU glory years of the 2000s – a time when OU produced NFL players, dominated the Big 12 conference, and even left a couple of National Championships on the field. You know, that time when Bob Stoops actually deserved a statue.
Ouch, that was kind mean. In all honesty, Stoops is still one hell of a head coach. OU really is lucky to have him. As Gary Gibbs, Howard Schnellenberger and John Blake remind us, it could be a lot worse. The problem is that Stoops has just reach a Lloyd Carr / Post-1999 Steve Spurrier level of complacency. Instead of staying up late scouting sleeper recruits, he's going to bed at early to catch a rise and shine tee time. That being said, Stoops' teams still win 10-games a year. If his fire is ever re-lit, he has better chance than anyone at getting the program back up to a national championship caliber level.
Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, that sad statue that reminds everyone of the OU glory days.
Via NewsOK.com:
A couple hours after Bob Stoops wrapped up his weekly news conference Monday afternoon, his likeness was spotted moving down Lindsey Street, standing on a flatbed trailer.
KFOR's Nate Feken snapped a photo of a 10-foot tall, bronze Stoops statue after it had traveled uncovered on the back of a truck through the center of the University of Oklahoma campus, right past the South Oval.
Similar statues of past OU greats Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer all stand just across Jenkins Ave. from Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Stoops — OU's all-time winningest football coach — said three years ago that a statue was ready to go, but that he didn't want it dedicated on campus until after his career was finished...
After Stoops tied Wilkinson for second on OU's all-time wins list, he was asked if he's thought about how the university might someday honor him on campus.
“They've asked and have (the statue) ready to go,” Stoops said Nov. 5, 2012.
“I don't want that at all. It would be weird to me. Not until I'm done. Who knows when that will be?”
I guess when Bob Stoops retires in the offseason or takes the USC job, we won't be able to say we were surprised! I don't care what Joe Castiglione say in this statement that childishly deflects any and all responsibility and throws the statue mover / makers under the bus, he's gone!
“Several years ago, when we began the process of recognizing our most accomplished coaches, we certainly included Coach Stoops in our planning. While statues of Owen, Wilkinson and Switzer have already been dedicated, Coach Stoops preferred to wait until a later date. Even though approvals of design, sculpting, production and storage took place, it was determined that the dedication would occur at a yet-to-be-determined point in the future. We did not receive any advance notice that the statue was to be transported to campus at this time. Moreover, we are extremely disappointed in the lack of consideration, respect and care that was shown in delivering the statue to Norman. This was completely unnecessary. It certainly is not reflective of the way we feel about Bob or the respect we’ll show him when his extraordinary achievements are properly celebrated.”
First of all, I've never heard Castiglione sound so salty. He is aware this is an ugly statue, right? They didn't actually freeze Bob Stoops in carbonite and then parade him around campus.
Second, are we really supposed to believe OU didn't receive any advance notice that the statue was coming? At least come up with a decent lie and say the email from the statue company landed in a spam folder. Who would deliver a 2-ton bronze statue 200 miles from Dallas to Norman and not tell anyone?
Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that. Like most OU football players, the statue was from Texas. Some in the Dallas - Ft. Worth area posted this pic to Twitter:
On a positive note, that's probably good for football recruiting. If I was Stoops and Castiglione, I would just pay the company to drive the statue around Dallas and try to convince all the high school football players that Stoops is a God. Maybe then some of the good ones will want to play for him again.
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