Thursday, August 21, 2008

OLYMPICS - SHANNON MILLER

Shannon Miller, the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in US history, lived and trained in Edmond Oklahoma. In the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, Shannon won a total of 2 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals, in addition to 9 World Championship medals.

In 2001, a statue was dedicated in Shannon Miller Park in Edmond.


















Shannon's gold medal winning balance beam routine at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics:

Thursday, August 14, 2008

OLYMPICS - JOHN SMITH

John Smith, two-time Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medalist (1988 and 1992), attended high school in Del City OK and was twice NCAA wrestling champion at Oklahoma State University, where he is currently the head wrestling coach with five additional NCAA championships.

The fieldhouse at Del City High School is named after John and Oklahoma State's "Heritage Hall" athletic museum includes an OSU Olympian exhibit with John as the centerpiece.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

OLYMPICS - 1989 OLYMPIC FESTIVAL STATUE

This statue was created for the 1989 Olympic Festival, which was held in Oklahoma City. The statue was originally installed across the street at the Myriad, now the Cox Convention Center, but has since been moved to the Ford Center.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

OLYMPICS - JIM THORPE

Jim Thorpe, whose Indian name of Wa-Tho-Huk, roughly translates as "Bright Path," was born in 1888 in Indian Territory, near what is now Prague Oklahoma. In the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Thorpe won a gold medal in the Pentathlon, finished fourth in the long jump and seventh in the high jump, and then won the Decathlon. King Gustav of Sweden told him, "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world," to which Thorpe replied, "Thanks, King."


After it was discovered Thorpe had accepted small amounts of money to play minor league baseball before the Olympics, his medals were ordered returned. Thereafter, he played professional baseball, football and basketball. Thorpe's gold medals were finally returned to his family in 1983. In 1998, the medals were stolen from the Oklahoma State Capitol, but were soon returned. In 1999, the US House of Representatives declared him the greatest athlete of the 20th Century.


Jim Thorpe's home is now a museum in Yale OK. A large portrait hangs in the Oklahoma State Capitol building in Oklahoma City, depicting Thorpe at the Olympics. The Jim Thorpe Award is given annually to the best defensive back in college football and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Museum is scheduled to open in September 2008 in Oklahoma City.


Friday, August 8, 2008

BEIJING OLYMPICS OPENING CEREMONY

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games. These postcards from my collection show the Olympic stadiums in Los Angeles (1932 and 1984) and Atlanta (1996).

Saturday, August 2, 2008

ALL STATE BASKETBALL - KEITON PAGE - ROTNEI CLARKE

Another last minute idea this Thursday: let's go to the Oklahoma All State Basketball Game at Carl Albert High School in Midwest City OK and see the final high school game of Pawnee's Keiton Page and Verdigris' Rotnei Clarke, playing together on the Small East team. Keiton will play this season for Oklahoma State University, Rotnei for the University of Arkansas. Rotnei finished high school as the Oklahoma career scoring leader; Keiton finished as the single season scoring leader, second in career scoring and first in state championship scoring. Keiton and Rotnei played together in middle school.

The Daily Oklahoman reported that 2,000 fans attended the small school game, but that only 1,000 remained for the large school game. I wonder who the fans were there to see play?

















As I've gotten older, I've discovered I would rather watch "the kids" play an NAIA soccer game, JV volleyball game, girls' softball game, high school basketball game, or minor league baseball game than watch a bunch of arrogant millionaires who have lost touch with the game and the fans (Manny Ramirez, Brett Favre, Pacman Jones, steriod cheaters).

I think one reason I have followed Keiton's career in the local newspaper and on-line is that he is from small-town Oklahoma, the experts have questioned his ability to play Division I basketball due to his size, it appears he's a respectful young man, and he has chosen to stay home and play for my school.

Then one day when I had to make a business trip northeast of Oklahoma City, on the way home we drove through Pawnee (I like to photograph courthouses, high school athletic facilities and historical sites). As we drove by the high school, we saw Keiton and his father and high school coach, David Page, outside the gym. Coach Page was very kind to speak with us for quite awhile about Keiton and his future at OSU. We told Coach Page that we had seen him lead Pawnee to the Oklahoma State Championship when Keiton scored 54 points in the state final at the Big House in OKC.

After the All State game, KAN and I spoke briefly with Rotnei, Keiton and David Page. Keiton and Rotnei are very polite and humble young men, despite their accomplishments to date. It is very refreshing to speak with such genuine young men. And after speaking with Coach Page, you realize where these values originate. Coach Page even said he had read the earlier posts about Keiton on this blog!!

I am confident that whether Keiton scores 2 points a game or 40 points for OK State, he will not embarrass his family, his home town, his fans or his university and alums, as another college athlete recently did. I have a feeling we will be proud to have him wear the orange and black. I hope Coach Page knows how proud we all are of him and his family.


Oh, by the way, Coach Page was named the Oklahoma basketball Coach of the Year, and Keiton was named the Player of the Year.