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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

OPEN HOUSE AT THE FORD CENTER

The Ford Center in Oklahoma City held an open house today. The arena bowl was set up for all three sports which are played in the arena: ice for Blazers hockey, wood for the OKC NBA basketball team and artificial turf for YardDawgz indoor football. The locker rooms were also open for the tour. The final photo shows a reflection of the Ford Center in the glass of the Cox Convention Center (formerly the Myriad).

MLB ALL STAR GAME AT YANKEE STADIUM

The 2008 Major League Baseball All Star Game was held today at Yankee Stadium for the final time, as the old stadium is being replaced by a new stadium next year. These are old postcards of Yankee Stadium from my collection of sports and stadium postcards.

OKLAHOMA'S FAMOUS ATHLETES & COACHES MURAL AT BRICKTOWN

On July 12th, I took these photos of Oklahoma's famous athletes and coaches who are depicted on a mural near Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City. For photos of musicians, actors and other persons on the mural, see my post for July 13th on my other blog: Oklahoma . . . and Beyond!

Top to bottom, right to left, are:

Johnny Bench - Wayman Tisdale
Troy Aikman - Joe Carter
Barry Switzer - Eddie Sutton
Jason White - Steve Owens
Shannon Miller - Sean O'Grady/Bart Conner

BOBBY MURCER: 5/20/46-7/12/08

I just received a "breaking news" e-mail alert that Oklahoma City's Bobby Murcer has passed away. This morning I was in downtown OKC and took this photo of Bobby that is part of a mural of famous Oklahomans near Bricktown. There is also a bust of Bobby outside the Bricktown Ballpark.

Bobby Murcer replaced fellow Oklahoman Mickey Mantle (who had replaced Joe DiMaggio) as centerfielder for the New York Yankeees. Both started their careers as shortstops, but were quickly moved to center, and both replaced legends.

For a few seasons, Bobby Murcer played for the San Franciso Giants and the Chicago Cubs, before returning to the Yankees. I saw Bobby play for the Cubs in July 1978 when my father and I rode the Amtrak train to Chicago to see a game.


Some interesting Bobby Murcer facts:

* Only Yankee to play with Mickey Mantle and Don Mattingly
* Went to same high school as Darrell Porter and Mickey Tettleton
* Once traded for Bonds (Bobby that is, Barry's father)
* Gave the euolgy at Thurman Munson's funeral, then knocked in all five runs in Yankees victory that evening
* Inducted into Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Oklahoma Hall of Fame
* Youngest American Leaguer to earn $100,000 annual salary

At Thurman Munson's funeral he quoted the poet and philosopher Angelo Patri:

The life of a soul on earth lasts longer than his departure. He
lives on in your life and the life of all others who knew him.

Local coverage of Bobby Murcer's life and baseball career can be found on Newsok.com at http://newsok.com/article/3269488/

NBA BASKETBALL COMES TO OKC

The NBA has approved the move of the Seattle Supersonics franchise to Oklahoma City beginning with the 2008-2009 season, following settlement of a lawsuit by the city of Seattle against the team owners. This is Oklahoma City's first full-time major league sports franchise.

Previously, the New Orleans Hornets had temporarily relocated to OKC, following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, until returning to New Orleans last year.

These photos are from the Denver Nuggets, featuring Allen Iverson, (Carmelo Anthony was suspended) vs. NO/OKC Hornets at the Ford Center in December 2006.




























































This photo of Cuca and RKC was taken at the Cleveland Cavaliers (LeBron James) vs. NO/OKC Hornets game on Christmas Break 2006.

The following photos were taken at the Big XII Conference basketball tournament in OKC in March 2007. Texas Longhorn player # 35 is Kevin Durant, who played one year for the Sonics in Seattle and will now be playing in OKC for our team.