Old Titan Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Sources: No ORU-TUGame This Season (Tulsa World website) Bottom line: No one at TU wants to play ORU in the Mabee Center this year, regardless of the date. They know at best a loss to ORU might knock them out of the NCAA or NIT fields, and at worse might cost Doug Wojcik his job. Whatever: Wojcik might just lose his job anyway, without any help from us... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Sources: No ORU-TUGame This Season (Tulsa World website) Bottom line: No one at TU wants to play ORU in the Mabee Center this year, regardless of the date. They know at best a loss to ORU might knock them out of the NCAA or NIT fields, and at worse might cost Doug Wojcik his job. Whatever: Wojcik might just lose his job anyway, without any help from us... I am glad to hear that a 6-year deal with agreed upon dates has been signed. However, I am still very surprised that the schools couldn't find an agreed upon date for this year. I don't know why ORU would want to play the game in January or February. Why wouldn't we schedule it during the non-conference part of the schedule? By signing a 6-year deal, TU saves face by making it clear that they do want to continue the series. In reality, I suspect that Bubba wouldn't budge because Doug Wojcik doesn't want him to budge, so Bubba is giving Doug what he wants and that is to not play ORU this year when ORU should have a strong team and TU might be a little bit weaker. However, I think that Wojcik's apparent desire not to play the game may be an example of the type of approach that is causing TU's patience to wear thin with him in the 1st place. I think it's weak to schedule a non D-1 game to replace this game just so you can hope to get an extra win. For RPI purposes that game doesn't count. I think the benefit of playing a guarantee game on the road to get some $ makes a lot more sense with a chance to upset a team and get some publicity. I doubt many games will be available at this late date. We may be stuck with a non-D1 game since it is already mid-August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 I am glad to hear that a 6-year deal with agreed upon dates has been signed. However, I am still very surprised that the schools couldn't find an agreed upon date for this year. I don't know why ORU would want to play the game in January or February. Why wouldn't we schedule it during the non-conference part of the schedule? By signing a 6-year deal, TU saves face by making it clear that they do want to continue the series. In reality, I suspect that Bubba wouldn't budge because Doug Wojcik doesn't want him to budge, so Bubba is giving Doug what he wants and that is to not play ORU this year when ORU should have a strong team and TU might be a little bit weaker. However, I think that Wojcik's apparent desire not to play the game may be an example of the type of approach that is causing TU's patience to wear thin with him in the 1st place. I think it's weak to schedule a non D-1 game to replace this game just so you can hope to get an extra win. For RPI purposes that game doesn't count. I think the benefit of playing a guarantee game on the road to get some $ makes a lot more sense with a chance to upset a team and get some publicity. I doubt many games will be available at this late date. We may be stuck with a non-D1 game since it is already mid-August. That was a really good post - until the last paragraph. Our RPI has little (if any) bearing on our inclusion in the NIT or any other post-season tournament that does not have automatic qualifying. Our RECORD, though, means EVERYTHING in terms of marquee value to one of those tournaments. When you see that a Butler or a George Mason wins 20 games in a season, do you give a moment's thought to WHO they beat to obtain that record, and how many of them were non D-1?? Of course not. Look, we have AMPLE opportunities with this schedule to upset a big name team and get our name mentioned on SportsCenter. What we DON'T need is the score from a 20-point loss at some BCS school crawling across the bottom of ESPN all that night and the next morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 TU can kiss my rump....they knew it was going to be ugly this year at Mabee....TheEagleman has detested them since 1975.....heck with them....Bring on Drury!..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue82 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 It may not be possible at this late date, but I think a home game with a "low-major D1 program" would be ideal. We have enough firepower in our schedule this year, that we don't need another at Xavier, at West Virginia guarantee body-bag game. And, if a D1 isn't available, NAIA will have to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Home games with those "low major D-1's" go for anywhere from $50K to $75K - that's how programs like Chicago State and Presbyterian stay afloat. An Oklahoma Wesleyan, on the other hand, can be had with a bus-full of diesel, 12 rooms at the Hilton-Southern Hills, and a postgame meal at Wings To Go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 “We had some miscommunication and we were each holding a different set of dates for the game,†TU athletic director Bubba Cunningham said. Uh-huh. So, are we getting a six year contract in lieu of the cash buy-out talked about earlier, for the game that should be taking place at Mabee Center this season? "Sabbatical"? Come on. This is a DODGE, by anyone's standards. We stood a better chance of winning this year than in any since the Green/Tutt years, and it was to be a home game for us. A very frustrating turn of events. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Home games with those "low major D-1's" go for anywhere from $50K to $75K - that's how programs like Chicago State and Presbyterian stay afloat. An Oklahoma Wesleyan, on the other hand, can be had with a bus-full of diesel, 12 rooms at the Hilton-Southern Hills, and a postgame meal at Wings To Go. TrueBlue82 Posted Today, 01:18 AM It may not be possible at this late date, but I think a home game with a "low-major D1 program" would be ideal. We have enough firepower in our schedule this year, that we don't need another at Xavier, at West Virginia guarantee body-bag game. And, if a D1 isn't available, NAIA will have to do! I agree that with the WV game, Xavier game, and potential tough matchups in the Preseason NIT, there are several tough games already on the schedule. Of course we could also end up playing mainly mid-major teams in the Preseason NIT depending on how the wins and losses fall in the bracket. It might be too much to play another road game against a tough opponent, but then I would much rather see a home and home agreement with a similar mid-major team even if we have to play the first game on the road this year. I'd much rather give up a non D-1 game at home this year in order to get a home game with a D-1 opponent next year. Without the TU game, it might be that the coaches/Mike Carter might feel that there aren't enough home games on the schedule, so they may add a non D-1 game simply to have enough home games on the schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jupiter2 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 As an outsider, it truly is ashame to see cross town rivals not play. This could be a rivalry killer for quite some time. This is similar to UNM and UTEP. UTEP wanted to play UNM this year and UNM said "No". There was some bad blood before last year's NIT game with the Minors and Coach Alford will simply not play UTEP (at least for the time being). Sometimes, it's the bad blood that makes for a great rivalry. Jupiter Out GO LOBOS!! BEAT COLORADO STATE!! GO ORU!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 I agree that with the WV game, Xavier game, and potential tough matchups in the Preseason NIT, there are several tough games already on the schedule. Of course we could also end up playing mainly mid-major teams in the Preseason NIT depending on how the wins and losses fall in the bracket. It might be too much to play another road game against a tough opponent, but then I would much rather see a home and home agreement with a similar mid-major team even if we have to play the first game on the road this year. I'd much rather give up a non D-1 game at home this year in order to get a home game with a D-1 opponent next year. Without the TU game, it might be that the coaches/Mike Carter might feel that there aren't enough home games on the schedule, so they may add a non D-1 game simply to have enough home games on the schedule. OK, I'll give you that one: if we can find an opponent (regardless of size) that is willing to do a home-and-home or a 2-for-1, IF we come to their place this season, I'll buy that. But, I don't want to see what could be a pretty good ORU team get hosed on the road early in the season by some BCS giant and their league referees, simply to make a buck. Like Sir Paul McCartney said, there are some things "that money just can't buy". Like, a team's self-confidence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Then Oklahoma Wesleyan it is!..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManiacAlum Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 When I saw that there was a 6-year deal agreed upon, it seemed exactly how most businesses and politicians break news nowadays. A fairly large amount of "good news" is presented to cover up much more significant bad news. Like, why were you able to solve 6 future problems, but not the most necessary, immediate problem? If this went down the way it sounds, what a pathetic dodge by Wojcik and TU. You can't try to marginalize your rival one day and then cowardly duck them the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 One thing that's missing from the story: whether or not TU had to pay a penalty to get out of the game at ORU this year, and if so, how much. Could EASILY imagine a scenario where the payment to ORU came along with a non-disclosure agreement, in order for Wojcik to save face and for Cunningham to avoid controversy. I would like to think we didn't just give away the farm for nothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 All in all....this is pretty sad.....TU and Wojcik..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 One thing that's missing from the story: whether or not TU had to pay a penalty to get out of the game at ORU this year, and if so, how much. Could EASILY imagine a scenario where the payment to ORU came along with a non-disclosure agreement, in order for Wojcik to save face and for Cunningham to avoid controversy. I would like to think we didn't just give away the farm for nothing... If there WAS a contract and a penalty clause, then I couldn't agree more. I have to admit, I find very little satisfaction or consolation in the six year agreement. At the same time, I have confidence that Mike Carter made the best deal possible out of a bad situation. Keep in mind - Mike's expertise is in negotiation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Next year's game on December 22nd, without looking at a calendar, leads me to think that this is during Christmas break. Which means, no students and that close to Christmas, a game played in front of 5,000...maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Next year's game on December 22nd, without looking at a calendar, leads me to think that this is during Christmas break. Which means, no students and that close to Christmas, a game played in front of 5,000...maybe? It was reportedly the only date they could agree on that: 1. Is before January 1st, and... 2. Did not interfere with our conference games the first and last week of December, and... 3. Did not interfere with ORU semester finals, and... 4. Did not interfere with TU finals, and... 5. Did not interfere with other already-scheduled games and travel days, and... 6. Did not interfere with potential holiday tournament dates around Thanksgiving and Christmas. None of this matters, by the way: as Eric Bailey of The Tulsa World pointed out on Twitter, the Mayan Long Calendar runs out on December 21st, 2012, so the world is going to end the day before the game anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oruvoice Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Personally, I'd rather play the game in mid-November as the first game of the year than during Christmas break. It REALLY negates our home court advantage, not having 1,000 ORU students in the building... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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