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Sooner04
1/16/2009, 04:47 PM
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/KingpinPadre/47fc_1.jpg

The Irvine game.

In my years of studying and learning about OU BBall, I always wanted to hear about wild games and crowds. I was a part of some of the legendary crowds at a very young age ('85 Georgia Tech) and a bunch as I got older ('90 Kansas being the best).

But whenever I talked to the true die-hards, one game always came up. It took place a couple months before I was born, and it was in the postseason NIT: the Irvine game.

Look at the picture. The place is packed. There's one difference: the seating was wide open. Back then, according to what I've been told and read, the infamous "donor" program did not exist. Rabid OU BBall fans scarfed up the primo seats while the rest of the arena could be had for a cheap price.

Look at the friggin' picture. It's jam packed. A year later, Wayman arrives and the practice of bigwigs scarfing up tickets for donor points comes into play. By all accounts I've heard and read, the LNC rocked as it had never rocked before for that Irvine game. You had the creme-de-la-creme of OU BBall fans flooding the place cheering on their group without interference from the carpetbaggers looking for football clout. It must've been a hell of a scene.

Fast forward to 2004. OU hosts an opening round game of the NIT against LSU. Lower level seats could be had for $10. Uppers for $5. First come, first serve. I go to the game and the lower level is packed. The upper level, half full. You know what I noticed? It was friggin' loud in there that night. I mean REALLY loud. I received numerous calls that night talking about how loud the LNC was. It warmed my heart.

I know the true OU BBall fans are out there. I think the mixture of high ticket prices coupled with EVERY game being on TV has kept them on the couch. I'd love to have them back. I don't know if my eardrums could take it, but they need to be in the arena. A face value of $60 is much too high for a BBall game (that's what my Texas ticket had for face).

Just a ramble. I hate when people put down our fans because I know they're out there. I think we've got the man for the job of seeing this thing totally through.

King Crimson
1/16/2009, 04:55 PM
Chucky Barnett!!!!! He and David Little led the Big 8 in scoring at about 16 a pop.

i was at that Irvine game.

edit: Barnett wearing Converse....

Sooner04
1/16/2009, 04:59 PM
If you want to get technical, I was at the Irvine game. I was in the womb, but I was there!

Per Soonerstats, you shortchanged both Chucky and David.

Chucky Barnett - 18.9 ppg
David Little - 18.5 ppg

'81-82 Oklahoma Sooners (http://www.soonerstats.com/basketball/men/seasons/teamstats.cfm?seasonid=1982)

I guess those old CONS weren't too bad. Look at Bo Overton shilling out 4.5 dimes a game. His totals increased the next year with the addition of Wayman, as would any PG who was worth his salt. :)

oumartin
1/16/2009, 05:22 PM
I wore #11 in the norman grade school rec league in honor of one Jan Pannell my one year of living down there.

at least I think it was 11 :)

8timechamps
1/16/2009, 05:37 PM
Wasn't at the Irvine game, but remember where I was during it.

I know I'd be a season ticket holder if I were still in OK. I gave up my Bronco tickets two years ago, and the entire time I had them I couldn't help but think I could be spending less money for Sooner tickets, pay for gas to get to Norman for home games, and still spend less money.

In the end, I just got tired of paying out the nose for seats, parking, food/beer. Then waiting in line for the bathroom.

Things change a whole lot when you take a 7 year old to the game.

Anyway, nice blast from the past.

kbsooner
1/17/2009, 09:42 AM
I remember going to two consecutive home games against #1 Mizzou then #1 KU in the late 80's. I remember me and my mom got standing room only tix for both, and during the Mizzou game the guy operating the spotlight let me sit on the platform (I was 11 at the time). Maybe it was my impressionable mind, maybe I've had too many head injuries since then, but I think that was the pinnacle of the raucous LNC crowds for me. Anyone else remember these games?

bri
1/17/2009, 05:09 PM
I remember going to two consecutive home games against #1 Mizzou then #1 KU in the late 80's. I remember me and my mom got standing room only tix for both, and during the Mizzou game the guy operating the spotlight let me sit on the platform (I was 11 at the time). Maybe it was my impressionable mind, maybe I've had too many head injuries since then, but I think that was the pinnacle of the raucous LNC crowds for me. Anyone else remember these games?

Yep. I was watching them on TV, but you could almost feel how loud those crowds were. You know on old-timey cartoons when they have the mercury bust out the top of a thermometer? I thought that was gonna happen to the Skeeter Meter during those games.

bluedogok
1/17/2009, 09:14 PM
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y258/KingpinPadre/47fc_1.jpg

Look at the friggin' picture. It's jam packed. A year later, Wayman arrives and the practice of bigwigs scarfing up tickets for donor points comes into play.
Wayman was a freshman the 82-83 season, I know that because I was at freshman at OU that same season. IIRC my student season ticket was $25.00 for the entire season (minus the games over Christmas Break), my football season ticket was $35.00. Those were fun games, scoring 100 points in most of them was a big selling point and much of the reason why I am not much of a basketball fan anymore. I hate what the game has become and how much more of a part the officials seem to play in it anymore.

The worst thing the school ever did was put the donor seats in camera view. The lack of donor attendance has always been an issue there, I think that shot is probably showing the student seating which was always packed...for the most part the upper ring was always full and the lower "donor" ring always had gaps...and back then they wouldn't let you down to go fill in seats. If you look at Sooner Stats the average home attendance increased quite a bit during the Wayman years but it has never been a "packed every night" place, the only time that it approached it is when they were really good, in fact during Calvins good years the attendance was traditionally better than during the Tubbs years.

I do agree that there is a core group of fans, there always seems to have been but they don't seem to be among the donors.

bri
1/18/2009, 07:01 PM
I think it sucks that we can't pack the place for a top 5 team, but the University brought this upon themselves with their donor point policies. Until Joe C. stops counting money and starts to actually give a damn about the fans or how the school looks when our vacant donor seats are on Big Monday week in and week out, f*ck it. Ain't nothing we can do about it.