Pretty nice read...never rained on a Wilkinson game at Owen Field

[bmjlr]

Wilkinson weather: It never rained on a Bud game at Owen Field

There’s always been a folk story that it never rained on a Bud Wilkinson football game at Owen Field. I never believed it but certainly never cared enough to research it.

But someone did. And it’s dang near true.

Gary McManus, associate state climatologist for the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, said his staff did some research.

“‘With the exception of a blowing mist during the Sooners’ 55-14 drubbing of Colorado in late October 1951, no precipitation was observed during Wilkinson’s home career,” McManus said. “And even on that day, no measurable amount of rainfall fell until several hours after the final gun, so the climate record supports the Legend of Bud Wilkinson Weather.”

Think about that. Think of all the rainy (and snowy) Barry Switzer games. Think of the wet Bob Stoops games. Think of that miserable November Texas A&M game in 1997, when the Ags won 51-7 and rained ice most of the night.

And then think of it never raining on Bud Wilkinson in 17 seasons of OU home games.

”Wilkinson’s Sooners played 81 home games, all in the last 10 days of September through the last week of November,” McManus said. “Norman’s long-term climate record indicates that measurable precipitation falls on about 17 percent of the days in this period.

“If 81 of these ‘football season’ days were randomly drawn from Norman’s history, the odds of choosing zero rainy days are exceedingly small. In fact, they are very similar to the chances of rolling a die 81 times without showing a 6. About 2.5 million to one!”

I can’t veryify that McManus’ math is correct, but I’m in no position to argue with a meteorologist. You can find the whole article about Bud Wilkinson weather in this issue of “Oklahoma Climate” magazine, from the fall of 2004: http://climate.mesonet.org/seasonal_summary/Oklahoma_Climate_Fall_2004.pdf The article was written by Derek Arndt, who now is with the National Climatic Data Center.

McManus said the Sooners “had a few factors on their side to reduce these odds. Foremost of these is the fact that a Wilkinson-era football game only lasted about two hours. Rain fell on several of the days that the Sooners hosted games, but never during the actual contests.”

Sometimes, the Wilkinson “effect” took on “eerie proportions,” McManus said. “For example, in October of 1959, 10 straight days of heavy rains caused severe flooding across much of the state. In Norman, the downpour stopped just 10 minutes before kickoff.”

Of course, Wilkinson hadn’t coached at OU in 47 years. Now the season starts 2-3 weeks earlier, the temperature seems 10-15 degrees hotter and it’s nothing at all to have 95 degrees at kickoff. A little rain doesn’t hurt.


http://blog.newsok.com/berrytramel/2010/08/24/wilkinson-weather-it-never-rained-on-a-bud-game-owen-field/?custom_click=lead_story_title

[Sam.England]

Even the weather loves some Sooner Football!

[BoomerJack]

"Think about that. Think of all the rainy (and snowy) Barry Switzer games. Think of the wet Bob Stoops games. Think of that miserable November Texas A&M game in 1997, when the Ags won 51-7 and rained ice most of the night."

I was at that game. I remember it being one cold SOB but no precipitation.

[texaspokieokie]

i was @ Neb game in 88 (i think) when it was VERY cold & blowing freezing rain. we sat there for the whole game. how stupid.

i think that was the last home game coached by Barry.

[cvsooner]

Mizzou game in '76....cold, cold, cold. Freezing rain before, sleet during. Absolutely miserable conditions. We won a squeaker, though, so it was a good day. Didn't throw a single pass...

[Sabanball]

Wasn't at Owen Field, but the 1985 game in Stillwater comes to mind talking about this. Wasn't it played in a snowstorm?

[Mississippi Sooner]

Wasn't at Owen Field, but the 1985 game in Stillwater comes to mind talking about this. Wasn't it played in a snowstorm?

Mostly sleet and freezing rain. Ice pellets covered every surface. It was a wonder either team could gain so much as a yard. It was almost impossible to walk on, let alone run. Just a totally miserable night.

[C&CDean]

I remember a K-State game in Norman in the Gibbs/Blake/Schnelly era (can't remember what year) where they gave us a beat down. It was probably the coldest I've ever been. 45+ mph North wind, sleet, and I believe the wind chill was near or below 0. A couple of players had to be sent to the locker room because their toes were freezing and they were worried about frostbite.

I as at that A&M game y'all are talking about and it was downright balmy compared to that K-State game.

[Jacie]

Wasn't at Owen Field, but the 1985 game in Stillwater comes to mind talking about this. Wasn't it played in a snowstorm?

That game isn't termed the Ice Bowl for nothing . . .

[prrriiide]

That game isn't termed the Ice Bowl for nothing . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVXFS6nzJrU

[stoopified]

I was at a Switzer home date in 2988(I think ) against KSU,where it was so sold a security guard caught his pants on fire getting too close to a sideline heater.I believe it sleeted during that game.

I do find it amazing that Wilkinson never had rain on home dates,amazing.On asidenote,Ive sat through 2 or 3 thunderstorm/ downpours in the Stoops area.The most memrable being 2003 or 2004 during a noght game where the game was halted for about an hour because of a wicked lightning storm.

[texaspokieokie]

i really don't believe it never rained on a Bud home game.

[texaspokieokie]

i think the really cold game in 1988 was the Nebraska game, Barry's last home game.

i (think i) remember it because it was the season before we got season tickets; so we didn't make every game.

[BoulderSooner79]

Most coaches are control freaks, but Bud topped them all with this one.

[texaspokieokie]

i heard somewhere that the opposition felt that Bud's teams always had
the wind @ their backs in the 4th quarter.

[yermom]

I was at a Switzer home date in 2988(I think ) against KSU,where it was so sold a security guard caught his pants on fire getting too close to a sideline heater.I believe it sleeted during that game.

I do find it amazing that Wilkinson never had rain on home dates,amazing.On asidenote,Ive sat through 2 or 3 thunderstorm/ downpours in the Stoops area.The most memrable being 2003 or 2004 during a noght game where the game was halted for about an hour because of a wicked lightning storm.

2002 UTEP?

the break in that Chattanooga game seemed like forever in 2008

isn't there a similar legend about Autzen in Eugene?

[cheezyq]

Sooner magic. That's all that needs to be said.

[fadada1]

I remember a K-State game in Norman in the Gibbs/Blake/Schnelly era (can't remember what year) where they gave us a beat down. It was probably the coldest I've ever been. 45+ mph North wind, sleet, and I believe the wind chill was near or below 0. A couple of players had to be sent to the locker room because their toes were freezing and they were worried about frostbite.

I as at that A&M game y'all are talking about and it was downright balmy compared to that K-State game.

'91 was the k-state game. freaking miserable. supposedly the lowest crowd in the stands at the start of a game... EVAR.

'97 against a&m was stinkin' cold, but not wet.

[tulsaoilerfan]

I was at a Switzer home date in 2988(I think ) against KSU,where it was so sold a security guard caught his pants on fire getting too close to a sideline heater.I believe it sleeted during that game.

I do find it amazing that Wilkinson never had rain on home dates,amazing.On asidenote,Ive sat through 2 or 3 thunderstorm/ downpours in the Stoops area.The most memrable being 2003 or 2004 during a noght game where the game was halted for about an hour because of a wicked lightning storm.

I was at that game also; believe it was 2003; nothing like being huddled under the end zone bleacher with a few thousand of my closest friends :D

[tulsaoilerfan]

i really don't believe it never rained on a Bud home game.

According to the book "The Undefeated" it never rained during a Bud home game, but i think it did start raining shortly after the infamous loss to ND

[Mazeppa]

I remember a K-State game in Norman in the Gibbs/Blake/Schnelly era (can't remember what year) where they gave us a beat down. It was probably the coldest I've ever been. 45+ mph North wind, sleet, and I believe the wind chill was near or below 0. A couple of players had to be sent to the locker room because their toes were freezing and they were worried about frostbite.

I as at that A&M game y'all are talking about and it was downright balmy compared to that K-State game.

I think I was at that game, drove down from tulsa alone in blowing snow, I'm pretty sure I had a whole section to myself.

I think it was several seasons before it rained on Bobs home game, cause we would joke that Bob wouldn't let it rain on gameday.

[bluedogok]

i was @ Neb game in 88 (i think) when it was VERY cold & blowing freezing rain. we sat there for the whole game. how stupid.

i think that was the last home game coached by Barry.
I was there in Sec. 4.....it was miserable alternating between sleet and rain, there was a sheen over the AstroTurf. I remember Charles Thompson's leg being broken towards the end of the game...I also had to change a flat tire in that crud after the game. Just a harbinger of the dark period to come....

[texaspokieokie]

if i remember correctly, the temp was 36 with wind chill about 9.

in my old age, wouldn't go to a game like that .

[texaspokieokie]

3 or 4 people on the barry tramel blog state that they were @ games in the
"Bud" era, when it rained.

[bmjlr]

3 or 4 people on the barry tramel blog state that they were @ games in the
"Bud" era, when it rained.

Do you really trust people responding on forums or blogs? :D

[Half a Hundred]

It's funny to think that in the Switzer era, that terrible weather might have been to our advantage. We knew that we were going to cough up a ton of fumbles anyway, so making it easier for the other team to fumble might have made life a lot easier.


3 or 4 people on the barry tramel blog state that they were @ games in the "Bud" era, when it rained.

They would have to be pretty old to have been there, and is there anything as contrary as an old Okie? :D

[texaspokieokie]

one of them said he was a student in 1962. how old is that.

[BudSooner]

According to the book "The Undefeated" it never rained during a Bud home game, but i think it did start raining shortly after the infamous loss to ND

One of the best books i've read on the Sooners and yep, that is what is said.

Btw, I wish I could have met Kurt Burris and Jimmy Harris back then. :D

Damn, what Gautt went thru was pretty ****ty and yeah I know it was back when what whites would say was "acceptable" in most circles about black people but ****....that guy went thru alot to play in Norman.


And Billy Vessels, damn that chapter about brought me to tears.

If you have not read it, I HIGHLY SUGGEST reading it!

[Williesan]

'91 was the k-state game. freaking miserable. supposedly the lowest crowd in the stands at the start of a game... EVAR.

'97 against a&m was stinkin' cold, but not wet.

1991 K-State game was on my birthday. We had a family tradition that my brothers and I would get to go to the home game closest to our birthdays every year with our dad. I was excited because K-State still sucked worse than us and a win was pretty much guaranteed. By the time my dad and I got to the OKC gate of the turnpike it was pretty evident what Mother Nature was throwing at us wasn't letting up. You knew it was gonna be effing cold when your tickets were in section 101, row 38. With "You Can't Always Get What You Want" playing over KRXO, we made the command decision to turn around and head home - especially when the snow was coming in horizontally (literally - the passenger side window of dad's car was coated w/ snow).

I also recall this one vividly because (1) it was 60 degrees and crystal clear the day before and (2) my HS played a game that night at LaFortune with about 6" of snow on the ground. (And yes, I chose to freeze my arse off there!)

1997 Texas A&M: That one was just freaking cold -no wind and rain (They may be confused with the 1996 Tech game when it started sleeting in the 2nd half). JohnnyMack and I sat through that one until the bitter end as it was our last game as students. Took me until at least Monday afternoon to thaw out.

Ahhh memories...

Williesan

[jkjsooner]

The dice analogy understated the odds by about a million: 2.5. 1 / (1-.17)^81 = 2.5 million