Travis Haney is a darn good beat writer

[47straight]

It really dawned on me tonight reading another Travis Haney DOK blog/article that he's a really good beat writer. He doesn't talk out hhis butt to just stir stuff up, he makes a lot of interesting observations, notices the small things, and I seem to learn something everytime I read. Coming in as an outsider, being younger and hungry really works to his advantage.

Some good ones -- here he replays the whole game. He notices Chuck Long's play-calling trend

"12:30: Conservative play-calling for Kansas and Long. Didn’t even throw on third-and-7? Settles for field goal, but, hey, it’s a tie game for KU."
http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2011/10/17/ou-review-waving-at-wheat-in-kansas/

Here he breaks down all 96 OU plays in the red-zone. Good grief!

http://blog.newsok.com/ou/2011/10/18/emptying-the-notebook-sooners-red-zone-exploration/

[colleyvillesooner]

I follow him on twitter, and it's pretty humorous reading his reaction to the first couple
of Stoops pressers.

I too like the angle he takes.

[Chiliman]

Top shelf writer. His article about Austin Box's father's letters to Austin was recognized by the DOK, as the paper's top story/article for September. He won't be @ the DOK very long IMO.

[3rdgensooner]

It really dawned on me tonight reading another Travis Haney DOK blog/article that he's a really good beat writer. He doesn't talk out hhis butt to just stir stuff up,
He was stirring stuff up with this article: Bob Stoops misleading me is misleading you, the fan (http://newsok.com/bob-stoops-misleading-me-is-misleading-you-the-fan/article/3614198#ixzz1b0E2LfZU)

[cleller]

I thought the "Bob Stoops Misleading Me..." article was a little questionable, from a few standpoints. Firstly, its kind of whining, nit picky stuff. Second, he's the new guy in town, and he's willing to risk souring his relationship with Bob? (Bob is a man, and over 40).
Third, and final. I was critical of Bob Stoops. That's some SMFBS.

Until then, I thought he was fine.

[cleller]

To go another direction, just read his story about the BCS rankings and strength of schedule. Lays out a very good argument that OU could jump to #1 if we beat KState. Beating OSU, if they stay unbeaten, would be icing on the top.

http://newsok.com/sooners-closer-to-no.-1-than-it-seems/article/3615319?custom_click=lead_story_title

[bmjlr]

I enjoy his articles as well. Very infromative.

[Taxman71]

I thought the "Bob Stoops Misleading Me..." article was a little questionable, from a few standpoints. Firstly, its kind of whining, nit picky stuff. Second, he's the new guy in town, and he's willing to risk souring his relationship with Bob? (Bob is a man, and over 40).
Third, and final. I was critical of Bob Stoops. That's some SMFBS.

Until then, I thought he was fine.

OTOH, Stoops is at his best when he is P.O.'d. This may help us grab #8.

[Landthief 1972]

Aside from his Stoops injury story, love his writing. What's stunning is the number of idiots in the comments of his stories. He did a great article comparing and contrasting the different cultures of the Big XII vs. the SEC, which is where he came from before going to the Oklahoman, and there were numerous idiots commenting things like "I don't wanna here no stories about yer personal life, right moar about ther Sooners, you SEC homer!" Another set of hicks were lambasting his film breakdown as "filler." All those asses want to read about is how wonderful OU is, and how they're going to beat every team by 200 points. I just hope Haney has a thick skin, because I think he's a real asset to the Oklahoman, and to the sports scene in Oklahoma.

[JudInKC]

I thought the "Bob Stoops Misleading Me..." article was a little questionable, from a few standpoints. Firstly, its kind of whining, nit picky stuff. Second, he's the new guy in town, and he's willing to risk souring his relationship with Bob? (Bob is a man, and over 40).
Third, and final. I was critical of Bob Stoops. That's some SMFBS.

Until then, I thought he was fine.

I didn't take it that way at all. I thought it was a really good article to the readers who ask him about injuries. He is telling them even he doesn't know because of the way Stoops handles injuries. I saw nothing in the article that was critical of Stoops.

Some of you take this stuff way too personal. If Bob was the type to get upset about that article, then he would have left town long ago as other writers have been way more critical of Bob than that article.

[JudInKC]

Top shelf writer. His article about Austin Box's father's letters to Austin was recognized by the DOK, as the paper's top story/article for September. He won't be @ the DOK very long IMO.

You are probably right. He's the best OU beat writer since George Schroeder who is now in Oregon and recommended Haney to Tramel. Hopefully the allure of covering OU will keep him at least on the OU beat so maybe it won't matter if he stays on at the DOK or goes to some other OU media outlet.

[Cantstandya]

He was stirring stuff up with this article: Bob Stoops misleading me is misleading you, the fan (http://newsok.com/bob-stoops-misleading-me-is-misleading-you-the-fan/article/3614198#ixzz1b0E2LfZU)
No kidding... I thought he had done a good job up until the injury article. Dude came off as a crybaby because he didn't get the info he wanted...

[delhalew]

No kidding... I thought he had done a good job up until the injury article. Dude came off as a crybaby because he didn't get the info he wanted...

Coaches have no obligation to address injuries. I like the Leach school of thought, that injury talk lends itself to internal excuses making, and draws attention from the backups that step up. Also, that it's just lazy journalism.

[SoonerSpock]

I've been attending OU games since the mid-fifties, had season tickets for 51 years and read The Oklahoman for 60 years. To date, in my opinion, Haney is the best OU beat writer The Oklahoman has ever had based on the information he provides about the team. They had Frank Boggs who was a columnist as did the Tulsa World with Bill Conners and they were excellent writers but I do not recall either ever being a beat writer.

In general Haney's writing talks about football and how the Sooners perform moreso than any of his predecessors . Hopefully one does not prefer Trotter, Helsley and Baldwin covering the Sooners' beat as his knowledge and his perspective of the game far exceeds these their's. Nor did Tramel to a comparable job when he was the Sooner beat writer. George Schroeder was perhaps comparable and a good beat writer before becoming a columnist and taking his wares to the Eugene Register-Guard but I do not think he was as knowlegable.

For those that dislike Travis be patient he will be gone to another newspaper or ESPN in a year or two. Then you can all become thrilled as The Oklahoman elevates Gina Mizell from the puke'd beat to the Sooner's beat where her articles will be filled with the desired accolades of the Sooners.

[SunnySooner]

I didn't read the injury article, so IDK, but I do like all the other stuff I've read from him. He's good on the little videos the DOK forces on you as well, makes poor Jenni look even worse in comparison. I think we might have a chance of hanging on to him for awhile, if he wants to stay in CFB, that is. Yeah, the DOK is a crappy paper, but Da Soonahs are one of the premier teams to be covering, and a lot of his stuff gets picked up by other outlets, which benefits him as well. Plus, reporters don't make all that much $$$, and people who live in OK forget how much lower the cost of living is there. His crummy salary (that will be the same just about wherever), goes WAY further in OKC than it would just about anywhere else. As someone who has moved there, he knows this, and I'm sure he's enjoyed his bigger house, cheaper restaurants, gas, etc. Is he married? I don't think so. Maybe he'll meet a nice Okie girl with a lot of family, money, and land, get hitched, settle down, and stick around forever. He's definitely a notch or five above some of the other yahoos we deal with.

[cccasooner2]

I like his pre- and post-game analysis. His writing is a refreshing change from the tired woulda-coulda-shoulda BS from other journalists.

[Howzit]

Agree with everyone that referenced the injury article. Everything else I have read has been very good, that one reaked of *sniffsniff*.

[mainline13]

I didn't take it that way at all. I thought it was a really good article to the readers who ask him about injuries. He is telling them even he doesn't know because of the way Stoops handles injuries. I saw nothing in the article that was critical of Stoops.

Some of you take this stuff way too personal. If Bob was the type to get upset about that article, then he would have left town long ago as other writers have been way more critical of Bob than that article.

Well, they do say that beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, so your take is fine for you.

On the other hand, I translated the article as "The public has a right to know, so if coach knows what's good for him, he'll answer all my questions." I didn't necessarily hear an "or else" at the end, but I did hear it in a whiny tone. I'm sure Bob just chuckled.

[picasso]

Agree with everyone that referenced the injury article. Everything else I have read has been very good, that one reaked of *sniffsniff*.
He's a panty sniffer?

[rock on sooner]

SoonerSpock...terrific to see a long time Sooner fan on the board. By long time, I refer to the fact that I became a Sooner fan
in 1952...have lived through Dick Lynch and his TD with Nick Pietrosante blocking for him for the Domers and Gomer Jones and
his trials..all the coaches leading up to the King...the dark days after then the bright light of Stoops and all the fun since then.
Just wanted to say hey and BOOMER SOONER!

[soonerboy_odanorth]

I didn't take it that way at all. I thought it was a really good article to the readers who ask him about injuries. He is telling them even he doesn't know because of the way Stoops handles injuries. I saw nothing in the article that was critical of Stoops.

Some of you take this stuff way too personal. If Bob was the type to get upset about that article, then he would have left town long ago as other writers have been way more critical of Bob than that article.

What bugged me is how presumptive it was. Travis, with some of the fresh perspective he has brought, doesn't represent me in any way, shape, or form.

To me he was playing his "reporters are the media representative of the public, and the public has a right to know" shtick. And that is a principle of American journalism to which I could not disagree more. The press has a right to be unencumbered and free from censorship in their reporting and/or commentary. They do not have the right, in my opinion, to be unobstructed to ALL information, especially in matters concerning private citizens, or in matters (again in my opinion) that are a matter of national security. (Not that the Sooners' injuries are matters of national security.)

But I do think Stoops is paid in part to protect the interests of his players and team, ergo the economic interests of the university. And so is not obligated to share information which could be damaging to those interests (i.e. detailed injury information.) And if protecting those interests is "misleading" otherwise interested parties, mainly the opposition, then he is doing what he is paid to do. And so Travis has to dig around somewhere else to try and find out the info. Well, tough.

Sure, the American press can be a powerful advocate of the interests of the American public. It also can be an insipid panderer clawing for the almighty dollar of the American public. Sports journalism, and that article in particular, in my opinion, fall firmly in the latter.

Then again I could be overthinking it... or taking it too personally.

[Octavian]

not a fan