Stoops post game press conference

[Sooner8th]

Watching it this morning and when a reporter says the fans are angry he reply - SO WHAT. Then he is asked if he was embarrassed he said I don't use those words, you do. Asked what level of responsibility he takes for coaching at first he says all of it, then says what ever you want, I don't care about where or not it's just this week or all year.



http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000/

I don't watch these, this is the first one I have ever watched. My reaction is - what an arrogant prick. I am done with his attitude, you can have that attitude when you are going 12-1, 13-0 playing for the NC, but not when you are getting your *** kicked at home by BAYLOR! Does he understand that it's the fans who pay his salary? If it wasn't for us showing up, tuning iN, buying tickets, buying merchandise, donating, traveling to games and supporting the program monetarily and non-monetarily he wouldn't be making $5.25m a year. He owes the fans an apology for not only how he prepared OUR team to play yesterday, but also that he doesn't care if we are angry.

He needs to understand, I was a sooner football fan before he got here and I'll be a sooner football fan LONG after he is gone. THIS IS MY TEAM!

[FaninAma]

Also, did he really say "Who cares?" when John Hoover asked him about the fans being so angry?

[Mookie91]

Baylor could be a top 10 team so there 3 losses will most likely all be top 12 to top 15 teams. Press conferences are what they are and Stoops handles them better than most. Now message board heros, which I will put myself in that category, don't run the football program so we don't know what is said behind closed doors or what can't be said for recruiting purposes.

[FaninAma]

Mookie, if Stoops really said that to Hoover then he is just tone deaf. That quote, if true, bothers me almost as musch as the results of the game yesterday.

[Sooner8th]

Also, did he really say "Who cares?" when John Hoover asked him about the fans being so angry?

I didn't say he said that.

[SoonerMarkVA]

I've never seen Stoops indicate he cares what the media or the fans say. I guess, if true, I find it very unsurprising. Just who I've always perceived him to be, good times or bad.

[Mookie91]

Mookie, if Stoops really said that to Hoover then he is just tone deaf. That quote, if true, bothers me almost as musch as the results of the game yesterday.

It may bother you but not me. 75% of fans are morons that would be running the wishbone with Knight if they could. As a head football coach you can't make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments.

[Sooner8th]

It may bother you but not me. 75% of fans are morons that would be running the wishbone with Knight if they could. As a head football coach you can't make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments.

It bothers me a LOT. It is an indication of the arrogance and complacency his has grown into. Of course you cannot make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments or message boards, but to indicate you don't care if the fans are angry is a HUGE problem.

[FaninAma]

I didn't say he said that.
I didn't say you said he said that. The information came from a reliable poster on the OU Scout board.

[FaninAma]

It may bother you but not me. 75% of fans are morons that would be running the wishbone with Knight if they could. As a head football coach you can't make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments.
I don't disagree but Stoops should be smarter than to antagonize his ticket buyers.

[Mookie91]

It bothers me a LOT. It is an indication of the arrogance and complacency his has grown into. Of course you cannot make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments or message boards, but to indicate you don't care if the fans are angry is a HUGE problem.

At the level of OU football everyone is arrogant. As far as complacent I'm not around the program so I don't know how much time he spends on game film, game plan, etc.

[Mookie91]

I don't disagree but Stoops should be smarter than to antagonize his ticket buyers.

TV money pays his salary and if he continues the trend of 3+ losses he'll won't be at OU in the future.

[EatLeadCommie]

Baylor could be a top 10 team so there 3 losses will most likely all be top 12 to top 15 teams. Press conferences are what they are and Stoops handles them better than most. Now message board heros, which I will put myself in that category, don't run the football program so we don't know what is said behind closed doors or what can't be said for recruiting purposes.

Part of the reason those teams are top 15 teams is because we weren't able to beat them-- two of them at home. And it used to be that we would polish off any comers in Norman, be they Top 15 of Top 5. We need to quit making excuses and figure out why the rest of the league continues to pass us by while we do the same crap year after year after year. Why do our QBs not develop? Why are our WRs not developing? Why does everybody always know what play we are going to run on 3rd and short at the goalline? What in the hell is our offensive identity? Why do we waste so many timeouts and not make other teams waste their timeouts?

[Therealsouthsider]

....it was full of excuses

ss

[Mookie91]

Part of the reason those teams are top 15 teams is because we weren't able to beat them-- two of them at home. And it used to be that we would polish off any comers in Norman, be they Top 15 of Top 5. We need to quit making excuses and figure out why the rest of the league continues to pass us by while we do the same crap year after year after year. Why do our QBs not develop? Why are our WRs not developing? Why does everybody always know what play we are going to run on 3rd and short at the goalline? What in the hell is our offensive identity? Why do we waste so many timeouts and not make other teams waste their timeouts?

Teams are better and we as fans have an overinflated notion of our place in college football. Before 2009 Alabama was irrelevant. Typically college QBs don't develop, they are system guys, hence Winston & Mariota are the same guy as they were last year. Quick has come a long way since the start of the season, Shep has been great and Neal is what he is. The offensive identity is what it is every year do what you think is going to work based on skill set.

If you want to fault this coaching staff there are 2 areas, one is simple the beef up front hasn't been great in short yardage situation. The second is more complex, there was a window from 2000 to 2004 when Oklahoma could've won 2 out of 3 National Championships and in the LSU and USC game they looked lost.

College football isn't the NFL

[aurorasooner]

As an alum and a life long Sooner fan, I don't particularly like the way Bob comes across in his pressers, but I tolerate it as long as he puts a quality product on the field. Too much Spurrier and not enough Switzer, imo, but at least Spurrier sometimes interjects some levity when he's irritated after a loss. (It's just my opinion fwiw, but I think Nick Saban has worked hard on being less irritating to the press, less robotic, and is coming across more "" likeable now that he's on the SEC network constantly)

These Sooner press conferences are broadcast nationally (I'm flipping between the NFL RZ and OU Sports OT now) and quite frankly Bob comes across as an arrogant azz.

Granted the Oklahoma press guys aren't the most sophisticated and their questions are usually less than adequate. It appears as if they do their prep immediately before the presser begins and most (outside of perhaps Tramel and 70/30) don't appear to have any communications training/skills or even minimum sales training on how to adequately ask questions and probe, and Bob, it appears, has zero training on how to handle ""objections/criticisms adequately, at least from the press.

It's just got to be an attitude thing because he obviously does handle recruits and their families questions/objections well and he been successful in the recruiting business for quite a while, which is basically just a sales business. Perhaps he should get a mind set to treat the local press as if they're potential recruits and answer their questions accordingly.

That being said, The University Of Oklahoma surely has a complete communications/public relations department at his disposal that can at least spruce his attitude up some in the off season for these fall press conferences since they're now broadcast nationally. (and while they're at it, the University should institute some kind of dress code for the local press if they're they're going to be on camera nationally--some of those guys look like they just got out of bed, have their shirt tails and bellies hanging out, and do they own any shampoo/comb or hair brush. Geez, I thought the Finebum show had cornered the market on backwoods southern hilljacks until the TV camera pans to some of our local press guys asking questions).

I guess it all depends on if he'll accept some professional "tips from the University public relations department or if he thinks it's just a bunch of crap and a waste of time.

I know 2 or 3 weeks ago at the halftime interview on national tv, one of the national press TV guys asked him a question about we're the wide line splits of the opposing offensive linemen causing his DL problems. I thought, at the time, it was a valid question and I stopped what I was doing to hear his answer, but he answered rather rudely (imo), No, it's not causing us any problems, and that was it.
While reading an article later that week from another website, they quoted one of our DL and he basically said that he didn't know what he was supposed to do or he didn't even know how to line up correctly against these wide splits.
At least to me, it hit home that our head coach doesn't know wth is going on with some of his starting players, doesn't even know there is a problem because the same wide splits gave us some problems in the TCU game a couple of weeks earlier, much less how to fix it, and he doesn't appear to know wth is transpiring in front of him on the field. I don't think that's true, but that's how I perceived it, and I'm a Sooner fan through and through. Opposing fans, opposing coaches, opposing recruiting co-ordinaters, and the national press were probably just shaking their heads and LTAO.

[Mookie91]

Aurora don't forget Stoops eats and breathes this program. I know I get frustrated when people outside my employment comment on things they really only have a glimpse of, not to mention you can't blame a kid on national TV. He's no Popovich

[bluedogok]

At the level of OU football everyone is arrogant.
Even the fans, some are over the top arrogant.

[GDC]

Aurora don't forget Stoops eats and breathes this program. I know I get frustrated when people outside my employment comment on things they really only have a glimpse of, not to mention you can't blame a kid on national TV. He's no Popovich

I was thinking Popovich also while watching the presser. The difference being Popovich is that way when they win plus he's actually won a few championships. Stoops still blamed most of the problems on execution not scheme.

Those reporters all sounded like if Stoops had said, "Boo!" they would have pissed their pants and run screaming from the room.

[EatLeadCommie]

Finally watched the presser. Bob is seriously pissed off, as he should be.

They asked him what level of responsibility the coaches have and if he felt the gameplan was good. He said yeah they thought the gameplan was good and "I take full responsibility." The follow-up was then where did it get away from you and "was that today or during the week?" He replied tersely, "All year. Whatever you want. I don't really care. You decide."

But again, he talks about responsibility and still blames execution.

[okiewaker]

I listened to the presser. Bob sounded as if being questioned about the game performance was beneath him. However, he did take full responsibility for that debacle. I'm glad he takes full responsibility,, Now,,,fix it!

[MichiganSooner]

I was wondering if Hoover were asking the questions; the guy is a jerk. He told Bob, "fans were on social media and were mad". Bob said, "so what". I take that to be an idiot saying to the head coach, your fans are on social media and coach says, "so what else is new; they're always on social media". And then reporter says, "they are angry". And coach says, "so what is new; what would anyone expect about a fan?" He is not insulted by us fans being angry; we got our butts kicked and are supposed to be upset. Stoops does not need an idiot reporter telling him the fans are mad.
In his column, Hoover says fans are extremely mad and pissed (not exact words but the gist) as they are leaving game early. I left with 5 minutes left in game which was far later than the early exodus. People walking out and around campus were unusually quiet. Did not hear anyone griping and complaining; certainly did not hear anger. It was strange walking around with football fans and no chatter, no boomer sooner, quiet like inside the library. Matter of fact, across campus and riding the bus, did not even see anyone texting. Guess the social media stuff went on before I left.

[MichiganSooner]

Also, did he really say "Who cares?" when John Hoover asked him about the fans being so angry?

No, he did not. Hoover said, if you take full responsibility does that mean you take responsibility for messing up today...or messing up all week? Bob replied, I take full responsibility for all year...whatever you think...who cares? or something like that.

[FaninAma]

No, he did not. Hoover said, if you take full responsibility does that mean you take responsibility for messing up today...or messing up all week? Bob replied, I take full responsibility for all year...whatever you think...who cares? or something like that.
Thanks. I didn't think Stoops was that tone deaf.

[soonergirlNeugene]

ESPN ran an article (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post?id=102703) citing an "unnamed coach" who said on Saturday that Stoops was exploring options outside of the University. I don't have espn insider, but clickhole would be proud of the way they baited that article. Is there anyone here who can give more information about it? I mean, I could see that as a backdrop for the game or his comments, but I have a hard time believing ESPN is capable of breaking any actual cfb news when they clearly prefer to stir the pot instead.

[FaninAma]

ESPN ran an article (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post?id=102703) citing an "unnamed coach" who said on Saturday that Stoops was exploring options outside of the University. I don't have espn insider, but clickhole would be proud of the way they baited that article. Is there anyone here who can give more information about it? I mean, I could see that as a backdrop for the game or his comments, but I have a hard time believing ESPN is capable of breaking any actual cfb news when they clearly prefer to stir the pot instead.
I
have wondered whether the off field stuff has been distracting for Stoops...especially the Frank Shannon incident. this seems like the first time i can remember a hint of some friction between the Academic heirarchy and the football program. It seems the academic/administrative board responsible for the title IX ruling on Shannon were being *********s to punish Stoops and not the player.

[Eielson]

ESPN ran an article (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post?id=102703) citing an "unnamed coach" who said on Saturday that Stoops was exploring options outside of the University. I don't have espn insider, but clickhole would be proud of the way they baited that article. Is there anyone here who can give more information about it? I mean, I could see that as a backdrop for the game or his comments, but I have a hard time believing ESPN is capable of breaking any actual cfb news when they clearly prefer to stir the pot instead.

I can't remember what it said, but it was crap. It's funny how all these "unnamed sources" say exactly what message boards are speculating. Just about anybody on this board could have written the article as long as they pretended our speculation was fact.

[8timechamps]

ESPN ran an article (http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/post?id=102703) citing an "unnamed coach" who said on Saturday that Stoops was exploring options outside of the University. I don't have espn insider, but clickhole would be proud of the way they baited that article. Is there anyone here who can give more information about it? I mean, I could see that as a backdrop for the game or his comments, but I have a hard time believing ESPN is capable of breaking any actual cfb news when they clearly prefer to stir the pot instead.

I read the article.

It was a column written by Travis Haney (who used to be a beat writer for OU). I have no doubt it was an opinion piece, and the "sources" were probably fictional. I don't know that for a fact, but I have a really hard time believing that Stoops was exploring other options. First, going into the season, there was national title hype. Clearly, Stoops wasn't exploring anything (except the season) at that time. Then, even with the TCU/KSU losses, OU was still in the hunt for a possible conference title...so, Haney would have us believe that somewhere between the end of the Baylor game and the time he wrote he article, Stoops had explored other opportunities, a source had found out about it and told Haney? Yeah, I'm not buying it.

[birddog]

It may bother you but not me. 75% of fans are morons that would be running the wishbone with Knight if they could. As a head football coach you can't make decisions based on fan reaction or talk radio sentiments.

In my case a moron that shelled out $170 to watch that debacle. Its all well n good til people decide they'd spend their money on more practical things, especially when it's free on tv. I'll always love my Sooners but when something like Saturday happens it doesn't sit well for the people that show up to see a team that Stoops and staff put together and get completely outclassed by a team from Waco.

[8timechamps]

In my case a moron that shelled out $170 to watch that debacle. Its all well n good til people decide they'd spend their money on more practical things, especially when it's free on tv. I'll always love my Sooners but when something like Saturday happens it doesn't sit well for the people that show up to see a team that Stoops and staff put together and get completely outclassed by a team from Waco.

Completely understandable. However, it doesn't happen often. If it does, then money talks.

[Mookie91]

Stoops' Sonners have won .930 percent of their home games. His press conference today was right on point. We, and I include myself, need to chill out a bit. This season has been disappointing but beware what you wish for you may just get it.

[soonergirlNeugene]

Count me in the Stoops-supporter corner. Still disappointed about the game though.

[cvsooner]

What's that line from 'The Dark Knight'? "Die a hero or live long enough to become the villain"?

Stoops may very well be at the point Wilkinson was about 1962...the glory days were behind him and things were changing. It sort of happened to Switzer too.

Clearly Coach BS is a very proud man, a competitive one, and this season has been interesting. Perhaps more drama off field than on, what with Mayfield, Shannon, DGB and Mixon. Seems like it's all spilled over into game prep, game plans, everything.

I thought this team was an interesting mix of experience, talent and inexperience. As the great JKM has noted repeatedly, Stoops and Co. tend to get all excited about athletes who aren't very good football players. That seems to be the big downfall here--which is on the coaches for not developing players. Some of them you'll never develop past a certain point because their athleticism allows them to do things most players cannot do, but it doesn't make them good players.

This season has repeatedly reminded me of 2005. A developing line, a talented but erratic QB, top flight running backs, okay receivers, a defense that's rebuilding--strong up front but subpar LB and secondary play. This is very much a rebuilding year, unfortunately, with a ways to go before we reach the promised land.

I suspect things will get fixed. This may the season that makes or breaks Stoops, to some extent. He recognized two years ago that offensive line and defensive line coaches weren't getting it done and made changes. He may recognize here that Heupel, Kish and his brother have also reached a certain point and there's no changing them.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some more coaching changes shortly after the season. Heupel cannot seem to get the plays called and in; repeated infractions in time clock management abound. Mike Stoops is equally erratic, devising gameplans that just don't work very well (see WVU two years ago and Baylor this weekend), and then a nearly incomprehensible inability to adjust during the game.

I was not one of those who felt the defense would be greatly improved if Mike came back and Venables left. More changes are in order. Whether Bob can and/or will make those changes will be interesting to see. All that said, here we are, 6-3, likely to finish up 9-4 or 10-3, and disappointed to the point that some people want coaches fired. Including me.

[aurorasooner]

I can't remember what it said, but it was crap. It's funny how all these "unnamed sources" say exactly what message boards are speculating. Just about anybody on this board could have written the article as long as they pretended our speculation was fact.Meh, there are so many whorn fan chameleons, stool state sheep chameleons, and network/press toadie chameleons, on the Sooner football message boards today posing as Sooner fans and trying to stir the pot with rumors, that it's just ridiculous. They would like nothing better than for Stoops to pack up and go w/o righting the ship, so to speak, especially the press guys because it gives them something easy to write about w/o doing any homework. Hell, they get most of their stuff off the message boards, anyway.
I don't know what "outside the university" means but I would guess it means something like hanging it up completely for a year or two like U. Meyer did, and not coaching for a couple of years.
He probably would take a sabbatical and recharge if he thought Mike or Heupel could get the OU head coaching gig, and keep some of the current assistants with him, but I don't think there's a snowballs chance in hell of that happening, w/o completely alienating the fan base. Don't know though.

[8timechamps]

Stoops' Sonners have won .930 percent of their home games. His press conference today was right on point. We, and I include myself, need to chill out a bit. This season has been disappointing but beware what you wish for you may just get it.

I thought his press conference today was great. For all those clamoring for him to take responsibility, he did (again). It's funny, because the naysayers only hear what they want to hear in the press conferences. The "I don't care" thing is a perfect example. It's no wonder Stoops hates the local media, they (and it's really only a couple) do everything they can to get under his skin, and they take every word spoken and look for a headline. Some don't even bother putting it in context.

It's never as good, or bad, as it appears. On to Texas Tech.

[Sooner91ATL]

Stoops always takes responsibility after the game when we lose. The problem is, we see the same mistakes over and over with no correction. Again, it's all on the boss to fix it when it is broken. At work, when my team underperforms, I can't go to my boss and blame a ton of external factors; the blame would never end. I have to make it right since it's my team and I am in charge. Otherwise, my boss would be justified in picking someone else to make it right. I wish I could show up at a weekly 1:1 and say "yep, my fault, I accept all the blame" and then let that be that. And act like an a$$ in the process. That would be kinda fun. Oh and the $5.2 million would be nice too.

I think no other traditional power school worth its salt would put up with these types of shenanigans from a coach whom the game has clearly passed up at present.

[KantoSooner]

CV, the defense is basically suffering from the same malaise that Venables injected into it: the soft cushion/mush rush bend-but-do-not-break-except-when-you-do BS. MS has finally brought no essential change to a defense that destroys the careers of promising young talent while letting inferior teams run up career making stats.
8TC, keep calm, journalists are all azzholes. It's a rule or something.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I don't disagree but Stoops should be smarter than to antagonize his ticket buyers.

This.

And, it's because football - or any sport - is supported with discretionary dollars. Those of us who buy season tickets, buy shirt and hats for ourselves and our family, help not only the school a little bit, but also the businesses along the way.

We drive up from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, spending money in Oklahoma along the way at gas stations, restaurants, and hotels. We stay overnight these days because most of the games are at night. But, even with the day games, the gas stations and restaurants along 35 and in and around Norman/OKC get our discretionary money.

It isn't cheap, but we can afford it and choose to spend it OU football in the fall. We, obviously, aren't happy with the coaching staff. But, like the majority of season ticket holders, we won't cancel because we know, at the end of the day, it isn't the University of Bob Stoops, the University of Joe Castiglione, or the University of David Boren.

There have been other coaches, ADs, and presidents before Stoops, Castiglione, and Boren, and the will be others after. It would be nice, though, to see a little humility out of Stoops and the rest. Forcing Boren to get rid of the new band director was a good example of what productive pressure can do.

The problem, though, is that our AD and president are doing the opposite: they keep giving Stoops more money and more extensions. So, to us, the little people stakeholders, it seems as though no one is accountable. And, worse, because they know they are not accountable, they are now appear to be copping an attitude about the lack of success.

[Tear Down This Wall]

ADDENDUM: To what we call success at OU, anyway, which is challenging for conference and national titles. Losing a conference title, the last game of the season is one thing. Having to hope, in October, for this other team or that other team to lose so many games so we can maybe backdoor into it isn't success at OU.

Got to have a frame of reference because in this crappy conference, plenty of team would be happy just to have a winning record.

[Tear Down This Wall]

I thought his press conference today was great. For all those clamoring for him to take responsibility, he did (again). It's funny, because the naysayers only hear what they want to hear in the press conferences. The "I don't care" thing is a perfect example. It's no wonder Stoops hates the local media, they (and it's really only a couple) do everything they can to get under his skin, and they take every word spoken and look for a headline. Some don't even bother putting it in context.

It's never as good, or bad, as it appears. On to Texas Tech.

Whether Stoops hates the media or not is irrelevant. He's paid $5 million plus for the job, part of which is to deal with the media.

And, honestly, if we're comparing IQs, my bet is Bob's isn't likely to be much higher or lower than the journalists asking him questions. He's a football coach not a rocket scientist.

[Sooner8th]

I thought his press conference today was great. For all those clamoring for him to take responsibility, he did (again). It's funny, because the naysayers only hear what they want to hear in the press conferences. The "I don't care" thing is a perfect example. It's no wonder Stoops hates the local media, they (and it's really only a couple) do everything they can to get under his skin, and they take every word spoken and look for a headline. Some don't even bother putting it in context.

It's never as good, or bad, as it appears. On to Texas Tech.

He does do a great job at these and did take responsibility. It could be a situation to where nothing is going to be good enough outside of saying this is bs and heads will roll when the season is done or if things don't improve heads will roll. I put myself in that camp. I do wish he would acknowledge we have a huge problem with our pass defense, 100 and something in the country. The hardest part I have accepting is he seems to shy away from criticizing Mike. He was asked point blank why are so many too many men or not enough guys on the field after timeouts and long delays and he had no problem naming Montgomery and Kish. It also bugs me he said that Williams had a great game, outside of the holding call. He had THREE holding calls and a false start! That's like saying the secret service did a great job of guarding Kennedy except for that time he got shot.

What I want to hear him say is, we know we have a problem with our pass defense and we are going to do whatever it takes to figure it out, be that changing schemes or personnel or whatever. This pass defense problem has been going on since 2002 when atm threw 4 td passes on us in college station.