? about Berry Tramel [Archive] - SoonerFans.com Message Boards

fwsooner22

4/20/2007, 06:31 PM

TheUnnamedSooner

4/20/2007, 07:33 PM

When you say "good guys" you mean terrible sports writer then I will have to agree with you ;)

starclassic tama

4/20/2007, 09:56 PM

people always bash the sports animal guys and newspaper guys but they never hardly give reasons. it makes it come off like you just dislike someone because you don't agree with their opinions and you personally bash them by calling them names.

Blue

4/20/2007, 10:27 PM

goingoneight

4/21/2007, 01:53 AM

I like how he has that "Cheers and Jeers" segment. Sometimes it's good, other times you have to wonder what he's smoking.

My favorite off the wall "Cheers and Jeers" was recently when he compared OU and Okie Light's Spring Games. He jeered (no title) Bob Stoops for "not playing a NORMAL game like "Coach" Mike Gundy and OSU were playing."

First: It's a freaking practice. Who cares what the format is?
Second: Fans want to see progress, not scoreboard.
Third: Which coach has four conference Championships, five BCS appearances, a Heisman winnar, and a near 90% winning percentage... and which one barely beat a coachless team in the Bourbon Bowl? I think Stoops knows something about football, Berry.
Last: It's a long time before either team should have to worry about pumping their chests at eachother and bragging rights... it's April, not November.

But at least he makes sense sometimes... I cringe when I read the Dallas Morning News and the Tulsa World cuz it seems like they're just drooling at the thought of p!ssing someone off. Being unbiased means telling the story, not picking on someone because some big, bad mean [insert sports team name here] fan ripped on you recently.

Partial Qualifier

4/21/2007, 06:56 AM

I used to like Tramel and generally still do but here's the prob I have with him: he's using his column to boost his fledgling radio show on KREF. I say 'fledgling' because he's got about 6 callers. Within the last year or so he discovered how to boost caller volume, basically by ****ing people off in his newspaper column. Pretty lame.

Remembering Tom Stidham

4/21/2007, 09:45 AM

As a talented writer, I consider Berry in a class with Bill Connors and Blackie Sherrod. I have never found him to be unfair and he usually can back up his comments. We are lucky to have him.

Blue

4/21/2007, 11:39 AM

As a talented writer, I consider Berry in a class with Bill Connors and Blackie Sherrod. I have never found him to be unfair and he usually can back up his comments. We are lucky to have him.

Well then. case closed.

Seamus

4/21/2007, 12:11 PM

Oh the off-season when we turn on each other, anyone who disagrees with us, and now sports writers.

I consider Tramel a friend so my opinion is biased. I like his stuff. Disagree sometimes but then again he is paid to state opinions. We aren't always gonna agree with him.

He is one of the "good guys" of this world.

I'm sure that Berry is a fine person, but I don't believe this thread was started to discuss his merits as a human being. I think it meant to espouse a dislike for the man's columns -- in that you can read either the writing style, the opinions expressed therein, or perhaps a combination of both. I won't pretend to know, because I am not the thread starter.

As for myself, any opinions on Tramel or his column are by no means reserved for springtime. He has annoyed me over the years far more during fall and winter than spring, and I have generally complained during those seasons much more vehemently than in the time of the vernal equinox.

Sure, Berry is capable of writing some good columns, and on occasion he has produced work with which I agree. But I have read far too many columns, and had personal interaction with far too many sports columnists, to be lulled into any delusion that Berry Tramel is consistently trying to do anything other than incite his readers.

picasso

4/21/2007, 01:26 PM

is Jimmie Tramel of the Tulsa World his little brother?

Berry needs to lay off the sleeping pills. just an observation.

TheUnnamedSooner

4/21/2007, 04:41 PM

Seamus is right, this thread was not against Berry as a person, just his columns. They get very annoying with all his "colorful" examples, sometimes it seems he is just trying to take up space. I used to like him, but in the last few years I start to read his columns and just can't finish.

stoopified

4/21/2007, 05:08 PM

I don't like because he trys to come across as THE expert on OU sports.That ****es me off becajse I am the EXPERTon OU sports:).Besides that who names their child Berry?For the most part he is berry,beery bad as a sportswriter.:D

Soonerfan88

4/21/2007, 09:31 PM

But I have read far too many columns, and had personal interaction with far too many sports columnists, to be lulled into any delusion that Berry Tramel is consistently trying to do anything other than incite his readers.

Ding, Ding, Ding!!! We have a winner, folks. I used to look forward to Berry's columns, especially in comparison to Rotten Rohde. Now, he occasionally has a true journalistic moment but most columns are just thrown together with enough inflammatory phrasings to create an email storm. It makes me wonder if he's worried about his job or bucking for a raise?

Toby Keith wrote a song called "The Critic" that seems to fit the situation.

He did a 5* column on a band you've never heard
He did a bluegrass review without an unkind word
He thought it was time to ask his boss for a raise
His boss said "I can't even tell if anyone is even reading your page"
So he thought, and he thought a little more
He caught a young hot star headed into town
And then he hid behind his typewriter and gunned the boy down
Here come the letters, the emails, the faxes
They raised him $20,000 after taxes
He's a happy critic/Yeah, he's rollin' in the dough
Man I could do this forever, this is easy
They are all reading my column now

Rhino

4/22/2007, 12:02 AM

Looks like some of your don't totally understand the purpose of editorials (columns).

I also come from a journalistic background and I think he does a very good job. His radio show leaves quite a bit to be desired.

On a personal level though, I've always viewed him as a bit of a slob.

Seamus

4/22/2007, 01:20 AM

I've read plenty of columns. Written a fair share in the past. It's not just wanton waves of inflammatory rhetoric. It isn't "any publicity is good publicity" in which the goal is to draw attention to the writer. If that is the approach, then it's likely not a very good column, and more likely it's not a very imaginative writer.

Part of the purpose of a column is to get the reader to think and to generate some discussion on a given topic. Too often, however, it seems Berry isn't trying to add food for thought to the discussion but rather seeing how hot he can fan the flames.

I personally -- that's for me, and no one else -- don't think he is that gifted of a writer. Sometimes he does well, but more often than not, he misses. For me, anyway. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

TopDawg

4/22/2007, 10:48 AM

Looks like some of your don't totally understand the purpose of editorials (columns).

I also come from a journalistic background and I think he does a very good job.

I used to read his column every day (it was published) before going to school back when I was in high school and just beginning my journalistic career. I thought he was great.

I haven't read anything in the Oklahoman consistently over the past...I dunno...probably 10 years, so maybe he's dropped off considerably since then. I don't listen to his radio show often, but I like it when I do. It's not flashy, but I like the way he manages his callers (even if there are only a few).

But back to the subject at hand. I used to write a weekly column for my hometown newspaper and it's dang hard to come up with a quality column every week. Especially when you've been in one market as long as he has. Every column he writes isn't going to be Pulitzer-worthy. Maybe he's dropped off a lot late, but we were lucky to have him in the 90's and most of the gripes I hear about him amount to little more than:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/images/300/baby_crying_closeup.jpg

TopDawg

4/22/2007, 10:51 AM

He did a 5* column on a band you've never heard
He did a bluegrass review without an unkind word
He thought it was time to ask his boss for a raise
His boss said "I can't even tell if anyone is even reading your page"
So he thought, and he thought a little more
He caught a young hot star headed into town
And then he hid behind his typewriter and gunned the boy down
Here come the letters, the emails, the faxes
They raised him $20,000 after taxes
He's a happy critic/Yeah, he's rollin' in the dough
Man I could do this forever, this is easy
They are all reading my column now

Now HERE is an example of some quality writing! :rolleyes:

;)

Piware

4/22/2007, 11:22 AM

is Jimmie Tramel of the Tulsa World his little brother?

Berry needs to lay off the sleeping pills. just an observation.

I've wondered that myself but as a writer he's a lightweight IMO.

Sometimes Berry is living in an alternate reality but he pops back to earth often enough to write some good stuff.

Dave Sittler - Tulsa World, on the other hand, says that he is an "Opinon Writer" and says anything he wants to regardless of the facts because it is HIS OPINION. You can always tell when he's taken a couple of days off because his "Opinion" the next day, is what coach in the state of OK is leaving, why he should leave, why fans of (fill in the blank) should be mad as hell, etc. The useless drivel goes on ad nauseum....... He won't be happy until there is not a coach left at a university program in the state. BTW, he is 1 for 4 so far.

TheUnnamedSooner

4/22/2007, 12:02 PM

it's dang hard to come up with a quality column every week. Especially when you've been in one market as long as he has.

There is probably more truth to that than I would like to admit. Perhaps he should try a new market for awhile.

TopDawg

4/22/2007, 12:14 PM

There is probably more truth to that than I would like to admit. Perhaps he should try a new market for awhile.

I'm not sure what the average stay is in one market, but I bet he's well above that. While one downside to that is that his columns may be getting a little worn out, he's also developed some great contacts that probably help him get interviews (and thus, stories) that others wouldn't get. When you get right down to it, Tramel seems like "good people" and that probably means people trust him...and open up to him...a little more.

goingoneight

4/22/2007, 10:31 PM

:stunned:

TheUnnamedSooner

4/23/2007, 01:01 PM

it's dang hard to come up with a quality column every week. Especially when you've been in one market as long as he has.

I think I'm going to try this excuse with my boss next week, "Boss, it's tough to give quality work day in and day out, especially when I've been here this long" ;)

So, Berry Tramel = stunned aggie?

cheezyq

4/23/2007, 01:51 PM

I used to read his columns and I'd agree with some of his points occasionally, but I generally find him to be argumentative and tiresome. I emailed him to respond to a column he wrote this last year. I agreed with a couple of points in the column, but mentioned that his logic regarding who should/shouldn't be considered in the NC picture was contradictory to an earlier point he made. He defended his position, as I expected him to, but came off sounding like a raving lunatic in doing so. It was annoying enough that I really can't bring myself to respect any of his arguments to the point that I'd be willing to waste my time on reading them.

OSUAggie

4/23/2007, 02:42 PM

So, do the detractors have any specifics highlighting their dislike for him?

There are two columnists in the state that have annoyed me in the past (Jenni Carlson and Dave Sittler), but that was just based on a few columns they wrote (Carlson with her Title IX issue and Sittler with the OSU-TU thing). It doesn't make me think they're worhtless or tiresome or whatever, just that I happen to be on the opposite end of the spectrum than them on said issue.

arenateam

4/23/2007, 02:54 PM

Berry is one of the best friends I have had. I attended his church for 3 years, and he taught one of the classes. He's a class-act.

goingoneight

4/23/2007, 09:14 PM

I think I'm going to try this excuse with my boss next week, "Boss, it's tough to give quality work day in and day out, especially when I've been here this long" ;)

So, Berry Tramel = stunned aggie?

Heheh... I was doing my normal SF.com surfing and decided to tell my brother of the legend that is the stunned aggie. :D He found it funny when I showed him the fark board and all of the references to him, and this thread just so happened to be up when I showed him the "stunned smiley."

I think Berry is kinda stunned at times when OU shows up OSU... then it's the same ol' same ol' story for his column...

:les: DAMN!!! NOT AGAIN!!!