I can't believe it's going on 20 years...

[GDC]

Flashback: Billy Tubbs takes the mike
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
2/13/2006

Oklahoma 112, Missouri 105
Feb. 9, 1989 – Norman

During the first half of what would become one of the greatest games ever played in the Lloyd Noble Center, the fifth-ranked Sooners trailed the third-ranked Tigers by 15 points. Some angry fans tossed items onto the court, and the officials asked OU coach Billy Tubbs to speak to the crowd of 11,734 (at that time the largest crowd in LNC history).

Taking the public-address microphone, Tubbs said, "Regardless of how terrible the officiating is, do not throw stuff on the floor." Tubbs, naturally, was hit with a technical foul.

OU responded by outscoring Missouri 25-9 over the next seven minutes. The game was close the rest of the way. Center Stacey King scored 32 points and the Sooners prevailed, improving to 20-3.

"That was a great basketball game," Tubbs said.

Missouri coach Norm Stewart missed the game because he had become ill during the team's flight to Oklahoma. He spent the night in an Oklahoma City hospital.

Three days later, the Sooners were 82-80 winners over top-ranked Arizona. In the next AP poll, OU returned to the No. 1 spot for the second time that season.

.

[RacerX]

Beyond awesome.

[KsSooner]

That was/is my all-time favorite basketball moment bar none.

[Pricetag]

I'm not sure a worse picture of Billy exists.

I have a sports hall of shame book that has a recount of this incident. I guess the national referee magazine named Billy "Bush League Coach of the Century" for it. I had basketball practice that night, so I missed it. I would have loved to have seen it live. You gotta love him.

[MojoRisen]

Thanks for posting that- I have thrown the qoute out a few times and wasn't sure if people thought I was crazy... That was awesome and I remember it like it was yesterday!

Thats what I am Talking about!

[OUmillenium]

Great game! I might have to bust that tape out and watch it tonight!

[Soonerus]

I was at that game and it still one of the funniest things I have ever witnessed...

[yermom]

i've never heard of this before

that is ****ing hilarious

[Flagstaffsooner]

I miss Billy-Ball.

[OUstud]

Could someone hook me up with a video of a. that and b. the U.S. International game where we scored 173? Or do any tapes of that exist?

[Skysooner]

I had that video at one time. I taped it while I was at the game live. I was dead center on the east side about 20 rows up. The quote they have isn't totally accurate. Of course, I was totally drunk by that time.

There had been an out of bounds on the north goal line. To our mind, it was clearly off of the Missouri player, and they called it Missouri ball. I know there had been 2 or 3 bad calls in the game, and the fans were just ticked off. Some people threw a few items on the court. The referees went over to Tubb. He walked up to the microphone and said as best as I can remember, "The referees have asked me to tell you not to throw things on the floor no matter how terrible the officating is." He got the technical, they hit both shots and got the ball. I don't recall whether they got the next basket or not, but it is the most frantic I have ever seen a crowd. The only game that compared to it was the UNLV ice bowl game a couple of years before that when the whole crowd was basically students. Tubbs later said they should never have given him a microphone when he was p***** off.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

Great game! I might have to bust that tape out and watch it tonight!

Man, I wished I had taped that game. I taped a bunch of football games over the years but very few hoops games. As an OU fan living in Missouri, that was the greatest OU basketball game. The comeback against Texas a few years ago in the conf tourney being a close second.

[josh09]

sweeeeeeeet

[Cam]

I was laughing my butt off when that happened.

[Rock Hard Corn Frog]

I had just gotten a call from one of my smug MU fan buddies right before OU came roaring back. I was able to hold that game over him for several years. I think I'll send him the article for old times sake.

[sooneron]

I was there and I was hammered as well. The sad thing is, I rmember everything, except for it being a night game!

[ultimatesooner1]

someone has to have video of this online

[Sooner04]

I was there!

I still don't think Bill Raftery has recovered from the shock of hearing Billy's words. All he could mutter was, "That's Unbelievable!"

[Howzit]

What people forget is that Huggins from Cincinnati had done the same thing during a game a week or two before.

[stoopified]

I was at an OU sports function some time that next summer and Billy told that story(among others).He started his comments by saying REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME I WAS HANDED A MICROPHONE AND TOLD TO ADDRESS A CROWD?THE OTHER TEAM SHOT FREETHROWS.That is truly a classic.