Tubbs, Sooners bring out beast in Big 8 fandom

[Guest abovetherim]

Editor’s note: The following column from the Best of West collection was originally published in the Port Arthur News on Feb. 2, 1984.

Billy Tubbs is quickly becoming to Big 8 basketball what Al Davis is to the National Football League, what Tommy Lasorda is to Houston Astro fans, what Harry Truman was to Republicans in the 1950s.

To the good citizens of Boulder, Colo., Manhattan, Kan., Columbia, Mo., and other outposts around the Midwest, the former Lamar basketball coach wears a black hat, makes the blood boil.  Theirs is a feeling natives in Lafayette, La., Jonesboro, Ark., and Arlington, Tex. can identify with.

As the architect of Oklahoma's fast rising basketball program, brash Billy is elevating blood pressures as rapidly as his Sooners score points.  Fans in the heretofore stodgy Big 8 have reacted to him in much the same way fans at USL, Arkansas State and Texas-Arlington did when his Cardinal teams dominated the Southland Conference.

Tubbs, of course, thrives on the attention, throws gasoline on the fire at every opportunity.  There was the well publicized "obscene gesture" incident at Colorado a couple of weeks ago.  Then he created more shock waves earlier this week by telling a group of writers "to go to hell" during a conference call.

"I don't know whether we've become the most hated team in the Big 8 yet, but we're working on it," Tubbs gleefully says of his 12th ranked Sooners.  "I think it's pretty evident we've got our foot in the door.  We're about ready to do like Bum said and kick the SOB in."

Tubbs, whose antics suggest he's fully recovered from serious head injuries suffered in a jogging accident last February, admits to having some problems with the Big 8 press.  The differences have resulted in a screening policy for writers interested in telephone interviews.

"Basically, I get along fine with the media," he relates, "But some of them take all this stuff too seriously.  Hey, you know me.  The philosophy of my basketball team is to have fun, raise a little hell and win.  I'll tell you one thing, everywhere we go play is sold out.

"Trouble is, it's getting to where I can't do anything right.  I get criticized for scheduling, for beating people too bad, for playing (Wayman) Tisdale too long.  I've been told that I'm a disgrace to the game.  I'm such a disgrace you can't get a ticket to one of our home games.  We almost sold out in season tickets (10,800) this year.  We'll do it next year."

One of the first lessons Tubbs learned at Oklahoma was nothing he did there was quite as funny or went over quite as well as it did at Lamar.  The lesson has continued to be reinforced, as he's elevated the Sooners from also rans, to serious challenger, to a team with Final Four potential.

"In Beaumont, we weren't offending any of the so-called biggies.  We were underdogs and people pulled for us in the NCAA.  It was acceptable for a coach at Lamar to do the things I did.  Up here, we're a thorn in the side of the establishment and they don't like it."

Tubbs swears he got a bad rap on the now infamous Colorado incident.  When Oklahoma finally pulled away in double overtime, he was accused of signaling to the rowdy Colorado crowd with his middle finger.  The incident was reported coast to coast by Associated Press.

"I probably should have done it, but I didn't," he said.  "If I did, I'd have taken credit for it, too.  When I get ready to do something like that, I'll stand it at attention to where there's no mistake.  For once, though, I'm innocent.  A sports information director at Colorado got that started."

Colorado is generally regarded as the toughest site to play or coach in the Big 8.  It's one of the few places beer is sold at collegiate events, and inebriated fans tend to get completely out of hand.  In the latter stages of the Oklahoma game, a drunk failed in an attempt to crawl over a railing and get at Tubbs.

"I wish he'd made it to our bench," says Tubbs.  "I'd have kicked him right through the goal post of life."

Colorado's hostile reputation, notwithstanding, the Oklahoma coach said he's endured much worse.  He rates Lafayette and Arlington at the head of the pack.

"Somebody asked me if I'd ever experienced anything as bad as Colorado," he said.  "I told the guy on the whole it was pretty tame, and that he ought to make a swing thought the Southland Conference sometime.  Nothing matches the crowds at USL and UTA for abuse.  I kind of miss them."

Oklahoma, 17-3 after routing Kansas 103-84 in a first place showdown Tuesday night, has the inside track to only the school's second conference championship in 34 years.  Tubbs will take a title any way he can get it, but he'd love for the clincher to come when the Sooners play four-time defending champ Missouri at Columbia.

"Yeah, I've got my routine all figured out," he says.  "I haven't lit up a victory cigar on the bench since that rent-a-cop at Arlington threatened to take me to jail.  If we can win the championship at Missouri, I'm going to fire one up and take a bow.  Those Missouri fans will love that, don't you think?"

Sure thing, Bill.  They'll probably be so crazy about it they'll flash you the sign you didn't give at Colorado.

http://www.panews.com/sportsbobwest/local_story_340204847.html?start:int=0