farewell, tulsa: reflections on four days of peace, love mascot brawls & basketball.

Now that we're a full 48 hours removed from Tulsa, the UMAC and the Summit League Basketball Championship tournament, I've had some time to reflect on the four days of peace, love and basketball. Okay, so Jawz and Eli pretty much tossed out the peace and love part of things. But at least we had plenty of basketball.

The UMAC
The venue itself is outstanding, albeit troubling that the UMAC is a high school gym. There are college programs—cough! IUPUI! cough!—that would kill for this sort of joint. The downside: locals who staffed the event patrolled the arena like stormtroopers. I was instructed by an usher I wasn't allowed to shoot video. Never mind I was wearing a media credential. In years past, fans were ordered to take down signs that were neither profane nor obscene. Someone decided they just didn't like it. And now I'm hearing that people were instructed on how to properly sit in a seat.

In the future, I'd like for ushers and volunteers to get a grip and not over-step their boundaries.

Tulsa, Oklahoma
The good people of Tulsa were nothing but kind to me. I've been there twice and found the locals to be pleasant, polite and downright hospitable. I would hope any future host cities have residents as gracious.

The Fans
Fans are fans. They cheer, they boo, they sometimes get overzealous. No team is immune to that. ORU's fans outnumbered all other fans combined because they weren't living out of suitcases like everyone else. Nevertheless I'm going to call out the ignorance of ORU fans chanting "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann during the championship game. That's beyond bush league. It's shameful, downright shameful.

Star Spangled What???
I'm not trying to be mean, but is it asking so much for a guy singing the National Anthem before a championship game to get the words right? A representative from the Tulsa Beacon turned to me following the anthem and said with a beaming expression on his face, "he did a great job."

"Didn't he get the words wrong?" I said, somewhat incredulously. My man from the Beacon didn't seem to much care. He was a nice guy, to be fair, but the Beacon's Web site hasn't published a single new article since 5 March.

IPFW
Welcome to the conference, kid. All this ribbing was a hazing ritual of sorts. Yours is a young D-I program and is still learning how to fit in. IPFW's Pep Band was fun to watch at times, though, because they were obviously just happy to be there. But next time stick to standard Pep Band fare. The jazz power trio thing has to go.

Southern Hills Marriott
Great hotel. Salon E will never be the same after being invaded by the miscreants of press row.

Tulsa International Airport
Seriously, could you be any farther away from anything?

Southern Utah University
I'm disappointed in the program not for its on-court performance, but rather for sending their kids to the tournament with as little support as possible. No Pep Band. No cheerleaders. No mascot. No wonder the women's team looked relieved more than disappointed when they were bounced out by IUPUI. Perhaps SUU doesn't have the aforementioned amenities to furnish its program. If not: GET THEM. End of story.

Pep Bands, One and All!
By and large, they all were....LOUD! I still can't get OU's fight song out of my head. And I know this makes me a cornball, but I still love it when a band plays "Hey Baby," because they sing it. I don't know why, but I love that. UMKC got mad props on press row for Super Mario and The Family Guy. But the JagBand is still my first and only love.

ORU Cheerleaders
I admit I was a bit hard on them for their antics toward IPFW, but that's because I'm protective of the new, weaker kid in class. Don't pick on the weak kid, eh? But the lesson was obviously learned and ORU's kids were model cheerleaders on Tuesday.

The Mascot Melee

Yeah, it's all over the place. And yeah, I had more than just a little to do with that. And yeah, I will take some small measure of credit for being the first to post it on YouTube (158,000+ hits, as of today). So, thank you very much for giving me my YouTube moment. I'll re-cap the coverage this pulled in a later entry.

"Neutral" Sites
At least three coaches--OU's Beckie Francis, IUPUI's Shann Hart and Ron Hunter--playing their final Tulsa tourney games took parting shots on the "neutral site" term, calling the UMAC "neutral," pejoratively. While I didn't hear other coaches say it directly, you know the thought isn't too far from stumbling out in a post-game presser.

It's worth noting ORU men played in four championship games in Tulsa, winning three. The women? Three, winning three. Coincidence? You decide.

The coaches are not wrong, but so what. Lots of fans will bemoan it. But if you want to neutralize the another team's fans, bring more of your own. Period. Sadly, though, Summit League fans just don't travel that far. Valpo's fans did, that's for sure. But it's been so long (four years in Tulsa) that we have no idea how well ORU's fans will travel. We'll find out next year in Sioux Falls(!), South freakin' Dakota.

Post Season
ORU is looking at a possible 13-seed right now. Depending on their draw, they could have a puncher's chance at an upset. Let's just wait and see.

IUPUI should get an NIT bid, but we'll have to wait and see.

On the women's side, ORU is probably looking at a 15 or 16. Double digits in the loss column will keep your draw on the low side of the bracket.

2009 Summit League Tournament
...Sioux Falls? I'm going to Sioux Falls?????? It's going to SNOW there this week!

what i saw at the summit league: mascot brawl!

There is one universal rule in collegiate athletics that proves its own validity every time mortal beings dare test it. That rule? Mascots from opposing teams should NOT be on the floor at the same time.

Don't believe me? Enter, Exhibit A:

twenty down, twenty to go.

As poorly as IUPUI played in the first half—getting out-rebounded a thousand to one!—ORU only has a four-point lead.

Golden Eagles lead 31-27.

mascot wars.

The mascots got ejected in the first half. You'll see it later on YouTube.

on the line: one dance card.

ORU won the women's championship over IUPUI 66-53, thanks largely to Rachel Watman going bonkers from three-point land.

That was just the first half of today's Jaguars/Eagles doubleheader. Next up is the heavyweight fight we knew was coming back in November.

In about 10 minutes we tip off...should be a good one.

gimmick of the tournament.

Whiteboards. Everybody's got 'em.

stay classy, oru.

You know, fans are fans. They're no different in any college arena in America. Nevertheless, the ORU fans proved to be bush-leaguers with chants of "steroids" at IUPUI's Jernisha Cann.

Even the official admonished an ORU cheerleader for saying something in the direction of the court.

First IPFW, now this.

Stay classy, ORU!

oru cheerleaders get (another) thumbs.

Looks like I wasn't the only one to notice the ORU cheerleaders were exuding a less than sportsmanlike attitude during this tournament. Steve Warden of the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette agreed:

Eagles cheerleaders show pathetic sportsmanship
By Steve Warden

TULSA, Okla. – We weren’t aware that Tulsa is the cheerleading capital of the world, or at least the Oral Roberts cheerleaders think so.

Hate to sound like a “homer,” but the Oral Roberts cheerleaders mocking the IPFW cheerleaders got more than wearisome. The word “classless” comes to mind.

When an IPFW pyramid broke down and there was a tangle of cheerleaders on the floor, the Golden Eagles cheerleaders thought it was quite amusing. They also taunted and even wrote signs on a whiteboard to the IPFW cheerleaders at the other end of the floor.

No wonder several of the Summit League folks I’ve talked with don’t care for Oral Roberts. Read more.

upon further review...#1 band: the jagband.

Upon further review, my conscience, my heart and my head all got together and decided it's not even a close call....
IUPUI JAGBAND IS THE BEST BAND IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE!!

Hands down, they're the best. They sound great, they cheer loud, they play with heart, and they make me proud (wow, that rhymed...thank you, Guinness!).

Despite what you read previously, I am here to tell you: The JagBand is where it's at.

I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for straying, baby. It was just this once, and it'll never happen again.

That other band meant NOTHING to me. It's you I adore, JagBand.

jags/eagles doubleheader.

Championship Tuesday is the ORU-IUPUI Invitational.

Women's Championship
(4) ORU Golden Eagles vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars
3 p.m. EDT

Men's Championship
(2) IUPUI Jaguars vs. (1) ORU Golden Eagles
7 p.m. EDT

Game on, yo.

It should be a GREAT day of basketball.

More to come.

crenshaw hits the shot!!

But not tonight. He's breaking down the first half with Greg
Rakestraw. IUPUI leads Oakland 37-33 at the half.

It's pretty much the sort of game we anticipated: OU is physical and
hitting threes, the Jags are riding on George Hill's back. He's got 16
so far.

Game on.

tulsa, ok umac ushers suck. (but i heart the media relations crew).

Memo to: UMAC ushers in Tulsa, Oklahoma

When one is WEARING a media credential, one has already gotten clearance from the necessary authorities to shoot video inside your high school gym. So let this be an open letter to UMAC ushers and their management: recognize a media credential when you see it.

Bush league jackass.

But the Summit League media crew rock. YOU ROCK! I salute you, Hope Wagner & Co.

mastadons extinct.

Despite a spirited and over-achieving effort, IPFW ran out of gas with about six minutes remaining. ORU won 58-42, heading back to the championship game for the fourth consecutive year.

Jaraun Burrows earned his way to the All Tourney team, but so did Robert Jarvis. He finished with 19 points off the bench.

The difference in the game? Robert Jarvis, second chance points and bench points. I suppose "bench" is too broad a term, since it was Jarvis who did the yeoman's work.

Next up, IUPUI takes on Oakland. The #2 vs. the #3. This should be an absolute grind.

jaraun burrows.

No matter tonight's outcome, he's earned his way to the All Tournament
team with his performance against ORU.

iiiiiinteresting.

Had you told me the score of the ORU-IPFW game would be 9-2 at the
outset I would have said, "yeah, I figured ORU would jumpout early."

Guess again. It's IPFW out to the early lead.

two down, two to go.

Tomorrow afternoon's women's championship game is set: (4) Oral Roberts University vs. (3) IUPUI Jaguars at 3 p.m. EDT.

The Jaguars won the two regular season contests against ORU, but can they win a third time? Who knows.

Julia Whitted solidified herself as a member of the All Tournament Team with another monster performance—24 points, 14 rebounds, eight blocks. Her eight blocks set a new record for the tournament.

The ORU/IPFW men's game is just about to get underway. Following that, IUPUI vs. Oakland. Should be a good night of basketball.

jags locking down early.

It's the Julia Whitted show today. She already has six blocks halfway
through the first half.

i've got a fever...

...and the only cure is MORE COWBELL!!

crunch time.

Perhaps I spoke too soon about OU's demise.

weathering the storm.

Oakland came out of the half with momentum, but ORU is weathering the
storm. OU got it down to a six-point deficit, but the Golden Eagles
pushed it back 16. The Grizzlies are done.