legelegel
08-05-2007, 01:15 PM
A must read for all Cowboy and Aggie fans, who are more a like than not.
This article is almost 4 years old now as you can see, but it still rings true and even more today.
OSU Has Pride, Great Potential
2003-09-27
By Berry Tramel
The Oklahoman
David Schmidly walked through the SMU press box Saturday night dressed in khaki pants, ballcap and knit OSU shirt.
He looked more football coach than school president.
Oklahoma State is a school void of pretension. Its chief cook and bottlewasher fits the bill. Down to earth. Friendly. A man who works in the ivory towers but wasn’t born there.
Schmidly has been in the Stillwater saddle some eight months, long enough for first impressions to solidify or melt. Schmidly’s early read on his new employer proved true.
“A great thing about this institution is the pride people have for this place,” Schmidly said then.
“We worked very hard at Texas Tech to create this. But what I’ve experienced there was nothing like here. I’ve not been anyplace where I’ve seen this.”
Now, Schmidly backtracks only in comparison. He has seen something like it, and it’s even higher praise. Schmidly spent 25 years at Texas A&M; widely hailed is the Aggies’ notion of school pride.
And OSU, says Schmidly, “reminds me of Texas A&M.”
“Pride is extremely powerful. No amount of money can buy it. You have to earn it. It seems to me OSU has done a terrific job of instilling pride.”
Schmidly’s analysis rings true to this detective. OSU grads seem more connected to their alma mater than others. It’s a feeling about their school that goes beyond the athletic arena.
Football, of course, is the lightning rod for school pride at most schools this side of Philadelphia. Thus the cynic might argue that if OSU had better football roots, its self-esteem might focus more on the gridiron. Point taken.
But campus kinship remains an OSU staple.
Its genesis rests in history. Schmidly figures that most land-grant schools produce strong ties with their customers. Land-grant schools are where many a student has been the first in a family to go to college. Such experience changes lives and perspectives.
OSU athletic director Harry Birdwell, said, “Historically, it’s been a place people come and look for opportunity. They recognize this as a place that gives them opportunity to build their dreams.”
Birdwell can get on a roll when talking about OSU.
“A place where people are viewed as equals,” he said. “Fellow travelers, pulling for each other. I think that’s different than a lot of other places.”
What does all this mean to the sports page?
As Schmidly said, pride is power. If the Cowboy community could harness such pride into football, as Texas A&M has done, how high could OSU go on the gridiron?
But the Cowboys long have been bullies in most sports, football a notable exception.
That is changing. Better facilities, better players, better results, better expectations.
It’s a long journey to reach A&M or Auburn status and carve a niche in a state already ruled by an archrival. But it can be done. OSU could do it.
And pride always is a good place to start.
This article is almost 4 years old now as you can see, but it still rings true and even more today.
OSU Has Pride, Great Potential
2003-09-27
By Berry Tramel
The Oklahoman
David Schmidly walked through the SMU press box Saturday night dressed in khaki pants, ballcap and knit OSU shirt.
He looked more football coach than school president.
Oklahoma State is a school void of pretension. Its chief cook and bottlewasher fits the bill. Down to earth. Friendly. A man who works in the ivory towers but wasn’t born there.
Schmidly has been in the Stillwater saddle some eight months, long enough for first impressions to solidify or melt. Schmidly’s early read on his new employer proved true.
“A great thing about this institution is the pride people have for this place,” Schmidly said then.
“We worked very hard at Texas Tech to create this. But what I’ve experienced there was nothing like here. I’ve not been anyplace where I’ve seen this.”
Now, Schmidly backtracks only in comparison. He has seen something like it, and it’s even higher praise. Schmidly spent 25 years at Texas A&M; widely hailed is the Aggies’ notion of school pride.
And OSU, says Schmidly, “reminds me of Texas A&M.”
“Pride is extremely powerful. No amount of money can buy it. You have to earn it. It seems to me OSU has done a terrific job of instilling pride.”
Schmidly’s analysis rings true to this detective. OSU grads seem more connected to their alma mater than others. It’s a feeling about their school that goes beyond the athletic arena.
Football, of course, is the lightning rod for school pride at most schools this side of Philadelphia. Thus the cynic might argue that if OSU had better football roots, its self-esteem might focus more on the gridiron. Point taken.
But campus kinship remains an OSU staple.
Its genesis rests in history. Schmidly figures that most land-grant schools produce strong ties with their customers. Land-grant schools are where many a student has been the first in a family to go to college. Such experience changes lives and perspectives.
OSU athletic director Harry Birdwell, said, “Historically, it’s been a place people come and look for opportunity. They recognize this as a place that gives them opportunity to build their dreams.”
Birdwell can get on a roll when talking about OSU.
“A place where people are viewed as equals,” he said. “Fellow travelers, pulling for each other. I think that’s different than a lot of other places.”
What does all this mean to the sports page?
As Schmidly said, pride is power. If the Cowboy community could harness such pride into football, as Texas A&M has done, how high could OSU go on the gridiron?
But the Cowboys long have been bullies in most sports, football a notable exception.
That is changing. Better facilities, better players, better results, better expectations.
It’s a long journey to reach A&M or Auburn status and carve a niche in a state already ruled by an archrival. But it can be done. OSU could do it.
And pride always is a good place to start.