So what's your OU/SoonerTimes story?

Discussions on any and all things OU men's sports
BigIslandSooner
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Post by BigIslandSooner »

Bottom post of the previous page:

I was born in Tulsa, 1963, moved to Los Angeles in 1966, discovered OU football in 1971. Outside of the 90s it has been pretty easy being a Sooner fan. SoonerTimes was one of the first websites I found when I got the internet (whenever that was) and been lurking and periodically posting (there was a long time when I couldn't do anything but lurk, I'm glad that isn't the case anymore) since I guess the late 90s. I appreciate the quality info and perspectives we get here more so than any of the other OU boards I go too far less often.
Jack Mildren is why I always wore #11
Pokerman
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Post by Pokerman »

1966 Sooner grad. OU football fan since Bud Wilkinson days.

ROTC commissioned Vietnam vet.
33 years in computer engineering/software.
Houston, TX - 26 years.
Las Vegas - 17 years.
Grew up in Collinsville, OK. Moved from Las Vegas to Owasso in 2019.
Old retired fart. Decrepit but still have my faculties.

That is all. Isn't that enough?
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Boomer69
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Post by Boomer69 »

Boomer69 - and I hope this isn’t too long for anyone. My Sooner football experiences go back to the 1950's, but my dads went way back to the 'teens.

I grew up on the prairie in Osage County and was an OU fan due to my father. He was born in Locust Grove, Indian Territory (pre-statehood) but grew up in Sperry playing single-wing football. He remembered first liking OU with his dad in the very early years of the 20th century and could recall following Coach Bennie Owen and the Sooners when they won the 1920 Missouri Valley Conference championship. He remained a fan until his death in 1988.

I was born in 1951 and so had to be an OU fan too. We only got two decent TV channels out on the prairie, both out of Tulsa, but by turning the antenna mounted on a tall pole we could just barely get a fuzzy WKY-Oklahoma City and watch The Bud Wilkinson Show. Even through the static and snowy reception we’d watch him move those wooden men on the board and explain plays. Good times!

I was a decent high school player and in 1969 was on the OU Boomers freshman team. Since in those days frosh could not be on the varsity, we only played four games, winning all four. The only close game was the first against Tulsa, and they had a really good QB who almost brought them back at the end. He was just this year inducted into the Pro Football HOF – Drew Pearson. He was initially a QB but switched to receiver and his career took off. And he was a really good QB too! I’ll bet a lot of us on this board can remember many of the notable players on that 1969 Boomer team: Greg Pruitt, Joe Wylie, Leon Crosswhite, Tom Brahaney, Gary Baccus, Albert Chandler, Eddie Foster, Dave Robertson, Ray Hamilton, Derland Moore, and others. Lots of NFL guys there and many were in the 1971 “Game Of The Century.” Thus, I took Boomer69 for my username.

I had a non-football knee injury in the Spring of 1970 and was done for the year. Medicine was not nearly as advanced as today. We didn't have a lot of money so I decided I’d give up the deferment, leave school and volunteer for the draft to later get back with the G.I. Bill. But it took the entire year before I could pass the physical. Everyone said during those times that if you had at least one eye and half a brain they’d take you, but I guess knees were a different criteria. Of course, my mother was horrified because… well, there was a war on but I finally passed and got inducted on 5 January of 1971.

Closing this long story, I ended up in the Army infantry, going to Airborne Training then through the Ranger Course, trying to get all the training I could get as an 11B Infantryman before deploying to Vietnam assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. After completing Ranger School just three days before Thanksgiving, then watching us lose to Nebraska in that 1971 game, my orders were changed to stateside as the 173rd was standing down in RVN and coming to Fort Campbell, KY.

I enjoyed the Army life, got married and had a child then ended up staying 20-1/2 years and retired a Sergeant Major, which included duty in both the 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions. I was able to finish my BS and then an MBA before retiring then headed into civilian life. I never made it back for school at OU, but I’ve seen or heard a lot of football all these years, beginning as a very young boy sitting with my father listening to Sooner games on the radio. I have to say though, those four games as a Boomer in OU uniform with my dad in the stands in his Sooner gear, plus seeing him in the football offices talking to Coach Chuck Fairbanks, that was one of the greatest things I’ve experienced. Very long – but cheers to all!

:ou:
“You can't have no idea how little I care” - Tom Selleck as Monte Walsh. :hornsburning:
ClintA.Adams
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Post by ClintA.Adams »

Uh...my real name is ClintA.Adams. I've been a Sooner fan all my life and had season tickets through the Barry, Gary, Howie, Johnny, and Bobby eras before moving into enemy territory.

I knew I wanted to go into the IT field at the ripe old age of 5, so I didn't even bother with college, but if I did, I certainly would have gone to OU because well, duh!

My online discussions about college football started out in the 1980s on BBSs, CompuServe, and then followed by usenet newsgroups leading up to the first mainstream browser before Netscape in what was known as Mosaic and then others started to enter the fold such as Internet Explorer and Opera and them much later, Firefox, etc.

The Internet based message boards as we know them today really kicked off in the John Blake era, which wasn't an ideal way to debut, but anyway.

I'm still amazed it's been 25 years now since many of us first conversed. It's been quite the ride and looking forward to a new chapter with SoonerTimes! It's a blessing to have all of you here, even that wally2 fella I baned long ago! And yes, it is "baned"! Just ask Ben Heyburb! Anyone remember that one?

BOOMER SOONER!!!
Old Sooner
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Post by Old Sooner »

I choose the Username 'Old Sooner' because I figured I would be the oldest Sooner on this board. I am 83, graduated OU in 1960 with a BS in Chemical Engineering. I was on a partial scholarship with the NROTC, was commissioned upon graduation and spent the next 3 years serving aboard a heavy cruiser based in San Diego; saw ALL of the Pacific Ocean twice, courtesy of the Fed Government, visiting Hawaii 5 times (Pearl Harbor), which was nice but I was always a civilian at heart, served my 3 and got out, spent the next 33 years in petro chemicals marketing and facility management. My company relocated me 7 times, ending up in Houston for the final 23 years. I retired in 1997.

I was on Soonertimes back in the late 90's,then on Dirt Burglars and others and now back here for 2 years. I lurk here every night. This is a great board. The best!

I have been an OU fan since age 11 - in 1949. I was born and raised in OKC. My father was with a large OKC construction firm and was on the project team that built the north endzone, lowered the playing field 10 feet and replaced all the wood seats with aluminum bench seating (I still have a piece of the original 1926 varnished redwood bench seating), plus built a new campus steam plant on Jenkins, northeast of the stadium. The University was so pleased with the on time and on budget project execution that they awarded each project team member with 2 season tickets to the OU home games for the 1950 season. My 2 brothers and I were so excited. Our dad planned to take my oldest bro to the 1st game, my next older bro to the 2nd home game, me to the 3rd and our mom to the 4th. However, in July, 1950 my dad was transferred to Memphis to build a children's hospital. Mass disappointment for us boys. As you know, OU won the natty that year.

I graduated high school in Memphis and went back to OU for college - where I got spoiled on high quality Bud Wilkinson Split T football. I will never forget 4:04 pm, November 18, 1958, when OU's 47 game winning streak was ended by Notre Dame, 7-0. You could hear a pin drop in Memorial Stadium as everyone, including me, was totally stunned for 5 minutes Also remember well Halloween afternoon, 1959, when OU's 74 game conference winning steak ended vs Nebraska at Nebraska.

I now live in Nashville, TN where I moved to be near my son and his family. Boomer Sooner!
SoonerinLA
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Post by SoonerinLA »

Such great stories from you folks. I'm originally from St. Louis and now live in Los Angeles. I started posting as lasooner on various boards but found there was another lasooner (also California based) who made videos for OU. Out of respect to him I changed to SoonerinLA. I've been on any OU message board I can find since 1998. I don't recall when I joined SoonerTimes but it has been a long time and I was on the board's earlier iterations. I went to OU in 1969 and graduated with a Business Management degree in 1973.

Favorite OU moments (besides National Championships of course):

1. I went to OU-Texas games in 1969 and 1970 and we lost both. I went in 1971 and watched Jack Mildren run for a TD and throw both hands in the air signaling TD as he crossed the goal line. Everybody knew with certainty that we had finally beat Texas. It was a great moment. To this day I hate Texas football as much as any of you.

2. Walked into a BBQ restaurant here in LA a few years ago and ran into Brian Bosworth as I was getting ready to leave. We spoke for a few moments and he saw I was about to leave. He implored me to wait a few minutes so I did not even knowing why. A few minutes later I heard someone yell "hey Bosworth." Sure enough it was Barry Switzer. We sat at the bar talking for close to 2 hours. Now I've seen tons of movie stars living here and never got too excited. Ok, Charlize Theron did impress the heck out of me. But hanging with the King is one of my favorite nights in my 30+ years living here.

3. Last favorite moment if you've read this far. About 15 years ago I was at a store wearing my OU ballcap. A guy walks up to me and talks a little OU. He leaves in a minute or so but I see my girlfriend is nearly paralyzed. I didn't really recognize the guy but she did. It was Brad Pitt.

Glad to be a part of SoonerTimes and thanks to all who run this board and posters that contribute. I have never had the pleasure of meeting any of you. It would be great to meet some of you in person even if you don't look like Charlize Theron.
:horns:
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OU Guy
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Post by OU Guy »

SoonerinLA wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 9:17 pm Such great stories from you folks. I'm originally from St. Louis and now live in Los Angeles. I started posting as lasooner on various boards but found there was another lasooner (also California based) who made videos for OU. Out of respect to him I changed to SoonerinLA. I've been on any OU message board I can find since 1998. I don't recall when I joined SoonerTimes but it has been a long time and I was on the board's earlier iterations. I went to OU in 1969 and graduated with a Business Management degree in 1973.

Favorite OU moments (besides National Championships of course):

1. I went to OU-Texas games in 1969 and 1970 and we lost both. I went in 1971 and watched Jack Mildren run for a TD and throw both hands in the air signaling TD as he crossed the goal line. Everybody knew with certainty that we had finally beat Texas. It was a great moment. To this day I hate Texas football as much as any of you.

2. Walked into a BBQ restaurant here in LA a few years ago and ran into Brian Bosworth as I was getting ready to leave. We spoke for a few moments and he saw I was about to leave. He implored me to wait a few minutes so I did not even knowing why. A few minutes later I heard someone yell "hey Bosworth." Sure enough it was Barry Switzer. We sat at the bar talking for close to 2 hours. Now I've seen tons of movie stars living here and never got too excited. Ok, Charlize Theron did impress the heck out of me. But hanging with the King is one of my favorite nights in my 30+ years living here.

3. Last favorite moment if you've read this far. About 15 years ago I was at a store wearing my OU ballcap. A guy walks up to me and talks a little OU. He leaves in a minute or so but I see my girlfriend is nearly paralyzed. I didn't really recognize the guy but she did. It was Brad Pitt.

Glad to be a part of SoonerTimes and thanks to all who run this board and posters that contribute. I have never had the pleasure of meeting any of you. It would be great to meet some of you in person even if you don't look like Charlize Theron.
Thanks for sharing! Here’s a flashback for you

Image
In Brent I Trust :D
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Uniformguy620
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Post by Uniformguy620 »

Originally from south Texas I wound up at OU and graduated in the summer of 99. Pretty tough years for a student with $30 season passes but listening to OU Chinaman on the radio made it somewhat tolerable :rice: . Started working for a large industrial laundry in OKC after graduation. I was working during the massacre game in 2000 so had to improvise. Put the game on the radio and set the intercom up nearby to hear the game as we turned those washers. Those poor ladies working the plant (and the surrounding area of NE 42nd street) thought I had lost my mind. I wore my work uniform for every game that year and we won it all. Sadly, that was the only year it worked :confusedplus:

I found this board later than most, 10 years or so ago and enjoy the information and opinions.

Back in south Texas I enjoy keeping my Aggie neighbors on their toes!

Boomer!
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