STILLWATER – It was after the Cowboys first bye week practice on Tuesday, Sept. 20. The players were wrapping up the two-and-a-half-hour practice with some drills and head coach Mike Gundy was addressing the media, but little did anybody know that Gundy would channel his inner Pat Sajak, Alex Trebek, or Chuck Woolery. Gundy used the fact that Bedlam future was again speculated in a story by Oklahoma State graduate Brett McMurphy in Action Sports. The story caught fire again on social media. This time athletic directors Chad Weiberg of Oklahoma State and Joe Castiglione of Oklahoma were quoted. Must have been a slow news day at Action Sports. In the story Castiglione made it sound like Oklahoma State pulled the plug on Bedlam.
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Joe Castiglione of Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma State has shown no interest to schedule any future games in football, so we’re moving on (with filling OU’s future nonconference openings),” Castiglione was quoted in the story.
“You know I wrote some notes up on that,” Gundy said reaching into his pocket for what looked like a Mike Leach play call sheet. “The first thing is we have to quit talking about that. It’s over, right?
Gundy then looked around the mass of media in the corner of the Sherman Smith Training Center and challenged them to listen to his list of fact, and call him on it.
Zachary Lancaster
Gundy just warming up at his press conference.
“I’m going to state facts and at any time if I say something that is not a fact, then you stop me,” Gundy instructed. “You guys can stop me, that’s fair. Isn’t that what we want?”
Then Gundy began to read.
“OU officials were in negotiations with the SEC for months and months before anybody in this conference knew about it,” Gundy read and then looked around. “No objections.”
Silence.
“During those multi-million-dollar conversations I wonder if Bedlam was ever brought up at that point instead of the money,” Gundy continued.
Again, silence.
“Bedlam is history, we all know that, because OU chose to follow Texas and the money to the SEC. It’s okay,” Gundy continued and looked around again. “Is that a fact?
“So, now we’re having what I think are childish discussions, in my opinion, over something that is over,” Gundy started to wrap up. “I would like to make this the last statement I have (on this) because I have no hard feelings. What’s going on now is kind of what happens with a husband and a wife or a girlfriend and a boyfriend when you know that you’re dead wrong and you try to turn the table and make them think they’re wrong when Oklahoma State has no part in this. We didn’t have anything to do with their negotiations with the SEC. We didn’t have any choice with them leaving the conference, they did. So, everybody needs to get over it and quit trying to turn the tables. It is somewhat comical that they still want to try to bring us into this equation. I want somebody here to give me one example of what Oklahoma State had to do with this?”
Gundy again was met with blank stares and no comment.
“I’m listening and I’m not the head coach. I’m just a guy on the street. I want one person to tell me what myself, Chad Weiberg, or Dr. Shrum or our regents had to do with any of this going on,” Gundy said and then advised OU. “Let’s not turn the tables, let’s just say, ‘hey look we chose to follow Texas and take the money. We’re going to the SEC.’ It’s all good. Let’s quit talking about it and talk football. No hard feelings. I like Joe C. (Castiglione) but it is what it is. We have to quit beating around the bush and call it what it is.”
Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer
Bedlam comes back only if TV is willing to pay for it.
Gundy delivered all of his presentation with a grin on his face. The kind of grin born of the fact the facts are on your side. He also later told me he was somewhat perturbed the subject keeps coming up. It’s the story that has been told but seems to need to be regurgitated from time to time.
Gundy, as he did a month ago did say that Bedlam could make a reappearance if the television networks want it. “Money, if the networks want Bedlam that is above my pay grade. I will do what the administrators say.”
What he won’t do is admit that Oklahoma State started this or had anything to do with it.
