No Love from Stewart Mandel

[FalseGod]

From his weekly mailbag column on SI.com:

Why is no one talking about Oklahoma State? The Cowboys have Brandon Weeden at QB, who played pro baseball and has a cannon for an arm. He reminds me a lot of Chris Weinke at Florida State. Then you have new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorson, who learned his craft from Mike Leach. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) is gone, Colt McCoy (Texas) is gone and Tech has a new coach. Why can't the Cowboys win the Big 12 South?
-- James White, Stillwater, Okla.

Four reasons:

1. Mike Gundy is still their head coach.

2. They lost to OU and Texas last year by a combined score of 68-14.

3. They lost nearly their entire starting offensive line, linebacking corps and secondary.

4. Mike Gundy is still their head coach.

[wickerbill]

Hard to argue too much. We need to start beating some good teams before we get respect.

[BigBadBen]

It is obvious that the media folks still hold a major grudge because of the rant.

I agree that points 2 & 3 are valid.
I agree WB also that we have to earn respect.

But still, the childish bitterness toward HCMG is getting old.

[Verb]

I don't get what Gundy has done to earn Mandel's contempt? I think any other coach with his record (any coach who didn't rant against the media, to be specific) would be getting credit for doing a pretty decent job in a brutal conference.

So much for journalistic objectivity (or integrity, for that matter.)

[GoPokes83]

I don't see the rant as being a negative thing for the media. It handed all the sportswriters in the nation something to write about on an Orange pillow for weeks on end. Now they're just waiting for him to do something else "colorful".

[Cowboy76]

I think there is a HUGE misconception about Mike Gundy in the media and maybe in the coaching profession. He is not a tactical or innovative guru along the lines of a Urban Meyer or a Lou Saban. Nor is he the sweet smooth talker like a Mac Brown. He is not given proper credit for our recent success(four bowl games in a row and back to abck 9 win seasons) because most attribute that to the new facilities. In other words, most people outside the program attribute Mike's success to being in the right place at the right time.

While that is true to some degree, what is lost in the shuffle is his meticulous attention to detail, his ability to attract and get continuity amongst some firey young coaches, and his ability to maintain a long term focus on building a PROGRAM when most new coaches only worry about the W/L record. He has a long term plan for OSU and it irks a lot of media people that he has so much security and he has no plans to leave if he succeeds. Believe me, this is not lost on the Oklahoma media who realize that the uo juggernaut could be severly jeopardized if they were to have a relapse similar to what happened in the 90's.

Mike's record has improved every year which is amazing considering last year's scedule and injury situation. What is really scary to our competition is that we will likely not drop back very far this year in what is truly a complete rebuilding year. Team's had better get us this year or they will be looking at our backsides for years to come.

Mike's recognition will most likely come after he has been here 8 to 10 years and people start to see his consistency, tenacity, and diligence.

[76374_Poke]

Someone should write Howie Mandel next to see what he thinks about our chances next year.
The guy writes for Sports Illustrated. He's probably paid to provoke people.

[Scott]

Well said, Cowboy76.

[CoachOSU]

CoachOSU, why does Stewart Mandel blow as a writer.

Thank you for your submitted question, 4 reasons.

1. He has a hidden love affair with Bob Stoops

2. He has less talent than Howie Mandel (scary as that is)

3. He writes like a 10 year old girl writing in a journal

4. In his closet, he has a poster of Mike Gundy with a heart around it... oops I guess I wasn't suppose to let that "out of the closet"

[bleedorange]

He's obviously got a grudge against Gundy, but I don't have much issue with what he said about #2 & 3.

[superpoke]

Mandel was one that really took offense to the Gundy rant, and you're still seeing a little bit of that.

HOWEVER, as opposed to someone like Dennis Dodd, I have actually seen Mandel refer to OSU games and decisions Gundy made to support his position in past columns. The Rant made Mandel think Gundy was a clown, and nothing he's seen from his coaching decisions has made those thoughts change.

Whether you agree with him or not, he's at least tried to develop support for his argument, rather than clinging to The Rant.

If this kind of criticism is going to stop, Mike has to do something on the field to make these writers re-evaluate - and that means beating OU or Texas and/or winning the division.

[MajorMike]

Its just a reporter who makes his living spouting his opinion. Sure, our opinion of him may be he doesn't know what he's talking about, but I'm sure he scoff at ours just like we do of his.

Until Mike, and OSU, can beat UT or uo, then all his points are fairly valid. Sure, making the point about Mike twice may seem like poking a stick in your eye, I just think it shows he doesn't have much else to say on it.

[AggieSpice]

here is why i think this writer has a point about gundy's coaching:

-not putting in weeden until the 2nd half of colorado, when he had to make a heroic comeback effort
-not putting in weeden against the goons when zac was obviously hurt
-not putting in weeden for the cotton bowl when an RB was the only person on our team who had thrown a TD pass

has the hiring of holgerson addressed those issues? yes, IMO, but i can see where others still see the mistakes of last season where oSu might have had more of a chance to win some games with a non-injured QB at the helm.