JimBob
07-07-2008, 12:24 PM
Gundy stands by message, regrets tone
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
7/7/2008
Last Modified: 7/7/2008 3:57 AM
STILLWATER — Mike Gundy knew deep down in his heart just minutes after his now-famous rant that it was a mistake.
"I had no idea," said Gundy this summer. "I had no idea that it would have a life of its own. I didn't know all about YouTube and all of that stuff.
"That's why I'm sorry it happened. I think it has overshadowed everything. That wasn't the intent."
It may have not been the intent, but it definitely has been the result of his outburst in the postgame press conference following a victory over Texas Tech last fall.
It has, unfortunately for Gundy, come to define him as a coach.
When Oklahoma State football is mentioned, Gundy's rant usually is brought up.
When OSU defeated Indiana in the Insight Bowl in December, the first highlight shown on ESPN's SportsCenter was not one of OSU's seven touchdowns. It was a quick hit of Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
So it goes for Gundy as he enters his fourth season this fall. His bumpy ride has had a few highs and some notable lows.
He created controversy with his rant, and his handling of the Chris Collins situation left him open to more criticism. The linebacker pleaded guilty to a felony charge years after an incident that happened while he was in high school. Gundy was widely criticized for suspending but not dismissing Collins, and five days after the guilty plea, Collins was off the team.
His Cowboys have provided some brilliant moments on the field but also some bitter disappointments. OSU fans won't soon forget how good an offense the Cowboys had last season and a remarkable victory over Texas Tech. They also will agonize over losses to Texas and Texas A&M, two games that could have and should have been victories.
But mostly, they will remember Gundy's outburst in a press conference.
"That's the part I regret," Gundy said. "I wish I hadn't raised my voice. I wish it had not become such a big deal.
"For all of those reasons, I wish I hadn't done it. I wish I had handled it different. I know there are things I could have done different."
Gundy said he intended to make the case that college athletes who go to class and play by the rules should not be the subject of personal criticism. He was angry over a column in an Oklahoma City newspaper that criticized OSU quarterback Bobby Reid.
Reid has since said the rant, on his behalf, made him mad.
Gundy has stood by, and still firmly believes, in the message of his rant. Now about 10 months later, he knows the message got garbled in his delivery.
"If I had known it was going to get that much attention, I would have never done it," Gundy said. "I still believe in what I said, even though I believe it could have been said differently and in a different tone.
"To be honest, that whole thing had nothing to do with football. I felt the article was hitting below the belt. I took it personally for Bobby. If a player wasn't doing all the right things, then it wouldn't have upset me so much. But Bobby was doing all the right things, going to class, being respectful of people and dealing with the media. So, I decided to say something."
He didn't just say something. He took off on a rant that is among the most repeated video clips in sports over the past year.
"I remember reading the article and thinking it was such a cheap shot," Gundy said. "So, as I was making my point, I started to raise my voice, and it became the rant.
"If I had to do it over again, I'd still want to say something. I now know I should have had more control over how I was talking. I should have kept talking in a monotone voice. If I had never raised my voice, I don't think it would have been a big deal."
But, he did. So, he has paid for that lapse in judgment with repeated unwanted moments in the sun.
"It just drew way too much attention," Gundy said. "It never ceases to amaze me how it just goes on and on. This is a deal that seems like it has gone on forever."
Gundy also was in for harsh criticism with Collins. Collins had the charges over his head when Gundy recruited him and brought him to OSU. It was a tough decision to offer him a scholarship. It was tougher to let him go.
"That was hard for us because of the type of kid he had been since he got to OSU," Gundy said. "He had been a model citizen. He had done everything we had asked of him. He was everything we had heard about him.
"When we were recruiting him, we investigated everything about the incident. We did our best to make sure this was a kid we wanted to take a chance on. So, we gave him that chance. I'm a big believer in second chances."
That second chance was yanked when Collins pleaded guilty, leaving Gundy with little option other than to kick him off the team.
"We had a couple of days in there when we got a lot of criticism, but I really wanted to talk to the kid and tell him myself," Gundy said. "I didn't think it was fair for him to read about it in the papers. So, when he got back up here to Stillwater, we told him.
"That's a hard thing. He had done all of the things you could ask of a kid. But, when he pled guilty, I felt we had to do what we did."
Mistakes? He's made a few. But Gundy knows there are lessons to be learned.
"There's a lot of things that go into being a head coach," Gundy said. "I mean a lot of things. So, you live and learn. That's all I can do. I don't have time to sit around and worry about things."
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
7/7/2008
Last Modified: 7/7/2008 3:57 AM
STILLWATER — Mike Gundy knew deep down in his heart just minutes after his now-famous rant that it was a mistake.
"I had no idea," said Gundy this summer. "I had no idea that it would have a life of its own. I didn't know all about YouTube and all of that stuff.
"That's why I'm sorry it happened. I think it has overshadowed everything. That wasn't the intent."
It may have not been the intent, but it definitely has been the result of his outburst in the postgame press conference following a victory over Texas Tech last fall.
It has, unfortunately for Gundy, come to define him as a coach.
When Oklahoma State football is mentioned, Gundy's rant usually is brought up.
When OSU defeated Indiana in the Insight Bowl in December, the first highlight shown on ESPN's SportsCenter was not one of OSU's seven touchdowns. It was a quick hit of Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
So it goes for Gundy as he enters his fourth season this fall. His bumpy ride has had a few highs and some notable lows.
He created controversy with his rant, and his handling of the Chris Collins situation left him open to more criticism. The linebacker pleaded guilty to a felony charge years after an incident that happened while he was in high school. Gundy was widely criticized for suspending but not dismissing Collins, and five days after the guilty plea, Collins was off the team.
His Cowboys have provided some brilliant moments on the field but also some bitter disappointments. OSU fans won't soon forget how good an offense the Cowboys had last season and a remarkable victory over Texas Tech. They also will agonize over losses to Texas and Texas A&M, two games that could have and should have been victories.
But mostly, they will remember Gundy's outburst in a press conference.
"That's the part I regret," Gundy said. "I wish I hadn't raised my voice. I wish it had not become such a big deal.
"For all of those reasons, I wish I hadn't done it. I wish I had handled it different. I know there are things I could have done different."
Gundy said he intended to make the case that college athletes who go to class and play by the rules should not be the subject of personal criticism. He was angry over a column in an Oklahoma City newspaper that criticized OSU quarterback Bobby Reid.
Reid has since said the rant, on his behalf, made him mad.
Gundy has stood by, and still firmly believes, in the message of his rant. Now about 10 months later, he knows the message got garbled in his delivery.
"If I had known it was going to get that much attention, I would have never done it," Gundy said. "I still believe in what I said, even though I believe it could have been said differently and in a different tone.
"To be honest, that whole thing had nothing to do with football. I felt the article was hitting below the belt. I took it personally for Bobby. If a player wasn't doing all the right things, then it wouldn't have upset me so much. But Bobby was doing all the right things, going to class, being respectful of people and dealing with the media. So, I decided to say something."
He didn't just say something. He took off on a rant that is among the most repeated video clips in sports over the past year.
"I remember reading the article and thinking it was such a cheap shot," Gundy said. "So, as I was making my point, I started to raise my voice, and it became the rant.
"If I had to do it over again, I'd still want to say something. I now know I should have had more control over how I was talking. I should have kept talking in a monotone voice. If I had never raised my voice, I don't think it would have been a big deal."
But, he did. So, he has paid for that lapse in judgment with repeated unwanted moments in the sun.
"It just drew way too much attention," Gundy said. "It never ceases to amaze me how it just goes on and on. This is a deal that seems like it has gone on forever."
Gundy also was in for harsh criticism with Collins. Collins had the charges over his head when Gundy recruited him and brought him to OSU. It was a tough decision to offer him a scholarship. It was tougher to let him go.
"That was hard for us because of the type of kid he had been since he got to OSU," Gundy said. "He had been a model citizen. He had done everything we had asked of him. He was everything we had heard about him.
"When we were recruiting him, we investigated everything about the incident. We did our best to make sure this was a kid we wanted to take a chance on. So, we gave him that chance. I'm a big believer in second chances."
That second chance was yanked when Collins pleaded guilty, leaving Gundy with little option other than to kick him off the team.
"We had a couple of days in there when we got a lot of criticism, but I really wanted to talk to the kid and tell him myself," Gundy said. "I didn't think it was fair for him to read about it in the papers. So, when he got back up here to Stillwater, we told him.
"That's a hard thing. He had done all of the things you could ask of a kid. But, when he pled guilty, I felt we had to do what we did."
Mistakes? He's made a few. But Gundy knows there are lessons to be learned.
"There's a lot of things that go into being a head coach," Gundy said. "I mean a lot of things. So, you live and learn. That's all I can do. I don't have time to sit around and worry about things."