JimBob
01-18-2008, 09:35 AM
Up-down weekend for dad
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
1/18/2008
For Roosevelt Riley, the father of Oklahoma State basketball star Andrea Riley and the bodyguard of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, an exhilarating Saturday was followed by an excruciating Sunday.
On Saturday, Roosevelt was in Gallagher-Iba Arena to watch Andrea and the 18th-ranked Cowgirls prevail 82-63 over 11th-ranked Oklahoma. In 39 minutes, Andrea scored 45 points and did not commit a turnover.
Roosevelt, a former coach who admittedly is tough to please, says he was dazzled by Andrea's performance.
"I don't tell her what she does well. I tell her what she needs to improve on," said Roosevelt, who oversees a renowned youth basketball program in Dallas and has molded Andrea's game since she was a toddler. "But when she had no turnovers -- it's tough to find fault with that.
"It was almost a perfect game. When I gave her a wink and a smile, that right there told her that she did good. To do that on a national stage, she deserved a little wink."
On Sunday, Roosevelt Riley was at Texas Stadium, at the side of Jones to watch the Dallas Cowboys lose to the New York Giants in an NFC divisional playoff game. The 5-foot-8, 230-pound Riley, who during the '80s spent a brief time on the Harlem Globetrotters' roster, has been Jones' personal bodyguard for nine years.
"I'll tell you what, man. It's just a sick feeling inside of you," Riley said of the Dallas defeat. "It hurts. I know all that goes into putting that team on the field. I hate to see (Jones) hurt. He's a great person and a giving person."
A 48-year-old native of Connecticut, Riley played college basketball at Northern Montana and Dallas Baptist. Andrea Riley is the fourth of Roosevelt's 10 children, who range in age from 25 to 7.
For her heroics against OU, the 5-foot-5 Andrea was named the Big 12 player of the week. She leads the conference in scoring with a 22.3-point average, and this week she has been the subject of feature stories in national publications.
"It's been overwhelming," Roosevelt said. "It's something that she deserves. We spent many, many nights in the gym, taking extra shots and doing extra running. She worked so hard. It's a pleasure to see her have this kind of success.
"I'll say this to the people of Oklahoma -- the best is yet to come. Andrea will get better and Oklahoma State will get better."
Domestic Gundy: OSU football coach Mike Gundy says he has no interest in golf or fishing or hunting. His favorite hobbies are household chores.
"When I want to get my mind off of work, I do two things -- cooking and yardwork," Gundy said. "In the offseason, I do all of my own yardwork. Every bit of it. I mow it and trim it and I plant flowers."
Apparently, Gundy is far beyond just capable in the kitchen.
"My mom taught me how to cook when I was really young, and I can cook just about anything," he said. "I make gourmet hamburgers or some kind of chicken for my boys. They really like those hamburgers. I get the good meat and I put onion soup in it, along with some Heinz 57, some chopped-up green peppers and, believe it or not, some minced-up cherries.
"If it's dinner for (wife) Kristen and me, I do filets. I scorch them in olive oil on the skillet, and then broil them in the oven so that they're tender. I would cook some asparagus in the olive oil, either on the grill or in the broiler."
Music man: John Martin, a former Stillwater High School and Baylor wide receiver, has become a singer-songwriter who now resides in Nashville, Tenn. The 26-year-old Martin, a pop artist whose stage name is John Sarcone, is the son of Oklahoma State associate athletic director Dave Martin.
John Sarcone recently performed during the Fiesta Bowl New Year's Eve block party in Phoenix, and he already has been booked to sing the national anthem at the 2008 Big 12 Championship football game in Kansas City. According to his MySpace page, his debut album ("The Beauty and The Ashes") soon will be released.
John Martin's Stillwater High School quarterback was Josh Fields, who went on to become a star QB at OSU. On Thursday, Fields, now a third baseman for the Chicago White Sox, was at Gallagher-Iba Arena for a workout.
Record-setting attendance: During the 2007 football season, a league-record total of 4.6 million fans attended games in Big 12 stadiums. For the first time in conference history, the league-wide attendance average topped the 60,000 mark (60,419).
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
1/18/2008
For Roosevelt Riley, the father of Oklahoma State basketball star Andrea Riley and the bodyguard of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, an exhilarating Saturday was followed by an excruciating Sunday.
On Saturday, Roosevelt was in Gallagher-Iba Arena to watch Andrea and the 18th-ranked Cowgirls prevail 82-63 over 11th-ranked Oklahoma. In 39 minutes, Andrea scored 45 points and did not commit a turnover.
Roosevelt, a former coach who admittedly is tough to please, says he was dazzled by Andrea's performance.
"I don't tell her what she does well. I tell her what she needs to improve on," said Roosevelt, who oversees a renowned youth basketball program in Dallas and has molded Andrea's game since she was a toddler. "But when she had no turnovers -- it's tough to find fault with that.
"It was almost a perfect game. When I gave her a wink and a smile, that right there told her that she did good. To do that on a national stage, she deserved a little wink."
On Sunday, Roosevelt Riley was at Texas Stadium, at the side of Jones to watch the Dallas Cowboys lose to the New York Giants in an NFC divisional playoff game. The 5-foot-8, 230-pound Riley, who during the '80s spent a brief time on the Harlem Globetrotters' roster, has been Jones' personal bodyguard for nine years.
"I'll tell you what, man. It's just a sick feeling inside of you," Riley said of the Dallas defeat. "It hurts. I know all that goes into putting that team on the field. I hate to see (Jones) hurt. He's a great person and a giving person."
A 48-year-old native of Connecticut, Riley played college basketball at Northern Montana and Dallas Baptist. Andrea Riley is the fourth of Roosevelt's 10 children, who range in age from 25 to 7.
For her heroics against OU, the 5-foot-5 Andrea was named the Big 12 player of the week. She leads the conference in scoring with a 22.3-point average, and this week she has been the subject of feature stories in national publications.
"It's been overwhelming," Roosevelt said. "It's something that she deserves. We spent many, many nights in the gym, taking extra shots and doing extra running. She worked so hard. It's a pleasure to see her have this kind of success.
"I'll say this to the people of Oklahoma -- the best is yet to come. Andrea will get better and Oklahoma State will get better."
Domestic Gundy: OSU football coach Mike Gundy says he has no interest in golf or fishing or hunting. His favorite hobbies are household chores.
"When I want to get my mind off of work, I do two things -- cooking and yardwork," Gundy said. "In the offseason, I do all of my own yardwork. Every bit of it. I mow it and trim it and I plant flowers."
Apparently, Gundy is far beyond just capable in the kitchen.
"My mom taught me how to cook when I was really young, and I can cook just about anything," he said. "I make gourmet hamburgers or some kind of chicken for my boys. They really like those hamburgers. I get the good meat and I put onion soup in it, along with some Heinz 57, some chopped-up green peppers and, believe it or not, some minced-up cherries.
"If it's dinner for (wife) Kristen and me, I do filets. I scorch them in olive oil on the skillet, and then broil them in the oven so that they're tender. I would cook some asparagus in the olive oil, either on the grill or in the broiler."
Music man: John Martin, a former Stillwater High School and Baylor wide receiver, has become a singer-songwriter who now resides in Nashville, Tenn. The 26-year-old Martin, a pop artist whose stage name is John Sarcone, is the son of Oklahoma State associate athletic director Dave Martin.
John Sarcone recently performed during the Fiesta Bowl New Year's Eve block party in Phoenix, and he already has been booked to sing the national anthem at the 2008 Big 12 Championship football game in Kansas City. According to his MySpace page, his debut album ("The Beauty and The Ashes") soon will be released.
John Martin's Stillwater High School quarterback was Josh Fields, who went on to become a star QB at OSU. On Thursday, Fields, now a third baseman for the Chicago White Sox, was at Gallagher-Iba Arena for a workout.
Record-setting attendance: During the 2007 football season, a league-record total of 4.6 million fans attended games in Big 12 stadiums. For the first time in conference history, the league-wide attendance average topped the 60,000 mark (60,419).