I’ll start with this…I was very impressed with the manner in which Roger Denny handled this introductory presser. He’s very straightforward. Very much to the point. Doesn’t hem and haw and waste time letting you know what he did as Illinois as deputy athletic director and how he was involved in both football and basketball.
As we just witnessed with Indiana winning the national championship in football, not basketball, the landscape of college sports is somewhat upside down a bit. From the inception of NIL coupled with the transfer portal I would suggest the qualifications for an athletic director at any major school has been upped several notches.
Being an honorary recipient of a Juris Docorate from the Bob Jackson School of Law…I think the fact Roger has a law degree and has created a special niche for himself in this area of sports law with his keen insights on how collective bargainning will evolve in the major college sports arena…is a big thing.
Plus, I love what he said about leaving his law firm after four very successful years there because his passion, his ultimate goal, was to use his skill sets to become involved in collegiate athletics. I loved what he said about college campuses in general kind of fulilling an emotional feeling of passion, hope, and energy as something which he needs to be happy.
I love Joe C. In my lifetime as a passionate OU fan…he’s by far my favorite OU atheletic director of all-time. I’m glad he’ll still be involved at OU in an emeritus role, but I can fully understand how he’s worn out from these past four years. It’s worn me out…just as a knowledgeable, passionate fan, and award winning underground blogger.
I think this is an interesting hire. I wouldn’t feel very good right now if I were Porter Moser with his abysmal overall conference record in both the Big 12 and SEC. I’ll speak to that more specifically after I attend the Saturday game in Norman versus Texas.
I’m genuinely trying to be fair with Porter on my blog. I like him. I want him to succeed. But my feeling is with ten games left in the SEC regular season with the Sooners currently at 11-10 overall, 1-7 in SEC play… my feeling is that in these last ten games OU needs to significantly begin winning games and go something like 7-3 to close out at 17-13, 8-10 heading into the SEC post season tournament for there to be made an argument for Year 6 for Porter.
This certainly is not a great OU team with their challenge at the center position, but the SEC is down in basketball this season and the manner in which OU cannot close games at the end of games is concerning in relation to the coaching.
Mo Wague, buddy…MJ will be there again on Saturday near the floor. You’ll see me there again. You guys do Porter a favor and start this winning streak with a win over the hated Longhorns so I can at least present some defense of his case for a Year 6.
I’m actually going to the women’s game tonight with Jennies’ back in the Top 10 team taking on Texas A&M. I won’t be near the floor though, but back in my regular section, four rows lower near the pep band and in the throng of the student section. My OU ticket accountant always takes care of me and my quirky ticket needs. Maybe I’ll run into Roger Denny over there.
Eternal love and patience,
Mike J