Digi-Blog goes to Stillwater! (and you won’t like T-shirts)
The Digi-Blog, the new sensation that’s sweeping through parts of Fulton County and allows a sportswriter the opportunity to tell a story without the danger of misspelling too many words, is moving up to the next level, or at least to the Dustbowl. After past tours through SEC media days in Hoover, Ala., and the Falcons’ training camp in Flowery Branch, we took a digital photo tour of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where Georgia opens its football season Saturday. I must admit, I had never been to Stillwater before. In fact, I think the only time I had ever been to Oklahoma was when I drove through Tulsa for something, which was such a momentous event that I can’t remember what it was. I also wasn’t a big fan of Bruce Springsteen’s, “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” What’s a digi-blogger to do? Enough. Climb aboard the wagon train.
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I learned they don’t fly the most spacious planes to Oklahoma City. But I knew I was on the right flight Friday morning, given the number of Georgia shirts and hats. Even the flight attendant announced, “Ladies and gentleman, good morning for what appears to be the University of Georgia’s Morning Express to Oklahoma City.”
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We’re here. Fast flight, huh? This must be the rush hour at the Will Rogers World Airport. Will Rogers said he never met a man he didn’t like. That’s probably because he so seldom ran into one.
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Thought I’d stop and show you a few sights along the way. This is tucked between the airport and downtown Oklahoma City. I’m sure you always wondered where the world’s largest stocker and feeder cattle market was.
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Lies! Lies! Lies! It’s empty! Well, we all know how the stock market is down. (Thank you very much. And that’s why I only do two shows a night.)
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I got my first endorsement deal. See, a guy walks up to me and says, “You shovel. I shovel. Let’s go into business together.” (I thought I’d beat you to the punch.)
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Oklahoma City beat out Paris, London and Madrid for the International Pro Rodeo Association (which is as international as IHOP).
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I have a feeling we’re getting close. That’s a large inflatable Barry Sanders to the left, standing guard over his Hyundai dealership. Because when you think Barry Sanders and Stillwater, Oklahoma, you think Hyundai.
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We have entered enemy territory. This dude is Pistol Pete, and he is everywhere. I’m also reasonably certain there is no waiting period for handguns here.
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I warned you, didn’t I? Trust me. This isn’t the worst thing.
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Tennessee, Florida, Clemson — look Georgia fans, you have a whole new orange to hate.
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No, this isn’t the worst thing either.
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This is the worst thing. (Tech fans: If you would like to purchase a case or two, I can hook you up with my pal Lydia from the store.)
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Ladies and gentleman, the original Bee Gee.
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Here we are outside of the newly renovated T. Boone Pickens Stadium. Thomas Boone Pickens is an alumnus, made his money in oil and has given millions and billions and trillions of BooneBucks to Oklahoma State. I’m not sure if any of that money ended up in the pockets of a football recruit or two in the late 1980s, when the program went on probation. I don’t know why I brought that up. Probably goes back to the whole top soil endorsement thing.
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The door was unlocked. Very nice stadium. But fake grass and no hedges. Good news: also no tumbleweeds. (Fact is, I half-expected a couple of those old grasshopper-lookalike oil wells in the back of the end zone.)
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“Sit around the camp fire, boys and girls. Let me tell you the legend of Pistol Pete. He had a jump shot like no other gunslinger in these here parts . . .”
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They’re kind of into cowboys here.
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Gotta admit, this is an impressive trio in the trophy case: John Starks (hoops), Thurman Thomas (football), Robin Ventura (baseball).
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Just outside the stadium, workers were setting up a tent commemorating past Heisman Trophy winners. And guess which two winners were depicted right next to each other: Herschel Walker (Georgia) and Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State).
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There was a memory book for visitors to sign. I couldn’t resist. (Got a little nervous signing for Herschel.)
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194 comments Add your comment
Croatiadawg
September 5th, 2009
2:30 am
T. Boone will feel like a T-bone after that UGAly dawg rips through him tonight. Bigbuzz – ask Auburn if UGA licks your crotch or bites your balls.
Finally, why is the kick off countdown clock at AJC like 6 hours off? Was this a senior project for a tech student?
Ralph Garr
September 5th, 2009
2:36 am
KUDOS Jeff…..your best work ever!
macrotech
September 5th, 2009
2:57 am
Fun read! Hope you have a hoot of a time over yonder!!! Should be a good game!
jeffrey d
September 5th, 2009
3:05 am
Oh Jeff…you couldn’t write in a different color for Herschel?
FloridaDawg
September 5th, 2009
5:30 am
Enjoyed reading this….thanks Jeff.
Greg
September 5th, 2009
6:22 am
Great article. The pictures and commentary were hilarious.
Hopefully you can enjoy a good steak while you’re out there.
Walter
September 5th, 2009
6:47 am
Please make that a tradition to take some photos on away games; it really helped with knowing what the surroundings are like. Commentary was very funny too. Thanks for doing that. It’s 6:46am,WAKE UP DAWG FANS, GOOD GRIEF! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!
Spike
September 5th, 2009
6:59 am
Good stuff, Jeff. But I gotta agree with some of the others. OSU Cheerleader pics are desired. (Oh, and females only}.
lee
September 5th, 2009
7:36 am
Jeff, Thank you for the great article. The pictures are great.
Take more and please consider a story on tail gating and more sites. What is Main Street like? Thanks!
johnny reb
September 5th, 2009
7:43 am
What’s so great about Athens? I can send you pictures.
Tech sucks
September 5th, 2009
7:51 am
That is great stuff. Thanks and have fun.
GO DAWGS
B. Thenet
September 5th, 2009
8:08 am
Great blog Jeff.
Any word on if the Okie State QB is faking a flu so their coaching staff has an excuse if they lose?
Frank Wren
September 5th, 2009
8:16 am
Gardner Webb all we heard was oh backup QB
Chan Gailey oh hes holding us back
Tech fans invented making excuses.
A Poke Family
September 5th, 2009
8:21 am
FTA: (Fact is, I half-expected a couple of those old grasshopper-lookalike oil wells in the back of the end zone.)
Fact is, someone should point him about a mile east of the stadium to the well that is producing oil from under the stadium. Fact is, this writer is basically a richard-head who thinks his turds don’t stink, the UGA football team sweats liquid gold, and is too cute by half when allowed to blog.
Scott
September 5th, 2009
8:38 am
Good stuff Jeff, like the new format.
gtfanfrom1951
September 5th, 2009
8:40 am
where can we get the shirts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pi$$onaDawg
September 5th, 2009
8:47 am
How do I get one of those shirts? I would like the name, address, or phone # for the store please. Dawgs don’t wait til the end of the game. Come out punching in this fight. HAHAHA just kidding. The opening games have been more D than O so we will see what willie has quick.
WHAAAAT??!!
September 5th, 2009
8:48 am
I’ve seen bigger stadiums in Lowndes County…..and the Vikes and Wildcats don’t have to beg folks to buy tickets, either.
Hey Tech fans
September 5th, 2009
8:53 am
don’t you have a game today? Then why are you spending your time reading the UGA blogs? Once again the jealousy is apparent. I am sure by tonight, each of you will be “dusting off” your rulers. Gotta be prepared to measure the column size dedicated to the UGA and Tech coverage within the Sunday paper.
Sonny Clusters
September 5th, 2009
8:57 am
The Georgia QB didn’t fly on the charter with the team . . . does that mean he was on a commercial flight with the fans? And what kind of flu does that boy have anyway? Could it be the dreaded swine flu? We was always washing our hands when we was playing ball so we wouldn’t catch the flu. Maybe the Bulldogs need to do more hand washing. That’s what makes us think we wouldn’t want a handoff from somebody with swine flu.
athensdawg
September 5th, 2009
8:58 am
thanks for the tour, jeff. if the economy weren’t so bad, i would be there myself.
carmatter
September 5th, 2009
9:03 am
I’ve been to Stillwater several times, and it’s okay, but it isn’t close to Athens, I don’t care who rated it #6. I can think of 6 nicer small towns in Kansas.
Sonny Clusters
September 5th, 2009
9:03 am
We was thinking if a sportswriter gets swine flu does it spread? Sportswriters don’t shake hands and they don’t come in contact with much of anybody but other sportswriters and most of them has built up immunities from high alcohol content. If that swine flu gets to the nation’s sportswriters we will know it is some powerful stuff. We was always wary of getting something from the sportswriters when they come to school so Coach would keep ‘em outside in the fresh air when they come to the campus. We kept Stinlky Wintes out there, too.
how2fish
September 5th, 2009
9:04 am
Great stuff here Jeff!
Top Dawg
September 5th, 2009
9:10 am
GREAT ARTICLE, JEFF. After 3,000 acticles about the game, there’s only so much left to say. However, this is an interesting insight to the trip for those of us Dawgs back home.
Joe D.
September 5th, 2009
9:22 am
Make sure you take a photo of the scoreboard after the Dogs take their whuppin’.
Steven Blair
September 5th, 2009
9:22 am
Very funny stuff. Nice to see someone can get their point across without saying that someone’s town or team sucks as opposed to the 20 other blogs I have red about georgia football. Hope you guys have as much fun here as we had in Athens 2 years ago. Kinda wish I was having breakfast at the “Mayflower” again. Good Luck today guys and Go COWBOYS!!!!
Tech Fans are harmlessly amusing
September 5th, 2009
9:22 am
I always sign guestbooks as Elvis Grbac for two reasons…. I agree with Bryan, people like to think that someone famouse visited their wedding (or funeral, or art show opening) and, 2nd, nobody knows what he looks like so they actually believe he might have been there. I also like names that are short a vowel.
The Anti Bug LIAR
September 5th, 2009
9:23 am
Who knew Stegman Coliseum was Stillwater!!! A parallel universe!!! Jeff, where does the Nobel Foundation send your physics prize?
John
September 5th, 2009
9:31 am
There’s parts of athens that are an eyesore too. Let’s not get carried away
Cuz
September 5th, 2009
9:37 am
Jeff watch out for Pistol Pete, he is packing heat.
Oklahoma A&M’s original mascot was a Tiger. Hence the Orange and Black. In the 1920’s, A group of students watched a parade with Pistol Pete Eaton, one of the last of the Old West quickdraw lawmen. Pete was riding a horse in the parade and they thought a Cowboy would better represent their school than a tiger, well duh. Pete Eaton died in 1958 at the age of 98. A true legend of the Old West.
james adams
September 5th, 2009
9:42 am
Your handwriting is horrible.
Big Beaudreaux
September 5th, 2009
9:43 am
Without Stillwater, Oklahoma wouldn’t have a pot to pee in. Because Stillwater IS the pot they pee in. What a dreadful place! Get me out of here Percy!
Dustin
September 5th, 2009
9:43 am
Yeah let’s see if they turn off their scoreboard if they do lose like the uga operator did. Classy.
Vicktorious
September 5th, 2009
9:45 am
Kinda like that UGAly Mutt T-shirt. I’ve been to Stillwater, and it’s not that dreadful a place. Sort of like Athens without the excitment.
Craig
September 5th, 2009
9:53 am
I am interested in watching paulis at qb today for syracuse and see how he does from leaving duke hoops. i bet he has a bad game.
Greg Talley's Untapped Potential
September 5th, 2009
9:56 am
Now, that was funny. Good work Schultz.
Big Beaudreaux
September 5th, 2009
9:58 am
Let’s get real. This place is worse than Detroit! No comparison to Athens.
Big Beaudreaux
September 5th, 2009
10:02 am
Whopper Dawg
September 5th, 2009
1:28 am
I assume that they have a hotel and you are not sleeping in the rental car, or should I assume that don’t even have rental cars and you are thumbing and sleeping on the street?
I am very thankful right now that me and mine have absolutely nothing to do with the state of Oklahoma
Yeah, It’s that bad. Apparently, there is no dental school in Oklahoma either! We were staying till Sunday, but managed to get a late flight tonight. I’m sure it is gonna be packed full!
Big Chief
September 5th, 2009
10:05 am
Here it is fellers… and yew heard it heeere fust….. UGA 34 – OSU 24. Yes SUUUH!! Would have been 34-17 except we allow a late score. This is STILL……… The SEC. Martinez is coaching for his job this season and he’ll have the Dawgz ready to SICK’EM. Joe Cox is a better QB than DJ was when DJ got his opportunity. The O-line is one of the league’s best…. And THIS…… is UGA….. We GROW Running Backs there…… Samuels goes for over 100 and Thomas catches a screen pass and takes it to the house 30+ yards. YOU THINK I FORGOT????? WHO ON EARTH is going to cover A.J. ??????? OSU was not great on defense last season and after we run it up their throats this afternoon… Their defense will be DAWG tired by the end of the third quarter. UGA 34 – OSU 24. BELIEVE IT!!
Big Beaudreaux
September 5th, 2009
10:11 am
This is OSU’s first trip to the show. About 8 hours from now they are gonna be trying to figure out what happened! We might get our own rant from Gundy.
Mutts-R-Stupid
September 5th, 2009
10:13 am
Gimme a case of them mutts shirts….
bbdawg
September 5th, 2009
10:21 am
I once went to a conference which featured outstanding retailers. Eskimo Joe’s was one of the companies featured. I believe it was started by two OSU students. They sell t-shhirts all over the world, have reunions and are considered ultra successful. OSU grads come back for EJ reunions. Truly unique. OSU can have it. I would take a return of Poss’s. Go Dawgs!
Jeff Schultz
September 5th, 2009
10:21 am
Good morning everybody. Thanks again for the comments. Some pretty funny stuff. Hey, none of you are drinking I hope . . .
Tucker and I will be leaving Chez AJC in Oklahoma City in a bit. With any luck and traffic, we should be at the game before halftime. It’s sort of like going to Clemson – all interstates, then 17 miles off the highway. Everybody in the state drives that 17 miles.
I’ll be posting a pre-game blog where we can chat live. Until then.
KIM
September 5th, 2009
10:23 am
It’s always so cute when someone from GEORGIA tries to call other people country, backwards, or talk about their clothes. Hee haw
Chris
September 5th, 2009
10:27 am
Best blog you’ve ever done. Didn’t think you had it in you.
Hope we win today, you won’t hear any smack talk from me.
bbdawg
September 5th, 2009
10:32 am
Link to history of Eskimo Joe’s. http://www.eskimojoes.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=13&MMN_position=16:16 See picture of reunion where 65,000 people showed up. Go Dawgs!!!!
Calhoundawg
September 5th, 2009
10:33 am
Jeff, I believe that’s two humorous, tongue-in-cheek articles from you this week! Nice change from MB’s drivel. I love the “digi-blog” concept — that’s cool and this was a fun read. Dialoging with with what appears to be literate, informed, and amicable Oklahoma State fans is also a refreshing break from the caustic, infantile remarks from Tech fans that normally clog these blogs.
I can’t believe this day is finally here. What an incredibly big way for the Dawgs to open this year. Not only a viable non-conference opponent, but a top-ten one as well, to test the mettle of of what we Georgia fans know in our hearts will be as resilient and entertaining a team as we’ve had in years. I look for a competent, productive effort from the offense to start the year, and a defensive effort that might well be the talk of ESPN’s Sports Center all week long. Georgia – 38 OK State – 21
Go Dawgs !!!
Steven Blair
September 5th, 2009
10:35 am
Big B did you even make the trip or are you still on the porch back in Athens?
Brucer
September 5th, 2009
10:43 am
JS you got your A game on this weekend! Good stuff