Daily Bullets (May 25)

A Lasting Investment

In a great piece trailing T. Boone Pickens’ life with Oklahoma State Football’s history, today’s high point in OSU football history shines brightly.

Winning has become so standard at OSU that sometimes we forget how far the Cowboys have come. Sometimes we forget what a difference Pickens’ donations — somewhere between $200 million and $300 million for athletics — have made. Sometimes we forget what OSU football was like before the Cowboys’ facilities glittered.

OSU football for most of Boone Pickens’ life was behind the times and not a passion for most Cowboy fans. That changed in this century. [NewsOK]

It seemed like every other year, Mike Gundy’s Cowboys were winning for the first time in _____ for the first time since FDR was in office. The above article gives great context on what was going on between then and now. Allow me this one spoiler on the article – it’s a great time to be a Cowboy fan (thanks Boone).

Which Came First?

As today’s T. Boone Bullets continue, the unanswerable question is to be asked: who’s to blame for OSU’s football success, Pickens or Gundy?

OSU attendance and ticket-sales figures have been sustained at unprecedented levels. Cowboy football teams have recorded at least 10 wins in six of the last eight seasons. In 108 seasons before 2010, there were only three 10-win finishes.

In eight of the last 10 seasons, OSU has achieved a national top-10 ranking.

“We’ve had good coaches here, but Mike Gundy is the first to have benefited from a real financial commitment to football,” Holder said. “It was all inspired by Boone Pickens.” [TulsaWorld]

It’s an impossible question to answer (who’s more to blame) but I’m not interested in living in an alternate universe where neither ever graced the campus in Stillwater with their presence.

I will say, in 30 years when Porter sells the site and writes “The First Ten Win Season is the Hardest: the story of the Mullet and the Corporate Raider”, I want the first copy.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Make sure and check out Phillip’s first podcast covering the Big 12….Bet low on Bedlam football teams says Tramel (I agree)….2018 is the year of the running back in the Big 12….CBS ranks CFB quarterbacks into tiers – Brown in there with other transfers

This was fun to see – long live the long ball.

@dbrownTNDO dropping a dime to @lilsho2 ! Pistols definitely firing out in the desert. @TheQBAcademy College Week in Phoenix. pic.twitter.com/kh0puvH4sW

— Derek Rasmussen (@derekrasmussen) May 25, 2018

Adam dropped this in our Slack chat yesterday – puts the Pokes success (six ten win seasons since 2010) in perspective.

Number of 10+ win seasons for TX FBS schools since 2000:

TCU: 12 ('00, '02, '03, '05, '06, '08, '09, '10, '11, '14, '15, '17)

UT: 9 ('01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06, '07, '08, '09)

BU: 4 ('11, '13, '14, '15)
UH: 4 ('06, '09, '11, '15)
Rice: 2 ('08, '13)
A&M: 1 ('12)
TTU: 1 ('08)

— Texas Sports & Polls (@TXSportsLife) May 24, 2018

Carroll could fit well in the NBA next to a premier point guard, he did a fantastic job at it with Jawun.

pic.twitter.com/zqK9UAtYrS

— Jeffrey Carroll (@J30Carroll) May 24, 2018

Pokes and Sooners paired together for the first couple rounds is terrific.

Here's #OKState head golf coach Alan Bratton & #Sooners head golf coach Ryan Hybl on a potential #Bedlam matchup for the national championship. #NCAAGolf pic.twitter.com/CDbh3MTYww

— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) May 24, 2018

What You Missed on PFB

• OSU falls to Texas Tech (again), bows out of the Big 12 tournament (photos here)
• Ranking the running backs of the Mike Gundy era
• Big 12 football schools ranked by profit
• Carson and Porter catch up with PGA Poke Edward Loar in the latest pod
• Phillip chatted with incoming freshman defensive back Tanner McCallister

Other Stuff I’m Reading

• “How to Slow Down Time” had some good perspective on time and tips on how to be more present
• A good catch-up on the Western Conference Finals (pre-game five last night)
• A solid faith-based primer for college-aged/young adults on discerning what to do with life