OSU Is Trying To Erase The Travis Ford Era Which Is a Shame

I noticed this at Homecoming & Hoops, but I thought it also might have been a mistake. OSU has effectively erased the Travis Ford era from its pregame hype video.

John Helsley wrote a note about it on Tuesday from Stillwater in the Oklahoman.

Underwood narrated a new hype video that accompanied the Cowboys onto the floor. The video highlighted OSU’s rich history, emphasizing coaches Henry Iba and Eddie Sutton, players Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, Desmond Mason, Tony Allen and others.

Absent from the history: anything from the Travis Ford era. No Byron Eaton or Markel Brown or Marcus Smart or LeBryan Nash. Not even Keiton Page, who remains on the staff as assistant director of player development.

I’m with Carson Cunningham here — this is wrong and should be corrected. It’s sort of like erasing the Tyreek Hill video from any and all OSU materials. It’s not like it didn’t happen!

I get what they’re trying to do here, though, and this is probably a no-win situation for OSU (people are going to complain either way). It’s a call to yesteryear — to what Underwood and Co. want to be. But it’s also unfair to Markel and Le’Bryan and Keiton who are all Pokes through and through even if they were never on great teams.

That’s as much a part of our history as anything else — and it would be different if there weren’t some great wins to throw up there and some genuinely memorable moments. Smart backflipping on the ghost of Phog Allen, all the KU wins at home, Jawun nearly hanging half a hundred on OU last year!

“I don’t know if people understand how much I revere Mr. Iba, and playing for Jack Hartman, and knowing what he taught, and to coach in this building, even though it’s an exhibition (game),” Underwood told Go Pokes after the game.

I get all that, and of course I love it. But you shouldn’t eschew the recent past which included several legitimately thrilling games, moments and seasons just to glorify the distant past. Plus, if you put it up there it will make people thankful all over again that Brad Underwood is the coach!