Tramel's ScissorTales: Big 12 games in Mexico would be a bold strategy from Brett Yormark
There’s the problem with hiring a bold, innovative commissioner for a conference that needs an infusion of ideas.
The commissioner starts doing bold, innovative things.
Like taking Big 12 games to Mexico.
The Houston Chronicle reported this week that new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is considering playing some football and basketball games in Mexico, starting with the 2024-25 basketball season.
Seems like a squishy idea on the surface, but OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg is supportive of at least investigating the marketing possibilities of the Big 12 extending its brand south of the border.
“None of the details have been worked out,” Weiberg said. “There's work to be done before there's anything finalized or official announcments made.
“But it is something we are exploring and something that makes a lot of sense in a lot of ways. An example of what we're trying to do to extend the Big 12 footprint and Big 12 brand, around the country and even into North America. Just another example of Commissioner Yormark and how he is thinking.”
More: Why new Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark is an 'absolute perfect fit' to follow Bob Bowlsby
International exporting of collegiate sports is minimal. Dublin, Ireland, hosted Notre Dame-Navy football in 2012 and Nebraska-Northwestern in 2022. Notre Dame-Navy is back in Dublin this season, with Florida State-Georgia Tech ticketed for Ireland in 2024.
A decade ago, Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott promoted his conference to Asian markets. Scott’s tenure was marred by economic controversies, the Pacific Rim endeavor included. The Pac-12 never took competition across the Pacific and cost a fair amount of money, but perhaps there were marketing benefits.
Weiberg said a Big 12/Mexico connection could open new markets for the conference.
“We feel like that fits in our footprint,” Weiberg said. “I can’t speak for the Pac-12 and what Commissioner Scott was thinking. The Pacific Rim perhaps would make more sense for them. But Mexico really sets up well for that footprint making sense, for our brands. That's the thinking there.”
Sports Illustrated reported that Yormark visited Mexico City last week, met with Mexican officials and toured potential sites. The plan could be to hold basketball games in Mexico City’s 22,300-seat Arena CDMX and football games in Monterrey at 53,000-seat Estadio BBVA, which is nicknamed El Gigante de Acero. Monterrey is about 140 miles south of Laredo, Texas.
Kansas-Houston basketball apparently is being considered for a Mexico game. Houston joins the conference this summer, and the Cougars and Jayhawks figure to be the heavyweights in what for three years has been college basketball’s top-rated conference.
More: Tramel's ScissorTales: Why an empty Owen Field was Sam Bradford's favorite football memory
Getting universities to move college football games is more difficult, since campuses cherish their home games.
But with the new television contract requiring more non-Saturday games, perhaps schools could be enticed to a neutral-site game if it fulfilled the non-Saturday requirement.
The Mexican work week traditionally is Monday through Saturday, though some reforms are being pushed, and Mexico isn’t beholding to college football traditions anyway, so a non-Saturday wouldn’t be out of the ordinary in Monterrey.
And Weiberg said the Mexico plan wouldn’t necessitate having conference games. A non-conference game could work. Would the good people of Monterrey know that OSU-Central Arkansas or Baylor-Long Island isn’t marquee?
“There's a lot of details still to be worked out,” Weiberg said. “These things start with the idea, then you work through the process. That's where it gets complicated. But we're excited about the possibility.”
Mexico long has been a National Football League hotbed. Five NFL games have been played in Mexico City since 2016. Weiberg said the popularity of basketball is growing also.
“Stay tuned, we'll see how it all works out,” Weiberg said. “But I think we are excited about the possibilities there. Just another indication of how Commissioner Yormark is wanting to extend the footprint of the Big 12.”
Yormark is nearing the end of his first year as commissioner. The 56-year-old New Yorker has been a wheeler dealer. He jumped ahead of the Pac-12 in television negotiations and secured an ESPN/Fox contract that was much better than anticipated after OU and Texas pledged to the Southeastern Conference. Yormark invigorated the Big 12 basketball tournament with a variety of entertainment additions. Now he’s looking at Mexico.
Bold and innovative. That’s what the Big 12 seemed to want in a commissioner. That’s what the Big 12 seems to have.
More: Tramel's ScissorTales: NFL Draft shows Oklahoma State football recruiting needs an upgrade
Del City plans Robert Kalsu statue
Retired Navy captain John Keilty figures Robert Kalsu finally is getting the recognition he so richly deserves.
Recent inductions into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the rededication of Kalsu Stadium, Del City High School’s football field. All in the last few years.
But Keilty and others in Del City want to do more. They are raising money for a memorial statue at the high school.
“The Robert Kalsu story is unlike any other story in the history of America’s sports,” said Keilty, a Del City teacher.
Kalsu was a Del City grad who became a 1967 all-American offensive tackle at OU, then was the Buffalo Bills’ rookie of the year in 1968.
Kalsu, a member of OU’s Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program, was called into active duty not long after the 1968 football season.
Kalsu eventually was sent to Vietnam, promoted to first lieutenant and stationed at Firebase Ripcord. On July 21, 1970, Kalsu was killed by mortar fire.
More: Tramel: Del City and Bob Kalsu's teammates haven't forgotten their American hero
I have written about Kalsu many times over the years, and Keilty said my 2020 story, on the 50-year anniversary of Kalsu’s death, sparked the current Del City drive.
Kalsu’s OU quarterback, Bobby Warmack, told me that “the story about Bob Kalsu oughtta be brought to the forefront more often. His bravery, his courage, everything he stood for.”
So Del City is engaged in a $100,000 fundraising effort, teaming with MTM Recognition of Del City to produce the heroic-sized statue.
“We feel very strongly also that the Robert Kalsu story of service before self, character counts, honor, courage and commitment needs to be told on our campus in a big way to serve as a constant reminder for generations of Eagle students to come,” Keilty said.
The plan is for Kalsu’s story to be emblazoned on brass plates at the base of the statue.
“Our hope is that this memorial will serve to inspire and motivate our Eagle students to make good choices, to work hard, to be honest and good young people and grow up to be good citizens.”
For more information on the project, contact Keilty at jkeilty@mid-del.net., or Gina Standridge at grhs0201@gmail.com. Donations can be made to Force 50 Foundation, Inc.; Memo: Robert Kalsu Legacy Group Project; P.O. Box 722838; Norman, OK, 73070.
More: Tramel: Why the Thunder U. team of Durant, Harden and Westbrook was ahead of its time
Thunder report card: Aaron Wiggins
Aaron Wiggins was a second-round draft pick out of Maryland who forged a rotational spot as a 2021-22 rookie and fortified that role in his second season.
Our series on Thunder individual report cards continues, today with Wiggins:
Value: A. The Thunder was better with Wiggins on the court. When he started games, OKC was 11-3. The Thunder’s offense was 1.2 points per 100 possessions better with Wiggins on the court than off. The Thunder’s defense was 0.7 points per 100 possessions better with Wiggins on the court than off. With Kenrich Williams’ absence, Wiggins even filled in a little as a small-ball center in the Thunder’s super-small lineups. Wiggins isn’t spectacular at anything, but he’s sold at most everything. All for a guy making $1.5 million.
Three-point shooting: A. Wiggins made 39.3% of his 3-point shots. Isaiah Joe rightfully was a sensation for his deep-ball revolution this season. But Joe shot 40.9% from deep; 1.6% better than Wiggins. And here’s the good news. Wiggins shot almost half of his 3-pointers from the corners, 45.9%, but made just 28.6%. That means Wiggins shot 48.5% from the longer distant 3-pointers. He’s got the hard part down. Improve the corner shots, and Wiggins turns into a real weapon.
Defense: C. Wiggins’ team-defense numbers were solid. His individual-defense numbers were suspect. Opponents shot 51.2% when Wiggins was the primary defender on the shooter, including 44.6% on 3-point shots. Three-point defense can be random, so let’s not read too much into it. But the overall numbers are interesting. Wiggins also drew just six offensive fouls, quite low for a team dedicated to the art.
Selflessness: A. Wiggins had the Thunder’s fourth-best true-shooting percentage, .607. True-shooting is my favorite statistic. It accounts for the extra bonus of a 3-point shot, and it figures in foul shots. Discounting Dario Saric, who played in just 20 games, the only Thunders with a better true-shooting percentage were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Isaiah Joe, each at .626. So Wiggins was a major plus offensively. Yet he had the third-lowest usage rate on the team, ahead of only Arkansas Williams and Kenrich Williams. In other words, shoot more, Aaron.
Shot selection: A. Wiggins took one long 2-point shot all season. That’s considered at least 16 feet from the basket, but inside the arc. One! He’s an analytic dream. Only 12 Wiggins shots were longer than 10 feet but inside the 3-point line. He seems to understand how basketball is played in the modern era.
More: 'Being more efficient' is an offseason priority for OKC Thunder's Lu Dort
Mailbag: New OU wrestling coach
OU has hired North Dakota State’s Roger Kish to be the Sooner wrestling coach. Not all OU fans are happy.
Craig: “It is such a profoundly uninspired hire, the only conclusion one can make is that our athletic department just simply lacks the will to invest to get our storied program back to competing for national titles. I cry uncle and will never again waste any mental energy following the program that I grew up idolizing. The top recruits want to be coached by the most accomplished wrestlers. David Taylor. Jordan Burroughs, John Smith (obviously OSU had a down year). It seems OU is unwilling to make the investment necessary to get a top guy.”
Tramel: I don’t claim to be a wrestling expert. But I know Penn State is dominating the sport, and not just because of coach Cael Sanderson (one of the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history), but because of the Nittany Lions’ unique status as an Olympic regional training center.
The power of the sport has shifted from the Big Eight/Big 12 to the Big Ten. The prime challengers to Penn State usually are Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio State.
Maybe David Taylor and Jordan Burroughs are Hall of Fame-bound coaches. But no one has hired them yet as head coach. Do they have college degrees? Can they administrate? Do they want to administrate?
Iowa is coached by Tom Brands, a Hawkeye legend who was a 1996 Olympic gold medalist. But Minnesota is coached by alumnus Brandon Eggum, who wasn’t even an NCAA champion in college. Ohio State is coached by Tom Ryan, who was an NCAA runner-up at Iowa. Neither Eggum nor Ryan have even their own Wikipedia page. Eggum was a long-time Minnesota assistant coach; Ryan was the head coach at Hofstra, when hired by Ohio State.
It seems clear that there’s not one sure way to succeed in NCAA wrestling.
I reached out to a long-time wrestler who has his pulse on the sport. Was OU’s hiring of Kish a solid move?
“I think so,” the guy said. “Young enough (30-something). Lots of energy. Tough wrestler in college (Minnesota). An injury likely prevented him from being a national champ. Made finals one year. A condition nut from his Minnesota days. No Oklahoma ties. Gonna have to figure out the recruiting. He mainly recruited guys from Minnesota (11 on the North Dakota State roster). Beat OU and Nebraska in duals this year. Finished fifth in the Big 12 out of 13 teams; 24th at NCAA Tournament with two all-Americans.”
So I don’t know. It’s a tough job, OU wrestling. High and inflated expectations.
More: Tramel's ScissorTales: OU wrestling has fallen, and it's not likely to get up
The List: Great regular-season teams
The Boston Bruins set a National Hockey League record for victories in a season, with 65, but were beaten by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
It got me to thinking. How have the best regular-season teams in our four major team sports fared in the post-season?
I looked at the top five winning percentages in each sport (top 10 in the National Football League, since six teams were tied for fifth). That’s 25 teams. Only 12 won titles.
Here are the lists:
National Basketball Association
1. 2016 Warriors: Golden State went 73-9 but lost to Cleveland in the NBA Finals.
2. 1996 Bulls: Chicago went 72-10 and won the NBA title.
3. 1972 Lakers: Los Angeles went 69-13 and won the NBA title.
3. 1997 Bulls: Chicago went 69-13 and won the NBA title.
5. 1967 76ers: Philadelphia went 68-13 and won the NBA title.
National Football League
1. 2011 Patriots: New England was 16-0 in the regular season but lost the Super Bowl to the Giants.
2. 1972 Dolphins: Miami was 14-0, then won the Super Bowl.
3. 1934 Bears: Chicago went 13-0, then lost the NFL Championship Game to the Giants.
4. 1942 Bears: Chicago went 11-0, then lost the NFL Championship Game to Washington.
5. 2015 Panthers: Carolina went 15-1, then lost the Super Bowl to Denver.
5. 2011 Packers: Green Bay went 15-1, then lost to the Giants in the conference semifinals.
5. 2004 Steelers: Pittsburgh went 15-1, then lost the conference finals to New England.
5. 1984 49ers: San Francisco went 15-1, then won the Super Bowl.
5. 1985 Bears: Chicago went 15-1, then won the Super Bowl.
5. 1998 Vikings: Minnesota went 15-1, then lost the conference championship game to Atlanta.
Major League Baseball
1. 1906 Cubs: Chicago went 116-36 but lost the World Series to the White Sox.
2. 1909 Pirates: Pittsburgh went 110-42 and won the World Series.
3. 1954 Indians: Cleveland went 111-43 but lost the World Series to the Giants.
4. 2001 Mariners: Seattle went 116-46 but lost in the American League Championship Series to the Yankees.
5. 1927 Yankees: New York went 110-44 and won the World Series.
National Hockey League
(since 1946, when teams began playing at least 60 games)
1. 1977 Canadiens: Montreal went 60-8-12, a winning percentage of .825. Those Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.
2. 2023 Bruins: Boston went 65-12-5 but lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.
3. 1978 Canadiens: Montreal went 59-10-11. Those Canadiens won their third straight Stanley Cup and made the case for the greatest half-decade in North American sports history (four straight titles, with three of the top five winning percentages in NHL history).
4. 1996 Red Wings: Detroit went 62-13-7. Those Red Wings lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the conference finals.
5. 1976 Canadiens: Montreal went 58-11-11, a winning percentage of .794. Those Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 football games in Mexico would be bold move from Brett Yormark
