The Tough Get Going

"You play to win the game." This quote was made famous by Herm Edwards back in his days as the New York Jets coach. Edwards provided better excerpts than coaching, but nonetheless, these are words to live by. Let me explain.

The setup: Oklahoma State, trailing by four points (24-20) against Texas A&M on the road, has the ball on the Aggie's seven-yard line with 3:11 left in the game. If you are coach Mike "I rant better than I coach" Gundy, what do you do?

Option A: Show faith in your team and go for the winning score and put all the pressure back on A&M. Option B: Kick an wimpy field goal and trot your much maligned defense back on the field. Option "B" of course places all onus on your team and less on your decision making. End result: A one-point loss in which OSU never got their hands on the ball to go for the win.

Now, to add a little gasoline to the perpetually burning fire down in Stillwater, previous Cowboys coach Les Miles led the number one ranked team in the nation this past Saturday night.

The setup: LSU trailing Florida the entire game. The Tigers enter the fourth quarter down by 10 facing the defending national champs. The Tigers dropped 14 points on the Gators to secure their top-billing in the nation. How'd they do it?

Miles went for it on fourth down on two separate occasions in the final quarter. He displayed the kind of testicular fortitude it takes to win games on the big stage. "When your head coach has that kind of respect and trust in you, you want to prove something to him," said Tiger running back Jacob Hester. Miles also challenged an iffy kickoff return and made several other nutwreching calls.

Miles=Winner. Gundy=(you decide).

In other college football news, the Golden Hurricane once again played fast-break offense. TU amassed 648 yards and put up 47 points on the road. Not too shabby.

Unfortunately, they needed a Jarod Tracy 53-yard field goal on the last play of the game to secure the victory. Just a bit outside and short, this time, however.

The TU Express plays Marshall this Saturday night at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6pm. The games are fun and this is truly an event for the whole family. It's Homecoming, it's the Oklahoma Centennial--11th and College is the place to be.

You want to partake in the splendor that is TU's Homecoming week festivities? Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.utulsa.edu/alumni/homecoming/"; www.utulsa.edu/alumni/homecoming/ for more details on the continuing Centennial celebration.

OU beat Texas. Fantastic. I'm sure you watched the humdrum contest. The Sooners welcome the surging Missouri Tigers to Norman this Saturday. Don't worry about the time; you'll be at the TU game, right?

Drillers West. Major League Baseball postseason play is underway. Commissioner Bud Selig cannot be happy with the National League's results to date. Philadelphia and Chicago are major markets and draw high viewership.

However, the Phillies and Cubbies were swept out of the playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks and "our" Colorado Rockies.

The Tulsa Drillers are, of course, the AA affiliate of the Rockies. Their playoff roster is littered with former Drillers playing huge roles in the postseason.

The playoff roster includes 25 players, and of the 25, 14 of them are former Drillers. Seven of the 14 played in Tulsa within the past two years. Amazing numbers when you think about it.

The two big names are National League MVP candidate Matt Holliday and National League Rookie of the Year candidate Troy Tulowitzki.

These two provide the offensive pop while Jeff Francis and Franklin Morales started the first two games of the opening series. Each pitched gems on the Rockies way to sweeping the Phillies out of the playoffs.

The Rockies battle the Diamondbacks for the right to represent the NL in the World Series. The first game is set for this Thursday. The Rockies and D-Backs played 18 games during the regular season with Colorado winning 10 of the contests. Play ball!

It's a Fight! Super middleweight contender Allan "Sweetness" Green recently received a little "PR" via the ESPN "reality" boxing show, "The Contender."

One of the contestants, HYPERLINK "http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=260445&cat=boxer"; Jaidon Codrington, is favored to win the pseudo-title. Boxing enthusiasts recall Green pummeling Codrington to earn "Knock-Out of the Year" back in 2004. Several of the boxers in the house recalled Codrington's suspect chin after the KO by brutality. Feel free to Youtube it to refresh your memory.

A year ago when I broached the subject of The Contender with "Sweetness"; he poo-poo'd the idea. He'd rather earn his title fight and glory the good old fashioned way. No, not a Don King fixed fight special. At the end of the day, remember this. If Green entered the Contender house, the other boxers would be doomed.

Green's gloves are familiar with pounding out opponents at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, OK. The ring has seen Green obliterate his foes in accruing a 6-0 (all six by KOs) on his home turf.

Holden Productions continues to provide Tulsa fight fans an alternative to the burgeoning MMA game. There will be seven fights on the card. Aside from the main draw, native Tulsan Green, Wahib Raheem (Zahir's brother), as well as Native American knockout artist, "The Commanche Boy" George Tahdooahnippah look to provide excitement with an array of punching prowess.

Interested? Contact Box Office at 918-542-7140 Ext. 2200. Tell'em Dwayne sent you.

Actually, they'll have no idea who I am, I've just always wanted to say that.