Who Wants It?

Why does the weather seem to peak in Tulsa during big events? The only week a year ago that sustained a hundred degree temp occurred when the PGA Championship came to town.

This year the temperatures were manageable until Dfest rolled into T-Town. Suddenly we roasted. Not to go Jerry Seinfeld on you, but, what's the deal?

Of course the only thing worse than suffering in the heat is reading about it. So here is this week's rundown.

Do you know a multi-million dollar corporation based in Tulsa with an itch in its pocketbook? If so, you may want to let it know about the yearly LPGA tour stop in Tulsa.

The SemGroup Championship surged in popularity over the years. This year's tournament took the Tulsa swing to new heights. It was powered by the spectacular Paula Creamer and her playoff victory.

Alas, the SemGroup has fallen on hard times. Filing for bankruptcy hardly elicits confidence in continued support. Sponsoring a major golf tournament in the future seems an unrealistic goal. The fall from grace is unfathomable for SemGroup. I'll leave the business ramifications for others to tackle but in this day and age of big oil... it's a crude situation.

"We've been in close contact with the team at Octagon, which owns and manages the LPGA event in Tulsa, and we remain committed to working to keep the LPGA in Tulsa.

"SemGroup has been a valued LPGA partner and we wish them the best as they attempt to emerge from these challenging times," said Libba Galloway, LPGA Deputy Commissioner, in a press release.

What are the options in Tulsa for sponsorship? We need someone to step up in order to keep the ladies coming. The original sponsor was Williams. It's safe to say they are out of the running.

The second title sponsor was the John Q. Hammons. Could the elegant hotel standing tall at 71st and 169 save the day?

QuikTrip dives in feet first on tons of local sporting events. How would this look in the headlines? "QuikTrip Championships: Presented by Rooster Booster." How about this one? "QT Championship: Presented by a Wrinkled Hotdog on Metal Rollers." It's negotiable.

The Bank of Oklahoma already slapped its name across the Center. Could we ask them for more money for our LPGA fix?

The BOK Championship presented by the BOK Center, where Celine Dion and the Eagles happen. Maybe, the BOK Championship presented by low-rate, no-hassle loans. Again, I'm flexible here.

Hungry? Why not attend next year's Camille's Sidewalk Café Championship presented by tasty wraps and tri-colored tortillas. Going places? Welcome to the Omni Air International Championship presented by old DC10's.

We could ask Dollar-Thrifty to sponsor the event. Not sure the players would like the change. Currently, the girls drive off in a Lexus, BWM, Audi or other high-end vehicles. Would they settle for a compact to mid-size car requiring prepaid insurance?

My final two submissions for the LPGA and Octagon group are selfish in nature. Mazzio's Championship presented by sliced pepperoni pizza. Or my personal favorite, Runt's Championship. The catch line could be "Get your mouth around our Runtwich." You cannot go wrong with pizza or BBQ as the title sponsor. The food tents would rock!

How about this for an idea. It would be impossible but hear me out. You know how the city raises taxes for... well... whatever they want. The catch phrase usually sounds like this: "It's only a penny. The same penny."

Playing Favorites

Now let's spin this forward. The title sponsor needs to come up with roughly three millions dollars. Everyone in the metro area could donate four bucks to the cause.

The metro area population hovers just above 900,000. We could name the LPGA event the Tulsa People's Championship. Of course all 900,000 could vote on a different name but People's Championship has a nice ring.

Not in the mood for philanthropy? We could send the golf tourney back to Seattle as a token of sympathy for OKC stealing their basketball team.

"The greater Tulsa area and the LPGA Tour have enjoyed a very successful eight-year partnership, thanks in large part to the terrific support from numerous corporate partners like SemGroup, John Q. Hammons and Williams over the years.

"In addition, tremendous community support for the Tournament and the LPGA Tour has proved that Tulsans want this event to continue to grow in the area. Octagon and the LPGA Tour are currently working together to keep the Tulsa area as an official Tour stop in 2009," said Andy Bush, Vice President of Octagon Golf.

Can we help the LPGA? To steal an Obamaism, yes we can!

Finally, there has been chatter about the NBA or WNBA exploring Tulsa as a viable market for a, gasp, WNBA team. I would like to boldly speak for all Tulsans and simply say... No... no thank you.