Roughing It

I moved to Tulsa in '96. If you grew up in T-Town perhaps you cannot relate to the following story. However, if you relocated to the city at some point in your life, you'll follow right along and nod.

I lived in an apartment complex the first time I heard a tornado siren go off. The electricity went out and I darted to my closet with battery powered radio in hand.

This was before cell phones were necessities. I'd been through hurricanes but this was different. I just knew I was going to die. "Great Dwayne, move to a new city and four months later -- BAM!" What a strange place I chose to live I thought to myself.

Of course today I don't blink. The weather people try their best to scare me, but they fail. I can locate my house on the weather map overlaying my television programming with pinpoint precision. "Don't worry hun," I yell to my wife. "That storm line is at least five miles east of us."

So when I sat down with MMA legend Tito Ortiz this past Friday night, he reminded me what it must be like for an out-of-towner.

He arrived late Thursday night and slept in. The Friday in question saw a gnarly thunderstorm roll through for about 20-30 minutes. Booming thunder and lightning bright enough to light up the day.

It was Ortiz's first visit to Tulsa. Imagine the thoughts racing through his head. In fact, he admitted to waking up and calling the staff at Cherokee Casino to see if a tornado was eminent. "Do you guys have tornados by this casino?" he asked. I did not smirk or giggle. He is roughly twice my size.

Nice turnout for the XFL card at the SpiritBank Event Center. Hopefully the thunder/lightning combo will not keep Ortiz from visiting Tulsa again. Perhaps under the Strikeforce banner in the BOK Center on a primetime CBS card. Wishful thinking, I know. Want to keep track of Tito's latest dealings? Visit www.punishment.com for more information.

Thunder Player Update

By now you have read about Emeka Nnaka. In case you have not, here is a quick recap. Nnaka suffered a spinal cord injury and neck fracture covering a kickoff for the Oklahoma Thunder football team almost two weeks ago.

He collided with a teammate. He was transported to Washington Regional hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas where he underwent surgery. Nnaka is a 21-year-old student at Oral Roberts University.

"His surgery went very well and he is regaining use of his arms and hands," advised Courtney Green, the Thunder's public relations manager. He arrived back in Tulsa on Monday. The Thunder held a benefit game this past Saturday night to assist with the medical costs.

"There hasn't been much progress in the lower extremities but doctors say it will take time for swelling to decrease and to recover from the trauma," added WFL commissioner Sonny Ashford.

The organization also set up a rehabilitation fund for Nnaka. You can donate at any Exchange Bank in Oklahoma or online at www.oklahomathunderfootball.com.

"I just hate to see something like that happen to such a good kid. He's a great guy and we all love him. If you don't like Emeka then you have a problem with yourself," said Thunder head coach Bruce Madden.

Ghost Dog

Just thought Tulsa deserved to be informed of this tidbit of information. Remember Allan Green? Boxing's super middleweight contender who headlined ESPN fight cards in the not too distant past?

He settled his dispute with local promoter Tony Holden in April and immediately disposed of Carlos De Leon Jr. That is not the big news.

His nickname used to be "Sweetness" which was given to him by Sugar Ray Leonard. Now his moniker is "Ghost Dog." I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

"Sweetness" versus "Ghost Dog?" I like Ghost Dog by a wet hair but not sure about dumping a nickname given by Ray Leonard. That's bad karma, as if Green needed more of that.

Innies and Outties

The Talons continue their charge toward yet another af2 championship. They defeated two of the top teams in the league the past two weeks at the BOK Center.

The wait is on. The team hits the road for back-to-back contest on June 19 and 27 before getting a much needed bye week.

They return to the BOK Center July 11th to face Rio Grande Valley. Visit www.tulsatalons.com for more information.

The Tulsa Drillers remain in the hover position around the .500 mark on the year. Unfortunately, Northwest Arkansas caught fire and passed them in the standings (as of today... like right now... as I sit at my laptop).

Too bad the Drillers are stuck in third place in the division. Guess it's too late to make a move. Unless of course the Drillers were to play a 20-game stretch against their North Division opponents.

Oh, you mean they are in the middle of that 20-game stretch right now? The next two weeks will tell the tale of the first half of the season for the Drillers. Visit www.tulsadrillers.com for home dates and ticket info.