OKC press

I wasn't going to respond to this because I really have no idea about the OKC area--I've never been there, so really if I made any comment, it would be total speculation.

However, I had to come back to this because the question irritated me a little bit. If OKC pulls in an MLS team, and they are getting decent crowds--then the media better treat them like a major league team, despite what anyone's personal feelings are about the sport. If they don't know the sport, they'll learn. That's what being a professional is all about.

Now if you are talking about columnists, that may be a different story. But I wouldn't expect the columnists to jump on board right away. But over time, when the OKC team becomes part of the fabric of the city, the columnists will come around.

I suspect that OKC would be very similar to Columbus. I followed Columbus a lot in the early days of MLS because I was fairly close (in school at Indiana University), and my home city of Chicago didn't have a team yet. I seem to remember the press not really being all that thrilled that the Crew were around. Now it seems that the Crew have been woven into the fabric of Columbus, and gets much more respect from the media.

 

They'll probably hire a soccer writer. When the Hurricanes came to town, that's what the N&O did. At first they assigned one of their staff to cover them, but they went out and looked for a writer to just cover the Canes.

 

Coverage

The Oklahoman, the major state paper, isn't really what you'd call a soccer promoter. However, they gave decent coverage to the exhibition -- esp. considering it was just an exhibition.

They're also allowing Francisco Ojeda to stay on top of the story well.

It would be very important for the owners to court the Oklahoman, but I suspect the paper is generally in favor of more pro sports to cover, and would give at least a fair shot. It would also be a very community-based sport, which they like (cover a lot of HS well, not just colleges and not much pros).

The paper also has an existing relationship from covering other Express Sports teams (hockey's Blazers, at least when they're doing well) and events (tennis).

There would be people saying the paper doesn't do enough -- no matter what is done -- but I'd expect a fair amount of coverage and consistency.

 

Francisco Ojeda is doing a great job reporting about the expansion race, and I know that Jenni Carlson has a pretty good foot in the soccer corner.

She just recently (being maybe 3 or 4 weeks ago) wrote a column urging OKC to give MLS a chance and to go after a team.

She also wrote a great column about the World Cup last summer.

Now as for Barry Tramel? Hmmm. Time can only tell.

The Oklahoman has been giving amazing coverage to the expansion race. They don't have nearly enough coverage of MLS in general, but on the day of and the day after the exibitioin game, they hade 3/4th of the front page and all the back page dedicated to MLS and expansion. It was really something.

Anyhoo, just my thoughts. I know that MLS, if it comes to OKC, will get plenty of coverage.

 

Jenni's column actually had a very good point that I think a lot of people would get behind: Even if you don't like soccer, this is a chance for Oklahoma City to prove it can support top flight pro sports.

So all those folks who dream of NHL or MLB coming should buy a few tickets, and pay attention (she argued).

Not sure that will actually sell tons of tickets, but it dovetails with another point: the market is pretty sports-starved during the summer. No college football, no college bball.... there's nothing else sucking people's sports money away for a few months.

 

What we haven't addressed here is local TV. The truth is that for all their talk about it, nobody really does a good job of covering sports in the market. They just don't have the time for it on a nightly basis.

So anything there would be a bonus, though I wouldn't expect much more than a low-angle highlight of one goal, and the score on most nights (not counting, say, the home opener, etc.).

That's assuming nobody does a deal where one of their sports guys is the PBP man, and there's a weekly "Behind the scenes" feature.

PS -- I slightly disagree with Segroves that the coverage equaled an OU homegame. But agree on the main point that we could expect a good deal of ink.

 

I'd think that if there's big coverage in the Oklahoman, there would be decent coverage on KWTV-9 just because the two are linked together.


Al Eschbach hates soccer though his little ass would get killed in whatever sport he tried to play, including softball and curling.

I'm not sure Jim Traber likes the sport at all either. He's such a baseball guy though.

There's something that cracks me up. Why the people that cream their shorts over a 1-0 baseball game that lasts over three hours hate soccer 'cause they think it's boring.

 

I think increased visibility from the media is what makes OKC, Tulsa, Rochester, et. al. more attractive to MLS.

Even if the media coverage is comparable to the AAA Redhawks, that's still much better than the coverage I've seen in the Trib or SunTimes for the Fire or the Globe or Herald for the Revolution.

In fact, since I only buy a Chicago paper every now and then, I would never have known the MLS season had even begun... baseball, on the other hand, gets ridiculously detailed coverage. EVERYONE knows when baseball season starts.

And, yes, back in the day, the Tulsa World and Tribune both gave great coverage of the local NASL Roughnecks-- all they had (and still have) to compete with is AA baseball and minor league hockey. ALL the local tv affiliates had good coverage of the team as well and games were on the ABC or NBC affiliate on a regular basis as well as a high profile radio station.

Being a big fish in a small pond clearly has its media advantages.

 

amen usrufnex!

I live in Tulsa and I agree with you totally. That is one of my reasons of why Tulsa will get the expansion team over OKC. Simply, there is far more going on (including OU football, etc.) that will take away from a team in OKC; whereas, Tulsa would have pretty much only the MLS team to cheer on. And believe you me, I am excited about the prospect of having some big time soccer around here again.

 

I don't see a whole lot of evidence that MLS is seeking out markets where they're the only game in town.

MSP, Philly, Houston, Seattle, Portland... all these other sites that have been talked about would have other things going on (larger populations, too, of course).

But I really wouldn't count that as a plus for Tulsa.

Also, as noted before, Tulsa doesn't have an ownership or stadium plan.

 

Liar, liar... pants on fire.

Abbott from MLS has met with the prospective Tulsa investors (Tulsa World quote). The city is preparing a bond issue for late summer/early fall. According to the Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World, this should include a 22,500 seat SSS.

And yes, I do believe Tulsa, though a smaller city, would have an advantage over OKC in particular because of less competition-- not a big advantage but one that should be mentioned.

OKC has pursued NHL, NBA, Arena football, etc... MLS seems to be the latest in getting something (anything?) to the metro area. Tulsans, on the other hand, generally have no great delusions of getting an NHL or NBA team... soccer, however is another matter... we've done it right before... and we can do it again.

 

I'll give you that it's probably unrealistic for OKC to expect to get NHL or MLB, but some do want it down the road.

As for MLS meeting with prospective owners... having not read the story, I'm not sure what that means. Is it this whole "secret owner" theory, where there's someone interested who wants to stay quiet, or is it this --

The mayor, who is interested in MLS, got MLS officials a few meetings with folks who could potentially own teams?

There would be a big difference between someone who wants a team meeting with MLS to find out how close they were, and MLS having to try to cajole someone into buying a team.

 

Why are you now suddenly convinced that OKC will get passed over?

 

If you read the Oklahoman, then you're not really accustomed to the best writing in the first place, and at least Ojeda knows his stuff about the game.

 

WHOA! Stop the presses. So, you can't discuss? Hmmm... I'd considered Edmond/OKC to be MLS's "bird in the hand." Does this have more to do with better propositions from Houston, etc.? or a "fly in the ointment" at Wantland? (How's that for mixing metaphors). Or were there only a couple of thousand takers for season tix in Edmond???

Tulsa's bid was rushed BECAUSE of OKC/Edmond. Otherwise Tulsa probably wouldn't even present anything for this fall's presumed MLS deadline.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall at Tom Warren's office at City Hall in T-town.

 

See... we're just making sure you get your asses in gear Just looking out for our brothers in Tulsa...

Then again, in a recent poll given to tornadoes, 7 out of 10 tornadoes prefer ***************ing stuff up near OKC rather than Tulsa. Perhaps this is some sort of omen...(?)

 

I'm really pretty worried about the silence on the season ticket issue (at least in terms of things that have apparently been given to Ojeda).

It was April they said shooting for start of May. It's now 18 days into May, and nothing.

And the tornadoes were on 9th, so I don't think that's it (though there have been more since, there's been nothing even remotely close to 1999 -- in fact, the first bout this year didn't really touch it).

Getting to be a long, uncomfortable silence.

 

thanks to dave for the 1980 Cosmos-Tulsa game videotape from Skelly... got it today.

This game was an EVENT. No double header... no rock concert or fireworks afterward... and over 30K showed up in 40 degree weather in April.

The impressive part was seeing the large number of signs around the stadium... no Honda or Yahoo or other national sponsors... just local Tulsa companies... all showing support for the team. Antique car with ABC affiliate news anchors Bob Hower and -- oh, geez... the chick that got fired for saying a dirty word on the air once... Beth Rengel... both were wearing Tulsa Roughnecks jerseys...

This was FRONT PAGE news back in the day.

In a related story, I read about 5 inches of column that summed up the Chicago Fire - New England game in Sunday's Trib. It was on page SEVEN.

ps... funny to see Seamus "Shameless" Mallin and his constant references to Tulsa's "dirty" play... it took him exactly 10 mins before starting the call for red cards...

 

whata' ya think....

Do you really think that weather will be any kind of factor in mls' decision?

I remember when my wife and I were going to school in Norman. We were amazed at how, being life long Okies, even we thought that we were in more danger there than in Eastern Oklahoma. Maybe it was the news media or the fact that they don't call the OKC area tornado alley for nothing. This just makes me wonder, with the recent tornado activity, whether mls would actually consider the possibility of tornadoes in their decision. Because, if Tulsa doesn't get one, then I want OKC to get it. I just want some soccer nearby.

What do you guys think?

 

Weather doesn't matter in the slightest -- at least not tornadoes.

A tornado can damage, at most, a few hundreds yards wide. An earthquake could level an entire city.

I would be stunned if it were even mentioned in any serious discussions.

 

Holy Cow!

That's incredibly tasteless. I don't like Eschbach's attitude toward our sport, but I've worked with him and he's a genuinely good guy. He also has a family. Wishing for him to die because he talks poorly about soccer is just sleazy.
A lot of his show is shtick, and when OKC does get an MLS team, I fully expect his tone to change to some level of interest. He'll never be a huge soccer fan, but that will be driven by the fans...if he's saying stuff the fans don't like, it'll change. He's doing a "show," conducting his business. I remember the OU fans having a cow because he po-mouthed OU's quarterback after the Big XII Championship game last year, and I was amazed at how little they knew about broadcasting. He was put on there for only one purpose, and that was to say something controversial. That's what he does. Guys who are nice to everyone and say things like "well, you might have a point there" don't draw ratings. See Rome, Jim.
OKC is an outstanding sports media market, supporting two different full time sports radio stations, and two other news-talkers with substantial sports coverage. It's going to be a great market for MLS.

 

Maybe we'll get lucky and a tornado will sweep all the soccer bashers in your area away. Then MLS can move into its own field of dreams in OKC.

 

I personally think between OKC and Tulsa, OKC will get a team. for meany reasons, We have a SSS in the works. phase one is already underway and will make wantland stadium at UCO in Edmond meet minimum MLS requirements. phase two is that if we are given a team, "Major" renovations will be made. You can see plans for these renovations a www.mlsinokc.com. Coverage wise i think local sports radio will be the biggest supporter. The oklahoman and news channels will probably catch on after more interest is shown. Another reason, population is larger. while this isnt always a major determining factor into the success of a team, it should be considered. Also there are so many people in this town in addition to soccer fans that just want to see OKC expand and get put"on the map". I have seen nothing but 100% support from anyone i have talked to. so i with out a doubt beleive Oklahoma City will get a team.