Over at the Oklahoman, Barry Tramel continues his dogged reporting on the Notre Dame-Oklahoma series with a piece insinuating that Notre Dame stole its beloved “Play Like A Champion Today” sign from Bud Wilkinson‘s Sooners.
Between breaking Oklahoma’s historic winning streak and stealing an iconic sign, I half expect Tramel to tell me Lou Holtz painted over Oklahoma’s very own Touchdown Jesus on the southside of Owen Field. (Kidding.)
Either way, with a night kickoff, plenty of history, ESPN GameDay, and a top ten match-up between two national programs, it’s expected to be a rowdy evening in Norman. Maybe that explains why OU president David Boren sent an open letter to Sooner fans everywhere.Dear members of the OU community,
This will be a special weekend. The Oklahoma Sooners will have the chance to post a VICTORY as we observe the 55th Anniversary of the ending of OU’s 47-game winning streak — the longest in college football history. A visit by ESPN’s GameDay will add to the excitement.
It’s a time for wins both on and off the field. In 1999, the last time we played Notre Dame, several of us made the trip to South Bend for the game. We have never experienced greater hospitality when visiting another campus. Everywhere we went on campus, from the ticket takers at the stadium to students and fans we met on the campus, we were warmly greeted by the words, “welcome to Notre Dame.” We were stopped by those who wanted to tell us how much they respect Oklahoma. We now have a chance to show our visitors from Notre Dame the same kind of warm hospitality in return. While our team wins on the field, it’s time for the rest of us to step up and demonstrate “Championship Hospitality.”
Boomer Sooner,
David Boren
For those of you grimacing at the, “We have never experienced greater hospitality when visiting another campus line,” perhaps it’ll come back to help if you plan on traveling to Norman this weekend.
(H/T to Jason Kersey of the Oklahoman’s Sooners Sports blog.)