32 years and counting…

Recently I covered the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Boone Pickens Stadium at OSU before the Georgia game. Not one to normally be nostalgic, I none-the-less started thinking back about the 32 years I’ve been covering football at OSU and OU too. Maybe it was wearing the 1970′s denim photo vest that staffer John Clanton and his wife Julie had dared me to wear. I accepted and then went full retro (except using digital cameras instead of film). See photo. I somehow convinced Epperson’s Photo of how smart it would be for them to give me the vest, since I was such an important photographer! LOL

during the college football game between OSU and the University of Georgia at Boone Pickens Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman.

OSU coach Mike Gundy and OSU president Burns Hargis watch as Boone Pickens cuts the ribbon to officially open the new stadium before the college football game between OSU and the University of Georgia at Boone Pickens Stadium on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. Photo by Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman. ORG XMIT: KOD

When I started coming to Stillwater for The Oklahoman the stadium was not much more than rusty bleachers and now it is one of the finest facilities in the Big 12 if not the country. As I made my way through the press box and worked the sidelines there were only 5 faces I saw that had been around as long. Mike Holder who was golf coach back then is now the Athletic Director. Pat Quinn was the SID when I started, but long since retired. Dr. Cooper is still patrolling the sidelines as is Steve Ingram, an OSU campus police officer who I have seen just about every season. And John Biever with Sports Illustrated was at the game too.