Rome takes on Gundy
Driving to Stillwater on Monday for Mike Gundy’s press conference, we flipped around on radio stations and caught Jim Rome still talking about Gundy’s rant from several weeks ago. Most references to Gundy’s rant have become parodies, like the Fowler commercial. But Rome was critiquing Gundy’s comments. Not in a favorable way.I’m told Rome supported Gundy initially; I didn’t hear it myself. But Monday, some picked out pieces of Gundy’s tirade, aimed at Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson, and was not complimentary. Gundy’s reference to a “fat kid” did not go over well with Rome.Which is silly, of course. Gundy was talking out of his head by then and admits it. But this is what I was talking about when I said Gundy committed a PR blunder; his message is long since forgotten by many, but the image of Gundy’s tirade remains.
Gundy had popular opinion on his side immediately, but some of that disappeared with a messed-up loss at Texas A&M.As time goes on, Gundy will become less and less the coach who defends his players, and more and more the comic foil, the coach who forever will remain 40.
Winning thus becomes even more important to Gundy. Winning big might be the only thing that can change Gundy’s newfound national image.
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