Stoops: Not loud, not proud

What’s behind Bob Stoops’ declaration that OU fans’ noise level is inferior to a lot of places?

Gamesmanship? Motivation? Sudden revelation? The cold hard truth?

I think Stoops was trying his best to turn Owen Field into a jet runway Saturday night against Texas Tech.

OU fans aren’t the zaniest in college football, but I think Stoops went a little overboard in saying they had little or no effect on the Sooners’ remarkable home record (59-2) the last 10 years.

In fact, Stoops in the past has complimented the fans for their contribution in certain victories. So he can’t have it both ways.

Stoops hacked off some fans, no doubt about it. That was a stark statement Stoops made Tuesday, that Florida’s fans were much better than OU’s, at least in this regard. That’s hard to hear for Sooner fans; I assume it was hard to say for Stoops.

Some fans have rallied around Stoops’ statement, saying the stadium does need to rock more.

I haven’t been to every stadium in America. Of the ones I’ve been to, I suppose I would vote Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium the loudest.

Alabama was loud. Texas A&M and Nebraska are loud. Oregon was loud. Texas was loud for that OSU game in October. All of them louder than OU? I couldn’t say that.

I tend to think noise is overrated in outdoor venues. Loud is loud. The difference between Owen Field and A&M’s Kyle Field isn’t much, if any.

I think Stoops was trying to scratch for every advantage he could find Saturday night. I think he probably cost himself some popularity with the Sooner fan base. And I think that’s a tradeoff he’d probably make again.