Jenni Carlson, a sports columnist at The Oklahoman since 1999, came by her love of sports honestly. She grew up in a sports-loving family in Kansas. Her dad coached baseball and did color commentary on the radio for the high school football games. Her mom kept the scorebook during baseball games and yelled her head off no matter the sport. They passed along that passion to Carlson and her two younger brothers.
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Carlson played golf in high school and planned to play in college, but when she started at the University of Kansas, she decided to focus her attention on journalism. It’s a decision that she’s never regretted.
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Her first big story was a profile on Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams for the yearbook, and Carlson has enjoyed interviewing sports figures and sharing their stories every since.
Carlson is a 1997 graduate of Kansas. She and her husband, Ryan, were married in 2009 and live in Oklahoma City. Carlson was the president of the Association for Women in Sports Media from 2008-10 and is now the chair of the board.
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Charles Barkley's to-do list in Oklahoma City
Published: Fri, May 25, 2012
Charles Barkley doesn't think there's much to do in Oklahoma. He once called our fair state a vast wasteland, after all. But Oklahomans know there's plenty to do here. So, with the TNT analyst coming to Oklahoma City next week for the Western Conference Finals, we asked readers to tell us what should be on Sir...
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What he's saying: Charles Barkley on Oklahoma City
Published: Fri, May 25, 2012
Charles Barkley doesn't hold back his opinions about anything, and the TNT analyst certainly hasn't been shy where Oklahoma City and the Thunder are concerned. Now with the entire TNT crew coming to town next week for the Western Conference Finals, here's a look at some of Barkley's more memorable comments:...
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OKC Thunder fans follow The Beard
Updated: Tue, May 15, 2012
Billy Janssen's James Harden-like beard causes fans to do a double-take at Chesapeake Energy Arena. But Harden's game on the court is what attracted Janssen.
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Local Laker fans like the Thunder — until now
Updated: Mon, May 14, 2012
Oklahoma natives started following the Lakers long before the Thunder arrived. But changing colors after all of these years is hard to do for Andre Mink, Terrell Howard and Dwayne Gipson.
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Thunder Bandwagon rocking with The Lost Boys' 'Blue and Orange'
Published: Fri, May 11, 2012
OKC THUNDER -- The Lost Boys, a local rap group, has released ‘Blue and Orange', a tribute to the team and city they love. Members of the group say the Thunder has done a lot for Oklahoma City and they hope the song becomes “part of something that's making Oklahoma City bigger.”
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OKC Thunder: Russell Westbrook's top three defensive moments against Dallas
Published: Wed, May 9, 2012
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook was a defensive force in the first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Here is a look at his top three defensive moments of the series: GAME 1: GROUNDING THE JET The folks in Dallas like to refer to Jason Eugene Terry by his initials, and early in Game 1, the...
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