Dear Sportscasters on ESPN

[flippity]

Please stop calling our city "Oak City". Despite the fact that some media outlets will say that natives of Oklahoma City call it "Oak City", it is just not true. If you need to shorten the name, please start calling it O.K.C.

thanks.

[BDP]

Ha. This has always bugged me, too. While we're at it, we need to let the airlines know this. Pilots are the worst offenders.

[SkyWestOKC]

Pilots are the"worst offenders" because the FAA radio callsign for the facility that vectors (steers) the airplanes out of the airspace up to cruise altitude and lines the arrivals up on the runway for landing before they call the tower is called "Oke City Approach (or Departure)" pronounced "Oak City" or "Okie City."

Talk about making a mound out of a molehill.

[venture]

What Skywest said. The pronunciations are there for a reason. "Oak City" has been around for ages and likely won't go anywhere.

[SkyWestOKC]

I quite like it. It is unique. Some people say OK City, and that's fine with me to.

We complain and complain and complain. Let's enjoy the spotlight, who cares how they pronounce our city.

[okclee]

I like it too.

[flippity]

Ha. This has always bugged me, too. While we're at it, we need to let the airlines know this. Pilots are the worst offenders.

yes, they are...I dated a guy in the Air Force for a while and he always called it that...I tried to tell him to stop it, but he wouldn't.

I even read some magazine article aabout OKC that stated the OKC natives affectionately called their city "Oak City" that guy must have never been here before.

[possumfritter]

This is the first I have ever heard of OKC called "Oak City." I think one of you musicians out there ought to look up the lyrics to the song "Poke Salad Annie" and come up with something using "Oak City Thunder."

[metro]

Or if your gangsta on the east side you call it O'City.

[Laramie]

Like you guys, I don't like the short versions of Oak City or Okie City. OKC would be just fine. It could be worst like Zombie Sonics etc...

Okies referred to people who left Oklahoma (Dust Bowl, Depression eras) and not those who currently reside.

[corpsman]

"A rose by any other name............"

[BDP]

Talk about making a mound out of a molehill.

Yeah, that's exactly what I did.

I wasn't talking about call signs, anyway. But, whatever... you gotta love internet forums!

[HOT ROD]

or the GONics. ...

[SkyWestOKC]

Yeah, that's exactly what I did.

I wasn't talking about call signs, anyway. But, whatever... you gotta love internet forums!

Pilots call it "Oak City" because in the aviation language - Oklahoma City is hardly ever used. I'll explain. Our airport is named by the FAA "Will Rogers World Airport." Pilots are cleared to "Will Rogers World Airport" not OKC or Oklahoma City. When they are about 35 miles out, they hear "Southwest 589, Oke City (Oak City) Approach,[...]." They are used to calling it Oke City - everyone on the plane knows what they are talking about - who cares.

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.... Everyone in this city complains about not being in the spotlight, OKC never gets recognition. We finally are in the spotlight, and guess what, we complain about how they do it.

Don't tell the burger flipper what order to arrange the cheese, meat, and lettuce on the burger you asked for. Be happy he isn't spitting on it, don't complain about how he arranges the product.

Let's translate that into something we can use...

Don't tell the sports announcer how to pronounce our city with a list of the preferred names for our city. Be happy they aren't talking bad about us, don't complain about how they are calling our city. They aren't spitting on it.

[BDP]

This is fun. Oh well, it's Friday.

Pilots call it "Oak City" because in the aviation language - Oklahoma City is hardly ever used. I'll explain. Our airport is named by the FAA "Will Rogers World Airport." Pilots are cleared to "Will Rogers World Airport" not OKC or Oklahoma City. When they are about 35 miles out, they hear "Southwest 589, Oke City (Oak City) Approach,[...]." They are used to calling it Oke City - everyone on the plane knows what they are talking about - who cares.

OK, but why do they use aviation language to refer to Oklahoma City when addressing the cabin, but don't for most other cities? I mean, when I'm landing in Phoenix, they say "Phoenix", when I'm landing in Los Angelses, they say "Los Angeles or L.A.", when I'm landing in San Francisco, they say "San Fran...", wait... they may be offenders of saying Frisco or San Fran, too (which, btw, is more annoying than Oak City, imo). But I Can't remember. mmmm... what's the aviation language for Phoenix, LA, Vegas, San Francisco, etc. that they use when we're landing? Anyway, they typically use terms that are in the common vernacular. I have never heard any from Oklahoma City call it Oak City.

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill

You're kidding, right? I made a casual comment and you went off on an aviation language rant. I did not build this mountain. I didn't even erect a molehill. But I'm having a little fun climbing it with you.

Everyone in this city complains about not being in the spotlight, OKC never gets recognition. We finally are in the spotlight, and guess what, we complain about how they do it.

You're right. Who gives a crap what they call the city as long as they call it... Sorry, man.

Don't tell the burger flipper what order to arrange the cheese, meat, and lettuce on the burger you asked for. Be happy he isn't spitting on it, don't complain about how he arranges the product.

Ok, I know everyone has different standards, but my standards for food preparation are a little higher than just being happy if they don't spit in it. Call me a snob, I guess. Maybe that's why I have an opinion on what my home is called... I'm weird.

Don't tell the sports announcer how to pronounce our city with a list of the preferred names for our city. Be happy they aren't talking bad about us, don't complain about how they are calling our city. They aren't spitting on it.

OK, skizzy wizzy, have it your way (as long as it's not a cheeseburger)... I'll just try and relax more and be happy that people aren't spitting on me, my food, or my city.

; )

Seriously, though, if I had known that pilots and sportscasters were so sensitive about aviation language, I wouldn't have said a thing. All hail Oke (pronounced "Oak") City on the Hokie River in Okie county in the BIG OK. They're talking about us now!

[dmoor82]

^^^ atleast people dont call OKC----OKshi*ty like Kevin Durant's little brother,TOny Durant did!LOL

[BDP]

atleast people dont call OKC----OKshi*ty like Kevin Durant's little brother,TOny Durant did!LOL

Hey. Don't tell him what to call us. He didn't spit on you, did he?

; )

[SkyWestOKC]

Someone brought up pilots, so I tried to explain WHY they do it. THEY do it out of habit because they never hear Oklahoma City at work. All they hear is Oke City. I don't refer to cities by city names because I am used to airport codes...going to Orlando? I say going to MCO Going to LA? I say going to LAX etc. It's a habit since nothing in aviation is ever face value, there's a code or special term or designation for everything.


Now, since you don't want to talk about aviation anymore (you did bring up pilots by the way, BDP). We'll talk about sports announcers, why do they say it?

Well for one, maybe when in a conversation, saying Oklahoma City takes too long? Maybe they want OKC to feel better because they can say a "cool name" for it? Maybe they don't like the word Oklahoma? I have better one....maybe that's what we are being known as? Oke City, OKC, and Oklahoma City may all be synonymous.

I think my original point still stands, we can't be content with just having the national spotlight, we have to complain because the sports announcers prefer to call us by Oke City.

Really, who cares? We know what they are talking about, and everyone else who is watching the game knows when they say "Oke City" they aren't referring to L.A.

[SkyWestOKC]

Sidenote: Oke City has nothing to do with Oak. It is OK City. It was easier to say Ok+e City than Oh Kay City. OKe pronunced Oak.

[progressiveboy]

^^^ atleast people dont call OKC----OKshi*ty like Kevin Durant's little brother,TOny Durant did!LOL

Unless your from Tulsa or Dallas.

[TaoMaas]

I saw a t-shirt that I want. It was talking about Oklahoma, but I suppose it would work for the discussion about what to call OKC. It said, "Oklahoma. We're a helluva lot better than OK".

[BDP]

Someone brought up pilots, so I tried to explain WHY they do it.

Yes, that part was interesting and helpful.

[ronronnie1]

First time I heard a non Okie refer to OkC as "Oak City," I thought he was saying "Elk City."

I have no problem with people calling it that though.

[HOT ROD]

I think the airline cabins and other national oriented people should be more professional and call the place by it's name. It's Oklahoma City or OKC. As was said, nobody from OKC calls it OKe City.

I have NEVER heard airlines butcher any other city when I have been flying, yet I have heard them butcher OKC.

To me, it's not professional and certainly doesn't help OKC's already self concious image problem. And it is ridiculous for someone on ABC, TNT, or ESPN not to call the city Oklahoma City, OKC, or just use the team name - Thunder.

Dont let outsiders brand Oklahoma City as OKe City or Okie City, OKC people should control what outsiders call your town. Maybe the mayor should mention something to these people to be a bit more professional.

[MikeOKC]

Maybe it's because I'm older than many of you, but I have heard our city referred to as OK (oak) City many times. It's simply a phonetic abbreviation of Oklahoma (Oaklahoma). I see no problem with it. I certainly don't see it as some sort of lack of "professionalism," if one uses OkeCity. To be quite honest, I kind of like it. Okie City? No and that's rarely used, but OkeCity? I'm fine with it.