Pride of Oklahoma Changes

[Bigrayok]

If a Ph.D has been elevated to the presidency in academia, he should be referred to as, "President Boren." Not that it really matters, but it seems nothing involved in this thread really matters anyway. If it relates to football in any way, this part of the country gets a communal fog that replaces rational thought with a drug-like stupor of elevating competitive athletics to an almost silly level.

University presidents are often referred to as Dr. if they have the degree or President, Chancellor or whatever the job title is. I do not understand what is wrong with referring to the president of a university as Dr. if they have a doctoral level degree. It is done all of the time. Neither David Boren nor OSU President Burns Hargis have earned PhD degrees which is a research degree. Both have Juris Doctors which are professional law degrees. Both are referred to as Dr. because of their Juris Doctors. For years, Coach Tom Osborne of Nebraska was referred to as Dr. Tom Osborne because he had either an ed.D or a PhD, I am not sure which. Mike Leach has a Juris Doctor so I refer to him as Dr. Leach. Newt Gingrich does have a PHD, but I never hear him referred to as Dr. Newt Gringrich. There a lot of preachers and other famous people that are referred to as Dr. such and such because they have been given honorary doctorates. After all of this discussion, I am ready for a Dr. Pepper.

Bigray in Ok

[ljbab728]

For those who are concerned that playing an opposing team's fight song is a break with tradition, it isn't. That happened previously for years during the pregame. The band faced towards the SE corner of the stadium where those fans normally sit while playing their song.

[Andrew4OU]

I've read about these changes on another board. If these changes happen, this new director will be the Schnellinberger of The Pride.

No drum major, no horns down because it's disrespectful (poor texas), playing the opposing team's fight song. This is a recipe for disaster.

Just to clarify - there was (in Dr.Stolarik's altered pregame) and will still be a strutting drum major in the pregame and the Pride's tradition of playing the opposing team's fight song in pregame goes back to Coach Thrailkill's reign. The issue was playing it at the end of a game should the opposing team win.

Also, the Pride has 290 members this year, not 220-225. 220 is the number of alotted spots Dr. Stolarik created in the new drill for pregame, meaning 50+ kids will sit out during pregame - yet another issue that many alums have been up in arms about. The numbers 290-310 has been consistent since Brian Britt took over in 2001. The largest it's been was in 2003 when the Pride had ~320 members.

In regards to the sound quality, this has nothing to do with numbers. Again, the Pride's numbers have remained consistent over the years, dating back to the 80s. Long story short, Coach Thrailkill's bands emphasized power and sound, whereas Britt focused on balance and finesse. A band of 225 players can sound just as loud as one with 300 members.

[SoonerDave]

I kinda got excited when I saw the title of this thread. I think the band isn't what it used to be soundwise. Dare I say the award winning Pride of Broken Arrow has a better sound than the Pride of Oklahoma...

IF there were an intent on trying to tweak and update the Pride's offerings, it just got crushed from what would have to be a textbook exposition of How Not To Update An Institution, subtitled "He Who Underestimates Social Media Risks....Much."

If you want to change an institution, to update its offerings, you start from inside, establish credibility in and out of the organization (to its public face), see what is and isn't important about that institution to the public, and then make surgical decisions about change. You don't come in with a machete and embark on a scorched earth policy. That alienates you from...well, everyone.

This new director, if he's truly working in that much of a vacuum, has put himself so thoroughly behind an eight ball it may be impossible for him to make any relevant changes to the Pride. And he has no one but himself to blame. He may have thought he had the opportunity to work with impugnity due to the presumed influence of "higher ups," but didn't realize even that kind of influence has limits. He's going to have to work to build and then rebuild untold relationships to get to the point where his every move from here on isn't scrutinized.

Case in point: One change to the pregame that wasn't quite such a big deal to me was replacing "Grand Ol' Flag" with some special arrangement of "America the Beautiful." GOF, the way the Pride has played it, is hard to sing, the transition out is always awkward, and really hurts the clapping rhythm and energy the pregame is designed to generate. And a brief, up-tempo version of ATB might have been a great replacement. But guess what? The insistence on changing EVERYTHING at ONCE has probably put the kibosh on even that small a change.

Now think about it: Had this guy made one change - just the GOF change - this year - I think it would have been received warmly, perhaps even enthusiastically. But not now. The Pride, now, is going to be under a microscope, and it will IMO be very difficult for any changes not have a "shadow" of this "brouhaha" over them. Sadly, it was all so unnecessary - unless the guy was working under some unknown direction from the regent mentioned earlier in the thread. Who knows. And if that was the case, shame on the OU higher-ups for granting "authority" they shouldn't have in the first place.

That's about learning to deal with people in a public-facing business, and like it or not, a university band from a big time football school is very much a public-facing business. This has been a hard lesson for the guy to learn, and it may take a looong time to get back to where he might have been had he proffered a more conciliatory or at least measured approach - assuming he ever can.

IMO, there's lots of egg to be wiped off of lots of faces. And the killer of it all was the entire episode was so thoroughly unnecessary.

[ljbab728]

Just to clarify - there was (in Dr.Stolarik's altered pregame) and will still be a strutting drum major in the pregame and the Pride's tradition of playing the opposing team's fight song in pregame goes back to Coach Thrailkill's reign. .

I didn't remember exactly when that started. I was in the OU band in the late 60's and I knew it was after that.

[traxx]

The issue was playing it at the end of a game should the opposing team win.

This is what I have a problem with.

[Andrew4OU]

This is what I have a problem with.

Well, considering 3/4ths of the crowd leaves before the end of the game, only a handful would hear it.

And there's also that amazing record Stoops has at Owen Field... granted he's lost htree in the past two years...

[SoonerDave]

Wakefield asserted earlier today that the "play the other team's fight song after the game" idea is "categorically" false.

[Dubya61]

Obviously you don't know Dr. Boren, have never dealt with him, or know his philosophies. That, or you have an ax to grind...maybe an orange and black hachette. You have no clue as to the traditions he has fought to preserve at OU and how proud he is to build on them.

... and you are obviously just as opinionated as I am. It would be OK if you were to take off your crimson-colored glasses and admit that President Boren has a mission of fund-raising that sometimes is at odds with other long-standing traditions at the University. Come on, Rover. You can do it. Good boy!

[ThomPaine]

If they really listen to the fans, then I expect to see less of the asymmetrical/paisley formations this year...

[elitespy]

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

[Andrew4OU]

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

Heh, the new director would probably love that. He did all of his graduate work at UT-Austin.

[venture]

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

Texas would actually have to not get routed by OU first.

[Jersey Boss]

University presidents are often referred to as Dr. if they have the degree or President, Chancellor or whatever the job title is. I do not understand what is wrong with referring to the president of a university as Dr. if they have a doctoral level degree. It is done all of the time. Neither David Boren nor OSU President Burns Hargis have earned PhD degrees which is a research degree. Both have Juris Doctors which are professional law degrees. Both are referred to as Dr. because of their Juris Doctors. For years, Coach Tom Osborne of Nebraska was referred to as Dr. Tom Osborne because he had either an ed.D or a PhD, I am not sure which. Mike Leach has a Juris Doctor so I refer to him as Dr. Leach. Newt Gingrich does have a PHD, but I never hear him referred to as Dr. Newt Gringrich. There a lot of preachers and other famous people that are referred to as Dr. such and such because they have been given honorary doctorates. After all of this discussion, I am ready for a Dr. Pepper.

Bigray in Ok

Any lawyer who requested he be addressed as Dr. because he earned a J.D. would be laughed outta the courtroom and be labeled a pompous a$$. Hell a JD is not even an advanced degree, you have to earn an L.L.M. for that.
If after you earn your L.L.M. and you want to be addressed as "Dr.", you need to earn a J.S.D./S.J.D. at Harvard, Yale or other select University.

[yukong]

Any lawyer who requested he be addressed as Dr. because he earned a J.D. would be laughed outta the courtroom and be labeled a pompous a$$. Hell a JD is not even an advanced degree, you have to earn an L.L.M. for that.
If after you earn your L.L.M. and you want to be addressed as "Dr.", you need to earn a J.S.D./S.J.D. at Harvard, Yale or other select University.

The use of Dr. by a person with a Juris Doctor degree is only accepted and considered proper in the education field. College professors, college officials, etc. That is considered acceptable and proper. Outside of the educational arena, it is not recognized.

[boscorama]

This Longhorn fan does not want to hear an Okie band do Texas Fight. No! Gag me with a tuba!

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

[kwhey]

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

You mean "I've been working on the railroad?"

[RadicalModerate]

This Longhorn fan does not want to hear an Okie band do Texas Fight. No! Gag me with a tuba!

I'll bet The Pride could do a great version of this even with only 150 members . . .


In fact, that meddler on the sidelines in the background should demand it.
It ain't 'zackly "Football-esque" but what does that matter?
All new traditions have to start somewhere . . .

[boscorama]

"I've been working on the railroad?" no... what are you talking about?

You mean "I've been working on the railroad?"

[soonerguru]

IF there were an intent on trying to tweak and update the Pride's offerings, it just got crushed from what would have to be a textbook exposition of How Not To Update An Institution, subtitled "He Who Underestimates Social Media Risks....Much."

If you want to change an institution, to update its offerings, you start from inside, establish credibility in and out of the organization (to its public face), see what is and isn't important about that institution to the public, and then make surgical decisions about change. You don't come in with a machete and embark on a scorched earth policy. That alienates you from...well, everyone.

This new director, if he's truly working in that much of a vacuum, has put himself so thoroughly behind an eight ball it may be impossible for him to make any relevant changes to the Pride. And he has no one but himself to blame. He may have thought he had the opportunity to work with impugnity due to the presumed influence of "higher ups," but didn't realize even that kind of influence has limits. He's going to have to work to build and then rebuild untold relationships to get to the point where his every move from here on isn't scrutinized.

Case in point: One change to the pregame that wasn't quite such a big deal to me was replacing "Grand Ol' Flag" with some special arrangement of "America the Beautiful." GOF, the way the Pride has played it, is hard to sing, the transition out is always awkward, and really hurts the clapping rhythm and energy the pregame is designed to generate. And a brief, up-tempo version of ATB might have been a great replacement. But guess what? The insistence on changing EVERYTHING at ONCE has probably put the kibosh on even that small a change.

Now think about it: Had this guy made one change - just the GOF change - this year - I think it would have been received warmly, perhaps even enthusiastically. But not now. The Pride, now, is going to be under a microscope, and it will IMO be very difficult for any changes not have a "shadow" of this "brouhaha" over them. Sadly, it was all so unnecessary - unless the guy was working under some unknown direction from the regent mentioned earlier in the thread. Who knows. And if that was the case, shame on the OU higher-ups for granting "authority" they shouldn't have in the first place.

That's about learning to deal with people in a public-facing business, and like it or not, a university band from a big time football school is very much a public-facing business. This has been a hard lesson for the guy to learn, and it may take a looong time to get back to where he might have been had he proffered a more conciliatory or at least measured approach - assuming he ever can.

IMO, there's lots of egg to be wiped off of lots of faces. And the killer of it all was the entire episode was so thoroughly unnecessary.

I'm patriotic and all, but I would give a standing ovation if we would dump "Grand Ol' Flag." It's way cheesy, and as you saliently point out, detracts from the pre-game atmosphere. I would also like to retire the "Dr. Who" BS.

Let's stick with Boomer Sooner, the Chant and the National Anthem, then maybe some kicked up techno when we await the arrival of the team.

[Jim Kyle]

"I've been working on the railroad?" no... what are you talking about?

Apparently the original version of that tune has been banned in Texas... Next thing you know they'll be banning all variants of "Wildwood Flower" as well.

[kevinpate]

nm

[kevinpate]

The use of Dr. by a person with a Juris Doctor degree is only accepted and considered proper in the education field. College professors, college officials, etc. That is considered acceptable and proper. Outside of the educational arena, it is not recognized.

And even in ED, I think it is something fairly recent, e.g., not all that common before R Webb became a uni president at NSU back in the day.
(might be mistaken. simply not certain)

[foodiefan]

Being a Longhorn fan I would love to hear the OU band play the Texas fight song at the end of a game.

''

No you wouldn't. . I've been there when they (OU) played the Eyes of Texas. . .off key, out of tempo, rag-tag s#i&. . . but then, neither do I like it when the Texas band/crowd does the "poor Okies" thing.

[foodiefan]

Texas would actually have to not get routed by OU first.

been known to happen!!