Mr. Monday's ughhly Bricktown Welcome

[floater]

Mr. Monday is a Monday sports column in the Oklahoman. It's tongue-in-cheek at times, which is fine for Monday morning reading. But today's column just irked me, knowing that visitors will be reading it. We see it so many times, this fake folksy language, often presented to outsiders, that belies our metropolitan status.
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Welcome to Bricktown, hoop fans
Mr. Monday

Unlike Mr. Mick the Mayor, Mr. Monday is not an elected representative of Oklahoma City.
However, that doesn't keep Mr. Monday from being OKC's Ambassador of Kwan.

What better chance to welcome the world to our fair city than this week, when the masses will be watching passes at the Ford Center, Cox Center, Big House, Little House, Doghouse, Farmhouse and every other place where you can put a floor and two hoops.

OK, visitors, let's get up to speed here. You're in town rooting for your team to win the title, whether it be the 2A girls championship or the Big 12's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

But you're going to have some downtime after that win over Iowa State.

Stop for a second while you're on Reno and look to your east. Hey, those buildings are pretty bricky!

Welcome to Bricktown, which honestly gets cooler by the day. There's nothing better than a cool night walking out of the movie theater in front of the fountain and heading to the sit-down Sonic.

That's fancy big-city living.

The canal is worth a jaunt, and it will give you a chance to see the ever-expanding south stretch of our new downtown.

And while you're at it, Big 12 fans, take a second to appreciate the Ford Center, our humble, bargain-basement arena. It may be all poured concerte and no-frills styling, but it's not a multi-multi-million-dollar monstrosity with no NBA team. Right, Tulsa?

We've all been drilled about the 58 steps between the arenas deal by now, but honestly, could OKC make it any easier? Maybe they can set up a shuttle between the courts.

Mr. Monday would catch a ride.

Mr. Monday needs some extra time, after all, to eat his No. 1 cheeseburger and drink a cherry limeade.

Ah, civic pride tastes so good.
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Corporate citizenship aside, but a movie and a dinner at Sonic can be had in almost any town over 20,000. "Fancy"? I can understand the short walk to the fountain, but Sonic? "Big city"? My guess is, the writer lives in OKC, Norman, or Edmond, small towns indeed. Jeez, people, stop putting down OKC by pretending you live on the panhandle!!!!!

[Doug Loudenback]

If "Mr. Monday" would ever care to identify him/herself, then I'd be more inclined to consider what he/she has to say as meaningful as opposed to being in the realm of anonymous sound bites and, so, deserving of more of a response or taking care for what he/she has to say. I mean, we get quite enough anonymous posts on forums (such as this) without the responsibilty that attaches to a "name" ... don't you know ... or am I wrong about that?

Even "Steve" (Lackmeyer) who posts here doesn't disguise who he is. He's "Steve", and he's straight up, whether you like what he has to say or not, and one always knows who to respond to.

But, anonymous postings seem to have spread from the internet into the regular press which, IMO, is a horrible development. The 4th Estate has already got its litigation passes as to reporting on public figures, but, sound bites from "anonymous sources", like "Mr. Monday?"

That's not for me. And that's so whether I like his emotional spin, or not.

[soonerguru]

Mr. Monday is none other than Berry Tramel.

That article is an embarassment to the city. The Oklahoman always has a way of showing its ass at key moments, and this is yet another example.

What blows my mind is that Tramel would have written a scathing article about how wrongheaded it would have been for the Big 12 to bypass OKC with a tournament.

Now, he writes this abortion that backhands our city, all of our downtown progress, our arena and, in a self-defeating manner almost exclusively prevalent among people in our state who seemingly always manage to put themselves down, takes what was OKC's most shining opportunity to redefine itself and takes a colossal dump on it. It's often said that OKC residents are their own worst enemy when it comes to our public image. Tramel surely does his best to prove that maxim to be true.

Were I a visitor to OKC and I read that column, I would be led to believe that OKC is a dusty hicktown, where the only good vittles and "fancy big city livin'" to be had come by way of a walk-up Sonic location.

Somehow Tramel spins another great OKC story, the utter success of the Hornets experiment, into another embarassment, cheap-shotting our "bargain basement" arena. What a complete and utter jerkwater this guy is.

Shame on him and shame on the crapheads at the Oklahoman, who somehow always manage to make this city look like a backwater (with apologies to Steve Lackmeyer, who does a truly great job).

What I can't tell about the Mr. Monday schtik is if it's supposed to be making fun of its readers or making fun of itself. If I want to read something sneering and snide but funny, I'll read the Onion. If I want to read the rantings of a self-important hack, I'll read Berry Tramel.

Tramel used to be one of my favorite writers, but the tiny amount of success he's had went right to his head. Now he's just an arrogant ass.

[Karried]

ugh. 'those buildings are pretty bricky'???

I wish I had a spare brick right about now to toss in his general direction.. lol..

Well, let's just hope that no one notices his poor attempt at professional journalism..

Speaking of.. we all need to put in a showing in Bricktown this week if we can... I'm headed down there to go to Bricktown Brewery later this week to eat, drink and be merry.

[Karried]

We were posting at the same time..

Tramel..! I was hoping it was someone unknown.

[okcpulse]

Ah, I'm not overly concerned. The crowd with which we REALLY need to make an impression is the younger generation. And the younger generation is less likely to read the newspaper. They'll check the happenings online. And most of the time, it's from their local sources. But I do agree. The Oklahoman does make Oklahoma City look bad. Now if someone can please write a big check so we can start a REAL newpaper to satisfy Oklahoma City intellectuals? Steve, you'd be my first hire.

[Doug Loudenback]

Maybe it's too much to ask, but ... Berry Tramel, if in fact you are "Mr. Monday", how about posting something here non-anonymously ... on any topic ... you'll get more respect, even if opinions are expressed here different than yours, if that matters.

[BG918]

Having lots of people downtown this week and weekend will go a long ways in making a good impression for visitors. I plan on going to eat and walk around on Friday night, maybe even go to a game if I can get tickets. If OU is playing Friday I will definitely be going.

[Karried]

I'm really happy with the weather forcast. That will bring a lot of people out. I do think it's important to have a city shown as bustling and interesting.. not barren and empty.. so come on everyone.. plan a dinner or a movie or just a night out overlooking the canal having drinks with friends. We will have a lot of media coverage right?

This is the time to get out and change our outdated image (for those who have never visited OK) of a small uninteresting town out in the middle of dusty plains with nothing to do to a vibrant, growing, place to be, fun city.

[Karried]

This was the feedback I sent the paper after I read the article again and got upset all over again.


Mr Monday, is this a joke? I'm so appalled that out of town visitors will read this article regarding Bricktown ( pretty bricky??). You've just erased years of effort from those who have tried to eliminate the exact small hick town image your article portrayed. I'm so embarrassed for our city. Mr. Tramel needs to make an effort to rectify his glaring blunder and write something highlighting the strides and improvements are city has recently made. So many people are insulted by this horrible article.

[BDP]

Honestly, the Oklahoman is written by hicks for hicks and Trammel is one of their most prized possessions. The funny thing is that the most out-of-place and small town element of downtown is none other than the Bass Pro Shop. Of course, the Oklahoman celebrated and pushed that deal while never revealing its conflict of interest. So, it's off limits, even to Mr. Monday in an article that surely should have included it, given its theme.

However, I would guess that most visitors' experience will be different than Mr. Monday's, as they aren't likely to see a movie or go to Sonic. I think they'd be more interested in the clubs and restaurants of bricktown, the Skirvin, the Colcord, etc. They're not spending over $100 a night, plus whatever it cost for them to get here, to go see Zodiac and eat bland fast food.

The truth is (and this is true almost everywhere) that despite Oklahoma City's progress, there still are people like Mr. Monday among us and the Oklahoman caters almost exclusively to them (Steve is an exception), so it is not surprising to see such garbage even in such a high profile time. Oklahoma City may be progressing, but the Oklahoman is an unfortunate relic of our past and has no intention of moving on (or up) with the city. But don't sweat it, everyone, especially in this region, knows that it's a piece of crap and, if anything, this piece is simply the immature reaction to the overwhelming and constant criticism that publication receives. Oklahoma City will continue to progress and impress despite the limitations of its largest newspaper.

In the end, receiving criticism from that paper is a good indication that you are doing things right.

[BDP]

If Monday is Trammel, then he is conrtdicting himself a bit in this article:

An Oklahoma welcome!

By Berry Tramel
Staff Writer

At lunch Monday, Iowa State assistant coach Jack Easley walked into The Sandwichery on Broadway and was greeted not with "white or wheat,” not with "mayo or mustard,” not with "ham or turkey,” but with "welcome to town.”

Well said.

The conference basketball tournament has been a distant light in Oklahoma for 60 years. Kansas City in the Big Six, Big Seven and Big Eight days. KC and Dallas in the Big 12 era.

But now to Oklahoma City comes the hoops festival that is part trophy hunt, part Big 12 convention and part civic promotion.

Believe it. The Big 12 is here.

It finally hit home to me Sunday, leaving the Jazz-Hornets game. Walked out of the Ford Center, crossed Reno and saw the huge blue-canvas brackets that adorn the Cox Center.

King Kong could read those brackets, if he could read, and Big 12 folks, be it from the schools or the conference office, know what those brackets say, too. Welcome to town.

"Totally different feeling than we had in Dallas,” said Easley, an Iowa State women's assistant coach and formerly an assistant at Oklahoma State.

"I can't tell you the number of people that have come up to us. Kind of gives you a good feeling. But then, I forgot what the people of Oklahoma are like.”

Good people. That's us. Of course, warm smiles and helping hands are not nearly as important as butts in the seats. Our report card will be determined by two afternoons: today and Wednesday.

That's when the Big 12 women play at the Cox Center sans Sherri Coale and Courtney Paris. The upstart Oklahoma State women play tonight, and the Sooners debut Wednesday night.

But will we turn out to see Colorado-Texas? Iowa State-Kansas State? Can we get 4,000 or 5,000 out in midday, midweek? If the answer is yes, watch out freight train. Oklahoma City is about to become a Big 12 Tournament bastion.

"Exciting time; I think we've hit the perfect storm,” Mark Williams, an All Sports Association board member, said Monday at the Cox Center. "The men being down is going to help fill up this building.”

Interesting theory. The Big 12 men draw a crowd anyway. But the sputtering Cowboys and Sooner men have allowed the local interest to shift to the women, which could send more Okie fans across the street in search of a winner.

Williams is one of those behind-the-scenes guys who make events like this happen in Oklahoma City.

Check that. There's never been an event like this in OKC. Not the National Finals Rodeo. Not the NCAA regionals. Not the Women's College World Series.

This is an invasion of several basketball cultures.

How will we do? Well, smashing. That's how we'll do. Sometime in the past 15 years, Oklahoma City shirked its inferiority complex and developed a healthy dose of civic pride.

We've taken on massive projects and made them hits. Bricktown. Downtown construction and renovations. The NBA.

Now comes the Big 12 Tournament.

Any question whether we will make this bloom, too?

"No, not one,” said Colorado coach Kathy McConnell-Miller, who was hired away from Tulsa U. two years ago. "I'm quite familiar with Oklahoma basketball. This state loves basketball. This city supports basketball.”

This week, we better. This week, we will.

[Karried]

Mr Tramel just emailed me and said he is not Mr Monday.. I apologized and invited him here to read the discussion.

I have to say I am relieved it is not him. He has always been an advocate for our city and leans towards progressive thinking.

[floater]

Thanks for doing the letter anyway, Karrie. I'm also glad it's not Tramel.

[jbrown84]

Hmmm, well who is it then? Tramel's article is great, but the Mr. Monday this is truely an embarassment. As much as I enjoy the occasional Tulsa pot-shot, it wasn't appropriate this week.

[metro]

whomever is Mr. Monday is still an idot though. And don't worry about getting out and "supporting Bricktown". It's not Bricktown that will need the support. Bricktown will fill up on it's own just with out of towners. What is a concern is getting out and filling up the downtown core, Arts District, Deep Deuce, MidTown and Automobile Alley and shopping and eating in these places making them look bustling as well. Although these other districts are in their infancy stages, support what they do offer this week!!

[okclee]

I heard someone on sports radio say that Mr. Monday is a non-sports writer, but they did not give out his identity.

[Steve]

I would also like to clarify that I too am not Mr. Monday.

-Steve Lackmeyer

[jbrown84]

I would also like to clarify that I too am not Mr. Monday.

-Steve Lackmeyer

Haha glad to hear.

[BDP]

Don't worry. We all know you are Mr. Saturday Night.

[Steve]

The more I think about all this, I wonder if Mr. Monday might have something with "bricky." We could release a new version of the Will Smith song, "Getting Jiggy With It" as "Getting Bricky With it" and make it the official anthem for Bricktown. Of course, I could be wrong.

[Karried]

"Getting Bricky With it" and make it the official anthem for Bricktown. Of course, I could be wrong.

Ha,ha... I pray you are.

Well, Barry Tramel wrote me back saying

It's mostly nonsense that shouldn't be taken seriously.

My reply:

Yes, I agree, to us it's nonsense. But for those visiting for the first time and reading it, maybe not.

Journalism usually equates some sort of credibility and printed articles ring true for most readers.

How do they know without ever reading Mr Monday prior to this that it is 'nonsense' or tongue in cheek?

It's just disappointing to me, and many others, that at a time when we could be showcasing our city and making a positive statement about our revitalized downtown/Bricktown area, we have a journalist pointing out the very things we've been trying to get away from.

How about a survey on NewsOK.com ? Ask what people think about the image portrayed by Mr Monday's article. I can guarantee that you will have many readers that share my sentiment.

On the other hand, I truly appreciate your coverage on the postitive attributes of this city.
Hopefully, visitors will see only your article!

Best wishes, K

[metro]

Good email Karried.

[floater]

Don't worry. We all know you are Mr. Saturday Night.

Touche!

[bombermwc]

Another reason why NOT to pay for the trash that is the Oklahoman. They are such asses.