Paycom Center (formerly Chesapeake Arena)

[PhiAlpha]

Having grown up in Tulsa and lived in OKC. 99.9% of people in both cities don't denigrate the other city in the ways people discuss here. Honestly, the thing that keeps it going is these threads where people keep claiming it's happening...

For the record, it isn't a ton of people in Tulsa but at least among young professionals its more like 60-75% who constantly make comments like that. From my conversations with Pete, I know he's experiences similar things when visiting. You'd be surprised how many "Oh, I hate OKC" or "I really don't like OKC" or "It's so much more spread out, I don't like it as much and wouldn't want to live there" comments I've gotten since moving to Tulsa from the 21-40 year old crowd that grew up in or around Tulsa. All it takes is mentioning I'm from OKC/Edmond and the negativity flows lol. I got the same type of responses when I frequently visited Tulsa in the past. It seems like an inferiority complex. Though I will say that most of the people I've known from Tulsa who moved to OKC still liked Tulsa better and plan/or actually did move back at some point. Tulsans just generally like Tulsa better and think a lot more of it than anywhere else.

All of that to say...it isn't just threads keeping that sentiment alive. It's out there and more common that you think and it's definitely one sided. I almost never hear anyone from OKC comparing it to Tulsa at all.

[PhiAlpha]

i live here .. my wife's family is from there ..... and yes people in OKC don't talk down about tulsa ... (or really even care about tulsa) but the opposite is not true and the fact that OKC people don't really care about tulsa pisses them off even more ..

LOL this is very accurate.

[Zuplar]

Tulsa is to OKC what OSU is to OU, a friendly in state rival that means way more to one side than the other.

[PhiAlpha]

Tulsa has a couple of pockets that are extremely nice with a lot of old money (i.e., Southern Hills, Utica Square, Woodward Park, etc.), but the overall feel and polish of the city, at large, is way below OKC's feel. It's just not on the same growth trajectory. At all.

Plus, the entry to the west side of the city is marred by the Holly Frontier refinery and other unsightly industrial land uses. Tulsa would do well to hide those uses to the extent that they can.

Meh, drive into OKC on I-40 from either direction or I-35 from the south. There isn't anything overly attractive about those views either. At least the Producers Co-Op is gone which has improved it. Just like driving into OKC from the North or NE, driving into Tulsa from the N, NW, SE, and E is much more visually appealing.

[PhiAlpha]

Somewhere in the multiverse, the NHL Oklahoma City RedHawks are playing in the United Center arena....

Ha! I've thought the same thing.

[OkieBerto]

https://twitter.com/okcthunder/statu...474864132?s=20

[Teo9969]

For the record, it isn't a ton of people in Tulsa but at least among young professionals its more like 60-75% who constantly make comments like that. From my conversations with Pete, I know he's experiences similar things when visiting. You'd be surprised how many "Oh, I hate OKC" or "I really don't like OKC" or "It's so much more spread out, I don't like it as much and wouldn't want to live there" comments I've gotten since moving to Tulsa from the 21-40 year old crowd that grew up in or around Tulsa. All it takes is mentioning I'm from OKC/Edmond and the negativity flows lol. I got the same type of responses when I frequently visited Tulsa in the past. It seems like an inferiority complex. Though I will say that most of the people I've known from Tulsa who moved to OKC still liked Tulsa better and plan/or actually did move back at some point. Tulsans just generally like Tulsa better and think a lot more of it than anywhere else.

All of that to say...it isn't just threads keeping that sentiment alive. It's out there and more common that you think and it's definitely one sided. I almost never hear anyone from OKC comparing it to Tulsa at all.

I remember 20+ years ago when the tables seemed flipped, and I wasn't even a teenager. Blazers vs. Oilers games were crazy. Tulsa got way more entertainment. You could just kind of tell that we were the lesser city at that time and I feel like many people from OKC had complexes about that. If you have any hometown pride, it's hard not to get caught up in the debate about you vs your interstate rival (see: Texas, Dallas and Texas, Houston).

[Thomas Vu]

For the record, it isn't a ton of people in Tulsa but at least among young professionals its more like 60-75% who constantly make comments like that. From my conversations with Pete, I know he's experiences similar things when visiting. You'd be surprised how many "Oh, I hate OKC" or "I really don't like OKC" or "It's so much more spread out, I don't like it as much and wouldn't want to live there" comments I've gotten since moving to Tulsa from the 21-40 year old crowd that grew up in or around Tulsa. All it takes is mentioning I'm from OKC/Edmond and the negativity flows lol. I got the same type of responses when I frequently visited Tulsa in the past. It seems like an inferiority complex. Though I will say that most of the people I've known from Tulsa who moved to OKC still liked Tulsa better and plan/or actually did move back at some point. Tulsans just generally like Tulsa better and think a lot more of it than anywhere else.

All of that to say...it isn't just threads keeping that sentiment alive. It's out there and more common that you think and it's definitely one sided. I almost never hear anyone from OKC comparing it to Tulsa at all.

Count me as one of the few. Lived in Tulsa until I went to OU for undergrad, and then never looked back. I also don't care to discuss it either.

[GoGators]

For the record, it isn't a ton of people in Tulsa but at least among young professionals its more like 60-75% who constantly make comments like that. From my conversations with Pete, I know he's experiences similar things when visiting. You'd be surprised how many "Oh, I hate OKC" or "I really don't like OKC" or "It's so much more spread out, I don't like it as much and wouldn't want to live there" comments I've gotten since moving to Tulsa from the 21-40 year old crowd that grew up in or around Tulsa. All it takes is mentioning I'm from OKC/Edmond and the negativity flows lol. I got the same type of responses when I frequently visited Tulsa in the past. It seems like an inferiority complex. Though I will say that most of the people I've known from Tulsa who moved to OKC still liked Tulsa better and plan/or actually did move back at some point. Tulsans just generally like Tulsa better and think a lot more of it than anywhere else.

All of that to say...it isn't just threads keeping that sentiment alive. It's out there and more common that you think and it's definitely one sided. I almost never hear anyone from OKC comparing it to Tulsa at all.

Are you sure? There are 3 full pages of people from OKC comparing the two cities on a random thread about the Paycom Center. It seems like a lot of people in OKC care about what's going on up the turnpike..

[HOT ROD]

3 full pages ........ does not represent OKC, it represents OKCTalk.

So given your attempted correlation - it seems like a lot of people ON OKCTALK care about what's going on up the turnpike ...

which would be accurate observation.

And oh by the way, nobody in those 3 pages put Tulsa down or trumped OKC up at Tulsa's expense the way that Tulsan's love to do against OKC beit online or in-person.

[dankrutka]

Are you sure? There are 3 full pages of people from OKC comparing the two cities on a random thread about the Paycom Center. It seems like a lot of people in OKC care about what's going on up the turnpike..

OKC folks spend more time talking about how much Tulsans talk about them than Tulsans actually talk about OKC. OKCTalk is evidence of it.

[Laramie]

Competition between our two largest cities will always exist--separated by a 91 mile turnpike.

OKC built the downtown arena--largest of the original MAPS projects for $89 million (opened in 2002); Tulsa looked at a big sister and immediately went to the drawing board in 2005.

MAPS For Kids 2008 extension added $90 million to seal the NBA Supersonics' relocation that year; $179 million arena investment produced Oklahoma's first major league franchise.

Tulsa responded with the $196 million downtown BOK Center ($178 million public, $18 million private funds) opened in 2008.

Good competitiveness between both cities resulted in many improvements to their CBDs and inner cores. Oklahoma City uses MAPS initiatives and Tulsa Vision 2025; which city will make the next bold move. Will it be an addition of a huge skyscraper to impact the skyline or a major corporate relocation adding thousands of high paying jobs.

[PhiAlpha]

OKC folks spend more time talking about how much Tulsans talk about them than Tulsans actually talk about OKC. OKCTalk is evidence of it.

lol, you clearly don’t live in Tulsa and associate with many young professionals here.

[PhiAlpha]

Are you sure? There are 3 full pages of people from OKC comparing the two cities on a random thread about the Paycom Center. It seems like a lot of people in OKC care about what's going on up the turnpike..

If there was anywhere near an equivalent forum in Tulsa that Tulsans actually used…it would happen there too. TulsaNow is awful and little to no one uses it (at least not near the same size and demographics that use OKCTalk).

[PhiAlpha]

Count me as one of the few. Lived in Tulsa until I went to OU for undergrad, and then never looked back. I also don't care to discuss it either.

Glad to hear that someone is in that camp!

[BG918]

If there was anywhere near an equivalent forum in Tulsa that Tulsans actually used…it would happen there too. TulsaNow is awful and little to no one uses it (at least not near the same size and demographics that use OKCTalk).

I’ve talked to Pete before about TulsaTalk or the equivalent of OKCTalk focusing on metro Tulsa. Seems like there would be a market for it but would need a local presence and he has been busy.

[WheelerD Guy]

OKC folks spend more time talking about how much Tulsans talk about them than Tulsans actually talk about OKC. OKCTalk is evidence of it.

Haha, no. Not even close to being accurate, my Man.

[Bullbear]

I came here thinking there was new news on the paycom center. My bad.

[5alive]

This ^^^^^

[Richard at Remax]

Tool is going to BOK and not Paycom Center. Must be some Thunder games during that leg of the tour

[dankrutka]

I came here thinking there was new news on the paycom center. My bad.

Update: People attending events in the PayCom Center will not be paying attention to main events as they incessantly argue with each other about Tulsa vs. OKC.

[PhiAlpha]

I’ve talked to Pete before about TulsaTalk or the equivalent of OKCTalk focusing on metro Tulsa. Seems like there would be a market for it but would need a local presence and he has been busy.

Yes, we've talked about it at length more than a few times over the years as well and while he owns the name and admittedly is interested in doing it at some point, he's also told me he's been too slammed to start the process...which, given the detail and depth of what this site has become, is totally understandable. I'll dm you.

[PhiAlpha]

I came here thinking there was new news on the paycom center. My bad.

You didn't hear that its been moved to Tulsa?

[progressiveboy]

I will have to say the BOK center in Tulsa is more attractive and iconic than "Paycom center. They did not build it on the cheap like OKC did with their arena.

[bombermwc]

I will have to say the BOK center in Tulsa is more attractive and iconic than "Paycom center. They did not build it on the cheap like OKC did with their arena.

I don't disagree that the aesthetic of the BOK is nicer. However, also remember that the Ford/Peak/Pay didn't use to look so "let's add some crap here and here". That happened BECAUSE it was successful and was able to grow to meet the new needs. BOK hasn't had a need to grow because they don't have any tenants asking for that growth.

Rest assured that the next time OKC builds an arena, we aren't going to be able to get away with the low-cost option. It's gonna hurt next time.