February 15, 2020 Issue, Page 12 of 12

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Page 12 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Saturday, February 15, 2020 Murray was a ‘no-brainer’ hire for Riley at OU By Ryan Aber, The Okla- ment was turned around on showed the incoming eye- Riley generally narrows his "Like there's no doubt. in his mid-30s to start out on homan, Oklahoma City him in late January, Riley balls to Riley. focus dramatically when it You can tell that with (Mur- the path. NORMAN- Lincoln Ri- and inside receivers coach The text was from former comes to assistant coaching ray) as a coach. From sec- "I've always paid attention ley isn't used to being on the Cale Gundy were in Dallas Sooners and NFL star run- ond one you could tell he to everyone," Murray said, hires, Riley rid himself of on a recruiting trip when ning back DeMarco Murray. preconceived expectations was well beyond his years. "Not just offensively -- the other side of eyeball emojis. Riley's signature Tweet Gundy's phone buzzed. He was reacting to the news when Murray came for the I think a lot of players think offensive line coach. I'll pay that Jay Boulware left for interview. "I went into it they know what coaching is attention to the DBs coach, when OU adds a commit- He looked at it, and then Texas, which opened a spot saying, 'Look, I'm interview- about. the special teams coach, on Riley's staff. ing like this is some guy I've "They maybe weren't as (etc.) just to learn and get Wrestling and Not long after that, Mur- never seen play ball, (like) I have no idea where he went perceptive when they were players and maybe didn't advice from them and learn. I believe you can learn from ray was named OU's running basketball roundup backs coach just two seasons to college," Riley said. "I pick up on as much as they anyone -- good, bad and after his NFL playing career just want to see what the thought they did, and they ugly." By Don Munsch, Editor Girls basketball ended. coach is about." get on the other side of it and That mindset might help The Elk City wrestling Merritt 50, Carnegie 40 It didn't take Murray long Like watching a five-star it's totally different. I think Murray overcome the issue team beat Mangum in a Joshlyn Tomlin Sanders to win over Riley. quarterback go through DeMarco is one of those that plenty of former stars Riley said he didn't know drills at a camp, Riley said guys that took a lot from ev- face when they become home contest Feb. 6, 54-22. and Allison Justus tied for Murray well before the pro- sitting down with Murray, ery single experience." The junior high team won, the team lead in points with coaches -- the inability to cess, running into him a few Murray's youth, both in 54-11. 12. there was no doubt he was actual age (32) and years relate to others that aren't times in the football offices Varsity wrestlers winning Canute 86, Hammon 83 when Murray would return a good fit for the Sooners. coaching (he's spent one sea- on the level they were as their matches were Ethan Madison Faylor led the and hearing plenty about Riley called the hire a "no- son at Arizona), belie Mur- players. "I have no prob- Banks, Lane Hargrove, An- Trojanettes with 23 points. him from Gundy, the coach brainer." ray's experience a bit. lem learning from others," drew Valdez, Aldo Arm- Kylee Smith and Kylie Sav- who recruited Murray to "You just know," said Ri- He started _ preparing Murray said. "I don't know endariz, age each scored 20 points. Norman. Though Murray ley, who also introduced Ja- to coach football quite a everything. I don't believe Greg Muck, Grant McB- Kirstyn Strain added 18 was on Riley's radar from mar Cain on Wednesday as a few years ago, though he I'm the smartest guy in the room and Felix Gonzales. points. the beginning, and though defensive assistant. planned to wait until he was room." Dizzy Dean: Book chronicles a memorable night in Oklahoma City By Berry Tramel, The off the airplane and were de- Dizzy Dean pitched three the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Cardinals, but never cell in 1924 (when Dizzy Oklahoman, — Oklahoma lighted by the Deans' typical scoreless innings, Paul Dean 1953 and became a popular again won more than five. was 14), then to Okemah City folksy personalities. pitched two scoreless in- network television analyst The Deans were born in and finally to Spaulding, OKLAHOMA CITY - On Here's an excerpt from nings, and the Dean all-stars Lucas, Arkansas, but re- just south of Holdenville in for baseball. Oct. 9, 1934, Dizzy Dean Dixon's book: -- which also included veter- ferred to homes all over the shut out the Detroit Tigers "Most of the Deans! con- an minor leaguers and a cou- Paul Dean, sometimes American South, including Hughes County, in 1926. 11-0 in Game 7 to give the versations to Oklahoma City ple of former major leaguers called "Daffy," a nickname Oklahoma. The Encyclo- And they arrived in Okla- ame vo. St. Louis Cardinals, the Gas- newspapers were not written -- won 4-0 in a game called he didn't like, won 19 games pedia of Arkansas says the homa City for one memora- house Gang, the World Se- in dialect -- something that in the bottom of the sixth in both 1934 and 1935 for Dean family moved to Pur- ble night in 1934. -rate ries championship. was destined to worsen as inning when the baseballs The next night, October the tour moved east -- since were depleted. or Ce 10, 1934, Dizzy Dean and how the brothers sounded to Dixon's book details the his brother, Paul, combined Oklahomans’ seemed rea- racism that existed in 1930s to pitch five innings of an sonably normal to the ears of baseball. How the local exhibition game against the most residents. newspapers, including The Negro League Kansas City "It had been a hectic day. Oklahoman, didn't even Monarchs in an exhibition Even with the late 8:15 p.m. acknowledge the mighty game in Oklahoma City's start, the Deans barely had Monarchs, a flagship Negro Holland Field, where the time to shower and change League franchise that then 1 , Oklahoma City Indians of from their street civvies into was managed by 41-year-old the Texas League played. their baseball duds. Over at Bullet Joe Rogan, an Okla- t We kid you not. Texas League Park (which homa City native who at the In those dusty days, base- eventually became the name time still pitched and hit and ball stars supplemented their of Holland Field, but not until who eventually was induct- incomes with off-season the 1940s), there was a mad ed into the Baseball Hall of barnstorming tours, and in scramble on the field and at Fame. Not until 1952 did the 1934, the Dean brothers cap- the box office where record Oklahoma City Indians inte- italized on their fame with a numbers of sports bugs bit- grate; Bill Greason broke the “tn @ series of games against the color line that year. ten by the Deans' popularity Monarchs. And the tour be- clamored for seats. People The game and the excite- gan in Oklahoma City, as de- started lining up as early as ment drew national interest, tailed in Phil S. Dixon's new 4 p.m. in lines two columns and even on the subject of Auto L * book, The Dizzy and Daffy wide that stretched into the race, the Oklahoma City tour -~, e Dean Barnstorming Tour; street and wrapped around launch was discussed. Race, Media and America's the corner. When the gates The Cleveland Call and National Pastime. opened, thousands crammed Post, the African-American The Kansas City-based into the ball park weeping newspaper, wrote: "Perhaps Dixon will hold a book- with pure joy. Before sun- the 15,000 fans who jammed signing from 1 p.m-1:30 down the 7,500 seat Texas the park to see the game, dur- p.m. Sunday at Barnes & League Park was full of hu- ing the frenzy oftheir excite- Noble Bookstore, 6100 N mankind. It was a Wednes- ment, even forgot, that the May Avenue, and a discus- day night crowd that looked ‘opposing team was colored. sion/book-signing from 3: like a July 4th gathering. It is therefore, refreshing to p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Com- They were grabbing day-of- see a Southern mob turning monplace Books, 1325 N game general admission and out to witness an interracial Walker Avenue. grandstand seats priced at 65 sporting event." Dixon details how the cents for adults 25 cents for Of course, the crowd was Oklahoma City exhibition there to see the Deans, who children and filling bleacher came together quickly and in 1934 became mythic fig- seats that were going for became a must-have tick- 40 cents each. The higher ures. et after the Dean brothers priced reserve seats priced Dizzy -- Jay Hanna Dean pitched the Cardinals to the at 90 cents and box seats, -- was a 24-year-old right- championship in Detroit. which were commanding hander who won 30 games mepitera Credit Unign The Deans traveled by train $1.00 each, disappeared like that season. Only Denny 05 Regional Drive back to St. Louis after Game penny candy." McLain in 1968 has since bs W& Elk City - 2252690 « 7, participated in Cardinal The crowd eventually was reached such a victory total Must be a member or meet member eligibility to take advantage of special. Insured by NCUA . celebrations, then caught a estimated at 15,000, but only in a single season. Dizzy flight to Oklahoma City the 11,976 tickets were sold. Dean had four straight mon- $ afternoon of the exhibition. The game was a fiasco, ster seasons, was injured in guaranteed. Loan promotion ‘only from Feb 18-Feb 20, 2020. Loans must be funded by 5:00 on Feb 20,2020, The It's the first recorded flight with the crowd stretching the 1937 All-Star Game and 2.20% advertised APR includes a 25% APR discount for automatic payment, $50 documentation fee, ACH fer, oF for either of the Dean broth- into the playing field and never had another big year. payroll deduction and an additional 10% APR discount for automatic payment from an Endurance FCU checking account, For 78 months terms, loans must be $20,000, 2015 mode! or newer, with less than 100,000 miles, and a credit ers. OKC reporters met the constantly making off with Dean, a colorful and brash score of 690 or higher to qualify. (Payment example: a loan for $20,000 for 78 months will yield a monthly yyment of $275.43 and an APR of 2.20%) Must be a member of Endurance FCU or by NCUA, Dean brothers as they came baseballs. But no matter. personality, was elected to Current Endurance FCU loans do not qualify. 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