Oklahoma State Basketball: One Fan’s Plea for Support

An Oklahoma State alum (and former scoreboard operator) recently made a public plea to support the team in spite of the current mediocrity.

It’s no secret: Oklahoma State basketball is at a low that hasn’t been seen in decades. The level of play is down, the fan interest is down, and the home attendance is downright embarrassing.

It’s also no secret that Travis Ford’s days are numbered. Whether it’s somehow after this season, or when his 87-year contract extension finally runs it’s course in 2019, there is an end in sight.

In the meantime, there is still a team playing games.

The lagging attendance issue has received a lot of attention this week, leading up to a Bedlam game this evening that many worry will see more Sooner fans than Cowboy fans in the orange seats. For anyone that has remotely followed Oklahoma State basketball since the ’90s, that’s downright disgusting. Not only are the Sooners a national champion contender, they are invading a hallowed arena that opposing teams used to absolutely dread playing in.

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While the lack of attendance can be attributed to a lack of interest in a progressively bad program, combined with the Thunder’s arrival in the state and a rising football team that has completely taken over the spotlight, there is no doubt that part of it is a sort of protest at Ford’s lingering presence. And that’s understandable — but wrong.

Oklahoma State has a proud basketball tradition, and a team that is playing as hard as it can despite setbacks from sub-par coaching and injuries. They are likely to finish with a losing record, and a coach that will most likely still be around. They also have a budding star in Jawun Evans, who stands a good chance to be the best point guard in the league by next season.

Jared Gallagher, an Oklahoma State alum, recently published a post on his blog Proud and Immortal that makes a plea for fans to support the team regardless of what’s going on currently:

"“I don’t think it’s for lack of effort. They fight hard. I’m not a coach and I don’t want to pretend to be. I’m not here to pinpoint the issues of a program that I’m not a part of day-in and day-out.What I do know, though, is that we have failed them. We have failed that team as alumni. Our hypocrisy stretches even to our alma mater, where hallowed but hollow words droop off the tongue of the masses, “Ever you’ll find us, Loyal and True…”"

Gallagher goes on to recall some of the greatest moments in Gallagher-Iba history, and ends his post with a call to “be so loud that the soul’s of Mr. Iba and Bob Kurland are awakened in the rafter’s among the championship banners.”

Can’t say I disagree with him.

Gallagher’s main point is true: Regardless of your feelings of the guy in charge, there are still players to support. A program to support. A school to support.

Look, everyone knows about Ford’s failure to continue OSU’s basketball prowess. Mike Holder knows it. Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis knows it. The fans obviously know it. I’ll bet you that Travis Ford knows it. Nothing can really be done about it right now.

Somehow lost in all of this is the fact that there is a current roster of players that made the choice to pack up and come play basketball in Stillwater. You think they haven’t seen the videos of Gallagher-Iba in the past, or even as recently as 2010 when this happened?

It’s hard to not feel bad for them when they show up to play and get this:

You can read Gallagher’s post in it’s entirety here.