Personal entry – Page 4 – Jim Stafford's BlogOKC

Major League Baseball’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea

Screenshot — A ‘Golden At-Bat’ in future for New York Yankees star Aaron Judge?

When I was a young would-be sports writer just out of college working for the Southwest Times Record newspaper in Fort Smith, Ark., my editor sent me out to cover the state small school baseball tournament.

I had not seen much high school baseball through the years, so I was caught by surprise by one particular rule the small schools played by.

It was called the “Courtesy Runner.”

That rule allowed coaches to sub in a faster runner when a slower player got on base. But the player who was substituted for could remain in the game. Usually, the coach subbed in his fastest guy for the big, slow catcher.

I was offended by the Courtesy Runner, because I grew up following Major League Baseball and knew that once a player was substituted for, he was out of the game. No coming back in.

But the Courtesy Runner seemed popular with high school coaches in back in 1979, even if it messed up my boxscore at the end of the game. It remains in play for high schools, softball and even Little League Baseball.

And now the Courtesy Runner has been joined by other earthshaking changes infiltrating Major League Baseball itself as the game seeks a younger demographic. The pitch clock. Bigger bases. Fewer mount visits.

More is coming.

Recently, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed the possibility of baseball using what he called a “Golden At-Bat.”

“You put your best player out there out of order at a particular point in the game,” Manfred said. “That rule and things like that are only in the conversational stage right now.”

Here’s a scenario:

Let’s say the Yankees are down two runs in the 9th inning vs. the hated Red Sox with two men on base and two outs. The Golden At-Bat rule would allow them to bring Aaron Judge — their best hitter — to the plate even if his place in the batting order was six at-bats away.

I’m offended by the Golden At-Bat idea, just like I was offended by the Courtesy Runner all those years ago.

Call me a Geezer shouting GET OFF MY LAWN, but the Golden At-Bat concept seemed to come right out of left field, so to speak. It’s goofy. It’s unneeded. It’s a terrible idea.

Baseball already places a runner on second base to start the inning in extra innings. Now this?

Like me, much of the world of MLB fans reacted with horror to a rule that would skew baseball’s beloved statistics, which have withstood the test of time for more than 100 years.

There has been a chorus of boos across the nation from baseball fans, among them radio talk show host Dan Patrick. I listen to the podcast version of the DP Show daily, and heard Patrick’s reaction last week.

“I hate it,” he said. “Hate it. I hate the runner at second base to start extra innings. Don’t go too gimmicky. Does baseball need that? It felt like baseball had a good year, a great year.”

In the spirit of the Golden At-Bat, Dan asked his entourage of co-hosts, collectively known as the Danettes, to come up with some “even dumber” ideas for baseball. The guys were happy to oblige.

“Count the Golden At-Bat as two outs if the batter fails to get a hit.”

“if your team is up by 10 runs or more you have to pitch blindfolded.”

“If you throw a pitch 100 mph or more, it’s not a strike, it’s a ball.”

“One time a game, you can require the opposing team to remove one outfielder during an at-bat.”

The Danettes struck Dumb and Dumber gold with their ideas.

But, you know what? They didn’t mention the Courtesy Runner.

And I’m still offended by the Courtesy Runner after all these years.

So GET OFF MY LAWN.

Homeless — and unwanted — in America

I’ve never been much of a social crusader like my friend and former high school classmate “Will,” about whom I wrote in a blog post last year.

Will was passing through town and asked if I would meet him for lunch, which I did. It was a great reunion after more than a half century of not seeing one another or even communicating.

Anyway, Will devoted much of his life to important work of helping lift the oppressed and bringing to justice the folks who actively sought to keep the “others” down.

Will, if you are reading this, I’m so awed and grateful for your efforts over the years.

Folks like Will make me realize that I’m more of an social activist wannabe who never really got up off the couch to help anyone, even those with whom I have great empathy.

That leads me to this disturbing Esquire magazine article my wife sent me last week. Entitled “The Invisible Man,” the article is a long, first-person account of a college educated, successful writer forced into living as a homeless person in his home state of Rhode Island.

Patrick Fealey found himself in this plight because of a mental illness that didn’t become apparent until he was a successful adult. Then his bipolar condition resulted in him being unable to hold a job, and the downward spiral began.

Read Fealey’s excellent account on the Esquire website.

For me, the most disturbing aspect of Fealey’s life is that no one really cared. He lived with his dog in an old car, but where ever he landed, he was constantly questioned by police, shunned by local citizens. The folks who operated shelters or housing programs offered little help, hope or sympathy.

Fealey was told to ‘move on’ a lot, even though one of the communities in which he stayed with the town in which he was raised. He was told by one policeman that if he didn’t move on he would be jailed or fined. People saw him as threatening or merely another drug addict.

(As an aside, some folks read about Fealey plight and started a Go Fund Me page that has received more than $169,000-and-counting to help him get into housing and deal with health issues.)

All of this sounds familiar, especially after reading recent newspaper articles about how the city of Shawnee has implemented ordinances that prevent the unhoused from sleeping or camping in public spaces or most any place outdoors within the city limits.

So, while the Shawnee citizens just want the homeless out of sight and out of mind — like most of us — what they are doing is turning homelessness into a crime.

That’s why I’m proud of the city of OKC for investing $55 million through MAPS4 to take on homelessness with its “housing first’ program that partners with innovative not-for-profits. And MAPs also is funding a new mental health crisis center, a restoration center and a transitional housing program that will make a difference.

It’s a start.

There are also several not-for-profits in our community like the SideXSide OKC program and Curbside Chronicle that are working to lift people up. Those are terrific initiatives that are making a difference.

As for myself, I have done nothing to brag about except for occasionally buying a Curbside Chronicle.

I’m not sure what my point in writing all of this is, but after reading Patrick Fealey’s story I think the point is that we have to do better.

Me. You. All of us. Do better.

We’re going to miss our old newsprint when it’s gone

newsprint

A few years ago my former colleague at The Oklahoman newspaper, Richard Mize, lamented the demise of the metal coffee can. The coffee industry eliminated the once ubiquitous coffee can and replaced it with plastic cans or closable pouches.

“Where will we put our bacon drippings?” Richard asked.

Good question, Richard. The coffee industry was totally unconcerned about the fallout in households across the nation where bacon grease was stored in empty coffee cans. How dare they.

Anyway, I see a similar crisis brewing in American households. Newsprint is rapidly disappearing from our driveways and kitchen tables.

Instead of picking up our actual paper from the driveway each morning, Americans are more likely to read an online version — or, more disappointing, not read any newspaper at all.

Earlier this year I wrote about the decline of my first newspaper employer, the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, Ark.

In fact, I’ve seen firsthand the impact the shortage of old newsprint has had on my neighbors in recent years.

Since I am virtually the only print subscriber of The Oklahoman on my street, a neighbor twice asked me for my old newspapers to use for packing before she moved and again when her daughter moved into her own apartment. I gladly shared my bounty of old newsprint.

So this leads me to the point of this post: how we’re going to miss the many ways old newspapers are used around the house — or used to be. Here are a few:

As liner for a birdcage (now that’s low-hanging fruit, I know).
As fish wrap (a common newsprint stereotype).
Lining the floor next to an outside door when potty training your puppy. It worked on my now departed Boston Terrier decades ago.
Packing in preparation to make a move (see example above)
Creating pirate hats. As children, my sister and I learned to fold the newspaper into the most awesome pirate hats we could imagine. We proudly wore them around our house or paraded through the neighborhood.
Making kites. My dad made a newsprint kite for me when I was about 10 years old, and it actually flew as well as the store-bought kind.
As floor liner when doing a paint job or an art project.
Newsprint is great as backing on a counter when you are cutting a watermelon, then wrapping the rinds before throwing them out.
Packed away in your closet or attic to hold on to keepsake articles for the memories.
Current event articles clipped for school projects.
Finally, a rolled up newspaper makes a fine rod of discipline for a wayward pet. I only had to roll the paper up and raise it above my head to stop my Boston Terrier from committing an offense such as chewing up a shoe.

We’re going to miss newsprint for many reasons beyond just reading the paper when its gone.

BONUS: If you’ve got other ways you’ve recommissioned old newspapers in the past, leave them in comments below.

This just in from my friend Josh O’Brien on an alternative use for old newspapers: “Another use: cleaning big mirrors or windows — much better than paper towels.”

Richard Mize (see above) added: “One more thing: I use three sheets of newsprint to light my charcoal chimney for grilling!”

Another alternative use from Steve Buck, my fellow Geezer on the 3 Old Geezers podcast. “paper mache.”

From David Yarbrough in Fort Smith, Ark: “Use as fly (or wasp) swatter, although not as ergonomically designed as plastic ones.”

One more from Linda Lynn: “Gift wrapping. And to protect table from kids’ art projects … and for art projects like collages and paper mache. We even used to create Christmas trees with newspaper.”

From Steve Barrymore: “I save mine all year then use as a weed barrier in the garden at planting time. I then cover it with mulch. Eliminates weeding.”

From Kathy Consbruck in Nebraska: “Mine go to the pet shelter. They line the kennels with them.”

From Phyllis Welsh Bennett: “A long time ago, I used strips of colored Sunday comics to make a chain to adorn a Christmas tree at The Oklahoman. Last week I gave a stack of old papers to someone needing it to pack glassware for a move. Each weekday I put my newspaper in the waiting area of the Teachers’ Retirement System. I’m told a lot of TRS members enjoy reading a paper newspaper!”

From LaRita Dawn Watson: “I save mine for my Dad to read since he lives outside the delivery area and won’t read the online version. I have used to clean windows and mirrors, and it works better than any cloth! I’ve used it in all the ways mentioned and will truly miss it when it’s gone. It feels good to turn the pages and read.”

A critique of the OKC Thunder ‘City’ edition uniforms through the years

Together with my friends Steve Buck and Ed Godfrey, I cohost a podcast known as the 3 Old Geezers.

Steve and Ed are only pretend Geezers, while I am the real deal. Or as Ed says, I live in downtown Geezerville. That’s ageism, Ed!

Anyway, all of us are OKC Thunder fans, and much of our podcast discussion revolves around the team, the players and the potential for success as the season progresses.

We also share an interest in Thunder branding and the various uniform schemes the team uses. For instance, I’m a big fan of the team’s “Sunset” uniform, which might be seen as orange by some folks.

All of which brings me to the annual “City” edition uniform the Thunder unveils as each season begins. The 3 Old Geezers recently critiqued the 2024 City edition. on the podcast (LISTEN!)

Someone suggested that we rank the City edition uniforms from 2017-2024 by our personal preferences. So here are mine, ranked No. 8 to No. 1:

No. 8 2020: I take issue with leaving the word “City” off of a uniform of the team known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Makes no sense unless you think the folks in Tulsa or Elk City will buy into the team even more than they already do when they see “Oklahoma.”

No. 7 2021: Not sure what statement a gray-on-white City edition uniform makes, except that it doesn’t stand out to me.

No. 6 2022: I have nothing against this uniform, except the lettering looks too much like what we’ve already seen, And it uses “Thunder” instead of OKC or Oklahoma City.

No. 5 2019: White lettering on a gray uniform doesn’t do much for me. At least it says “Oklahoma City.”

No. 4 2017: I’m just not a fan of racing stripes on a gray background. But it gets extra credit because it says “OKC.”

No. 3 2024: I really like the color scheme but can’t rank this one higher because leaves off the word “City” AGAIN.

No. 2 2018: The lettering and the turquoise make this one of my favorite City edition unis. And I like that it reads “OKC.”

No. 1 2023: I love this City edition version. It’s got orange and yellow trim on the navy jersey with bold orange “OKC”. That’s good enough for me.

Here are the takes from my fellow Geezers:

Steve Buck
Geezer Jim asked Geezer Ed and me to rank our team’s city jersey series. I am not a graphic artist so I’m sure my limited mind has missed some really cool elements that others love, but my rankings fell out pretty darn clearly.

No. 8 2020: Just not much to like on this one. Looks like the packaging to a Hot Wheels car. Points deduction for reading “Oklahoma”

No. 7 2017: I almost moved it higher because the year matched Poku’s number but common sense prevailed. I can’t find any connection to Oklahoma City and it just doesn’t look very sharp.

No. 6 2021: Not awful but not that attention grabbing either. The vertical look makes it somewhat unique but I prefer a bit of color in my uniforms and this is just too blah.

No. 5 2019: Almost crept into my top half of rankings. Like ’21 there is jut not a pop in terms of color but the arched Oklahoma City is just fine with me.

No. 4 2024: First too similar to ’23 so I had to provide some penalty for copying the prior year’s efforts. I like the colors and the detail on the sides are a nice nod to OKC. Speaking of…why didn’t it say Oklahoma City instead of simply using Oklahoma. Like the ’20 version, points deducted.

No. 3 2022: This one could’ve easily been my #2 choice. The blue and red pops against the dark gray. Just a super crisp look that was a wonderful look on the floor.

No. 2 2023: I loved every element of this jersey. The dark blue with all the intricate details was so solid. The accent colors stand out beautifully. The diagonal in motion OKC is really on nice.

No. 1 2018: Yes, the color scheme has nothing to do with our current colors other than a few subtle uses in the accents but the design is fantastic and this jersey screams OKC like none other. It was unique in the league and a true reflection of honor and respect for our community and state. Bring these back. For my votes, this was the hands down winner.

Ed Godfrey
No. 8 is the first city edition jersey to not include “City” in the name, the 2020-21 version. Again, they are the Oklahoma City Thunder, not the Oklahoma Thunder. I think the jersey is ugly.

No. 7 is the first city edition jersey, the 2017-18 gray uniform. An orange and blue stripe with the OKC logo above it. Meh.

No. 6 is the simple all white city edition of 2021-22. I’m not a big fan of the all-white look with the OKC logo displayed vertically on the jersey, but it’s OK.

No. 5 2024-25 is the latest city edition jersey. I love the look and the colors that pop. This jersey would rate higher if it had the word “City” on it and not just “Oklahoma.” A city edition jersey without the word city?

No. 4 is the 2023-24 version. I like the vibrant colors of yellow and orange and the design is interesting and artistic.

No. 3 is the 2022-23 City edition jersey. A simple, but solid look with “Thunder” emblazoned across the chest. The “Oklahoma Standard” badge is displayed on the jersey.

No. 2 is the 2019-20 slate gray City edition tribute to the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. The gray uniforms with gold lettering and white accents are fantastic.

No. 1: My favorite City edition jersey is the 2018-19 turquoise version that paid tribute to Oklahoma’s Native American heritage. I love the color and the diamond influence in the OKC logo. It’s a sharp look.

So, what’s your favorite and least favorite among the Thunder’s City edition uniforms? Leave your thoughts on the City editions in the comments.

Clickbait always reels me in

Screenshot

I stumbled across an online headline last week that was so shocking that I couldn’t click on the story fast enough.

“The Phoenix Suns Will Trade Kevin Durant to the Oklahoma City Thunder,” the headline shouted.

What? Click.

Turns out it was only someone’s outlandish conjecturing with nothing to back it up. It wasn’t even a rumor.

In fact, the story led with an editor’s note that said “This article is a PREDICTION and not a REPORT.”

What it was, was “clickbait,” designed to pull in as many readers as possible because clicks equal eyeballs which equal advertising revenue.

I felt foolish for even clicking on the headline.

Still, I always click.

Clickbait seems to dominate the sports headlines you are likely to run across in a Google search or as a link found on your favorite social media platform.

For instance, I shared a headline I saw last week in a group text with my friends Steve Buck and Ed Godfrey that said “The Giannis to OKC discourse has started.”

Screenshot

Steve immediately responded, “Clickbait.”

Yeah, but I still clicked on it. Just call me gullible. I can’t NOT click when I see an intriguing-yet-preposterous headline.

Just a couple days ago I ran cross a headline that said Russell Westbrook sent the OKC Thunder a “message” after the Denver Nuggets sent the Thunder to their first defeat of the seas week.

I clicked on it, of course. Turns out, Russ didn’t exactly drop the Big One on the Thunder. Here’s the “message” Westbrook delivered during the course of a postgame interview:

“Right now they’ve got the best record but I feel like we’ve got a better team and tonight we showed that.”

Not exactly bulletin board material and not a pointed comment, really. But it captured my eyeballs with a click.

So we come to tonight. As I am writing this blog post, I came across yet another intriguing headline.

“A Bucks-Thunder trade sending Brook Lopez to OKC would benefit both sides”

What? Click. I AM gullible.

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What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot in OKC Baseball Club rebrand to ‘Comets’ … Or not much.

Comets scorebard — The Bricktown Ballpark scoreboard shows the team’s new name at reveal event.

The Oklahoma City Baseball Club revealed its new name, “Comets,” in a ceremony Saturday evening at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark witnessed by at least a couple thousand enthusiastic fans.

I was among those who showed up for the Big Reveal, so I can attest to the collective cheer that went up when the “Comets” name and logo appeared on the scoreboard screen.

I was not expecting “Comets,” although I’m not sure what I expected. Maybe “Flycatchers,” which my friend Ed Godfrey had predicted as the future team name. Or the “Waving Wheats” or something that related to Oklahoma.

An aside: There’s is already a “Flycatchers” team in Oklahoma in the Pecos League team Blackwell Flycatchers. Yes, Blackwell.

The OKC club tried hard to make “Comets” make sense for OKC baseball fans by linking it to Commerce, OK, native and MLB Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. If you are like me, over the age of 60 and a long-time baseball fan, you know that Mantle was known as the “Commerce Comet.”

But if you are, say, 30 years old and a casual baseball fan, you may not even know who Mickey Mantle is or that he was from Oklahoma or that he had the “Comet” nickname.

In its presentation that night at the ballpark, the team also pointed out that stadium is located on Mickey Mantle Drive.

I thought it was a pretty big reach to link the “Comet” name to Mantle, but not entirely out of order. The team also linked the “Comets” name to the number of astronauts who were native Oklahomans.

Now THAT is a reach.

Ed Godfrey attended the event with me, and he was pretty ambivalent to the “Comets.” If I remember correctly, he said “meh.”

But our mutual friend, Steve Buck, had a much stronger reaction. About two minutes after the “Comets” name reveal, Steve unloaded on the name in our group text.

“Comets!!!! Why? Help me understand please? I hate it”

Yes, but how do you really feel, Steve?

The reaction on social media was similar, with dozens of folks posting on Twitter (now X) their opposition to the new name.

Screenshot

However, they aren’t ALL negative. In fact, Whitley O’Connor, co-founder of the Curbside Chronicle, went so far as to declare it the “best name in OKC Baseball’s history.”

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Whitley makes a good point.

Before we left the “Comets” name reveal event on Saturday night at the Ballpark, I ran into my friend Russ Florence, and his son, Luke. Russ was all in on the new name, so I told him about Steve’s instant reaction.

“He’ll love it by the end of next season,” Russ predicted.

Bottom line: I’m pretty sure the actual name of the team won’t lure more people to the ballpark next year or drive any away. (Full disclosure: Steve Buck and I are both partial season ticket holders; and the team name won’t influence our decisions to follow the team)

Those of us who attend Comets games will be there just to watch some good ball, as my old editor, the late Bob Colon, would say.

As Ed and I were walking out of the stadium afterward, Ed said the name really didn’t matter because the team would change it in three years, anyway (presumably for the boost in merchandise sales, for you cynics).

If that is true, then the “Comets” name is perfect, I replied. A comet appears in the sky one night, and a few nights later it has disappeared.

And we’ll be on the the next name.

ACU Hall of Fame recognition for my friend Ron Hadfield … and a grand reunion

hadfield speaks — Ron Hadfield adjusts the mic as he speaks to the ACU Hall of Fame audience.

Ron Hadfield is a long-time friend who was my student editor on the Abilene Christian University newspaper, The Optimist, in 1977. Ron recently was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ACU Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony that I was privileged to attend.

I showed up on ACU’s doorstep in 1976 as a transfer student with a dream to some day become a newspaper sportswriter, but with virtually no writing experience.

To say that I was a raw talent would be overstating my ability and potential. I didn’t have a clue.

Ron likes to tell the story that on the first assignment he sent me out on, I turned in some terrible copy and proudly showed him the quotes I made up.

I deny the accuracy of his memory.

But he was a patient editor who helped me begin to find my way as a writer.

I didn’t know the intricacies of sports — especially basketball — as well as I thought I did, and Ron helped me learn strategies such as the double high stack offense used by ACU men’s basketball coach Willard Tate.

As we shared both the Optimist newsroom and numerous ACU classes, Ron became a good friend. We each had a keen interest in sports, baseball in particular, and we traveled to Arlington, Texas, with our mutual friend, Scott Kirk, to catch Texas Rangers games on several occasions.

Ron and I even traveled to Kingsville, Texas, together to watch the 1977 ACU-Texas A&M-Kingsville game, spending the night on the North Padre Island beach.

Our 1977-’78 Optimist staff of perhaps a dozen people became a team of close friends who spent late nights getting the paper out and often playing touch football well after midnight on the ACU campus. We were popular with campus security.

Optimist3 — Me (front row, right) with colleagues from The Optimist in 1978

Optimist staff members were all regulars at the home of Dr. Charlie Marler, who led ACU’s Journalism and Mass Communications department for many years both as professor and chair. I completed a guided study sportswriting course one summer where we met at the Marler home instead of on campus. Dr. Marler passed away in 2022.

Anyway, I graduated in August of 1978, while Ron went on to serve a second year as editor of The Optimist before graduating in 1979. I’ve never let our friendship totally lapse, even if communication was only through occasional emails or texts.

After his graduation, Ron briefly worked in private industry back in his home state of Michigan, then returned to ACU to lead the university’s marketing efforts.

For the next 40-plus years, virtually every written word, advertisement, branding strategy and logo created on behalf of Abilene Christian University was either produced or led by Ron. He was founding editor of the university’s fabulous alumni publication, ACU Today, and led the school’s development of its online presence with the emergence of the Internet.

Ron wrote many cover stories for ACU Today, as well as blog posts and news releases that captured some of the school’s iconic moments over the past four decades.

The only person to be twice named the university’s Staff Member of the Year, Ron was named ACU editor emeritus, senior writer and university historian in 2022.

So, when Dr. Cheryl Mann Bacon invited me to sit at her table at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes.’ Also at the table were fellow former Optimist staff members Scott Kirk (and his wife, Nancy) and Corliss Hudson Englert (along with her husband, Brad), as well as Peggy Marler, Dr. Marler’s wife of 67 years.

Dr. Bacon also was part of our Optimist group, although she was working on her master’s degree by the time I landed on campus.

acu group — From left, Scott Kirk, Jim Stafford, Peggy Marler, Ron Hadfield, Corliss Hudson Englert, Brad Englert, Cheryl Mann Bacon

It was an awesome evening in a banquet hall setting among about 200 or so ACU alums who watched as Ron was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and five former athletes were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Although I’ve never had the opportunity to experience any of ACU’s class reunions, this was the best of reunions for me.

Thanks for the invitation, Cheryl.

Shining a light on mental illness

NAMI Tulsa — NAMI-Tulsa’s clever ‘psychiatric help’ display caught a lot of attention and photographers at the NAMI Oklahoma conference.

This past weekend, I heard stories about the heartache, disruption and pain caused by the impacts of mental illness on families and their loved ones.

I also heard that there is hope for those suffering.

NAMI Oklahoma held its 2024 Annual Conference in Tulsa on Saturday, and because my wife works for the organization, I tagged along. NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, an organization that works to end the stigma of mental illness.

NAMI doesn’t provide therapy, but helps connect those in need with critical services, as well as with support from their peers in similar situations.

Our family is among those that have been impacted by mental illness, so I found the conference and its many speakers and topics relevant to our situation.

There were roughly 150 folks in attendance, plus about two dozen vendors who showcased their support at tables outside the meeting rooms.

My intentions were to hear presentations by a couple of folks I know, then take care of our 5 year-old grandson, Solomon, who came with us.

The first presentation I heard was that of Neal Nordlinger in the day’s first breakout session. I’ve had a lot of connections with Neal through the years, first when I worked at i2E, the OKC-based not-for-profit that mentors entrepreneurs and startups. And now I know him as the husband of my friend and former co-worker, Clytie Bunyan.

Neal speaks — Neal Nordlinger leads session at NAMI Oklahoma conference on finding the right rehab.

Anyway, Neal told his audience about how he was confronted with consequences of addiction at 3 a.m. one morning when he received a call that his son was in crisis. He needed to find a treatment center for his son, but didn’t know where to start.

That call started Neal down a path of discovery, where he learned about recovery and rehab centers that treat not only for drug and alcohol addiction, but also provide treatment for mental health conditions.

In his quest, Neal gained so much knowledge about the nation’s rehab industry that he wrote a book called “The Right Rehab,” and founded a business called InCrisis Consultants to help others. He shared with us insight into finding a rehab center that has a good reputation, the required certifications and fits our insurance and financial situation.

It’s quite a maze, which I know from past experience of our family.

As an aside, my daughter, Sarah, has worked for rehab centers in Florida for the past couple of years. I’m proud that she’s discovered her mission in life from her own challenges.

After his presentation, I told Neal that everyone at the conference should have heard him speak, and for good reason. Everyone was there because they have a loved one with addiction, mental health challenges or have gone through them personally.

There is a big rehab knowledge gap for most of us that Neal addressed.

Later in the day, I heard my friend Preston Northcraft deliver an impassioned presentation on turning the pain associated with a mental health condition into something positive.

That’s exactly what Preston, who suffers from a bipolar condition and gambling addiction, has done. He delivered a message of hope for other young people by assuring them they are not alone in their condition, and offered steps to overcome mental health challenges and live a successful life.

Preston has also written a couple of books about mental illness. HIs presentation showed that he has emerged as an engaging speaker. He turned his pain into a positive.

Finally, for me, the most impactful story I heard at the conference was that of keynote speaker, Dr. Christine Kunzweiler, a veterinarian and wife of Tulsa District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.

Dr. Kunzweiler shared the story of the journey her family has been on after her daughter, while in the midst of mental health crisis in 2022, stabbed her father, Steve Kunzweiler. The incident resulted in the Kunzweiler’s daughter serving a long period in jail before eventually being found not guilty by reasons of mental impairment.

The mental illness her daughter suffered from and the family crisis it created inspired both Dr. Kunzweiler and her husband to become advocates for mental health reforms and services.

While Steve Kunzweiler survived the incident with minor wounds, it is a similar story — but less tragic — to that of Oklahoma Labor Commissioner Mark Costello. Many Oklahomans are familiar with the story of how Costello lost his life when he was stabbed to death by his son, who suffered from a severe mental illness.

Today, Mark Costello’s wife, Cathy Costello, has become a fierce advocate for crisis intervention and speaks frequently on the subject.

I came away from Dr. Kunzweiler’s speech grateful that she’s willing to share her family’s story in a public way when there is still such a stigma surrounding mental illness.

Her experience and story provided something her audience needed to hear — that we are not alone in our challenging situations. Many others face the same challenges.

She gave us hope that we can emerge from dark days with a new purpose and shine a light to help end the stigma of mental illness.

The ‘Inspiration Board’ at the NAMI Oklahoma conference was filled with notes of encouragement

Down the Internet Rabbit Hole to a worthy discovery

I have a love-hate relationship with this thing we call the Internet. First off, it’s great to have virtually all the knowledge of the world at your fingertips.

However, I’m led down the Internet rabbit hole of memes, videos and questionable information several times a day. It’s the ultimate trivial pursuit.

But, sometimes the rabbit hole I’ve tumbled into delivers something surprisingly worthy.

I’ll share an absolute favorite with you. It’s a Youtube video of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra featuring former Styx lead singer Tommy Shaw.

Founded in 1995 and based in Cleveland, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra is composed of high school-age students who play contemporary music instead of the classics. Here’s how the not-for-profit orchestra is described on its Website:

“Contemporary Youth Orchestra is committed to the study and performance of exclusively contemporary and new orchestral music, with a focus on introducing students to careers in the creative arts industries.”

Anyway, the first Contemporary Youth Orchestra recording I came across features Shaw singing the Styx hit Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man). I’m mesmerized by the musical skill level of the young musicians, and by the focus and enthusiasm they put into the performance.

You can watch it below:

Shaw’s rendition of the Styx classic is also superb, helping me as listener grasp the meaning of the song that I previously only heard in passing. It’s well worth your time to watch and listen. Plus, Shaw also sings other Styx songs with the orchestra, including Blue Collar Man.

Turns out, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra has performed with dozens of well known singers and musicians, including the full Styx group, Jefferson Starship, Pat Benatar, Kenny Loggins, Jon Anderson and many others.

I had no idea that such an orchestra existed or that accomplished contemporary artists would play with them. I don’t get out much, obviously.

So I asked my friend and neighbor, Christy Fine, about the subject. Christy is a long-time orchestra teacher, now retired, in the Edmond School District.

She said it’s fairly common for high school and other orchestras to bring in and feature a well known musician in their performances. The Edmond district has hosted several such performances through the years, she said.

“It is a great way to expose kids to professional musicians,” Christy told me. “They (the featured musicians) send you the music ahead of time, then come and spend a day in rehearsal and then a big performance. We found they are great motivators for the kids.”

I’ve watched the Tommy Shaw/Contemporary Youth Orchestra performances multiple times since I found it a couple years ago. The Youtube version of Fooling Yourself has 6 million views, so it’s fairly popular.

Watch the performance of Blue Collar Man below:

Yes, Youtube can be a rabbit hole for someone browsing the Internet.

But, this time, I’m glad the trail led me to this video and to the Contemporary Youth Orchestra performances.

BONUS: Watch a promo for the Edmond Public Schools Fine Arts program here:

The Populous impact on OKC sports venues & my friend, Brady Spencer

Brady and John — Brady Spencer with his son, John, outside Kansas City’s Union Station during the 2023 NFL draft.

A recent update in The Oklahoman newspaper on the new OG&E Coliseum under construction at the State Fairgrounds identified it as a venue designed by a firm named “Populous.”

In an even more recent story, I learned that Populous has been hired to design the new $71 million soccer stadium just south of OKC’s Bricktown.

I think I’m noticing a trend.

There’s more.

I learned from other sources that Populous designed the fabulous OKC Convention Center, which opened in 2020. And Populous was hired to design Paycom Center’s upgrades in 2022.

Populous also is among the candidates to design OKC’s new $1 billion(ish) arena that will soon be built on the site of what was once known as The Myriad. It’s right across the street from Paycom Center.

So, what exactly is Populous?

Turns out, it is an international architecture firm and the nation’s leading (by revenue) sports architecture company, based in Kansas City, Mo.

Populous has satellite offices around the world — including Norman, OK — and boasts a portfolio of more than 3,000 projects globally, including Wembley Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, Oriole Park at Camden Yards and many others.

Actually, Populous has been on my personal radar for quite some time because a close family friend named Brady Spencer is a Senior Principal/Senior Architect with the firm in its Kansas City office.

Some background:

I moved to Mena, Ark., in the summer of 1972, a year out of high school, and became acquainted with Greg and Lynelle Spencer.

At a banquet in the fall of 1972, they told me they were expecting their first child, who turned out to be Brady. They have another adult son, Matthew, who lives in Georgia.

The Spencers relocated to Springdale, Ark., when Brady was in the fourth grade, so most of his youth was spent in Northwest Arkansas. I stayed in touch with the Spencer family across the years.

So, after seeing the Populous-OKC link, I decided to call Brady and ask him about his career and role with Populous.

An avid fan of University of Arkansas sports as a child — “I remember going to Razorback football games with Dad” — Brady naturally enrolled at the Fayetteville school after high school.

Brady majored in architecture and graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Architecture in 1996. He told me that he began contemplating post-graduation employment and location in the fourth year of the five-year architectural program.

Brady settled on Kansas City and joined what was then known as HOK-Sports in 1996. He’s been with the firm ever since, although it evolved into Populous in 2009 when he and a group of fellow HOK architects spun out into their own company they called Populous.

“This last May was my 28th anniversary with the firm,” he told me.

Along the way, Brady married (Joanie), had a son (John), earned a Master of Architecture Management from the University of Kansas and has been on the design team for some of the nation’s most notable sports venues.

Among them have been NRG Stadium in Houston, State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arrowhead Stadium renovation in Kansas City, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., and many others.

“I’ve focused on NFL stadiums and some college football,” Brady said. “I’ve worked with our Populous Event team that partners with the NFL on (venue oversight for) 21 Super Bowls. It’s most rewarding doing it in a stadium that I designed.”

Back in 2009, his alma mater came calling for renovations and updates on facilities across the University of Arkansas campus, including Razorback Stadium. Brady is not only an alum, but football season ticket holder.

“That one was near and dear to my heart, having grown up there and gone to school there,” he said. “I was just there yesterday (Sept. 14) when John and I went to the Razorback game. It’s fun to see the stadium every time I go back to a game.”

While Brady Spencer has not been directly involved in any of the OKC projects — the Fairgrounds Arena, the OKC Convention Center, the Paycom Center renovations, the upcoming soccer venue — he told me he’s aware of the Populous role in all of them.

“The thing about all our projects, it’s not ever just one person,” he said. “It always takes a team of us to complete.”

I’d call that 28 years of institutional knowledge.