I’ve been absolutely stunned to see the reaction on NewsOK.com and Facebook on Brooks’ firing. Truly. I’m just ranting here, but . . .
I’ve lived in Oklahoma long enough to witness the Oklahoma syndrome of “but he’s a good guy”. I see it locally and I see it now.
My question to those people are — have they been to many games, the fans that love him so much? The television viewing doesn’t show it all and watching them up close and personal it’s been beyond frustrating for years. The play clipboard with “Give it to Durant” written Sharpie, the rotation going by the time left in the quarter, not by how anyone is or is not playing. The yanking of guys on a hot streak because it’s “time” for them to sit down. The standard starting line-up, the rarely calling timeout when another team is catching up on our lead until it’s too late. It was funny at times to watch the way other coaches would out-coach him with the substitutions and predictability our team brought to the court.
I could go on and on.. the time management of minutes of Durant over the years. That poor kid, literally the phrase “they shoot horses, don’t they?” comes to mind when he was so overplayed because he & Russ were our only answer. I’ve wondered many times how much of his foot injury is caused by the number of 40 minute games he had to play because he was our only answer and it sure didn’t look like we had any playbook.
My dislike of Brooks goes way back to the Earl Watson years when his vindictiveness and pettiness seemed to rear its head. Perhaps there was something to the problems, but it was very puzzling and frustrating to watch and made us keep an eye on the way he handled the players who were not named Westbrook and Durant.
And as to the people who are unhappy with Bennett.. omg.. are you kidding me, what he and Presti have done for the city is incredible. They both live and breath OKC.. From what I understand Brooks’ family doesn’t even live here anymore, surprising for someone who is supposedly part of the fabric of our city (according to the many complainers about the firing).
whew.. I am beyond excited for a new chapter, perhaps we will even start watching the press conferences after the games again instead of muting when Brooks comes on with his “gonna watch films” and “gotta give them credit” pat phrases.
It was funny, within minutes of the announcement I had messages from a professional basketball writer in NYC, Raptor fans in Canada, folks in California . along with dozens of locals… all asking one thing. “Are You Dancing in the Streets?”
Yes I was and still am
