Thursday, March 8, 2007

OKC rolls out red (and blue) carpet

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Reader poll

How will KU do in the Big 12 tournament?

  • Win it all 74% 1809 votes
  • Lose in championship 16% 409 votes
  • Lose in semifinal 4% 104 votes
  • Lose in quarterfinal 1% 40 votes
  • Undecided 2% 61 votes

2423 total votes.

Color Jim Cowan crimson and blue.

His iconic restaurant, Bricktown Brewery, is firmly established as the place to be for Kansas University fans flocking to Oklahoma City for this weekend's Big 12 Basketball Tournament.

Never mind that he's normally surrounded by Oklahoma Sooners.

"I bleed crimson and cream. I'm a big OU fan," said Cowan, who owns the place that holds the title as both state's first legal brewery since Prohibition and KU alumni headquarters for the tournament. "Now I'm all blue, because it's great on the pocketbook."

Sure, holding court as a No. 1 seed, standing as a traditional national powerhouse and toting a legion of hoops-hungry fans can make a business owner switch stripes. But can it bring a tournament title?

Mike Davis, senior vice president for the KU Alumni Association sure hopes so. He's loading up a crew of compatriots and boxes upon boxes of Jayhawk souvenirs for the trip down Interstate 35, where he expects anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 KU fans to file into the Ford Center and nearby watering holes to catch the action.

"It's an easy drive for a lot of people," he said.

Of course, another path awaits: the Road to the Final Four, which won't begin formally until the NCAA Tournament begins next week.

KU headed to OKC

¢ The KU men's basketball team departs from the southern end of Allen Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. today for a motorcoach trip to Forbes Field in Topeka. The team is taking a charter flight to Oklahoma City.

¢ There is no public practice scheduled for the team, which is staying at the Oklahoma City Marriott, about 15 minutes from the Ford Center.

¢ A pep rally for fans is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at Bricktown Brewery. For more information, click on www.kualumni.org/basketball.

Comments

Sigmund (anonymous) says...

I can only be there in spirit only. go hawks!

March 8, 2007 at 7:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

more six-pac mentality. more people thinking beer and sports go together. go drink a coke and you will remember the game!

March 8, 2007 at 9:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

more six-pac mentality. more people thinking beer and sports go together. go drink a coke and you will remember the game
ever wonder why the beer people spend billions of dollars brain washing the public.
and i do have a beer once in a while. just got smart and quit giving my bucks to millionares brewing beer. they kill more people every year than Iraq does!

March 8, 2007 at 9:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Did this somehow turn into a Puritanical Fundamentalists' board?

Its all about choice and responsibility. If you dig it, do it. If not, don't.

I'm just amazed that KU fans would give their business to the owner of a bar that admits to being an OU fan but will 'switch sides' just for their money. All he really wants is to see all the KU fans become dejected in 'his house' if OU comes close to pulling the upset on Friday. If that doesn't happen, he'll still take their money.

No thnx~

March 8, 2007 at 9:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mr_lawrence (anonymous) says...

Yes, better to have our young men in Iraq than back home drinking beer! Good one, speedy.

As for the tournament, it'd be nice to see KU avenge losses to both Tech and A&M. And I think we will. Rock Chalk!

March 8, 2007 at 9:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

I fully understand your sentiments, jayceph, but I think it's nice to have a place down there for the Jayhawk fans to go to. Bricktown is nice, but there really aren't that many of this type of places to gather. It's nice that KU got the one they did, as opposed to UT, aTm, or the Oklahoma schools.

And speedy, I think I'll drink a couple in your honor tonight, tomorrow night, and then again on Sat. Matter of fact, I might just get plowed Sat. night. What's more, I have yet to kill anyone!

March 8, 2007 at 9:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Ramirez, I understand the business side of things, I truly do. I can't fault him for wanting to increase his margins... he just sounds smarmy doing it.

I'd just as soon go to the grocery, get my brew of choice, go back to the hotel room and host a watch party of my own. If I were doing that, you'd all be invited.

Ralk Chalk J-Halk!

March 8, 2007 at 10:01 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Screw Bricktown Brewery, the best place for KU folk to gather down there is a little dive called Edna's. It's a lot like the Crossing Bullwinkles, or 'The Bull,' in Lawrence except they can sell booze there--they make a mean 'Lunchbox.' After one particularly fantastic night there a couple years back, I donated my KU shirt to the bar and they hung it up, and by all accounts from friends that live in OKC the shirt is still there. Edna's rocks and so do the 'hawks!!

March 8, 2007 at 10:48 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

oops meant to put an 'or' in between Crossing and Bullwinkles for the grammar police

March 8, 2007 at 10:49 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

gaiapapaya (anonymous) says...

I know that brewery used to sell bud light, too. Or at least they did in 1998. That's the last time I was there.

What kind of brewery has bud light?!?

March 8, 2007 at 10:50 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

A brewery catering to the less-adventuresome. You know, people that might normally root for OU. tee hee :)

March 8, 2007 at 10:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

Actually, I'll go burn some brain cells every night of the Big 12 tournament by cracking open a case of beer. I will then wake up the next morning take two advil and then read the Lawrence-Journal articles about KU. I will scoff, agree, then disagree and then laugh about most of the comments people had posted about that article. After all is said and done, I will have built enough dendrites to make up for my lost brain cells during the previous evening.

Being that Jayceph and JRoss are in med-school and seem to have a higher intellect than most of the rest of us, I'm sure they can comment on this highly debatable topic about dendrites. Those are some crazy little neurons. I just wish they would spend more time trying to figure out how to better healthcare system than spending an hour a day writing 8 posts. Either way, I enjoy your posts, but I hope you cure cancer.

March 8, 2007 at 11:03 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

markjhawk76 (anonymous) says...

Whatever Rock's everyone's boat is great! Whether you want to stay in your room or cover the Town, all that matters is that you tout the red & blue.

If you were in Ft Worth for our Bowl Game you know what I'm talking about. No greater feeling than seeing the Hawk faithful everywhere. Then following it up with a win.

let's run the table like florida did last year.

rock chalk forever

March 8, 2007 at 11:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Wanna see how much each coach makes? Kinda interesting...

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colleg...

March 8, 2007 at 12:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

fabio (anonymous) says...

Speedy- way to blame the brewers and not the irresponsible people drinking the beer. You make no sense.
Brewers dont kill people, irresponsible drinkers kill people.
Studio 66 sucks, they cant get the scores right and the announcers are really confused.

March 8, 2007 at 12:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

RckChalkJeff (anonymous) says...

Speedy...your an Idiot..

March 8, 2007 at 2:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

vmwskywalk (anonymous) says...

Speedy- you forgot beer drinking individuals with guns. They are really dangerous.

March 8, 2007 at 4:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

in perioa,ill there is a distillery for hard liquor. there excuse for the results of drunk people is they make booze to seel not drink!
see the billions spent have brainwashed too.

March 8, 2007 at 5:57 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

moorobs5 (anonymous) says...

I only drink the good beer. My everyday beer is Sierra Nevada. When I order in a bar/restaraunt and ask what's on tap I cringe until they get past the Miller/Bud /Coors stuff and get to the more interesting beers. Thank goodness there's a basketball game tomorrow. Who knows where we would go with these dicussions. Expect more of same waiting for 1st round match-up on Thurs or Fri.
Go Hawks
you're not your
their not there

March 8, 2007 at 6:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )