I want to formally thank all of you who have waited patiently for OUInsider to make its return to the interwebs.
As you can probably imagine, this is more than a website or a job to me. It’s a passion project. It’s something I genuinely love. What I enjoy most is building and cultivating relationships, then using those relationships to bring Sooners fans the most accurate intel, news, stories and content possible every single day.
I’d be lying if I said the last few months weren’t difficult for me and my family. I took two weeks to gather my thoughts and honestly decide what I wanted to do next. I spoke with people in the industry whose opinions and ideas I trust. I talked with fans and others about what they valued most from me and the kind of content they wanted moving forward.
Most importantly, I took a long, introspective look at myself.
Did I really want to continue doing this?
Did I still love it?
Was it the right decision for my family?
Was this what God was calling me to do?
Every answer came back with a resounding YES!
So, here we are.
The new OUInsider is live, but it is far from a finished product—and that is intentional. We want to build this with you, not simply for you.
We will have a dedicated thread where members can share ideas about the content they want covered, improvements they would like to see on the website, message-board features and anything else that would make OUInsider a better experience.
This site is here for YOU.
I am here for YOU.
Every person we add to this staff—and yes, there will be several additions over the next few months—will be here for YOU.
I want everyone to remember that because, before I ever covered Oklahoma, I was one of you. I grew up a die-hard Sooners fan. I ran around my front yard pretending to be Jamelle Holieway, breaking imaginary tackles and believing the triple option and wishbone were the greatest things ever created.
I was a 17-year-old high school student when the Sooners won national championship No. 7. I cried while watching it with my father—and he did, too. At the time, he was about the same age I am now.
After Oklahoma beat Colorado in Boulder in 1986, I was picked up and put on the shoulders of Keith Jackson and Brian Bosworth. Troy Johnson gave me his Bike elbow pad, and I still have it to this day.
I was also sitting in the stands when Donovan McNabb and Syracuse came to Norman and Corey Ivy blocked the potential game-winning field goal, giving John Blake and the Sooners some much-needed confidence.
My family had season tickets for years. Oklahoma football has always been part of my life.
That is the point: I understand what this program means to you because it means the same thing to me. I understand the anticipation, the excitement, the frustration and the pride because I have experienced all of it right alongside you.
As OUInsider grows and expands, we have plans that will reflect that shared passion.
We are going to report what we know. We are going to deliver sourced insider intel as accurately and responsibly as possible. We are going to cover Sooners football, recruiting and Oklahoma athletics with the effort and attention they deserve.
Just as importantly, we are going to build a fun, informed community where our members have a voice and know they are being heard.
This is your site, too.
We hope you’ll enjoy the ride as we build OUInsider back into something special. Thank you for believing in us, supporting us and allowing us the opportunity to serve this fan base again.
Welcome to the new OUInsider.
LET’S GET THIS THING GOING!
#Boomer 👊🏼💪🏼
