OSU'S DILEMMA
Gundy's politics leads to quagmire for university
Mike Gundy's job status remains unknown. Will OSU keep the hero/ head coach and try to weather the storm that struck when superstar tailback Chuba Hubbard, not exactly a rabble-rouser, tweeted that he was boycotting all things Cowboys “until things CHANGE”?
Will OSU fire Gundy for damaging the university brand and take its chances that the school can avoid the buyout that could reach $17 million?
I don't know and I assume the decision-makers don't know, either. Not yet.
Even if the OSU administration determines that Gundy should go, can it jettison the school's most successful football coach, without hacking off a big chunk of the fan base?
OSU is damned if it fires Gundy and damned if it doesn't. Rock, meet hard place.
That's the university's dilemma after Gundy foolishly turned political in April, then didn't learn from his mistake. Sure, wearing a One America News T-shirt is publicrelations small potatoes. But remember what broke the camel's back.
That OAN T-shirt could be the final straw in a series of frequent hostilities between Gundy and OSU decision-makers. I don't know who is left in Gundy's corner, other
than fans turned off by player empowerment.
Not big-time donors, even with Boone Pickens gone.
Not athletic director Mike Holder, who when players past and present supported Hubbard en masse responded with the most serious short statement you're bound to read: “This afternoon has been very disturbing. The tweets from the current and former players are of grave concern.”
Not the players, despite Gundy's subsequent apology.
Not the regents, who historically have supported Gundy but surely are tired of these selfinflicted wounds to the university's reputation.
If you want good news, there is some. An OSU source said that the school's investigation of player unrest so far has uncovered little to no racial turbulence, at least not until Gundy double-downed on endorsing President Trump, and that jives with what former players have said about Gundy.
It appears instead to be a disconnect problem. It might be that instead of a poor relationship with his players, Gundy instead has little relationship at all.
Maybe that's why the T-shirt was the straw. Maybe Hubbard saw other prominent coaches either marching with or speaking out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, then saw his own coach touting a pro-Trump network.
Either way, stepping into politics is not good business, no matter if you step right or left. If Gundy had endorsed Joe Biden and donned an MSNBC T-shirt, he's not likely to have alienated his ballplayers. But a big piece of OSU's fan base could have been offended. Oklahoma is Trump territory; OSU's fan base is heavy with Trump supporters.
And Gundy shouldn't be estranging his fan base any more than he estranges his team. Players can more immediately make trouble for a coach, but the fans can catch up quick.
That's why you don't see your grocery store or your insurance agent or your car dealers promoting political candidates. It's nothing personal, it's just business. They want to sell to both sides.
Gundy's eventual apologies — “I was a dumbass” — were necessary for player relations but only further flamed fan emotions. Some were dismayed that Gundy capitulated.
So now everyone in Stillwater seems mad at everyone else. Players mad at Gundy. Fans mad at players. Administration mad at Gundy. Fans mad at the administration. Everyone mad at the media. Fans on both sides of the political aisle mad at Gundy.
It all seems to point to OSU needing a fresh start, but firing Gundy would not extinguish all the flames between the rock and the hard place.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at oklahoman.com/berrytramel.