What Bedlam Means to Me (An OU Fan)
Bedlam… this is the part where you assumed I would give you the literal definition of the word like every other article you’ve ever read about Bedlam. Not this time. The reason? The true Oklahoma sports fan, the one who bleeds his or her crimson and orange blood, knows exactly what the word Bedlam means. It triggers a massive chain reaction that consumes our whole week. We constantly check our Facebook timelines, searching for our friends who root for the enemy and the latest jabs they have to offer, or the classic memes that range from the ‘Stoops we did it again’, to a Pokes fan engaging in questionable acts at best with Rudolph — the reindeer — not the quarterback. A week filled with researching stats, favorable matchups, expert analysis, and….again…the memes, sadly. While the week of Bedlam definitely brings out its fair share of bitterness and dislike between two fan bases, it also unifies the two for almost 4 hours on the same field, and boy, is it some kind of special.
When I think of Bedlam, of course I think of the current players and coaches, weighing the odds for each team, anxious to see who will prevail in that year’s edition of the game. However, its also a time where I reflect on the teams and players that came before them in this great, tradition filled rivalry. Adrian Peterson, Brandon Weeden, Jason White, Rashaun Woods — take a breath — Sam Bradford, Dez Bryant, Mark Clayton, and Barry Frickin’ Sanders! Are you kidding me? This is the list of players that this game and these two schools have produced over the years, and that’s a mere fraction of the players worth listing.
What’s even more impressive are the accolades that these players have earned. Bedlam has featured six Heisman winners and 193 total All-Americans. I mean, six Heisman winners isn’t a bad total I guess, seeing that there are 80 schools who have yet to see one of their own strike the Heisman pose. Let’s be honest, that number should be seven since Adrian Peterson was robbed in 2004 when he was just a true Freshman. He posted 1,925 yards, which just so happened to be a freshman record. Thanks Matt Leinart.
Now we’ve discussed the great players Bedlam has produced, but what about the actual games that have been played on the field. Here’s a look at a few of the games and moments that have stuck with me over the years.
2001 — Josh Fields throws over Sooner great and future Thorpe winner Derrick Straight to Rashaun Woods in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown to seal the biggest upset in Bedlam history.
2004 — Who could forget Adrian Peterson’s 80-yard run? The only thing more beautiful than watching AD gallop down the field with that famous head bobble, was that dirty spin move that sprung it.
2010 — In the last few minutes of the game, Landry Jones was able to toss two touchdowns of 86 yards to Cameron Kenney and 76 yards to James Hanna in a back-and-forth game that included Justin Gilbert’s 89-yard kickoff return TD.
2014 — Big Game Bob decides to punt the ball not once, but twice to speedy returner Tyreke Hill after running into the kicker was called. Not only did the Sooners lose the game, but that single decision is arguably the worst coaching decision of Stoops career.
In reality Bedlam is just one game that counts the same as the other conference games, but this game offers fans bragging rights for an entire year. The banter doesn’t just stop a week or two after the game. When these two teams step on the field nothing else matters in the state of Oklahoma — not the rankings, the writers, or anything they have accomplished earlier in the season.
So, what I say to you as we sit here on the heels of the 111th meeting between the two state schools is to sit back, relax, and stop looking at the memes.
Seriously, it’s bad for your health.
