RIP Billy Tubbs

[MakeItRain]

Middle school me will never forgive him for losing to Danny and the Miracles in the championship game.

My favorite Tubbs memory: after a 62-61 win quote headline in the Collegian: "I don't give a crap how good they are. We're going to beat the hell out of them in Norman."

Result in Norman: 67-63 Cats.

Two days before my 11th birthday, we celebrated it the day of the final four and I had an OU birthday cake. I cried like a baby when OU lost.

[MakeItRain]

This was a great story from kso

It was 1987 and it was late in our season. We were playing ou in Norman. Had to bus because of fog in Norman and okc. Got there like 3 hrs before game time. Did walk through in hotel ball room. Fast forward to 1:30 left in game and we’re down 10. ~:10 seconds left and we had cut it to 1. Our ball sideline in front of their bench. Bledsoe inbounded to me, bounce pass to Henson on the run and I still remember either Mookie or Seiger almost poked it away but didn’t. Steve penetrates middle and Mitch pops to left elbow where Steve kicks to him. He catches and elevates for the jumper. As the ball’s in the air I’m under the basket watching it come through to win 90-89 at the buzzer. As we’re finishing the on court celebration Steve and I slowly start heading to the lockerroom when we notice Tubbs coming at us with a purpose. He walks straight up to us and says “great win” and then grabs Steve by the front of his shirt on his chest and says....”Henson, You know what i love about you??” Steve says “uhhhhh no....”. Tubbs says “you’re and ornery little fker just like me!” Didnt crack a smile, turned away and walked off as quickly as he’d come. Never looked back. He was a funny guy and really brought the Big 8 a ton of exposure. The next season 5 of the top 17 picks were from the Big 8. It was a tough, tough, league.

[Fedor]

This was a great story from kso

It was 1987 and it was late in our season. We were playing ou in Norman. Had to bus because of fog in Norman and okc. Got there like 3 hrs before game time. Did walk through in hotel ball room. Fast forward to 1:30 left in game and we’re down 10. ~:10 seconds left and we had cut it to 1. Our ball sideline in front of their bench. Bledsoe inbounded to me, bounce pass to Henson on the run and I still remember either Mookie or Seiger almost poked it away but didn’t. Steve penetrates middle and Mitch pops to left elbow where Steve kicks to him. He catches and elevates for the jumper. As the ball’s in the air I’m under the basket watching it come through to win 90-89 at the buzzer. As we’re finishing the on court celebration Steve and I slowly start heading to the lockerroom when we notice Tubbs coming at us with a purpose. He walks straight up to us and says “great win” and then grabs Steve by the front of his shirt on his chest and says....”Henson, You know what i love about you??” Steve says “uhhhhh no....”. Tubbs says “you’re and ornery little fker just like me!” Didnt crack a smile, turned away and walked off as quickly as he’d come. Never looked back. He was a funny guy and really brought the Big 8 a ton of exposure. The next season 5 of the top 17 picks were from the Big 8. It was a tough, tough, league.

Who is the storyteller?

[MakeItRain]

This was a great story from kso

It was 1987 and it was late in our season. We were playing ou in Norman. Had to bus because of fog in Norman and okc. Got there like 3 hrs before game time. Did walk through in hotel ball room. Fast forward to 1:30 left in game and we’re down 10. ~:10 seconds left and we had cut it to 1. Our ball sideline in front of their bench. Bledsoe inbounded to me, bounce pass to Henson on the run and I still remember either Mookie or Seiger almost poked it away but didn’t. Steve penetrates middle and Mitch pops to left elbow where Steve kicks to him. He catches and elevates for the jumper. As the ball’s in the air I’m under the basket watching it come through to win 90-89 at the buzzer. As we’re finishing the on court celebration Steve and I slowly start heading to the lockerroom when we notice Tubbs coming at us with a purpose. He walks straight up to us and says “great win” and then grabs Steve by the front of his shirt on his chest and says....”Henson, You know what i love about you??” Steve says “uhhhhh no....”. Tubbs says “you’re and ornery little fker just like me!” Didnt crack a smile, turned away and walked off as quickly as he’d come. Never looked back. He was a funny guy and really brought the Big 8 a ton of exposure. The next season 5 of the top 17 picks were from the Big 8. It was a tough, tough, league.

Who is the storyteller?

Some poster on the site, don't know, presumably a dude who played on the 86-87 cats hoops team

[Fedor]

This was a great story from kso

It was 1987 and it was late in our season. We were playing ou in Norman. Had to bus because of fog in Norman and okc. Got there like 3 hrs before game time. Did walk through in hotel ball room. Fast forward to 1:30 left in game and we’re down 10. ~:10 seconds left and we had cut it to 1. Our ball sideline in front of their bench. Bledsoe inbounded to me, bounce pass to Henson on the run and I still remember either Mookie or Seiger almost poked it away but didn’t. Steve penetrates middle and Mitch pops to left elbow where Steve kicks to him. He catches and elevates for the jumper. As the ball’s in the air I’m under the basket watching it come through to win 90-89 at the buzzer. As we’re finishing the on court celebration Steve and I slowly start heading to the lockerroom when we notice Tubbs coming at us with a purpose. He walks straight up to us and says “great win” and then grabs Steve by the front of his shirt on his chest and says....”Henson, You know what i love about you??” Steve says “uhhhhh no....”. Tubbs says “you’re and ornery little fker just like me!” Didnt crack a smile, turned away and walked off as quickly as he’d come. Never looked back. He was a funny guy and really brought the Big 8 a ton of exposure. The next season 5 of the top 17 picks were from the Big 8. It was a tough, tough, league.

Who is the storyteller?

Some poster on the site, don't know, presumably a dude who played on the 86-87 cats hoops team

I think I may know the guy is the reason I was asking.  What his handle on kso?

[Skipper44]

without looking at the box score my guess is Mark Dobbins

[Dr. Fausto Rindón]

without looking at the box score my guess is Mark Dobbins

My assumption as well (assuming everyone was wanting my opinion).

[Dr. Fausto Rindón]

Does anyone remember a pregame skit where Willie drove a RC car into/near Tubbs to spoof his accident?

[MakeItRain]

This was a great story from kso

It was 1987 and it was late in our season. We were playing ou in Norman. Had to bus because of fog in Norman and okc. Got there like 3 hrs before game time. Did walk through in hotel ball room. Fast forward to 1:30 left in game and we’re down 10. ~:10 seconds left and we had cut it to 1. Our ball sideline in front of their bench. Bledsoe inbounded to me, bounce pass to Henson on the run and I still remember either Mookie or Seiger almost poked it away but didn’t. Steve penetrates middle and Mitch pops to left elbow where Steve kicks to him. He catches and elevates for the jumper. As the ball’s in the air I’m under the basket watching it come through to win 90-89 at the buzzer. As we’re finishing the on court celebration Steve and I slowly start heading to the lockerroom when we notice Tubbs coming at us with a purpose. He walks straight up to us and says “great win” and then grabs Steve by the front of his shirt on his chest and says....”Henson, You know what i love about you??” Steve says “uhhhhh no....”. Tubbs says “you’re and ornery little fker just like me!” Didnt crack a smile, turned away and walked off as quickly as he’d come. Never looked back. He was a funny guy and really brought the Big 8 a ton of exposure. The next season 5 of the top 17 picks were from the Big 8. It was a tough, tough, league.

Who is the storyteller?

Some poster on the site, don't know, presumably a dude who played on the 86-87 cats hoops team

I think I may know the guy is the reason I was asking.  What his handle on kso?

cfpcat

[O-town Kat]

Checking in as a another near miss OU fan. Grew up in Tulsa ages 2 - 10, first exposure to college fball, bball were very good OU teams in the 80s, even TU and Oral Roberts were competitive with the Nolan Richardson and Sutton family influences.  Would’ve been full Boomer if I’d lived down there another 2 years. RIP Coach Tubbs

[SkinnyBenny]

This is all super interesting to me. I’m too young to have experienced the Tubbs glory days in full, but I remember being a young qat when we knocked off a really good OU team in Manhattan that was like #2 in the country or something. I would say it was maybe ‘93 or so. Tubbs said some really mean stuff about Manhattan, that it was a hellhole or something, and that he hopes he never has to bring his ass back there ever again. Because of this and his sideline demeanor, I always saw him as a completely hatable suer villain in the CBB world. Turns out he was actually a lovable super villain, I guess?

[nicname]

This is all super interesting to me. I’m too young to have experienced the Tubbs glory days in full, but I remember being a young qat when we knocked off a really good OU team in Manhattan that was like #2 in the country or something. I would say it was maybe ‘93 or so. Tubbs said some really mean stuff about Manhattan, that it was a hellhole or something, and that he hopes he never has to bring his ass back there ever again. Because of this and his sideline demeanor, I always saw him as a completely hatable suer villain in the CBB world. Turns out he was actually a lovable super villain, I guess?

From TCU bbs Killerfrogs.com

Although I wasn't there, I remember when TCU played at Las Vegas and Tubbs handed the players sparklers that were lit when the lights went down at the Thomas & Mack Center for the Runnin' Rebels laser light introduction show. I believe this was when Billy Bayno was the coach at UNLV. He and Tubbs had a running on-going feud.

Small mention of the incident in the article.

I remember when he was flown down to the Houston Alumni Golf Extravaganza right after he signed. Billy was handed the mic at dinner and off he went:

"I don't see why everybody's so worked up over the Big XII..." he said in his deranged Jack Nicholson manner. "They get to go to Columbia, Missouri and Manhattan, Kansas. We get to go to San Diego and Las Vegas. Las Vegas."

"I've been to Manhattan, Kansas. It sucks."

 

[Woogy]

Yeah - Looking back there was a real WWE (actually WWF back then) vibe to Big 8 BBall in the 80's. Not the fake, fixed outcomes of the WWF, but the personalities involved: Tubbs, Stewart, Hartman, Larry Brown, Johnny Orr.

[MakeItRain]

This is all super interesting to me. I’m too young to have experienced the Tubbs glory days in full, but I remember being a young qat when we knocked off a really good OU team in Manhattan that was like #2 in the country or something. I would say it was maybe ‘93 or so. Tubbs said some really mean stuff about Manhattan, that it was a hellhole or something, and that he hopes he never has to bring his ass back there ever again. Because of this and his sideline demeanor, I always saw him as a completely hatable suer villain in the CBB world. Turns out he was actually a lovable super villain, I guess?

When he left OU for TCU a media member asked him why he left and he said "you can only take so many trips to Manhattan, Kansas."

[SkinnyBenny]

That’s right! I had forgotten that. And then, like either his first or second year at TCU, Tubbs and TCU got into the NIT and had to play an away game in...Manhattan, KS.

[MakeItRain]

That’s right! I had forgotten that. And then, like either his first or second year at TCU, Tubbs and TCU got into the NIT and had to play an away game in...Manhattan, KS.

They beat our asses, I was in the front row of that game with about 6000 other people in bramlage.

[schreds21]

My favorite Tubbs memory: after a 62-61 win quote headline in the Collegian: "I don't give a crap how good they are. We're going to beat the hell out of them in Norman."

Result in Norman: 67-63 Cats.

This was my freshman year.  I will never forget that headline.  Also loved the way the student section would antagonize him whenever he would get on the refs by simply chanting Biiiilly...Biiiilly...Biiiilly over and over.  The Big 8 was so much fun.

[SkinnyBenny]

I cut out that Collegian and hung it on my wall. I was in 4th grade. It stayed up for years.



So YouTube has a few of those full early 90's Sooners @ Kats games, but I can't find that 62-61 one from 1993.






There are probably some others too, but those are a few if you wanna take a walk down memory lane. My God. The ESPN opening graphic at the beginning of the 1991 video is top notch. TOP NOTCH. Then they use the GOAT wildcat logo next to John Saunders' head!

What jumps out to me in that 1991 one is that we were 11-8, with 1 conference win at the time. We were playing a 15-6 OU team who was #23 in the nation. Not exactly a battle of the titans. And yet, Bramlage was like at least 90% full, and man it seems live. Can you imagine Bramlage being 90% full now to watch an 11-8 Bruceketball team? Nope. Sad. The Big 8 used to be wild.

Also LOLLERS, at 2:55 of the 1991 game, the ESPN announcers A) are so close that it looks like they could kiss, and B) One of them accidentally calls Kermit Holmes "Sherlock Holmes".

[SkinnyBenny]

So actually that KSportsArchive YouTube account has tons of gems. https://www.youtube.com/user/KSportsArchives/videos
Guy must mostly be a KU fan because it's like 50% KU, with some Chiefs/Royals/Random thrown in, but there are some K-State Gems in there as well. Like that shows highlights of our 1990 Footballers pummeling Tom's own Western Illinois Leathernecks!

[IPA4Me]

I should be in the crowd shots for both of those games. Gonna have to watch and find myself. We were always first couple of rows for conference games.

[MakeItRain]

I cut out that Collegian and hung it on my wall. I was in 4th grade. It stayed up for years.



So YouTube has a few of those full early 90's Sooners @ Kats games, but I can't find that 62-61 one from 1993.






There are probably some others too, but those are a few if you wanna take a walk down memory lane. My God. The ESPN opening graphic at the beginning of the 1991 video is top notch. TOP NOTCH. Then they use the GOAT wildcat logo next to John Saunders' head!

What jumps out to me in that 1991 one is that we were 11-8, with 1 conference win at the time. We were playing a 15-6 OU team who was #23 in the nation. Not exactly a battle of the titans. And yet, Bramlage was like at least 90% full, and man it seems live. Can you imagine Bramlage being 90% full now to watch an 11-8 Bruceketball team? Nope. Sad. The Big 8 used to be wild.

Also LOLLERS, at 2:55 of the 1991 game, the ESPN announcers A) are so close that it looks like they could kiss, and B) One of them accidentally calls Kermit Holmes "Sherlock Holmes".

OU games were also strangely hyped in the Asbury/Wooly days. We almost always played them on Saturday afternoons instead of weekdays.

[hatingfrancisco]

My favorite Tubbs memory: after a 62-61 win quote headline in the Collegian: "I don't give a crap how good they are. We're going to beat the hell out of them in Norman."

Result in Norman: 67-63 Cats.

This was my freshman year.  I will never forget that headline.  Also loved the way the student section would antagonize him whenever he would get on the refs by simply chanting Biiiilly...Biiiilly...Biiiilly over and over.  The Big 8 was so much fun.

Anthony Beane was so good.  We rushed the court after that one.

[KST8FAN]

So actually that KSportsArchive YouTube account has tons of gems. https://www.youtube.com/user/KSportsArchives/videos
Guy must mostly be a KU fan because it's like 50% KU, with some Chiefs/Royals/Random thrown in, but there are some K-State Gems in there as well. Like that shows highlights of our 1990 Footballers pummeling Tom's own Western Illinois Leathernecks!

One of Stan Parrish's two win was against the Leathernecks too.


Tom

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[KST8FAN]

Someone find some highlights of 88 Big 8 Champ game... I had tic behind cats bench by Mitch Richmond mom sporting my lavender/purple striped sweater.


Tom

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

[schreds21]

My favorite Tubbs memory: after a 62-61 win quote headline in the Collegian: "I don't give a crap how good they are. We're going to beat the hell out of them in Norman."

Result in Norman: 67-63 Cats.

This was my freshman year.  I will never forget that headline.  Also loved the way the student section would antagonize him whenever he would get on the refs by simply chanting Biiiilly...Biiiilly...Biiiilly over and over.  The Big 8 was so much fun.

Anthony Beane was so good.  We rushed the court after that one.

Cardiac Cats!