Prospect of a shootout with Alabama won’t bother OU

Oklahoma players like big games away from home and recent trips to the College Football Playoff have helped the Sooners prepare for the big game. No. 4 OU faces No. 1 Alabama in the playoff semifinals at 7 p.m. December 29 in the Orange Bowl near Miami on ESPN. This will be Riley’s second year…

Looking for a great Christmas gift? How about a book?

Are you stuck for good ideas for Christmas gifts this year? Is there someone on your list who doesn’t need anything and won’t toss out any hints? A gift subscription to the Tulsa Beacon would be nice. A lot of folks do that. At the giver’s request, we will send a Christmas card (not a…

Kyler Murray wins The Heisman

2nd year in a row for OU QBs The next challenge for Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, winner of this year’s Heisman Trophy, is to win a national championship. It would be the perfect ending to a short but spectacular college career. “This is crazy. This is an honor. Something that I’ll never forget, something I’ll…

The Christmas party season can be an awful lot of fun

It’s time for Christmas parties. I love this time of year. The weather is crisp, people are in good moods and it’s a good time to reflect on the past year. We usually go to a few Christmas parties. Several Sunday School groups at our church are going together for a party and that should…

It’s Big 12 Champs OU versus SEC Champs Alabama

Kyler Murray may win the Heisman No. 4 Oklahoma should have no problem with motivation in the upcoming College Football Playoff game with No. 1 Alabama. Oklahoma (12-1, 9-1 in the Big 12) decisively won the Big 12 Championship Saturday 39-27 over Texas – avenging a three-point loss earlier in the season to the Longhorns….

Dan Keating left his mark on America, Oklahoma, Tulsa

I first met Dan Keating in 2004 when he was instrumental in raising funds for the first Senate campaign for former Sen. Tom Coburn. We met but we didn’t speak a lot. Not too much later, Dan asked me to join him for lunch. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought he might be…

No. 5 OU’s path to championships begins vs. No. 9 Texas

No. 5 Oklahoma must win three straight games against Top 10 opponents to win a national title. The potential three-game gauntlet begins at 11 a.m. Saturday as the Sooners try to defend their Big 12 title in a rematch with No. 9 Texas in AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys) in the Big 12…

“When I am weary and cannot sleep.I count my blessings instead of sheep.And soon I fall asleep… Counting my blessings. When my bankroll is getting small.I think of when I had none at all.And I fall asleep, counting my blessings.” – Sung by the late Bing Crosby in White Christmas. You get in trouble when…

No. 6 OU plays No. 12 UWV Friday in a Big 12 showdown

NORMAN – All the hopes for a Big 12 Championship and a shot at the national crown will be on the line Friday night when No. 6 Oklahoma play against No. 12 West Virginia in Morgantown. After beating lowly Kansas 55-40 Saturday in Norman, OU (10-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big 12) sits alone atop…

Pugnacious pug puppies are populating our ‘kennel’

For 15 years, my wife and I and our kids enjoyed our wonderful Boston terrier Maggie. Maggie passed earlier this year and with all of our kids grown, we kind of enjoyed a dog-free period for a while. Don’t get me wrong. We both love dogs. But when dogs get older, it’s hard to go…