Jeff Brucculeri

I’m picking the NY Yankees

April 8, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

We are only one week into the Major League Baseball season, but there has already been some COVID related issues. This past Monday, the Texas Rangers played their home opener, and were willing to fill all 40,300 seats at their brand-new ballpark for opening day. At press time, we don’t know what the exact attendance…

Arkansas edges Oral Roberts to end a remarkable NCAA Tournament run

April 1, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

It was a great dance, but it came to a disappointing end, as the No. 15 seed ORU Golden Eagles lost to No. 3 Arkansas, 72-70, in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, on Saturday. It was certainly no fluke, or a lucky streak, that propelled the Golden Eagles deep into the NCAA…

Cinderella Story: Golden Eagles will face Arkansas in the Sweet Sixteen

March 25, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

They don’t call it March Madness for nothing, and this year, the ORU Golden Eagles are wearing the Cinderella slippers. On Sunday, in the second round, ORU faced the No. 7 seed Florida Gators, and the Golden Eagles would not be denied a trip to the Sweet 16. ORU surprised Florida, 81-78, to stay alive…

ORU will battle Ohio State Friday

March 18, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

All season long I’ve been telling folks around town that the ORU men’s basketball team was a legitimate contender and that they should head to the Mabee Center to catch a game. Not very many people listened, and now they’re sorry they didn’t take my word for it. ORU is a No. 15 seed and…

The pandemic has kept college sports departments very busy

March 11, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

Looking back to last August when college athletic conferences and universities were trying to decide whether to begin fall sports, or if the pandemic would keep them from being able to participate, we knew that if all the sports were pushed to the spring semester, it would make for a very busy time. That’s exactly…

Led by Max Abmas, ORU heads to the Summit tourney

March 4, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

It’s been a turnaround season for the ORU men’s basketball team, led by the nation’s leading scorer Max Abmas. Abmas who has averaged 36 points per game this season, took the top spot in the nation after scoring 41 points against Western Illinois on Saturday. In Sunday’s rematch with WIU, Abmas added another 25 points,…

Minor league baseball will return to Tulsa this summer

February 25, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

Minor League baseball will be back in Tulsa this summer, and the Tulsa Drillers recently released their schedule for the upcoming season. The Drillers will play in the new Double-A Central League, and the season will begin a little later than usual. It will be nice to see professional minor league baseball return to ONEOK…

Restructured baseball departs traditions

February 18, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

While we have been contending with ice and snow, and temperatures below freezing, my mind has begun yearning for warmer days and the pending baseball season. However, I’m disappointed with the way Major League Baseball has restructured the minor leagues. We outlined in the past how MLB has taken over the business entity known as…

It’s about time for TU’s Drew Pearson

February 11, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

It’s about time. That’s what I said when I heard the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction committee announced Drew Pearson would be a member of the 2021 Hall of Fame class. The induction of one of the best wide receivers to ever play, was long overdue. Pearson played collegiately at the University of Tulsa…

My cousin is the new coach of the Eagles

February 4, 2021 Jeff Brucculeri Tulsa Beacon

It’s not just anyone who can say they have a cousin who is now the head coach of a National Football League team, but I can. I don’t want to overstate this, and I’m certainly not bragging, but when you hail from a small city in western New York state (Jamestown), with a population at…