A Month in Oklahoma

The title of this post is a little deceiving. I didn't spend a month in Oklahoma...at once. But since Labor Day (the effective start of the college football season), I have spent 30 nights in the Sooner State. It doesn't sound great, but it really grew on me.

First of all, the college sports are excellent. Oklahoma featured both the Heisman winner in football, Sam Bradford, and the likely basketball player of the year in Blake Griffin (and possibly Cortney Paris on the ladies' side). Oklahoma State football was exciting, with electric offensive players Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. And Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater for basketball is one of the best venues in the nation.

Oklahoma City now boasts an NBA squad, and a hit TV show, "Saving Grace" on TNT. And the Bricktown area in historic OKC is the home of many outstanding restaurants, saloons, and more sports. This was the view from my hotel room window:

AAA Baseball. Not too bad. OKC is also now the permanent home of the NCAA Softball World Series.

The state is a little more progressive than one might think. Of course I spent all my time in two college towns: Norman and Stillwater, and two legit US cities: Oklahoma City and Tulsa. I didn't spend any time in the bible belt, but I sure drove through it.

I remember the lyrics from a musical. Not the one you're thinking of though, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" has a song called "Oklahoma?"

And we'll motor into Tulsa for the weeken'-
Through the windows of the pickup we'll be peekin'-
Not a tree or a Jew to block the lovely view.

But diversity is really spreading. Check out this bumper sticker I saw on a pickup truck, only in Oklahoma: