Mike Gundy resents social media because it has diminished the intensity of college football rivalries. He misses the days when players could split in each other’s faces.
The 56-year-old head coach, who quarterbacked Oklahoma State for four years in the late 1980s, spoke to the days of old during a press conference on Monday. His stories reflected a different era.
Saturday marks one of the biggest games in program history. It will be the final iteration of ‘Bedlam’ for the foreseeable future.
Oklahoma is set to join the SEC next season. Oklahoma State is going to stay put in the Big 12.
They will not play each other any time soon.
Thus, whichever team wins this weekend will have indefinite bragging rights. The Sooners are 91-19-7 all-time against the Cowboys, so Mike Gundy would love to go out with a bang.
However, he would prefer that the rivalry today be as intense as it was in the 80s.
Gundy told a story about his time playing against Brian Bosworth. They used to spit in each other’s faces.
We didn’t have phones and social media […]
It was a rivalry then. Like, you know, Bosworth spit in my face. I spit in his face.
I mean, it was actually a rivalry.
— Mike Gundy
Most athletes today probably prefer that they do not exchange spit on a frequent basis. They probably appreciate that they don’t have to worry about confrontation off of the field.
Not Gundy!
The summer before my sophomore year, I would go to parties in Oklahoma City and they would say ‘well, Bosworth and Migliazzo and some of those guys were here.’
And so I had to make a decision whether: were we going to have confrontation there and who was with me. Because I’m not gonna, you know, those guys— I can kick them in the shin and run like hell, because, you know, I’m not dumb.
— Mike Gundy
He continued on to speak directly about Bosworth and his steroid usage.
I mean, what kind of a frame of mind was Brian going to be in at that point. I don’t know!
Had he taken a “vitamin C” and had a few drinks, well he might not be a guy you want to talk to at that point. He’d get real red across his face.
— Mike Gundy
Gundy went on to explain that it was “a rivalry then.” Now, in his eyes, it’s not as much of a rivalry anymore because of social media.
That doesn’t mean that it isn’t an important game. Gundy just wishes that there was more intensity, hatred, steroids and face-spitting involved.
Because that’s definitely what the players want!
That is sarcasm.
Nobody wants to be spit on, in any capacity. Not even during a rivalry college football game.
Mike Gundy is the exception, apparently.