Get Your Goat

By

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April 23, 2012

The dream began in 2002 when husband-and-wife team, Chrys and Marty Tinsley, bought their first farm in Welling, near Tahlequah in northeast Oklahoma. Since Marty fell in love with raising goats in high school, dairy goats were the first livestock the couple purchased. What began simply as a desire to provide fresh food for their family blossomed into a thriving family business, yielding fresh produce and eggs as well as goat’s milk and cheese.

In 2011, Canyon Ridge Farms became the only Grade A goat dairy, with its own Grade A milk processing plant, in Oklahoma. This distinction means that they are able to process and sell the goat dairy products that are produced on their farm.

As is the case on any farm, there is always something to do. With a herd of 85 Nubian and LaMancha dairy goats, the chores never end, but it is a labor of love for this couple, their three grown children and Marty’s parents.

“The goats are milked twice a day, starting at 3 a.m. and then again at 3 p.m. After that, the milk is pasteurized and then either bottled or processed into cheese,” says Marty.

The Tinsleys currently offer several varieties of goat cheese, also known as chevre. Besides plain chevre, there are nine sweet and savory flavors, including Honey Almond, Jalapeno, Mexican Spinach and Strawberry Pecan. Custom flavors are also available.

“Our chevre is very versatile, and the possibilities for use are endless,” says Marty. “Any of our savory flavors can be used as a dip for vegetables, chips or crackers. They are awesome on bagels, potatoes, sandwiches, burgers, steaks, chicken, and they make gravies and sauces extra special. Our sweet flavors are wonderful on bagels, waffles, baked in puff pastry or just by themselves as ‘cheesecake’ bites. “

The Tinsleys gladly share one of their popular recipes as inspiration.

“We encourage everyone to use their imagination and let us know how they use our cheese,” says Marty.

If interested in learning more about the Tinsley’s wonderful goat cheese or other products, they frequent several area farmers’ markets, including Broken Arrow, Muskogee and Tahlequah as well as a couple of farmers’ markets in Arkansas.

Canyon Ridge Farm Mac & Cheese with Roasted Chicken

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. dried rigatoni
1 quart heavy cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
8 oz. Canyon Ridge goat cheese
2 c. shredded roasted chicken
1 (10 oz.) box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Add the oil and rigatoni to the water and cook according to the directions on the package, 10-12 minutes. While waiting for the water to boil, pour cream into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic and bring it to a simmer, taking care not to let it boil over. Allow the cream to reduce by about half. Stir in the goat cheese and chicken and continue cooking until the cream coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Thoroughly drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce. Coat the pasta in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Thunder Up

By

Regan Henson

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April 23, 2012

On May 25, 2011, the Oklahoma City Thunder failed in its attempt to become the youngest NBA team to ever win an NBA championship. In fact, the team failed to even make the finals, losing four games and winning only one in the best of seven Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks, who would go on to defeat the Miami Heat in the finals and become champions.

The loss that night was especially heartbreaking considering that for the second consecutive game, the precocious Thunder let a comfortable lead slip away in the final moments, allowing the more seasoned Mavericks to work their way back to steal victory and the conference title. It was the sort of defeat that might lead fans of some teams to grumble and moan. But when the team flight landed at Will Rogers World Airport in the early morning hours following the game in Dallas, Thunder players and staff were greeted by more than 500 fans and loving cheers of appreciation. Win or lose, Oklahoma City, and the entire state of Oklahoma, love their Thunder.

Thunder Up

Even after a loss so deflating, it’s easy to understand why the fans embrace this team. Small forward Kevin Durant, a three-time All Star and MVP of this season’s game, has led the league in scoring the past two seasons and is widely considered among the top two or three players on the planet. Point guard Russell Westbrook has established himself as one of the top players at his position in the league, as well as one of the most clutch performers. Sixth man and southpaw James Harden keeps opponents off-balance with his combination of awkward moves and ridiculously awesome and widely envied beard.

Throw in the hulking and intimidating Kendrick Perkins, shot-blocking specialist Serge Ibaka, blue collar veteran Nick Collison and a supporting cast of young and talented players that forms one of the league’s deepest and most effective benches and you have the recipe for long-term success. But the Thunder, now in its fourth season in Oklahoma City, isn’t far removed from the days when making the playoffs and competing for championships seemed like pipe dreams.

"Our first year here when we were struggling we had great crowds, and the players really appreciate that.”

“Ask our players what their favorite moment in relation to our fans is, and you probably expect to hear something about winning that first playoff game or first conference finals game,” says Thunder general manager Sam Presti. “But a lot of them will say it was the support we received in 2008, when we were struggling.”

Collison and Durant are the only players who were with the team when it was still located in Seattle. The final year the team played as the Seattle Sonics it was ranked No. 28 in the league for home game attendance. Since relocating to Oklahoma City the average ranking has been 13.

“We get really great fan support here, consistent fan support,” says Collison. “We can be playing against a non-playoff team and we’ll have a good crowd. Our first year here when we were struggling we had great crowds, and the players really appreciate that.”

The Mayor Who Wouldn’t Go Away

The residents of Oklahoma City got their first taste of NBA action in 2005 when the New Orleans Hornets were seeking a refuge following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In the aftermath of the disaster, the team needed a city with an arena to serve as their home court. Potential suitors to host the team were numerous, including Kansas City and San Diego, two cities that had previously had their own franchises and were eager to return to the NBA fold. Oklahoma City may have seemed an unlikely destination to most, but because of a series of meetings that took place in early 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern was well aware of city’s viability as a candidate.

“What ended up being the most critical moment was Mayor (Mick) Cornett going unsolicited to New York to meet with David Stern,” says David Holt. “He let Stern know that there was an infrastructure already in place. When the Hornets were displaced, their owner George Shinn asked, ‘Do they even have an arena?,’ and Stern already knew that they did. And the reason he knew was because of those meetings.”

Holt, Cornett’s former chief of staff and author of Big League City: Oklahoma City’s Rise to the NBA, cites the passage of the Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) program by Oklahoma City voters in 1993 as the first in a series of key moments that brought the NBA to the city. MAPS was an urban renewal program paid for by a temporary one cent sales tax that provided funding for construction and improvements of several downtown facilities, including the Bricktown Ballpark and the Ford Center.

“That was one thing that made Oklahoma City so attractive,” says Holt. “There was an arena that was already paid for with the potential for naming rights.”

By late September 2005 the league announced that the Hornets would temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City. Fan reaction was immediate and enthusiastic. The team that had played the previous season in front of the smallest crowds in the league was suddenly playing to a raucous and often sold-out arena.

“Everyone in the league was aware of the crowds,” remembers Presti, then assistant general manager for the San Antonio Spurs. “One of the things that stood out to me was the compassion the city showed to the people of New Orleans.”

Stern in particular noticed the crowds, and the enthusiasm with which the city had embraced the NBA. “The mayor who wouldn’t go away,” as he had previously dubbed Cornett, had been correct: Oklahoma City was ready for the NBA.

“We were certainly not on the NBA’s radar screen prior to then,” says Cornett. “Hurricane Katrina hit in August, and by November of 2005 we were at the top of the relocation list.”

While some held out hope that the Hornets would make Oklahoma City their permanent home, the team returned to New Orleans for the 2007-08 season, leaving fans to wonder when and if they might ever have a hometown team to cheer. Thanks to a group of Oklahoma City businessmen, the wait would not be long.

From Seattle With Not-So-Much Love

There has been much written and spoken about the controversy surrounding the Seattle Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder. ESPN writer and personality Bill Simmons still often refers to the team as the “Zombie Sonics” in his popular columns. The fact is, when Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett and his team of investors, Professional Basketball Club, L.L.C. (PBC), purchased the team from Sonics owner Howard Shultz in 2007, a stipulation of the contract was that the city, and Washington state lawmakers, would have one year to find funding for the construction of a new arena. The issue never even made it to a vote in the state legislature.

“(PBC) lost investors because they gave Seattle a year to finance a new arena to keep the team from moving,” says Holt.

“Presti is generally considered the sharpest young mind in pro basketball. He makes this whole deal happen.”

Holt agrees that Bennett wanted a professional sports team in Oklahoma City; in 1997 Bennett had unsuccessfully attempted to lure a National Hockey League team to the city, but Holt believes that Bennett saw the situation in Seattle as a sound investment whether the team stayed or moved.

“The opportunity they ended up finding in Seattle was a little different,” Holt says. “If a new arena was built, they would be able to sell the team at a huge profit. And if they didn’t get a new arena, they were coming to Oklahoma City. It was a win-win situation (for PBC).”

In the end, Washington voters and lawmakers weren’t comfortable with a publicly funded sports arena. Oklahoma City voters had proven 15 years earlier that they were, and in 2008 they got their team when the Sonics officially announced they were moving. Seattle would get to keep the name.

From Underdog to Cinderella

On Oct. 29, 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder took to the Ford Center floor for their first regular season game ever, and lost. It was a sign of things to come for the young team as it stumbled out of the gate for a 1-13 start, leading then-coach PJ Carlesimo to be fired and replaced by assistant Scott Brooks. It was one of a series of moves by Presti, then in his second year as general manager, that would point the team in a more successful direction.

“Presti is generally considered the sharpest young mind in pro basketball,” says Dean Blevins, sports director at NEWS 9 in Oklahoma City. “He makes this whole deal happen.”

Losses continued to pile up, but the team began to make strides as Presti brokered some savvy personnel moves to shore up a leaky defense; meanwhile, second-year player Durant was transitioning from a rising star into a superstar. The Thunder finished its first season in Oklahoma City with a record of 23-59, three games better than their final season as the Seattle Sonics. The team also drew an average of nearly 5,000 more fans per home game than the year before. The future appeared to be bright, but nobody could have predicted just how quickly success would come.

The 2009-10 season found a Thunder team facing rising expectations, and the team responded with a 50-32 record, a 27-game improvement over the previous season’s win total. Head coach Brooks was named the NBA Coach of the Year following a season in which the team made the playoffs for the first time in its Oklahoma City history, losing a highly competitive first round series to eventual champs, the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant led the NBA in scoring and was named to his first all-star team and to the All-NBA first team. Second-year point guard Russell Westbrook was emerging as a legitimate star in his own right, and rookie James Harden was named to the All-Rookie second team.

Community Players

The team’s performance on the court has been a cause for celebration, but the impact it has made on the city and surrounding communities has been unmistakable. Thunder players have led the league in public appearances for two seasons straight, having attended more than 600 community events.

“We have one of the best relationships between an NBA franchise and community in the country,” says Michael Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitor Bureau.

It is a relationship that is beneficial to all involved. The team’s value has risen each year since coming to Oklahoma, and potential season ticket buyers have to go on a waiting list as all 14,000 of those allotted by the team sold out in the offseason. The players realize how fortunate they are to perform in front of such a devoted fan base, and they enjoy the opportunities they get to interact with those fans outside of basketball by being active in the city and surrounding communities.

“When we have a chance to do something in the community, to give back to the community, to the fans, and help out, we understand the importance of that and we have fun doing it,” says Collison.

In addition to the public appearances, the organization also makes a point to be active and involved in the history of the city. When any new player or staff member joins the team, one of the first things he or she is asked to do is visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial to better understand something of what the city has overcome and appreciate the shared values of the city and the organization.

“Since we arrived in 2008,” says Presti, “we’ve been fortunate to be in a place where the values of the people in the community reflect our own.”

The team has also been fortunate to be in a place where the fans go crazy for them, win or lose. Lately, however, the Thunder is starting to spoil those fans who cheered so loudly even while their team tied the club record for consecutive losses. These days when fans pack the former Ford Center, now the Chesapeake Energy Arena, winning is expected.

Expectations for this year’s Thunder team have been lofty since arriving home after the loss that night last May, and their play throughout this season has done nothing to quell those expectations as they’ve led the Northwest Division from the first game and sold out every home game dating back to last season. They’ve spent the season at or near the top of the entire league in wins and they are on most sports analysts’ short list of teams with the potential to win it all.

“I think fans do find it unbelievable,” says Blevins. “They would have been happy to cheer for a Hornets team that was winning a few games here and there, and to have a young team that’s one of the two or three favorites to win the Western Conference. It’s exciting.”

Malta Meal

By

Sasha Martin

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April 23, 2012

MALTESE FROGA
4 medium eggs
1/4 c. ricotta cheese
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
2 c. angel hair or spaghetti, cooked
Fresh chopped parsley, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter or olive oil, for cooking
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper. Then, stir in pasta and any additional fillings you desire. Add a thin coating of olive oil to an oven-safe skillet at least eight inches wide – preferably nonstick. Cook eggs over medium heat for five to seven minutes, or until the mixture begins browning on the bottom and edges. Pop into oven to finish, about 10 to 15 minutes or until the dish sets. Sprinkle with extra parsley and serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

Raising a toddler has taught me one thing for sure: Most kids don’t like “weird” food. Almost any aspect of the food can offend; the color, the texture, the temperature, or even – horror of horrors – the dish’s very name. Try serving your child headcheese, a specialty European sausage made with gelatin and meat from the head of a pig and you’ll soon be out of business. Even without knowing this popular cold cut’s contents, it doesn’t take much imagination to come up with some pretty disturbing assumptions.

So what’s a parent to do who wishes to feed their child a varied and interesting diet? Thankfully the “kids don’t like weird food” rule, as with every rule, has an exception. Children will take a chance on something unusual if they are already familiar with some part – even the smallest part – of the recipe. Froga is a great example. This popular brunch dish from Malta, a tiny, 122-square-mile island floating in the Mediterranean, is a whimsical mixture of eggs and angel hair pasta. Just a few minutes in the oven, froga bakes up into a delightful frittata.

If you still aren’t sure, try getting your child involved in the cooking process. By letting your child mix the pasta with the eggs, they’ll come to understand what it is they are eating. Even the youngest chef can sprinkle cheese and parsley into the bowl. Chances are they’ll have fun and the associated happy feelings will make them more likely to sample the goods.

Speaking of fun, never underestimate the power of adding different fillings and toppings to add instant customization and adventure to an otherwise disinterested diner. Froga, for example, is particularly good with any combination of chopped ham, garlic, crumbled bacon, spinach, green onion and even an assortment of cheeses.

Finally, when in doubt, I suggest you tell your child what I tell mine: “If an entire country eats it, how bad can it be?”

Sasha Martin is cooking one meal for every country in the world. Her picky husband and baby girl are along for the ride. Join the adventure for recipes, reviews and more at www.globaltableadventure.com.

Advocate For Agriculture

By

Megan Miers

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April 23, 2012

When Monica Wilke joined the Oklahoma Farm Bureau in 1999, she did not expect to one day become the executive director of the organization, which lobbies on behalf of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers and is the largest mutual insurance company in Oklahoma.

“I came to lobby for the agricultural part of the organization,” says Wilke, a 1999 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law. A few years after joining the bureau, Wilke was promoted to general counsel and in 2009 took on the role of executive director after her predecessor retired.

To further Oklahoma’s agricultural interests and serve the farmers and ranchers who make up the bulk of the bureau’s membership, Wilke draws upon her own experience growing up on a farm in Grandfield in southwestern Oklahoma. Wilke’s great-grandparents, who immigrated to the United States from Austria, bought the farmland in Tillman County for their children, intending for it to be passed down through future generations.

Today, the land remains family-owned, including the farm run by Wilke’s parents, who raise both wheat and stocker cattle. Wilke and her husband also own farmland on which they currently raise wheat.

“The people who own us are the farmers and ranchers. I feel like I’m working at home,” Wilke says, adding that the bureau provides a voice for Oklahoma’s agricultural community to be heard on a state and national level. “The issues and concerns our members have are very personal to me.”

As executive director, Wilke oversees the day-to-day operations of the bureau, which is comprised of 500 employees and 200 agents across Oklahoma. Among the bureau’s many entities and programs are its insurance arm; community outreach programs; college scholarship programs; a young farmers’ group; a political action committee (PAC) and its legal foundation, which assists farmers and ranchers in courtroom matters.

Wilke speaks proudly of the farm bureau’s most recently established entity, the Oklahoma Farm Foundation. The 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation is dedicated to educating the public, especially consumers from a non-farming background, about agricultural issues in Oklahoma. The foundation helps consumers learn about the food they eat, how the food is produced and the farmers and ranchers responsible for raising and growing it.

Though Wilke is the first woman to be named executive director of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, she says it’s not at all unusual for women to hold agricultural leadership positions in Oklahoma. She notes that several Oklahoma agricultural organizations, including the Farm Services Agency and the Oklahoma Beef Council, are currently helmed by women.

“One of the things I love most about the Oklahoma Farm Bureau is we have offices in all 77 counties,” Wilke says, adding that the bureau’s omnipresence sets it apart from other agricultural and insurance-related organizations in Oklahoma. “We’re entrenched in communities across the state.”

Wilke says she is proud to be in a position to advance Oklahoma’s agricultural interests.

“The Oklahoma Farm Bureau has done an excellent job of telling our story on a state and national level,” she says. “We’re helping to build and sustain Oklahoma and Oklahomans.”

Spirit Wear

By

Paul Fairchild

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April 23, 2012

Tulsa natives and OSU graduates Cortney Ketchum Pelley and Callie Ketchum own and run Ketch The Spirit (www.ketchthespirit.com), a boutique clothing company that combines school spirit with high fashion. On game days, their unique creations are favorites with women who want to show their teams support with more than just a boring sweatshirt.

Oklahoma Magazine: Where was the idea for Ketch the Spirit born?
Cortney Ketchum Pelley: I’ve always been a big doodler. In college, I’d draw dresses with school logos and mascots on napkins and send them to my mom. She’d make me a dress for football games. I just wanted to be a little different from all the other girls out there. Once I started wearing the dresses regularly, people started asking me where I got them and if they could have one? So I just ran with it. I researched licensing and everything that went into building a company. And everything came together right after I graduated.

OM: You’ve only had four years in this business. How’s it been treating you?
CKP: In the first year we had three schools. Now we have 31. We’re growing rapidly. Once we had it at OSU, girls at OU wanted it. When OU got it, Florida State saw it and wanted it. TCU got us SMU and Baylor. It sort of took off on its own. It sold itself because it’s a different product. People haven’t seen anything like it. It took off and we’re still catching up to it. We market it and do the right things to put it out there, but the concept sells itself.

OM: Why the explosion? Why do your clothes have so much appeal?
CKP: Girls get to be themselves on game days and still wear their favorite team’s logo. I think a lot of girls at games want to show school spirit and be cute and comfortable. That’s been our main focus. We think about how to do that in a new way every time we release a new line. We’re adding new, unexpected things to the line. We want to keep changing it up so girls are always stylish and trendy, but their outfits on game day still scream school spirit.

OM: Your sister is your business partner and you still talk to each other. That’s pretty amazing.
CKP: As soon as my sister, Callie, graduated, she took over all the financial and licensing duties so I could devote all of my time to design and sales. That’s been a great partnership. It’s been really nice having my sister be a part of the company.

OM: What’s your best seller?
CKP: The number one style at every school is the strapless dress. I think that’s because it’s the easiest to throw on and go. It’s the easiest one to step into. If it’s your first experience with our clothing and you’re not sure about the concept, you can look cute and put together but not too over the top. It’s not too much for a football game. I think a lot of girls start off with that dress, fall in love with it and progress to our trendier, more frilly stuff.

OM: There’s plenty of men’s clothing out there that nobody’s blended with school spirit. Are you looking into that?
CKP: We’ve talked about it. We haven’t put a lot of research into it because we’re just two girls running a company, and we prefer to do girl stuff. But we have had a lot of interest from our stores and other clients. It’s on our minds, but I wouldn’t say we’re pushing forward with it anytime soon. I think once we get comfortable with our numbers, then we’ll look into branching out, maybe also explore a kids’ line. We’ve looked into both but not too heavily. We’re focused on pushing our current line.

OM: Just curious. A lot of schools have long names. How do you work those on to small strapless dresses?
CKP: That problem comes up a lot. Just trying to fit a name or a mascot on a small item of clothing is where we’ll try different things than you’ll see on other t-shirts and stuff. That’s part of the fun of working at Ketch The Spirit. We do a lot of preplanning of what the images are going to look like and which ones we think will sell best. It’s a hard part of designing the line every year but it’s also fun because we change things up, make them girly without an overpowering image.

Naturally Raw

By

Meika Yates Hines

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April 23, 2012

In the music world, there are a couple of different kinds of “edge” out there. Most often, the edge is obvious – in your face and cutting – but sometimes you get lucky and stumble across a different, very special kind of edge, the kind of edge that creeps up unexpectedly and resonates in your ears, packing a surprising punch that takes you back a few steps because you didn’t see it coming. This is where Tulsa singer/songwriter John Moreland fits in.

Whether it’s driving rock and roll songs like, “Low,” or solemn acoustic folk in, “God’s Medicine,” he’s naturally raw and unpretentious, with subtly abrasive vocals and gripping, rough, under-the-radar lyrics.

“I don’t write with any kind of agenda. I don’t have a ‘thing’ that I’m trying to say or get people to agree with. I’m not trying to send out a message or anything like that. I just take a loose subject and start writing,” Moreland says.

“If my background has influenced me at all, I guess it would be that maybe I have a lot of middle class guilt, like growing up with a somewhat privileged lifestyle and feeling guilty about it because my grandparents were poor. I haven’t had to struggle much, but I grew up going to their house and got to see both sides of the coin. I think I’m always trying to make sense of that.”

Reflective of an extensive, ongoing artillery of songs, Moreland has released multiple EPs and LPs throughout the past year, including his most recent LP, Everything The Hard Way.

“Every once in a while I get in a mood where I’m just frustrated and angry, and that always makes me want to write loud songs. Over the years, I’d wound up with a bunch of those kinds of songs laying around unused, and they wound up fitting well together on Everything The Hard Way,” he explains.

Having already switched gears, Moreland is headed in a new direction, working on his next record, which he says is set to tap more into the likes of Van Morrison and The Band, where country and R&B meet in the middle.

“I really love that kind of music and I think the next record hopefully will do a better job of representing a broader spectrum of what I’m into, with some loud rock, some solo folk, some country; it’ll be all over the place.”

Touchdown, Oklahoma!

By

Tara Malone

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April 23, 2012

Anyone who has viewed the glitz and glamour of televised sports, with everything from celebrity theme songs to bean-dip-sponsored turf, can tell you that athletics clearly is a big business.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, nearly 17,000 Oklahomans work in a sports-related industry, and the state is expecting that number to grow some 17 percent by 2020 – while the nation is expected to grow by just 13.5 percent. Sales revenues for sports-related activities generate hundreds of millions of dollars for the state, and for every dollar of sales in Oklahoma sports, another $1.83 is earned by businesses that support the industry.

“It’s important for sports to be in our communities,” says Ray Hoyt, senior vice president at Visit Tulsa/Tulsa Sports Commission. “It’s important for the quality of life.”

To witness the economic influence of athletics on Oklahoma’s communities, one need look no further than Norman – a microcosm for the state’s success in the sports industry. Home to the University of Oklahoma athletics powerhouse, the Sooners, Norman sees millions of dollars in revenue every year from college football alone, in addition to other popular sporting events.

“Sooner Athletics and the support of our fans have always had a huge economic impact on Norman,” says Joe Castiglione, director of OU Athletics. “Six or seven times each fall, the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium becomes the sixth-largest city in the state of Oklahoma.”

According to Castiglione, the 2010-2011 season generated more than $44 million in on-campus athletics ticket sales. And with an estimated $330 million in planned construction for athletics facilities, the financial effects of OU sports on Norman and its businesses have no end in sight.
While in the past, Oklahoma’s sports reputation was earned almost exclusively by its college teams, the state rapidly is earning a reputation as a fierce competitor in professional sports as well – a reputation with far-reaching economic implications for the state. With the arrival of such professional teams as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tulsa Shock, national awareness of Oklahoma’s sports industry is changing, luring visitors not only to stadiums, courts and other venues, but to local businesses and attractions as well.

As Sue Hollenbeck, assistant director of Sports Business Development at the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau explains, the impact of the Thunder on Oklahoma City’s economic development goes far beyond simple ticket sales.

“A positive impact is also resulted in any nationally televised game,” she says. “Not only do they bring in production crews, but once those crews are in town, they start shooting all around the area, so that impacts what people from around the country see and how they perceive Oklahoma City. There are more bars, more restaurants – usually locally owned – that are now springing up all around the downtown area… One good reason is because there is more business on game nights.

“The Thunder has definitely changed the area, economically speaking, with the influx of monies being spent directly because of a game in town,” Hollenbeck continues, “but also, the Thunder has changed the way the rest of the country perceives Oklahoma City.”

“The Thunder has definitely changed the area, economically speaking, with the influx of monies being spent directly because of a game in town.”

Although basketball is on its way to prominence in the state, and football has always been king, Oklahoma also is becoming a byword for diversity in sports, hosting everything from world-class fishing competitions to Olympic dreams.

In Oklahoma City, what once was blight on the landscape has become a beacon for Olympic athletes, regatta enthusiasts, rowing teams and more. Recent development along a seven-mile stretch of the North Canadian River – now called the Oklahoma River in Oklahoma City – has the urban waterway attracting aquatic athletes and competitions from across the nation. And with plans for a new waterfront park, funded by the MAPS 3 initiative, the area’s enrichment is far from over.

“The planned White Water center and the improvements to the river will make for more events and continue the quality of the events,” Hollenbeck says. “Once the White Water center is open, there will be many opportunities for tournaments for white-water kayaking, training sessions for Olympic hopefuls and youth events. As for the additional improvements on the river, they continue to put Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma River on the forefront for national and international rowing and flatwater canoe/kayaking.”

Tulsa is seeing its own sports renaissance as well. Hoyt says the Tulsa Sports Commission, which has had a $300 million impact on the area since its inception in 1993, has big plans for the city. One of the most highly anticipated events is the arrival of the Bassmaster Classic in 2013. According to Hoyt, the ESPN-backed championship in professional bass fishing will bring more than $26 million to Tulsa businesses.

In addition, the commission is partnering with what Hoyt calls “one of the oldest, most original soccer brands in the world” to create the AC Milan Heartland Cup, an annual soccer tournament debuting this June that will bring teams from around the globe to compete against regional teams in Tulsa each year.

“It’s a big deal,” Hoyt says. “It’s an elite tournament…our aim is to make this a premier youth soccer event.

“I think our goal is to rebrand Tulsa as a sports region,” Hoyt continues, “and we want to be recognized as a great sports brand not just in the region, but nationally. We want to look at our assets in the community, like Expo Square, the BOK Center and the Oklahoma Aquarium in Jenks and partner with them to bring events in or create events to brand Tulsa as a regional sports destination.”

From enduring athletics traditions to lucrative new initiatives, the sports industry in Oklahoma is filling the seats of its venues across the state. And for Oklahoma’s citizens and businesses alike, the future seems as bright as any Friday-night lights.

Summer Essentials

By

Staff

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April 23, 2012

Fresh Music – May 2012

By

Staff

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April 23, 2012

Norah Jones, …Little Broken Hearts – Norah Jones’ deep appreciation for music in all its forms has produced four diverse, critically acclaimed albums and collaborations with the likes of Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Outkast, Ray Charles and Ryan Adams, among others. Jones gives us something entirely different with her “break up album,” with super producer Danger Mouse – she first worked with the producer on his stunning ode to Spaghetti Western film score, Rome, with Jack White.

Rufus Wainwright, Out of the Game – As one of the most musical pop musicians of the day, Wainwright has reveled us with everything from Top 40 pop to jazz to opera and even a wholesale recreation of a famed Judy Garland concert. Now, he’s teamed with star producer Mark Ronson – the man who launched the careers of Amy Winehouse and Adele – for one of the season’s most anticipated albums. Ronson thinks it’s his best album yet, and that’s saying a lot.

Carrie Underwood, Blown Away – Country music sweetheart and Checotah, Okla., homegirl Carrie Underwood has amassed more accolades, awards and hit records than just about any other woman in contemporary country music. The lead single from her upcoming fourth studio album is “Good Girl,” but Underwood is showing her bad girl side with songs such as “Two Black Cadillacs,” “Cupid’s Got a Shotgun” and “Wine After Whiskey.”

Willie Nelson, Heroes – American music icon Willie Nelson has released 115 albums, including more than 60 solo studio albums, in his storied career. The 78-year-old shows little sign of stopping, continuously touring, releasing new material and working with musicians new and old at every opportunity. Nelson’s latest album includes his take on three country classics and his rendition of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” and Coldplay’s “The Scientist,” as well as new material. The album also features appearances by Sheryl Crowe and Merle Haggard and an all-star recording of “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” with Snoop Dog and Kris Kristofferson.

Mayfest and Blue Dome Arts Festival

By

Staff

-

April 23, 2012

Not so long ago, people found themselves shuttling to downtown Tulsa once a year. It may be said that Tulsa International Mayfest helped sustain interest in the city hub before the urban revitalization bug of recent years took effect, for Tulsa’s Mayfest was about arts, culture, commerce and a focus on downtown’s treasured Art Deco architecture. Mayfest celebrates its 40th anniversary May 17-20, and with the nearby Blue Dome Arts Festival, founded in 2002, Tulsa once again reawakens its creative center to live music, fine art, artisan works, carvings, jewelry, dance and many more vendors from both near and far. The Blue Dome Arts Festival runs May 18-20 at Second Street and Elgin Avenue amongst a throng of new businesses. Mayfest is located along Main Street between Third and Sixth streets. For more, go online to www.tulsamayfest.org and to www.facebook.com/bluedomefest.

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