Bill Land an old hand at calling Bedlam game

[duncan228]

Bill Land an old hand at calling Bedlam game
Mel Bracht

Unlike some network announcers, Bill Land needs no introduction to Bedlam football. A former Tulsa sportscaster, Land has broadcast the game several times. He will call it again at 11:30 a.m. Saturday with analyst Dave Lapham and sideline reporter Jim Knox for Fox Sports Net.

A Highland Village, Texas, resident, Land returns to Tulsa twice a month to tape "EOOC Sportscene,” which airs on Cox channel 7. Land lived in Tulsa from 1981-98 and hosted sports shows for KRMG-AM 740 and Tulsa Cable.

Land, 58, also has broadcast San Antonio Spurs games for seven seasons for FSN. He has two sons involved in college basketball. Cooper is a junior forward at Wright State, and Taylor is a graduate assistant coach at Texas-Pan American.

Are you expecting a close Bedlam game?

I would think so. I watched most of the Oklahoma-Tech game. My question for OU and its players is how interested are they in really playing. I know they’re beat up and probably have had more injuries than they’ve ever had. I didn’t see an incredible amount of fire at Tech. I wonder about that after being at the level they’ve been at — playing for national championships and conference championships ever year — when you get to the point where the only thing at stake now is what level of bowl are you going to and you’re pride.

Besides the pure Bedlam rivalry, Oklahoma State has got so much more on the line.

The Thunder has played well against the Spurs, beating them this season and last season in San Antonio. What is your impression of the Thunder?

Great respect. I think everybody in San Antonio probably feels that way, particularly within the Spurs organization with Sam Presti having been with the Spurs. It’s not like the Spurs have ever overlooked Oklahoma City.

[Solid D]

There's a little bit of Spurs content here. The Bedlam game is very unusual this year with OK St. ranked and OU unranked. Throw that out the window for this rivalry, though.