Brian Rosenthal: Memories, respect apparent in ’71 reunion

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NORMAN, Okla. — They formed a group in the south end zone of Owen Field — some kneeling, some standing — for a photo.

Fifty players from the 1971  Game of the Century — 34 from Oklahoma, 16 from Nebraska, along with a few coaches and other team personnel — together again.

They had reunited Friday night and were introduced at halftime of Saturday night’s game. A video tribute showing highlights — mostly Oklahoma highlights — preceded the introduction.

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Thirteen deceased players and coaches were named, including OU quarterback Jack Mildren, who died last spring. That’s one of the primary reasons Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione decided a reunion was in order.

It was a splendid idea. For many reasons, the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry isn’t what it used to be — Saturday night’s score being one indication — so these reminders of the great past are quite welcome.

It’s not just the ’71 game, either. It’s those many Thanksgiving weekend battles that decided Big Eight championships and set up national title games.

“It’s one of those classic battles … we were going to lock horns with ’em,” said former Husker Bill Janssen, one of those introduced Saturday night. “We were going to mix it up and get after it.”

It’s also about the respect in this rivalry, something both schools wanted to make sure was restored after some unfortunate incidents in the 2004 game.

How is it that hatred never really set in with this rivalry in the first place, anyway?

“I think it was because of the class of the coaches and the relationships the coaches have with each other, and the respect that the coaching staffs showed each other,” Janssen said. “I think that kind of trickled down to all the players.”

History lesson?

You may have heard Bob Stoops talking last week about how OU coaches showed Sooner players highlights of past NU-OU games. It was meant to educate them on a rivalry that doesn’t take place every season.

In visiting last week with Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne — an enjoyable conversation about the NU-OU rivalry — I learned that Osborne doesn’t necessary believe in the same approach.

“I think that some of our student-athletes are somewhat aware of the history, but I think to spend a lot of time talking to them about past events and how it was 30 years ago is a little counterproductive right now,” Osborne said Thursday, “because they’ve got to focus on what the check calls are and what they’ve got to do in this game, this week.

“This is another football game, and the most important thing is that we can play as well as we can play. I think sometimes when people get caught up in past events or how good your opponent is or how good they aren’t, it takes away from your performance.”

Going deep

* A nice gentleman from the Independence Bowl was handing out literature before Saturday night’s game. What’s that mean? Good question, considering there were Orange Bowl reps at last week’s game in Lincoln.

* I counted 127 times I heard “Boomer Sooner” on Saturday, but then I had to stop, because the game started.

* It took me a while to figure out the crowd’s loud outbursts when nothing was happening. I then realized Texas Tech was scoring, too.

Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.