See that picture? That’s the old logo for the defunct Oklahoma Coyotes Semi-Pro Roller Hockey Team. If I remember correctly, some dumb rich guy built a restaurant with a huge roller hockey rink called Billy Balloos (picture here and here) near NW Expressway and Rockwell in hopes of luring the franchise to play its home games there. Sadly, both the restaurant and hockey league failed miserably. Imagine that.
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is because the Oklahoma City Coyotes may have been the worst ever organized sporting event to take place in Oklahoma City…worse than even the five sporting events listed after the jump.
Car Racing at the State Fair Speedway
I went to the fairgrounds races once. I left with a mullet, confederate flag tattoo and dirt in my teeth. The mullet was actually kind of nice.
Oklahoma City Blazers Ice Hockey
The mid-1990’s…a time when our mayor was a sports anchor, everyone had a unique pager code and going to a low level semi-pro Hockey game was considered fun. Man, times sure have changed. Now the only time you’ll find me near a Blazers game is if I’m going to a Hornets-Sonics-Thunder game or thinking of committing suicide through boredom. Seriously, the construction of the relocated Laredo’s moves quicker than a Blazer’s game.
Oklahoma City Lightning Women’s Football
Girls playing football is actually kind of cool…when it involves oil and bikinis. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), our OKC Lightning doesn’t really fit that category.
Oklahoma City University Women’s Wrestling
See OKC Lightning. Replace the word “football” with “wrestling.”
Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Arena II Football
The talent level of the OKC Yard Dawgz (yes, that’s them) is so low that they would probably be beat by the Jenks Junior Varsity Arena Football Team. At least they seem to have semi-amusing mascots.
p.s.-Apologies to the Jenks Junior Varsity Arena Football Team for using the word “probably.”
Worst Local Sporting Event:
- OKC Lightning Women's Football (39%, 114 Votes)
- OKC Yard Dawgz Arena II Football (25%, 73 Votes)
- Car Racing at the State Fair Speedway (16%, 46 Votes)
- OKC Blazers Ice Hockey (11%, 34 Votes)
- OCU Women’s Wrestling (9%, 29 Votes)
Total Voters: 296
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I once volunteered to work in a wine tasting tent at the state fair. I have never seen so many people with mullets so confused.
The runaway winner here is/should be ‘roller derby’. It’s the scene, man. You spend two hours trying to pick out the select few girls that can actually use roller skates correctly. How you can be that poor of skaters and still charge admission is beyond me.
To paraphrase “The Princess Bride”, “you keep using that word, “semi-pro”, I do not think it mean what you think it mean.”
The Blazers are, and yes even the the Coyotes were, PRO, not SEMI-PRO. They actually get paid a regular salary to do what they do. Semi-pro would be what the Oklahoma City Slickers Soccer team used to be. They got paid a little bit for each game, but they all had real jobs.
And why such a Blazer hater? I know they’ve sucked on the ice the last few years, but it’s one of the best-run organizations in the minor league sports.
I guess the OSU football team isn’t on the list since they are in Stillwater, not OKC. By the way, happy birthday to Mike Gundy. Now that he is 41 maybe he will change that ridiculous haircut of his. Honestly, he looks a bit like Sonic the Hedgehog.
Mark Rodgers in a race car???? Not only did you get a picture of a Redneck in a race car, but you also managed to get Mark Rodgers, Lost Ogle Hero…
Oh, where do I begin? Roller hockey — androgynous football & wrestling — a mullet fest — or a rinky dink football team that promotes the redneck image of OKC by misspelling the name of it mascot — Yard Dawgz. Sheesh. Oh, the humanity.
It’s all bad. All of the above.
With the exception of OCU women’s rasslin’ and the woman’s football team, these are all redneck entertainment staples here in central Oklahoma. I attended a Yard Dawg game once and was much more entertained by people fighting over the souvenir tan football that would launch into the stands than the actual game itself. I actually saw two guys go to fist city over this oatmeal colored pigskin. I had forgotten all about the Oklahoma Coyotes and Billy Balloos. Wasn’t Switzer part of the group that opened Billy Balloos?
The Blazers hockey players all tend to have second jobs, as well.
“it’s one of the best-run organizations in the minor league sports.” Did you intend for that to be damning with faint praise?
That roller rink was nice. What happened to the rink? I would have to go with roller hockey as the worst, in that it didn’t sound as it ever took off. Yard Dawgs website is very nice. The mascot seem to be the main attraction. Dancer of the Week is also a plus. OCU women’s wrestling, kind of interesting, maybe a bit high on the fetish scale with men who enjoy that kind of thing. Fair ground racetack, very high on the “Bubba” scale.
My husband was an intern with the Blazers. He loved the job and the people he worked with but the one time I was in the same vicinity as the hockey players they all thought they were a little good to talk to anyone who wasn’t a semi-pro hockey player.
I was always partial to the OKC Cav’s Basketball Games
I hope Berry Tramel doesn’t find out you included two women’s sports on this list.
“The Blazers hockey players all tend to have second jobs, as well.’
Heck, not long ago, lots of players in the National Hockey League had summer jobs. Clair Alexander was a milkman, Petri Skriko worked on a garbage truck, Pat Verbeek worked the family farm. Would these guys be considered semi-pro?
Hey Gingela,
If you had been halfway hot lookin, they woud have indeed spoken to you. Hockey players are funny that way.
Didn’t Gretzky work construction during the off season?
With the regard to the lack of talent you claim the Yard Dawgz have, I would ask, “Did you see their dramatic last play win over the defending champion Tulsa Talons?” (which made ESPN’s top plays) “Did you see their sudden death defeat of the Amarillo Dusters, who are playing in the AF2 conference championship?” Both of these teams defeated the Dawgz earlier in the season by more than 35 points. The issue is not the amount of talent. The issue in question is the fact that while they had talent on the ‘08 roster, it was inexperienced talent. Thanks to veteran coach Sparky McEwen, who took over as head coach halfway thru the season, these guys were playing on the same level as some of the best teams in the league at the end of the season.
Wow, what a tough list to pick from. But I will note that the Oklahoma Redhawks didn’t make the list!
Yes, I’m pretty sure Switzer was involved in Billy Balloo’s. I also think Billy Sims was in on that one too. Switzer’s had several failed restaurant ventures. He seems to get away unscathed while his partners take a bath. Remember the upscale Mexican restaurant on Lake Hefner? Remember the chicken place north of Norman? There have probably been others.
Now he’s involved with Toby Keith, one of TLO’s favorite whipping boys, in the storage unit business. They deserve each other.
As far as bad sporting events, can’t believe you left out the women’s professional pool tournament at River Wind casino. What a heart stopping event.
response about the Blazers.
You people are nuts saying that the Blazers are one of the worst sporting events we have. Hell, the Blazers paved the way for many pro teams to come in and essentially showed that we can, as a city, support a major league team.
If you also do your research (I know it’s hard to do for you know-it-all types) The Blazers had led the CHL in attendance every year and have come in the top 5 in all of NORTH AMERICAN AAA HOCKEY LEAGUES . I don’t care who you are, that is something.
Also, these same people saying this crap, will also be the same ones whining when parking downtown goes up to $20 or more when the NBA is playing.
Yard Dawgz hands down.. they should fold… mangey mutts!
Anyone else still have a pager?
“NORTH AMERICAN AAA HOCKEY LEAGUES”
Triple A? Hahahahahahahahahaha
I used to play roller hockey at Billy Balloos. I think the owner didn’t pay his taxes, and that’s why the place shut down (sucks too, that rink was effin’ AWESOME). You’ll think I’m a huge nerd, but we had some connections to the NHL through the Coyotes. The 1995 inaugural head coach was Mike Kennedy, a forward for the Dallas Stars during the winter. In 1996, a defenseman named Radek Hamr donned the Coyotes sweater. Hamr played for the Ottawa Senators for a few years. Not to mention all the Blazers that played too: Smokin’ Joe Burton, Tom Gomes, Jean-Ian Filiatrault, Doug Lawrence, Mike Williams, etc. To tell you the truth, I had a blast going to those RHI games. I wish the sport had continued to grow.
As far as the Blazers, they’re one of the most successful minor league hockey teams in the country. It’s a niche sport, but their fans are truly die-hard. Wish they’d get a better review from TLO.
Does anyone else remember back in the early nineties when OKC had a semi-pro (really) football team that played at Del City High? Rusty Hilger played QB for part of the first season. JOKE!
The OKC Cavalry (or Calvary, as Bob Barry always called them) was good until The Blazers came to town. The Blazers literally KILLED The Cavs. Their attendance dropped to zero, and they even had to play their championship series at UCO’s stadium, in front of about 200 people. JOKE!
The Blazers and the Yard dawgz are good for entertainment while drinkin’ beer. Women’s wrestling and football are too stupid to be considered real sports.And the old round-de-rounds at the fairgrounds were only good for hearing loss.
Does anyone remember an OKC semi-pro football team called the Wranglers? Maybe around in the 80’s? Trying to extend a career as a jock by playing semi-pro, probably has a big downside.
I’ve been a Blazer fan for about 12 years and the players are some of the nicest young men I’ve ever know. They are great with the fans, especially the kids. Most of them are just big kids at heart. I’ve never seen any of the player be anything but gentlemen in public, but I don’t often follow them into clubs – boys will be boys. I’ve been to NHL games, those players are bigger and more skilled, but talk about thinking their S–T don’t stink! Give me a Blazer game where it doesn’t cost a fortune and the players are playing for the love of the games and give it their all!
well the blazers “DID NOT” get a good review from TLO, and I for one agree. Minor-league schminor-league. Of course, I’m just one of those know-it-all types, huh?
Just wait until the awful Sonics/Thunder have another lousy season. It should top this list, but it won’t because the Ogles and Daily Jokelahoman are suck-ups to the NBA.