Oklahoma State Football is once again in rare form for 2011. Sitting 4-0, awaiting the flea-ridden 31 point dog of Kansas University, the Cowboys control a destiny that every weekend looks more and more promising. For the first 12 consecutive quarters, it had been relatively easy. Louisiana-Lafayette and Arizona didn't put up much of a fight, and the only challenge vs. Tulsa was low-end sleep deprivation.
Then came the first conference test in a hostile stadium against Texas A&M. Down 20-3 going into the locker room, OSU head coach Mike Gundy gave a calm, cool, and collected interview to ABC sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards. He told Edwards that major adjustments were going to have to be made on both sides of the ball and they were made, resulting in a 30-29 win.
For you see, when Mike Gundy was giving this interview he was subtly, subliminally telling anxious, increasingly belligerent OSU fans through coded body language and diction that everything was going to be alright. Gundy was going to somehow WILL the Cowboys to prevail. Gundy needed to dance. For on that day, September 24th, 2011, little did the world know that it would be taught how to Gundy.
"Teach Me How To Gundy" - Mike Gundy Dance Remix (via johnwilliehallford)
(Jump for what Gundy's 'Getting Jiggy With It' MEANS FOR YOU, THE OSU FAN)
The world had been taught how to Gundy before, but it entailed a lot more yelling. Excited dancing, however tangential Gundy's moves were to the actual definition of "dancing", is a lot more soothing to the shattered nerves of OSU fans and players coming off a one-point victory than high-volume tirades on the evils of unchecked and biased journalism. As research done by "OSU's School of Studies Devoted Exclusively to the 2007 Mike Gundy Rant" has shown, current players and recruits loved the rant because it showed Gundy was willing to get down in the trenches with his players and fight for them when they had been slighted. And now, Gundy's dance has taught recruits and the world that he will be there celebrating wholeheartedly with his players in the good times, too. Albeit Gundy will be celebrating as a white, 40-ish, breakdancer.
Gundy completed a whirlwind tour of Bristol, CT over last weekend's BYE to celebrate this celebration, and appeared on the halftime shows of major market ABC games to discuss the top ten ranked Cowboys. When asked about the dance, Gundy gave ESPN a "good ole fashioned, Midwestern, 'it's impolite to talk about the spectacle you've made of yourself', awe-shucks" sort of answer:
"I don't think ‘Dancing with the Stars' has any interest in me. That's all I got, that one move."
But this one move was enough to increase the endearment of Gundy to the OSU players and fans tenfold. By dancing in the locker room, Gundy looked like he was having a good time, and college football recruits want to be apart of good times. This is why so many depressives play for New Mexico State. Oklahoma State will continue to get high-caliber athletes for years to come as long as Gundy can continue this level of spirit among his squad. There will be lean years in Gundy's tenure, too, but Gundy's moves this year have taught the world that the good times are never far away with a Coach that can 'drop it like it's hot' so effectively.