Michael T. Mondak speaks: 40 til 40 day 4

It’s day 4 of 40 in the 40 til 40 series of blog entries about anything and everything relevant to the number 40 as part of the countdown to my 40th birthday on July 10.

Last time I talked about the 40 biggest blunders of the last 40 years from the 1985 tornado outbreak to the 2024 Canadian World Junior hockey scandal.  This time around I will talk about Mike Gundy’s famous “I’m a man! I’m 40!” speech from September 2007.

A columnist named Jenni Carlson wrote an article for The Oklahoman newspaper that suggested that Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid was demoted to backup after the coaching staff supported him in the preseason.  This did not sit well with head coach Mike Gundy, who took a shot at Carlson by saying:

“I want to talk about this article right here. If anybody hasn't read this article-- I don't read it-- this was brought to me by a mother, of children. I think it's worth reading. Let me tell you why I want to talk about this article. Three-fourths of this is inaccurate. It's fiction. And, this article embarrasses me to be involved with athletics, tremendously. And that article, had to have been written by a person that doesn't have a child. And has never had a child that's had their heart broken and come home... upset. And had to deal with the child when he is upset. And kick a person when he's down.

“Here's all that kid did: he goes to class, he's respectful to the media, he's respectful to the public, and he's a good kid. And he's not a professional athlete, and he doesn't deserve to be kicked when he's down.

“If you have a child someday, you'll understand how it feels. But you obviously don't have a child. I do.

“Your child goes down the street, and somebody makes fun of him, because he dropped a pass in a pick-up game, or says he's fat, and he comes home crying to his mom, you'd understand. But you don't have that. But someday, you will. And when your child comes home, you'll understand.

“If you want to go after an athlete-- one of my athletes-- you go after one that doesn't do the right things. You don't downgrade him because he does everything right and may not play as well on Saturday. And you let us make that decision.

“That's why I don't read the newspaper: because it's garbage. And the editor that let it come out is garbage.  Attacking an amateur athlete for doing everything right. And then you want to write articles about guys that don't do things right and downgrade them-- the ones who do make plays.

“Are you kidding me? Where are we at in society today? Come after me! I'm a man! I'm 40! I'm not-- I'm not a kid. Write something about me, or our coaches. Don't write about a kid that does everything right that's heart's broken, and then said that the coaches said he was scared. That ain't true! And then to say that we made that decision because Donovan Woods, because he threatened to transfer. That's not true! So get your facts straight.

“And I hope someday you have a child and somebody be-- downgrades him, and belittles him and you have to look him in the eye and say, ‘You know what? It's okay. They're supposed to be mature adults, but they're really not.’ Who's the kid here? Who's the kid here? Are you kidding me?

“That's all I've got to say. Makes me want to puke.”

After this speech, the editor of The Oklahoman, Mike Sherman, decided to back his columnist.  Other members of the media, including CBS Sportsline’s Dennis Dodd and Mike Griffith, the president of the Football Writers Association of America, called for Mike Gundy to be reprimanded, fined, suspended or terminated for bringing the coaching profession into disrepute.  But Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder chose to ignore the outside noise, claiming that Gundy was simply sticking up for one of his players.

Bobby Reid did end up transferring before injuries ended his playing career, and he eventually wound up back at Oklahoma State as an assistant under Gundy.