Birdine's wisdom
Fiesta Bowl: OU senior shows some restraint

By John Helsley

Published: December 31, 2006

No shock.

Birdine's offering some juicy bits now, some later — and he says what's to come is worth the wait.

Showing some restraint, a lesson apparently learned from his last BCS bowl, the Oklahoma senior still jockeyed with reporters Saturday during Fiesta Bowl Media Day, the last chance for reporters to interview players before Monday's game.

Birdine, despite being arguably the Sooners' best quote, was curiously left out of the Media Day spotlight. Stages were set up on the field for coach Bob Stoops, quarterback Paul Thompson, running back Adrian Peterson, linebacker Rufus Alexander and defensive end C.J. Ah You.

In the stands at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, name plates announced several other Sooners.

None named Birdine.

"I just go with the flow,” said Birdine, who did find a seat on the front row of the stands where the rest of the Sooners were perched. "I don't pick the people who get talked to or get to sit on the stage. I'm just a team player, man. I'll just fit in where I fit in.

"If they don't want to talk to me, I'll just keep what I've got to say to myself (laughs).”

Except Birdine attracted more interest than most Sooners on Saturday.

Could Saturday's omission have been the result of Birdine's antics two years ago at the Orange Bowl, where he refused to back down from earlier comments suggesting Southern Cal was "average” and Matt Leinart was "overrated?”

The Trojans, remember, won 55-19.

"I think somebody doesn't want me talking,” Birdine said. "They're fearful of what I might say, just because they know I pretty much speak my mind.

"I'm sure the Orange Bowl is freshly on their mind, also. I can't get caught up in the politics of Media Day.”

Media Day, however, found Birdine.

The rest of Saturday's best:

On his comments at the Orange Bowl…

"I never regretted that. It was a learning experience. I think it has helped me this year. I don't want to take Boise for granted or anything like that. I don't want to bad-talk them in any way. We still have the game to play and I'm not going to give them any fuel for their fire. I have opinions about them. But like I say, I'm going to play the game, then after we win, then I'll say what's up.”

On concerns he might say something this time…

"I'm sure right now, I've got about four eyes watching me, making sure I don't say anything out of line. They're waiting to jump on me. They've probably got the seats mic'd up or something.”

On whether it was necessary when Birdine was banned from the media for a time this season…

"Not really, because I learned from that. I try to watch what I say or pick the right time to say things. There's a time and a place to say things. After the game — after we win — I've got something for all the ESPN cats. I've got something for the media people. I've just been sitting up there writing it down. It's a lot. Every time we see the ticker that says we lost the last two BCS games we've been in, it kind of (ticks) us off. We didn't show up. This is a whole different game. Losing is not an option.”

On what may be to come…

"I don't want take anything away from the football team or undermine the coaches or anything like that, because our coaching staff is very humble. I don't want another Orange Bowl incident happening. Let's just say it wasn't pretty.”

On his play this season…

"Personally, I didn't get a lot of my goals. But as a team, it's somewhat of a success. Yeah, we'd rather be playing in the national championship game. But the Fiesta Bowl is a great game to be playing in. A lot of people counted us out of a BCS game altogether. I'm going to put my best foot forward Monday and have the game of my life.”

On his NFL stock…

"I still consider myself as the best D-end in the NCAA. Statistically, I may not rate up there with a Gaines Adams (Clemson) or LaMarr Woodley (Michigan). But athletically, and the potential that I have, I feel like I'm a first-rounder. A lot of people get mixed up in statistics, but I play our scheme. I play our defense. I don't go out there and try to do more than the defense requires.”

On the thought that OU and Texas could meet in a stadium similar to the one in Glendale…

"That would be great, just for the rivalry. I wish we could play someplace at a neutral site. Dallas isn't neutral. It's Texas. We can play somewhere else. Let's play in Kansas City or something, that's neutral. Or even Arizona, that's neutral. Someplace where both teams are not liked.

"We do recruit a lot of guys out of Texas, so I guess everybody says it's a neutral site. They want people to go to the State Fair and spend all their money. Buy that $8 popcorn or that $5 bottle of water. All that goes to Texas. I'm not very fond of Texas. That's my own little skeleton in the closet.”

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