15 Years Ago Today Mike Gundy Gave A Legendary Speech

This speech is college football history: the emotion, the terminology, and the execution; it's perfect. This performance is almost greater than any acting performance in any sports movie. Here's the full script of the speech:

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.

The speech had to do with benching QB Bobby Reid for Zac Robinson. It was being framed by The Oklahoman to include personal attacks against Bobby Reid. Gundy was extremely irate by how the benching was being portrayed. Columnist Jenni Carlson Wrote: 

Reid was benched for being soft, for not playing through injuries, for being coddled by his mom. And, to prove her point, Carlson wrote Rajika had fed her son chicken after the Troy game.

The truth was Gundy benched Reid due to lack of production and possibly due to injuries Reid was trying to play through but was too proud to take himself out of the game. Gundy let the media have it and gave the media a verbal spanking. After chugging a Redbull, Gundy delivered a speech that helps him recruit players to this day. It painted Gundy as a player's coach.

Bobby Reid, on the other hand, wasn't impressed with the speech. In an ESPN article years later, he commented it was messed up that the coach was defending him after benching him. Gundy then supported Reid in declaring for the NFL draft, but Reid never forgave Gundy for benching him after starting the whole season before. 

This real-life speech stands the test of time with some of these cinema classics.