Published: February 11, 2009 09:55 am      

SPRUIL: If OSU was winning would Ford still be in hot water?

EDMOND — You win games, anything goes. If you lose though, well, that's a different matter. If you lose, everything gets scrutinized, which is what Oklahoma State basketball coach Travis Ford is learning now.

In no way is it acceptable to act like Ford did. A national televised audience heard Ford shouting an obscenity toward former Santa Fe standout Obi Muonelo during the Cowboys' 78-67 loss at Kansas last Saturday.

When a coach gets into name calling then it's over the line and should not be tolerated. But if it was Knight, it wouldn't be a big deal. It would be Bobby being Bobby. Do you think Knight would have had to take the time to call in to the local sports talk show and apologize? No.

Ford should have had a private meeting with Muonelo, but that's it, make sure everything is good internally. If Athletic Director Mike Holder wants to issue a statement, then so be it. But why draw more attention to it?

If you win, none of this is an issue. Had Ford's Cowboys pulled off a miracle in Lawrence, the talk would be about that. Would people bring up the language, possibly. But few would care. It moves from "I can't believe he said that" to "He's fun to watch when he gets worked up. He gets the most out of his players."

It's hard to argue with any coach's antics, when they are winning on the big stage. But when you are 14-9 and have lost six of your last eight, including a 99-74 loss to Texas on Tuesday night, these things get noticed.