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Posted

I feel this should be a new thread. The Gundy era is over so fresh start.

I think this is a cool story. I was on a family roadtrip and listening to the radio broadcast and they kept talking about a “section of shirtless men.” Two years into horribleness, attendance cratering, and the fans who showed up found a way to have some fun. I’m proud of the OKST fanbase right now.
 

https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/osu/article_f14a30f6-cf22-4986-96a2-89800912047f.html#tracking-source=home-top-stor

How a simple $10 bet started OSU's shirtless party in Section 231 of Boone Pickens Stadium

STILLWATER — The best challenges can come between a brother and a sister.

When the first words are “I dare you …” you usually prepare for the next words to be eyebrow-raising.

Trent Eaton, 40, and Callista Bradford, 32, are adults. They are old enough where simple words are no longer goading enough.

Shortly after halftime of Oklahoma State’s lopsided loss to Houston on Saturday, Bradford noticed Boone Pickens Stadium emptying out.

While sitting in Section 1 (located in the southeast corner), Bradford pointed to an empty area in section 231 (on the northwest corner) above the OSU student seating.

“I will bet you $10 to go over there and wave your shirt in the air,” Bradford said to her brother, not knowing if he would take his shirt off to do so.

Oklahoma State fan Trent Eaton, right, started a shirt-waving crowd frenzy in Section 231 following a bet from his sister Callista Bradford.

Eaton, an Oklahoma City-area banker, wasted no time saying “OK.”

This is the part where you think the older brother may have indulged in a few adult beverages during the day. But he says he was “stone-cold sober.”

No liquid courage was needed. Eaton was going to take his shirt off and wave it around like a crazy man.

“She’ll dare me to do stuff,” Eaton told the Tulsa World. “But she doesn’t even really have to dare me. We’ll go on vacation with my wife and I’ll go up to random people and talk to them or dance like someone who can’t dance well. They’ll either laugh at me or with me.

“For the most part, I’ll never see them again.”

Bradford’s group of friends at the game, including Eaton’s son Brodey and his girlfriend Mariany Suarez, watched him make the solo walk around the stadium.

It’s easy to smile when thinking what was going through Brodey’s mind at this point. He had just introduced his girlfriend to his father and you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

The Bradford group laughed when Eaton reached the upper levels of Section 231 and playfully acted like he was a lost fan looking for his specific seat in the empty area.

Then he took his shirt off and started waving it around.

“I’m not worried about taking my shirt off and waving it,” Eaton said. “Initially I was going to wave it a couple of times. Then a guy showed up and he asked very politely ‘Can I join you?’ I said sure and then some more people showed up.”

Eaton’s actions sparked a storm. For two minutes, it was just his new friend and him, shirtless.

But then the numbers doubled. And doubled again. Fans were seen racing up the stands to join the fun.

Forget the scoreboard (Houston was leading 30-10 at this point) of the uncompetitive game. Attention was drawn to the northwest corner of the stadium.

Eaton was OSU’s Pied Piper this afternoon. The shirtless fans soon easily numbered more than 1,000.

“We were all laughing so hard,” Bradford said. “My friends were saying ‘look at what you started.’ and I said ‘That’s my brother!’”

There was a high-school aged boy sitting in front of them who wanted to join the fray. Bradford said the mom said “No, that’s getting too wild over there.”

Many thought the entire group was college kids. Nope. Eaton is 40 and said the ages of those taking part ranged from elementary-aged boys to men in their 70s.

OSU’s videographers found them to display on the scoreboard. The TNT national broadcast slipped from game coverage multiple times to show the fans.

It wasn’t just waving shirts. Across the field in an enclosed press box, reporters could hear the group cheering each play. It was loud.

They were in solidarity.

Eaton’s wife Michelle was at home and was immediately informed who started the madness.

She posted the news on social media with the words “So Proud” in a fun, sarcastic way that only a spouse can get away with.

Eaton had in-laws who were watching from the stadium suites who learned it was him.

And his mother-in-law, driving to Tulsa for a Saturday dinner, noticed. She got in touch with others, including some who were at the game.

“She texted her friends and said the first topic of dinner conversation would be ‘Trent’ and she gave a confused (emoji),” Eaton said. “Then she texted me and said ‘What did you do?’”

Oklahoma State interim coach Doug Meacham and his players certainly noticed. During a tough afternoon on the field — heck, it’s been a disastrous season — it gave them reason to smile.

“Shoot, that was awesome. Hey, guys, whoever you are, that was phenomenal. Our guys kind of felt it. That was something,” Meacham said.

“You don’t see it very often with things not going the way you want them to. It’s just awesome. I appreciate our students hanging in there with us and giving us something to play for.”

As the game clock wound down to zero, the group slowly dissipated. OSU would lose 39-17 to the Cougars, but there was joy in the stadium on Saturday.

Eaton received high-fives from his sister’s stadium friends. Bradford was thanked for the original idea but she reminded everyone that it was “All Trent.”

“People got enjoyment out of it,” Eaton said. “If it helps the team play a little better or they took something out of it to make their day better, that was the whole goal.”

The day started when Bradford called her brother at the last minute and asked if he wanted to join her at the game.

It ended with a new folk hero in Stillwater.

And Eaton never got his $10. That’s fine, he added. He did it for free.

This was a lifetime memory.

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Posted (edited)

I’m sure it’ll happen again this weekend. It’s homecoming so attendance should be a little better but not nearly full. I’m sure 231 can be vacated for only the shirtless dudes. We managed a late TD and I thought it was cool to see the players celebrating. I also like that Coach Meacham thought it was a fraternity and turned out started by a guy in his 40s haha. 

 

Edited by 'stache
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