Whenever I think of Johnny, I laugh about the night I was at a Steakhouse at a table with Johnny and Jim Walden across from each other. They had similar personalities and could tell a joke. The drinks were flowing and I’d guess they enjoyed each other. If you recall they did some ads that mimicked the Bartles & James wine commercials at the time. They were on a roll and it was hard to eat a steak when you’d bust out laughing with a mouthful. Walden was just as likable and entertaining but didn’t have the success that Johnny did.
Since it's off-season, some Johnny Orr...
- Thread starter t-noah
- Start date
I'm jealous that you got to work with him, congrats on your time spent with him.
Johnny Orr's laugh is so wonderfully infectious! You can't help but have a good time in his presence, even when it is on a video recording.
One year at one of the preseason tipoff scrimmages, I decided to make a dash to the restroom as all the hype began.
I was mildly surprised that the hallways were totally silent, absolutely deserted. Except as I passed the basketball offices, the door swung open, and Johnny stepped out.
Clad in a white tie and tails.
I swear, he looked at me, just daring me to say something about his white monkey suit. Instead, both of us nodded at one another, and went our separate ways.
Several years later, after he retired, I worked with Johnny on a business project over the course of several weeks. Johnny being Johnny (and me being me), we talked about a bunch of other stuff, too.
I never brought up that white tux, and that I was “that guy”.
I was mildly surprised that the hallways were totally silent, absolutely deserted. Except as I passed the basketball offices, the door swung open, and Johnny stepped out.
Clad in a white tie and tails.
I swear, he looked at me, just daring me to say something about his white monkey suit. Instead, both of us nodded at one another, and went our separate ways.
Several years later, after he retired, I worked with Johnny on a business project over the course of several weeks. Johnny being Johnny (and me being me), we talked about a bunch of other stuff, too.
I never brought up that white tux, and that I was “that guy”.
Don't hang me in effigy if I don't get this 100% right. It was against the Illini at the Horizon in Rosemont, IL. I attended the game with painted face. The clock malfunctioned (not the shot clock because I believe it had not been implemented yet) for the 2nd half. The referees were calling out the time. We lost in a fairly close game. In the postgame, when asked about the referees by reporters, Orr responded, "You know according to league rules I can't comment on the referees. But I asked my wife what she thought and she said, 'they sucked!' " BTW, Cyclones turned out in numbers to the tune of half the stadium. The Sun-Times commented that it didn't appear like a 'home' game for the Illini. Very proud of our fan-base.
His wife Romie had a voice on her. We were sitting center court behind scorers table with a game against the Sooners and coach Tubbs. She wasn’t praising Jesus a few times and ended up throwing something on the court. The refs and everyone else were looking at us. We were innocent because Romie who was sitting like three rows behind us was the one that threw it.
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Ok let’s take all the great stories about Johnny Orr, and write a book. Sell them $100 each. You HAVE to buy one if you are a Cyclone fan. After 100,000 sales we have a nice chunk of change.
I was at Iowa State during the Johnny Orr days. I lived in Wallace Hall in the Towers and worked Food Service, because at that time if you did it covered all room and board. All of the athletes at the time ate at the Towers cafeteria between Wallace and Wilson. They would all come up the back way and walk through where all of the Food Service workers were at and every day he walked through he was in a great mood and anyone within 20 foot of him as he walked by he would say "How ya doing coach" and depending on the day would stop and talk to people along the way. And yes the F bomb was just part of his vocabulary...LOL
He coached some great players and also some interesting characters. Hornacek, Jeff Grayer, LaFester Rhodes(probably murdered that spelling), Victor Alexander, Terry Woods, Justice Thigpen, Sam Mack and Devon White.... who decided it would be wise to rob the burger king that had all ISU current athletic team roster photos all over the place, and finished up with Hoiberg. By the time I graduated in 91, he had Hilton full and loud, especially when he would make his entrance before the game started. Back then there wasn't a student section in Hilton like there is now. You'd get the student season tickets and would get moved to a different spot each game so you kinda hoped you'd get good seats to the good games.
He coached some great players and also some interesting characters. Hornacek, Jeff Grayer, LaFester Rhodes(probably murdered that spelling), Victor Alexander, Terry Woods, Justice Thigpen, Sam Mack and Devon White.... who decided it would be wise to rob the burger king that had all ISU current athletic team roster photos all over the place, and finished up with Hoiberg. By the time I graduated in 91, he had Hilton full and loud, especially when he would make his entrance before the game started. Back then there wasn't a student section in Hilton like there is now. You'd get the student season tickets and would get moved to a different spot each game so you kinda hoped you'd get good seats to the good games.
Damn Iphone!! I had Romie down not once twice and it kept bringing up Ronnie!!
I am pondering a Johnny story I have shared privately, but have never posted publicly. Because nowadays, it’d be kinda controversial.
In the meantime, some Johnny snippets from out conversations:
Johnny was doing a weekly column for me for March Madness. He’d dictate, I’d record, then transcribe and post it online later.
Shockingly, he skipped the F-bombs when dictating. I still have those tapes somewhere.
At one point, he went off on a rant about one of his old rival Big 8 (12?) coaches, going on and on about how that guy was a “damn cheater!”
Amusingly, a couple years later, I saw that Johnny was speaking at the guy’s retirement dinner.
I was in Jacksonville (IL) at the time. Before finishing high school in Taylorville (iirc, without checking), Johnny had lived there as a younger child. When I mentioned MacMurray College (now University), he exclaimed, “That’s where I got my PhD!”
He gave me the address, and I went by the simple frame house where he and his parents had lived.
Johnny started college at Illinois, as a dual sport athletic phenom—including football as a freshman. I’ve seen the pics. Whatever happened there, he hated that school with a passion.
Johnny also hated Iowa “even when I was at Michigan! I just loved beating them!” Perhaps second behind Illinois. “Their fans are so arrogant!”
I have more tidbits, but I think that’s enough for now.
In the meantime, some Johnny snippets from out conversations:
Johnny was doing a weekly column for me for March Madness. He’d dictate, I’d record, then transcribe and post it online later.
Shockingly, he skipped the F-bombs when dictating. I still have those tapes somewhere.
At one point, he went off on a rant about one of his old rival Big 8 (12?) coaches, going on and on about how that guy was a “damn cheater!”
Amusingly, a couple years later, I saw that Johnny was speaking at the guy’s retirement dinner.
I was in Jacksonville (IL) at the time. Before finishing high school in Taylorville (iirc, without checking), Johnny had lived there as a younger child. When I mentioned MacMurray College (now University), he exclaimed, “That’s where I got my PhD!”
He gave me the address, and I went by the simple frame house where he and his parents had lived.
Johnny started college at Illinois, as a dual sport athletic phenom—including football as a freshman. I’ve seen the pics. Whatever happened there, he hated that school with a passion.
Johnny also hated Iowa “even when I was at Michigan! I just loved beating them!” Perhaps second behind Illinois. “Their fans are so arrogant!”
I have more tidbits, but I think that’s enough for now.
Orr and Walden were the coaches during my formative fandom years and I still have a "Walden & Orr Premium coaches" hat, a parody of the Bartles & James wine coolers ads that were popular around that time.
The Johnny Orr show had a segment where fans could write in with questions and an envelope was drawn on air. Well, I sent one in and decorated the envelope in Iowa State colors and sure enough, it was drawn out of the bin. I assume it was random, but I suppose my artistic skill could have tipped the scales in my favor. At any rate, Pete Taylor read the return address and butchered my last name and said the small town I was from and Johnny went on a 5 minute rant on how he got a speeding ticket driving through there coming back from Forest City and how the cops sucked in my hometown. He didn't say he played the "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" card, but my guess is he did and it didn't matter. He wouldn't let it go even as Pete tried to steer him back to the task at hand. I don't remember what the question I sent in was, or if Johnny even answered it, but I got a free pair of Reebok hightops - same that the team wore. Best day of my life up to that point and still pretty high up on the list.
I also had my "fan plan" chosen on the Jim Walden show. Don't remember what I got for that, what the football play I sent in was or the result, but at that time, they actually ran those plays in the game - or at least they said they did. Nothing was ever televised, though, so hard to prove.
The Johnny Orr show had a segment where fans could write in with questions and an envelope was drawn on air. Well, I sent one in and decorated the envelope in Iowa State colors and sure enough, it was drawn out of the bin. I assume it was random, but I suppose my artistic skill could have tipped the scales in my favor. At any rate, Pete Taylor read the return address and butchered my last name and said the small town I was from and Johnny went on a 5 minute rant on how he got a speeding ticket driving through there coming back from Forest City and how the cops sucked in my hometown. He didn't say he played the "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!" card, but my guess is he did and it didn't matter. He wouldn't let it go even as Pete tried to steer him back to the task at hand. I don't remember what the question I sent in was, or if Johnny even answered it, but I got a free pair of Reebok hightops - same that the team wore. Best day of my life up to that point and still pretty high up on the list.
I also had my "fan plan" chosen on the Jim Walden show. Don't remember what I got for that, what the football play I sent in was or the result, but at that time, they actually ran those plays in the game - or at least they said they did. Nothing was ever televised, though, so hard to prove.
Back in the day ISU BB didn't have a practice facility so the teams practiced at Hilton. During practices we were supposed to steer clear of the floor as much as possible while working but it was always interesting walking by a practice. Johnny often didn't give a lot of guidance - instead playing the CEO and letting his assistants handle the nuts and bolts. He would often cut loose a barrage of cursing when someone wasn't getting it right or screwed up an assignment. Some of the old timers there would tell me it was nothing compared to a few years before when, "God dammit, Elmer!" was heard multiple times at pretty much every practice.
Also, see sig...
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Also, see sig...
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I was fortunate enough for 7th grade career day, my job shadow was Coach Orr.I didn't realize Johnny was 6-3, in his playing days. That's pretty tall, even now. He probably shrunk and inch or two as he got older. He played at Illinois and Beloit, and was drafted by the St/ Louis Bombers as a 6-3 'forward'! Times have changed.
Johnny Orr (basketball, born 1927) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
It's was amazing
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