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Your Best Johnny Orr Stories here.

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Knownothing

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Nov 22, 2006
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I went to the Coach Orr Roast at Glen Oaks. It was a legendary night. Bob Knight and a whole crap load others were there. I have never seen a bunch of non comedians (coaches) that were so damn funny. Coaches today have no personallity compared to the old guys.
Anyone have any really good one?​
 
I'll never forget the first time I met him. He had just gotten done golfing at the Harvester and was at the bar by himself. We walked up and talked to him and asked what he thought of Greg McDermott (coach at the time) Johnny said he'll never make it here because he doesn't recruit the black players.

Will never forget it.
 
Here is another one. BTW nobody ends the Johnny Orr thread. there are way way to many stories out there to limit it to just one video.

Here another one from me. I posted it in the other thread also.

Myself as a 15 year old: Coach Orr, Why do you call everyone coach

Coach Orr: Because if I call everyone coach I don't have to remember there names, I just have to remember to call them coach.

Myself: Not a bad idea.
 
About 10 years ago, I went to a DSM Cyclone club outing at the sports bar on the South side of Jordan Creek Mall. Johnny was there, and I brought my old Hilton Homer Hankie and my wife's old pristine "Walden & Orr" poster (that already had Jim Walden's autograph on it from back in the day). I went over to talk to the coach & ask him to sign them for me, and he was in fine form.

"Whaddya got?" When I showed him the hankie, he said "Holy ****, I haven't seen one of those ****ing things in a long ****ing time!" Then when I unrolled the poster, he said "Wow, you really ****ing broke out all the ****ing antiques, didn't you?" He was laughing his *** off the whole time, and now we display these items in our "Cyclone Room".
 
Many of you were likely not around for the Sam Mack era. He was a tremendous talent, got in bad trouble and Johnny testified as a character witness for him in court. It was an armed robbery attempt of Burger King on Lincoln way with a couple of fball players. Mack claimed he was forced to do it and was acquitted. Mack later transfered to Arizona St. and then played many years in the NBA. Had that not happened ISU might have had a great team that next season. Any way, that's the kind of person Johnny was, he would stand up for you and fight for you if he believed in you. Tremendous human being.

Side note, I was at the video store "that's entertainment" right next to the burger king when the incident was occurring watching out the window. Wild night.
 
I used to be an usher in Hilton when Orr first got there and the team still practiced in Hilton so I would see him in the hall on a somewhat regular basis. Never too busy to exchange greetings. Very genuine.

My favorite piece of ISU Memorabilia. A piece of Hilton floor signed by both Orr and Hoiberg.
 

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In 2006 Johnny Orr helped me find my biological parents. Who at the time we thought was a former player. Sitting in my dorm room in willow. I called Johnny for any info he had on the former player. He told me the whole recruiting story of the player and how he had lost contact after he left. We spoke for 30 minutes. I was ready to give up. He told me not to give up and he would help by any means he could. 2 hours later I was on the phone with my biological mom.

I'm blown away.

Thank you Johnny
 
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Beyerball said:
Many of you were likely not around for the Sam Mack era. He was a tremendous talent, got in bad trouble and Johnny testified as a character witness for him in court. It was an armed robbery attempt of Burger King on Lincoln way with a couple of fball players. Mack claimed he was forced to do it and was acquitted. Mack later transfered to Arizona St. and then played many years in the NBA. Had that not happened ISU might have had a great team that next season. Any way, that's the kind of person Johnny was, he would stand up for you and fight for you if he believed in you. Tremendous human being.

Side note, I was at the video store "that's entertainment" right next to the burger king when the incident was occurring watching out the window. Wild night.
Click to expand...
I remember that... We then called Sam, "Mack the knife" Lol
1161761464_1368931711.jpg
 
Beyerball said:
Side note, I was at the video store "that's entertainment" right next to the burger king when the incident was occurring watching out the window. Wild night.
Click to expand...

Cough *renting adult movies* cough
 
501Clone said:
I'll never forget the first time I met him. He had just gotten done golfing at the Harvester and was at the bar by himself. We walked up and talked to him and asked what he thought of Greg McDermott (coach at the time) Johnny said he'll never make it here because he doesn't recruit the black players.

Will never forget it.
Click to expand...

He was doing an interview and was asked about David Moss, to which he simply replied... "Longest arms I've ever seen on a white guy".
 
Beyerball said:
Many of you were likely not around for the Sam Mack era. He was a tremendous talent, got in bad trouble and Johnny testified as a character witness for him in court. It was an armed robbery attempt of Burger King on Lincoln way with a couple of fball players. Mack claimed he was forced to do it and was acquitted. Mack later transfered to Arizona St. and then played many years in the NBA. Had that not happened ISU might have had a great team that next season. Any way, that's the kind of person Johnny was, he would stand up for you and fight for you if he believed in you. Tremendous human being.

Side note, I was at the video store "that's entertainment" right next to the burger king when the incident was occurring watching out the window. Wild night.
Click to expand...

If Mack didn't get in trouble and if Mark Baugh would have stayed academically eligible ISU would have had a heck of a front court with Big Vic.

I had a friend who lived in a duplex across from Johnny's house. We were grilling brats and drinking some cold refreshing brews on a hot summer day. Johnny drives by, sees us, and gives us the fist pump. That put a smile on our faces.
 
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I student taught at an elementary school in Dubuque in the late 1980's. There was an old teacher working then who told me she had Johnny for a (I think) history teacher back in the day at Dubuque Senior High. She shook her head and stated disgustedly that Johnny never taught them anything; just swore and coached! I loved it!
 
2002 Final Four in Atlanta. I was there for work with 2 other guys. Through some connections we got invited to this fancy charity brunch sponsored by ADIDAS. When we arrived, the maitre d noticed the Iowa State logo on my shirt and asked if we were from Iowa. We replied yes, and he said that there was another couple from Iowa in attendance, so he'd sit us by them. Imagine our surprise when the "other couple" turned out to be Johnny and his wife.

Over the course of the next 90 minutes, Johnny had us all in stitches with his stories. All kinds of topics, from basketball, to non sports stuff, to speculation on the number of lesbians in the ISU athletic department. I swear even I learned some curse words that I'd never heard before. It was a riot.

And the best part is he was doing it while speaker after speaker was addressing the crowd on behalf of this charity. At one point, one of the event organizers recognized Johnny, and asked him to say a few words off the cuff. He agreed, and once he got a hold of a microphone, basically dominated the room for much much longer than any of the other speakers. It was great.
 
Knownothing said:
Here is another one. BTW nobody ends the Johnny Orr thread. there are way way to many stories out there to limit it to just one video.

Here another one from me. I posted it in the other thread also.

Myself as a 15 year old: Coach Orr, Why do you call everyone coach

Coach Orr: Because if I call everyone coach I don't have to remember there names, I just have to remember to call them coach.

Myself: Not a bad idea.
Click to expand...

rich4cy said:
In 2006 Johnny Orr helped me find my biological parents. Who at the time we thought was a former player. Sitting in my dorm room in willow. I called Johnny for any info he had on the former player. He told me the whole recruiting story of the player and how he had lost contact after he left. We spoke for 30 minutes. I was ready to give up. He told me not to give up and he would help by any means he could. 2 hours later I was on the phone with my biological mom.

I'm blown away.

Thank you Johnny
Click to expand...

Man, I think you were wrong. That is an awesome story.
 
I had the pleasure of hearing Johnny speak once. He told some short small stories and had the room wrapped around his finger. Being young and not an ISU fan from conception, I probably don't/didn't have the appreciation for him as others but I'm sure as hell glad I decided last minute to go to that meeting.
 
Few of my favorites...

Pete interviewing him after another win over Iowa. He asked him something about the Iowa fans during the game. Johnny referred to them as "a bunch of stupes".

He was talking about Ron Falenschek and how he'd try to block shots with a karate chop. Said he nearly put a couple guys in the hospital when he whiffed.

Coming home and telling his wife after his first practice at Iowa State..."honey, I think I've made a hell of big mistake".

If you want to see how much this man loved Iowa State, watch his resignation press conference. A Cyclone legend.
 
Will be hard to pull off without audio or an impersonation of coach - but as told by Jim Hallihan to Keith Murphy: Iowa was playing at Iowa State, and of course the court still had the old "Cy" logos. Allegedly, Chris Kingsbury got the ball just a dribble or two over half court and let fly from near the logo (and close to the ISU bench) - and made it. Johnny looked at Hallihan with eyes as big as saucers and exclaimed: "Did you see that! He made that from the CHICKEN!!!"
 
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When Johnny was the coach they used to hold a dinner every year at Des Moines Golf to support men's BB, much like the gridiron Club for football, just smaller scale. Johnny was a member, but he was politely asked to move the event to another place because his profanity laced speeches, while very funny and great to hear, offended some of the female employees! If you knew Johnny, you know his response to the club management at the time!

I had the pleasure of playing golf with Johnny in the Naples, FL area several times and I always shot terrible golf, but laughed my @)) of at all the jokes. One time there were about 30 guys down to play golf for a few days and Johnny joined us, came over to the guy's house and told stories for hours! Great guy, and is one of the main reasons I got as interested in ISU sports as I have been for the last 25+ years!

Good man, he will be missed.
 
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