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    OIL History 2007: Resurrecting the OklahomIraqis League

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    This is the second installment in the oral history of the OklahomIraqis League, which started in Baghdad in 2006. To start from the beginning, click here. 
    After the 2006 deployment, most of the men didn't go back to drill until April or May due to the leave they'd accrued. And, when they did, they went back to their respective armories in Lawton, Duncan, Chickasha, Anadarko, and Walters. Guys they worked with every day suddenly became guys they only saw every few months at best. So, when the 2007 football season approached, many of the men in the OIL had not visited with each other since the deployment. That's when Pyle asked OIL commissioner Cliburn if he planned on resurrecting the league.

    Readjustment

    After being gone from their jobs for over 15 months, the men went back to their daily lives and tried to pretend nothing had changed. But things had changed, and everyone adjusted differently.
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    SECFOR: An Oral History of the OklahomIraqis League

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    Compiled and edited by Justin C. Cliburn

    This is the first installment in our ongoing oral history project. You can read later chapters here. 
    To understand the OklahomIraqis League ("the OIL"), one must know who its members are and what brought them together. The league began at Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006. It was resurrected in 2007 and kept alive each successive season. It's the way they keep in touch and share news with the men they served with in Iraq. Sometimes it's the only way because, although the men of the OIL are incredible friends, they may have never known each other without the Army National Guard. They came from different backgrounds and followed different career paths, but they served together as soldiers. Their bond would never be what it is without the experiences they shared one year in Iraq.
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    Their story is important, even if only to them, because when historians chronicle the Iraq War, they will focus on the usual fare: the battles; the successes and the failures; the bombings and the civil war . . . and the presidents and generals who managed them. 

    But it will be up to the everyday Joes, the boots on the ground, to tell their stories . . . because no one else will. Who were these men? Why did they join the military? What did they do over there? How are they now? And what has kept them close since they first went to war together? These questions may be important only to those who already know the answers, but they need to be shared just the same.
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    What follows is an oral history of the OIL, as told by the men who lived it, beginning with the combat mission that inspired it. It is by no means an exhaustive history of that combat mission in 2005-2006; such a history would fill a book of its own. But it is a decent overview of the year that preceded the formation of the OIL: where they were; what they'd experienced; how they felt. 152 Oklahoma soldiers served on that mission, but just a fraction of them are represented here. Each soldier below speaks for himself as an individual. Collectively, their memories form a history best expressed through the oral tradition of storytelling through conversation.

    Soldiers are traditionally a guarded bunch, reluctant to show emotion or share their feelings, so the following is a rare look into the collective memory of one group of soldiers in Iraq almost a decade ago.
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    Rivalry Week 2014 Matchups

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    UPDATE: Week 13 Results

    The NFC's Rivalry Week is upon us. Here are the uniform matchups and playoff implications of each game. The "home" team is the franchise that won last season's Rivalry Week matchup. Of course, the winner of this year's Rivalry Week matchup will be the home team next season. Click on the franchise's uniform to view their full uniform set. Each playoff matchup will be previewed in this way as well, with the higher-seeded team being the home team.

    Away vs. Home
    (Series Record)

    As the home team, Duffy's Hangovers will be wearing their green jerseys. Cliburn's Arrogant Americans will wear their all-whites. Historically, the Americans have dominated this series, but the two split last year. Duffy won the Rivalry Week matchup while Cliburn got revenge in the semi-finals.

    Analysis: Cliburn is still in the hunt for a first-round bye. And Duffy is still fighting for a playoff spot, but he needs to win this matchup to have a chance. A loss would give the Hangovers a losing record and end their season.
    As the away team, Schmidt's Dead Again will be wearing their white jerseys. For Rivalry Week, Pyle's 2006 champion (and 2008 runner-up) Lucky Enuf will wear their neon green alternates for the first time this season. Although Pyle has had far more success in the OIL, Schmidt has been a constant thorn in his side, sporting an 8-5 record against Lucky Enuf.

    Analysis: This is Schmidt's worst season to date. And Pyle has seen better days, too. But this is the OIL's original rivalry, and these guys love to beat each other. So, while neither team will make the playoffs, it's a good matchup between two of the original OIL franchises.
    Baldwin's newly-rebranded Roughnecks (formerly Reapers) will wear their gold and black home uniforms against the higher-ranked (and OIL Bowl favorite) Hard Targets, owned by Finch. The Hard Targets will wear their away uniforms (with sublimated camouflage on sleeves, numbers and pants). Personally, I wish they were the home team so they could bust out their olive drab alternates, but maybe that will happen in the playoffs. This is only the fourth year of this series, as Baldwin did not join the OIL until 2011. But these two were roommates both in Iraq and back in Oklahoma, so the trash talk is always intense. Baldwin has a 2-1 series lead on Finch, but Finch has the far better team this season.

    Analysis: This matchup has minimal playoff implications. Finch has already clinched a playoff position and is now just hoping for a first round bye. Baldwin has won four in a row, but his seven losses will keep him out of the playoffs. This one is all about pride for the Roughnecks.
    Henderson's DARC NARCS will sport their 8-bit graphic-inspired home black uniforms. Trovillo's Dirty Hippies will wear their traditional away jerseys with tie-dyed accents. Perhaps we can look forward to the Hippies' tie-dyed home jersey in the playoffs. This is another relatively new rivalry, but it makes sense as undercover narcotics officers and hippies probably do hate each other. Here, the NARCS own a 3-1 series lead.

    Analysis: The Hippies are one of three teams fighting for a first-round bye, so they can't afford to overlook Henderson's squad. Yes, they've already clinched a playoff spot, but the first-round bye is incredibly valuable. Meanwhile, the NARCS have a chance at the playoffs with a loss, but they can clinch the playoffs outright with a win.
    Leal's Norman Nobodies will wear their home jerseys against former champion Morgan's Whackers in their white away jersey. These two played high school football together. They were roommates in Iraq. Morgan beat Leal in 2007 for his only OIL Bowl championship, but Leal owns a slight 6-4 series lead (including a victory last season).

    Analysis: After suffering his seventh loss last week, Morgan is now playing for pride. Leal has been in that boat for a while now, as the Nobodies' 3-9 record is tied for the league-worst. So, no playoff implications here, but a very good matchup of bitter rivals.
    2013 champion Cobb's Dogs of War will likewise wear their home jersey (with sublimated pitbull on the shoulders) against two-time champion Bruesch's SoonerJack in their white-on-white away uniforms. This is the only rivalry where each franchise has won an OIL Bowl. SoonerJack has won two, in fact (2008; 2011). But Cobb has dominated this series featuring former Third Platoon soldiers 7-2.

    Analysis: This battle featuring former champions is all about pride as both teams are guaranteed to have losing seasons. Perhaps Bruesch can cut into Cobb's 7-2 series lead, which is the most lopsided of the league's rivalries.
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    The OIL Game of the Week 

      AMMODOGS (7-5) vs. DominationStation (6-6)
    (1-3)

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    Jessen's DominationStation will take the field in their "pain train" home uniforms against Rogers's AMMODOGS in their alternate away uniforms inspired by the old Acme Packers. These two used to talk trash while serving in the same launcher. Now they do it in week 13. Jessen holds a 3-1 series edge, but the teams are pretty evenly-matched this season. 

    Analysis: This is the perfect Rivalry Week matchup. Not only are these two bitter rivals, but each team's playoff hopes come down to this game. Win this game, and you're in the playoffs. It's that simple. Rivalry Week matchups don't get any better than that.
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    Week 12 Standings; Four Playoff Spots Clinched in OIL2

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    OIL1

    It's coming down to the wire in the OIL1. Three teams clinched playoff spots last week, but no one was able to clinch this week. With one week left in the regular season, three spots remain open. This is Rivalry Week in the OIL1, so check out those matchups.

    OIL2

    Four OIL2 franchises clinched spots in the inaugural OIL2 playoffs this week. Two spots remain unclaimed, and six teams have a legitimate chance at clinching them. 
  • Published on

    Get to Know the Man Behind the OIL Uniforms

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    The 14 franchises in the OIL1 recently unveiled new uniform sets. In some cases, teams released new logos or completely re-branded their franchise. But, whether it was a refresh or a re-brand, one man was behind all the work: Andrew Krause of AndrewKrauseDesign.com. Commissioner Cliburn did a Q&A with Krause so his work could be showcased and the OIL could know him better.
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    Some of Krause's work displayed at his website.

    How long have you done graphic design?

    KRAUSE: I’ve been a graphic artist full-time coming up on two years, previously I was an educator in the Boston Public Schools system. While I’ve only been full-time for a short period, I was always drawing logos and the like in notebooks at school or at home with those weirdly scented markers in the early 90’s.

    Where do you live?

    KRAUSE: I’m originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts but moved to Boston about 8 years ago when I turned 20. I’ve bounced around from neighborhood to neighborhood but have settled in the Allston section of the city, sandwiched between Boston College and Boston University. Neither of which I attended, but I hold BU hockey close to my heart.

    What type of clients do you typically serve?

    KRAUSE: Hard question to answer, I serve a wide variety of clients. Anywhere from you guys to the NYC Food Bank. My expertise is in sports branding but I have no trouble straying from the course if the job is interesting.

    How many designs do you typically do in a month?

    KRAUSE: It can vary, summer months are usually the quiet ones – mostly by choice. The work really kicks up between October-May.

    What are you favorite types of projects?

    KRAUSE: I don’t necessarily have a favorite type of project per se, just ones where the client allows the designer to trust in their vision.

    What are your favorite logo/uniform designs?

    KRAUSE: My favorite design as of late has to be Joe Boscak’s work with the Hershey Bears. They did a great job capturing the feel of Hershey while also maintaining a classic brand for the Bears. Stunning work. The Dallas Stars come in a close second. They weren’t in need of a brand overhaul, but they sure knocked it out of the park.

    Do you play fantasy football?

    KRAUSE:  Who doesn’t? I’m in a rather hotly contested league and another with a ragtag group of hometown friends. I’m not the best fantasy player out there, but I did win a championship with Tebow at the helm three years ago – I’m oddly proud of that.

    As you should be. Does your team have a logo/uniforms?

    KRAUSE:  They do, but I won’t share. It’s essentially Tim Tebow and Mr. Hankey combined. I’ll let your imagination take over from here.

    Which OIL franchise did you enjoy designing the most? Why?

    KRAUSE: I’m keen on the look of the DARC NARCS. The basis of the design was an 8-bit video game with the not-so-blended gradients. That red uniform is probably my favorite in the OIL. The Roughnecks, of course, get an honorable mention as that being the sole franchise I designed from the ground up.

    How can fantasy football owners contact you about designing their franchise?

    KRAUSE: A simple e-mail to Andrew@AndrewKrauseDesign.com will suffice. We can continue the discussion there.

    What would you recommend owners provide when they request franchise design or re-brand?

    KRAUSE: I usually like to have them fill out a four or five question card which includes mostly their thought process on how their name came about. Fantasy football names are pretty egregious and/or have an inside joke connection. It helps to get the owner's viewpoint on the name before beginning work. Colors are pretty helpful, as well.

    What work are you most proud of? 

    KRAUSE: My work with The Basketball Tournament (TBT) is easily the staple of my portfolio. We started from the ground up with them. When I signed on all that was certain was Frasier Davidson was going to make some killer team logos, which he did. Outside of that work, they left it up to me to design each of the 32 entrant’s uniforms, signage, gear, programs. A lot of work, but it was satisfying to see such a big project come to fruition.

    Thanks for all the work you've done for the OIL, Andrew. We'll keep in touch. 


    If you want your franchise to look as good as those in the OIL, send Andrew an email and discuss your ideas with him. It will be worth it.