8-22-23
Moderator: Berry Tramel
Berry Tramel, a lifelong Oklahoman, sports fan and newspaper reader, joined The Oklahoman in 1991 and served as beat writer, assistant sports editor, sports editor and columnist. But just this week he has joined Selloutcrowd.com, an Oklahoma-based digital sports media company.
Tramel grew up reading four daily newspapers — The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma City Times, the Norman Transcript and the Oklahoma Journal — and entered the journalism business at the age of 17, with the Transcript in 1978. His first game assignment was the Lexington-Elmore City high school football game, and he has enjoyed the journey ever since, from high school wrestling duals and regional track meets to Rose Bowls and the NBA playoffs.
Tramel also is part of The Sports Animal’s daily Total Dominance Hour on WWLS radio.
Tramel was born and raised in Norman. He and his wife, Tricia, were married in 1980 and live in Norman near their daughter and son-in-law, Haley and J.J. Argyle, and granddaughters Riley, Sadie and Tinley.
OU – Toby Rowland
For the past 17 years, Toby Rowland has hosted the “T-Row in the Morning Show” alongside his Very Best Friend in the Entire World, TJ Perry.
T-Row is currently the “Voice of the Sooners.” He serves as the radio play-by-play for OU football, men’s basketball, and baseball. Rowland also serves as a TV host for a wide variety of programming on Sooner Sports TV powered by FOX.
A two-time Emmy Award winner, Rowland spent 12 years as a sports anchor, reporter and producer at KWTV in Oklahoma City. He won the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Award for best sportscast and the Society of Professional Journalists Award for Best Sports Reporting. Rowland became a household name in Oklahoma as host of the award-winning “Friday Football Blitz,” taking high school football coverage to a new level in the state.
Rowland’s play-by-play résumé includes serving as the “Voice of Southern Nazarene University” football, basketball, and baseball, and as “Voice of the Norman Tigers.” Rowland also was a part of the Oklahoma RedHawks broadcast team for two seasons.
A 1995 graduate of Southern Nazarene University, Toby is married to his college sweetheart, Jennifer. They have three children
Toby is also the author of the best-selling children’s book “Unhitch The Wagon” a storybook about the famed Oklahoma Football ponies Boomer and Sooner. A delightful book for Sooner fans of all ages!
OSU – John Holcomb
John Holcomb plays a pivotal role as sports director of the News On 6 sports team. Holcomb began his career at News On 6 in November 1995 and has held the position of sports director since September 1999. You can find him anchoring the weeknight sportscasts for News On 6 at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and co-hosting the statewide “Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz” with News 9 Sports Director Dean Blevins on Sunday nights. And, during high school football season, Holcomb also anchors the “Oklahoma Ford Friday Football Blitz” – Tulsa’s high school football show.
Holcomb attended Oklahoma Baptist University on a basketball scholarship, graduating with a degree in journalism in May 1988. He worked at radio station KGFF in Shawnee and at the Oklahoma News Network before becoming a news reporter at KXII-TV in Sherman, Texas in 1989. From there, he moved to KSWO-TV in Lawton to work as weekend sports anchor in April 1991. In January 1993, he was named sports director at KFDA-TV in Amarillo, Texas.
Today, Holcomb is entering his 16th season as the radio color analyst for OSU football and his 14th season as the analyst for OSU men’s basketball on the Cowboy Sports Network. He has also done play-by-play work for Cox high school football and basketball broadcasts.
Holcomb was named the Oklahoma Sportscaster of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2011 and 2019 by the National Sports Media Association.
Chair of the Day
Alex Kaiser
Alex Kaiser is a Vice President in the Oklahoma City office of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank focusing on wealth management, banking and legacy planning for high-net-worth individuals and families with complex balance sheets.
Alex graduated magna cum laude from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He earned his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law where he graduated with the highest honors and was named to the Order of the Curule Chair. Alex holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation as well as the Series 7 and Series 66 Licenses.
Alex is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and Oklahoma County Bar Association. He currently serves on the President of the Board of Directors for Shelterwell; an Executive Council Member for the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Committee; and is a member of the Downtown Club of Oklahoma City. Alex is also a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City LOYAL Class XII and Signature Class 38.
Alex lives in Oklahoma City with his wife, Jenn, and their two children, Drew Kate and Brady. Alex is an avid golfer who enjoys spending time with his family, reading, exercising and traveling.