Last Saturday (Feb. 10), the late Toby Keith's beloved Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball team hosted its in-state rival, the Garth Brooks-backed Oklahoma State Cowboys. To honor Keith, the Sooners athletic department had all fountain drinks purchased inside the Lloyd Noble Center served in red solo cups. The cups referenced Keith's hilarious 2011 hit "Red Solo Cup."
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The Sooners won one for Keith, topping their rivals 66-62.
Keith was a longtime supporter of Oklahoma athletics. Most notably, he was close to the late Wayman Tisdale, a Sooners basketball star turned NBA notable as well as a jazz musician. After Tisdale died in 2009 at the age of 44 following a battle with cancer, Keith co-wrote and recorded "Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)" in tribute.
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Toby's daughter Krystal shared more perspective on her dad's sports fandom on Instagram.
"The [University of Oklahoma] is a HUGE part of our life," she wrote. "I love that he is being honored by Sooner Nation. My dad started selling cokes at 12 or 13 yrs old in the stadium so he could see the games live. We have traveled as a family with the teams to bowl games and championships as long as I can remember. Planning weddings, vacations and big life events around team schedules. He was also clear about where he was willing to spend his money when we head off to college.
"When my sister was choosing a college and wanted to be a veterinarian, she said, 'OK State has one of the best programs for that' and he said 'Well, I guess you don't get to be the best'," Krystal continued. "When I was choosing, he told me 'you can go anywhere in the world you want to go, as long as it's in Norman, Okla. and has division 1 football' which took the local Bible college out of the running. My brother earned 2 scholarships and did a short stint at an out of state school, but quickly made his way back to Norman where my dad was happy to forego scholarships in lieu of paying for a Sooner education."
Krystal concluded that her dad " bled crimson" and "it's genetic."
