While grabbing a quick breakfast Monday, I had a chance to overhear a familiar comment made by a customer while ordering. She previously lived in Virginia, but moved to Oklahoma City because “it’s friendly.”

And on the same morning, Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who is working to rebrand the state and promote tourism, observed the warm greeting given over the weekend to former Thunder player Paul George and commented on social media “I still think Ray Ackerman was right when he tried to brand OKC 'The Big Friendly.'”

The tag has never been embraced by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the Convention and Visitors Bureau or the folks at City Hall. But maybe because it never found any organized support, or maybe because of the lack of any other nickname, the tag has found an audience with national media and among some locals.

The attempted nickname has plenty of detractors, however, and quite a few locals wonder about the backstory.