SOONERGUYS Blog

BYU Coach Bronco (Nagurski) Mendenhall appeared on ESPN today and said even if Oklahoma scores more points in their September 5 game in Arlington, BYU will remain the winner because their players are playing for a “higher cause.” 

Whereas, apparently, we Sooner fans are rooting for heathens who merely want to win a football game.  Gee, I feel so cheap on my way to hell (the road to which not surprisingly passes through a gawdy stadium built by Jerry Jones).

Ninety seven percent of BYU students are members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. All students pledge to no extra-marital sex, no alcohol use and no hair over the ears.  (That sex pledge thing is kinda overblown, since more than 50 percent of all BYU students are married, compared to a national average of 11 percent among college students — wonder why, do ya?).  Most of the BYU team have served two years as missionaries, meaning they’re older than the average NFL player.

Just a reminder to us all:  the last time OU played a team whose fans were predominantly Mormon was in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State.  As I recall, that game ended in a marriage proposal.  Oh, yeah, and there was that greatest upset in college football history thing too.

Before we get the idea that BYU is just a bunch of guys who drink milk and look like Opie, understand they have a habit of kicking ass on the football field (but in a polite and clean shaven way).  And remember, at the New Year’s block party (or whatever it was called) in Tempe the night before that Fiesta Bowl game there was one Boise State fan wearing a t-shirt that read:

“Polygamy: When one just isn’t enough!”

I thought that mildly humorous then.  Not so much the next day.

The idea coming from some sports media types that USC is falling from the college football god’s graces sounds more like east coast wishful thinking than reality. Just because their last QB bolted to the NFL before Pete Carroll wanted him to, and just because there is a real competition among a sophomore and freshman for the job, doesn’t mean that the No. 4 Trojans are going anywhere. Well, except to Columbus, Ohio on September 12 where they will obliterate a big but slow Buckeye team, and then back to the west coast to ravage the PAC10.

Sophomore Aaron Corp and freshman Matt Barkley are competing for the quarterback job. Out of the picture is ballyhooed Mitch Mustain, who left Arkansas because then Coach Houston Nutt hadn’t left.

If the Trojans start Barkley he will be the first true freshman to ever start for them.

That might give the Buckeyes a chance to knock the Trojans off their high horse.

But, what some forget is that USC has a greater supporting cast behind their inexperienced quarterbacks than most of the other teams in the PAC10 combined. There might be a tough road game at Oregon this year, but expect USC to get its eighth straight conference championship and try to convince enough BCS voters they belong in the championship game, which, where else, will be played in their backyard – Pasadena, California.

There seems to be a knack for some schools which are located near championship venues to wind up in that game: Florida….LSU…. USC.

Mike Balogun’s legal challenge of the NCAA is heading toward a settlement. Apparently. His lawyer says he is trying to work out some compromise to get the NCAA to re-certify his client’s eligiblity, after it became questionable for allegedly playing semi-pro ball in Maryland after he turned 21 years old.  A court hearing that was set for today on Balogun’s request for an injunction against the NCAA was cancelled, to give the parties an opportunity to try to work things out.

My experience with settlements is they are good ideas when you a) want to avoid looking stupid in front of the whole world; or b) it’s cheaper.   Both are some reasons for the NCAA to consider letting Mikey play. 

But, any settlement would have to be written so as to protect OU from sanctions in the event the NCAA decides to de-certify Balogun when some yokel presents a Youtube video showing Balogun dressed up as a Maryland Marauder, with 21st birthday party hat and balloons.

None of this would be that critical if linebackers recruited by the Sooners had super tuff ACLs.  That is probably Bob Stoops’ birthday wish this year. 

Thanks to Jerry Jones for spending $1 billion on a stadium with a scoreboard too low.  When the Cowboys played their pre-season game last week against the Titans the punters discovered they could easily kick footballs off the 60 yard long jumbotron that hangs 95 feet above mid field.

This could be the answer to Oklahoma’s poor kick coverage.  If Tres Way and Jimmy Stevens can knock the pigskin off the huge TV screen it might distract the opponent’s return team just enough to give the Sooners an edge on kick coverage.  Lord knows they need it.  Last year Oklahoma was 102 out of 119 Division I teams in kick coverage.  The Texas game was lost in large part due to a Longhorn kick return for TD that busted the game open.

Off the big screen, off the ceiling, over the hill, across the parking lot, and through the uprights. Kicking could be real interesting on September 5 when the Sooners play BYU at the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington.

Usually hearing that a freshman linebacker who had never played a down of college football was injured in pre-season drills would hardly make news, but when it happened last week in Norman my first thought was Oklahoma’s hopes of a return to a Big 12 championship and BCS appearance were hanging by a thin thread.

Freshman Tom Wort was expected to play a key back-up role at middle linebacker to Ryan Reynolds, whose injuries last year cost the Sooners a win against Texas and greatly hampered their ability to lasso Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow in the national championship game.  His promise made dependence upon a rehabbed Reynolds less critical and the possibility that Senior Mike Balogun’s eligibility is doomed by a stint in a semi-pro league less likely to expose the Sooners’ weakness on defense.

But Wort suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.   Austin Box will be moved from outside linebacker to the middle linebacker spot as a result.  Balogun remains practicing, but his future may be dependent upon a Cleveland County judge (who is considering Balogun’s lawsuit against the NCAA).

All in all, the middle linebacker remains the key to success.  One more injury and Oklahoma will be hard pressed to get to Arlington to play the north division leader, much less appear in another BCS game.

 

Sooner basketball great Wayman Tisdale, 44, died today, May 15, in Tulsa, losing his two-year battle with cancer.

The College Basketball Hall of Fame member, Olympic gold medal winner and 12-year veteran of the NBA was the most significant player in Sooner basketball history. Following his basketball career he became an accomplished nationally-known jazz guitarist.

But perhaps more important than his records on the court (he still holds the record for most points scored by any player their freshman and sophomore seasons) or in the recording room (he made eight jazz albums and toured worldwide) was Wayman’s infectiously charming, inspirational and positive personality, including during his cancer treatment.

Tisdale’s star performances at OU coincided with my three years at the university’s Law School, so I was fortunate to watch most of his play on the Lloyd Noble court in person . The first basketball game Alex ever attended, in January 1985 (he was one-month old at the time), starred the young Tulsan wearing No. 23. The Sooners were undefeated (33-0) at home during Wayman’s last two years at Oklahoma.

That big grin of his will not be forgotten. He will be sorely missed by all sports fans, regardless of their allegiance. – Mike

 

Two things last week had us thinking. First, how silly the Elephants in the OK Legislature looked  rejecting the Flaming Lips’ tune Do you Realize? as the official state rock song.  Gov. Brad Henry fixed that. Then, we heard some really good music at the second annual Norman Music Festival down on Main Street.

It got us wondering if we need some official Soonerguys rock song. Well, we haven’t picked a song. But, we found a whole rock band: Kings of Leon.

These guys are not only a great alternative rock band who have toured with U2 and made the cover of Rolling Stone, but they’re big time OU Sooner fans to boot. Check out how band member Jared Followill has to stand in one place in his living room to watch all Sooners football games, otherwise it’s bad luck. Sound familiar? Oooooh yeah.

See their tailgate at last year’s OU-Chattanooga game.

So, the Official Soonerguys Alternative Rock Band? Kings of Leon. Rock on, dudes.  — Mike

Coach Bob Stoops may be super-coach, but when it comes to his BlackBerry – don’t ask him.

The Oklahoma coach committed a secondary NCAA violation because he didn’t know the difference between a text message and an email sent from his BlackBerry device, according to documents the Associated Press obtained from an NCAA compliance report.

That’s understandable. I don’t know squat about BlackBerries, except they make wonderful cobblers.

Stoops shouldn’t feel bad. At least he’s not geographically challenged. According to the AP report, assistant Coach Jackie Shipp committed a minor violation by taking a recruit to a restaurant he thought was on campus. My guess it was the Louie’s on campus corner. Or the lavish new O’Connells. Yeah, boy.

This shows how silly the NCAA rules are.

An email is permitted, but a text message (which is delivered to the recipient in exactly the same way) is not? Again, I’m no Bill Gates but even I know how ridiculous this is.

A catered dinner at the student union is OK, but the chips and salsa at Louie’s is an impermissible NCAA violation? Yes. And, once a recruit has the blacked chicken sandwich, well, that creates an unfair recruiting advantage for the Sooners. No wonder we’re on probation.  —Mike

In true boastful Texas “we are better than anyone else” fashion, Gov. Rick Perry on Friday suggested the liberal control of the White House was reason for Texas to consider seceding from the Union (I’m not making this up).

Gov. Perry reminded us that Texas used to be a separate Republic (true, in the biggest land grab in North American history the Texans stole it from another country – Mexico); and he thinks it can legally secede (this is what happens when the lawyer isn’t consulted before going public).

He forgot that last time they tried that was from 1861-1865 and it did not turn out so well – 618,000 Americans died.

Here’s my suggestion to Gov. Perry: Just put an asterisk next to Texas’ name and say it is really a whole different country, but the stupid BCS rules don’t allow it. Yeah.

Still there would be bad news for the Longhorns: If Texas were a different country, then the Longhorns finished second last year to “National” Champion Texas Tech.  — Mike

 

 Mike’s Rant

Norman’s finest arrested TE Jermaine Gresham this week for failing to pay a seat belt ticket.  Our fair city is a safer place today, now that justice has been served.

It cost Gresham $349 dollars.  It cost the Norman Police Department the expense of who knows how many squad cars, tactical team members and planning meetings necessary to catch this menace.  Not to mention the loss to IHOP because these policemen had to miss their morning donuts.

OK, OK. That donut comment was about as fair as … oh, maybe singling out someone who happens to be an OU football player for not paying a misdemeanor traffic ticket — something that I’ve never before seen or heard happening to anyone else in Norman.

Maybe we should ask local criminals to quit being lazy and get out there and burgle or something, so our police force won’t have so much idle time on their hands .  Pretty soon police will start arresting people for  failure to move their garbage polycarts from the curb after trash pickup.

 

Uh, which reminds me….I’ll be right back.

 

On the other hand:  Come on, Jermaine. Ask Corey Wilson about wearing seatbelts, dude.