Ominous start for Sooners
Not the greatest of weeks for Oklahoma football. The Sooners lost backup middle linebacker Mike Balogun to NCAA eligibility questions, and while Balogun fights the ruling, the new backup, freshman Tom Wort suffers a torn ACL injury to his knee.
That leaves braveheart Ryan Reynolds as the lone soldier standing at middle linebacker, and when your most stable player is coming off consecutive seasons with surgeries to repair torn knee ligaments, the position is a little dicey.
Reminds me of Texas author Jim Dent’s prediction for the 2001 Sooners, who were coming off a national championship. Something bad happened in the 2001 preseason — I can’t remember what — and Dent said it’s only natural, that when a program goes through a blessed year, it pays the piper the next season.
Most would agree that the ’00 Sooners sailed easy waters, with few injuries. And while the ’08 Sooners had their share of injuries — Reynolds’ unfortunate demise against Texas punctured a hole in the OU defense — they also had superb fortune, in the way of winning the Big 12′s three-way tiebreaker and a Heisman Trophy despite losing their game of the year, to Texas.
I don’t put a lot of stock in such karma. This week doesn’t necessarily have to be a sign of the apocalypse for the Sooners. The ’85 Sooners lost their quarterback and a home game to a fellow national contender, yet still rebounded to win the national championship.
But if Balogun isn’t reinstated by the NCAA — my bet is he won’t be — then OU’s defensive stability rests in the reconstructed knees of Reynolds. Austin Box will be available to step in and might be a capable replacement, but we saw what happened last year when Reynolds went down.
Just a week ago, middle linebacker seemed a position of incredible depth. Now it’s incredibly shallow.
The Sooners can’t afford too many weeks like this. No team can.
Doesn’t look good for OU’s Balogun
The evidence seems to be against OU linebacker Mike Balogun, who is fighting to retain his eligibility and has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA.
Balogun is in NCAA limbo while a probe is conducted to determine whether he played semi-pro football after his 21st birthday. Various internet sites show Balogun playing in 2005; he turned 21 in September 2004. And an ex-assistant coach with the Maryland Marauders said he remembers Balogun playing in 2005.
Other North American Football League officials say Balogun did not play during the year in question.
But human testimony is not as reliable as documents. Investigators will wonder why Balogun is listed as a member of the 2005 NAFL all-star game. And why Balogun is mentioned, with statistics, on a report about the 2005 NAFL title game.
Balogun appears to be asking the courts for reinstatement and asking for relief from NCAA penalty. In other words, if a court allows him to play, and that ruling later is overturned, Balogun is asking that OU be exempt from punishment.
But the NCAA will fight that, because that in effect strips it of enforcement power. Local courts often are friendly to universities and their personnel. Delaying enforcement would cripple rules.
The NCAA’s rule — that anyone who plays semi-pro after the age of 21 be docked a year of NCAA eligibility — seems reasonable. This case should be about nothing more than whether Balogun played semi-pro football in 2005 or 2006.
No Mason? NBA reality
We don’t know NBA basketball without Desmond Mason. He was a Hornet both years they were here, then the Thunder traded for him just before its maiden season. Now The Oklahoman is reporting that Mason won’t return to the Thunder, and while it’s a shame that OKC is losing its best NBA ambassador, it’s also business.
Mason apparently wants a little money and a little security, but no way is the Thunder interested in spending $5 million a year on an aging player whose playing time would be negligible.
Mason was great in the community and great in the locker room and great as an example on the court. Mason always played hard; he was the Thunder’s best defender until Thabo Sefalosha arrived from Chicago. But Mason’s offense was lacking, and now he’s 31 years old and not in the Thunder’s youth-movement plans.
Mason as a $1 million-a-year player who mentors young players, is a face of the team and can play in a pinch is a bargain. But Mason in that role at $5 million a year hurts the cause.
The Thunder is all about managing the payroll cap, keeping financial flexibility in order to re-sign young stars Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook and pad out the roster around them.
Mason, like most professional athletes, still believes he can play and deserves a salary commensurate to what he’s been making. But his value to the Thunder was more off the court than on, and you can’t pay a guy $5 million to be a good guy.
Still, I think the Thunder organization and all of Oklahoma wish Mason the best.
Tiger catching Nicklaus
Tiger Woods’ stunning loss to Y.E. Yang in the PGA Championship drew Tiger closer to Jack Nicklaus.
Tiger vs. Jack is perhaps the greatest historical debate in sports history. What other sport has produced this kind of matchup? Tennis? Federer vs. Sampras? Please. NASCAR? Mark Spitz vs. Michael Phelps? No chance. Jordan vs. Wilt? No. Ruth vs. Bonds? No way. Jim Brown vs. Barry Sanders? Not even close.
Tiger vs. Jack is a thriving rivalry. And one of Nicklaus’ great records is his 19 runner-up finishes in majors, to go with his 18 titles. We’ve already conceded the victory record to Tiger, who has 14 at age 33, though too many more major-less seasons like 2009 and breaking Nicklaus’ record is no sure thing.
But Tiger now has six second-place finishes in his career, which is a far cry from Nicklaus, but same reasoning goes with this chase as it does with the victory chase. Tiger is only 33.
Tiger has entered his prime years. Golfers in their 30s are at the apex of their games. Nicklaus is the prime example.
Of all the great achievements of Nicklaus’ career, this might be the most impressive: In the 1970s, which correlates exactly with Nicklaus’ 30s, Nicklaus played in 40 majors. He finished in the top 10 36 times.
That’s another bonus of the Tiger Woods era. It makes us go back and appreciate the Nicklaus era. In the same way that Henry Aaron made Babe Ruth come alive again, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made us salute the greatness of Wilt Chamberlain, Tiger Woods reminds us how great was Jack Nicklaus.
Here’s how great was Nicklaus’. Tiger’s age-edge is slowing considerably. Through age 33, Nicklaus had 12 major titles. Tiger has 14. Through age 33, Nicklaus had 11 runnerups in majors. Tiger has six.
Second-place finishes should be a badge of honor in golf. This is not tennis, where about four or five guys possibly can win. In golf, literally 100 players every major can win. If you don’t believe it, check out Y.E. Yang and 59-year-old Tom Watson. Titles are paramount, but runnerup is a sign of greatness, too. Especially repeated runnerups.
At the PGA, Tiger cut a little into Nicklaus’ lead. Not the lead he wanted to reduce, but still, a significant piece of golf history. It’s a fabulous rivalry, played out not head-to-head, but in the historical record, and it’s the greatest historical rivalry ever.
Gresham speaks: Maybe he shouldn’t
When I said a couple of weeks ago that OU tight end Jermaine Gresham wasn’t talking to the media, I wasn’t exactly correct. Turns out, Gresham is talking to the media; he just isn’t doing interviews.
Last Friday after an OU practice, a group of reporters, maybe 20 in all, were gathered around Bob Stoops just outside the Switzer Center. The Sooners were filing into their locker room, and Gresham walked by. “A shoutout to Michael Vick,” Gresham yelled at the media. I don’t know how many heard him; I was actually turned in the direction of the players, so I heard it. A couple of seconds later, Gresham yelled again, “A shoutout to Michael Vick.”
The day before, Vick and the Eagles had agreed to a contract, so one of the NFL’s superstars was back in the league after a two-year absence due to a federal investigation, and subsequent conviction and prison term, for dog-fighting.
You can certainly understand why some college football players were Vick fans and are happy he’s back in the league. Heck, I’ve got no problem with Vick being back in the NFL. He served his time. Let him play.
But is Jermaine Gresham just daring NFL scouts to put a red flag by his name? Gresham is an all-world tight end who will go high in the draft. First half of the first round, almost certainly, and maybe about as high as a tight end can go. Tight ends typically don’t go in the draft’s top 10, but Gresham is such a special talent, he could threaten that barrier.
If he’ll stop being his own worst enemy. Gresham was arrested earlier this year for failing to pay a seat-belt fine. No big deal in the American judicial system, but certainly a sign that someone doesn’t take care of business. Then Gresham declares he’s not talking to the media because he didn’t like the way that story was handled — a two-inch story in one column on the front page of The Oklahoman sports page. Now Gresham is marching around yelling support for Vick, which certainly is Gresham’s right but won’t make NFL scouts think they’re dealing with a mature, thoughtful player. Vick is a polarizing figure. Empathy for Vick is not a bad thing. Public celebration for Vick is not a popular move for NFL owners.
The NFL is big business. Big and serious business. Teams spend a lot of money and do a lot of investigation on prospects. If you’re a step slower than the ideal, they mark it down. If you’ve had a few injuries, they mark it down. If you got into trouble in high school, they mark it down. If you show a lack of responsibility, they mark it down. If you show a lack of common sense, they mark it down.
That doesn’t mean teams won’t draft Gresham high. Or even just as high as they would have. But it also doesn’t mean teams will look only at Gresham’s height, weight, speed, hands and skill. Gresham could be costing himself money. If Randy Moss can fall all the way to 19th in the first round, Jermaine Gresham can slip a notch or two.
Someone at OU should have a talk with Gresham and explain the way the world works. Do what you want and blame anyone you want. But do certain things, and you’re only hurting yourself.
Emails in on autographs
The new emails are in, and autographs are the main topic of the day.
Rich: “My first MLB game was at Busch Stadium in St. Louis in 1973 against the Mets. I was 14. It was Willie Mays’ last year. We were in the third-base box seats. My friend and I went to the rail before the game to get his autograph. Willie never came out. With a popcorn box in hand, I acquired an autograph from Duffy Dyer and somebody else whose name I couldn’t read. I probably didn’t know enough to check for his number in the program. That popcorn box didn’t even make it home with me. I have never asked for another autograph. But I also have never forgotten Duffy Dyer. Your story sounded very familiar.”
That’s the point. Autographs are mostly about memories.
Scott: “Just a word on behalf of us 46-year-old autograph seekers. I have been getting signatures since 1994 and have seen and heard it all. For people like Jim Traber who think athletes are doing the right thing by not signing for adults, I would just like to ask them to consider what our motives are? Money? How much money can someone make selling autographs? Nobody is getting rich at this level of autograph seeking. I personally got tired of friends and family buying signatures and later on finding out they were fake. I have to admit there are some people in this hobby that make it tough for guys like myself. For instance, I have seen these autograph crews that come to games and get players to sign, but if a player or players won’t sign I have seen these people get band members or even players on the other team to sign items and then sell them as team-signed items. These are the reason’s I get and sell autographs at age 46. My customers are real fans of the athletes whose signatures I sell. It’s someone who may never have a chance to get that signature. I like to think I give some 10-year-old an item that he or she will be thrilled to have and without my efforts perhaps they never would have had the opportunity. I feel that for the most part these last 15 years I have been patent and respectful to the people I have gotten signatures from. As for the money, I started seeking in Dallas back in 1994 and have never had a year where I have broken even. I would love to hear from you or Traber. Perhaps one of you could convince me to retire.”
Well, I’ll take on that challenge. Selling autographs – buying autographs – is silly. I think Traber’s right on that one. The thrill of an autograph is not HAVING the autograph, it’s GETTING the autograph, in person. What’s the big deal about someone handing you something that someone else signed? Here’s a life lesson. Great possessions don’t come from a store.
Brandon: “I have in my possession a basketball autographed by Oklahoma’s 1988 Final Four team and by Oklahoma’s 2002 Final Four team. The first set of John Hancocks was obtained for me in 1988 by my childhood chum Jason Skurcenski, who by ’88 was my Lambda Chi fraternity brother. I kept the ball all those years, then in the summer of 2002 took it with me to Kelvin Sampson’s annual father-child basketball camp (which I have attended with my son for several years). I’ll never forget how the ’02 players treated the ball with respect; they were honored — some seemed a bit apprehensive — to sign alongside the Kansas City clan. It seems unlikely that Kelvin ever met Andre Wiley, but they are forever linked on this memento. Hollis Price is sandwiched between Harvey Grant and Dave Sieger, while Yo-Yo posts up the Sky King. Michael Bell reminds us he’s the helicopter; Ricky Grace’s scrawl is as amazing as some of his assists. An unobtrusive Ebi Ere sits quietly by himself. In the end, it’s not about the ball or the autographs. It’s about the memories.”
That’s quite a ball. A football signed by the ’55 Sooners and ’75 Sooners, or a basketball signed by Big Country and John Lucas and all their teammates, that’s a nice memento. That’s what makes autographs meaningful.
Ed: “I like autographs. They give me a feeling of having touched history, what you called a connection. Some folks feel it, some don’t. I recall my first time to walk around Boston. I was stunned when I found myself standing by the graves of Ben Franklin’s parents, which for me was similar to an autograph. I don’t have Galileo’s autograph, but it took my breath away to visit the vault in the History of Science collection in OU’s Bizzell Library on the fifth floor. They have a first edition of a book he wrote, and the librarian showed us corrections in the margins, the corrections having been written by Galileo himself. As regards autographs, I prefer seeing the person sign, so I know it is authentic, but even at my age, I wasn’t around to verify Galileo’s having written those corrections himself. I will have to take that one on faith. But I have some interesting ones that I saw signed. And some that I didn’t.”
Can we all agree that the quality of my readers is pretty high, considering a discussion of autographs leads us to the gravesite of Ben Franklin’s parents and a piece of paper bearing Galileo’s words?
Doug: “Besides connecting to the game, getting an autograph is like owning a part of history and you’ll always remember the story behind how you obtained it. Now I don’t consider myself an autograph hound, but I own a few. A shared plane ride with James Garner. All of the OU Heisman Trophy winners except the latest. Billy Vessels from eBay. Billy Sims from one of his events before an OU game. John Blake used to live across the street from me, and one morning I looked out the front window and saw him on his driveway talking with Steve Owens. I had Steve’s ‘starting lineup’ figure, so I took it out to him to sign, which he did. Jason White was at an event for a Blanchard Chevy dealership, so I went and got his autograph and, oh yeah I bought a truck. One day a few years ago I was at a book store looking at a copy of World War II magazine. On the cover was a picture of a Marine fighting on Okinawa. An elderly gentleman came up and asked me if I knew about that battle. I said not much. He replied, ‘You should read about it. I was a member of the 1st Marine Division. I was there.’ I promptly bought that magazine and asked him to autograph it while thanking him for his service. You just never know what an autograph might mean. Now, to complete my Heisman collection, how can I get Sam Bradford’s autograph?”
Oh, I assume Bradford will be around next year, before he has to report to some NFL camp. Probably do some signings. But great story on the Okinawa veteran. That’s an autograph to treasure.
Craig: “I went in Billy Sims’ store on Asp two seasons ago to purchase his jersey. He saw me walking out of the store and yelled at me and asked me if I would like him to sign it. I said sure. My sons are 30 and 28 years old. They were big baseball fans when they were young and we went to the Rangers games several times. They were young kids who had notebooks with baseball cards of their favorite players. I still remember how giddy with anticipation they were while we were heading to the stadium. We arrived early for batting practice, we actually were waiting in the parking lot of where the players parked. Their vehicles were behind a small parking lot with a chain link fence and guards. I will never forget Ruben Sierra pulling up in his red Ferrari and strutting to the door without so much as looking at or acknowledging the kids screaming his name. Raffy Palmeiro pulled in a pickup truck and parked directly in front of us and was literally 10 feet away when he got out of his truck. He told the crowd of about 10 kids he would sign autographs after the game. Mickey Tettleton and Cecil Fielder twice after the game the area they walked out of was roped off and they went straight to a bus. Raffy hid in the clubhouse until everyone but us left. We finally gave up as well. This may sound unbelievable but in three games the boys never got one autograph. They didn’t want to go to a fourth game. Today, as adults, they could care less about baseball. My oldest son takes his son to Redhawks games maybe once a summer. Baseball is a novelty, not a passion. Football is the national passion.”
I know autographs must be a hassle for athletes. But there’s got to be accommodations for the fans, otherwise the connection is lost.
Nate wrote about my mention of ex-Giants outfielder Frank Johnson, who in 1970 became the last player I ever asked for an autograph: “I, too, feel that it is a little strange that a grown man wants a ballplayer’s signature. But you can see the joy it can bring a fan. I thought it was great that you brought the positive and negative effects of autograph seeking from both the fans and players. It really gave a great all around view on the issue. This got me thinking of my Frank Johnson moment. I live in Houston when I’m not in Norman at school. Right before my freshman year I came up with my mom to register for classes. We decided to try and buy books from the former bookstore off Lindsey and Jenkins. And I can still picture the moment, much like you, as if it was now. My mom and I pulled into that parking lot and I told my mom, “That’s Adrian Peterson filling up his car at the gas station right there.’ So I quickly rounded up a pen and sheet of paper and made my way over to the gas pump. As I was about halfway there he got into the car. So I sprinted over to him and he gladly signed my sheet of paper. He was very nice and said thank you to all the comments I gave him. It made my day. I was like a teenage girl at a boy band concert after that and will forever remember that moment. Your article opened my eyes that getting an autograph can really provide a special moment for a fan. And that it may not be as cheesy as I thought after being provided the right perspective.”
Well, I don’t know that Adrian Peterson wants to be compared to Frank Johnson, but I get the drift.
Jon wrote about an autograph rebuff: “I just wanted to tell you how classless and insensitive Bob Stoops came off during the Big 12 Media Days. I was one of the two fans today that Stoops shunned on his way from the convention center to the main lobby. There were exactly two adult fans and one little boy who he raced passed and barely spoke to when spoken to. At least Sam did sign the boy’s football, but when I asked if Sam would sign my jersey that I wore to the BCS game in Miami, Stoops said, “We can’t do that,” whatever that means. I have been a season ticket holder for almost 20 years and followed the team from Miami to Phoenix to Pasadena to support OU in various bowls. OU season tickets are the one area where my wife and I splurge as we both enjoy watching and supporting OU athletics. Not only that, but I took a half day off from work to come out to try and meet Sam, Jermaine and Gerald since they were close to my home. With only three fans seeking autographs, it’s not like it would’ve caused a scene and taken an hour or more to accommodate your supporters. I was shocked at Stoops’ callous attitude and unwillingness to spend five minutes with fans that came out and spent their day just waiting for an opportunity to meet Stoops and the players.”
I certainly think Stoops could have signed for the guy, but this brings the discussion to autograph etiquette. Asking for autographs at strange times can be fruitless. While someone is dining. Or out with their family. Big 12 Media Days? You generally don’t expect to encounter fans there. Maybe Stoops was just thrown off. But that’s still no excuse. He could have signed.
A couple of OSU fans were upset by my column on the lack of an indoor practice facility. Bri wrote: “I used to laugh off my OSU brethren that claimed conspiracy theories about how The Oklahoman had it in for OSU. In fact I usually defended The Oklahoman saying everyone in this state needed to take off their orange and crimson glasses and see that it really was not a bad paper. I have now seen what others are talking about and starting to buy into this theory that some people at your paper just don’t want OSU to look good. Over the past three weeks, you all have misidentified two OSU players in pictures in your paper (one being Perrish Cox, who is a star player). Then someone butchered the ticket sales story saying we were down 8,000 vs. last year. Now I get up prior to church this morning and read about the indoor facility. Tell us something we do not already know. Why tear down the program three weeks prior to kicking off one of the most hopeful seasons in history? Everyone in the state knows OSU does not have an indoor practice facility and needs one. So why would you write an article in the front page about it? Looks to me like maybe I was the one with my head in the sand all of these years when my orange clad friends were claiming conspiracy.”
Well, does the fact that OSU had a practice wiped out the other day by a lightning alert have anything to do with it. Think about it. OSU is about to embark on what could be an historic season, Georgia is the season opener and the Cowboys are trudging off the practice field even though a little more than a year ago the athletic department had over $300 million in a building fund. The OSU hedge fund story is not over-reported. It is under-reported.
Stephen: “Nice Debbie Downer article on OSU. Mr. Smith’s $20 million pledge was to endow MM PLEDGE was to endow the operating costs of an indoor practice facility after it was built. I am sure Holder had some high-powered financial advisors instructing him to stay in the fund. Quit laying this at his feet. We all want the indoor practice facility, and it will happen. We are celebrating the incredible success of Boone Pickens Stadium, but you keep on rehashing old news. Maybe when four sports go on probation under his watch you will start praising him like you do the AD in your neighborhood. Holder is doing an excellent job.”
Actually, Stephen raises a very good point, albeit unintentionally. When will the indoor practice facility happen? It didn’t happen when OSU had $300 million in a building fund, plus the $20 million Smith donated for this specific purpose. So if not then, when?
David asked, “Why no column on Rick Pitino? Don’t you think he is a pretty bad example to his young charges? We could get a pool up on how many of the ten commandments he has broken. Quite a few if you count abortion as murder.”
Maybe I didn’t write about Pitino because a basketball coach acting like a fool no longer has the ability to shock me.
Bob was one of many who wrote about my Special Olympics column on Eunice Kennedy Shriver: “I am a 64-year-old, yellow dog Democrat, Notre Dame grad, avid sports fan who has lived in Oklahoma the majority of my life. As you can imagine, my experience with the media in Oklahoma is usually less than satisfactory, as I listen to our president being called a Nazi and my football team being called a joke. Needless to say I read your paper with a jaundiced eye and have learned to tune out the ‘Total Dominance Hour’ except when the Sooners get beat. But you hit it way out of the park with your wonderful article on Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She truly was a special lady. My hope is that in some small way your column will provide a launching point for the realization that kind and generous people come from both sides of the aisle (politics, religion and sports) in this terribly divided country that we live in today.”
It’s a good thought, my man, but no chance.
Jason just wanted to talk OU football: “I’m glad I saw the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction of Randall McDaniel this weekend. First, because he seems like a classy gentleman. Second, because I found out he was a 225-pound tight end at Arizona State before becoming a two-time All-American at guard. Who knows, maybe Brody (Eldredge) could be a great player at that position.”
I tend to think that all sports teams are better off by getting their best players on the field. Which is how Willie McCovey came to play left field for the Giants in the early ’60s and Ralph Sampson power forward for the Rockets in the ’80s. I’m not saying Brody Eldredge is Willie McCovey, but someone who can block like he can needs to be on the field, even if he shares a roster with fellow tight end Jermaine Gresham.
John asked about Tiger Woods: “Why does Tiger Woods win so much? I asked my wife this and she could care less, but if I could apply what he does in my life, I could do a lot of things better, work and personal. Does he practice more? Does he work out more? Mentally tougher? All the above?”
Excellent question. Tiger Woods found something he was really good at and worked very hard at it. I don’t know if any of us could be the Tiger Woods of something, but we all ought to find something we’re good at and work hard at it.
Gundy: Georgia a bit of a mystery
Quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno are gone from Georgia to the NFL, and while that is good news for Oklahoma State, it also is cause for concern for Mike Gundy.
The Cowboys don’t know for sure what they’re in for.
Joe Cox is Stafford’s replacement at quarterback, and, no surprise, the Bulldogs have a stable of tailbacks to replace Moreno.
“Offensively, you don’t really know what you’re going to get, other than just the history of what they’ve done since coach (Mark) Richt’s there,” Gundy said. “I would say it will be something real close to that. But when you change two key spots like they have, you don’t know what all might be going on. So you have to prepare for a variety of things.”
Meanwhile, Georgia knows exactly what it will get from OSU. Same hurryup offense and same trio of talented ballplayers — quarterback Zac Robinson, flanker Dez Bryant and tailback Kendall Hunter.
Somehow, I think Georgia wouldn’t mind trading places. Not knowing exactly what kind of talent Georgia will field and how it will be used is not nearly as scary as knowing exactly what kind of talent OSU will field and how it will be used, considering that talent is all-American caliber.
So I don’t blame Gundy for being concerned. Primarily because it’s Georgia. But rest assured, Richt is concerned, too.
Olympics: Adding golf a goofy move
The International Olympic Committee voted Thursday to add rugby and golf, which means no softball in 2016. Softball already is out of the 2012 London Games, so at best, softball will go 12 years between Olympiads, 2008 in Beijing and wherever the 2020 games land.
I feel sorry for softball players. A 12-year void of Olympics (minimum) means a lost generation of Olympians. I hope it doesn’t harm the sport, but I fear it might. I also can’t make the argument that softball absolutely deserved to be in the Olympics.
No matter what the softball community tries to sell, the game remains parity-deprived world wide. Only three to four nations play the most elite softball. The U.S., Japan, China, Australia, that’s about it. The game remains in need of worldwide growth, and while the Olympics most definitely would expediate that growth, a sport must stand on its own feet.
But golf? You’ve got to be kidding. Rugby, I can’t comment on. Maybe that’s a good decision, maybe not. Don’t know enough about it. But golf has no business in the Olympics.
Golf already has world championships. They’re called the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA. Maybe the world’s greatest players will compete in the Olympics — depends on a variety of things, including the date of the Olympiad; no way will a pro skip one of golf’s majors to compete in the Olympics.
If a sport’s ultimate achievement is not an Olympic gold medal, it shouldn’t be in the Olympics. And a golfing gold medal would carry less weight than a victory in one of the Buick tournaments.
The Olympics seem to be star-struck. After big names, instead of chasing the Olympic ideal. It’s a shame. All kinds of athletes were injured by this ridiculous decision, softball players included.
Three returning Heisman winners for OU
Sam Bradford is the third Sooner to return after winning the Heisman Trophy.
The first two failed to repeat. Through no fault of their own. Billy Sims in 1979 and Jason White in 2004 had spectacular seasons. Maybe not quite the same seasons as they had in their Heisman-winning year, but spectacular.
Sims in 1979 carried 248 times for 1,670 yards and 23 touchdowns. In ’78, he carried 256 times for 1,896 yards and 22 TDs. Sims lost the ’79 Heisman in a narrow vote to USC’s Charles White. Sims clearly was the better tailback; it was hard to beat a USC tailback in those days. Sims’ final two regular-season games were the best two-game series in OU history: 282 yards rushing vs. Missouri, 247 vs. Nebraska. An amazing ballplayer.
By the way, Sims caught one pass in 1978 and one pass in 1979. In ’78, the reception went for 35 yards. In ’79, the reception went for 42 yards. No offense to Galen Hall and Barry Switzer, but you’d think that would have given them an idea. Throw it to Sims more often.
Anyway, Jason White. His 2003 season was the OU gold standard until Sam Bradford’s 2008 came along. In ’03, White completed 278 of 451 passes, a .616 percentage. He threw for 3,846 yards, 40 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He won the Heisman over Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald.
But White’s 2004 season was almost as good, when he was beaten out by USC quarterback Matt Leinart and OU teammate Adrian Peterson. White’s 1-3 finish in Heismans remains, even in this age of hype, one of the more underrated accomplishments in Sooner history. Anyway, in 2004, White completed 255 of 390 passes, a .654 percentage. He threw for 3,205 yards. 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. So let’s review. His totals were slightly down, his percentage was up, from one of the most explosive Heisman-winning seasons ever.
Just like Sims, a phenomenal Heisman encore.
If Bradford does the same, the Sooners will be sitting pretty.
Can we look past the politics?
I don’t write about politics. Doesn’t seem to be any advantage to it. I don’t think it’s all that interesting, at least compared to sports, and I don’t think readers are all that interested.
Some are, but not many. Some are tired of the partisan bent of politics, and some that aren’t tired of it don’t want to read anything thoughtful. They just want to read whatever fits their already-conceived beliefs.
We see some of that in sports. I got a call last night, pretty late, from someone from the 918 area code. Guy seemed surprised that I answered my cell phone, and he seemed pleasant enough, but he had just read my column from Big 12 Media Days on Mack Brown, and wanted to know why I wrote about Mack Brown instead of Bob Stoops.
Well, I was cordial enough to give him an answer. BECAUSE BOB STOOPS WASN’T AT THE EVENT ON WEDNESDAY; MACK BROWN WAS! I wrote about Stoops the day before.
That kind of thing drives me bananas, and that’s the kind of stuff you get all the time in politics.
But yesterday, I hope our sports page stepped out of such narrow-mindedness just a little. I wrote about Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of Special Olympics and the sister of JFK. If the Kennedys ran against swine flu, the family wouldn’t carry every county in Oklahoma.
I don’t blame Oklahoma for its political conservatism. That’s who we are as a people, and there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that, just so long as we acknowledge there is value on the other side of the debates, too. The demonization of the other side, both ways, is a bottomless pit that demeans us all.
But yesterday I didn’t write about politics, though I wrote about someone whose life was wrapped up in politics. The sister of a president. The sister of two other U.S. senators. The wife of a vice presidential candidate. The mother-in-law of the governor of California.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver rose above all that with Special Olympics. My column didn’t come close to unveiling all she did to make Special Olympics go from nothing to mainstream in the course of a generation or two. But this story might:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1149366/index.htm
That’s a link to a Sports Illustrated story from 2007, when the magazine named Eunice Shriver its first recipient of the Sportsman of the Year legacy award, for her Special Olympics vision. I didn’t read that story before I wrote my column; I wanted to make sure I wrote something fresh. I’m pleased with that choice; the SI story focuses on things I didn’t really touch. I hit on some things SI didn’t write about. So read them both, and maybe you will appreciate Special Olympics anymore.
Maybe I’ve gone to dream-weaving, but I hope the story of Eunice Shriver makes us all sit back and think a little more about the people behind the politics, on both sides, rather than the politics behind the people.
