Memo to all high-level college football players: if you are the type of guy that breaks a women's face, or allegedly pushes a woman down a flight of stairs or is accused of sexual assault, there's almost certainly a place for you in the sport at a very high level.
Bob Stoops wants you.
In the process, he'll ignore police reports, his school president and pretty much all human decency in the name of securing another Big 12 Championship. These words aren't hyperbole as much as they reflect an incredibly hideous truth that simply cannot be ignored
They key to winning a championship this season in Norman might very well come down to whether Bob Stoops has his full assortment of female-abusing players and you get the sense that if he has a say in the matter, he most certainly will.
The local media would likely have you believe ol' Bob is The Great Redeemer, but how about we cut the bullshit and call it what it really is, which is a complete lack of respect for pretty much all women on his campus if it means getting in the way of his team-building.
Let's examine what's going on in Norman right now, while wondering what in the world the national media is waiting on before giving this wretched story the attention that it should be demanding.
The alleged sexual assaulter, who the school wants out, but damnit he's just too good of a linebacker
Junior linebacker Frank Shannon is really good at football. In fact, he's a good enough player for Stoops that he led the team in tackles last season as a third-year sophomore with 92, including tying for the team-lead with seven tackles in Oklahoma's 45-31 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
It's in the game of life where Shannon is failing if you believe a university investigation that led to his dismissal from the school.
Back in January, Shannon was accused of sexually assaulting a female student at an off-campus location, but ultimately the district attorney declined to press charges because the woman that Shannon allegedly assaulted wished for the whole thing to go away. That would have been great for Stoops' football team, except that the university moved forward with its own Title IX investigation into the case and it came away feeling like enough of a crime was committed that night that Shannon was dismissed from the school for a year.
In a story written by Jenni Carlson in the Daily Oklahoman this week , she reported the following:
"Only those involved with the investigation know for sure why they reached that decision, but in the report completed by OU's Sexual Misconduct Office is some compelling testimony provided by the trained sexual assault nurse examiner who examined the alleged victim. She had an abrasion consistent with blunt force trauma, an injury that the examiner indicated is "one of the most common locations of injury in sexual assault."
Could the injury have occurred during consensual sex?
It is possible, but that testimony paired with that of more than a dozen other people led the investigation to conclude that Shannon should be suspended for a year. No classes at OU. No football with the Sooners."
The issue moving forward is that Shannon has appealed and is currently not only working out with the Sooners football team, but according to the player that would likely be stepping into Shannon's starting position should he not play, it's business as usual on the football field.
"(Frank's) been taking all of them," linebacker Jordan Evans replied when asked about first-team reps at linebacker this week.
When asked about Shannon's place on the team, Stoops replied, "We coach the players that are there."
To hear Stoops talk about the situation, hell, it's out of his hands except that it's not.
Oh, Shannon currently has to be on the team, but it's the coaches who have decided that the school's investigation doesn't carry as much importance as those 92 tackles from last season that could turn into 100+ if everyone is lucky. Stoops could simply stuff Shannon so far down the totem pole while everyone waits for an official word on this pretty important matter, but that would mean taking an actual stand against issues involving the safety of the women on his campus and nothing about what's going on in Norman now or in the past suggests that's a priority.
The transfer who (allegedly) pushes women down flights of stairs
Speaking of guys that are really good at football, former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is even better than Shannon.
As a former five-star prospect, Green-Beckham is the most prominent in-state prospect that the Missouri Tigers have ever signed and after catching 12 touchdown passes a season ago, a ticket to the NFL seemingly looms in the horizon.
Except Green-Beckham can't stay out of trouble. Twice in his Missouri career, he was arrested for drug possession and earlier this spring police were called on him again after he reportedly forced his way into an apartment, shoving a woman down a flight of stairs in the process.
Once again, official chargers were not pressed against the athlete because the victim was afraid of media and public backlash. The situation was disgusting enough that Missouri went against its new SEC pedigree and dismissed Green-Beckham from the school, despite his immense importance to the football team.
Of course, in swooped Stoops, who not only had zero issues about bringing in such a person into his program, but has a plan in place that would potentially allow for his new star receiver and alleged shover of women down stairs to play right away.
You see there's a little known rule in the NCAA rulebook called the "run-off rule" and it's designed to protect athletes who are run out of programs for reasons beyond their control, like if a coach decides that he doesn't want to renew a scholarship because he deems a player not being good enough or some other shady tactic that coaches often use to pull the rugs out from under student-athletes that typically have zero means to protect themselves
The rule was not designed to reward young men that push women down flights of stairs, while barging into apartments that are not their own (allegedly), but Oklahoma lawyers are working feverishly to apply the rule to Green-Beckham because it will get him on the field in 2014 for football purposes.
If allowed to play this season, what the NCAA will be allowing is a complete misuse of the rule and essentially it will be telling the rest of the world that if you can find a way to create a domestic situation that is so gross that a school has no choice but to dismiss you, while finding a way to not have charges officially brought up in the process, you can actually come out ahead in the grand scheme of college football.
But, wait there's more.
The bone-breaking five-star running back
Perhaps you've heard this story before, but incoming freshman running back Joe Mixon is good at football five-star good. There are some who believe he's the best running back prospect to enter the Oklahoma program since Adrian Peterson.
Yet, before he ever lined up in a uniform with the Sooners he found himself in a disagreement with a female, a disagreement that led to Mixon eventually punching a woman that was giving up six inches in height and more than 80 pounds in mass to him.
According to the affidavit of the case, it's likely that Amelia Molitor was the first to act in the incident, as she pushed the potential star running back after he allegedly used a homosexual slur against a friend of hers.
In order, here's what apparently happened next.
a. Mixon lunged at Molitor using his head.
b. Molitor then slapped him.
c. Mixon then punched Molitor in the face with a closed fist "knocking her into a table top and then to the ground where she laid motionless."
That's how Mixon left her. Oh, did I mention the part that she had four broken bones? That's how Mixon left her.
To Stoops' credit, as soon as the incident went public, he suspended Mixon from all team activities, but serious thought now exists that Stoops will bring Mixon back in the fold because the district attorney has decided to only charge Mixon with a misdemeanor.
It's not like the Sooners can just tell Mixon to take his woman-punching ways back to California. Didn't you read what I wrote a few paragraphs ago?
Mixon is really good at football.
A reality check for the head coach
Bob Stoops would like for you to believe he's tough on the subject of domestic abuse because he has a wife and daughter.
In another column from Jenni Carlson of the Daily Oklahoman this weekend, she reports that earlier this summer Stoops said the following about the issue:
"I'm sensitive to all those issues. I think all coaches are. In fact, my wife and I sponsor quite a few things in the Oklahoma area in regards to domestic issues, in particular violence against women."
You have to wonder if Stoops tells the story of former Oklahoma player Justin Chaisson when he attends all of these events that support women who have been attacked, battered and beaten by men. Let me guess you've never heard about the story of Chaisson.
A little more than five years ago, Chaisson was a hot-shot football prospect from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, which just happens to be a very important talent pipeline into the Sooners program. Months before Chaisson was set to enter the Oklahoma program, he was involved in a situation with his ex-girlfriend that eventually landed him four felony charges from his local police.
What happened?
Well, Chaisson got into an argument with the former girlfriend, which escalated when he forced her into his car. After punching her in the ribs, Chaisson drove her against her will into the middle of the desert, eventually pulling over and holding her hostage with a screwdriver against her neck.
According to the police report, at one point Chaisson threatened to kill her.
Thankfully, two of the girl's friends found the pair in the desert and called 911, which eventually led to Chaisson letting the girl out of his SUV at a storage facility.
You can probably guess what happened next. All of the felonies were eventually dropped down to misdemeanors, to which Chaisson pleaded no contest, allowing him to somehow avoid jail time. According to Chaisson's lawyer, the entire plea deal was centered upon Oklahoma's admittance policy.
Yes, Bob Stoops allowed that animal into his program after all of that had occurred.
What we have here is a disgusting pattern of Stoops repeatedly allowing men who attack women into his program and in this age when the topic is at the forefront of American household conversations, very little attention is being placed on this ugly reality that you can pretty much do anything to a woman in the Sooners program if you've got a good lawyer.
It's not that Stoops doesn't support women, he just doesn't support them more than he supports players that can help him win football games, regardless of what they might have done to those women.
That's not an opinion, that's just what continues to happen, year after year.
Boom-her Sooner, indeed.
No. 2 - Breaking down a potentially underrated true freshmen class
When Charlie Strong put the finishing touches on his first recruiting class six months ago, there weren't many folks across the country calling for this group to make a substantial first-year impact.
After all, there weren't any five-stars in the 23-man class and considering the usual standards around these parts, most would argue that there weren't many four-stars, not when you consider that there were more high three-star recruits coming into Austin than four-stars. I'm not talking about total three stars, just the total of high three-stars.
Rivals ranked the class 20th, while ESPN and 247, ranked it 16th and 17th, respectively.
No matter how you spin it, the 2014 recruiting class ranked as the lowest-rated class in Austin since the dawn of the Internet. Yet, as the opening game of the season approaches in a mere 13 days, the impact of the class on the field this year could be considerable.
It's still very early and a number of decisions regarding playing time for the members of this class have yet to be made and we all know that injuries could further impact the amount of needed production required from this class, but here's how things look after the first two weeks of training camp.
Possible starters
WR Armanti Foreman
S Jason Hall
Breakdown: Injuries, suspensions and dismissals have made the wide receiver position an area where freshmen making an immediate impact is certainly possible and the guy that has been making the biggest noise among a talented group is Foreman, who could emerge as a starter sooner rather than later if Jaxon Shipley is forced to miss any game action because of his most recent hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Hall has been running with the first-team at safety for most of the last week and could be the odds-on-favorite to be with the first group against North Texas.
Likely contributors
DB Jermaine Roberts
DB John Bonney
DB Edwin Freeman
OL Alex Anderson
WR Roderick Bernard
WR Lorenzo Joe
WR Dorian Leonard
Breakdown: Each and every one of the freshmen defensive backs and wide receivers has a chance to make an impact, both on defense and special teams, as soon as the first game against North Texas. While Foreman and Hall have been the early leaders at their positions, each of the names listed above has flashed upside throughout the camp and will likely be in a position to get on the field this season. Meanwhile, Anderson has been working with the second-team offensive line and if the Longhorns plan to play its entire two-deep along the offensive line, the 6-4, 320-pound interior lineman will likely be on the mix.
Possible contributors
DE Derick Roberson
DT Jake McMillon
DT Poona Ford
DT Chris Nelson
TE Andrew Beck
OL Elijah Rodriguez
QB Jerrod Heard
RB Donald Catalon
Breakdown: All of the defensive linemen listed have been working with the third-team unit, but it wouldn't be a surprise if any of those four ends up earning some first-year playing time, especially the interior players like Ford and Nelson. Although Beck started camp at linebacker, he's been moved to tight end this week, but it's too early to know if he can give the team anything this year, but the lack of depth at the position certainly gives him a chance. If Catalon's hamstring injury allows for it, there's a good chance he'll emerge as the third-team tailback behind Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, while Heard is an injury away from potentially being the starter at quarterback.
Still to be determined
RB D'Onta Foreman
TE Blake Whiteley
Breakdown: Foreman has yet to hit the field, while Whiteley has seen very little of it because of an early injury, but both could end up in the mix at their respective positions because of depth issues once they can get on the field and make an impression.
Likely to redshirt
LB Cameron Hampton
OL Terrell Cuney
WR Garrett Gray
Breakdown: Hampton and Cuney are behind a slew of older players and can probably use the redshirt seasons to their benefit as much as anyone in the class, while Gray hasn't quite made the same impact in the first two weeks as the other players recruited as his position.
No. 3 - Scattershooting on the Longhorns
I can't believe I'm typing this, but it's possible that Jerrod Heard needs a redshirt year every bit as much as Tyrone Swoopes, who still very much needs one. The Longhorns really need David Ash to stay on the field because I'm just not sure what the correct play is if he's out of the equation for so much as a painful hangnail.
Desmond Harrison is a perfect example of a guy that as his hands all over the damn light-switch and his fingers nearly flipped the damn thing on, but it's not quite flipped on yet. The good news is that he's not on the other side of the wall feeling around hopelessly for a switch that is across the room.
As someone that ranked Malcolm Brown really high in the recruiting rankings, I would selfishly like to see him run for 1,400+ yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Just saying
And I'd like to see Johnathan Gray post the exact same set of numbers in 2015. Double just saying
. Armanti Foreman just seems like the kind of guy that is never going to leave the field once he gets on it. I'm not saying that anyone is going to lose a job, but I expect Foreman to be a big-time player for this program and the sooner he starts getting those opportunities, the sooner he's going to start cashing them in.
In case you've missed any of the practice reports since camp started
Practice notes from Day One (August 4th)
Freshman practice notes from Day One (August 4th)
Practice notes from Day Two (August 5th)
Anwar's report in the freshmen receivers needing to step up (August 6th)
[/URL]Very detailed practice notes from Thursday (August 8th)
Practice notes from Saturday (August 9th)
My 25 random thoughts from Sunday's Open Practice (August 10th)
Offensive line breakdown from Sunday's open practice (August 10th)
Practice notes from Monday in the rain (August 11th)
Practice notes from Tuesday (August 12th)
Anwar's Report on the team hitting the wall on Tuesday (August 12th)
Practice notes from Wednesday - a freshman moves into the starting line-up (August 13th)
Mid-camp review
Practice notes from Friday (August 15th)
Anwar's report from Saturday's post-practice on Strong's uptick in happiness
No. 4 - In a battle to keep my sanity
I'm choosing only to focus on the good things as it relates to my Dallas Cowboys in the final weeks before the start of the NFL season because I expect there to be so much negative once the season starts that I just can't allow myself to begin the suffering just yet.
On that note, only sunshine is allowed in my review of Dallas' running out of time performance against the Ravens of Baltimore.
Ray of sunshine No. 1: Dez Bryant really is a bad mother on the football field and I'm not going to argue against anyone that wants to call him the best player at his position in the game. I'm not saying that he is the best, I'm just saying I'm not going to debate those that do believe it.
Ray of sunshine No. 2: There's no question that the Dallas offensive line is one of the best units they've had since the mid-90s. They've got a chance to be really good.
Ray of sunshine No. 3: 2014 Brandon Weeden is an upgrade of 2013 Jon Kitna. I can't believe I just typed that.
Ray of sunshine No. 4: The special teams unit only allowed a single 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown all night.
Ray of sunshine No. 5: I don't know who in the hell he is or where he came from, but Zach Minter's big ass can play on my football team this year. His performance in the fourth quarter (yes, I was still watching) was the highlight of the entire night.
Ray of sunshine No. 6: Rolando McClain might actually have something in the tank to give this team.
Ray of sunshine No. 7: The defense only gave up 23 points, which might be a number we'll wish the unit is posting by the time we get to October.
Nothing but sunshine from me, fellas.
No. 5 - Every once in a while, I get'em right
For months leading up to the NFL Draft, I implored the Houston Texans to ignore all of the outside noise and simply take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was not only the best player in the draft, but also the best defensive end prospect to come out in at least a decade.
There wasn't any need to turn the decision-making process into rocket science, just pick the baddest dude on the draft board and move on, which is exactly what the Texans did.
On Saturday night, Clowney flashed his Hall of Fame upside and reminded everyone in H-Town that there's no reason to ever look back. The Texans got it right.
The sight of Clowney blowing up Antone Smith on one play and sacking Matt Ryan on the very next play was all I needed to see. Put that dude in a "do not break until opening day case" and when the moment is right, turn him loose, along with J.J. Watt an watch the destruction unfold.
Those two are going to be must-see-TV for a while. Get your popcorn ready.
No. 6 - Fantasy Football Indecision
Assume you have the ninth pick in a non-PPR league where passing touchdowns count for six points each.
What would you do if the first eight picks went like this:
1. Shady McCoy
2. Jamaal Charles
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Matt Forte
5. Eddie Lacy
6. Jimmy Graham
7. Peyton Manning (or Arian Foster)
8. Marshawn Lynch
No. 7 - And just like that my days as an official Liverpool supporter are official
On Sunday morning, the odds of me eventually becoming a soccer hooligan became much closer to becoming reality as I took in my first English Premier Soccer game as a supporter of my adopted Liverpool Redbirds team.
After all of the talk, I woke my butt up at the crack of dawn, fed my twins and watched my first non-national team soccer match with a vested interest.
The result?
Daniel Sturridge flipped in a goal in the 79th minute to give the good guys a 2-1 win over Southampton, cementing my place as a good luck charm for my new team, something all the Johnny-come-Latelys that were rooting for Manchester United this weekend simply cannot say.
I don't want to take complete credit for the win, but it should be noted that Liverpool has never lost an EPL match with me riding shotgun as a fan.
A few random Liverbirds/EPL facts from this weekend:
a. I was completely aware of Sturridge as a player before he scored the game-winning goal, as I take my Liverpool homework assignments more seriously than I took my load of courses when studying at UT.
b. Same with Raheem Sterling. I feel like such a soccer nerd.
c. Before catching Liverpool on Sunday, I watched both the entire Swansea City/Manchester United game, along with large pieces of both the Tottenham/West Ham and Everton/Leicester City matches, which means that I watched at least six hours of live EPL action over the weekend.
d. Should I admit the details of point C to anyone else?
Next up: Manchester City next Monday
Is that called Monday Night Football across the pond?
No. 8 - Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind
Why is Tim Howard playing for one of the crappy teams in the EPL?
Dear basketball gods, please let Derrick Rose stay healthy this season because I'm eager to see what a furiously motivated Rose looks like in LeBron's Eastern Conference.
Huston Street is 33 of 34 in save chances this season and has not allowed a run in 12 games since being traded to the Angels on July 18. Not so coincidently, the Angels are now in first-place in the AL West.
Apparently, Clayton Kershaw is mortal after all, as his 11-game winning street ended at the hand of Liar Braun and the Brewers.
Ready for Johnny Mania on Monday night? It's going to be out of control all day.
No. 9 - Pop goes the culture because the culture goes pop
Hottie of the Weekend: Scar Jo is still winning
Super Candice: Thank you, Instagram
Idiots in Love: Bieber and Gomez are back together and in "love"
Coupling situation: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin Are Seeing Each Other
Bump and Grind cologne : R Kelly's Mentions in Shambles After Bump n Grind Cologne Announcement
Jail is the safest place for this dude: Woman discovers her husband is married to three other women in three different states after finding all his wedding photos on FACEBOOK
Just awful: Girl Sunbathing In Driveway Killed After Sister Backs Over Her Head
Miley Link of the Weekend: New Twitter Avatar
No. 10 - The List: Robin Williams
I'm not sure I ever would have guessed that the passing of Robin Williams this week would impact me in such a powerful way, yet the more I thought about the man's contributions throughout my life, the more I realized just what a profound impact he'd had.
When I was four years old, Mork and Mindy was one of the first TV shows I ever fell in love with.
When I was 10 years old, Williams' live performance at The Met was one of the first stand-up routines I ever fell in love with.
When I was 11 years old, the music from Good Morning Vietnam changed the genres of music that I was into at such a formative moment in my life.
It goes on and on and on.
From his work as a stand-up comedian to acting to activism to all of the charitable work, Williams gave more of himself than he ever took back, which is why it was so sad to hear that he literally had nothing left to give of himself before taking his life.
May whatever awaits him in the afterlife give him the peace in his soul that couldn't find on earth as a living person. He'll never be forgotten.
Here's a look at my top 10 Williams moments, from stand-up to the movies to all in-between.
Last five out: Awakenings
10. The Birdcage
Williams made for a terrific gay man giving away his son at a wedding.
9. The Best of Times
One of the most underrated sports comedies of all-time. I've probably watched this movie 100 times over the years and I still laugh at all the same parts (see the clip vs. Dr. Death).
8. Patch Adams
If I need a good cry, I know where to go because this one gets me every time.
7. Comic Relief
I looked forward to these charity events every year when I was a kid and watched them over and over again on HBO.
6. Mork and Mindy
Nanu, nanu.
5. Mrs. Doubtfire
A comedy about divorce and its impact on a family . And Williams absolutely slays the performance. The tenderness of the final scenes chokes me up every time.
4. Dead Poets Society
O' Captain, my captain.
3. Good Will Hunting
So many great scenes, but the park bench scene has become an iconic piece of film.
2. Live at The Met
One of my favorite stand-up concerts of all-time.
1. Good Morning Vietnam
One of the most underrated movies of its era. I'll always love Adrian Cronauer .
Archives List
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Bob Stoops wants you.
In the process, he'll ignore police reports, his school president and pretty much all human decency in the name of securing another Big 12 Championship. These words aren't hyperbole as much as they reflect an incredibly hideous truth that simply cannot be ignored
They key to winning a championship this season in Norman might very well come down to whether Bob Stoops has his full assortment of female-abusing players and you get the sense that if he has a say in the matter, he most certainly will.
The local media would likely have you believe ol' Bob is The Great Redeemer, but how about we cut the bullshit and call it what it really is, which is a complete lack of respect for pretty much all women on his campus if it means getting in the way of his team-building.
Let's examine what's going on in Norman right now, while wondering what in the world the national media is waiting on before giving this wretched story the attention that it should be demanding.
The alleged sexual assaulter, who the school wants out, but damnit he's just too good of a linebacker
Junior linebacker Frank Shannon is really good at football. In fact, he's a good enough player for Stoops that he led the team in tackles last season as a third-year sophomore with 92, including tying for the team-lead with seven tackles in Oklahoma's 45-31 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
It's in the game of life where Shannon is failing if you believe a university investigation that led to his dismissal from the school.
Back in January, Shannon was accused of sexually assaulting a female student at an off-campus location, but ultimately the district attorney declined to press charges because the woman that Shannon allegedly assaulted wished for the whole thing to go away. That would have been great for Stoops' football team, except that the university moved forward with its own Title IX investigation into the case and it came away feeling like enough of a crime was committed that night that Shannon was dismissed from the school for a year.
In a story written by Jenni Carlson in the Daily Oklahoman this week , she reported the following:
"Only those involved with the investigation know for sure why they reached that decision, but in the report completed by OU's Sexual Misconduct Office is some compelling testimony provided by the trained sexual assault nurse examiner who examined the alleged victim. She had an abrasion consistent with blunt force trauma, an injury that the examiner indicated is "one of the most common locations of injury in sexual assault."
Could the injury have occurred during consensual sex?
It is possible, but that testimony paired with that of more than a dozen other people led the investigation to conclude that Shannon should be suspended for a year. No classes at OU. No football with the Sooners."
The issue moving forward is that Shannon has appealed and is currently not only working out with the Sooners football team, but according to the player that would likely be stepping into Shannon's starting position should he not play, it's business as usual on the football field.
"(Frank's) been taking all of them," linebacker Jordan Evans replied when asked about first-team reps at linebacker this week.
When asked about Shannon's place on the team, Stoops replied, "We coach the players that are there."
To hear Stoops talk about the situation, hell, it's out of his hands except that it's not.
Oh, Shannon currently has to be on the team, but it's the coaches who have decided that the school's investigation doesn't carry as much importance as those 92 tackles from last season that could turn into 100+ if everyone is lucky. Stoops could simply stuff Shannon so far down the totem pole while everyone waits for an official word on this pretty important matter, but that would mean taking an actual stand against issues involving the safety of the women on his campus and nothing about what's going on in Norman now or in the past suggests that's a priority.
The transfer who (allegedly) pushes women down flights of stairs
Speaking of guys that are really good at football, former Missouri wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham is even better than Shannon.
As a former five-star prospect, Green-Beckham is the most prominent in-state prospect that the Missouri Tigers have ever signed and after catching 12 touchdown passes a season ago, a ticket to the NFL seemingly looms in the horizon.
Except Green-Beckham can't stay out of trouble. Twice in his Missouri career, he was arrested for drug possession and earlier this spring police were called on him again after he reportedly forced his way into an apartment, shoving a woman down a flight of stairs in the process.
Once again, official chargers were not pressed against the athlete because the victim was afraid of media and public backlash. The situation was disgusting enough that Missouri went against its new SEC pedigree and dismissed Green-Beckham from the school, despite his immense importance to the football team.
Of course, in swooped Stoops, who not only had zero issues about bringing in such a person into his program, but has a plan in place that would potentially allow for his new star receiver and alleged shover of women down stairs to play right away.
You see there's a little known rule in the NCAA rulebook called the "run-off rule" and it's designed to protect athletes who are run out of programs for reasons beyond their control, like if a coach decides that he doesn't want to renew a scholarship because he deems a player not being good enough or some other shady tactic that coaches often use to pull the rugs out from under student-athletes that typically have zero means to protect themselves
The rule was not designed to reward young men that push women down flights of stairs, while barging into apartments that are not their own (allegedly), but Oklahoma lawyers are working feverishly to apply the rule to Green-Beckham because it will get him on the field in 2014 for football purposes.
If allowed to play this season, what the NCAA will be allowing is a complete misuse of the rule and essentially it will be telling the rest of the world that if you can find a way to create a domestic situation that is so gross that a school has no choice but to dismiss you, while finding a way to not have charges officially brought up in the process, you can actually come out ahead in the grand scheme of college football.
But, wait there's more.
The bone-breaking five-star running back
Perhaps you've heard this story before, but incoming freshman running back Joe Mixon is good at football five-star good. There are some who believe he's the best running back prospect to enter the Oklahoma program since Adrian Peterson.
Yet, before he ever lined up in a uniform with the Sooners he found himself in a disagreement with a female, a disagreement that led to Mixon eventually punching a woman that was giving up six inches in height and more than 80 pounds in mass to him.
According to the affidavit of the case, it's likely that Amelia Molitor was the first to act in the incident, as she pushed the potential star running back after he allegedly used a homosexual slur against a friend of hers.
In order, here's what apparently happened next.
a. Mixon lunged at Molitor using his head.
b. Molitor then slapped him.
c. Mixon then punched Molitor in the face with a closed fist "knocking her into a table top and then to the ground where she laid motionless."
That's how Mixon left her. Oh, did I mention the part that she had four broken bones? That's how Mixon left her.
To Stoops' credit, as soon as the incident went public, he suspended Mixon from all team activities, but serious thought now exists that Stoops will bring Mixon back in the fold because the district attorney has decided to only charge Mixon with a misdemeanor.
It's not like the Sooners can just tell Mixon to take his woman-punching ways back to California. Didn't you read what I wrote a few paragraphs ago?
Mixon is really good at football.
A reality check for the head coach
Bob Stoops would like for you to believe he's tough on the subject of domestic abuse because he has a wife and daughter.
In another column from Jenni Carlson of the Daily Oklahoman this weekend, she reports that earlier this summer Stoops said the following about the issue:
"I'm sensitive to all those issues. I think all coaches are. In fact, my wife and I sponsor quite a few things in the Oklahoma area in regards to domestic issues, in particular violence against women."
You have to wonder if Stoops tells the story of former Oklahoma player Justin Chaisson when he attends all of these events that support women who have been attacked, battered and beaten by men. Let me guess you've never heard about the story of Chaisson.
A little more than five years ago, Chaisson was a hot-shot football prospect from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas, which just happens to be a very important talent pipeline into the Sooners program. Months before Chaisson was set to enter the Oklahoma program, he was involved in a situation with his ex-girlfriend that eventually landed him four felony charges from his local police.
What happened?
Well, Chaisson got into an argument with the former girlfriend, which escalated when he forced her into his car. After punching her in the ribs, Chaisson drove her against her will into the middle of the desert, eventually pulling over and holding her hostage with a screwdriver against her neck.
According to the police report, at one point Chaisson threatened to kill her.
Thankfully, two of the girl's friends found the pair in the desert and called 911, which eventually led to Chaisson letting the girl out of his SUV at a storage facility.
You can probably guess what happened next. All of the felonies were eventually dropped down to misdemeanors, to which Chaisson pleaded no contest, allowing him to somehow avoid jail time. According to Chaisson's lawyer, the entire plea deal was centered upon Oklahoma's admittance policy.
Yes, Bob Stoops allowed that animal into his program after all of that had occurred.
What we have here is a disgusting pattern of Stoops repeatedly allowing men who attack women into his program and in this age when the topic is at the forefront of American household conversations, very little attention is being placed on this ugly reality that you can pretty much do anything to a woman in the Sooners program if you've got a good lawyer.
It's not that Stoops doesn't support women, he just doesn't support them more than he supports players that can help him win football games, regardless of what they might have done to those women.
That's not an opinion, that's just what continues to happen, year after year.
Boom-her Sooner, indeed.
No. 2 - Breaking down a potentially underrated true freshmen class
When Charlie Strong put the finishing touches on his first recruiting class six months ago, there weren't many folks across the country calling for this group to make a substantial first-year impact.
After all, there weren't any five-stars in the 23-man class and considering the usual standards around these parts, most would argue that there weren't many four-stars, not when you consider that there were more high three-star recruits coming into Austin than four-stars. I'm not talking about total three stars, just the total of high three-stars.
Rivals ranked the class 20th, while ESPN and 247, ranked it 16th and 17th, respectively.
No matter how you spin it, the 2014 recruiting class ranked as the lowest-rated class in Austin since the dawn of the Internet. Yet, as the opening game of the season approaches in a mere 13 days, the impact of the class on the field this year could be considerable.
It's still very early and a number of decisions regarding playing time for the members of this class have yet to be made and we all know that injuries could further impact the amount of needed production required from this class, but here's how things look after the first two weeks of training camp.
Possible starters
WR Armanti Foreman
S Jason Hall
Breakdown: Injuries, suspensions and dismissals have made the wide receiver position an area where freshmen making an immediate impact is certainly possible and the guy that has been making the biggest noise among a talented group is Foreman, who could emerge as a starter sooner rather than later if Jaxon Shipley is forced to miss any game action because of his most recent hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Hall has been running with the first-team at safety for most of the last week and could be the odds-on-favorite to be with the first group against North Texas.
Likely contributors
DB Jermaine Roberts
DB John Bonney
DB Edwin Freeman
OL Alex Anderson
WR Roderick Bernard
WR Lorenzo Joe
WR Dorian Leonard
Breakdown: Each and every one of the freshmen defensive backs and wide receivers has a chance to make an impact, both on defense and special teams, as soon as the first game against North Texas. While Foreman and Hall have been the early leaders at their positions, each of the names listed above has flashed upside throughout the camp and will likely be in a position to get on the field this season. Meanwhile, Anderson has been working with the second-team offensive line and if the Longhorns plan to play its entire two-deep along the offensive line, the 6-4, 320-pound interior lineman will likely be on the mix.
Possible contributors
DE Derick Roberson
DT Jake McMillon
DT Poona Ford
DT Chris Nelson
TE Andrew Beck
OL Elijah Rodriguez
QB Jerrod Heard
RB Donald Catalon
Breakdown: All of the defensive linemen listed have been working with the third-team unit, but it wouldn't be a surprise if any of those four ends up earning some first-year playing time, especially the interior players like Ford and Nelson. Although Beck started camp at linebacker, he's been moved to tight end this week, but it's too early to know if he can give the team anything this year, but the lack of depth at the position certainly gives him a chance. If Catalon's hamstring injury allows for it, there's a good chance he'll emerge as the third-team tailback behind Malcolm Brown and Johnathan Gray, while Heard is an injury away from potentially being the starter at quarterback.
Still to be determined
RB D'Onta Foreman
TE Blake Whiteley
Breakdown: Foreman has yet to hit the field, while Whiteley has seen very little of it because of an early injury, but both could end up in the mix at their respective positions because of depth issues once they can get on the field and make an impression.
Likely to redshirt
LB Cameron Hampton
OL Terrell Cuney
WR Garrett Gray
Breakdown: Hampton and Cuney are behind a slew of older players and can probably use the redshirt seasons to their benefit as much as anyone in the class, while Gray hasn't quite made the same impact in the first two weeks as the other players recruited as his position.
No. 3 - Scattershooting on the Longhorns
I can't believe I'm typing this, but it's possible that Jerrod Heard needs a redshirt year every bit as much as Tyrone Swoopes, who still very much needs one. The Longhorns really need David Ash to stay on the field because I'm just not sure what the correct play is if he's out of the equation for so much as a painful hangnail.
Desmond Harrison is a perfect example of a guy that as his hands all over the damn light-switch and his fingers nearly flipped the damn thing on, but it's not quite flipped on yet. The good news is that he's not on the other side of the wall feeling around hopelessly for a switch that is across the room.
As someone that ranked Malcolm Brown really high in the recruiting rankings, I would selfishly like to see him run for 1,400+ yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Just saying
And I'd like to see Johnathan Gray post the exact same set of numbers in 2015. Double just saying
. Armanti Foreman just seems like the kind of guy that is never going to leave the field once he gets on it. I'm not saying that anyone is going to lose a job, but I expect Foreman to be a big-time player for this program and the sooner he starts getting those opportunities, the sooner he's going to start cashing them in.
In case you've missed any of the practice reports since camp started
Practice notes from Day One (August 4th)
Freshman practice notes from Day One (August 4th)
Practice notes from Day Two (August 5th)
Anwar's report in the freshmen receivers needing to step up (August 6th)
[/URL]Very detailed practice notes from Thursday (August 8th)
Practice notes from Saturday (August 9th)
My 25 random thoughts from Sunday's Open Practice (August 10th)
Offensive line breakdown from Sunday's open practice (August 10th)
Practice notes from Monday in the rain (August 11th)
Practice notes from Tuesday (August 12th)
Anwar's Report on the team hitting the wall on Tuesday (August 12th)
Practice notes from Wednesday - a freshman moves into the starting line-up (August 13th)
Mid-camp review
Practice notes from Friday (August 15th)
Anwar's report from Saturday's post-practice on Strong's uptick in happiness
No. 4 - In a battle to keep my sanity
I'm choosing only to focus on the good things as it relates to my Dallas Cowboys in the final weeks before the start of the NFL season because I expect there to be so much negative once the season starts that I just can't allow myself to begin the suffering just yet.
On that note, only sunshine is allowed in my review of Dallas' running out of time performance against the Ravens of Baltimore.
Ray of sunshine No. 1: Dez Bryant really is a bad mother on the football field and I'm not going to argue against anyone that wants to call him the best player at his position in the game. I'm not saying that he is the best, I'm just saying I'm not going to debate those that do believe it.
Ray of sunshine No. 2: There's no question that the Dallas offensive line is one of the best units they've had since the mid-90s. They've got a chance to be really good.
Ray of sunshine No. 3: 2014 Brandon Weeden is an upgrade of 2013 Jon Kitna. I can't believe I just typed that.
Ray of sunshine No. 4: The special teams unit only allowed a single 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown all night.
Ray of sunshine No. 5: I don't know who in the hell he is or where he came from, but Zach Minter's big ass can play on my football team this year. His performance in the fourth quarter (yes, I was still watching) was the highlight of the entire night.
Ray of sunshine No. 6: Rolando McClain might actually have something in the tank to give this team.
Ray of sunshine No. 7: The defense only gave up 23 points, which might be a number we'll wish the unit is posting by the time we get to October.
Nothing but sunshine from me, fellas.
No. 5 - Every once in a while, I get'em right
For months leading up to the NFL Draft, I implored the Houston Texans to ignore all of the outside noise and simply take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was not only the best player in the draft, but also the best defensive end prospect to come out in at least a decade.
There wasn't any need to turn the decision-making process into rocket science, just pick the baddest dude on the draft board and move on, which is exactly what the Texans did.
On Saturday night, Clowney flashed his Hall of Fame upside and reminded everyone in H-Town that there's no reason to ever look back. The Texans got it right.
The sight of Clowney blowing up Antone Smith on one play and sacking Matt Ryan on the very next play was all I needed to see. Put that dude in a "do not break until opening day case" and when the moment is right, turn him loose, along with J.J. Watt an watch the destruction unfold.
Those two are going to be must-see-TV for a while. Get your popcorn ready.
No. 6 - Fantasy Football Indecision
Assume you have the ninth pick in a non-PPR league where passing touchdowns count for six points each.
What would you do if the first eight picks went like this:
1. Shady McCoy
2. Jamaal Charles
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Matt Forte
5. Eddie Lacy
6. Jimmy Graham
7. Peyton Manning (or Arian Foster)
8. Marshawn Lynch
No. 7 - And just like that my days as an official Liverpool supporter are official
On Sunday morning, the odds of me eventually becoming a soccer hooligan became much closer to becoming reality as I took in my first English Premier Soccer game as a supporter of my adopted Liverpool Redbirds team.
After all of the talk, I woke my butt up at the crack of dawn, fed my twins and watched my first non-national team soccer match with a vested interest.
The result?
Daniel Sturridge flipped in a goal in the 79th minute to give the good guys a 2-1 win over Southampton, cementing my place as a good luck charm for my new team, something all the Johnny-come-Latelys that were rooting for Manchester United this weekend simply cannot say.
I don't want to take complete credit for the win, but it should be noted that Liverpool has never lost an EPL match with me riding shotgun as a fan.
A few random Liverbirds/EPL facts from this weekend:
a. I was completely aware of Sturridge as a player before he scored the game-winning goal, as I take my Liverpool homework assignments more seriously than I took my load of courses when studying at UT.
b. Same with Raheem Sterling. I feel like such a soccer nerd.
c. Before catching Liverpool on Sunday, I watched both the entire Swansea City/Manchester United game, along with large pieces of both the Tottenham/West Ham and Everton/Leicester City matches, which means that I watched at least six hours of live EPL action over the weekend.
d. Should I admit the details of point C to anyone else?
Next up: Manchester City next Monday
Is that called Monday Night Football across the pond?
No. 8 - Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind
Why is Tim Howard playing for one of the crappy teams in the EPL?
Dear basketball gods, please let Derrick Rose stay healthy this season because I'm eager to see what a furiously motivated Rose looks like in LeBron's Eastern Conference.
Huston Street is 33 of 34 in save chances this season and has not allowed a run in 12 games since being traded to the Angels on July 18. Not so coincidently, the Angels are now in first-place in the AL West.
Apparently, Clayton Kershaw is mortal after all, as his 11-game winning street ended at the hand of Liar Braun and the Brewers.
Ready for Johnny Mania on Monday night? It's going to be out of control all day.
No. 9 - Pop goes the culture because the culture goes pop
Hottie of the Weekend: Scar Jo is still winning
Super Candice: Thank you, Instagram
Idiots in Love: Bieber and Gomez are back together and in "love"
Coupling situation: Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Martin Are Seeing Each Other
Bump and Grind cologne : R Kelly's Mentions in Shambles After Bump n Grind Cologne Announcement
Jail is the safest place for this dude: Woman discovers her husband is married to three other women in three different states after finding all his wedding photos on FACEBOOK
Just awful: Girl Sunbathing In Driveway Killed After Sister Backs Over Her Head
Miley Link of the Weekend: New Twitter Avatar
No. 10 - The List: Robin Williams
I'm not sure I ever would have guessed that the passing of Robin Williams this week would impact me in such a powerful way, yet the more I thought about the man's contributions throughout my life, the more I realized just what a profound impact he'd had.
When I was four years old, Mork and Mindy was one of the first TV shows I ever fell in love with.
When I was 10 years old, Williams' live performance at The Met was one of the first stand-up routines I ever fell in love with.
When I was 11 years old, the music from Good Morning Vietnam changed the genres of music that I was into at such a formative moment in my life.
It goes on and on and on.
From his work as a stand-up comedian to acting to activism to all of the charitable work, Williams gave more of himself than he ever took back, which is why it was so sad to hear that he literally had nothing left to give of himself before taking his life.
May whatever awaits him in the afterlife give him the peace in his soul that couldn't find on earth as a living person. He'll never be forgotten.
Here's a look at my top 10 Williams moments, from stand-up to the movies to all in-between.
Last five out: Awakenings
10. The Birdcage
Williams made for a terrific gay man giving away his son at a wedding.
9. The Best of Times
One of the most underrated sports comedies of all-time. I've probably watched this movie 100 times over the years and I still laugh at all the same parts (see the clip vs. Dr. Death).
8. Patch Adams
If I need a good cry, I know where to go because this one gets me every time.
7. Comic Relief
I looked forward to these charity events every year when I was a kid and watched them over and over again on HBO.
6. Mork and Mindy
Nanu, nanu.
5. Mrs. Doubtfire
A comedy about divorce and its impact on a family . And Williams absolutely slays the performance. The tenderness of the final scenes chokes me up every time.
4. Dead Poets Society
O' Captain, my captain.
3. Good Will Hunting
So many great scenes, but the park bench scene has become an iconic piece of film.
2. Live at The Met
One of my favorite stand-up concerts of all-time.
1. Good Morning Vietnam
One of the most underrated movies of its era. I'll always love Adrian Cronauer .
Archives List
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Random: My Number 1's on Spotify
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