“I just feel it’s disrespectful to the flag and to the nation. It bugs me,” says one Sooners fan, Dick Murphy, who served in the military before retiring to Norman. He isn’t alone. Many other Oklahoma fans are speaking out against the practice, which began earlier this decade (school officials couldn’t more closely pinpoint when it started). Oklahoma president David Boren agrees, saying,

“I strongly believe that the words to the national anthem should never be changed. Especially the word “brave” should be sung because it can be taken as a reference to those who have fought and given their lives for our country. I sincerely hope our fans will choose to sing the national anthem with the words as they are written and then shout ‘Go Sooners’ just after the anthem is finished. To me that approach is more appropriate and honors both our country and university.”

Soon, there may be as big of a group yelling “brave” as their is yelling “Sooners” at the end of the anthem. Fans note, however, that this shouldn’t have to be a shouting match. Those yelling the incorrect word likely don’t mean disrespect to the country or the men and women serving in the military today. They’ve noted that it is just fun, and that they’re “just words.”

Picture via sxc.hu.

Post from: EveryJoe

Oklahoma: Home of the…Sooners?

Image: Newscom

Now, BYU isn’t a bad team by any stretch of the imagination, but the Sooners were highly favored and things fell apart during the second half, as Bradford stood on the sidelines. So that begs the question: Can Oklahoma win without their start quarterback?

If he misses the maximum four games, the Sooners will play against the following teams without him:

1. Idaho State
2. Tulsa
3. #20 Miami
4. Baylor

In addition, it would mean that he’d be coming back, unpracticed for the most part, against #2 Texas. Ouch.

The real threat on this list of potential missed games is, of course, Miami. They defeated Florida State last week and could be an end to Oklahoma’s potential BCS bowl season. Don’t count Tulsa out of it either. They’re not a flashy team, but without Bradford, the sooners might not be able to get enough points on the board to defeat them. It’s a long shot for Tulsa…but then, Oklahoma should have been able to beat BYU too. Stranger things have happened.

Knowing Bradford, I expect him back for the Miami game. Everyone is different when it comes to healing, though, and if his shoulder still hurts significantly, I hope he doesn’t risk further damage by trying to practice and play.

Post from: EveryJoe

Can Oklahoma Win without Bradford?

The 6-foot-7 forward will be transitioning to playing out on the perimeter in the NBA. During summer league, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.0 assists per game. Last year playing with his brother on the Oklahoma Sooners, he averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest.

While the Suns might like his talent, there is also financial motivation for this move. Since he’s a second round pick, they can sign him to the smallest deal allowable in the NBA. With the luxury tax looming, saving every possible penny is good news for Phoenix.

Expect this Griffin to be playing in Iowa for at least part of the season so that the Suns can get a look at him in the NBA D-League. If he can improve his outside shooting and his ballhandling, he may eventually be known for something other than being Blake Griffin’s older brother.

Taylor Griffin and Blake Griffin (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Suns Sign the Other Griffin

Blake Griffin 2009 NBA Draft (Image: Newscom)

A quick look at his stats and it’s understandable why NBA scouts are in love with the 6-foot-10, 245-pound native of Oklahoma. In 33.3 minutes per game, Griffin averaged 22.7 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He also hit 65.4% of his shots from the field.

A fantastic athlete, Griffin has a chance to be a dominant bigman on the NBA level. For a player his size, he’s very nimble and has a varied skillset. Additionally, scouts think he can develop an outside jumper.

The NBA lottery will be conducted in May to determine which team will end up with the first overall picks. The teams with the best chance of landing Griffin with the top pick include the Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Post from: EveryJoe

Blake Griffin Heading to the NBA

Everyone had high hopes for quarterback Rhett Bomar when he signed at Oklahoma in 2004. Wait…who? Oklahoma’s quarterback?

Ah, how we forget names so quickly. Think back a few years. If you’re a Sooner’s fan, you may remember Bomar, who redshirted in 2004, and went on to become their starter in 2005. It was a season of growth, but by the Holiday Bowl, Bomar was Oklahoma’s MVP. It looked like, if he continued to improve, he could contend for the Heisman eventually.

And then, suddenly, Bomar was gone. In August 2006, Sooners hard coach Bob Stoops announced that he has kicked Bomar off of the team for breaking NCAA rules. Apparently, Bomar had been paid for working at Big Red Sports and Imports, which is owned by a long-time OK fan (and a huge donor to the school). Problem was, he had never actually done the work. Basically, they were just giving him money.

So, Bomar sat out a season and then played in 2007 for the San Houston State Bearcats. And he didn’t do badly…but SHS is no Oklahoma.

Bomar still has another year of eligibility, which I’m sure he hopes to use to pump up his stats and get back on the lips of reporters. There may have been some bumps along the way, but he’s not out of the game just yet.

See more top recruits at Where are They Now? The Rivals Top 100 of 2004.

Post from: EveryJoe

Rivals Top 100 of 2004: #4 – Rhett Bomar