Tilting at Windmills

Not to look past Tulsa, but umm, the U is legit folks – all that thing has needed for the last few years was some competent coaching – particularly on the offensive side of the ball and it looks like they’ve got it.

What a brutal non conference slate ours is turning out to be – I wonder if this is what Joe C. had in mind.  I realize the Miami game is a return trip but damn..

We need Sam back for that game – and we need the OL and WR situation figured out quickly. 

Thoughts?

Continuing their great scheduling of future non-conference opponents, OU announced today that it will play a home-and-home with Army in 2018 and 2020.

The Black Knights will come to Norman in 2018 and the Sooners will return the trip to West Point in 2020. As someone who loves going to kickassed road games and making a vacation out of them, I’m already making plans to roadtrip via hovercraft and anti-gravity boots.

The 2018 non-con slate also has LSU (site to be announced). Given that the present world we live in places a premium on strength of schedule, Joe Cash is doing a great job of getting marquee opponents out of conference.

Here’s a reminder of that impressive list of non-con games in the next 10 years. Notice that there aren’t any swampland directional schools on there, although given the quality of these teams, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some cupcakes to balance them out:

2010 – Florida State
2011 – @ Florida State
2012 – Notre Dame
2013 – @ Notre Dame
2014 – Tennessee
2015 – @ Tennessee
2016 – Ohio State
2017 – @ Ohio State
2018 – LSU, Army
2019 – LSU
2020 – @ Army

Joe Castiglione is a brilliant genius.

John Roddick, brother of tennis great and fashion model-banger Andy Roddick, was hired to replace John Lockwood as Oklahoma’s tennis coach last month. John has been running Roddick Total Tennis in Austin, a “performance boarding academy” for budding tennis kids. I think that means mommy and daddy pay an asston of money to send their kids away to Roddick so they don’t have to deal with them for the summer.

At any rate, Roddick was an assistant tennis coach at his alma mater, Georgia, when the Dawgs advanced to the NCAA finals in 2002. His main credential, though, is obviously his last name. This is why Joe C’s a flippin genius.

Boomer Sooner, chaps!

How many high school tennis stars do you think watched today’s Wimbledon broadcast and saw John Roddick decked out head-to-toe in Sooner gear with John McEnroe giving platitudes to the school by saying (paraphrasing): “they give scholarships in tennis, too? I thought all the money went to the football program!” With brother Andy advancing to Sunday’s finals, OU should get even more international TV time. I guesstimate the free advertising is in the range of eleventy million dollars.

They actually showed John a lot more earlier in the broadcast and I wasn’t watching, so I didn’t get a good shot of him. If somebody has a better one, please forward. The one I have, though, gives us a good glimpse of brother Andy’s squeeze, Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker.

Here’s a better shot of the lovely Mrs. Roddick:

I'd serve and volley it.

So, high school tennis phenoms, come to OU and maybe you’ll hang out with Andy Roddick and his smokin’ hot wife. Other high school football/basketball/who gives a shit what the sport is phenoms, come to OU and maybe you’ll hang out with Andy Roddick’s smokin’ hot wife.

I’m checking my eligibility.

Bob Stoops was relaxed, Jeff Capel was funny and Sherri Coale was, well, resplendent in a teasingly low-cut loose gray dress – not that anyone noticed – as the Sooner Caravan made its stop at the Airport Hilton in Wichita Tuesday night.

Stoops was Stoops, praising the 350 in attendance and acknowledging Wichita’s growing significance to the football program as a recruiting hotbed.

“But not being specific,” Stoops said, chuckling. That’s OK, Coach. I will be. Blake Bell is going to take the Short Bus McCoy to the woodshed for the next four years.

He told the crowd that the Sooners will make another run at a natty next year – you know, that thing that Texans believe they’re entitled to, that thing that makes them cry like the entitled titty babies they are when it slips away – as it does every year.
Interestingly, the HBC tempered his criticism of the offensive line.

“They’ve done enough in the winter and spring to win,” Stoops said. “But I’m the sort of guy who wants to see it on the field.”
Stoops also guaranteed competition for the kicking positions.

And he paid homage to the four players who backed off the NFL for another run – Sam Bradford, Jermaine Gresham, Trent Williams and Gerald McCoy.

“I think that speaks volumes for the kind of program we run,” Stoops said.

Capel talked at length about his experience last week at the NBA Draft, including his excitement when Phoenix tabbed Taylor Griffin.
But he indicated that expectations won’t lessen with the Griffin brothers gone.

“It’s Willie’s team now,” he said.

Capel said newcomers Tommy Mason-Griffin, Tiny Gallon and Steven Pledger will play a big role on the club.

Coale was, as usual, the best speaker of the group, telling the crowd that the Sooner women will run and fire treys at will.
And, she expects to continue the program’s domination of post-season player and coaching awards.

“I think some other schools are getting tired of that,” she said, chuckling.

The 2009-10 Sooner women will be “more mobile,” Coale said, led by junior point Danielle Robinson, who’s playing international ball this summer.

But, senior Abi Olajuwon’s conditioning work this summer has led Coale to believe she’ll be a presence on the low block.

“No Dream Shake like her father, but we believe she’ll help us,” Coale said.

Finally, OU AD Joe Castiglione – who’s put on some serious weight – told the crowd that the department’s cumulative student athlete GPA is just short of 3.0.

He also talked about the AD’s contribution of millions to the school’s general fund “during these challenging times,” reminding the crowd that the school stood behind the AD while Donnie Duncan was trying to destroy the football program.

(Editor’s note: That’s my shot at DD, not Joe’s.)

Sadly, however, the OUAD seems to be lagging behind in the apartment collision department, with no reports of players under the influence – of a phone or whatever – crashing into buildings. I’m sure we can count on Joe to work on that weakness.

Time for your second-ranked, 24-1 Oklahoma Sooners to try and add to its 12-game winning streak, squaring off against the struggling 12-12 Red Raiders, who have lost 8 out of their last 10.

I just re-watched the Baylor game after watching it live at the Golden Tit in Waco the other night. I’ll combine that post mortem with this one after the game.

A 13th straight win today would be the longest OU winning streak since they won 13 in a row in January 2002.

Tech has not won on the road this year. Anywhere.

Looks like the blue hairs have even showed up today. The Cleveland County Quilting Convention must have been postponed.

OU starts with the same lineup that’s won 24 games: AJ, Willie, Crocker’s sleeves, Blake and Taylor.

Twice down the court, twice into Blake on the low block, twice Tech doesn’t double him. Get’cher popcorn!

Crocker with two bad shots, two defensive lapses and a foul in the first 2.5 minutes.

So after hearing a bunch of silly platitudes about the great defense Crocker played against Baylor (I was there, didn’t see it), his man today has torched OU for 10 points in the first three minutes of the game.

Blake’s on pace for 72 points and 24 rebounds.

Pattillo enters at 14:15 with OU down by 2.

Jeff going with a lineup of O’Leary, AJ, Cade, Pattillo and Blake. Really, you could grab four band geeks to put on the court with Blake today and probably be fine.

Blake sits down at the 12:17 mark at 1:03 p.m., just before the under 12 timeout. The Blake Rest-o-meter clock is on.

Blake is 6-10 from the field. The rest of the team is 2-13 combined. Ugh.

Blake back in at the 9:45 mark at 1:09 p.m. He missed 2.5 minutes of gametime, got 6 minutes of actual rest.

Griffin parents sighting! DRINK!

Blake’s done everything but bang Pat Knight’s wife in the first half. I hope she’s well-rested.

Pat Knight should ask his dad if it’s a good idea not to double Blake.

Blake with a first half double-double and now owns the single-season school record. Alvan Adams and Gar Heard, thank you for your service.

Cade starting to rain threes. Bench scoring, holla.

Blake with 21 and 12 in the first half and now Tech wants to piss him off? I need more popcorn.

Rebounding: Blake 13, Tech 9.

“You don’t need jelly, cause Blake’s bringing the jam!”

Somewhere, Tubbs is loving this game.

Blake is making Tech look like children. I’m almost starting to feel sorry for them. Almost.

Wayman highlights! Can’t see enough of those.

This is the last game OU plays before Texas. They get a week off, then go to Austin. Nice scheduling, Joe C.

Blake sits down with 11:40 to go. With 34 and 20, I bet he’s done.

Cade is just frickin making it rain.

Blake’s back. Capel’s just running the offense, fellers. Nothing to see here.

Oh my lord. Blake did so many fundamentally sound, professional moves on that play … footwork, recognition of where he was on the court, shielding the defender, using the glass …

Tech double-teams Blake for the first time all day aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand … he finds Willie cutting to the lane for a layup.

Capel explaining the double-dribble rule to O’Leary. Good grief.

Rebounding: Blake 23, Tech 18.

Oh dear lord. We’re gonna see that on YouTube, Gerald.

Seriously?

21-point win, Blake goes for 40 and 20, Cade rains threes off the bench, Willie looks good … more in the post mortem.