Oklahoma Sooners Football | Hot Links: Sooners in the Pro Bowl, Chip Viney Leaves, More Joe Mixon Reactions

OU Links

The tape of Joe Mixon punching Amelia Molitor has created a flurry of takes on the matter. One of the more level-headed takes actually came from a site dedicated to our rivals. I don’t necessarily agree with every point made, but he did a solid job discussing the matter. Another solid take on the incident came from Kegan Reneau of Ruf Writers. Not all opinions have to align with one another in order to be respected — due diligence is what really matters.

Not all reactions were quite so level-headed, however. Jay Glazer went on a profane rant (Warning: strong language is used in this video) when asked about the matter by TMZ.

On the coaching front, Oklahoma special teams quality control coach Chip Viney has left OU for a spot on Jay Norvell’s staff at Nevada where he’s expected to coach defensive backs. Viney, who was previously a grad assistant at OU, has worked extensively with the defensive backs and has been an integral part of OU’s recruiting efforts. OU wasn’t going be be able to hang onto him forever, but he’ll definitely be missed.

On a lighter note, Berry Tramel wrote a really nice article about the appreciation former Sooners have for Bobby Proctor — who was OU’s defensive backs coach during the Switzer years. I love it when Tramel gives us a glimpse into the past, as I think he does a better job of it than anyone who comes to mind in sports media. You should definitely check out the comments made in this one about the tackling efforts of current defensive backs.

In some other good news, three former Sooners have made the Pro Bowl roster. While this definitely makes me happy, it just makes me sad not to see AD on the list. He needs a full season of health for once, but that may be asking a bit too much at his age. I for one believe he has one more big season left in him — one that will put him comfortably into the top 10 on the all-time rushing list.

Around the Country

• Some of you have probably seen this but, Spencer Hall wrote an outstanding piece about the UH football program’s relationship with the city of Houston.
• Bill Pennington wrote a piece about late Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam and what could have possibly contributed to his passing. It’s a bit of a downer, but it’s worth your time.
• Many of you cited Deshaun Watson’s high interception numbers as a reason to put Baker ahead of him in the Heisman race. Richard Johnson analyzes each of his interceptions this season.
• Baylor’s Shock Linwood joined Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey in deciding to skip his team’s bowl game to prepare for the draft. I don’t have a problem with Fournette or McCaffrey doing this, but you’d think Linwood would try to go out on a high note to impress scouts after what he went through at the end of the season (a suspension and a lack of carries). Maybe he figured he’d continue to not be featured prominently after carrying the ball a combined 14 times in his final two games.
• Speaking of Baylor, the NCAA has found that the Bears committed some recruiting infractions, which should not shock you even a little bit.
• Texas A&M wide receiver Speedy Noil was arrested for possession of marijuana over the weekend and was subsequently suspended from the team. More like Weedy Noil, am I right? Let’s move on.
• On the hardwood, Iowa refused to shake hands with the opposing team after a win. That’s an interesting decision.

“Stick to Sports!”

• The 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have been announced, and Tupac is one of the five. I think Tupac one of the most creative and charismatic artists to ever walk the earth, but I feel like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should probably change it’s name to the Music Hall of Fame at this point.
• As many of you may know, there is going to be a sequel to Mary Poppins. It now looks like Dick Van Dyke — who is now 91 — will have a role in the film.
• Forbes covers some of 2016’s biggest technological highlights from the MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. What a time to be alive!