Oklahoma Sooners Football Hot Links: Al Roker, Lincoln Riley, and More!

Happy Monday, Sooner nation!

Al Roker of the Today Show stopped by Gaylord stadium this morning to promote Rokerthon 3 and set a Guinness World Record. The ‘feat’? Students forming weather symbols and holding the shapes for five minutes. I won’t go too far into this, but I remember when Guinness World Records were actual records — not just arbitrary acts that nobody’s ever thought of before. Now get off my lawn.

But I digress. As part of a live television program, screw-ups are bound to happen. First, Roker let an ‘S’ slip when referring to OU:

Then, as Roker was announcing a $5,000 scholarship, there was a bit of a name mixup, Oscars style:

Although the blame seemed to lay on the feet of the first girl, it was a nice gesture to award a scholarship to both.

It certainly can’t be said that Roker’s visit was without any excitement.

Now, without further ado, today’s hot links:

OU Links

• The Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig breaks down why Lincoln Riley isn’t worried about replacing the yardage Samaje Perine, Joe Mixon, and DeDe Westbrook left behind.
• Emig (ever a hard worker) also talks a little Baker Mayfield business, and, to my knowledge, pens the only sentence in history (aside from this one) to mention OSU coach Mike Gundy and Yo! MTV Raps. Nice bars, Guerin.
• The Sooners secured the commitment of Tulsa Union defensive lineman Jordan Kelley yesterday. For Kelley, playing at OU has always been a dream.
• Jake Trotter lays out his top 10 players of the Sooners’ roster for spring ball. I’m just happy to see guard Ben Powers get some love.

National Links

• The final seconds of the North Carolina-Kentucky game was an emotional roller coaster for me, and I had no dog in the fight. Watching Kentucky fans go through that in real time is fascinating, and I can’t stop watching:

• Luke Maye used to just be a walk-on. Now, after the game-winner against Kentucky, he’s a Carolina hero.
• Look, Carolina has had some academic issues lately. So it’s fantastic to see that Maye got up for 8 A.M. class the next day. I know I wouldn’t have.
• If you’ve got 40 minutes to kill, this supercut of the final seconds of the last 25 national championships will make you feel nostalgic. FYI, the 2000 ‘ship starts around 14:37.
• Tom Ziller has a radical idea: he wants to kill the NBA draft.

‘STICK TO SPORTS!’

• Scientists have finally made themselves useful and proved once and for all that cats are indeed nice.
• If you (somehow) missed the new Kendrick Lamar track, drop what you’re doing immediately. It’s about to get real real.