Happy 242nd birthday, America! Happy Fourth to all of you, friends and fans! The Oklahoma Sooners have plenty of reasons to pop off some fireworks in celebration this summer, and there will surely be plenty more reasons to come in the very near future.

Speaking of ‘popping off’, it’s just too bad that ESPN football analyst and known SEC shill Booger McFarland chooses to ignore objective reasoning as it relates to Lincoln Riley’s comments about SEC defenses and Big 12 offenses.

Can the games begin already? Look, Riley’s comments were taken completely out of context by folks who were looking for a juicy headline, and that has since been handled by people who actually know what they’re talking about. Good grief, Booger, stop setting yourself up for embarrassment.

If you’re looking for a bit more discussion and explanation of Lincoln Riley’s comments from yesterday, check out this post from SB Nation’s Morgan Moriarty. Like she says at the end of the article, “let’s not get too carried away here”. That sentiment is shared by Allen Kenney at Blatant Homerism. “Bending over backwards far enough to read that as sour grapes from Riley over the Sooners’ loss to Georgia in the Rose Bowl requires superhuman contortion”. Yup. Pretty much.

Now on to this Independence Day edition of Hot Links! Spencer Rattler is the real MVP, Theo Wease Jr. calls his title shot, hot dogs will be eaten in large quantities and more!

OU Links

• Congratulations to 2019 QB commit Spencer Rattler for being named the 2018 Elite 11 MVP. That’s a big title to hold over some stout competition, and the dude deserves it after tearing up the 7-on-7 competition. Boomer!

• RJ Young caught up with receiver commits Trejan Bridges and Theo Wease Jr. after their championship win with Team Overdrive at The Opening Finals. RJ did a fantastic job all week covering the event, and this is some must-see stuff from him and the future Sooners, so check it out!

• You’re looking at the future of Oklahoma Football right here, ladies and gentlemen. Excellent work, guys. Congratulations on the championship!

• For highlights and more from Team Overdrive’s win, including some pretty passes from Spencer Rattler, check don’t forget to check out CC Machine’s wrap-up.
• After the championship, Theo Wease Jr. put it on record by saying “We’re definitely getting the national championship for sure”. I can see it, Theo. I can see it.

Around the Sports World

• The Oklahoma City Thunder have re-signed Raymond Felton to a one-year, $2.4 million deal, which is set to push the organization’s luxury tax past an historic $300 million threshold barring any other roster changes between now and the end of the season.
• 32 year-old Dwight Howard has agreed to sign a one-year deal with the Washington Wizards for the taxpayer mid-level exception, and I have no idea what’s happening in the NBA.
• England defeated Colombia in penalty kicks to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals, and these fans at the Walkabout Sheffield pub went absolutely bonkers. Pure fan ecstasy right here. Gotta love it.

• It’s July 4th, so the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island is taking place today. If college football coaches held their own hot dog eating contest, who would participate and who would win?
• A youth soccer team from Thailand has been found stranded in a cave they went exploring in after a game. The boys are in good spirits, but rescuing them is not so simple, as it is currently the rainy season in Thailand. With the cave flooded, rescuers are scouting all options for how to bring them to safety.

Stick to Sports!

• If you’re in Oklahoma, it almost doesn’t matter what part of the state you’re in, as there is sure to be some kind of 4th of July festivity taking place somewhere near you today. Check this list out to find out when and where all the major events going on around the Sooner State are happening! Remember to stay safe out there folks, but make sure you also have a blast!

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