/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62993362/usa_today_11920984.0.jpg)
Happy Monday, friends and fans!
Super Bowl LIII was… something, and the commercials overall were... something else. That said, Baker Mayfield had a spotlight moment in perhaps the best ad of the night.
Baker Mayfield's #SuperBowl commercial debut.#OUDNA | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/BKW1flvlai
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) February 4, 2019
In case you missed it during the Big Game, or you just want to re-watch the commercial in its entirety, here you go.
This was the most legendary football game of all time. #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/hPONl32f2G
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) February 4, 2019
Now that Tom Brady has just won his sixth Super Bowl ring, more than any other player in NFL history, his little moment with Mayfield stands out that much more. Some fans of the Oklahoma Sooners and the Cleveland Browns are seeing Brady’s “hold these” comment and handing-off of his rings as a passing of the torch from one generation to the next.
Sure, it would be the most awesome thing ever to see Mayfield eventually insert his name into the discussions with Brady and other first-ballot Hall of Fame company, but realistically it may never happen. Of course, that’s no slight to him or any other quarterback, it’s simply a testament to No. 12’s greatness. Still, the future of the league looks to be in great hands with QBs like Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff (MORE LIKE JARED OFF) and others beginning to take over for years to come.
“When he has the ball in his hands, we have a chance to win.”@bakermayfield's teammates discuss his impact on and off the field.
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) February 4, 2019
WATCH: https://t.co/txnDLb4W0f pic.twitter.com/S4KLi2JqWN
Now on to this week’s Monday edition of Hot Links! A big week is ahead for Oklahoma Basketball, Sooner Softball kicks off this Friday, Super Bowl LIV odds are out and more!
OU Links
- The Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig wrote about Alex Grinch and why it won’t take much for the Sooners’ new defensive coordinator to prove to be a good hire. Helping the current players on the team reach their full potential and creating an extra turnover here and there will go a long way towards the good graces of Oklahoma fans everywhere.
- We all know that Lincoln Riley’s eyeball emojis and other tweets generate a ton of buzz, but how much? This is a pretty decent indication of how good he is at bringing attention to his program:
Which FBS head football coaches leverage their personal accounts on Twitter? Most interactions generated in 2018. #smsports
— SkullSparks (@SkullSparks) February 4, 2019
818k @LincolnRiley
566k @coachjfranklin
436k @Coach_Leach
436k @Lane_Kiffin
401k @KirbySmartUGA pic.twitter.com/7T3202KefB
- Lon Kruger has to prepare his team for another quick turnaround after the road trip in Morgantown on Saturday. The red-hot Iowa State Cyclones are one of the best teams in the Big 12, so it goes without saying how important a win tonight would be for Oklahoma’s resume.
Big Monday in the LNC! Let's get it loud!
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) February 4, 2019
No. 20 Iowa State
8 pm CT
Start at $10
➕ FREE for OU students
https://t.co/r1xphD6RgC #YouBelongHere pic.twitter.com/sAFRa5KKU2
- Also from the Tulsa World, Eric Bailey points out the unique pattern that the schedule for Oklahoma men’s basketball team is going to follow over the course of the month of February.
- The Sooners’ next two games could decide their fate in regards to making the NCAA Tournament in March, writes The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto.
- In SB Nation’s Dan Kadar’s latest mock NFL Draft, three Sooners made the first-round cut. Which Sooner does he project to go first? Cody Ford, actually.
- Class of 2020 five-star all-purpose back Chris Tyree out of Chester, Va. visited Oklahoma over the weekend. In 247Composite rankings, Tyree is listed as the No. 1 APB and No. 25 overall player in the class.
It’s been a great weekend in Norman!!! #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/jhhxBPuBP1
— Chris Tyree4️⃣ (@chris_tyree4) February 3, 2019
- In case you missed it, I put together a season preview for Oklahoma softball, which gets underway this Friday at the GCU Kickoff. Patty Gasso will have to lock down viable pitching replacements after Paige Parker and Paige Lowary graduated, but overall this team looks stacked once again.
Around the Sports World
- Some of the newspaper headlines are particularly clever following Super Bowl LIII. On both sides of the contest, you can find some pretty amusing word play, but a New Orleans paper might have come up with the best of the bunch.
- Football is over for the time being. Or is it? Pretty much, but we do have the Alliance of American Football beginning play this week, so there’s that. Also, Trevor Knight plays for the Arizona Hotshots, so that might have to be your favorite team. You can check out the full TV schedule below:
The schedule is set, soon we get underway. #JoinTheAlliance pic.twitter.com/ofYpKtQ0UM
— The Alliance (@TheAAF) February 4, 2019
- The Browns are going to be one of the more interesting teams to follow next season. As of immediately after Super Bowl LIII, Cleveland has better odds to win it all than 17 other teams. Also, look out for AFC North Division rival Baltimore.
Opening odds to win Super Bowl LIV (Bovada):
— OddsShark (@OddsShark) February 4, 2019
LAR/NE +700
LAC/KC +800
IND/NO +1000
CHI +1300
PIT +1600
GB +1800
MIN/DAl/PHI +2000
ATL/BAL/CLE +3000
HOU/SEA +4000
SF +4500
CAR/JAX/NYG +5000
TEN +6000
TB +6500
ARI/BUF/CIN/DEN +10000
DET/NYJ/OAK +10000
WSH +15000
MIA +30000
- The Oklahoma City Thunder lost a close one on the road to the Boston Celtics, and Russell Westbrook took full ownership for a late-game turnover.
- Florida State starting QB Deondre Francois has been dismissed from the Seminoles’ program. This development came soon after audio of a domestic dispute between he and a young woman was recorded and uploaded to social media.
- National Signing Day is this Wednesday, and although most of the nation’s top recruits have already signed National Letters of Intent, there are still a number of unsigned prospects on the board that could take a program’s recruiting class to the next level.
- It’s being reported that Southern Miss is interviewing former Baylor head coach Art Briles for its offensive coordinator opening. If true, the people involved should be ashamed of themselves for even giving him the time of day.
BREAKING: Southern Miss football set to interview former Baylor head coach Art Briles https://t.co/a4kc5NZMDz pic.twitter.com/2QrzsOuNDa
— Patrick Magee (@Patrick_Magee) February 4, 2019
Stick to Sports!
- Xbox Live capability is coming soon to a platform near you. In an effort to make the joy of gaming more accessible, the Microsoft-based gaming network is expanding to iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and PC users. Basically, if it’s not a Sony console, it will have Xbox Live. This works in tandem with Microsoft’s “We All Win” initiative, making gaming possible and/or easier for those with physical disabilities. Here’s the Super Bowl ad for that. If you haven’t seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to check it out.
Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!