How’s it going, my good people?

Kyler Murray’s new head coach Kliff Kingsbury joined the Jim Rome Show recently to talk about his QB, and of the questions he addressed, his final answer in this clip might raise some eyebrows, although it’s probably just coach-speak considering what his boss had to say earlier this week.

Arizona GM Steve Keim recently said Murray would be the day-one starter, and was rather definitive with his declaration, so I would label Kliff’s answer as a big ol’ nothingburger at this point. Now if some Tyrod Taylor-Baker Mayfield stuff starts up towards the end of the preseason between Brett Hundley and Murray, Kingsbury will undoubtedly receive some major heat from the press, the fans, and just about everybody else with a vested interest. Still, if you asked me, I don’t anticipate such drama developing out in the desert.

Now for some spicy Hot Links! Kyler and Hollywood have their odds to win ROTY set, the Oklahoma Sooners’ golf team is a top seed once again, Knicks fans want James Dolan to put down the mic and more!

OU Links

• Speaking of Murray, according to SportsBetting.ag, the No. 1 overall pick has the best odds to win NFL Rookie of the Year at 5/2. Marquise Brown has the fourth-best odds to win at 10/1. Let the games begin, already!
• Over the next year, Jalen Hurts will be more scrutinized as a professional QB prospect than he ever has before. That’s what happens when you link up with Lincoln Riley. Out of all the top draft-eligible signal callers going into the 2020 NFL Draft, Hurts could certainly prove to be one of the more compelling stories, depending on how this season plays out.
• The college football head coaches at the major programs in the nation all manufacture success in different ways. Their strengths are what make them both unique and fit for the jobs they are employed to do. So what is Lincoln Riley’s biggest strength as a coach? Is it his play calling prowess or his quarterback development? Or is it something else that stands out most of all?
• Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World detailed how significant this year’s softball edition of the Bedlam series is, as the Cowgirls are riding a momentous wave into the weekend. Meanwhile, the Sooners continue to flat-out dominate everybody. Oklahoma State head coach Kenny Gajewski summed up his thoughts on the in-state rivalry like this: “I’m tired of losing to OU. I’m tired of not playing well against OU”. Here we go.
• The Oklahoma men’s golf team is headed to Pullman, Wash. — home of the Cougars — as a No. 1 seed for the second year in a row in the NCAA Regionals. Good luck, fellas!

• The Sooner women’s tennis team is on another level this season. Oleksandra Korashvili, Martina Capurro and Camila Romero combined for four All-Big 12 selections, resetting a program record.

Around the Sports World

• A wire tap revealed a former Arizona assistant alleging Wildcats head coach Sean Miller paid Deandre Ayton $10K per month while he was enrolled at the school. The recorded phone call was played before a jury on Wednesday. With everything we know about the behind-the-scenes world of college basketball at this point, the only real takeaway is that Ayton was underpaid.
• New York Knicks owner James Dolan is part of a musical ensemble known as ‘JD & the Straight Shot’. On behalf of Knicks fans everywhere, a small group of people have taken it upon themselves to sue Dolan for spending too much time on his music and not enough time working on his basketball team. Good job, good effort, but c’mon, people.

• Hugh Freeze is entering his first season with the Liberty Flames this upcoming season. Can this embattled coach turn this FBS newcomer into a force to be reckoned with? Bill Connelly explores that question and more in his latest preview.
• I’ll be honest, I hadn't heard of Jesse Winker before today, but I’ll remember him from now on for this. I love it when athletes give it right back to the fans that talk all the smack.

• Think you’re having a bad day? This guy definitely spent an extraordinary amount of money on food at the baseball game and he simply lost all of it. My heart actually hurts for him.

Stick to Sports!

• On May 17, the longest pedestrian bridge in North America is set to open to the public. Located near the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, the 680-foot long Gatlinburg SkyBridge is sure to attract plenty of attention from locals and tourists alike. Over two football fields long and 140 feet off the ground? I don’t usually mind heights, but this is something else entirely.

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