Happy Friday, friends and fans!

What happens when creativity meets football greatness? Well, when you combine those two things with a lot of free time, you get a masterpiece like this! One young OU fan built a sweet BRXLZ model of the Oklahoma Sooners’ Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. Check out the construction process from the ground up for yourself:

Watching that was a great way to kick off the month of May. Football season in the Sooner State hopefully makes its return in the next four months, and I for one can hardly wait to see this scaled-down stadium in all of its full-sized glory (even if it’s without fans) come September. Boomer!

Now onto this week’s Friday edition of Hot Links! AD picks his favorite run, GK talks dad-life, Miami’s UD gives back and more!

OU Links

• It’s official. Dallas Cowboys rookie WR CeeDee Lamb will wear the legendary No. 88, following in the footsteps of past greats like Drew Pearson, Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant. It’s a lot to live up to, but the first-round draft pick is more than ready for the challenge.

• Speaking of Lamb, Irvin actually stepped forward on ESPN’s First Take in defense of the Cowboys giving the rookie receiver the iconic jersey number. Irvin also believes Lamb has everything it takes to become the next big thing on the outside in Dallas.

• In ESPN’s updated Football Power Index, Oklahoma has the ninth-best odds to reach the College Football Playoff. Other Big 12 teams like the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma State Cowboys were also given projections.
• Running back legend Adrian Peterson recently talked about his favorite run ever, and out of all the spectacular rushes he’s had over the years, he chose a dandy from 2009 against the Cleveland Browns.

• Gerald McCoy recently penned another installment for The Players’ Tribune, this time talking about life during the quarantine and how he’s used this moment as an opportunity to grow closer with his family.

• Six Sooner softball players received Academic All-Big 12 honors for their accomplishments in the classroom. Congratulations to Nicole Mendes, Lynnsie Elam, Kinsey Koeltzow, Grace Lyons, Brooke Vestal and Shannon Saile!

Around the Sports World

• In a recent radio interview, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby discussed different scenarios for the upcoming fall sports schedule in light of COVID-19 and the widespread cancellations in its wake. He also voiced his concerns over a possible return of the virus ala flu season, and how that could potentially impact the structure of sports like college football and college basketball among others.
• Speaking of the virus, over the last month-and-a-half since the sports world has been put on pause, analysts have estimated the total loss of national revenue will amount to over $12 billion. Those same sources also predict these figures could more than double if cancellations continue through football season.
• For the first time in 75 years, the 2020 Little League World Series and region tournaments have been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, LL International pledges approximately $1.2 million in support of local leagues.
• NFL QB Alex Smith suffered a devastating injury in 2018 that nearly led to the loss of his leg. To this day he’s fighting to return to life with some semblance of normalcy, but the road to recovery has been one of the most arduous ordeals he’s ever embarked on. Read about his story through the perspective of his wife, Elizabeth Smith. Warning: some of the images in the article are graphic in nature.
• Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem recently gave back to the medical professionals who once saved his life from blood clots. The NBA veteran donated meals to the healthcare workers from a restaurant he co-owns as they continue to serve the community during this unprecedented crisis. Great stuff.

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