Confessions of an Alcohol-Induced Serial Tweeter

By Kolby Paxton

Typically, I am extremely calculated with what I say on Twitter/Facebook. Gone are the days of spewing whatever idiocies spring to mind, because present are the days of networking and attempting never to look as dumb as professional athletes commonly do. There is no filter on social networking sites, but the filter in my brain works just fine.

Unless of course...

Mixing a few spirits with some college football has never been an issue. But, the institution formerly known as Oklahoma A&M has never drilled the Sooners by 34 points, either. For those whom I offended, I apologize — unless Landry Jones is reading this, in which case I'M STILL BEGGING YOU TO GO PRO. Here is a running time line of the events, and an explanation/apology for what took place on Saturday night.

6:27 p.m.: Katie and I arrive at Buffalo Wild Wings, where I assume that I'll be settling in for the long haul. LSU is in the midst of a second half route of Georgia, and I am feeling extremely vindicated about it because... well, because I'm self-absorbed and I enjoy being right.

6:38 p.m.: I'm kicking things off with Red Bull and vodka. "Uh oh," says Katie. 'Uh oh' is right.

6:58 p.m.: The BWW remote control controller has officially opened the Cabinet 'O Cable Boxes. All big TV's are being switched to Bedlam. The B1G and ACC championships are relegated to normal-sized screens. All is well.

8:14 p.m.: Dejuan Miller drops his third pass in four possessions. On a purely coincidental side note, I am on my fourth beer in as many possessions. Yelling at the television no longer suffices. I head to Facebook: "Why hasn't Dejuan played more over the course of his career? Oh that's right. Because he's a WIDE RECEIVER with no HANDS." Those of you familiar with my position on Miller know that this admission was extremely painful for me. Three years ago, I thought he was going to be a star.

8:20 p.m.: Demontre Hurst drops an interception. He looks shocked. I am not shocked. Back to Facebook: "Don't worry Demontre. No one actually expected you to make a play." Katie suggests I switch from bottles to tall glasses. "Less trips for the waiter," she reasons. I agree.

8:27 p.m.: 'Uh oh.' Landry (expletive) Jones coughs up his first fumble of the contest. I'm fuming. Facebook won't do the trick. I need for this to be personal. Twitter, it is: "Has @LandryJones12 declared for the draft yet?? Please go pro. I'm begging you." There. I showed him.

8:35 p.m.: With just a couple of text messages, Dylan is fanning the flames. Admittedly, it doesn't take much. "KLEIN RAN ALL OVER THEM! LET'S GET THE BELL RINGIN," he says. I agree, and I'm getting sloppy. "Hey Heup. @deeyung knows that we should be using Bell. (KSU Klein?) WHY DON'T YOU?" Clearly, I was inspired by his use of caps lock. If only Josh Heupel had a Twitter.

8:44 p.m.: Hunnicut bangs a 48-yarder through the uprights as the first half clock expires. 24-3, Pokes. I've seen enough. I'm so angry that I'm taking it out on our waiter. I attempt to tip him $5 on a $38 tab. Katie turns the 5 into an 8. God bless her.

9:52 p.m.: I've resolved to ignoring the remainder of this one, but my cousin didn't get the memo. "I'm trying to think positive thoughts, like 'enjoy your 18th win'... but this sucks," she says. I couldn't agree more. Thankfully, even with a compromised filter, I spend the next five minutes venting to her in private before...

9:58 p.m.: "This team is an embarrassment. Plain and simple. OSU's D is ranked 107th in the country. 2000 is history. Heup should be held accountable." It may not seem like much now. But the fact that I was able to so eloquently berate our play caller at this point in the evening was no small accomplishment.

9:59–10:13 p.m.: It's 44-3. Any self-respecting Oklahoma fan would have the wherewithal to graciously shut up. In other news, I should've put my phone away an hour ago. I haven't, and my Facebook news feed is showing me a handful of snarky posts from bitter Walmart OU fans. The goal, I assume, was to deflect attention off of 44-3 by using 82-18-7. That leads to...

10:14 p.m.: "I'm already sick of those of you slighting OSU. The last nine years don't matter to them right now anymore than the last decade mattered to us in 2000. OSU kicked our ass and it wasn't a fluke. And if we don't get our shit together it'll be them talking ab the "past nine years" pretty soon. Accountability." The "past nine years" obviously refers to the fact that, on Saturday night, the Pokes won for the first time in nine seasons.

10:15 p.m.–2:18 a.m.: Thankfully, Dickson St. provided ample distraction. At some point during this time, Kenny Stills tweets: "Expected all the negativity... Love the man above, my team, family, and all the true fans out there... Regroup and get a bowl win." Tony Jefferson tweets: "Not hanging our head down. Didnt play well like we shouldve. Bowl game and so on. Preciate the good and bad tweets... N 2 the peeps who keep tweetin me n @KSTiLLS4 saying if we didn't tweet so much we'd play better? Shutup? That doesn't even make sense lol."

2:19 a.m.: I'm mad at everyone. I'm mad at players like Stills and Jefferson, I'm mad at fans like the ones I called out four hours ago, I'm mad at ESPN, I'm even mad at Michael Smith and Michelle Beadle for some reason...

2:20 a.m.: "@KSTiLLS4 @tonyjefferson1 "to all the 'tru fans' were cool. Just gonna go 1/2 ass the holiday bowl. Dont get mad tho. No1 gets mad n Cali."

2:21 a.m.: "@espn @MrMichael_Smith @MichelleDBeadle how come were being force fed LSU/Bama by TNT worldwide leader? 44-10? At least let it play out... scrolling "LSU vs. Bama" on the bottom line b4 OSU even kicked off. Propaganda much?"

2:34 a.m.: Finally, mercifully, I have passed out...

As for the apology portion of this arrangement... I apologize for my occasionally ignorant vocabulary and for attacking players, and most of all, I apologize to Michelle Beadle. She's a nice lady, and I have no idea why I involved her.

As for the explanation... let's be clear... nothing I said on Saturday was untrue or off the mark.

• KSU's Colin Klein ran 29 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns vs. OSU. ISU's Jared Barnett ran 14 times for 84 yards in the upset in Ames. Blake Bell carried once, on the Sooners' last offensive play of the game. Oh, by the way, it went for a 28-yard touchdown. So, where was he? Josh Heupel gets an extremely long leash because he quarterbacked OU to the 2000 national title. I understand that, but it shouldn't matter. If Jay Norvell was the play caller (and we all assume that he is not) he would be shredded for the  inexplicably erratic performance of his co-worker. Six consecutive 3-and-out's in a loss to Texas Tech? 10 first half points in a loss to Baylor? And then we put Bell on ice until the last play of the game vs. an OSU squad that has shown great ineptitude at stopping bruisers at the quarterback position? I don't care if Barry Switzer is calling the plays. That's inexcusable.

• If you're unfamiliar with the tweeting habits of Kenny Stills and Tony Jefferson, allow me to simply explain to you that they drive many of us completely insane. If you're unfamiliar with my feeling on each player, I wrote a piece on Stills after the Texas game, applauding No. 4 for providing the Sooners with attitude and swagger, and at the end of last season I made the comment that Jefferson would be better than Roy Williams. For the pair to frustrate me to this point is noteworthy. On the surface, nothing that either of them said Saturday night was enough to push me over the edge. Rather, it was the latest piece of mounting evidence that each of them take their own personal celebrity more seriously than they take winning football games. After every loss this season, Stills and/or Jefferson has made disparaging comments toward infuriated fans, taking little or no responsibility for the loss, and thanking "true fans" for enabling their care-free behavior. I understand that Twitter must be a scary place for unsuspecting players following a loss. I empathize and even sympathize with the nonsense that each of them has to sift through. But, that doesn't excuse either of them from owning a loss just as they do a win. Like clock work, both of them will be on Twitter no less than an hour following a loss "lol'ing" at Sooner Nation for being upset and thanking the "true fans" that are busy trying to get a spot in the entourage. No one wants to hear about "regrouping" for the Insight Bowl after the worst OSU beat down in the history of Bedlam.

• Alabama may be better than OSU. They may not be. The Tide lost to the top ranked team in the country by 3 points. OSU lost to Iowa State by 6. Do the Pokes still have a more impressive resume? Sure, you could argue that. But you can also argue for Alabama. The fact that no one from outside of the SEC received an invite to the SEC Invitational doesn't bother me. What DOES bother me, however, is the fact that the mothership was scrolling that LSU would meet Alabama for the BCS championship late Saturday night. ESPN is no longer in the business of reporting the news. Now, the network insists on making the news. But, courtesy of its absolute monopoly on the sports media industry, I was left attacking @espn as I watched Sportscenter...

• Belittling OSU for its sub-Mendoza line Bedlam batting average while they lead by 41 in the fourth quarter is pathetic. Those comments typically always come from those who picked OU as their favorite college football team using much of the same logic that goes into selecting the New York Yankees or New England Patriots as your favorite professional team, while living in the mid-south. Ignoring small problems will turn into big problems, just as focusing on the past will wreck the future. Stoops has downplayed the Sooners' struggles all season long. Heupel has been above reproach. Then, in the finale, all of what ails the program erupts in a sort of perfect microcosm, and we're going to ignore it still? Who cares about 82-18-7? I care about 9-3 from a team that seemed destined for 13-0. And, for the record, I didn't put that bulls-eye on them. They did — the moment a defense that ranks 62nd in total defense and 77th vs. the pass (worse than Texas Tech, by the way) began referring to itself as the "Sharks."

Evan Lee is among the most objective college football fans I have ever met. He is also an OSU alum. "I might like to add that studs from Texas couldn't care less about what happened the past 8 years," he said. "The go Daddy's of the lone star state that make up these teams go see an A&M team that can't win in the big 12 and just fired a coach, a Texas team that got murdered by Baylor and an OSU team that looks a whole lot like Oregon circa Dennis Dixon when USC 'would never be unseated.'" SC didn't fall behind Oregon, but the Ducks have managed to catch them. Southern Cal was 33-12-2 vs. Oregon prior to 2000. Nike U has taken 5 of 6 since the turn of the century. A wealthy alumnus and a shoe brand willed the Fightin' Ducks to relevance. That should sound familiar.

Come to think of it, though, ignoring what is in front of us and refusing to adapt out of sheer bullheadedness is a page out of Brent Venables' playbook. So, perhaps, several of your reactions were more appropriate than mine.

Westboro Baptists Should Tread Lightly

By Kolby Paxton

At 12:10 p.m., on Sunday, Nov. 20, Garrett Uekman, a student-athlete at the University of Arkansas, was pronounced dead at Washington Regional Medical Center, in Fayetteville, Ark.

There was nothing illicit about Uekman's death. He did not overdose on prescription medication. He was not a victim of alcohol over-consumption. Reportedly, the 19-year old football player was last seen playing video games in his dorm room at approximately 11:15 a.m.

Now, little more than a day later, I am writing about him for all of the wrong reasons.

It isn't that he doesn't deserve a proper eulogy. I am just not qualified to write such a thing. I did not know Garrett Uekman.

Neither did Margie Phelps or anyone else associated with Westboro Baptist Church. But, once the news of Uekman's death became a national headline, Phelps pounced.

"What is Coach Petrino letting go on in his showers at @uarkansas so God killed 19YO Uekman in His wrath? #stop it," Phelps tweeted. "Obey God & stop the rapes. Westboro will picket funeral."

Evidently, it was explained to her shortly there after that "Petrino" is not "Paterno," and there was no "rape" in the shower at the University of Arkansas.

"So, are they still going to protest?" asked my girlfriend, Katie.

"Yep," I said.

"Why?" she asked. Such is the obvious question.

According to Phelps' slightly amended justification, WBC will picket Uekman's funeral in protest of the "proud sin that permeates college football."

She's lying.

A few days prior to Uekman's death, Oklahoma State University was hit with tragedy of its own. A single engine airplane carrying women's head basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna crashed over central Arkansas, killing everyone aboard.

In the Oklahoma State Cowgirl handbook, Budke listed the expected priorities of his student athletes in the following order: God, family, education, basketball.

Never one to let pesky details get in the way of an opportunity to pimp false ideals, Phelps responded predictably.

"Westboro will picket funerals of OSU plane crash dead,” Phelps tweeted. “Coaches teach sin; you love it; God h8s it. #warnliving @KDTrey5 @NewsOn6 @Espn @espnu.”

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Twitter, "@" tags a tweet to an individual. In other words, it lets them know what you are saying without them following you.

Tulsa's News on 6? Sure, ok. The most rogerian of debaters could rationalize the need for alerting the local media to the purpose of its presence in Stillwater.

But, ESPN? National sports media have no place in WBC's madness. ESPN, however, is among the most watched news stations in the world. Phelps knew the latter and ignored the prior in choosing to alert multiple entities of the network.

And what about Kevin freakin' Durant? Last I checked, KD attended the University of Texas. What purpose could there possibly be for including Durant in a tweet like that?

Only one.

Phelps and her constituents prey upon death and tragedy, without regard to those devastated by it, in hopes of garnering the media attention that they crave.

"There have been literally hundreds of thousands of stories that report on the street preaching and web ministry of Westboro Baptist Church," boasts its website.

None of those have provided positive publicity, mind you, but negative attention is still attention. And, to those delusional enough to protest the funerals of soldiers whose presence helped to afford them the freedom necessary to do so, any attention is good attention.

The problem with the WBC is not necessarily its radical message.

Students at universities all across the country have undoubtedly encountered the preaching of “Brother Jed” on their way to class.

When I was a student at the University of Oklahoma, Jed would perch on the steps of Dale Hall, verbally accosting students as he saw fit.

But, Jed was catching us on the way back to the dorms after our morning classes. Our biggest concerns were typically what to eat for lunch and whether we could squeeze a game of “Halo” or “FIFA” in between study hall and practice.

In other words, emotions ran low. So what if he thought my pants were too baggy or my girlfriend’s skirt was too short? It was easy to shrug off.

Westboro isn’t catching people on their way back to the dorms.

The WBC makes a calculated effort to appear when emotions are peaking. Worse, it delivers its message in boldly matter-of-fact tones, contorting scripture to back up its claims as if they were fact.

Truly ironic – not to mention, demented – is the group’s assertion that it comprises God’s chosen people, while it’s leader casts judgment upon complete strangers as if she is God.

“There's nothing new or different about this particular pretentious prancing,” states the Westboro website.

It is talking about Lady Gaga, but the quote applies to its own organization.

There is nothing new about craving publicity, just as there is nothing new about using the shock factor to attain it.

There is nothing more shocking and repulsive than declaring with signs and propaganda that the deceased is burning in hell – just feet from where their friends and family mourn.

Picketing high profile funerals? That provides the perfect storm – and the best chance for a lawsuit – for this warped assortment of rejects.

The group picketed at the funeral of Steve Jobs in October in protest of… well, no one is sure. Officially, the group was “condemning him for teaching others to sin,” as if there is something inherently sinful about an iPad.

That Phelps tweeted the picket announcement with an iPhone adds an element of ironic humor to an otherwise grossly blatant attempt at soliciting media attention without regard to those close to Jobs.

There would have been nothing funny about the group’s appearance at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Monday.

In fact, there were numerous warnings in regard to “pistols firing,” directed at Phelps and her Westboro followers, which seems to beg an inevitable question: Eventually, isn’t someone going to snap?

Five Oklahoma radio stations agreed to give WBC five minutes of airtime if they would stay away from Budke and Serna’s campus memorial. True to form, the group did not hesitate to trade “principle” for publicity.

In taking one for the team, so to speak, the Oklahoma stations may have prevented an act of violence from occurring. But, what happens when there is no bargain?

I was raised in Springdale, Ark., just a few miles from the campus of the University of Arkansas. My mother has multiple degrees from the school. My younger brother was a member of the university’s proudest fraternity, the Kappa Sigma Xi Chapter. Katie is a current student and member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

The point is, I know a thing or ten about the state of Arkansas and its love for Razorback student athletes.

Schools often refer to their campus community as a family, and that may be true in many cases. But, in Arkansas, that family extends beyond the perimeter surrounding campus buildings. In Arkansas there is an unparalleled emotional attachment between the every man citizens and the university. Affiliation in some form or another is not necessary, but it drastically heightens the affectivity.

The 190 miles between Fayetteville and Uekman’s hometown of Little Rock does nothing to suppress that endearment.

So, when Westboro Baptist Church arrives, they should understand two things above all else. First, the day that Uekman set foot on the campus of the University of Arkansas, he became the adopted son of no less than the simple majority of 2.8 million Arkansans. Second, Little Rock, Ark., is uniquely located in an area that combines the protective environment of the Bible belt, with kinship and family values of the Deep South.

They will not be tolerated.

While the best reaction to their presence is probably no reaction at all, that level of syllogism is unrealistic.

In April, USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers was laid to rest in Brandon, Miss. Naturally, Westboro intended to attend. But, on the day of the funeral WBC members were noticeably absent.

So, what happened? For starters, a member of the insane asylum engaged in a verbal altercation with a man at a Brandon gas station. A beating ensued, but authorities were unable to locate a witness to provide any information on the attacks. Strangely, trucks were left unattended behind cars parked in hotel parking lots with Kansas plates, as well. Police were called, but no two trucks were available to move the vehicles. Those members that did arrive at the funeral were ushered away for questioning about a crime that "they may have had some involvement in." The questioning took about two hours, and the funeral was over by the time they got free.

Westboro shouldn’t expect an easier time in Little Rock. If anything, the group should simply cross its fingers that it gets off that easily. The priority of those not attending the funeral should be – and undoubtedly will be – to keep the WBC bane away from the Uekman family.

Of course, if they hadn’t omitted the book of Matthew from their distorted interpretation of the Bible, Phelps and her degenerate crew of followers wouldn’t be there in first place.

“Judge not,” circus freaks, lest ye be handled accordingly.

Tahlequah-Sequoyah's Brayden Scott Used Failure to Fuel Success

By Kolby Paxton

On Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010, the undefeated Aggies of Texas A&M squared off with the unbeaten Oklahoma State Cowboys at T. Boone Pickens Stadium, in Stillwater.

Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson threw for a school record 409 yards, five touchdowns, and made play after play to keep the Aggies in contention.

Synchronously, however, the Big 12 Pre-Season Player of the Year committed five turnovers, including four interceptions, and made play after play to keep Oklahoma State in the game.

Two touchdown passes in the final 6 minutes put A&M in a position to escape with the victory, but the comeback was derailed by Johnson’s fifth – and most critical – turnover of the game.

The last second interception provided a microcosmic ending to a bizarre individual performance. Worse, it sparked the meteoric decline of a once promising football career.

Johnson completed only 15 of 40 attempts versus Arkansas the following week. Three weeks later, he was replaced by backup Ryan Tannehill. He never saw another meaningful snap.

Almost exactly one year later, the undefeated Sequoyah Indians hosted the unbeaten Verdigris Cardinals at Thompson Field, in Tahlequah.

Sequoyah quarterback Brayden Scott churned out 215 total yards, two touchdowns, and made play after play to keep the Indians in contention.

Simultaneously, however, the state’s top signal caller committed six turnovers, including five interceptions, and made play after play to keep Verdigris in the driver’s seat.

A 4-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Helsley, with 6:40 remaining, put Sequoyah in a position to escape with the victory, but the comeback was stunted by Scott’s fourth and fifth interceptions of the game.

Moments later, the Indians botched the center-to-quarterback exchange on their first play of overtime, providing an equally microcosmic ending to an equally bizarre individual performance.

“It was a nightmare,” said Scott. “That was probably the worst game I’ve ever played.”

The parallel ends there, however.

Instead of regressing, Scott and his teammates used the game as an opportunity to for increased focus and solidarity.

“I’m glad it happened,” said Scott. “I’m not glad that we lost, but I’m glad that it pointed us in the direction that it did.”

“That was the turning point of the season for me and for our team,” he said. “The guys rallied around me. I worked harder in meeting rooms and practice. I’m more determined, after that game, than I’ve ever been before.”

Sequoyah head coach Brent Scott agrees.

“I think, as the years go on, he’ll look at it as a pivotal game,” said Sequoyah coach Brent Scott. “It’s not always going to be easy. You have to overcome adversity at some point.”

After Johnson’s “Jekyll and Hyde” performance, he folded. He followed eight interceptions over a two-game span with back-to-back calculated, vanilla performances. So apparently overcome with a fear of error that his confidence was shattered and his ability to make plays crippled.

Such was not the case with the player known affectionately to his teammates as “Cub.”

“I don’t think his confidence was ever shaken,” said Coach Scott. “You throw five picks, and I think you’re beyond a confidence issue. The question is, ‘how are you going to respond?’”

Scott responded by completing 21 of 28 passes, ripping off 300 total yards, and scoring three touchdowns, in a 27-10 victory over Claremore-Sequoyah the following week.

“I had a lot of pressure on me going into the Claremore-Sequoyah game. I had something to prove,” said Scott. “I wanted to prove to the team, and to the rest of the state, that I am not a five-interception quarterback. I’m a D-1 quarterback.”

In the process of doing so, Sequoyah’s stand-out signal caller has buttoned up his efficiency as a passer, while blossoming as an effective and timely runner. Transforming, seemingly over night, into the most efficient prep quarterback in the state, while maintaining his status as the most dangerous.

Over his last five contests, Scott is averaging 284 total yards and nearly four touchdowns per game, while completing passes at a 74 percent clip – good for a passer rating of 150.8.

“He’s played extremely well,” said Coach Scott. “And he hasn’t turned the ball over. As he goes, so have we. He has all of the intangibles to be great.”

Now, courtesy of a favorable bracket seeding, Scott and his teammates find themselves in prime position to challenge for a spot in the Class 3A State Championship.

Heritage Hall, Cascia Hall, Metro Christian, Anadarko and Kingfisher are all absent from the Indians’ quarter of the bracket.

As a result, Sequoyah’s first round tilt with Berryhill could prove to be the most prevalent resistance to a potential semi-final match up with Anadarko or Metro Christian.

“I respect their defense, I respect their coaching staff and their team,” said Scott. “They’re big and strong. They’re the type of team that won’t quit. Our game plan is to never stop either. We’re just going to put the pedal down and keep it there.”

With one of the hottest players in the state running the show, applying the figurative pedal to the floor board seems likely to result in a deep November run. Scott, however, refuses to entertain such forward thinking.

“Our coaches have done a real good job of pointing out that we are where we want to be in the bracket,” he said. “We know what’s at stake, but we’re focused on Berryhill. We’re taking this one game at a time.”

Despite his junior status, Scott should prove to be supremely decisive in shaping one half of the 3A playoff picture.

Sequoyah’s post-season shortcomings are well known, but with a talented senior class and a quarterback making his third playoff appearance, the Indians appear primed to flip the playoff picture on its ear.

“This team has grown up,” said Scott. “This year is different.”

Kenny Stills Provides Old School Swagger

by: Kolby Paxton

Here's a sentence you've never heard: Kenny Stills is a throwback.

The hair, the flash, the attitude, the swagger... did I mention the hair? While unique amongst his peers, Stills is cut in the same mold as another Oklahoma Sooner great. By now, surely you know where this is headed.

Brian Bosworth exemplified edge from the day that he set foot in Norman. Loud hairstyles became the trademark of a loud player that repeatedly referred to the NCAA as the "National Communists Against Athletes," was twice suspended for steroid use, and was eventually expelled from the Oklahoma football team by the notoriously lenient Barry Switzer.

Kenny Stills landed in the middle of Sooner Nation via San Diego, Calif. Even before the hair and the tattoos, Stills brought west coast flavor to a program in desperate need of some spice. But, as the hair has grown and the tattoos have increased in number, Stills has morphed into something more than we all bargained for.

Adron Tennell couldn't pull off the blonde mohawk. The vivacious tenor with which Stills carries himself, would be scoffed at and cast aside by the masses inside of Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, were it coming from Brandon Caleb.

By the same token, Bosworth's antics would have been frowned upon had they been duplicated by Brandon Crow. His mohawk and headband would have been received with derisive contempt had they adorned the head of, say, me.

We loved and embraced The Boz because he delivered. A three-time All-Big Eight performer and two-time All-American, Bosworth saved his biggest and baddest performances for the biggest and brightest stages. Sooner Nation reveres him, because he could be counted upon.

We love Kenny Stills for all of the same reasons.

The hair has it's own Twitter page. The pierced lower lip does not. But each serves as a microcosm of the attitude behind the between-the-legs spike versus Texas Tech last November.

"Somebody told me I wouldn't do it," Stills said, "so I did. I'm big on doing stuff that people tell me I can't do."

Unlike those Switzer coached teams of the mid-80's, however, the Bob Stoops administration has always run a skin-tight ship. For years after Torrance Marshall made good on his vow to "get his boy's trophy back," Sooner football went flat.

Jason White and Sam Bradford were All-World caliber college quarterbacks. But, my goodness are they boring.

Mark Clayton, Malcolm Kelly and even Ryan Broyles have all been pro-level talents capable of changing the game. But, each of them have gone about their business in such buttoned up fashion, that you'd have thought they were playing outfield for the New York Yankees.

Don't get me wrong. I'd rather have a boring team that performs well and stays out of trouble, than a group of characters that lay eggs on Saturday, and make their way into the news for all of the wrong reasons on Sunday. But, a lack of personality, fire and excitement had begun to plague Stoops' program.

The Sooners have won more than any team in the country since 2000. But, inevitably, we've tripped on a sleepy Saturday afternoon against an unranked Texas Tech or Colorado, when a spark was desperately needed but nowhere to be found. Too often we've stumbled under the weight of the BCS, or the enormity of the National Championship, without an outlet with which to exude our exhaust and impose our presence.

Stills has bucked that trend.

His immersion into something of a larger than life persona has played a role, but such evolution has only been made possible by the quality of his on-field theatrics while the game clock is moving.

61 receptions and 786 yards broke Ryan Broyles' freshly set freshman receiving records a season ago.

7 catches, 125 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the Sooners' prime–time showdown with Florida State announced his return from suspension, and provided the difference in a 23-13 triumph in Tallahasee.

After Texas showed life with a kickoff return for a score, Stills ripped the football from over the top of a helpless Longhorn defender; pushing the Sooner lead back to 24, and providing an emphatic 'eff you' to anyone wearing burnt orange.

Stills makes the big play. He reels in the impossible catch. And he does so in manner that leaves the opposition curling into the fetal position.

Ryan Broyles is the best wide receiver in the history of Oklahoma football. The colorful character split opposite of him has a chance to be even better, and he just may be the X-Factor that helps stamp "2011" on the north end of the Owen Field press box.

2011 Anadarko Warriors on a mission

by: Dylan Young

The Anadarko Warriors finished the 2010 football season with a 12-1 record (the sole loss coming at the hands of Tulsa Metro Christian in the Class 3A playoffs). They're back making even more noise in 2011.  With 70 percent of the regular season complete, the undefeated (7-0) Warriors travel to Blanchard (4-3) (who was picked by Pigskin Preview's Mark Rodgers to win Class 3A Division 1) this Thursday, Oct. 20, to take on the Lions.  The week after, Anadarko will host Tuttle (5-1) in their final regular season home game. Then, the Warriors will finish the regular season off by traveling to Weatherford to take on the 5-2 Eagles.

Last year during what would be their last game of the season, the Warrior defense had a little trouble with the spread out, passing attack of Metro Christian.  Over the off-season and last summer, the Warriors have been focusing heavily on patching that up, and feel tremendously confident about their secondary.  Thus far, the defense has been solid in 2011. "The Sharks" have only allowed a combined 43 points on defense, and are led by senior linebacker Wes Satoe (6-1, 195).  Seniors Tanner Dearman and Ryan Stephenson start at the corners, and senior Adrain Ahtone rotates in.  Senior Kyle Bert can be found at safety, where Sheldon Wilson will also come in at times.  Juniors Galen Satoe and Russell Mitlo join Wes Satoe to complete the linebacking corps.  The defensive line is big, physical and fast, led by seniors Randy Martinez and Daniel Smith.  Junior Dakota Botone is a driving force and gives offensive linemen fits.  The 2011 Warrior defense is "er" than last year.  Meaner, faster, quicker and smarter.

The Warrior offense is a well-oiled machine.  Led by Division 1 prospect Sheldon Wilson (5-11, 170) at running back, Anadarko has no problem moving the ball and lighting up the scoreboard.  Through the first 7 games, Wilson has 87 carries for 1,340 yards and 25 touchdowns, averaging 15.4 yards per carry. He has accumulated those statistics, despite only playing one half in every game thus far. 

South-paw senior quarterback Tyler Melton (5-11, 175) has thrown 43 completions on 59 attempts – giving him a 72.9 percent completion average – while tossing 13 touchdowns through the first seven games of the 2011 season.  And don't forget that, like Wilson, Melton has done this all in one half of every game so far.

At wide receiver, senior Kyle Bert is among the fastest on the team, if not the fastest.  Bert is responsible for the punt return duties for Anadarko as well.  The Warriors also have their own version of Wes Welker in the shifty, athletic Tanner Dearman that is a solid route runner and has great hands. 

With a slew of weapons at the skill positions, Melton can simply hand the ball of to Wilson and watch him put up video game numbers, or Melton can drop back and hit Bert, Dearman, Kadiah Wauahdooah or Ryan Stephenson.  But the unsung heroes that makes Melton's weapons deadly, are the five guys on the offensive line.

Led by senior right tackle Daniel Smith (5-11, 270), the offensive line features big, fast and physical players. Senior Brendan Moser is the right guard, junior James Paddlety is at center, senior Jeff Satoe is the left guard, and the tallest player on the team is senior Randy Martinez (6-6, 250) at left tackle.

Needless to say, the 2011 Anadarko Warrior offense is a high-school version of the 2005 USC Trojans; superb at the skill positions and the offensive line puts out more pancakes than I-Hop.

If you live in Oklahoma and get a chance to make a trip to watch the 2011 Anadarko Warriors, you definitely should.  They are a solid team from offense to defense, from special teams to coaching.  Coach Kent Jackson and his staff have done an incredible job with these young men and with the playoffs on the horizon, it's a great time to be a Warrior fan. 

Maybe there will be floods of purple in gold that invade one side of Boone Pickens Stadium at the season's end for the class 3A State Championship game.

Justin Blackmon vs. Ryan Broyles

by: Dylan Young

There are three schools in the 2011 college football season who are superb at wide receiver: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arkansas.

Meet the spectacular wideout corps of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Joe Adams and Cobi Hamilton have blazing speed. Jarius Wright is "Mr. Reliable," with great hands. Then, of course, you've got a physical, precise route-runner, in Greg Childs. The Arkansas Razorbacks just might have the best overall group of receivers. But, the best wideout probably plays for Oklahoma State... or Oklahoma.

If you were watching the 2010 college football awards show on ESPN, you heard,"The winner of the 2010 Fred Belitnikoff Award, for the nation's best receiver is..." followed by, "Justin Blackmon." The 6-1, 215 pound, Ardmore, Okla. native is a beast on the gridiron. All he did during the 2010 season was haul in 111 receptions for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns. Through six games this season, he has 53 grabs for 608 yards and 7 touchdowns. He's a nightmare for defensive back – and the boy is fast. He is a better version of Adarius Bowman, but not quite Dez Bryant (...but who is Dez Bryant?). He returns punts as well, and is one of the leaders and faces of the high-octane Oklahoma State offense. Blackmon is just one of those players; you know what he's going to do, but there's nothing you can do about it.

Standing at 5-10, 188 pounds from Norman, Oklahoma is one, Ryan Broyles. The ink that makes his name in the college football record book just got a little darker after last week's performance against the Kansas Jayhawks. Not because of what he did in that single game, but because of what number he passed during that game.  Six games into his senior season, Broyles' career reception total stands at 326. Nobody in NCAA history has caught that many passes, making Broyles the all-time leader in receptions.  That's a very beautiful feather to put in your hat. While his height does not exactly make pro scouts drool, Ryan has other weapons that will.  His heart, speed, agility and the "Tim Tebow-factor" make Broyles a down-right gamer. Last year, he caught 131 balls for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nearing the mid-way point of the 2011 campaign, he's hauled in 60 passes for 815 yards and nine touchdowns.  He – like Blackmon – also returns punts, and he – like Blackmon – is on the short list of Biletnikoff Award candidates once again. But, I predict that Broyles will be the one hoisting the award this time around.

Putting Blackmon and Broyles side by side, comparing their bodies, skill–sets and pro potential, they are similar in many ways, and different by a similar measure. With Blackmon, you get that prototypical NFL wideout who is big and physical, and will go up and get you balls and make plays. With Broyles, he could be a slightly bigger version of Wes Welker, whom also happens to make plays. Depending on said team's offensive schemes, and what a franchise may or may not already have, either one could be a great addition.

Don't be surprised when, come April, both Blackmon and Broyles go in the early–to–mid first round.