Surviving the Season

Full disclaimer: This article was written while watching the finale of Survivor Gabon. Please don't judge me.

People are selfish. It is human nature to search for self satisfaction. In 2008 when you work out in a gym you do so alone. Everyone slaps an earpiece in and iPods away. Take a family vacation and watch the kids view their personal DVD player in the backseat.

Give OU fans a title game berth (thanks to the BCS) and watch them graciously accept it while still denouncing the system.

I'm no different. I want my college football season to unfold in a certain manner. Thanks to the system in place I got my wish this year. Yay for me. It is my very own little stocking stuffer.

The local teams were slotted into ideal bowl situations versus perfect opponents. Of course, Sooner Nation is ecstatic. OSU fans were thinking BCS but the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl is nothing to sneeze at. History you know.

The University of Tulsa is headed back to the GMAC Bowl. Funny how fluid a college football season can be. The dreams went from possible BCS buster to Liberty Bowl. I, for one, would rather see the Golden Hurricane in the GMAC Bowl. More on specific bowl breakdowns next week.

Time Out. What happened to Crystal? I missed last week. How awful is this former Olympic gold medalist at sports.

You should rarely feel bad for professional athletes or organizations. However, it is unsettling to see the Tulsa Oilers skid around the .500 mark on the ice.

The entire organization had such high hopes heading into the BOK Center this year. The effort from top to bottom is in place. The results have been lackluster.

Time Out. Bob looks like beef jerky. He's all shriveled up yet wins immunity challenge after immunity challenge. If I was on the game and he destroyed me routinely, I'd get a personal trainer. Wait, he's beating a personal trainer. Game on.

He's a Winner

Maybe new arenas don't equate to immediate success. The Tulsa 66ers entered the SpiritBank Event Center to accolades all across Bixby. Countless road encounters to start the season.

The 66ers seemed to have the ball rolling in the right direction. I credit the signing of Ronald Dupree. Dupree logged significant minutes with the Detroit Pistons in years past. The 66ers are lucky to have an experienced vet like him in the fold.

Time out. Kenny was just "blindsided." The computer geek lost his composure due to his first encounter with boobies. Sugar's body was too much for Kenny's processor to overcome. Poor guy should go back to unlocking cheat codes in World of Warcraft or whatever the kids are playing these days. Game on.

Congrats to Sam Bradford on his Heisman Trophy. OU is turning into a breeding ground for Heisman-caliber quarterbacks. Is it a good thing for Bradford to earn the honor this year? Maybe not.

For Bradford, he'll be treated as royalty in-state for the duration of his life. He'll never pay for a meal again. Coach Stoops and the Sooners will get a slight bump on the recruiting path.

The bad news is the Heisman jinx. There are two dire situations that typically arise from winning the award. There is a tiny list of players who converted the trophy into a successful NFL career. Doak Walker, Paul Hornung, Roger Staubach, O.J. Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders are the only winners inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Let's scale back the ceiling for Bradford at the next level. Heisman winners to capture Rookie of the Year honors? Two. Eddie George and Charles Woodson.

Time out. Susie wins immunity. It happens every year. The frumpy older lady does nothing, skates by, wins one challenge at the end and makes the finals. I predict the jury bashes her relentlessly in the next hour. Game on.

Bradford may come back to Norman next year. I would not, but that's just me. Millions of reasons to head to the next level. The impending salary cap alteration also comes into play.

Let's reel this topic back to the here and now. The other ominous stat looming over this squad? How does the Heisman Trophy winner fair in the BCS Championship Game? Matt Leinart. That's the list. Leinart won the 2004 trophy and went on to defeat the Sooners to win the coveted Crystal Ball as well. Ask Jason White.

There are many plausible reasons why the award winner fails in the championship game. Too many media rounds, too many buffet luncheons, too many late nights curled up in bed reading about your greatness or possibly a laissez faire attitude after achieving personal satisfaction.

Bradford seems grounded. At least that's what we're led to believe. Who really knows with athletes these days?

Time out. If people didn't like Randy before, I don't think the Mohawk is helping. Another cast of misfits spewing venom during the live finale of the show. America, we can do better. Game over.