BCS Victory or Bust

Coming up with an original angle for Oklahoma Sooners football coverage is like getting around Tulsa without a car. It's complicated.

That's not to say it is impossible, but you better be in phenomenal shape both mentally and physically.

The trouble with an OU preseason breakdown is the cast of characters. Imagine a TV czar explaining to you who Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson are heading into the ninth season of American Idol. You either watch the show and know the roles, or you could care less.

Sooners Head Coach Bob Stoops has been in Oklahoma since the Dust Bowl. Maybe not that long, but by coaching standards he's been here a while.

Heisman winning quarterback Sam Bradford feels like a lifer at OU. Most collegiate quarterbacks would have bolted after a championship game appearance and large sums of money waiting for them at the next level. He stuck around for the love of the game. Yay Sam!

If I hear another word about Oklahoma's linebackers I may gouge my eye out with the extended arm on Bradford's Heisman Trophy. The truth is that until live bullets fly against top competition no one knows for sure.

The story with this squad is the same story that's been rehashed five years straight. Über-talented group with unreal expectations. The mindset of SoonerNation is BCS Championship victory or bust.

On the positive side, it makes for an intriguing season. One loss and your chance for a national title takes a severe hit.

On the down side, championship aspirations followed by championship game defeat leads to a dejected fan base.

Coach Stoops' goal remains a Big 12 Championship. However, his feeble attempts to lower fans expectations are ignored. "Give me national championship or give me death," they chant.

Deep down inside he yearns to hoist the BCS trophy above his head.

Sam Bradford declined fat paychecks for an opportunity to join Archie Griffin as the only two back-to-back Heisman winners.

This all begs the question: would Sooner fans rather earn a berth into the BCS title game only to lose to a superior team? Or would a solid season topped off with an exciting victory in the Cotton Bowl be better? I'd vote Cotton Bowl win over an SEC opponent.

Let's start the October 17 countdown. Yes, you know the date.

Deadlines

What happens if you miss a deadline? Do your superiors or instructors just pat you on the back? "Hey, you were 66 percent finished, so why not take more time?"

Probably not. You would likely take a zero on the assignment or get a stern reprimand from a superior before they shunned you for a hardworking new hire.

However, if you are a potential WNBA franchise sinking your canines into a new market, take all the time you need.

Investors said WNBA President Donna Orender was "willing" to "grant" a grace period.

Don't you love the verbiage? Grant sounds like they are doing us a favor. The sentence could also be constructed as follows:

The investors did not meet the required figures in the allotted time so WNBA President Donna Orender was forced to give them more time. What other choice did she have? Make no mistake about it; they are doing us no favors.

At least this time they did not set a deadline. This provides wiggle room as they inch toward their goal.

Check this out. Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal ranked 239 minor league sports markets in a variety of categories: the number of years their minor-league teams have existed, paid attendance for those teams, fluctuations in each market's unemployment rate and population, and each area's total personal income.

Tulsa ranked third. That's right T-Town. Pat yourselves on the back. We are a top minor league sports town.

But wait, the WNBA and its investors promote their game as a major league sport. Surely they do not intend to bring such a glorious franchise to a little old minor league sports town.

Case in point. Last Saturday I got together with 20 or so friends for our annual fantasy football draft. Here is a laundry list of topics we discussed in-depth:

Barack Obama, Adrian Peterson, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, Brett Favre, women's college basketball, UFC, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, CBSsports.com's fantasy football engine, evolution of FF, Twinkies, beer, caffeine, Tulsa Oilers, Tulsa 66ers, cheerleaders, Jessica Biel, my buddy Bill's terrible drafting strategy, the Taliban, unemployment, pay decreases, Owasso Rams baseball, foreign exchange students, college football, BCS versus playoffs, Raiders coaches punching out other Raiders coaches, dog poop, BOK Center concerts, the State Fair, my buddy Chris drafting every Viking, a Jake Plummer jersey, boxing, me being a loud jerk during the draft (It's true. As the defending champ, I reminded everyone all day long) and a Chihuahua "cleaning himself" in front of us.

Three hours and no mention of the WNBA.

Hmmm.