So how could Bob Stoops, Joe Castiglione, David Boren, and even Clay Bennett see the Joe Mixon video and make the decision they did?
Here’s why and please excuse me if I puke if I hear another defender of any of this say it was done to make Joe Mixon a better young man and build his character.
It that was the case, then just kick him off the football team, but still honor the academic agreement in his scholarship. But then again, what alternate universe could that possibly happen in circa 2016?
Forbes does an annual report estimating the economic value of the Top 20 college football programs in the country. The rating is based on four categories, 1 economic impact to the athletic department, 2 economic impact to the university, 3 economic impact to the conference they play in, and 4 economic impact on their local economy.
Obviously, unless you’re Boone Pickens at Oklahoma State or Phil Knight at Oregon—college football programs aren’t bought and sold on the open market like NFL or NBA franchises. But still, the amount of money is staggering and if you think money, power, and ego didn’t have anything to do with what happened at Penn State then you’re living with your head in the sand or worse.
In 2014, Texas topped the Forbes poll with its football program being valued at $131 million with a revenue base of $113 million. Notre Dame came in second at $122 million and $81 million respectively. Michigan, LSU, and Alabama rounded out the top five. OU came in 8th with its economic value listed at $91 million with $71 million in actual generated football revenue.
Keep in mind, until OU’s stunning upset of Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, OU had suffered through a sequence of several disappointing seasons and even David Boren has admitted publicly that the success of the football team still to this day is what drives donors to support the university with donations across the board.
While Bob Stoops is taking most of the heat with the release of this video, I find it almost unbelievable to assume David Boren, Clay Bennett, Joe Castiglione, and the rest of the board of regents weren’t on board with some of this. I find it unbelievable Bob Stoops just did this on his own unilaterally.
Crowe-Dunleavy isn’t the kind of firm a young black man from Oakland would just contact on his own in downtown Oklahoma City. I’m guessing the Cleveland County DA doesn’t see too many Alford pleas on felony assaults either. Also, keep in mind just last week, it was revealed Heisman finalist DeDe Westbrook was arrested several years ago on domestic violence charges. Not to mention OU openly recruited and signed Dorial Beckham-Green during this same time frame after he was kicked off the Missouri team following a domestic violence incident where he dragged his girl friend down a flight of stairs by her hair.
Wouldn’t a double date with those two be worth filming?
When in doubt, follow the money, powerful white men, and the truth is usually not far behind.