Bleacher Report - Articles by Christian Windham

Oklahoma Football: Your A-Z Guide to Sooner Pride

Christian Windham — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:22:13 -0400

A — All done. Big 12 Championship? National Championship? Without a doubt.

B — Britt Mitchell, number 67. He’s huge. At 6'6", 311 pounds you won't have any problem spotting this freshman offensive lineman.

C — Crimson and Cream. Everybody knows the colors of the great Sooners.

D — Diamonds. There will be a lot of diamonds in the rings they will receive this year.

E — Eldridge. Brody is probably the least-appreciated player on the team, mostly because he is a devastating blocker.

F — Freshmen. Here's your chance to see newcomers RB Justin Johnson (6'1", 205), QB Landry Jones (6'4", 220), and OL Britt Mitchell (6'6", 320).

G — Gerald McCoy. Oklahoma hasn't had a Lombardi winner since Tommie Harris. "GK," as his teammates call him, could be the next one in the making.

H — He's back. Matt Clapp redshirted last season, but the fullback has returned, and due to the short number of running backs available, he's getting some carries at that position too. You’ll see—he’s dominant.

I — Ibiloye. Joseph signed with OU in February. He's not here yet, but had the only "I" name that we could identify with the team. You will see the talent with this guy—just make sure you watch the Sooners this year.

J — “Jumpin' Jonathan.” Jonathan Nelson has played well this spring at cornerback. He is the best vertical leaper on the team at 43.5 inches.

K — Kickers. Replacing Garrett Hartley is a tall order. Jimmy Stevens and Matthew Moreland are competing this spring. Signee Tress Way will join the team for August drills. Jimmy Stevens is 5'5", 160 pounds and needs to gain a little weight, but he can still clear 60 yards.

L — Linebackers. This has been an area of focus this year. In particular, keep an eye on No. 22 Keenan Clayton, who is making a successful transition from safety. We still have sensation Ryan Reynolds standing tall at 6'3", 240, as well as redshirt freshman Austin Box standing tall at 6'2", 240.

M — Mossis Madu. The sophomore running back has made the most of the many carries he got this spring. He stands at 5'11", 200 and played as a backup running back and on special teams. He rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown in the season opener against North Texas, and had a career-long 55-yard run against the Mean Green. He rushed for a touchdown against Tulsa, and recorded three tackles on special teams.

N — Norvell. Oklahoma's new wide receivers coach, Jay, has been a good addition to the staff. His background includes a stint with the NFL's Oakland Raiders, an appealing accomplishment to both current team members and prospects. But can he make a difference?

O — O-o-o-o-o-o. If you don’t get that out of your system this summer, good luck in the fall.

P — Poise. That is something that coach Bob Stoops explains to his team before every game.

Q — Quentin or Quinton. That's Chaney and Carter, respectively. The two Q's should both be in action this fall, Quentin at receiver and Quinton in the secondary. They will both make outstanding game-changing plays this season.

R — Redshirts. There are several that sat out last season in anticipation of 2008. Among those worth watching is No. 84 Frank Alexander, a promising defensive end.

S — Secondary. The secondary has been really juggled this year since losing Reggie Smith and D.J. Wolfe to the NFL. Everybody needs to keep an eye on the amazing Dominique Franks.

T — Trick plays. The offense of Bob Stoops was known for his mighty trick plays, and he got beat by them two years ago. Let's see if he can step up and show them off again.

U — Unlikely. It's unlikely that you'll ever see a left side of the offensive line this big again. At 350 each, Duke Robinson and Phil Loadholt are a combined 700 pounds. They call them the Twin Towers of Norman, OK.

V — Victory! Something the great Sam Bradford will be saying as he wins the Heisman.

W — Walk-on. Trent Ratterree has been an interesting addition at tight end and made catches in each of the first two scrimmages this past spring.

X — X-factor. The Sooners' lingo in the locker room as well as on the field.

Y — Your call. Tell me what you think about when you hear Oklahoma Football.

Z — Zach Brown. He's a walk-on defensive back from Hugo, Okla., and the only player with a Z in his name. He also transferred from Oklahoma State, and you don't see that every day. OU plays in Stillwater this year—can he make a difference?

This article has been published and assisted by Oklahoma Football.

Get Your Popcorn Ready

Christian Windham — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:55:31 -0400

Who thought this would’ve happened?

With Terrell Owens signing with the Dallas Cowboys two years ago, he announced, "Get your popcorn ready." When he signed an extension today—June 3, 2008—the club had the popcorn ready for him, a giant bowl of the buttery stuff, big enough to feed the entire offensive line.

"That's funny," Owens said, scooping a few kernels into his mouth. ESPN quoted.

Does this mean T. O. will finish out his carrier with the Cowboys?

Jones wishes he got off that cheaply. Owens actually cashed in a $7 million bonus, plus a three-year extension worth around $27 million.

While he signed his deal the same day the Cowboys got their first look at their newest standout pass defender and play maker Adam "Pac Man" Jones. Although he's still technically suspended, he's allowed to do everything up to the regular season, and he went through his first practice today.

He capped it by intercepting a pass from third-stringer Richard Bartel, not starter Tony Romo and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown, according to Dallas Cowboys Associated Press.

By taking care of Owens now, the Cowboys helped their salary cap for the upcoming season. They also helped keep their locker room free from what Owens said "absolutely" would have been the distraction of him going through the season as a free-agent-to-be.

Terrell Owens has maintained for months that his status was no big deal. He not only said that to reporters, he told agent Drew Rosenhaus, "I don't want to talk about nothing unless it's something for real."

T.O. knew there had been talks in recent weeks. He got a hunch a deal was close when Rosenhaus flew to join him in New York on Monday.

Owens got the same salary range as Randy Moss. He's also locked up through 2011, when he'll turn 38.

Jones downplayed the age, noting Owens' dedication to fitness and his production. He's already among the career top 10 in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns; he's the active leader and number three all-time in TDs.

He's also focused on the one glaring omission from his resume: A Super Bowl victory. As surprising as it might be for Owens to have controversy-free contract negotiations, here's a bigger stunner: If he plays out this contract, he'll have lasted six seasons in Dallas.

That's a heck of a lot longer than critics expected when he arrived to a wary fan base and a reluctant coach who referred to him as "the player." Owens' first season was marred by injuries, an overdose, and all sorts of wackiness. Then Bill Parcells stepped down as coach. Owens has rarely stopped smiling since; one notable exception was when he broke down crying in defense of Romo after a playoff loss.

Jerry Jones said “Pac Man” looked good for a guy who has been out of the league more than a year.

"He told me the other day he gets sore because he's really been pushing himself the last couple of weeks," Jerry Jones said. "But, in our initial look at him, he's probably in as good shape as anyone out there—not ready to play football, but in good shape."

“Pac Man” remains suspended from the regular season, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the cornerback-kick returner can do everything else. Goodell will rule on Jones' regular-season status by September 1.

That's a plus, but nothing more. I had hoped that we could create enough at the league office that the way we're doing it would allow him to do that.

Now that “Pac Man” is this close, Jerry Jones already is envisioning him on the field, wearing No. 21 just like Deion Sanders wore for the Cowboys. “Prime Time” has become sort of a big brother to “Pac Man,” trying to help him follow the rules of the NFL and society.

I think he can help Dallas.

Owens is looking forward to the practice-field competition with “Pac Man.” The one time they faced each other, Owens won but Jones left with T.O.'s cleats because he didn't score a touchdown.

Pulled and cited from many sources, as well as friends. If you have any questions, just ask.

Dallas Cowboys: The Soap Opera

Christian Windham — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:09:55 -0400

The Dallas Cowboys are struggling on many issues, both on and off the field.

On the defensive side of the ball, it all started with Adam “Pacman’ Jones.

Now it’s dealing with Terrence Newman and Roy Williams. Terrence was dealing with contract issues, as was Marion Barber. The two signed an extension with the Cowboys. Barber agreed to a seven-year, $45 million deal that included $16 million in guarantees.

Terrence Newman received a six-year extension worth $50.2 million, similar to the deal that the Seattle’s Marcus Trufant is guaranteed, $22.5 million over three years of his contract. When crunch time is over, it's now time for the players to return to workouts and deal with their own goals.

Roy Williams is used to dealing out big hits. Lately, his reputation has been taking its share. So much for the changes he talked about in January, when he said he was switching from No. 31 to 38 as a way of re-inventing himself.

Is this a good thing?

I think Williams has been blamed for his performance on the field by being in the vicinity of touchdown passes, and since he is the safety, he takes the blame.

Is that the right thing to do, point fingers?

With the new talent added to the team in cornerbacks Adam “Pacman” Jones, Mike Jenkins from South Florida, Orlando Scandrick from Boise State, and defensive end Erik Walden from Middle Tennessee State, I think that the Cowboy's defensive weaknesses will be taken care of.

How do you think these defensive players are going to make an impact on the field?

Five Thoughts on Officiating

Christian Windham — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:27:31 -0400

Thoughts on Officiating

The Sport with the best officiating has to be the NFL. With the technology now it's hard not to make the right call.

The worst officiating sport has to be the NBA. They can't call a foul when they see one.

The changes that can be made to improve the quality of officiating in sports/leagues is that the leagues just need to set the bar. There should never be a bad call. The refs have one job and that's to make the right call by all means, for which the rules apply. Technology, every sport should have instant replay, for them to go back and make the correct call.

The easiest sport to officiate has to be MLB. If anybody disagrees let me know. The hardest sport to officiate has to be hockey, they are underpaid and they're on ice.

The sport that officials play the greatest role in determining the outcome of a game has to be the NFL. That's why it's the way it is because every play and ever second determines what happens.

Dallas Cowboys: From Terrell Owens to Pacman Jones....Who Could Be Worse?

Christian Windham — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:16:40 -0400

Dallas Cowboys,

With Dallas losing to the team that hurt the most, the New York Giants.

When Dallas lost to the Giants for the only time all season it hurt the most, it ended there season of pride.

Dallas took chances in this years draft by taking Felix Jones in the first round, after losing Julius Jones. They also took numerous DB's to replace the ones they lost.

I think with the chance's Jerry Jones has taken when getting Terrell Owens as a highly known star receiver. Which before with the Cowboys has torn apart teams in the 49'ers along with the Eagles. Dallas took a chance with Tank Johnson, from Chicago which made a big impact on the defensive side of the ball.

This year's big chance is Adam "Pacman" Jones. Everybody knows his troubles, but Jerry Jones takes another chance and give another star athlete a second chance.

Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are getting star athletes that nobody wants. He is spending less money on three players then spending the money on just one.

Dallas has a stout defense this year while moving around Roy Williams, and putting Newman over the top, with his quickness and replacing corner with Pacman.

does that sound good?

Dallas Super Bowl Champs?