Athletes will often look for any edge they can get when approaching a big game. Many times, that comes in the form of “bulletin board material” that provides extra motivation to prove someone or something (real or imagined) wrong.
We’re used to seeing that bulletin board material coming from the opposition, or maybe even skeptical sportswriters, but rarely does it come from game broadcasters. Yet, that’s exactly what the Oklahoma Sooners are doing in preparation for their College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Clemson.
You see, last year Oklahoma was blitzed by Clemson, losing 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl. And the Sooners are using some of the criticism from ESPN’s broadcast team of Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham to fuel their fire ahead of this year’s Orange Bowl.
Via ESPN:
“There’s a lot in that broadcast where they take shots at us,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said of ESPN commentators Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham. “We take that as disrespect. That motivates us.”
[…]
In the second quarter, Cunningham said, “This really does look like the varsity vs. the JV right now.” Minutes later, Cunningham added, “If I’m Bob Stoops, I ask for a running clock in the second half.” Cunningham piled on from there.
“Everything they said was rightfully so,” Oklahoma receiver Sterling Shepard said of the broadcast remarks. “They were saying it looks like a bunch of guys that aren’t ready to play. To anybody looking at that film, they’re going to say the exact the same thing. Yeah, it was disrespectful. But it’s something we needed to hear because it was true. It did look like 11 guys out there that did not want to play football.
Look, I understand where Oklahoma is coming from and what they’re trying to do here. And I also understand where Mike Patrick and Ed Cunningham probably aren’t near the top of anyone’s favorite college football announcing duo.
Nevertheless, there’s a pretty good reason why the commentators were “disrespectful” towards you during that game – you got shellacked! Pulverized! Annihilated! You lost by 34 points in a second rate bowl game and had 5 turnovers! You weren’t exactly the second coming of Barry Switzer’s teams of old. That’s not disrespect, that’s telling it like it is. Now maybe the running clock comment is a bit of a low blow if you want to nitpick, but all of the criticisms lodged at Oklahoma in last year’s game against Clemson were deserved… and then some.
Now we wait to see if Cunningham takes the opportunity to become to Oklahoma what Mark May is to Ohio State.
[ESPN]
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