I have been extremely busy this summer getting my house ready for the always exciting adventure of selling it! Painting, remodeling, rebuilding, landscaping and all of the fun stuff that go into the prize presentation house to get top dollar for my property. That is why I have not been heard from much here this summer. Some of you may wish I had stayed in the yard. But, alas, something has happened that pulled me by the hairs of my goatee to the keyboard. A college athlete in a high profile program has been suspended for the year!

As my short biography states I am a Oklahoma Sooners fan. I am not your "jump on the bandwagon" type of fan. I live OU and breath OU. I am a "Sooner born and a Sooner bred and when I die I will be a Sooner dead." I live in Minnesota, fly an OU flag on the flag pole directly below the U.S. Flag and I own a ton of OU football stuff. A couple of years ago my wife had an artist come in and copy a picture of one of my high school hockey players on a wall in our basement and then put him in an OU uniform. This was perfect because it took my sport and my team and combined them.  On a road trip last year a couple of the other coaches took my OU shower shoes and OU t-shirts and placed them in the garbage, in the ceiling tiles of our hotel, etc., etc. Later, the two coaches in question found their beds short sheeted with crushed pretzels in their sheets and pillow cases watered down. Do you see my point?

Today I go to FoxSports and I am greeted by the news that Rhett Bomar, OU's starting QB, has been suspended this year by the team for violating NCAA rules about accepting excess payments for a summer job. And I look at myself, a man whose competitive playing days are over for any sport. A man who is still extremely competitive and fills the passion by coaching. A man who would do almost anything to play again and be as successful as I once was between the lines. The huff and puff men's league fuels some competitive spirit but not like back in the day. As a football player I would have given my left nut to play for OU, and, maybe even my right nut! I'm sure there are those of you out there who feel my pain, if even for another team!

And along come players who spit in the face of that and are so incredibly selfish that the pride they should have for competing and playing for one of the most highly touted programs of all times is crushed by their selfish interests elsewhere. This latest incident from a player who has already been confronted by his head coach for behaviors that were questionable for an athlete in his position.

Oklahoma confirmed that two players had been dismissed by the team but did not identify them. The school said in a statement that the players violated NCAA rules by working at a private business and taking "payment over an extended period of time in excess of time actually worked."

"We spend a considerable amount of time addressing our players regarding their personal conduct and the NCAA rules," head coach Bob Stoops said in a statement. "They know exactly what we expect from them. Ultimately, they have to make right decisions. The same holds true for our boosters. When they do not, the consequences are serious, and we will not tolerate this behavior.

"Our team and university actions are necessary because of the intentional participation and knowledge of the student athletes in these violations," Stoops said.

"I firmly believe that our program is stronger than any individual player and that a championship program cannot compromise its values," Stoops said in the statement.

The comments italicized above are from the article on FoxSports.com. Bomar was identified by an Oklahoma City television station and that was confrimed by a call to the biggest OU fan I know, my dad. Apparently, Bomar was well aware of what the NCAA allowed. Apparently, Bomar was well aware of what the University expects of him. And yet he intentionally broke the rules to make a little extra dough-ray-me in the off-season. How selfish is that?

OU is poised to return to National Championship picture this season after falling from that picture last year. Bomar had moved into the position of experienced leader at QB that is so critical to returning to that status. With Adrian Peterson and a revamped offensive line, experience on defense and a learned Bomar at QB things were looking up for the Sooners. Now, because of his selfish actions, OU must face another year with an inexperienced player at QB and with a month to go before the season opener that appears to be a big hit to OU. His off season actions became more important to him than the success of the program. SELFISH! 

Bomar is obviously not the first college player whose selfish actions have hampered his teams goals. He most likely will not be the last. But I am lost in the big picture and the actions of players like this and boosters who know the rules and break them anyway. Rhett apparently is not aware of how letting unacceptable behaviors go can destroy a program (see OU late 80's and 1990's). He apparently doesn't understand that Bob Stoops is trying to run a program that can win a National Championship and still tow the line on NCAA rules. Ask Dusty Dvoracek what Stoops will do to preserve said values. My hat is off to Stoops! My only advice to him would be to let Bomar keep on walking. Take the selfish act on the road.

September 2nd OU opens the season. I will be there sitting next to my dad cheering the Sooners on just as I was last year when TCU upset us at home. I can only hope that Bomar's selfish actions don't open the door for another home opener upset. I know Texas fans are happy about this development.

***And sadly this and actions even worse are becoming common place in todays athletic world. Players cheating, lying, getting shot, getting stabbed, letting someone pay for an apartment or home for their parents, blah, blah, blah! I'm afraid it ain't ever going to end.***

Ya'll have a good day!