Surprise, surprise, here I am again talking about Baker Mayfield. But how could you not when he’s the hottest topic in college sports? He’s almost guaranteed to win the Heisman, the Maxwell Award for the best all-around player, and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. However, Mayfield has been in the news lately because of his antics this past weekend in Oklahoma’s win against Kansas. After the Jayhawk captains refused to shake hands with him in the coin toss, Mayfield responded by shaking his head and clapping in their faces. Throughout the game, Baker was chippy with the entire Kansas team. After throwing a touchdown pass, Baker went back to the sidelines and screamed obscenities at the Jayhawk sideline and followed that by grabbing his crotch.
Following the game, Baker apologized for his actions on Twitter and expressed his sorrows for disappointing his fans and the University of Oklahoma. Head coach Lincoln Riley decided to bench Baker Mayfield for part of Oklahoma’s matchup Saturday against West Virginia. In a press conference on Monday, Mayfield cried twice when discussing not starting or being a captain for his last game ever at home. Baker Mayfield will probably still win the awards he’s up for and will start in the Big 12 conference final game, assuming the Sooners make it, but I think the backlash he has gotten is uncalled for. So the question I ask is, is it wrong to bench Mayfield?
I think benching Baker is something that Lincoln Riley has to do.
Regardless of your opinion on what he did, Riley did this because the entire Oklahoma program and him were receiving negative feedback regarding this past weekend’s game. However, it was a bad time to do so, since they’re playing one of the better teams in the Big 12. I think the Sooners will still win the game, but it might be tougher without their Heisman quarterback to start the game. Despite how I feel about Baker being benched, I do not find his actions to be wrong.
Football is a game of passion and raw emotion. Anyone who has ever played the game of football knows that it is hard to control your emotions and actions when playing the game. What Mayfield did was just part of the game of football. The Jayhawks began the “war” by not showing enough respect to shake the Sooner captains’ hands. Mayfield simply was retaliating and meant no harm in what he did. Real football fans understand that rivalries are built on hatred and when two teams in the same conference go at it, there’s going to be some tension. Baker Mayfield may not be everyone’s favorite football player. But he sure is one of mine and I love to see the competitiveness from one of the nation’s best.