Mailbag: Better OSU Coordinator, Lane Kiffin and Colin Kapernick

Sorry I was unable to get to the mailbag questions on Wednesday. Doing them this afternoon instead. Let’s jump right in with a doozy.

David Einstein: Do sports and politics now overlap? (i.e. North Carolina house bill). If so, how would Oklahoma react if in the same situation? 

Sports and politics have always overlapped, and that’s a good thing. In fact, you know what is the best thing to happen in sports this year? Colin Kaepernick taking a knee for the national anthem. That is the single best thing that has happened in sports in 2016.

Regardless of how you feel about whether Kaepernick is right or wrong about his stance (and I know that literally every human being who is not in currently a coma feels a certain way about Kaepernick’s stance on the issue), it is the only sports event in 2016 that has opened the door for conversations about more important things than cover-two defenses and how many shooting guards is too many shooting guards (looking at you, TFord!)

You know who made it easier to talk about racial diversity within my community and how to love those around us better with three friends over beers on Tuesday night after our church group met at my house? Colin Kaepernick.

His position, whether you agree with it or now, has allowed us to in a lot of instances have conversations about race that don’t feel awkward or forced. And figuring out how to love all humans regardless of nationality or race is a far greater thing than the United States flag. It just is. I cannot be convinced otherwise.

I grant that it is incredibly difficult to move beyond the “should he or shouldn’t he?” question when it comes to standing for the flag, and that this is a deeply complex issue for which many men and women have literally given up their lives. But if you can hold two truths in one hand at the same time — that a person can feel deep gratitude for those who have shed blood but also despair over the way a specific people has been treated historically (and I’ve read plenty of pieces that prove we can do this) — then it is legitimately a great gateway to talking about real things that matter.

I actually wish more OSU players and coaches would have addressed the controversy. I understand why they haven’t been asked or why they wouldn’t respond, but I think the conversation is a good (and fascinating) one to have. And one that is important if you believe that we as humans have a lot to learn about diversity and racial reconciliation (which I do).

I can’t speak to how Oklahoma would react in the same situation regarding the North Carolina bill because I am too ignorant of the details of the situation so I won’t speak to that, but I’ve been looking for a reason to write about Kaepernick so thanks for giving it to me.

OK … back to your regularly-scheduled programming!

Kade Gottschalk: Would you trade Mason Rudolph for Alabama’s entire starting offensive line and Lane Kiffin?

What a question! I presume the alternative is that I have to use the Oil Baron as QB1 if I trade away Rudolph and I don’t get Bama’s QB so I would say I’ll keep what I have. That’s tough because [pick any five Alabama starting offensive linemen from the last five years] are better than the best OL we have ever had, but I still think Rudolph is elite (I won’t be swayed by one game!)

I do wish we got more of this out of Mike Yurcich though.

Happy @Lane_Kiffin is Happy with that fist pump though pic.twitter.com/rZKwqJPI0b

— 2nd & 26??? (@IIDarkIIShikari) May 20, 2016

Zach Finger: I just had my first child last week. Any tips on watching games with a newborn around? (Yes the CMU fiasco was her first game). 

First of all, congratulations. That’s awesome. The baby, not her having to witness the CMU fiasco. Second, here are my tips.

1. If it is a west coast game and starts between 9-10:30 p.m., you should be good for a quarter or two
2. If it is not, go to a bar (make sure there is someone still at home to watch the child)
3. I have nothing beyond those two suggestions

Kevin Davis: How hot should the seat be for Spencer and Yurcich?

Coming off a 10-3 season? Probably not that hot. If, by the end of this year, they go 7-6 for the second time in three years, could be hot.

Nick in OKC: Which one of our coordinators is worse?

This is interesting. OKC Dave asked me this at the beginning of the year (although he asked who was better), and I said Yurcich. Here’s the thing though. I think that we don’t really expect our defense to be very good so Spencer can get away with more as long as he’s tweetin’ great warrior poems and being an awesome life coach for guys like Ryan Simmons.

The offense for Oklahoma State has always been the biggest variable in the athletic department. When it’s awesome, we rock. When it’s average, we don’t rock. I sort of disagree with this line of thinking because OSU should have won a Big 12 title in 2013 when its offense was just all right (its defense was unreal that year).

You can do better on defense than OSU has done in the last two years and two games, but all anybody wants to talk about is the running game (justifiably so in a lot of cases). So to answer the question in the most roundabout way possible, I think Spencer is probably the better coach, but I’m only basing that on their public personalities. I think they are probably about the same level of good (or bad) when it comes to coaching, Spencer is just easier to get behind.