Joe Mixon ruined Sugar Bowl, then Brent Musburger ruined it again
I was really looking forward to the Sugar Bowl. With Auburn taking on Oklahoma, the potential was there for an enjoyable game.
But the proceedings were anything but enjoyable, or at least they were for me. The Sooners ended up taking care of the Tigers by a score of 35-19 in New Orleans, yet the scoreboard wasn’t the story as far as I’m concerned.
Two subjects occupied my thoughts more often than not. First, Auburn’s offense completely falls apart when Sean White — limited as he may be from a pure talent perspective — is sidelined. After battling a shoulder injury earlier in the season, he was forced to exit the game after breaking his arm on a quarterback keeper.
Second, Joe Mixon shouldn’t be part of this Oklahoma program. His mere presence was a distraction at the Superdome.
The most talked-about player in college football these days, Mixon is a tremendous tailback. He ran 19 times for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns against a solid Tigers defense, sprinkling in 5 catches for an additional 89 yards.
However, that’s not why he’s the most talked-about player in college football. He’s the most talked-about player in college football because the 6-foot-1, 226-pounder viciously punched a female student — not Ronda Rousey, mind you, but a run-of-the-mill coed — two years ago and shattered her face. Shattered her life, too.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Sooners coach Bob Stoops gave Mixon a second chance and only redshirted suspended him for a year.
Video of the episode was recently released. To say the least, it’s deeply disturbing. Similar to the Ray Rice situation in the NFL, the conversation changed with regard to Mixon (below) once the public put eyes on the evidence.
Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Violence against women on campus has reached a boiling point in this country, highlighted by the serial atrocities (allegedly) committed at Baylor during the Art Briles regime. The Bears were Big 12 doormats for years — 14 straight seasons under .500 from 1996-2009 — but sold their souls to be pigskin powerhouses in the Lone Star State.
Even with Briles pink-slipped in Waco and good guy Jim Grobe taking over on an interim basis, it felt dirty to root for that team in 2016.
That’s the feeling I got watching Mixon toy with Auburn both as a runner and a receiver. No matter how gifted he is, and he’s freakishly gifted, my opinion of him will be forever changed for what he did that fateful night.
Is it unfair to judge a young man — he’s still just 20 years old — based on a singular act? Maybe it is. But when that singular act is so indefensible and so unforgivable in nature, the whole “everyone deserves a second chance” argument sort of goes out the window for me. Mixon didn’t cheat on a test or steal a car. He broke a girl’s face.
Apparently, I wasn’t alone in my disgust. Tigers fans were hostile toward Mixon every time he got his hands on the ball.
The hate from the stands not only fueled Mixon, but it fueled Oklahoma. The nastier it got inside the dome, the better the Sooners played. Clearly, they rallied around their embattled teammate. That’s what players do.
Perhaps the only thing more uncomfortable than hearing Auburn backers chant “HE HITS WOMEN! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)” — Mixon was even egging them on at one point — was the Sooner supporters cheering his every gain. Among them, no doubt, were mothers and fathers. Mothers and fathers of college-age women. They’ll sleep soundly tonight, too.
You see, Mixon was balling out for ole State U. School pride trumps right and wrong. That’s what fans do.
Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
ESPN’s broadcasting duo of Brent Musburger and Jesse Palmer was put in an impossible situation. If they talked about the Mixon (above) ordeal, they’d ruin a football game. If they didn’t, they’d let a criminal act skate.
Musburger — now 77 years old and obviously in the IDGAF stage of his career — gushed about Mixon at the beginning of the contest. Only loosely did he refer to what made Mixon persona non grata in the first place. Yes, this was a football game, not a town hall. The elephant in the room needed to be addressed, though.
Instead, Musburger chose to talk about Mixon’s prospects as a pro, as if that would somehow make for a happy ending.
“He’s just one of the best,” he raved, “and let’s hope, given a second chance by Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, let’s hope this young man makes the most of his chance and goes on to have a career in the National Football League.”
To say the least, the all-powerful Twittersphere did not take kindly to Musburger’s handing of the Mixon mess. With a producer in his ear freaking out over the social-media meltdown he’d caused, the veteran broadcaster went into full rant mode.
“You know, Jess, apparently some people were very upset when I wished this young man well at the next level. Let me make something perfectly clear: What he did with that young lady was brutal, uncalled for. He’s apologized. He was tearful. He got a second chance. He got a second chance from Bob Stoops. I happen to pull for people with second chances, OK? Let me make it absolutely clear that I hope he has a wonderful career and he teaches people with that brutal, violent video, OK? Second down and nine.”
Musburger was annoyed. He did little to hide that fact. As if it was somehow beneath him to respond on the air to all the millennials — not to mention fellow media members, of which there were many — criticizing him for how he handled the Mixon angle. His attempt to repair his original comment only did more damage.
The game was over at that point. I muted my television. Mixon ruined the Sugar Bowl for me, and then Musburger ruined it again.
John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.
“He’s just one of the best,” he raved, “and let’s hope, given a second chance by Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, let’s hope this young man makes the most of his chance and goes on to have a career in the National Football League.”
Such horrible words huh? “Let’s give the man a second chance.” He’s right next to Hitler isn’t he? I’ll grab my pitchfork..
Seriously john what the hell! This whole article is about you not being able to let the issue go. And don’t you dare say otherwise or you’ll lose the last shred of credibility to me (not that you care what your readers think anyway).
No, he shouldn’t have hit her, just like no, he shouldn’t be scolded for life. If that was the way we treated everyone for their mistakes then this world would be a much worse place. If we treated Muhammad Ali like you want to treat Mixon, he would’ve died in prison for dodging the draft. If we treated Mike Tyson like you want to treat Mixon, he’d be scolded at every public appearance for biting a man’s ear off. If we treated Germany like you want to treat Mixon, then Germany would still be under military occupation because of the Nazi war machine.
You see John, while your intentions may be honest, we as a society need to let this issue go. What’s your solution? Punish this man by barring him from college and pro athletics? In what way will that punishment make Joe Mixon into a better human being? All that will do will make him bitter. He’ll live a life of crime because no business will hire him except maybe fast food. His dreams will be gone and any sense of remorse he will have had will turn into hate… That’ll show him to do the right thing yeah?
People like you who want nothing more than to kill him on sight really need to see the big picture here. Think of all the great world leaders we’ve had in the past who have all done pretty bad things. They wouldn’t have gotten to the place that they have if people like you ran thing.
If you ignored all of that then just understand this one thing: LET THE ISSUE GO.
^^^^THIS^^^
People like both of you inbred is why this will happen again. Next one is on you. Maybe this time it’ll be your wife mother or daughter. Then we’ll all just LET IT GO. I wouldn’t expect anything less from two of the dirtiest programs in college football. Our society is lost.
Should we just shoot him?
Coach…you obviously have issues w/OU and Penn St.
So….why don’t’ YOU “let it go.”
Good one Coach. You’re line of thinking is exactly what’s wrong with the justice system. If it was up to you this kid would be in prison for hitting someone who provoked and then attacked him first. This isn’t like the Ray Rice or Dalvin cook incidents, he didn’t do anything excessive, and he was getting assaulted when he responded. My wife even says that she deserved it and that Mixon has more than payed for it. If it was a guy that did that to him, would you then find his 1 punch acceptable? If so, you are a misogynist.
They won’t be my wife or daughter… Know why? They don’t go into fast food joints and push spit or slap strangers. Weird how that works….. They both deserved to be charged with assault. The law handled it. Problem solved.
Before I went to pre-school I was told/taught by my mother to keep my hands to myself. She spat, pushed and slapped this young man before he punched her ONE TIME. Should he have hit her? NO. Should she have assaulted him? NO Just like everyone is willing to “forgive/ignore” her actions we should do the same to him. He was punished, served his punishment, apologized and is moving on.
She had it coming!
While I see your point, where’s the second chance for the fast food worker that does the same thing. No one is touting his fry making skills or saying they hope he gets promoted to 3rd shift assistant line supervisor. A young mistake is still a mistake. As much as it’s been preached to this generation he knows hitting a girl is wrong. At the end of the day he should have been removed from the campus forever. Yes he can rehab himself, just not at the same place he did the deed.
Agree 100% with this. Should have had to leave the university at least.
Spot on brother !
if this comment gets published this is wrong url
Dalvin Cook: (allegedly) hits a woman.
He goes on to have a great career at FSU and will likely be a high first round draft pick.
Jeffrey Simmons: Beat the crap out of a woman.
“Lets put a one game suspension on him and give him anger management. Its all good.”
Joe Mixon: Hits a woman.
“Lets crucify him!” (figuratively of course for all the retards) “This kid should go to jail!” “He’s a horrible human being!”
Watch this really good video I found: h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t ch ? v = h f Z r f Q b 7 q a E
A wise man knows both sides of both sides of the argument and makes his own well informed decisions.
Disclaimer: Yes, I think that what Joe Mixon did is really bad and nobody should ever do it. However everyone deserves a second chance.
(comment wouldnt publish because i tried to put in a video link, sorry for the spaced out url)
Dalvin Cook was proven in a court of law to have not laid a finger on that girl. What Jeffery Simmons did was pretty bad, and I’ve written so, but the degree to which he hit that girl was nothing like what Mixon did. If you can’t see difference, then I don’t know what to tell you. Mixon literally broke a girl’s face. There’s unmistakable video evidence. She had her jaw wired shut and ate out of a straw for months. He ruined a year of her life, maybe more. No, not everyone deserves a second chance. Not after something like that. Frankly, the fact that you have the opinion you do makes me too embarrassed for you to even be upset by it.
He SHOULD go to jail, by the way. This was an ASSAULT, plain and simple. That’s a CRIME, you know.
Wishing someone had a second chance to rewrite this trash…my eyes have endured a year’s worth of damage, “maybe more”.
There’s a reason he didn’t go to jail: She hit him first. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that’s an excuse for what he did. You also have to ask yourself if he really meant for her face to hit that table and break the way it did. Intent is very important in legal proceedings and the intent to do bodily harm (or lack thereof in this case) is why he’s not in jail.
Also, are you seriously saying this is worse than Jeffery Simmons? Sure, Mixon’s ended up with more severe injuries, but Simmons threw a dozen punches to a woman’s head while she was already on her back being attacked by two other women. HUGE difference there between what one could almost claim was self defense (Mixon) and one could try to claim as defending his family (Simmons).
SEC-ond to none :
Well said.
I’m John Crist and I can CAPITALIZE random WORDS, you know!
Never proven in a court of law that dalvin cook didn’t hit that woman…..you’re letting your FSU bias shine though
True that no charges were ever handed down but not because he did (or didn’t) do it….because there wasn’t evidence to convict.
But to say he was proven to have not hit her is incorrect. That’s like saying jameis was proven not to have raped that girl. All that happened was there was enough evidence
And I’m not saying either dalvin or jameis, or anyone deserves punishment for being accused.
You’re factually incorrect. Cook was indeed charged and tried. He was found not guilty in a court of law. The Winston case and the Cook case have absolutely nothing in common. Look it up.
Yes John, after the judge (FSU Alum) listened to the testimony of teammates. Get real Dalvi. Was as quilty as Jameis the rapist winston.
I hear that he is as quilty as Jameis, but is he as soft?
Silly John gristle, she attacked him first, he punched her ONCE (I can capitalize words too) to stop her, and then he removed himself. Had he continued to melee her, sure, I’d agree with you, but he didn’t. Who cares if a year of her life was ruined? She attacked him. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
What Mixon did was wrong, never hit a woman, no matter if she spits on you, calls you a _igger, hits you……..just walk away. People really need to read the police report, realize that we are talking about a teenage boy here and see that he did whatever the school asked of him and is speaking out against violence today. OU was right in giving him a second chance.
I had no clue she hit him first or that he only hit her once, that changes the whole situation. I likely could have taken her punch and walked away, but who knows how one would react in the heat of the moment. I was always told never to hit a female, but I’ve always said if she is bold enough to hit me first she’s bold enough to get hit back. I’ve never had to test that theory, but the fact is in a world of “equality”, that’s how things should work. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, agree.
Dale, not only did she hit him first…. She pushed him twice, spit on him, and was attempting to slap him when had finally had enough and knocked her out. Imagine if the roles were reversed. A young black man pushes a white girl, spits on her, and then slaps her. She hits him in the face. You guys would call her a f*cking hero. She could have shot him and killed him in response to the exact same assault, and many would defend her. Why is it different for mixon? If you’re answer has to do with race or genitalia, that’s fine, but the rest of the country isn’t obligated to write laws or govern university athletics by your strange medieval code.
Lol sorry dale, only responding to you personally to say she was the aggressor by a wide margin. The rest was for Crist and the rest
I’ve seen the video and she doesn’t look innocent either. But, there is also a story that the argument started outside of the restaurant, her and her friend left the scene, and Mixon followed them into the restaurant to continue the confrontation. If that’s true, then it’s his fault things escalated.
I saw the video. It was not worse than what Simmons did. I suppose Simmons got lucky that his victim wasn’t hurt worse.
John, do you support jail for the woman? She attacked him.
John, I don’t if it is because you wrote this or because I’m tired of people talking about this like Mixon was the only person at fault TWO YEARS AFTER he was punished for his actions but I’m annoyed that I read this article.
Maybe I missed it, but did you mention that the “victim” spat, pushed and slapped him prior to him hitting her? What should her punishment be for assaulting him? Don’t say “her life was ruined blah blah blah blah” and not give her equal punishment. Our justice system is blind and there is no male punishment vs female punishment. When drunk drivers crash into other cars we do not let them off the hook because they were injured or their lives were “ruined”, and we do not let the female offenders have less punishments because they are women. All that being said why are we still crying about this 2 years later? I didn’t need to see the video to know that he should not have hit her and after seeing it I view this as old news. Hearing the confirmed details of her injuries was enough for me to think this kid deserved to be dismissed/punished. The way some of you are making it out, he deserves a sentence higher than the Stanford swimmer.
Go figure, you of all people would devote an entire article to belly ache on why your feelings were hurt by him playing in a game that you probably didn’t have to pay to get into.
And when she pushed and slapped him, what do you call that, an act of peace, if she would have kept her hands to herself she wouldn’t be eating out of a straw. To me the biggest cowards out there are the ones that won’t hold her accountable for her actions, like you.
Millennial and the media? What 2016 taught us was they are a bunch of know nothing holier-than-thou punks who cant’ take losing and who are chief apologists (there’s that word…apology, again) for the DNC, Clinton and Obama…so I DON”T WANT TO HEAR IT.
As far as John, I’ll send you a puppy and some coloring books…and an autograph copy of the police transcript in which Amelia Molitar drops the “N word” on Mixon THREE times, out side of the restaurant, before SHE slapped him…you do remember that don’t you?
With that said, Mixon did wrong, lost an entire year, apologized and both parties have moved-on…I suggest John do the same.
To Phyllis :
My wife is connected to OU, and I can back your facts and give others that didn’t make print. Joe did what ever the school asked of him afterwards. If someone has a complaint about it , they need to address the school, as Bob did not hand down judgement by himself. Crist sounds like many other snowflakes, he does need a puppy as you said.
OU give Mr. Mixon a second chance in life, as other schools have done in the past to help student athletes that have made mistakes in their lives, and 2 years later he speaks out against violence and is turning his life around.
agreed. she instigated it. not saying he was justified, but he admitted his guilt and accepted his punishment. as for her? no sympathy. dont put your hands on someone else, ever, without cause. welcome to equality.
Joe Mixon didn’t ruin anything…Gus Malzahn is ruining Auburn Football with the help of his supposed-QBs.
Speaking of which, the Big XII may not have the great defenses/teams, but they sure do have good QBs.
Big XII doesn’t have good QBs… Name two elite Big XII QBs not named Baker Mayfield. It’s just that Baker Mayfield is an elite QB, and he’d be elite wherever he played. He’s just really good.
I’ll bite–Mason Rudolph and Pat Mahomes are better than most SEC quarterbacks and are considered elite (and not named Baker Mayfield).
I totally agree about Mahomes (and he’s the reason I said name two others rather than just one). I disagree with you about Rudolph though.
For example, Rudolph’s QBR this season was 76.8. Mahomes’ was 84.3 and Mayfield’s was 92.9. Josh Dobbs had a better QBR than Rudolph, coming in at 78.4. And Josh Dobbs is far from a throw-first QB or top notch passer. Rudolph’s QBR was only a few points better than Jalen Hurts, a true freshman QB (72.7). Chad Kelly was at 80.2 prior to his injury. Based on these stats (I chose adjusted QBR because it’s an aggregate of all meaningful passing stats), Rudolph isn’t “better than most SEC QBs” and definitely isn’t among the elite QBs of the Big XII. He’s close, so I can see making a case for him based on game situations, but he’s far from the level of Mayfield or Mahomes. While better than most of the QBs in the SEC, which had a historically down year for conference QBs, he’s still worse than some.
Mythic…I didn’t say elite…those are YOUR words…I sad good, as in serviceable, as in not a liability…a team with a QB who cannot throw the ball accurately past 15 yards is an 8-5 team….at best.
If LSU didn’t have QB/coaching problems on the day they played Auburn…the Tigers-the-Lesser would be 7-6 and Gus would be looking for a J.O.B.
I agree if we could pass the ball with moderate efficiency we would when that game and the Gus Bus would be gone
We had 1 qb this season, unfortunately he breaks something everytime he sneezes. It’ll be a different story next year though with stidham.
It’s always a different story. Who was that guy who was supposed to win the Heisman last year?
When you read this article and realize Crist is explaining himself like Musburger….
Crist completely misses the fact that he is disparaging Musburger’s opinion while voicing his own opinion. Hypocrisy manifest…
Then you have no idea what a columnist does. I’m paid to give my opinion. That’s my job. I’m being critical of Musburger’s performance on the broadcast, which I believe — like most people who don’t watch football with blinders on — that he handled the Mixon conversation poorly at first, and then even more poorly later. Your hypocrisy argument holds no water whatsoever.
Musburger isn’t the color guy. He’s paid literally to talk about all things related to the game, including the players playing in the game. All good announcers do that. Al Michaels does it. That’s precisely why they get paired with someone who played the game and knows what’s happening on the field, like Jesse Palmer or Chris Collinsworth.
Your article acts like there is some sanctity in football and how it’s to be announced, when in fact Musburger is paid to talk about the game, the players, and anything tangentially related. He did just that. You simply didn’t like his opinion. So you shared yours…just in a hypocritical way. If Jesse Palmer started going off on how he felt about Mixon, then I’d see your point, but he didn’t. The guy that’s just paid to talk, did. It’s Musburger. He rambles, they know that, yet they still pay him to do just that. You’re just mad that his opinion didn’t align with your own. Your article reads as sour grapes. Nothing more.
That being said , there are several on here that disagree with your poor opinion of Musburger’s opinion, so does that make it a wash ? Your little blog here looks like it backfired in your face. Musburger rules dude, face it you couldn’t carry his water, get in the backseat and shut up.
We know what columnist are SUPPOSE to do…but that day has passed. You are a Millennial who is trying NOT to be called Non PC…otherwise you get fired…how pathetic…they give you ass-clowns the protection of the First Amendment, yet YOU censor yourselves…you all think and act the same…that is why your generation is BORING and TIRESOME.
I get it. He hit a woman. That’s unacceptable. This is truly a serious issue. And I loathe any person that would lay hands on a woman unless really provoked to defend himself. I’ve seen the video and from it I have lost any shred of respect I could have had for Joe Mixon. But I don’t know the guy. You don’t know the guy, John Crist. Very few people know him. But Bob Stoops and his staff do. The University of Oklahoma does. And they both have decided that Mixon deserves a second chance. Maybe Mixon has admitted his wrongdoing to his coaches and has proven that he is already on the path for redemption? I don’t like Bob Stoops, but until proven to be a slimy and lowdown as Art Briles, I am going to trust that he actually has respect for his program and for his athletes not to let all of their reputations be tarnished by a guy who legitimately refuses to change for the better by keeping Mixon on the team. He’s produced hundreds of great men from his program (and I don’t enjoy speaking those words, but it’s true). Mixon very well may be one of the next great men to come out of Oklahoma. Hitting a woman, while loathsome, does not define a person for the rest of their life. So long as Mixon is truly trying to change and grow from this and become better, his life should not be defined by this, even as terrible as it was. I had little respect for Michael Vick, but he honestly worked hard to redeem himself. Mixon deserves the chance to change and grow without being crucified for something in his past. You and I deserve that chance if we were in his shoes…
This honestly reads as an attack piece, one where you simply refuse to forgive him for what he did. That’s a fine opinion to have, and you are definitely not alone in it. But why voice that opinion in such an attacking way? It just reads like you are butthurt that this kid would ruin the way you enjoy a football game. It reads less like you care that he hit a woman and more that you’re upset that his poor reputation would tarnish how you enjoy a football game–a three-four hour event. And in cementing my point you then get mad at a broadcaster for daring to defend his own opinion that the kid deserved a second chance. So let me get this straight, you’re entitled to your opinion, but God forbid that Musburger be entitled to his, much less how dare he ever mention it while broadcasting a game because it would harm how you view a football game… Really sad. Some things are more important than football, and this article, to me, reads like you forget that and have gotten upset first and foremost that something like this serious real world issue would dare tarnish how you watch a football game for three hours.
But really what upsets me most is how you simply cannot fathom the utter hypocrisy of your own words. You can be of the opinion that Mixon is a terrible person, as you make clear in your article. But guess what? Musburger can be of the opinion that he deserves a second chance. Yet you begrudge him for voicing his opinion to a wide audience on television, while you voice your own opinion to a wide audience on an internet blog. This truly is the age of hypocrisy. And you, John Crist, sit there smiling at your computer screen completely ignorant of the reality that you are chief among the hypocrites.
Auburns inept offense ruined the Sugar Bowl. (Yeah, I know, Arkansas refusal to play after halftime ruined the Belk). Joe Mixon is just one of many thugs playing on Saturdays in this wonderful era in which we live. Remove all the thugs, no body has a two deep anymore. That being said, as far as Mixon himself, I sure as hell don’t want him dating my daughter. I doubt he will ever change. Should he get a second chance? Not up to me. Or Brent, or John C. If it were up to me? Bastid woulda been watching the game from home. Perhaps Brent should have watched the Rose and like the team who called that game, never actually mentioned the atrocities themselves, and skirt the issue as is popular in our PC society. But Mixon didn’t ruin the Sugar. He played football. He played it quite well. The question isn’t his ability to play the game, it’s does he deserve to play it. I’d say no, but my opinion doesn’t count.
Finally, a lone sane reader among the countless insane.
What do expect man? It’s the sec. A bunch of inbreds that value football way way too much. Most of these comments come from fans of teams that have been willing to do anything to win for years. College football has turned downright disgusting. Usc vs Penn St in the rose bowl. Auburn vs OU in the Sugar bowl. Cheaters never win right? Except in college sports. Penn St shouldn’t even have a football program.
He said Mixon didn’t ruin the sugar bowl, thereby disagreeing with you, the almighty John Christ, to which you call him sane? I’m a little confused by your tactics.
Because he’s not siding with a coward.
I recommend the book “Everyone I don’t like is Hitler” for you John, as you cannot fathom why people would disagree with you. You sound like a SJW got his own football blog…
From a 17 year to a presumably 30 something year old man, grow up! Not everyone will agree with you and that’s okay! Stop dehumanizing people that disagree with you.
So the majority (or at least the majority of the people that have left comments here) that disagrees with your opinion are wrong? Like the old saying goes, “If you have a problem with one or two people, maybe it’s them. If you have a problem with everyone, maybe it’s you.” Well, if everyone seems to disagree with you, maybe you are the one who’s looking at this the wrong way.
Aren’t those same readers your customers?
It is downright scary reading the comments defending this guy. He broke a woman’s face and his punishment was a redshirt. So the people believe justice was served? It is laughable that morons make the argument that she started it and he was defending himself. Some real men on here. I guess if you can run fast and catch a football then punching a woman in the face is no big deal.
I hate to tell you and John, but the sports world has always had “thugs”. Do the research and you will see mob ties, womanizers, drunks, racist and out right criminals, so don’t give me your “PC society” bs. This isn’t something new, the media just turned a blind eye to it or the there others that covered it up better. Get off your high horse and come back to reality.
What does someone who has paid his penalty according to those involved deserve to do?
These clowns want him burned at the stake.
None of us, not one, is perfect. Forgiveness. We all need forgiveness. We all need to ask for forgiveness. If the legal system finds one guilty or not guilty, so be it. There will be judgement but unless you are the courtroom Judge during the proceedings, please do not judge.
Forgiveness is not the issue, The woman her family, Etc. can and should forgive him. But that does not eliminate the consequences of his actions. Let’s be transparent here…Mixon did not serve a suspension… he was redshirted. That in itself cast enough doubt on his punishment. Elite athletes have and will continue to have special privileges that the avg student does not possess. When this happens, there is a simple Biblical principal that should be applied…”To whom much is given, much is required” Not much has been required of Joe Mixon for what he did.
And for those criticizing John Crist for his opinion….what are you doing different with your…..Opinion?
#Rationalization4Wrongs
I’ll give Crist credit: I don’t see many columnists with the courage to seem intractably one-sided in the column, then double down on it by jumping into the mud with the commenters.
He does it regularly. He’s already commented on one commenter who agreed with him, thanking him and calling everyone else who didn’t agree with his opinion and premise of his article “insane.” Truly doubling down on the hypocrisy of his article. He didn’t like Musburger’s opinion because it didn’t align with his own. He’s doubling down now making it clear by calling anyone that still disagrees with him “insane.” This is today’s journalism. That’s why he writes for a blog and not a paper, I guess. A paper or media organization would never allow an opinion writer to openly denigrate their readers for simply disagreeing.
Well, maybe the New York Times could use him!
Yeah, calling readers “insane” is a great way to make people like you, right? I don’t know if he’s truly a bozo or just enjoys conflict, but name-calling in the comments section isn’t the mark of a respectable journalist. First of all, when you do that, you’ve already lost because you come off as petulant and thin-skinned, no matter how valid or invalid your argument may be. Second, it’s just unprofessional. It makes you look like a hack rather than a thoughtful writer.
I guess you don’t believe in giving a young man, a teenager, a second chance in life.
One with the gifts that Mixon has.
He is not a thug, doesn’t do drugs, didn’t get drunk and kill someone with a car.
Yes, he made a huge mistake when he lost his temper, its never right to hit a woman and he will tell you that, but to not give him a second chance with his whole life ahead of him is just wrong. If “you” don’t think he should be playing you need to take that up with Bob Stoops . I think you need to go to your safe space with the other snowflakes that can’t believe it not right to give someone ( a teenager at the time) a second chance.
My I ask ? Do you go to church ?
No, you may not ask because it has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.
Well, he just did without your permission anyways. *triggered*
So with this logic we should just empty all our prisons and forgive everyone? He didn’t commit some minor crime, he could have killed this woman. He essentially received no punishment for what he did. A second chance could have been given but it should have been with much worse consequences.
I guess some publications will let just about anyone write for them these days.
I would never defend what Mixon did. However, I wonder where the disdain you show to this one individual was when your precious Jameis Winston was getting a slap on the wrist for rape no less. And don’t give me that crap about it not being proven in a court of law. The jacksonville police covered that up plain and simple and he was guilty as any one of these you mention in this article.
The complaints about Mixon are becoming tiring. He committed this horrible act two and a half years ago. It’s too late to complain now. Where were you two years ago?
Most of you may get a second chance at your job cleaning toilets at Walmart after you get done breaking a woman’s face, but this young man, not kid shouldn’t. This young man is supposed to be a role model. Any school that values academics above athletics, this man would’ve been booted. He had the opportunity to walk away, given that fact, it is not self defense or an excuse to commit aggravated battery, don’t believe me actually look up other court cases. In the end none of it will matter as it will sort itself out going to the next level, no way this guy makes an NFL team, nor should he. Great article Mr. Christ.
I suspect Mixon will get drafted and make an NFL team. That league is far from a bastion of morals. He did a horrible act. We are a nation of second chances though. He will get his chance.
There’s no way he makes a NFL team, pre OJ, pre Ray Rice, yes but not today, nor should he.
We can just agree to disagree until we see him playing on Sunday’s. He will be there. Ray Rice was only out of the league because he was washed up.
Ray Rice was a year removed from 4 straight 1,000+ rushing seasons, and still very much part of the Ravens when his tape came out, hardly washed up. Given the heat, which is justified, the NFL has taken over Rice, Hardy, Brown, etc, no way a team gambles on this trash. And yes when Mixon isn’t playing on Sunday’s, we will know who was right.
He was under 3 ypc at the end. That’s washed up.
False, Ray Rice never finished a season under 3.0 ypc, try again. His last season wasn’t his best but hardly washed up, if that were the case why did Baltimore try so hard to keep him?
My mistake. It was 3.1. That still sucks.
I disagree, he gets drafted, and quite high up as well.
Why is everyone so surprised? All these media announcers always say how great a young man these young thugs are not even having a clue. Hell I remember when they did a special on Dez Bryant back when he was at OSU about how great he was and was helping a little girl with cancer. All b.s. Half these players are thugs and hitting women is the norm for them. The only, only reason Mixon is sorry is that tape is making his draft stock go down. All about money ladies and gentlemen. What is any fan base willing to put up with in order to win?
If Crist is as deplorable as many of you have written….Why do you continue to read his work? It’s becoming very obvious by your divisive remarks that John is not the only one butt-hurt!
By the way… Pretty sure most of you would have a different opinion of Mr. Mixson if this had happened to your daughter.
“To whom much is given… Much is required.”
Where were all you guys two and a half years ago when this happened. We can’t be so simple minded that a video leads to this. We were already told what happened. These protests are way too late.
you are incorrect sir. we are, collectively, that simple minded.
I’m learning that.
No one said anything 2 1/2 years ago because they tried to keep the video out of public view. They tried to claim that it wasn’t as bad as described hoping it would never be seen. No surprise that there are morons like you defending this scumbag.
We knew he punched her and broke bones in her face. Only a simpleton needed to see the video. I’ve never defended Mixon, not once. I just laugh at you simpletons that had to see a video to know how bad it was.
That was Justin Blackmon but yes it turned out to be a farce. College sports has become the equivalent of wrasslin’ for some of these Hicks. They think they’re just being contrary an and rootin’ for the bad guy. Except it’s not fake. It’s real life and it’s scary what we condone and consider ourselves civilized. Mobilhoma fans would actually fit in culturally with the SEC quite well.
Justin Blackmon had/has a drinking problem. How does that prove the story was a farce and he didn’t have genuine feelings towards the little girl in the story. To act as if the Blackmon story belongs in the same discussion with Mixon is ridiculous.
Musberger is an idiot and a good reason for mandatory retirement.
The only odd thing is that Mixon wasn’t an Auburn RB.
Wow! I hardly ever come back to read the comments but this unreal. Trumps white trash America is out in full force today. I can’t tell if all you sister kisses just hate the writer so much you’re willing to stoop this low or if the south really is as backwards as everyone says it is and now they feel like they have a voice. This thread is a great indication of where our priorities are as a society.
If you don’t like it, log off of SDS and go get on f@cking buzzfeed sports or some other retarded $hit. You probably voted for Hillary because she’s a woman. Go back to California.
Everybody disagreeing with psycho John aren’t some backwoods hillbillies. People like you and psycho John are hard to take serious when you only see a story the way that you want to see it. When either of you bother to admit that chick brought it on her self when she laid hands on Mixon then I’ll give you some credibility. If either of you has a daughter I suggest you raise them to keep their hands to them selves. Everyone responds to violence differently,it’s naive on your part to even assume that most people are just going to walk away. Ol’ girl knocked on troubles door and trouble answered. I have no sympathy for her. Keep your d@mn hands to yourself. If she had done that she wouldn’t have gotten knocked out.
Oh I know the story and thus thread is full of misinformation. He instigated the altercation and much like yourself wasn’t man enough to walk away. You’re a vertical weak man if you can’t walk away from a woman slapping you.
Stop with the fake outrage. No one here cares that you are upset about what happened.
30014: You are a complete idiot.
You’re the idiot for thinking that everyone’s moral compass should point in the same direction as yours. Stones and glass houses are a bad combination.
Coach…classic Lib…loses the argument and starts name calling. Besides, are us Hillbillies suppose to take the white girls side?
I have no problem with second chances. I do have a problem with the punishments these football players received. If any of these incidents had happened to Joe blow student, what would he have received. What punishment would he have received? If you say the same, then you are outright lying. These schools have almost unlimited funds and the backing of fans to protect a player because he is special. No player is so special that he can’t be guilty of a crime. Is Mixon’s play in helping Oklahoma win a sugar Bowl more important than the rule of law and the belief that EVERYONE matters. Fl State spent millions protecting Winston. That NC was worth any price to them. Their fans didn’t then and still don’t care about anything but the relevance they felt with that football victory. It’s the same at the rest of the schools chasing a NC. Justice has no presence in CFB world anymore. What a player can contribute is more important, they always deserve a second chance as long as they can still play. We can’t ruin his life and career because he made a mistake. My question is why? They ruined or was responsible for altering for the worse another persons life. CFB, their money and influence have no place in the Criminal Justice System, but we all know that will never happen. Pitiful, just damned pitiful.
The fake outrage at this young man over a 2 year old video is comical. This was easily the worst and most useless article ever written on this site. John is butt hurt that most of us don’t agree with him. You being mad about something that has nothing to do with you proves what?
At no point does he agree with what the kid did. He said he supports a second chance for the kid. Also where was all the outrage about his punishment before the video? Hitting a woman is wrong no matter what, but that doesn’t mean his life should be over.
Crist call Mixon a coward….Mixon is not a coward…he is victim of the rules of “Identity Politics”. What do I mean by a victim of “Identity Politics”…ask yourself the following:
What is worse…an African American hitting a white woman or said white female using the “N word” as a pejorative, while spitting-on and assaulting an African American male?
How about a Alternative-Lifestyle male calling an African American the “N word”?
What occurred here was the inevitable case of “world’s colliding”…
You see, when conflicting “Protected Classes” violate the “rules” set upon them by the self-appointed Overlords in the Dinosaur Media and Academia a conundrum occurs. The only way to solve the dissidence is for the Overlords to declare one Protected Class superior to another.
With apologies to Dan Patrick, what have we learned? In this case, the Overlord Crist decrees violence against a White Woman by an African-American Male is more egregious than the use of the “N word”, spitting-on and assaulting an African- American Male.
Pretty pathetic, but typical and more importantly…predictable.
Crist making strongly opinionated controversial statements then getting into a mud slinging name calling match with his readers?
I’m shocked.
Guys, he doesn’t care. This is his goal. 100+ comments and who knows how many views, its just more advertising money. He has done his job well.
Congrats John, you are single handedly turning SDS into a successful sports tabloid.
Coach 6420 = #Blacklivesdonotmatter
Just using an old Obama trick…you remember…not allowed to disagree with Barry O, if you do you are racist…how does it taste Coach?
I agree that his act is deplorable but the sad truth is in our society if you can play football you can get away with more than people who can’t. What do you guys expect? Ray Lewis stabbed someone and is going to end up in the Hall of Fame….
All you cats weren’t outraged until the video came out and well after the courts and OU already made their decisions. If you don’t root for Joe Mixon, that’s your opinion, but nothing can change the way that the situation was handled. This whole conversation is entirely moot.