Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
Here's something from the netherlands of cyberworld that I found very interesting.
Jeff Johnson of the consistently good Web site Thebleacherreport.com wonders if Oklahoma might be cursed since the introduction of plush mascots Boomer and Sooner as part of the Sooners' game-day experience.
The plush mascots, named after the two ponies that pull the Sooner Schooner around the field, were universally castigated because of their snarling mouths, red hair and enormous eyes.
"That first season, I thought they looked a little bit like a cross between Porky Pig and a donkey or something," Oklahoma spirit director Lori Kemmet told the Oklahoman. "They did have an image issue that first season."
By the way, I personally think having a title as spirit director is kind of a cool job. But I digress.
Fans even called the two mascots "Horse Pigs" and have started a blog calling for their removal.
Johnson also highlights that the Sooners biggest struggles have taken place on the field. Their first game was the 2005 opener where TCU beat the Sooners at Owen Field. Bob Stoops has lost 12 of his 22 games coaching Oklahoma since their arrival. And the Sooners' well-chronicled BCS bowl struggles have continued since these mascots started prowling the sidelines
So I wonder. Is Oklahoma really cursed by these mascots?
Facts seem to indicate so, although a big victory over TCU on Saturday might calm down some of the brayings of unrest in Norman.
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
