Patty Gasso joined Stephen A. Smith to advocate for improvements in college softball.

Happy Tuesday, friends and fans!

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Patty Gasso recently caught up with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and shared her thoughts on what the sport needs to improve upon for its teams and the product itself. While it is a bit shocking to hear just how limited the conditions at Hall of Fame Stadium are during the Women’s College World Series, it’s unfortunately not all that surprising.

It’s pretty amazing, but Gasso is quite easily the face of college softball right now, especially with Arizona’s legendary Mike Candrea having announced his retirement earlier this month. Now as for what she said in her interview, I wholeheartedly agree with every single one of her points, in particular her suggestion for implementing reviews. Hopefully the NCAA can help make at least some of these proposals a reality before next year’s WCWS.

Now onto today’s Hot Links! Oklahoma Softball ends the season as the unanimous No. 1 team, former OU DB inks deal with Seattle, a rogue burrito causes a record holder to test positive for steroids and more!

OU Links

• No surprise here. OU Softball finishes as the unanimous No. 1 ranked team in the final NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll of the 2021 season. I’d honestly be shocked if the Sooners don’t enter the 2022 season as the nation’s top squad also.

• After selecting Rhamondre Stevenson in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots believe the future is bright in Foxborough for the former Oklahoma running back.
• Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott recently predicted that second-year WR CeeDee Lamb will have a breakout season this fall after making a splash on the scene as a rookie in 2020.
• OU Athletics has claimed at least one NCAA title in each of the last eight years (not counting the COVID-affected 2020 year). That doesn’t even include all the runner-up finishes from several programs such as men’s and women’s gymnastics, softball, men’s golf and more. AD Joe Castiglione must be extremely proud of what he’s helped build. Boomer!

• Ex-Sooner DB Will Sunderland has reportedly signed with the Seattle Seahawks. After being dismissed from the team in the summer of 2017, Sunderland found a new home with the Troy Trojans a year later. There, he eventually earned First Team All-Sun Belt honors.

Around the Sports World

• Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden has been upgraded to ‘doubtful’ going into Game Five after missing the past four contests with hamstring tightness in his right leg. The Nets are currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks, 2-2.
• The Minnesota Vikings have officially reunited with former purple people eater Sheldon Richardson. The team and the 30-year-old D-lineman have agreed to a one-year contract for $3.6 million.
• On Tuesday, class of 2022 five-star DL Mykel Williams out of Columbus, Georgia announced his verbal commitment to the USC Trojans.

• Runner Shelby Houlihan is the current American record holder in the 1,500 and 5,000 meter races, but she recently received a four-year ban from competing after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. While the penalty is final, she firmly denies the result and believes the reason why her test yielded positive was because of a tainted burrito she ate prior to testing. That gosh darn food truck industry strikes again.

Follow Crimson & Cream Machine on Twitter!