On Saturday, Oklahoma played Kansas in college football. The quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners is Baker Mayfield, the clear favorite for this year’s Heisman Trophy (the most valuable college football player). Before the game, captains from the Kansas football team decided that they would not partake in the customary shaking of hands with the captains of the Oklahoma team. This set the tone for the day. Mayfield also received a couple of late hits during the game, for which Kansas was penalized.
Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma played very well and won the game handily, 41-3. However, Mayfield decided that winning wasn’t enough. He grabbed his crotch and directed some lewd language to the Oklahoma players and fans.
Mayfield apologized immediately following the game. He said the right things, saying that he did not act as a role model and that he didn’t let his actions do the talking. However, his coach imposed the following penalty – for the final regular season game of the year 1) he would not be a captain and 2) he would not be allowed to start.
Joe’s Perspective – Composure: Mayfield teaches us another great lesson in composure. Yes, the Kansas players showed poor sportsmanship. Refusing to shake hands shows a lack of class. They were clearly wanting to get under Mayfield’s skin… and it worked. The lesson is simple. If Mayfield hadn’t responded, the story line would have been about the sportsmanship of Kansas. Mayfield would have looked like the bigger man, the better man. Instead his reputation is tarnished further (not his first apology this season). Let this story serve as a lesson on how not to respond.
Joe’s Perspective – Jeopardized Future: I wonder how many Heisman voters will decide not to vote for Mayfield. Do they want to reward this behavior with the most prestigious award in college football? Will NFL owners shy away from drafting a player with “character” issues? Maybe, maybe not.
Your Turn:
- Do you think Mayfield was justified to respond the way he did after the Kansas players displayed such poor sportsmanship? Explain.
- If you had a Heisman vote, would his actions keep you from voting for him to win the Heisman? Explain.
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No I don’t feel like Mayfield was justified on his actions. As a captain of his team he should have been more mature and not let there poor sportminship get to him. It was inappropriate and disrespectful to not only the other team but his team and fans as well. In all honesty yes his actions would keep me from voting for him because on how he acted and how inappropriate he was.
The way he acted was not the way he should of acted. I probably wouldn’t have voted for him because of his actions and the way he affected the fans and other people that cared about him
No Mayfield was not justified to respond the way he did. As a captain you’ll sometimes have to take it how it is and never lose composure. Mayfield kept his cool perfectly until he let a bit of his emotions get the better of him. Now if I had a Heisman vote, his decision to perform that action wouldn’t necessarily keep me from voting for him but, I would definitely think long and hard on my decision.
I would still vote for him on the Heisman vote and Mayfield juat should just turn the other cheek and play the game sometimes other team.would be sore lossers with no class.
To portray leadership qualities means to not let people affect your game or attitude, and that was clearly the case here. The way that Mayfield responded to these actions was not justified at all, and since it has not been his first time to apologize for actions like these ones, it makes sense that he has fair punishment. Mayfield’s actions has left me with less respect for him as a leader, and even more so as a potential Heisman Trophy winner. To win an award like that, the stakes need to be higher, and the leadership and maturity level needs to be taken much more seriously.
I think he should have expressed his emotions on the field like that but it is what it is. If I already had his vote, I would probably just leave it be, because it not like he does that everytime. Everyone makes a mistake that doesn’t mean you can’t vote for them and what not.
I agree
Agreed
No he wasn’t justified, he didn’t have to do that. He could’ve just pointed at the score board and walked away. That would not change my vote for him to win the Heisman .
No I don’t think Mayfield was justified because he shouldn’t have responded the way he did. He should of had better sportsman ship than the other team.
I would not vote for Mayfield because if he acted that way once he will do it again. He doesn’t deserve it after the way he acted.
No he wasn’t justified because I’m my point of view he didnt do the right thing up to the end. And as a caption he should’ve been the leader and an example to everyone else.
No Mayfield was not justified to respond the way he did. He could of just kept his composure at the end like he did the whole game. But this would not change my vote for him to win. Because the other team did something wrong too.
Mayfield was not justified in his actions and any punishment imposed is. He knows his actions would tarnish his view and he also knew that it was a bad idea, however in the heat of the moment he made the wrong decision. Mayfield’s actions would not prevent me from voting for him however the other candidates would.
Mayfield didn’t act right as a captain he should of stayed quiet and the best way to prove someone wrong is by winning. His actions got him to lose his spot as a captain but also lost respect towards some people. I wouldn’t vote for him because once you see someone act like that even if they relaxed they did wrong they will do it again.
I would not vote for him for the Heisman, becuase one of the characteristics of a leader is to keep calm under pressure, and to no lose your composure, and I feel that Mayfield did both of those. I believe that the Heisman should go to a player in which is not only athletically eligible but also academically and they show the characteristics of a leader.
1. I do not think that he was justified responding the way he did because of the Kansas players. If that Kansas players want decide to do that, that’s on them. It should not have been his problem to make it a bigger deal and put his reputation to the line. Kansas players should have learned from their mistake of not having good sportsman ship. Not having Mayfield come up and think he had the right to disrespect others the way he did.
2. If i had the Heisman vote I think it would be a good reason to illuminate him from my choices. There are other good players all over the nation that have better responses to bad sportsmanship and they have earned it more than he has. To the Voters, it just shows the lack of immaturity he had in his response
I believe he shouldn’t of responded the way he did. It did not show true sportsmanship to others. He should of been the bigger person and dealt with it. His actions would definitely not get my vote. I would want someone who has true character.
No, I do not think that Mayfield’s action justified Kansas’s poor sportsmanship. I think the mature thing to do, would have been Mayfield to just shake the bad play off and over look the situation instead of making it worse, and embarrassing himself.
No I do not think it was right to respond the way that he did because those actions are not the kind of actions a role model should make. No, I would not vote for him for the Heisman because even if it was just one game, he’s shown that those kinds of actions may still come out if someone gets under his skin.
I would still vote for him to be the Heisman because he only act in that way once , he was in the heat of the game. But Mayfield wasn’t justified in his actions
No I don’t think he was justified in doing what he did because as the saying goes “two wrongs don’t make a right”. Just because Kansas didn’t display good sportsmanship doesn’t mean he has to react the way he did. Yes his actions would keep me from voting for him in winning the Heisman. The award should not be given to someone just because they are good at the sport but for their character on and off the field. The way they act away from the game is much more important that how they play. In my opinion and taking into consideration that this is not he first incident, Mayfield should not be voted for.
He wasn’t justified! He didn’t need to act that way! Yes he doesn’t have my vote because if you win the heisman, meaning you are the most valuable player, u can’t have poor leadership and show that kind of attitude!
Well it depends. On the captain meeting he did what he should of done but during the game he shouldn’t of done that but yes I️ would still vote for him through out the year he has be dominate on the field
1. Nothing justifies stepping down to a teams bad sportsmanship. It’s all about maturity and being the better player. Things like bad sportsmanship are done just to get under a players skin. I don’t think that the other teams actions should justify what Mayfield did.
2. An award like that is going to have a lot of people look up to them and I personally don’t think he should receive it because he in no way was a good role model. He behaved like a child and not like a mature leader at all. It’s not always about talent because the way you act and such is valued just as highly as talent.
1. I think Mayfield should have let his game talk rather than making the gesture. I understand why he did it, but he has to do a better job of keeping his composure especially on big stages.
2. If I had a Heisman vote, I would not have changed my vote because of the gesture. It is clear that he was the most outstanding player this season.
No I don’t think Mayfield has the right to partake in the actions he did after the game just because Kansas wasn’t showing good sportsmanship doesn’t mean that you as the star player should act out of normal after a game to show the other team how they acted and how uncool it was.