Oklahoma softball has been on a remarkable run over the last three years en route to three consecutive national championships. On the way to becoming the second program in the history of NCAA softball to three-peat, the Oklahoma Sooners became must-see television.
They didn’t just win games, they did it in a way that left no doubt who the best team in softball was. They scored 500 runs for the third straight season, becoming the first program to reach the 500-run mark in three consecutive years.
It has been an incredible run that even caught the eye of Stephen A. Smith, an analyst for ESPN, who acknowledged Oklahoma’s greatness on his show “First Take.”
I want an investigation into this program. Obviously, I’m being very facetious in giving them mad mad credit and love. Let me explain to America something that’s going on here. I want to know what’s in the water in Oklahoma. Something. Not only have they won three consecutive national championships, they are 56-4, 59-3 and 61-1. Have a 53-game winning streak this past season. Over the last three years, that is 176-8. The year before that. They were 20-4 before the pandemic canceled the season. OK. And previously, they had won two of the three previous championships before that. Oh, no, what the (expletive) is going on here? This level of domination? I mean, we think about UCLA with John Wooden. You think about, you know, you think about that. You think about the Boston Celtics, 60s and 70s. The level of domination going on in Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma with this softball team is unreal. So congratulations to them. It is something special, and all I can say to all the young ladies out there, anybody that wants to learn how to play softball in a winning way, clearly the place to visit is Oklahoma University. — Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take
Oklahoma’s run of success over the last decade is as impressive as any. Not only at the collegiate level but also at the professional level. It’s a run that rivals the New England Patriots and the Alabama Crimson Tide in football over the last two decades.
Patty Gasso’s led Oklahoma to a level of success that rivals that of legendary women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies. From 2008-2009 through the 2015-2016 season, the Huskies won six national titles in eight seasons.
Our Jaron Spor wrote Friday about the impact Patty Gasso has had on the sport of softball. Stephen A. Smith’s recognition of the Sooners’ run is further evidence of how much the sport has grown during Oklahoma’s back-to-back-to-back championship stretch.
While some may bemoan the dominant nature of Oklahoma softball, their success has led to tremendous growth of the sport.
Some may dislike the idea of one dominant team, it creates fascinating storylines that make for incredible theater each time they take the stage. Whether you’re for them or against them, people tune in to see what’s going to happen.
Oklahoma softball sells.
They sell out home stadium, set records at away stadiums and generate incredible ratings.
Love them or hate them, they’re great for the sport. When someone as prominent as Stephen A. Smith takes the time on his daily show to talk about their greatness, that not only builds up Oklahoma but it helps the sport grow.
As we’ve seen recently, exposure has helped both softball and women’s basketball reach new heights in popularity over the last few years. And as the Oklahoma Sooners completed their three-peat, the sport of softball continues to reach higher heights.
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