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Oklahoma’s Brent Venables Thinks About the SEC ‘At Least Once a Day’ But Remains Focused on the Present

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Oklahoma’s Brent Venables Thinks About the SEC ‘At Least Once a Day’ But Remains Focused on the Present


TULSA – Brent Venables has had so much on his thoughts recently – most of which he ticked off Thursday evening throughout a press convention at historic Cain’s Ballroom as he ready to satisfy the gang on the primary cease of the brand new Sooner Coaches Caravan.

Oklahoma’s first-time head coach mentioned he’s not a lot into evaluating the place OU stands as the varsity transitions towards the Southeastern Convention – nevertheless it’s not like he by no means thinks concerning the SEC.

“Man, I take into consideration every little thing on a regular basis,” Venables mentioned. “Nonstop. That’s in my thoughts a minimum of as soon as a day.”

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Venables coached 13 years at OU in his first go-round. He’s been competing for nationwide championships for the final 10 years at Clemson. He’s seen the perfect the SEC has to supply, and he and Dabo Swinney and the Tiger program have slain the dragon – twice.

Now he’s had a full spring follow to evaluate how his Sooner stack up.

However Venables adheres to the phrase Teddy Roosevelt made well-known greater than 100 years in the past: comparability is the thief of pleasure.

“I’m probably not involved about attempting to match us to anyone else,” Venables mentioned. “We’re going to be inside-out with every little thing that we do. I simply need us to concentrate on being our greatest. Whenever you begin evaluating your self, it’s a dropping battle.”

Venables mentioned he’s requested the gamers, each coach, each administrator and has even implored Sooner Nation: concentrate on you. Don’t fear about Alabama, or Georgia, or Nick Saban, or the SEC.

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“You’ll by no means be nice at something for those who’re not centered on doing all your greatest,” Venables mentioned. “Being the perfect is a byproduct of all people being dedicated to a day by day dedication of excellence. I’m don’t assume that’s a profitable strategy to assume, myself.”

And but, he’s all too conscious that membership in faculty soccer’s premier convention awaits.

“That is down the highway,” Venables mentioned. “We’re attempting to construct a program so we are able to compete with anyone in faculty soccer, so we are able to turn out to be the usual in faculty soccer.

“I do have a really clear imaginative and prescient for what that appears like. We have got lots of work to do.”

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Venables’ boundless power is just not pretend. He admitted that he’s “consumed by every little thing” in the case of making Oklahoma soccer the perfect it may be.

“My job is to have foresight and be very thorough in all my pondering,” Venables mentioned. “However on the similar time, be centered on being inside-out. I take into consideration every little thing. I take into consideration what that first play towards UTEP goes to seem like.

“However I additionally know I’ve bought to concentrate on being very dedicated to (being) proper right here within the second. There’s energy within the current, there’s hope sooner or later. And proper now, my ft are proper right here, proper now.”

“I attempt to do every little thing I can to assist our guys concentrate on the best stuff, to assume the best means, to deal with it day-to-day, stop worrying about sometime and concentrate on in the present day, and serving to our guys having some pleasure of their journey. As a result of the world will steal your pleasure in a minute for those who let it.”



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Oklahoma

Oklahoma panel advances three sports betting bills amid concerns about tribal exclusivity rights

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Oklahoma panel advances three sports betting bills amid concerns about tribal exclusivity rights


Bills that would legalize  sports betting, including one that would allow the Oklahoma City Thunder to obtain a gaming license, advanced Thursday from a Senate committee despite concerns that at least one measure could violate existing compacts with the state’s tribes.



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Thunder at Timberwolves: Injury report, broadcast info, analysis

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Thunder at Timberwolves: Injury report, broadcast info, analysis


7:30 p.m. Thursday at Target Center

TV/radio: TNT, TruTV; KFAN, iHeart app.

Wolves update: This is the final game for the Wolves before the All-Star break and the first of three matchups they will play against the Thunder in their next four games. G Mike Conley missed his third consecutive game Wednesday because of a dislocated finger. G Donte DiVincenzo (toe) and F Julius Randle (adductor strain) are also out. The Wolves are 4-4 this season when playing on no rest.

Thunder update: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in a battle for MVP with Nikola Jokic and is averaging 32.6 points per game. Minnehaha graduate Chet Holmgren returned from an extended hip injury and has played 22 and 25 minutes in his two games back prior to Wednesday’s game against Miami. The Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league at 104.2 points allowed per 100 possessions. That’s 4.1 points better than the No. 2 team. That’s better than the same gap between the No. 2 team and the No. 11 team.

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Paula Lewis wins reelection as OKCPS school board leader • Oklahoma Voice

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Paula Lewis wins reelection as OKCPS school board leader • Oklahoma Voice


OKLAHOMA CITY — An incumbent school board leader in Oklahoma City Public Schools won reelection in dominant fashion Tuesday.

Paula Lewis secured another four years as board chairperson in the Oklahoma City district by earning 53.54% of the vote, crossing the 50% threshold needed to win the seat without continuing to a general election. 

She defeated Niah Spriggs, who earned 29.69% of the vote, and Jan Barrick with 16.76%.

Lewis, 54, ran on her record of leading the school board through a transformative era in the district’s history since she became chairperson in 2017, a period that includes carrying out a massive school consolidation plan in 2019, weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and securing a historic $955 million bond issue in 2022. 

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“We have really smart kids,” Lewis said as the final results rolled in Tuesday night. “They weren’t able to get the resources they needed soon enough, and we’re getting them there. We’ve right-sized the budgets. We’ve passed the bond. We’ve done all the things, and now our kids are ready to go. We’re going to really change lives in the next four years.”

She fended off Spriggs, 50, and Barrick, 73 — two first-time candidates who campaigned for change in a district that has chronically suffered from low reading and math scores.

Barrick did not return a request for comment Tuesday night.

Niah Spriggs earned 29.69% of the vote, falling short of Paula Lewis, in the election for the board chairperson seat on the Board of Education in Oklahoma City Public Schools. (Photo provided)

Spriggs, an educator and former businesswoman, said the results were “sad for the children of Oklahoma.” She said the state has “allowed the system to fail for so long, it’s going to be very difficult to pull ourselves out of this hole.”

“Hopefully we can make some impactful change, hopefully starting the conversation,” Spriggs said when reached Tuesday night. “Because before Jan (Barrick) and I started talking about this, everything was the status quo.”

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Spriggs also lamented the large amount of money poured into the race.

Lewis raised $66,640 for her reelection campaign, public records show. Spriggs raised $4,250 and loaned her campaign $1,200, according to campaign finance records.

Jan Barrick finished third in the race for the school board chairperson seat in Oklahoma City Public Schools with 16.76% of the vote. (Photo provided)

Barrick, the former owner of the curriculum and testing provider Alpha Plus Educational Systems, hasn’t filed any documents detailing her campaign fundraising or spending. 

Lewis, an occupational therapist, pledged to continue steady leadership as the board develops a new strategic plan focused on student outcomes. She said the goal is for the board to spend 50% of its meetings discussing academic results and student achievement.

This will be her final term on the school board, she said. Her son, Reign, will be in the final months of his senior year of high school when her term comes to a close in 2029.

“I won’t run again because I feel like being a parent has been a game changer,” Lewis said. “Sitting in this seat, it has allowed me to see the decisions we take votes on from a parent’s view and how that affects me at my house and my children, as well as from a district policy level.”

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Two other board incumbents, Carole Thompson from District 1 and Vice Chairperson Lori Bowman from District 2, automatically were reelected to four-year terms after not drawing opponents.

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