Baker Mayfield needs to move on; stop complaining about Texas Tech

If Baker Mayfield whined as much as a child as he does as a college football player, he would have been insufferable. Despite the fact that the former Texas Tech quarterback is preparing to lead the Oklahoma Sooners against the No. 1 ranked Clemson Tigers in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Mayfield continues to complain about how he is still being victimized by Kliff Kingsbury and Texas Tech.

It has been two full years since Mayfield and Texas Tech went their separate ways but it seems that every few months, the OU quarterback has to find another way to complain about how he has been wronged by Kliff Kingsbury, who Mayfield’s father called a scoundrel in the aftermath of Mayfield’s transfer to OU. (By the way Mr. Mayfield, 1880 called and it wants its insult back. Scoundrel? Really? Who do you think you are? Wyatt Earp?)

More from Wreck'Em Red

For some reason, this week The Daily Oklahoman is reporting on an incident that happened over a year ago when Mayfield was asked to leave a popular Lubbock restaurant when he was in town for the Texas Tech – OU game. The author of the piece, Brady Vardeman, uses this non-story in an attempt to once again paint Mayfield as a victim before going on to claim that Texas Tech or the Big 12 should grand the junior quarterback an extra year of eligibility.

"Mayfield, of course, was eager to once again join in the pity party saying, “You can pressure Texas Tech into signing off because it’s about that time for them to realize it’s quite ridiculous that they didn’t pay for any of my school and they’re able to take a year of my eligibility away…” Link"

But the reality of the situation is that Mayfield is not a victim of anything but his own decisions. While the national media has taken up Mayfield’s cause and vilified Kingsubury as a petty coach trying to dictate the life of a walk-on, the reality of the story is much different.

For some reason, most around America have the idea that Mayfield was dismissed from the team or was told he was not going to be offered a scholarship. The truth is that Mayfield willingly left the team on his own accord simply because he lost his starting position to Davis Webb.

Mayfield walked out on his teammates before the season was over leaving Texas Tech to play the 2013 Holiday Bowl without its backup quarterback. How does that make Mayfield the victim?

And as for the scholarship issue, does anyone really think that Kingsbury would not have put a quarterback that started 8 games on scholarship the next semester? Considering that this season, Kingsbury put third-string quarterback Nick Shimonek on scholarship it stands to reason that if Mayfield had bothered to stay at Texas Tech for the spring semester, he would have been given a full-ride.

But Texas Tech could not give scholarships during the middle of a semester so to the uninformed outsider it appears that Mayfield left because he wasn’t going to be rewarded. That simply is not the case.

And as for Texas Tech making Mayfield sit out the 2014 season, Kingsbury was simply following conference and NCAA rules.

"Even Vardeman admits this when he writes, “Because of conference and NCAA transfer rules, [Mayfield] sat out the entire 2014 season.” Link"

Notice that the quote does not say that the rules were Texas Tech’s rules but the rules of the conference and the NCAA. Why does Mayfield feel that he is entitled to be treated differently than any other player that transfers, walk-on or not?

In 2014, Texas Tech defensive end Mike Mitchell sat out a year after transferring to Texas Tech from Ohio to be closer to his family as his father faced health issues. He had a much more valid reason to ask the NCAA to waive its transfer rule for him but he simply abided by the rule that everyone else must also adhere to.

Is Bob Stoops going to allow Trevor Knight to transfer from Oklahoma to another Big 12 school much less agree to waive the one-year penalty? Most certainly not.

So why should Kingsbury be expected to? The rule applies to all players, walk-on or not.

Two years removed from the incident, Texas Tech has moved on with head coach Kliff Kingsbury even praising Mayfield’s play this season. If anyone has the right to hold a grudge it is Kingsbury who had his quarterback quit on him before the season ended only to spread lies and continually run Kingsbury’s name through the mud.

But unlike Mayfield, Kingsbury is no longer bothered by the past.

"When asked prior to playing Oklahoma this season if the Mayfield situation was being overblown, Kingsbury said, “For me, yes. That happened two years ago really, 21 months, something like that.” Link"

One of the great lessons young people learn through sports is that one’s actions have consequences. For instance, if you play for a NCAA football team and decide to transfer to another team, you have to sit out a year. That is the price a player pays as decided by the NCAA.

Next: Texas Tech QB Commit Jet Duffey Wins Prestigious Award

Baker Mayfield is coming across as an entitled petulant child by continuing to complain and whine about the situation he created two years ago. Here’s hoping that the Big 12 and the NCAA stand firm on this issue hopefully teaching Mayfield that one must deal with the repercussions of one’s decisions.

Most people learn that lesson in their adolescent years. Hopefully Mayfield learns this soon so that we no longer have to listen to his childish whining.

Home/Texas Tech Red Raiders News