During Monday’s Sugar Bowl matchup between the Auburn Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners, ESPN commentator Brent Musburger attempted to discuss the 2014 video of Sooners running back Joe Mixon punching a 22-year-old female in the face that led to broken bones.
Mixon sat out his freshman season for hitting the young woman, but his lawyers released video of the punch just weeks ago in mid-December.
Musburger called the video “troubling” in the second quarter Monday, but went on to wish the running back well on a NFL career.
“It was troubling, very troubling to see,” Musberger said of Mixon and the video. “We’ve talked to the coaches and they all swear that the young man is doing fine. Like I said, Oklahoma thought he might even transfer, but he sat out the suspension, reinstated, and, folks, he’s just one of the best, and let’s hope, given a second chance by Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, let’s hope that this young man makes the most of his chance and goes on to have a career in the National Football League.”
Musburger caught wind that his comments were not received well.
In the third quarter, he doubled down on his comments, saying he happens “to pull for people with second chances.”
“[A]pparently, some people were very upset when I wished this young man well at the next level. Let me make something perfectly clear. What he did with that young lady was brutal, uncalled for… He’s apologized. He was tearful. He got a second chance. He got a second chance from Bob Stoops. I happen to pull for people with second chances, OK? Let me make it absolutely clear that I hope he has a wonderful career and he teaches people with that brutal, violent video. OK?” he stated.
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