For Barry Odom, everything is a teaching moment

Here are today's Mizzou Links.

By Bill Connelly@SBN_BillC Jul 20, 2016, 4:59am CDT

What's On

GAHN MCGAFFIE.

Why McGaffie? a) Why not??? b) Kickoffs might become relics soon.

SB Nation: College football might get rid of kickoffs, which are dangerous and usually boring

SB Nation: Imagining an NFL without kickoffs

Honestly, I think I'm okay with this. For every McGaffie, there are seemingly a thousand "go to commercial break, then watch a touchback (and maybe go to another commercial break" combos that kill the flow of a game. And if it really does prevent a few more injuries -- I'm not completely sold on the "kickoffs have demonstrably more injuries" line, but I can certainly recall quite a few taking place on kickoffs -- then I'm good.

On November

You had to kind of figure that last November's protests would come up as Barry Odom made the July media rounds. Indeed, it did. I like his answers (there's not just a ton he can say), and I love the confidence Charles Harris is showing in his answers. As has been the case since November, there's no answer that will make the entire fan base happy regarding this topic, but Harris is confident and smart and represents the university well. Ditto the head coach.

ESPN.com: Ivan Maisel's podcast: Barry Odom

I know what I've done, what our university, athletic department has done. It's for me about dealing with our kids. We've got a chance to take everything that has happened on our campus, in America, on a daily basis and use those as teaching tools, together, forming true, trusting relationships.

And if there's an issue that comes up, my guys know that they can go into Coach Odom's office and sit down and talk with me. They know that door's open, and we're gonna sit and we're gonna work together and figure it out. There's an opportunity now for us to make a positive change in our world.

SECsports.com: SEC coaches at ESPN's Car Wash

Post-Dispatch: Harris set to leave his mark on Mizzou football team in more ways than one

It’s with that confidence and self-awareness that led Harris to stand among his teammates during last November’s protest. Last week Harris reflected on those three tense days of tumult and uncertainty was without a hint of regret.

"I believe it benefited not just myself but other athletes," he said. "There’s a lot of other schools, a lot of communication between Mizzou and other schools in regards to the appreciation they have for us and the things we did." [...]

“Criticism is going to come in all shapes, forms and sizes,” he said. “The criticism is not something I didn’t expect. For individuals who actually play college football first of all, you’re more than just a student of the game. You’re a student in general. And you’re a human being. You have feelings and emotions.”

The Trib: Odom aims to educate players on social media conduct

John Gibson, an African-American from Missouri City, Texas, posted a tweet for which he caught some blowback.

"Where I’m from its an eye for and eye kill one of mine one of yours gone die," Gibson tweeted.

He added: "No this is on white people. Of all the blacks they killed y’all nobody’s worried, but worried bout 10 white cops."

Gibson deleted the first tweet. The second one has not been deleted.

Odom said he talked with Gibson about the tweets.

"All of those are teaching moments," Odom said. "We’ve got to realize that not only is that a statement that comes from one person’s Twitter feed, but is also, because of where they are and the position that they’re in, it’s a reflection on a whole bunch of other people."