Growing up in Eugene in the 1980s-90s, I never got into hockey. There were no youth hockey leagues to play in, and if there had been, I would not have played, as football, basketball, baseball, volleyball and soccer occupied my youth. Mr. FishDuck took time from his fun at Memo casino to agree that he was never into hockey as …
During the offseason of 2024, a repeated theme among college football pundits was wondering how the four new teams from the Pac-12 would respond to the more “physical” nature of B1G football. Mr. FishDuck took some time from his fun at Nomaspin casino to ponder this very interesting midwestern assertion with me. The Pac-12 had always been known as a …
With the retirement of Nick Saban, I got to thinking about which program, if any, will replace Alabama as the school that rehabilitates formerly disgraced head coaches and resurrects their careers. Saban’s two biggest “clients,” Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin, have become successful at their latest stops. A big-time potential patient for career rehabilitation would be Lincoln Riley. I foresee …
On June 30, 2022, the USC Trojans, along with the UCLA Bruins, announced they were leaving for the B1G Conference beginning in Summer 2024. The Trojans had long grumbled to the powers in the Pac-12 that they deserved a larger slice of the pie instead of the conference’s equal distribution policy. As the lone historical blue-blood in the Pac-12, the …
The Ducks peaked at just the right time in putting together their first (not perfect) complete game of the season against Ohio State. The scheduling gods were on Oregon’s side, as Duck fans were able to see improvement from week to week. Had this game been played a couple of weeks earlier, the outcome might have been much different. One …
The Ohio State-Oregon game will be the B1G version of Georgia-Alabama. It is a battle of conference heavyweights that should set the tone for the rest of the season. If the Ducks play like they did against Michigan State, with a strong defensive performance, good ground game, and flashes of passing brilliance, they can win if Dillon Gabriel can make …
The Georgia-Alabama game got me thinking that perhaps the SEC has finally been completely “Pac-12’d.” Long gone are the days of SEC teams simply playing great defense paired with a conservative, run-heavy, ball-control offense where they could just bully opponents in the trenches and win a national title. For decades, a lack of dominant linemen out west has always pushed …
In a way, it is sad to see how far UCLA football has fallen in the 2000s. The old Pac-8 and Pac-10 used to be comprised of USC, UCLA, sometimes Washington (I begrudgingly confess), and everyone else. UCLA is the poster child of the old school, classic stadium, traditionally solid program that utterly failed to adapt to the new order …
The Beavers might have gotten blown out by Our Beloved Ducks on Saturday, but they did gain a conference over the weekend, as it is all but assured that the Pac-12 will live on. The conference poached Colorado State, Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference. Mr. FishDuck took a minute from his fun …
Off the top of my head, recalling Civil War games I attended from my youth, I remember that the 1983, 0-0 “Toilet Bowl” had a torrential downpour. The 1985 game was frigidly cold. The 1993 game had fog. With this year’s game in September, and most years moving forward, the third competitor in the Civil War — weather — has …
The season is not over. The end is not near. The sky is not falling. While Oregon’s lackluster play against the Idaho Vandals raises concerns, let history be our guide as we clear our heads and realize that one poor performance does not make a season. For, let us not forget a couple of other bad first games in recent …
The season is here! Every year I am emotionally torn between the joy of football season starting and the harsh reality that summer is ending and cold weather — which really means something here in frigid Spokane — is on the horizon. It is my own personal “Sunday scaries” for the year. With the Ducks playing a tomato (or is …