“So much for elbow room,” says my friend I.C. Green as we watch Oregon’s morning practice wind down from the soccer stands at Kilkenny Field. “I remember when there were only three or four of us at fall camp. Rich Brooks used to come over and chat us up. How times have changed. “But at least then we were standing …
Football’s losing war on marijuana
Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Chris Simms has pleaded not guilty to driving while under the influence of illicit drugs, in this case marijuana. On Tuesday, in a lower Manhattan court room, a police officer told jurors that on July 1, 2010, at around 1:00 a.m., Simms made a “tire-squealing “turn” just before a police sobriety checkpoint in lower Manhattan. The …
Cantu’s Oregon career a cautionary tale in the recruiting hype
He tore the labrum in the third week of summer workouts in 2008, getting tangled up with a safety. It was never completely right after that. He greyshirted that year, enrolled Winter Term of 2009. He shined in Spring Practice, nabbing three balls for 111 yards in the 2009 Spring Game. One of Oregon’s first recruits from Texas along with …
The 1989 Independence Bowl: How Oregon Overcame Years Of Losing Thanks To An Old Pair Of Shoes
It had been a time of great suffering, 26 years to be exact, since Oregon had last played in a bowl game. There had been opportunities, but the heartbreaking trend known as “Duck-Luck” repeatedly reared its ugly head preventing Oregon from elevating itself above the mire; unfortunate injures or odd circumstance always getting in the way. For a time Oregon …
It’s a new stage for former Duck cheerleader Katelynn Johnson
Katelynn Johnson can still be spotted on the sidelines of football stadiums. Her infectious laugh remains. So does her unflagging energy. But no more pom-poms. No more whipping up the home crowd. No more green and yellow and black and gray (at least not in public). Now, it’s all about microphones and cameras and joshing with fans of every stripe. …
Will Oregon be ready for LSU?
meme – an idea, behavior or style that spreads from person to person within a culture, analagous to the way genes spread biological information. Ad nauseam – a Latin term used to describe an argument which has been continuing “to [the point of] nausea”. “The Ducks have trouble with elite defensive lines and teams with extra time to prepare.” “Oregon …
Record-Setting Night For O’Neil and McLemore Set The Stage For 1994 Rose Bowl Run
It was only one game in a season to remember for the Oregon Ducks, a time when the dream that seemed beyond reach for so many years might finally be attainable. For two teammates in particular, it was a night that permanently etched their names in the Oregon Ducks record books, while moving one step closer to the Pac-10 championship. …
Prepare Your Senses, It’s Nearly Football Season!!!
Can you smell it in the air? There’s a sense of something not quite definable but very enticing wafting on the breeze that demands attention, like the scent of somebody barbecuing nearby. It’s that beautiful, unavoidable event we crave most, and wait for what feels like a lifetime to experience again. It’s nearly football season, the duck days of summer …
All Forward in The ‘Age of the O’
A new Oregon anthem — “O Time” — was released this week by hip-hop artist Xile of Portland. The accompanying music video is catchy, sprinkled with guest appearances by former UO gridiron greats like Jonathan Stewart and Dennis Dixon, and of images that capture the momentum that is Duck football today. Innovative. Trendy. Successful. Just in time for the opener …
King For a Week: The 7-days Jaiya Figueras Could Do No Wrong — Part 3
Part 3: Going Their Separate Ways — Friends Struggle to Succeed On Separate Paths For The First Time For friends Jaiya Figueras and Kenny Wheaton, their first couple of years at the University of Oregon had seen the pendulum swing wildly. After their redshirt season in 1993 watching their teammates struggle to win, the two roommates had spearheaded the improbable …
King For a Week: The 7-days Jaiya Figueras Could Do No Wrong — Part 2
Part 2: Jaiya Figueras: The hero’s coming out party arrives early in 1995 The 1994 season was special for the players and fans alike. The sting of losing seasons had been washed away with an improbable run to the Pac-10 title and Rose Bowl berth. It was a huge surprise to everyone, except roommates Jaiya Figueras and Kenny Wheaton, who …
King For a Week: The 7-days Jaiya Figueras Could Do No Wrong — Part 1
Part 1: Jaiya Figueras and Kenny Wheaton: Freshmen Roommates Driven to Succeed Every Oregon Duck fan can probably recite verbatim the infamous Jerry Allen call of Kenny Wheaton’s interception versus Washington in 1994, or fondly remember Joey Harrington hitting Samie Parker in stride for an 80 yard touchdown in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl, or Marcus Woods flattening BYU quarterback Ty …