As it is time to reveal my 2016 Oregon football predictions – and the reasoning behind them – I look back to the last two weeks and marvel at how some notable sports journalists got called out here on FishDuck.com. Senior Editor Mike Merrell eviscerated Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports and then skewered Todd McShay of ESPN a few days …
The stunning preseason predictions from Pac-12 sports journalists have placed Oregon third, or even as low as fourth (courtesy of Sports Illustrated) in the North division, let alone the entire conference. For long-term Oregon fans, this is scarcely believable; how can the first nine-win season in nearly a decade of double-digit wins be the inception of upcoming mediocrity for Duck football? The answer from many …
It was great to hear that the Oregon Athletic Program finished the highest ever in the Learfield Directors Cup standings at tenth place, yet in the middle of the announcement by UO Media we saw something that really stood out; Oregon finished first among all schools having the same number of sports available for the ninth straight year! How does that work? The …
Something I worried about going into last season was the skill Vernon Adams had in throwing the long-ball, and whether the coaches would allow him to do it. It took awhile, but it became apparent to all that (even with the occasional interception) the odds for a completion were good, and sometimes for big scores at big moments. I know this …
Oregon has gone from rags-to-riches in quarterback recruiting in just one year, and it has created an interesting quandary for us as fans to ponder. Should Oregon forget about a quarterback recruit for 2017? I don’t have the answers here, and it was one of the interesting little items that sit back in my mind – wondering what the Duck …
The number of preseason predictions touting Washington as a conference front-runner and Oregon as a fading asset have surprised me. Like so many of you – I thought we earned our stripes by ranking in the top ten nationally so often during the past decade. Yet it seems experts are quick to downgrade the Ducks for imperfections (while giving other …
ALERT: The following quotes by Defensive Coordinator Brady Hoke are NOT accurate. He stated a very polite version of what you will read, and I dramatized it to make a point. (I am known for drama … but I always back it up as you will see) Coach Hoke cleared his throat and eyed the 60-70 high school football coaches …
My FishDuck.com friends, We are converting the site gradually over the next six weeks to an “Analysis-Only” format, and there will be some adjustments going forward for everyone. First: I am sorry to announce that most of the interesting articles that the site has been known for … will no longer be published. Sports news reporting, recruiting, opinion-editorials – none of …
My friends … I am excited about what I saw from the Oregon Spring Game. It has become evident to me that we are on a path that will someday take us to a National Championship. Now you know me: I am admittedly an insufferable fool for the Ducks, the classic homer fan. That said, I do have the GOC …
I was very surprised, and pleased, by what I saw at Oregon’s open practice on Monday, and my poor Duck-buddy, Gageac (as he is known on the message boards), had to listen to me drone on about it. I wasn’t planning to write about my impressions, as I assumed that other media and message board gurus would be all over what left …
Something a sportscaster stated in one of the Sweet 16 pre-game shows really resonated with me, when he offered that, “Every time I watched Oregon this season – they were a little better.” Amen, as the improvement (a classic Dana Altman occurrence every season) became very noticeable for those of us that had been watching from November until now. I’ll …
Yes … he really did! In his interview with sportscaster panelists on ESPN First Take Bill Walton was his usual self spouting interesting and at times, outrageous lines while being highly entertaining in the process. They asked him, “Who is going to win it all?” Bill answerd, “OREGON … I love the way they play.” A panelist exclaims, “Oregon? A lot of …