“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in his shoes. Then, when you start criticizing him, you’re a mile away and he has to try and catch you in his socks.” – First uttered by either Will Rogers or Nick Saban. I can’t remember. We’re in the dog days of summer. It’s hot, I’m old, and I’m grumpy! …
Some of you may remember the days of the Sunday parlay, before the NCAA strong-armed the state into banning sports betting entirely. Well, the good ol’ days are back. The Oregon Lottery recently announced plans to launch an app called “Scoreboard” that will allow betting on NFL games. Hopefully, the app will allow betting on college football in the near …
[To the tune of “Limbo Rock” by Chubby Checker] Every Pac-12 player twirl All around Champagne Larry’s world Gonna do da limbo rock Hope da conference won’t be jocked. North be limbo, North be quick South go under limbo stick As the Pac-12’s playoff hopes drop Hey, let’s do the limbo rock! Limbo lower now Limbo lower now How low …
The off-season is a boring time for just about everyone. Saturdays, once full of tailgates and excitement, have turned into days to run errands. Every week is a bye week. Baseball is great and everything, but watching 162 games does come with its stints of boredom. These days, I find myself watching a lot of Netflix — re-watching Friends for …
The time for ifs, ands, or buts has long passed. Yes, the Ducks are still in transition mode as they adopt the new philosophies brought in by a second-year head coach. And yes, the Oregon wide receivers dropped too many passes last year and are still a question mark. And yes, the Ducks have a new, young defensive coordinator. And …
The NCAA is losing the publicity battle in its fight with the state of California over the subject of paying student athletes. Of course, this isn’t groundbreaking news. The NCAA hasn’t had good publicity in a while. But for all its faults, the NCAA does do some things right, hard as they are to find. The NCAA is at least …
“Evolve or perish,” goes the Darwinian maxim. In the college football world, evolution has taken the form of expansion. But it’s been a few years since the mass realignment and expansion led by Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Utah, Louisville, Syracuse, Maryland, Rutgers, Pitt and TCU. Are we in line for a second wave of expansion in the Power 5 …
Unless they’ve been living under a rock, almost every football fan in the Pacific Northwest has been to Autzen Stadium. It is quite the deal for the newbie and the seasoned veteran alike. The atmosphere can be electric and the venue just plain fun and exciting. Here are some observations and suggestions from one who started attending there since the …
The further removed we get from the 2018 Oregon Duck football season, the more I am convinced that many varied weaknesses raised their ugly heads last year. The team’s struggles and fan frustration resulted not from one or two specific issues, but from the cumulative effects of: 1. New schemes 2. New coaches 3. The cumulative effects, on both players …
So often, we fans analyze the teams we follow, breaking down their strengths and weaknesses as if we’re on the coaching staff ourselves. Rarely, though, do we take a look inward and evaluate our own role as fans of our respective teams. Fans are more than just loud-mouth, obnoxious onlookers; they’re critical elements to a team’s morale, and they play …
How do smaller programs that become dynasties reload their squads every year? Among several pillars of creating a successful program, there are two major ones that stand out above the rest. These factors are applicable at the high-school level, for sure, and they also apply to the collegiate level. The first is a strong commitment to practice; meaningful and competitive …
None of Oregon’s position groups has been criticized as much as the wide receivers. Players like Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson looked to be in for breakout seasons in 2018, with a healthy Justin Herbert throwing the ball. But those aspirations went out the window, as the unit — outside of Dillon Mitchell — dropped passes, struggled to beat one-on-one …