Relentless persistence and determination are qualities that set great athletes apart from the simply good. These qualities are also critically important to an athlete that isn’t offered a scholarship. No scholarship means a player is not guaranteed a spot on the team, but rather just a chance to try out for a “walk-on” position, and on their own dime at …
Duck Baseball and Clam Chowder Magna Cum Laude!
Take Me Out to the Ballgame is embodied in a wonderful, family-themed time at PK Park. We’ll get back to talking about playing the game later. It was a Saturday afternoon game and who the Ducks were playing didn’t matter, because we were there to enjoy ourselves win, lose or draw. However, don’t get too excited — we do care and a Duck …
Recruiting Update: Oregon Raiding Inland Along the Coast
Football Recruiting Offers Jack-of-all-trades athlete Stephen Johnson III (4-Star/San Leandro, CA) is catching fire heading into his senior summer. While recently discovered by the Oregon faithful, Johnson III appears to have been on wide receivers coach Matt Lubick’s wish list for some time. Toward the end of last week, the Ducks’ coaching staff made good on their promise and extended …
Waiting In the Wings — Impact Redshirts
I don’t know what it’s like to be a redshirt freshman on the football team, but I imagine it’s a peculiar situation. You work so hard throughout high school to become the best player you can, and the fruits of your labor are rewarded by multiple scholarship offers from schools across the country. In your senior year, you’re the big …
Could Another Team Be Coming to Autzen Stadium?
Relocation. It is a term that sports fans, particularly those in the Pacific Northwest, associate as a threat than with opportunity, the darkest side of pro sports fandom that makes college fans grateful their teams will always be a constant presence where they presently reside. Yet for all the negative experiences the Pacific Northwest fan base has faced regarding relocation …
No. 1 Oregon: Play Ultimate. Be Ultimate.
In every sport, you have your big names: Nick Saban, Mike Krzyewski, Pat Summitt, all who embody different styles of coaching and yet have national title banners hanging in their respected arenas. But what makes each of these coaches great? Heart. Sure, a national championship is a great honor to accomplish, but the passion for the sport and the development …
Ya Gotta Have Heart — Ducks Dancing in March?
EUGENE, OR. – You could tell there was a different feel in Matthew Knight Arena even before the game tipped off on Saturday afternoon. Maybe it was because the entire arena was filled up for the first time in who knows how long, maybe it was because the Ducks’ seniors had one last chance to show off their skills at …
College Football Nation: “Saban Rule” Trashed and Clemson Changes How We View College Football
It’s a good thing we have March Madness to look forward to very soon, because this is the dull time for college football between signing day and spring ball that we dread. There is still a lot of news with the “Saban Rule” being entertained or trashed on a daily basis; we have new helmet cams to change the way …
Nick Saban Needs a Swift Boot in the Rear
The College of Cardinals, er, the NCAA wasted valuable time this week, time that would have been better served making compliance more arcane and difficult. Brought before this august body was the suggestion that college football offenses should be prohibited from running plays within the first 10 seconds of the play clock. The thought, from Nick Saban’s mouth to God’s …
Mike Moser and the Evolution of the Transfer Power Forwards
As Mike Moser has caught fire, the Oregon Ducks have surged to six straight wins. The senior from Portland is coming off a series against the Southern California schools where he hit another gear, averaging 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. On top of that, Moser was named as both the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week and …
Duck Pitching: Fastball Risin’
Standing in the office window watching relentless rain pelt the garage roof, my mind wanders, savoring the memory of Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of Seattle University by the men of Ducks Baseball. It occurred to me that many fans may not always understand the nuances of the information being provided by play-by-play announcers as they keep us abreast of what is happening …
DAT’s Replacement by Committee
As Oregon’s 2013 football season came to a close, the majority opinion was, “the sooner the better.” It’s a testament to how high the bar has been raised at Oregon that another double-digit win season, capped with a bowl victory, was cause for disappointment. However, amid the gloom, hope for next season came when quarterback Marcus Mariota and his teammates, …