Charles Dickens famous opening to A Tale of Two Cities perfectly captures Oregon football and illustrates the vast range of emotions that its fans have endured in the last five years. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, …
During the 2014-15 Oregon Duck men’s basketball, Joseph Young was the acknowledged leader of the team. He was handed a Duck team with three returning contributors, and in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll Oregon was predicted to finish eighth. He knew he’d be double-teamed all season long and that there was no true point guard for the team, he had to change positions on the fly. …
One of the Oregon players who’s gotten lost in the shuffle leading up to the NFL draft is Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. Perhaps it’s just the shadow of Marcus Mariota, or his own knee injury rehab, or maybe the fact that Ekpre-Olomu isn’t the 6’3” + CB that everyone is looking for in the NFL now. The thing is though, while everyone …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out We’ve all been there — stuck at a party, a ceremony or even on the phone when somebody gets on a rant and just doesn’t know when to shut up — or at least change the subject. Body language, fidgeting, glazed-over eyes, even yawns are to no avail. The perp just keeps on keepin’ on. “Songs That …
When Hall-of-Famer Bill Walton broadcasts college basketball games with Oregon playing, he constantly faces the common reality that most individuals face. Around the University of Oregon student body and members of the press, especially Walton, forward Dwayne Benjamin is known as “Snoop Dog.” The junior transferred to the UO from Mt. San Jacinto College in Louisiana last year and has been …
The Ducks begin spring practice in less than two weeks. As I wrote previously, most of the attention will be on who replaces the greatest player in Oregon history, but the Ducks should be just fine at the quarterback position next season. The position group that needs to make the biggest strides this spring is the linebackers. Last year’s Oregon defense, under …
I wrote this past Thursday that Oklahoma State would be a tough matchup for the men of Oregon in the NCAA Tournament round of sixty-four. The Ducks would need to play the game at their pace, limit turnovers, and limit Cowboy sharpshooter Phil Forte to ensure victory. After a hard-fought 79-73 victory, it is time to examine whether these predictions …
Surrounded by three beefy Cowboys, Casey Benson leaped for the rebound and popped from the scrum with the basketball. Midway through the first half with Oklahoma State, Benson had provided an essential stop in the game. His stat line for the contest wasn’t impressive—two rebounds and a steal, no points, but Benson was an unsung hero in the game. He …
Let’s all assume for a minute that Florida State’s QB Jameis Winston is selected as the first overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Allow this scenario to soak into your bones Duck fans as there are three possible teams that could select the Hawaiian product with the second pick. The Tennessee Titans and Chicago …
Mighty Joe Young and the Oregon Ducks squeezed past Oklahoma State with a 79 – 73 victory. Next up is a team that the Ducks should be very familiar with, Frank Kaminsky and the Wisconsin Badgers. For those Duck fans who have blocked the 2014 tournament from their memory, here’s a painful reminder. The Ducks played against Wisconsin in last …
One round in, and your NCAA tourney bracket is shattered beyond belief. Why? Where did you go wrong? You calculated the assist/turnover ratio in neutral-site games played in December, but before Christmas. You searched the power rankings put out by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Food Network. This was supposed to be your year. Alas, you made just a few …
Can you believe it? The Oregon Ducks, the team that was projected to be one of the worst in the Pac-12 Conference this year, just played a game in the Big Dance. That alone is an accomplishment by itself! But, knowing Coach Dana Altman, we knew that just being there wasn’t enough for this hungry squad. The Ducks took on …