The list of college coaches who have transitioned well to the professional level is not a long one, and shorter still is the list of those who have done well right away. Often it’s an inability to deal properly with professional players, other times the intense demands of the job are more than the coach is prepared for. Still other …
Months away from the start of the season, one of the things that tide us over is our love for the Ducks. Throughout the off season, we remember great games, plays and quoteables, as well as looking forward to what the new season will bring. We remember the tailgating and gameday house parties of this last year, we shop for …
What a week of college football and there is not a single game going on. We have Michael Sam making headlines for being the “first” gay football player to come out publicly and now looks to make it in the NFL, becoming the first openly gay player on a roster. You have the NCAA making new rules to make college …
If you read or listen to or watch any kind of sports media, you’ve heard more about Michael Sam this past week than even the Winter Olympics. Yes, it’s a big deal, Michael Sam coming out as the first openly gay major-level football player, and all the discussion is an important part of digesting this big step forward. His timing …
Oregon will never win any recruiting championships. While teams such as Alabama, USC and LSU tend to dominate in the rankings, the Ducks rarely crack the top-15. Year after year they bring in solid, but unspectacular recruiting classes, yet year after year, Oregon takes those same recruits and turns them into champions. Why is that? What is the key that allows teams without …
This is the slow season for NFL teams that aren’t in the Super Bowl, and many coaches and players are escaping this snowy winter on tropical islands. But no Chip Kelly-watcher is surprised that he is already diligently working to beef up his squad in free agency and the draft. Kelly told a reporter that he and his staff has …
In just his first season as Oregon’s head coach, Mark Helfrich accomplished something that Chip Kelly never did in his four years as the Ducks’ head coach. Mark won a game that was decided by a field goal or less coming from behind in the last minute. But it wasn’t just what he did, it was how he did it …
News stories aren’t really the first draft of history — they’re snapshots that someone can go through later and use to piece together what happened. No, it’s year end review articles like this one that are the real first draft. Please leave your edits and corrections in the comments. Chip Kelly was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles exactly one year …
Leading up to the kickoff against Nicholls State, Duck fans were anxious to see what Oregon would look like under new coach Mark Helfrich. Chip Kelly had led the program to previously unprecedented heights, and had done so using a unique and distinctive approach. His trademark spread option attack put up staggering stats, and routinely churned out over 300 yards …
Chip Kelly’s first season in the NFL ended with a field goal – kicked by the New Orleans Saints as time expired in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It was a rough ending to a great season, and very likely Michael Vick’s last game as an Eagle. No one is happy about the loss, close as it was, but …
In football, a strong and fast offensive line is key to a team’s success. The entire front must be strong enough to block for the backs, creating running room and giving the quarterback enough time to think. Especially in Oregon’s renowned spread offense, where it’s a physically daunting task, and easily taken for granted by many fans. All too often, spectators …
It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty, but the Philadelphia Eagles showed a lot of grit and poise in grinding out a 24-22 win against the hated Dallas Cowboys, to advance to the playoffs in Chip Kelly’s first year. Think about that for a second: Chip was never a head coach in his lifetime, until 2009. In the five years …