Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out In a gag-me-with-a-spoon move coming from two time zones away, ESPN’s Adam Rittenburg dished up an unappetizing morsel about the professionalism of Jim Mora and the UCLA football program. Mora, it seems, runs his organization like an NFL team. Since Rittenburg went to Northwestern and is currently rumored to be living just outside Chicago, he is a good …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Every school has its irritating fans, and the Ducks are certainly no exception. Stanford has its offensive band that — due to some transgressions — got banned from traveling to away games next season. And when it comes to irritating, USC’s band and the only song it knows are hard to beat. But when it comes to …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Most college team mascots were chosen long before Title IX came along, and naturally no thought was given to the possibility that women might someday bear the name on the battlefields. So when Title IX created intercollegiate women’s sports, the dilemma of what to do about team mascots came with it. Somebody got the bright idea to …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out In a move certain to offend all college football fans who haven’t been advised to sell when their IQs reach 50, Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan labeled ASU’s Todd Graham (77-41) the best head football coach in the Pac-12. If that wasn’t gray matter-challenged enough, he relegated Oregon’s Mark Helfrich to the bottom half. It’s time for Lassan …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out My first direct contact with a big-time football coach came in fall of 1966 when John Robinson — then an assistant at Oregon — blessed us incoming freshmen swimmers with a pep talk. It was all about what a great athletic family the Ducks were. With a fist waving in the air, Robinson declared that when you …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out No. I first wrote the above one-word article on August 26, 2013 and it has been sitting unpublished in the FishDuck.com archives ever since. Though only one word long, the article proved to be spot-on for 2013, and as it happened, 2014 as well. Why 2015 will join those two years and the nine before them, and …
Mike Merrell’sThree-and-Out While the national pundits make a bit of an about face on the Mariota vs. Winston draft pick issue, it’s not a bad time to take a look at some of the little things that maybe shouldn’t be so little in the convoluted relationship among athletics, universities and fans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ top draft choice, baby-talk athletes …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out Some things never get old. Remembering wonderful things that came our way out of the blue always brings a smile. For sheer joy, it’s a toss-up between that and remembering the most outlandish, hilarious misfortunes that happened to those whom we might consider our enemies. Three defining moments of Oregon Football 2014 are the subjects of this …
Mike Merrell”s Three-and-Out That we seem to place highest value on being entertained is not the most flattering observation that could be made about our society. Unfortunately, it’s true. Who makes more money — the brain surgeon or the rock star? The university president or the NFL left tackle? The school teacher or the movie star? The guy cruising the …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out When the College Football Playoff Committee announced its first list of teams belonging in the final four, it seemed that the Confederacy had won the Civil War and banned everything north (and west) of the Mason-Dixon Line. Fortunately, by the time the vote counted for anything more than a weekly dose of drama, the committee had come …
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 …
Mike Merrell’s Three-and-Out The University of Oregon Senate has proposed a 3 % “tax” on the Athletic Department (A.D.) to help fund general University expenses. ESPN’s Ted Miller likens reluctance to go along with this idea to a 12-year-old child actor getting $10 million and not wanting to share it with his parents while living under the same roof. It …