Sports have been around for a while. Cavemen probably competed against each other by throwing rocks against trees. “Hey Og, see that squatty little tree way over there? I’ll bet you five clams that I can hit it and you can’t!” But since that was before recorded history, we can only guess about Og, the rocks, the trees, and any …
As the Oregon men’s basketball team hits some midseason struggles, its luster is wearing off. The year started off with a fast break, but now the Ducks are down and trying to beat a full-court press. This week the Ducks checked in at number 17 in the AP Poll, dropping three spots after their lackluster loss to Oregon State over …
GREYBEARD UPFRONT DISCLAIMER: I admit that I have been indicted in the past for the crime of “sunshine pumping.” I probably could have been convicted on certain charges: specifically, having been huckstered by Brady Hoke. Later, the charisma of a certain ex-FSU coach beguiled me way longer than I care to admit. I am, by nature, optimistic. And, yes, sometimes …
What a season it was for our mighty Oregon Ducks. The Ducks went 10-2 in the regular season and then continued their dream season with wins in the Pac-12 championship and Rose Bowl. The success of the 2019 Oregon Duck football team relied not only on talent, but on the players’ genuine desire to play for one another. The 2020 …
Last Saturday the Ducks were able to secure their biggest road win in the Dana Altman era: a crucial 71-70 overtime win on the road over then No. 5 ranked Michigan. It had the intensity of a make-or-break game in March, and should build momentum for this team going into conference play. The Ducks were carried by the senior backcourt …
ATTENTION DUCK FANS! We’ve got a shot at this whole playoff thing. On Tuesday, the College Football Playoff Committee announced its first set of top 25 rankings. As expected, Oregon was ranked seventh in the country behind a pair of Big Ten teams, three SEC teams and Clemson. There were a few surprises in the rankings, such as Ohio State …
Mario Cristobal has convinced me that he has chops. However, the exact size of those chops is still an open question. Ugly Duckling wrote a great piece recently that focused on how absolutely critical it is to the long term success of winning programs to have proper roster management. That got me to thinking not only about roster management, but …
The 2018-2019 school year has concluded (not including summer, but who counts summer when there are no Duck sports?). The major sports are over for the year, and now it truly is the offseason. We have no scrappy basketball squads to watch on deep tournament runs, no underdog baseball teams to read about, no softball dance videos and no more …
There’s a 6’6″, 233-pound elephant in the room. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, one of the best players out west and a highly regarded NFL draft prospect, has a decision to make, and fans are holding their breath in anticipation. Will the strong-armed phenom take his game to the next level after the Ducks’ bowl game, or will he play his …
All good things must come to an end. Unfortunately for Washington fans, that sentiment may apply tomorrow afternoon, as the Huskies’ status as the premier program in the Pac-12 is in jeopardy. There’s no doubt that Washington currently sits atop of the food chain in the Pac-12. They’ve completely overhauled what was an underachieving roster and transformed it into a juggernaut. …
Picture this: you sit down with your loved ones around the TV to watch your favorite show. You’re all snuggled in as the episode starts, but soon everything looks familiar, too familiar. It’s at that moment you realize you’ve seen this episode before. This is how I felt watching the first quarter of Oregon vs. Bowling Green. I’ve seen it …
BRUTAL SPEED: A Marriage Made in Heaven? Mario Cristobal and Nebraska’s Scott Frost have expressed remarkably similar strategies to pursue a national championship. This season, the two coaches plan to deliver two what-should-be-fascinating examples of combining Oregon speed and tempo tactics with brute-force football learned at Alabama and Nebraska. The goal: punish your opponents with dominating physicality, while simultaneously dazzling them …