With the Central Oregon cascades as a backdrop to a renewed Autzen Stadium, Saturday was the first glimpse for many fans of what Oregon football will look like in the Willie Taggart era. In a season of change, hope and hashtags, one thing that has not changed about Oregon football? Spring game military salute to active duty members of each branch of the United States armed forces.A tradition
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There is something on my mind tonight – as there is on most nights – this night it relates to fans and their relationship with the media.This is a strange place for me to be because my initial relationship with the, so-called, traditional media was, at best strained and at worst non-existent. Some members of that traditional media were harsher in their treatment of me than others. This was d...
Read MoreFor those that have been around a while, this will look different. It has been a somewhat tumultuous year and that is all good.Yesterday, I was working on an article for Duck Sports Authority; a feature article like I have not done in quite some time, and I ran across an article from another site. Suddenly it struck me that I have been too focused on the wrong things. So, here I am, changing direc
Read MoreToday the so-called ‘worldwide leader’ of sports became the latest victim of their own success and lack of vision. The layoffs of 100 on-air personalities follows months of layoffs and cutbacks. Really the sports television giant has been hemorrhaging talent for several years. Personally, I did not care for some of that talent, but that is another story. There are many takes on the issues at...
Read MoreA general comment here - while this could be the result of out of shape players pushing themselves too hard, the diagnosis itself in no way indicates that is what actually happened. Even highly trained athletes in peak physical condition can suffer from rhabdomyolysis.This isn't the first time this topic has come up. Several years ago multiple McMinnville high school athletes had a similar sit
Read MoreWHO: Willie Taggart, head coach South Florida 18-14 (Overall: 40-45) Taggart, the former head coach at South Florida Bulls, is set to be announced as the next head coach at Oregon. South Florida is a team Duck fans should be familiar with as both Oregon and South Florida rose to the #2 ranking nationally in the 2007 season before meeting in the Sun Bowl. The Ducks came out on top of that matc
Read MoreWhen you sit in the press box and watch plays as they develop, over the due course of time you begin to recognize a different game; one that is less about what I hope and more about a better understanding of what I see. There is a harsher truth, sometimes, to what I see, than there ever is to what I hope.Some time ago, I wrote a line that I really think is so true to so many moments that I will r...
Read MoreIN DEFENSE OF HELFRICHIt might seem somewhat unfathomable in such times as these that a coach whose team has seen their performance demonstrably deteriorate over the course of the last two seasons might have the kind of redeeming qualities on which to write an affirmative response to his possible retention – and yet it is a task to which I endeavor today.First, I revert back to an earlier article...
Read MoreWith the third straight defeat on Saturday night, the low din of dissatisfaction rose to the level of uproar. A program just two years removed from a national championship appearance appears headed to the bottom of the Pac-12 Conference. Based on their play over the course of the first five games this season, that is not an improbable destination.To be fair - it appears that Oregon State is even l
Read MoreFan. It is an interesting word. It typically is considered to be the derivative of the longer term ‘fanatic.’ Looking at the definition of fan we see what we already know: that a fan is an enthusiastic devotee or an ardent admirer or enthusiast. This does not require, necessarily, fanatical behavior.But, do you see what is missing? The term consumer. In these trying times for Oregon football fans...
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