I Guess The Paid Guys Shouldn't Do It, But What About The Kids?

ESPN.com is reporting that New York Jets safety Eric Smith is suspended for one game and fined $50,000 for his hit on Arizona Cardinals wideout Anquan Boldin, in which he led with his helmet and hit Boldin in the head, leaving him unconscious. It was a hit very similar to the one Boise State safety Jeron Johnson laid upon Ed Dickson two weeks ago. Kinda makes you think about whether or not suspensions should be given to college athletes as well.
-Alex

Upsets And The Jets On Fire

Looks like Favre wasn't the only thing on fire in the Meadowlands. There's some strong language on there, so rid your computer room of the little ones before watching.

Last Saturday's upsets got me thinking. Were any of these games truly upsets, or were they creations of the fanatical college football media? So much preseason hype was thrust onto the L.A. schools and Georgia that it put them onto a pedestal they - UCLA, certainly - weren't capable of staying on. UCLA was a bad team before its QBs were hurt and it beat an over-hyped Tennessee with its third-stringer running the show. Florida is the same Florida it was last year; Tim Tebow still makes mistakes and still can't carry a team to an undefeated season by himself, much like Knowshon Moreno. It's the same thing every year: over-hyped players create over-hyped teams that get into conference play and lose to teams that know them like a book - read OSU/USC, or Stanford/USC. There is too much talent on any team in the country to write them off in any game. Sure, the Pac-10 was hurt by its play out of conference, but non-conference games ONLY matter when determining the BSC standings. Last time I checked, the winner of the Pac-10 still goes to the Rose Bowl, second place still goes to the Holiday, and so-on and so forth. As far as the Ducks are concerned, a USC loss to OSU meant a lot more than its own loss to Boise State. Obviously no team wants to lose, but in terms of winning the Pac-10 title - which, other than the fleeting dreams of a national title, is the ultimate goal - a USC loss in conference sets Oregon up with a realistic opportunity to snag the title. And IF, IF, IF Oregon does win out, and doesn't worry about what happens around it, a national title might not be out of the question as well. Just a thought, not a prediction, so don't get crazy!

And by the way, anyone who says anything about SEC superiority and Ole Miss in the same sentence has already blown his or her credibility on college football, so don't bother going any further than that. Not sure what the numbers are, but if the west coast ratings for the national college football TV shows are slumping, that might be a reason for it. You're dumb, so stop talking.

I added some radio highlights from Saturday's game onto the player at the bottom of the page, so look down there and listen away.
-Alex

What did we learn from Saturday?

(AP Photo/Dean Hare)

Absolutely nothing if you've been paying attention to college football since forever! One would think that after last season - one that featured a weekly dose of top-5 teams losing - people would lose the attitude that one in-conference loss means you're out of the national title picture. Pac-10 teams lost some out of conference games and USC lost to OSU. So what?! Florida just lost to a TERRIBLE Ol' Miss team at home. Wisconsin just lost to an even worse Michigan team. Georgia just got blown out by Alabama. So what?! Teams get upset in this day-and-age of college football, it's just the way that the landscape is. Legit athletes who want a chance to start for four seasons are going to the Mountain West, WAC and Big Ten (just kidding) to get that opportunity and it's starting to show on the field. It says a lot to the point some people are making on the legitimacy of preseason polls.

I was probably one of the only people I talked to after the OSU win over USC who wasn't shocked at the outcome. Why? Mark Sanchez is still Mark Sanchez, isn't he? The same guy who threw 2 INTs against Oregon last season, right? The defense that people were so high on is filled with the same guys from last season, minus Sedrick Ellis, right?. All that game showed me was how terrible Ohio State is without Beanie Wells. The Beavs ran the ball at will against the Trojans - something Oregon should pay attention to - with the same exact offense they've been running since Mike Reilly came back, and with the exact same type of running back. The Quizz show looked an awful lot like the Yv show - and the Ken Simonton show, for that matter - when you think about it, didn't it?

A lot has been made nationally this season about the "fall of the Pac-10." While I acknowledge that the Washington schools are as bad as they've ever been, hopefully this weekend will calm everybody down, so they can start using the other half of their brains - you know, the half that has logic - and realize that the reality of college football nowadays is that the difference between #5 and #35 isn't a lot, and the only thing that really matters is who steps up and plays on any given day. I know that's expecting a lot from the likes of Lou Holtz, Mark Mays and Jesse Palmer, but I can hope. Hopefully Herbie can speak some sense to them because it's really hard to believe that these supposed college football experts are THAT out-of-touch.

Wish list aside, it was a pretty good couple of days. The Ducks stayed atop the Pac-10 standings and didn't injure a QB, USC was exposed, UCLA lost, The Huskies lost, and the SEC beat itself up. That, my friends, is a good college football weekend.
-Alex

Jerry Thompson From Ducks Illustrated

Here's Steve's interview with Jerry Thompson from Ducks Illustrated from 9/25/08

Check the bottom of this page for a playlist of all of our clip posts on the blog.
-Alex

What a night!

I'm accepting thanks from Beav fans who know the special "Tannen" touch. I mentioned how I could not see OSU keeping the game against USC close & that I dropped the remaining cash($36) from my online account on the Boys from Troy and laid the 26 points. At least it wasn't one of those aggravating, down to the last second, gambling defeats. I was toast by halftime. It's amazing how I can sing the praises of Mike Riley, his staff and that program, yet fall prey to this invincibility aura that surrounded this Southern Cal team. One factor I failed to consider was how the Trojans would react if Oregon State took their power punch then countered with an even more severe blow. Those guys just ran it down their throats and the defense put enough heat on Mark Sanchez to keep him from truly finding a comfort zone & groove. Seriously, how did this team lose to Stanford. I guess the SC guys were wondering the same thing last October!
I really gave my remote trigger finger a workout last night. While I had the OSU upset on, I was switching between a trio of terrific pennant fever games as the Mets snuck by the Cubs, the Brewers got a walk off grand slam to stay tied with New York for the wild card and the Twins finished off a sweep of the White Sox in 10 innings to take the AL Central lead. We head into the weekend with the Phillies just a game ahead of the Mets in the NL East plus the aforementioned items. This time of the year is a beautiful thing.
As far as the Oregon football players involved in that bad accident following a street racing incident, well it's really disappointing. I'm hesitant to use harsh words like "idiot" or "jerk" when dealing with a college aged young man, but Eddie Pleasant is an "idiot" and a "jerk" for putting the lives of his teammates and innocent folks on the roadways at risk. Sorry, but from my chair he's done for at least the season. This isn't cracking a cold one at a frat party, this is life and death. He could have killed a young mom and her baby.

As it turns out...

... the friend in the car accident was Jamere Holland. According to Rob Moseley, Holland and Pleasant won't make the trip to Pullman, and freshmen Dewitt Stuckey and Josh Kaddu will burn their redshirt years and probably play on Saturday. Pleasant needed 75 stitches and Darron Thomas, who was sitting in the passenger seat, left with a bruised elbow. Moseley also reports that Justin Roper and Marvin Johnson won't travel with the team.

Thursday Links

The Register Guard's Jack Moran broke a story this morning about a car accident involving Darron Thomas, Eddie Pleasant and a friend. According to the report, Pleasant, the driver, allegedly was racing someone on Gateway and lost control into oncoming traffic. Pleasant, along with the passenger in car they crashed into were taken to the new hospital in Springfield. According to Moran's story, everyone involved has since been released from the hospital. Thomas was never hospitalized.

On a lighter note, The Guard's Rob Moseley did a profile on Sonny Harris, and Adam Jude did a story on the emergence of LeGarrette Blount.

John Hunt of The Oregonian reported the return of WT3 to practice on Wednesday, making him eligible in Bellotti's eyes to play Saturday - Thursday is his cutoff day that a player must practice by to be able to play that week. However, he also noted that Justin Roper was not in pads and probably won't play.

Ty Hildenbrandt of SI.com breaks down the Oregon QB injuries since October of last season.

Crossing state lines brings us to the Seattle Times and Bud Withers, who explores the devastating QB problems the Cougars are having - and, yes, devastating is the right word for a fractured vertebrae and a broken bone in a back.

Also, Steve had some questions earlier in the week about redshirt eligibility rules. Here's a link to the NCAA's official rules and guidelines. And here's the definition of what a Grayshirt is - it's something I've always wondered about too.

And here's all you would ever need to know about Steve's new best friend Colin Cowherd. Looks like he graduated from Eastern Washington and spent most of his career in the Northwest, with a short stint as a TV anchor in Florida.

This one is for Hockey Todd.

According to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of The San Francisco Chronicle, those tree-sitters in Berkeley are going to lose a lot more than just the trees. Here's one of the weirder stories I've seen about marketing to rivals. Really UCLA? Fresno State coach Pat Hill made we at Sports Talk like him a little more. And an Ad UCLA put out this week you have to see to believe. I think I just found my new wallpaper.
-Alex

Steve's Interview with Chris Hoff

Steve catches up with Chris Hoff from the Oregon Classic.

REALLY? NOW?

Was on the exercise bike this morning when I learned the NY Giants had suspended their stud receiver Plaxico Burress for conduct detrimental to the team. Turns out it was insubordination. Are you freaking kidding? The man is the go to guy on the world champions who are undefeated heading into a bye. Then I started thinking about wide receivers and if they, as a group, are perhaps the most self centered, narcisssistic athletes we follow. Chad Johnson, Terrel Owens, Keyshawn, Randy Moss, and on and on. We've had Joe Horn with the cell phone and of course most return men who invented the legendary celebration dances like Billy White Shoes Johnson, were receivers by trade. Help me here. Are they the poster boys for the "look at me" ballplayers?
Let's move to baseball. Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. In last night's Philly loss to Atlanta Pat Burrell, a vet, committed a dunderhead move. He'd just doubled home Ryan Howard to make it a 3-2 game in the 6th inning. There were no outs with the tying run at 2nd. The next hitter, Shane Victorino hits a grounder to the left side & Burrell takes off on contact and is nailed at 3rd. Genius!
The Met's Johan Santana showed what it means to be an ace and assume that role of stopper. Threw a season high 125 pitches in going the distance to beat the Cubs. He was not to be denied. Went to his skipper, Jerry Manuel and said he was willing to throw a high number. Love that.
Tonight on Sportstalk beyond the Ducks, Beavs/USC & all the good football stuff, my thoughts on the end of the Yankee playoff streak. Trust me, it's more than Arod's fault.

God I Love Jerry Allen

And if you don't, you're a communist.

Joey shot me some audio clips from Saturday. Enjoy.
-Alex

EMBARASSING OMISSION by Steve Tannen

Quick final thought on the last game at Yankee Stadium. It's been mentioned on today's(Tue)Dan Patrick show. The failure to acknowledge Joe Torre who took them to the playoffs each season during his 12 year tenure which included 4 world championships and a total of 6 trips to the series is disgusting. It's typical of the pettiness and downside of the Steinbrenner era. This was Hank, not George but shows the apple ain't fallin far from the egomaniacal tree. Not mentioning Clemens is a different deal as he's got that Bonds, Sosa, Big Mac taint. He still should have been part of the festivities, but Joe should have been a no brainer.
How about Oregon State coming out of the bye smack into USC! I'll give the Beavs credit as last year, on the heels of the huge upset in 2006, they hung around and "ONLY" lost 24-3. The OSU defense limited the Trojans to less than 300 total yards, but offensively, the managed a mere 176 yards including an anemic 85 throwing it. I'm guessing SC would prefer to blast them big time in front of the Orange & Black faithful. The Boys from Troy played Virginia, took a week off, wiped out Ohio State, then got another week off. Beware!
Huge final midweek series from the Twin Cities with Minny hosting the Chisox needing a sweep of the 3 game set to pull a half game in front of that Central Division. Too bad we don't get any of these divisional match-ups anywhere else the rest of the way. Philly, Mets, & Dodgers just have to win and not worry what's happening elsewhere as they have the inside track to the East, Wild Card & West.

In Case You Missed It...

This one is for Dave from the homers in the booth...

Some NFL Thoughts

Miami proved several things last weekend with their win against New England. The spread can work in the NFL, at least against New England. Those who ranted all off-season about how the spread will never work in the NFL and how it's ruining college football (Mel Kiper) were proven wrong by Ronnie Brown's 5 TDs. Also...

New England is terrible on defense. It's time to face the truth Patriots fans: the defense is not good enough to be leaned on for wins. No Tom Brady means no Super Bowl. If you haven't come to terms with that, now is the time.

Did anyone else think, during the Stealers' loss to Phili in which Roethlisberger ran, or attempted to run, for his life from the Phili pass rush, that Dennis Dixon would have given them a better chance in that situation? Me too.

Now that he's treating his Type 1 Diabetes, Jay Cutler is an elite NFL QB. Last season, Cutler was dealing with blood sugar issues that left him weak in body and mind. Since his diagnoses in the Spring, Cutler regained 30 pounds and his arm strength and decision making are second to none this season. Anyone interested on what he has to go through, check out this website. Also, Haloti Ngata has a foundation that funds research on the disease.

Full disclosure: I'm a huge Niner fan, so excuse this next one. Mike Martz and JT O'Sullivan are the second coming! Well, technically they're the third. OK, but seriously, Martz's offense, along with the weapons that Niner management brought in this off-season, are starting to mold in very nice ways. I'm not crazy. I know very well that the Niners won't make the playoffs, but a guy has his dreams. That's mine, and Disney taught me that sometimes they come true.

-Alex The Intern

TAKING SOLACE by Steve Tannen

Gotta admit to having reached the point in my life(nearly 48) where I set records for putting tough losses by my team behind me. Then I take a look back & get a better evaluation. I think people who carry defeats as if they played a role or live vicariously through sports teams are putzes or Raider fans. I don't see the Boise State game as this disaster and shocking outcome. Don't forget their QB, Kellen Moore is their highly touted recruit from Prosser, Washington has been THE GUY through spring, all of summer camp and obviously, right now. They have a great stable of experienced, quality pass catchers and a dynamite back in Ian Johnson. Oregon, in essence went with their 4th & 5th stringers at quarterback. Tell me that didn't give the Broncos an edge. I'll also cop to the BSU offensive braintrust concocting a brilliant game plan executed to perfection by their outstanding redshirt QB. No question they outfoxed the UO defense and defensive coaches. It happens.
I'd like to thank the good people at Michigan State, Arizona & the Miami Dolphins for putting a smile on my face by defeating teams I detest or in the case of AZ, a person I think is garbage(take that Weasel).
Some have been surprised I was glued to my TV for the Yankee Stadium finale. I blew off all the pre-game and most of the game until it got late. Wanted to see manager Joe Girardi pull Jeter late and let the NY fans shower him with their respect and appreciation. The end and some of the aftermath was cool. Tonight I'll share some of my favorite moments & memories of the big ballyard in the South Bronx. Would love to hear your angle as well.

Observations from Saturday

Boise State travels well: my paying job is as a delivery driver, and driving around Friday I couldn't help but notice the amount of orange and blue around Eugene. It could have just been those colors, but those who made the 8-hour drive from Idaho sure scattered a good amount of Autzen too.

Oregon fans aren't as bad as the national media make them out to be: messages around different blogs and callers to the post-game radio show confirmed what most Oregon fans already know: that Duck fans are classy, except when the Huskies are involved.

Chip Kelly's job is harder than yours: towards the end of the third quarter on Saturday, as frustrated as you - me included - thought you were with the offense's ineptitude, Chip Kelly had to be that times ten. And the conflict that must have been going on in his head on whether or not to burn Darron Thomas's redshirt year must have been WWIII. And what will he do when Roper is healthy, or Costa for that matter? Obviously Thomas's play next week will have a huge impact on who will be Oregon's QB the rest of the season, but what is Kelly supposed to do if Thomas throws for 300 yards and 4 TDs against the Cougars, which is something he could conceivably do?

Boise State's offense was a clinic: who plays quarterback might not be the biggest problem as Pac-10 play resumes next week. Boise State completely dictated what Oregon did defensively for most of the game. They shifted and motioned, which created mismatches that led to most of their scores and big plays. Oregon's defense looked confused and constantly a step behind Boise State. Hopefully for Oregon, the Broncos didn't make a blueprint for how to attack the Ducks' D.

Thurmond III might have been missed more than Roper: and not the way you might think. Thurmond had over 100 tackles last season and had been used as both a corner and safety in different situations this season. Thurmond III not being out there had to change the way Nick Aliotti called the game on defense.

Oregon can't live by its running game alone: the Ducks proved on Saturday that even the best running offense in the country can't run against nine guys in the box. Chris Harper in an amazing athlete, but if he can't throw the ball, he shouldn't be on the field more than 10 plays per game. The Broncos knew he couldn't and wouldn't throw, so they stacked the box, blitzed like crazy and made Oregon's offense ineffective.

With the QB situation as it is, Thomas makes sense: Thomas has been around the offense longer than both of the other QBs from Saturday. This situation is the reason Thomas showed up for Spring term last year - side note, he was in my J201 class and showed up to nearly every session. You could see his confidence in the pocket. He stood in, went through his progressions and slung darts. He might not be as fast as Harper, but he is strong, athletic and has a cannon for an arm. Masoli and/or Roper MIGHT be the better fit for this season, but Thomas looked too good to ignore.

LeGarrette Blount's TD run was the best I've ever seen in person: his run in the first quarter on which he hurdled a pile, juked a guy, and stiff-armed through a tackle beat out a run I saw when I went to a game between the 49ers and Lions in which Barry Sanders made one of his ridiculous 50-yard runs for a TD on Monday Night Football.

Thank God we play the Cougs: nuff said.


Photo stolen from the AP

-Alex The Intern

Some Oregon/Boise State Links For A Thursday

The Idaho Statesman has a short story on how Patrick Chung and Boise State running back Ian Johnson have a history despite never meeting.

Boise St. sophomore safety Jeron Johnson, seen here laying the thunder to Idaho State's quarterback, says that Oregon's team speed wont be a problem for his team on Saturday.

The Idaho Press-Tribune brings up a common theme this season for Oregon opponents, as well as what redshirt freshman Kellen Moore will be up against this weekend.

Here's a preview of the game (as if you needed it) by Blu-Turf.com's Brett Huston.

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandell comments on the Oregon "quarterback curse."

ESPN.com Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller writes that Oregon is (and should be) a little afraid of Boise St.

The Oregonian has a story on the trickeration that might be afoot this weekend with two teams that are notorious in that fashion. It also has a how-to guide with video evidence of what-to and what not-to do.

The Register Guard's Rob Moseley has a story on freshman Chris Harper's history as a quarterback and what he still needs to work on if he plans to become the primary signal caller at Oregon. Curtis Anderson grilled Saturday's assumed starter Jeremiah Masoli about his Samoan heritage, how he ended up at Oregon, and his thoughts on the quarterback situation he's in.



-Alex The Intern

INJURED QB'S

Okay, I'd be completely remiss in not chiming in on the supposed rash of Oregon quarterbacks getting hurt. For those who say it's the style of offense I say hooey. Costa got hurt twice in practice, Dixon's injury went unnoticed by anyone because it was non-contact and Kellen Clemens happened at Arizona in 2005 during a pretty standard drop back to throw situation.
Certainly having a QB in this spread might expose them a bit more, but what about the teams who lived with the triple option or variations for decades. In many cases the goal of the play is for the quarterback to hang onto the ball until the last possible moment & actually draw contact.
I don't remember a rash of injuries to trigger men at Nebraska, Oklahoma or the old Southwest Conference in general. UCLA had guys dropping like flies last season, similar to Oregon and they didn't even run the spread. What's the explanation there? I'm not big on pinpointing a cause for every circumstance. As simple as it sounds, stuff happens. During his rookie year Mickey Mantle tore up his knee stepping on a drain in right center field. Should they have stopped watering the outfield?? Last season Arizona State QB Rudy Carpenter got sacked 55 times, not to mention the hits he took on the scramble or after just releasing a throw. By the way, I just stopped to read George Schroeder's article and he even mentioned the UCLA situation. Tough breaks having Roper join the list of dinged up Ducks at the position, no question, but from my chair it's just that, tough breaks.

The Alley Sitter Ruineth

Steve had a caller today (Fred) mention an article from the Oregonian about Jonathan Bowers, a 33-year-old journalism student at the University of Oregon, who formally appealed the sale of an alleyway necessary to complete the UO's new basketball arena.

It appears from the Oregonian article that Bowers has imposed another setback on the UO's plans to start building by Nov. 30. While the school was already a little behind schedule, according to the article, appeals of this type usually take four to six months and the earliest this appeal could be decided on would be Dec. 10.

Bowers said that vacating the alley is not in the public interest, and that the university should save Mac Court. He also noted that Mac Court is one of the most historically significant buildings in the area, and is also the second oldest arena in the country that still houses a team.

It seems obvious that most people in the community back the university's decision to build a new arena as Mac Court's gray hairs are starting to fall out -- not to mention its mice out of its leaky pipes. Is Bowers's point valid, though? Should more effort be put into restoring and enhancing the arena with so many great UO memories? Or is Bowers just being a jerk by appealing something that will inevitably happen anyways?

As is the case with any sports arena or stadium that has been around for over 80 years (1926), Mac Court has a lot of problems in terms of catering to fans and safety. It has undergone several renovations over the last 15 years to attempt to solve some of these issues, but it became clear to the athletic department that it was time to set a new standard in facilities -- something it has a tendency to do.

The UO already has the necessary financing and permission from the city to undertake the construction, which is something Bowers said is due to the UO's "huge public-relations campaign."

It should be mentioned that Bowers hosts a radio show on UO student radio about media criticism, so this very well could be an expensive shot at the very thing he's arguing against: hype for the sake of a personal cause.

Here's the link to the article:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2008/09/arena_protester_makes_his_stan.html

What do you guys think?

-Alex The Intern

SELF PROGRAMMING

If you had to pick a game to watch, the venue, the teams, the sport, for any prize you desire, what would it be?
Somehow, due to a scheduling quirk I'd love to see Oregon at Notre Dame, the week after the Civil War for a chance at the BCS title game. Let's face it, we've turned the Huskies into a personal punching bag and get to experience that joy on an annual basis. The final score would be 56-3. They'd all be there. Herbstreit, Mussberger, Holtz, even Dickie V would be there for the over hype. The Ducks would literally score on 8 sustained drives, 2 in each quarter, forcing the pathetic, perpetually overrated Irish to kick a 52-yard field goal late in the 3rd quarter to avoid the humiliation of a shut out.
I'd also enjoy Jets at Patriots, AFC title game, in Foxboro with a healthy Tom Brady. Mr. GQ is pressured all day, throws 3 picks and......ah the heck with it, the Giants took care of their drive for perfection and I ate it up.
Okay, I have another. Oregon & Gonzaga, West Regional Final with a trip to the Final 4 on the line. For all the Ernie bashers who think Mark Few would absolutely mean an upgrade to the program. Zags are completely overmatched, outcoached and fall in a top to bottom romp, 97-58.
I can't get into baseball now because as long as my beloved Yankees have Arod they're cursed and have no chance of winning anything aside from a meaningless wild card spot that Rodriguez would ruin with another 2 for 23 post season.
Let's see what you come up with.

A TAD TOO MUCH HYPE?

I realize the overall mentality of network execs has deteriorated significantly with the popularity of programming for morons like most reality TV. That said, do they really need to shove Ohio State at USC down our throats? Most college football fans have been aware of this match-up since early summer & had it circled as "Must See TV".
While that one certainly carries it's intrigue there are a few others that should grab your attention beginning with the Friday game where #13 Kansas visits Tampa to play 19th ranked South Florida. Jayhawk QB Todd Reecing threw for 35-hundred yards last year with 33TD passes versus just 7 picks yet is never mentioned among the elite in college football. Led his team to an Orange Bowl victory. A win here with their weak early season schedule means they cruise into their mid-October game at Oklahoma unbeated & likely in the Top 10. This beauty is tomorrow night at 5 on ESPN2.
Another dandy has Wisconsin in the hell-hole known as Bulldog Stadium to play Fresno State. This is the late game on Saturday(7:30 ESPN2). FSU's Pat Hill has that rep as a giant killer but his lone victory over a Big 10 team, coincidentally, was versus the Badgers back in 2001. This sets up pretty well for the Bulldogs who headed to my old stomping grounds and thumped Rutgers to open the season then had last week off. Wisky looked uninspired early then flexed their muscle to bury both Akron & Marshall. Despite the lightweight opponents, gotta acknowledge the Badger balance with a 400 yard rushing game versus the Zips then going airborne for over 300(329) in the romp against the Thundering Herd.
You'll want to join us today, tomorrow then our pre-game live from Sam's Place on Wilson, just off West 11th in Eugene starting at 9am as we break down the Pac 10 biggies with Cal going cross country to play at Maryland, UCLA in Provost for BYU and of course Oregon at Purdue.

What Team Do You Hate The Most?

What team do you hate the most in all of sports? Steve asked this question over air so we put it up on the blog as well. Let us know what team you hate the most?

The team I (Matt) hate the most is Notre Dame. They get the BCS handed to them on a silver platter for doing nothing in relation to the other BCS teams and when they do play a top notch team they always get blow out. They have their own TV network that isnt warrented with their play on the field. Then when it comes to recruiting they get their recruits' stars all adjusted because they are going to "Notre Dame". Urggg

Seahawks Cut Jordan Kent

What!? Why did the Seattle Seahawks cut ex Oregon Duck Jordan Kent? They are short as it is on wide receivers before week 1 and then after Nate Burleson goes down for the year they are shot even more. So they are short on players at Wide Out and they decide to cut Jordan Kent? Mike Holmgren the head coach has gone on record time and time again saying the offense is hard to understand and that he'd rather play guys who know the system. So why cut Kent when you need help at WR and bring in someone who unlike Kent doesn't know the system. I just don't get it. Kent has world class speed and he was a big player in the preseason against both first team and other units. He played in a game on the road when the team had no run game and a line that couldn't give Hasselback much time throwing. I just dont get it.

Fantasy Focus

Well, shoot, my fantasy football team took a big hit when I lost the bowling ball Maurice Jones-Drew's two best blockers. I however didn't have Tom Brady, Nate Burleson, Marquis Colston, and the list could go on and on if I wanted to continue to the list who are out with injuries.

Here are a few guys you might want to pick up if you're in need of a new replacement:

QB Matt Cassel of New England is a guy to look at. Yes he he's not taken a meaningful snap since high school back in 99 but with the fire power he has at his fingertips all he has to do is play smart football and not get greedy. For week 2 at least I'd take a good look at Cassel as Chad Pennington tore up the New York Jets defense and if Pennington can do it why cant Cassel do better with better options?

RB Sammy Morris of New England is another guy to look at from the Patriots. With Brady gone the Pats will look to be conservative and safe. Thus that means running the ball. Morris has better skills than Laurence Maroney. Moroney may be the better runner but Morris has better skills catching the ball which allows Cassel to have even more options.

WR Eddy Royal of Denver. Royal busted onto the scene when he blew up one of the better CBs in the league in Deaneglo Hall of the Raiders. Royal has great speed and showed he can run routes to the "t". Oh and he returns kicks and punts.

TE Dante Rosario of Carolina. Rosario like Royal busted onto the scene when he caught 6 balls for 90 yards and the game winning touchdown against the San Diego Chargers. Rosario isn't the best blocker and John Foxx has said he won't be in for a one tight end set but he will be worked in at fullback and also as a slot WR as he did at Oregon. Once Steve Smith gets back from suspension Rosario will have an even better shot at more catches as the defense will shift to focusing on stopping Smith.

Newbieville

I've always thought it was cool to venture into unchartered territory for a big time college football team. How sweet was the blasting of the Maize & Blue at the Big House last season? Of course history shows the Ducks didn't fare so well during some of the lean years. The 85 squad found it's way to Lincoln and a 63-nothing pasting at the hands of the Cornhuskers. A decade earlier Barry Switzer's first National Champion Sooners laid one on Don Read's UO team to the tune of 62-7. Yikes! Hope the payday was worth it. At least they stayed within 55 points. Three years earlier, in 1972, Dick Enright's Ducks took it on the chin at Norman, 68-3.
During the Mike Bellotti era Oregon has gone into some difficult venues and played tough, coming up just short at Camp Randall against Wisconsin in 2000, 27-23 on their way to a Holiday Bowl victory and #7 final ranking. The Sun Bowl season of '99 started with a hard fought 27-20 defeat at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. No question a win Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette would represent the first time the U of O has won road games out of league in back to back seasons against BCS conference teams. It's a huge game, and another opportunity for the head coach to take this program a place it's never been in so many ways!

FANTASTIC WEEKEND

This past weekend might be my favorite of the year. For those of you who are strictly college football fans, think how jazzed you were in anticipation of the start of the season leading up to Ducks/Huskies. I was as well, but then once again that feeling surfaced in anticipation of the NFL 08 season kicking off. Of course it helped that my J.E.T.S got the Brett Farve era started with a victory, albeit against the sad sack Dolphins.

As for Oregon, all I can say is wow. Team record for yards in a single game and a bunch of it with 2nd and 3rd stringers piling up production in a more conservative offensive mode. LeGarrette Blount is going to leave many a cleatmark during his Pac-10 tenure. No question the health of Jeremiah Johnson is critical, but his yang to JJ's yin packs a significant wallop. Having this combo to drop the hammer late in games and later in the season will take a lot of heat off of who ever is playing quarterback.

Certainly a part of me who detests all things Seattle, purple and u-dub related rejoiced in the miserable way they tasted defeat last Saturday versus BYU. That said, the official who flagged Jake Locker for "excessive celebration" should be sadistically beaten with a wet noodle. Really? Young guy playing his heart out at the collegiate level, at home, desperately needing a win, takes his team in for a dramatic, potential game tying score and is penalized for his glee. If it's taunting or delaying the game, drop the laundry. This was inexcusable. I love the Pac-10 and consider it a treat to cover and watch it up close & personal. You can debate the best football or basketball conference for eternity. Combine the two and the conversation ends because no other league is absolutely in both conversations. The only black marks continue to come from the higher ups with their embarrassing bowl affiliations putting our 2nd place team in a non-major and the idiot, clownlike referrees. Your comments are much appreciated here. Post them or e-mail me at steve@1320thescore.com

HEY HEY HO HO, THAT SONG HAS GOT TO GO!

Been harping on this for a few years. Sure anyone with a brain who hates all things Seattle realizes those who do the wave take the short bus to the game. More importantly, we must get the U of O marching band to quit playing "Rock & Roll Parts 1 & 2" by Gary Glitter. It's the, da da da da da....GO DUCKS! Gary Glitter is a convicted pedophile. Just got out of a jail in Vietnam for molesting two girls, aged 10 & 11. So when people defend the choice of the song saying lot's of musicians have stepped outside the law, they deserve a smack in the head. Getting busted for smoking a joint or anything short of murder is NOT in this category. Please visit the UO Band website at www.omb.uoregon.edu or send an e-mail omb@uoregon.edu
It's embarassing and a total black mark on a part of this school's presentation of athletics that usually knocks em dead and is a joy to watch. There is no other side to this argument.
Click on the OMB staff link and get the specific e-mail addresses of those responsible.

And Away We Go!

Alright, football season is here and we're going blog crazy. We'll have a couple of interns posting as well as yours truly. How sweet was it to just blast the Dawgs to get the season starting.
How far has Mike Bellotti taken this program when they can run in their 3rd & 4th string quarterbacks with absolutely no D-1 experience and thrash a Pac-10 opponent. Also shows how far the Washington program has fallen. Their defense is gonna get shredded by a lot of teams and I don't anticipate Ty Willingham being their head coach come next season. He's a sharp guy, class act & hopefully will land on his feet in a better circumstance.
I know lot's of folks are tired of hearing about the dominance of USC. Sorry folks, it ain't going anywhere. Their defense is a freaking terror! They forced Virginia into 3 & outs on their first 3 posessions and after a punt, the Trojans only had to march 57, 47 & 42 yards for TD's that put this thing on ice after just one quarter.
Keep an eye out right here the rest of the week to talk some NFL, preview week 2 at the college level and as you always hear me harp on, we are your baseball central!