FINAL THOUGHTS FOR 2009 by ST

Mike Leach sticks a kid in a shed, Urban Meyer says he's not feeling well but it turns out he was rushed to the hospital with chest pains, the Ducks win the Pac 10, the Yankees add another ring to their collection. It goes on and on what pops into my head looking back at the year. Nothing remotely touches the tumble of Tiger. Seriously, if on 1-1-2009 someone told you North Carolina would win the Big Dance, Wazzou would stink in football, Brett Farve would be an attention whore, the Lakers would win the NBA title, politicians would cause scandal, Wall Street big wigs were lying, greedy scumbags or Rush Limbaugh would eat a big meal and take a pain killer you wouldn't be surprised. But Tiger Woods ending 2009 as a punchline for comedians and fodder for the tabloids? Yeah right! The more I think about it, the more I realize it's a collapse for the ages. To quote one of my all time favorite beings, Bugs Bunny, "WHAT A MAROON"!
After speaking with Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch I'm more convinced than ever that the Rose Bowl is going to be a gritty, down to the wire, last minute, get out the antacid battle. Can't escape the fact this Ohio State defense is better than some of those that got smoked by faster SEC schools(LSU & FLA) 2 and 3 years ago. They have a killer 6-7 man rotation on their line and a 1st round NFL pick at safety in Kurt Coleman. I don't see the Buckeyes locking down on the Duck attack, but I don't anticipate Oregon having it's way like in the Cal or USC romps. On the other side, OSU doesn't have the overwhelming beef up front like many would assume with a Big 10 power. The guards are more than 300 pounds, while the center and tackles are a more svelte 290-295 pounds. I think the Ducks speed on that side of the ball will be huge and hopefully limit their rush and force Terrell Pryor to do damage from the pocket which is not the strength of his game. It's gonna be a doozy.
If you saw last night's dismantling of Arizona by Nebraska, take note. Lot of people see the Huskers as a Big 12 team who might struggle to keep up with SEC or Pac 10 tempo. Not quite the case. Of course in defensive tackle Ndamukong Sue they have a wrecking crew to set the pace, but they chewed up and spit out the Cats version of the spread. I take note of the numbers & statistics but don't always think they tell the entire story. Shutting out West Central Tech A & M then giving up 40 to Georgia means you average surrendering 20 points which is nice but meaningless. No back has rushed for 100 yds in a game vs Ohio State this year. They really did a number on two excellent backs, John Clay of Wisconsin and Evan Royster of Penn State. We'll have much more on today's version of SportsTalk and on the KUGN pregame live from Sam's Place starting at 10am tomorrow, then after we'll hear your thoughts on the post game, also at Sam's on Wilson Street in West Eugene.
Enjoy it and GO DUCKS!

A digression and some Rose Bowl by ST

Was reading in this morning's paper that Tiger Woods turns 34. I'm guessing his wife didn't greet him with a smile and a negligee? What a putz. How many figured he'd be at this point in his life after he walked off the 18th green at Medinah, victorious in the 2006 PGA championship. He was 31 and had just captured his 12 major win & was just 6 shy of Jack Nicklaus and well ahead of the Golden Bear's pace at that age. In the 3 plus season's since Woods has won the PGA once more and the US Open. We don't know if we'll even see him on this year's tour.
I've been hearing from many of you a tad too cocky about Friday's game in Pasadena. You do realize the opponent is Ohio State and not Ohio University or Washington. Since Jim Tressell took over they've regained their status as one of college football's elite. They have a few dozen athletes on their team, many on defense, most programs would love to have. I understand the Big 11 is down a bit, but they're the best that fairly prestigious conference has to offer the last few years. Just last January in the Fiesta Bowl, they appeared to be on the verge of getting blown out by Texas but rallied to take a 4th quarter lead before falling short 24-21. This is not the same group who failed so miserably in their previous 2 trips to a major, getting waxed by LSU & Florida in the National Title game.
Personally I don't believe there is a defense out there capable of dominating this Oregon offense. A quality unit can certainly figure out a way to slow them down, but a complete shutdown doesn't seem possible. We'll have much more on this the next 2 days on SportsTalk, tomorrow morning on our KUGN show at IHOP and from 10am until noon Friday at Sam's Place in West Eugene as part of our pre-game.
Since dropping their first two, the Pac 10 has rallied to take their last 2 Bowl games. USC crammed it down the throats of the national knuckleheads who said they would fall to Boston College because the Trojans didn't want to be in the Emerald. Same yo-yo's who each post season sing the praises of Pete Carrol and his staff for their bowl game preparation. The national spotlight starts to shine a bit brighter tonight at 5pm with Arizona and Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. The Cornhuskers might feel a bit of a letdown as they were 1 click of the clock or a missed field goal away from winning the Big 12 championship and playing in the Fiesta Bowl. The Wildcats obviously feel a level of frustration. Let's not forget the Ducks tied them with under 10 seconds left, forced overtime and eventually pulled it out. The U of A followed with victories against Arizona State and USC so the loss to Oregon cost them the Rose Bowl. I'd imagine this will be more of a defensive battle. Nebraska coach Bo Pellini made his bones on defense and has a great reputation for slowing down spread style offenses like they run in Tucson. I look for this to be one of the lowest scoring games all post season.

RECORD FAILS TO TELL THE STORY by ST

I just read that Rich Brooks is likely retiring from the coaching profession after his Kentucky team fell short in last night's Music City Bowl against Clemson. On SportsTalk I often hear people who question the field at Autzen Stadium being named after a coach with a "losing" record. These folks can't see the forest through the trees and completely miss the big picture & significant contribution this man made. When he took over as Duck boss in 1977, the sport was still 8 seasons away from a move that would allow programs like Oregon, Virginia Tech and Florida State to compete with the big boys at the top. In 1985 the NCAA instituted the 85 scholarship limit meaning Nebraska could no longer have 12 great backs waiting in line. Some of those guys would depart places like Alabama, Southern Cal and other monsters and head for Eugene, Blacksburg & Miami. Brooks took over a program that had not won more than 4 games 5 consecutive years and he won just 2 games his 1st two seasons before carving out a 6 & 5 mark his 3rd year running the show. I think many of you know the way things progressed from there. Oregon would look like a contender in 1988 with a 6 & 1 record before Bill Musgrave got busted up against Arizona State, lost out and didn't make the post season. In 89 they would land in the Independence Bowl. They've missed the post season just 4 times since. With then A.D Bill Byrne and some staunch financial support they decided to make their move, upgraded facilities and look where Oregon football is now! I personally don't feel it's in such great shape without the significant contribution of Rich Brooks. Let's not forget who hired Mike Bellotti as offensive coordinator when Mike's experience was limited to Chico State, Cal State-Hayward, Weber State and other such legendary launching pads. A decade and a half later, Mr. Bellotti would bring in an offensive coordinator from a little known New Hampshire program. All turned out to be pretty sound decisions as the Ducks prepare for the Rose Bowl against Ohio State.

SUNDAY DUCKS by Tannen

First & foremost, a very, Merry Christmas. The anal, self centered knuckleheads drive me nuts. December 25th is Christmas. Period. You wish a Merry Christmas for your friends, co-workers and the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who celebrate. If you don't, that's your right, but it's not about you. On May 15th, I will make a big deal out of my wife's birthday. It's not a slight for those of you born on one of the other 364 days of the year.
I believe one of the reasons Oregon football has risen to the stature it now holds is it's become a viable path to the NFL. I took the time to see how the former Ducks are doing at the professional level. I won't get into each guy, but for those who care, this is for you.
Let's begin with Jairus Byrd. Left early for the pros and was a 2nd round pick by the Bills. Was wise enough to acknowledge the scouts who felt he'd be better off as a safety instead of a cover corner. All he's done is lead the league in interceptions with 9. Too bad it's happening in relative obscurity in Buffalo.
Pat Chung was a guy who looked like he belonged in the Pac 10 about an hour into his Oregon career. He went in round 2 last draft to the Patriots. Began as a special teams demon, then morphed into a regular rotation in their secondary. Making a nice contribution for a team who looks playoff bound.
Maurice Morris was a terrific young guy who had a great quality about him. Played the 1st seven seasons as a supplemental back to guys like Shaun Alexander in Seattle and got to the Super Bowl following the 2005 season. Moved to Detroit this year because he's obviously did something wrong in a former life. Had a career high 126 yards including a 64 yard TD romp last Sunday.
Nick Reed is another Oregon rookie. He's with the Seahawks. Exploded onto the scene and overwhelmed the coaches with his motor, attitude and ability to wreak havoc on special teams at first, then earned a roster spot by excelling on the defensive line. One of the easiest guys to root for.
I'll catch you up on the trio of Panthers(Jonathan Stewart, Dante Rosario & Geoff Schwarz), Dennis Dixon, Kellen Clemens and the others when we rally the troops for SportsTalk at 3 today.
I'm also going to need a first hand report on last nite's game at Mac Court which was surprisingly close between the Ducks and Idaho State. I stayed home to watch the Vegas Bowl. What an idiot!
E-mail me at stevetannen@live.com if you want in on our drawing for Ducks Hoop tickets for Monday's game against Arkansas Pine Bluff, their final tilt before Pac 10 play begins one the 1st day of 2010!

SENSATIONAL STATISTICAL SUNDAY by ST

Living in a university town I get fans who tell me they much prefer the college game to the NFL. Certainly your right, but yesterday(SUN) was pro football at it's finest. Here is what was accomplished between 10am & 4:45pm. Steelers 37 Packers 36. The first ever game that ended in that exact score and the league began play in 1920. In the game, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 383 yards and 3 TD's. His counterpart, Ben Roethlisberger beat him in yardage by 120, for a franchise record 503! The game ended on the final play when Big Ben hit Mike Wallace for the TD. UNREAL! We also witnessed the 3rd most prolific single game rushing performance ever as the Brown's Jerome Harrison piled up 286 on the ground as Cleveland beat KC. In the same game, Harrison's teammate Josh Cribbs returned 2 kicks for touchdowns. 100 and 103 yards, just the 2nd time in history that's happened. He also broke the career kick return for a score mark with 8. Normally the 154 yard rushing by the Chief's Jamaal Charles would have been noteworthy or the 331 yards passing by QB Matt Cassell. All this & I've only hit on 2 games. In the Houston victory versus the Lambs, Matt Shaub lit the St Looey secondary up for 367, with robo receiver Andre Johnson hauling in 9 for just a shade under 200 yards. Arizona was leading Detroit 17-nil in the 3rd quarter on the Lions 20 yard line when Kurt Warner was picked off by Louis Delmas at the goal line. He took it 100 yards for a TD! How about former Duck Maurice Morris busting loose for a 64 yard touchdown run. Miami's quarterback, Chad Henne had almost 350 throwing it in their damaging loss to Tennessee. Numbers, numbers and more numbers. It was a fantasy geeks delight. Then we had another incredible finish. This one from San Diego. The Bengals, playing with heavy hearts dealing with the death of teammate Chris Henry during the week, gutted it out. Carson Palmer took his team 80 yards for a game tying field goal with :52 left but that was enough as Bolt QB Phillip Rivers hit throws of 11, 20 then a monster 15 yard out to Michael Floyd to the Cincy 35 with :07 left. Nate Kaeding absolutely drilled the 52 yard field goal that clinched the AFC west & pretty much assured the Chargers of a 1st round bye and the #2 seed in the playoffs. Not enough drama & entertainment? Okay, how about Raiders 20 Broncos 19. Jamarcus Russell, Oakland's top overall draft pick in 2007, has been so awful he had been dropped to 3rd string. New starter Bruce Gradkowski tore his knee up last week so this week, the new starter was Charlie Frye. He went down in the 4th quarter. Enter Russell who throws the game winning TD pass to Chaz Shillens with about a half minute left in regulation. I'm still too ticked to even discuss the idiot Jet defense shutting down Atlanta for 58 1/2 minutes before Matt Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez with the game winner with 1 1/2 minutes left in the game. That was the downside of my Sunday. Okay, for a killer golf prize. 18 holes at 4 layouts. Elkhorn Valley, Hidden Valley, Middlefield and Springfield Country Club. Get in the drawing by emailing the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com
I mentioned earlier that former Wazzou Coug Jerome Harrison rolled up 286 on the ground against the Chiefs. That was the 3rd best single game total in NFL history. Who had the other two and how many yards did they rush for??? Good Luck.
We'll also discuss a very, very nice win & performance by the Oregon Men hoopers Saturday night at Mac Court.

HOOPS AND FOOTBALL by st

Tomorrow night at Mac Court the Oregon men square off with Oakland. They turned in a solid performance in beating Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday despite the continued absence of Tajuan Porter. The Grizzlies play out of the Summit League and in recent years have put together some nice teams and won 23 games last season. They play a heck of an out of conference schedule which this year has included Memphis, Kansas, Wisconsin and Michigan State. After this visit to Eugene, they'll head for Syracuse. This is a good test to see how much Oregon has improved since the bad outing at Missouri. I'm a believer that this Duck team is much more talented and deep compared with last season's disaster. Look for the coaches to continue to experiment with different lineups so they can have a better gauge of how they want to run things once Pac 10 play begins in the New Year.
With the Colts rallying to beat Jacksonville last night, playoff doors have been opened. The Jags are now on the outside looking in at 7 & 7 a game behind the Ravens, Jets & Dolphins. Intriguing game between Tennessee and Miami. The Titans, once and 0 & 6 laughing stock, have rallied behind Vince Young and the remarkable running of Chris Johnson to sneak into the picture at 6 & 7. Johnson reminds me of Barry Sanders or Reggie Bush at USC. When the ball is in his hands, you must watch. He will have to average 161 yards per game over the final 3 to break Eric Dickerson's single season rushing mark of 2105 set a quarter century ago with the Los Angeles Rams. We also get a nice Saturday night game on the NFL Network with Dallas in the Big Easy to try to not only derail the Saint's perfect season, but maintain their wild card lead. The Cowboys have been a horrifying December team and it's been well documented. I expect a heavy duty dose of Marion Barber because if New Orleans has a weakness, it's stopping the run. Enjoy the weekend! Go Ducks. Go Jets.

THIS MIGHT BE COLD BUT.....by Tannen

I'm beyond livid over some of the coverage surrounding the death of Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry. Some media outlets using terms like shocking. Really? For openers, sad or tragic are far more applicable. Stunning or surprising don't even remotely come into play. The guy's entire adult life in the spotlight since being called an embarassment to the West Virginia program by then coach Rich Rodriguez has been about his inability to live within the rules of decency. He was arrested 5 times in just over a 3 year period beginning with his entry into the NFL in 2005. Did you read the 9-1-1 tapes released and learn how he suffered the injuries that would kill him? Ran out of the house after his fiance. Jumped into the back of the pickup truck she was driving away in. Wasn't wearing a shirt. Was banging on the back of the cab like a crazy man, then fell out and killed himself. I hear Cincy coach Marvin Lewis, President Mike Brown and some players talking about how he turned his life around and it's a total crock of B.S. I've had people in my life like Henry. It's like the next confrontation or argument is their freaking life's blood and it's dispicable. You have to walk on eggs, watch every comment you make for fear of setting these a-holes off. Anger, fighting and just a basic disprespect for anything, any situation or anyone but their own petty, pathetic temper. Sorry to be so cruel, but if one person out there sees themselves and actually takes the step of growing up and getting help, it might be worth it.
Okay, let's give a way another $50 gift certificate to Roaring Rapids Pizza on Franklin in Eugene. Good stuff! E-mail your correct answer to get in the drawing to stevetannen@live.com
Chad Ochocinco Johnson is the Bengal's career leader for catches with 677. But among Cincy receivers with at least 200 catches, who has the highest yards per catch average? Good luck!

DAY OFF? DAY OFF? DAY OFF? by ST

No SportsTalk today as we bring you the smooth melodies of Terry Jonz calling the Oregon Women's hoop team at Georgia Tech. New guy Paul Westhead has really got things buzzing with his off the charts push it pace. Enjoy the game.
Lot of talk the past 24 hours among baseball fans about the best 1-2 punch in the game with Roy Halladay landing in Philly, Cliff Lee to Seattle and John Lackey signing with the Bosox. I'm getting a tad tired of all the stats being regurgitated in defense of a particular choice. Numbers only tell a part of the story. I don't care if a pitcher eats up the Royals or Padres in July to pad his resume. Let me see the guy lockdown the Philadelphia lineup in the heat of a September pennant race. The Sabermetrics is getting a bit annoying. My question is simple. Heading into the 2010 season. What combo would you prefer at the head of your rotation. I'll take the gamers. Give me Chris Carpenter & Adam Wainright of the Cardinals in the NL and Josh Beckett and Lackey of the Boston's in the American League. It's also interesting how the World Champion Yankees don't really qualify. You might also consider Seattle's Cliff Lee & Felix Hernandez, Cole Hamels & Halladay of the Phillies, Tim Lincecum & Matt Cain of the Giants(though Cain's era doubled in September). We will address this in more detail when we rally the troops for the Thursday edition of SportsTalk. Enjoy!

ALL AMERICANS, TIGER, HOT STOVE & MORE

They've announced the AP All-American team for 2009. Colt McCoy was 1st tm @ QB with Tim Tebow 2nd & Boise State's Kellen Moore 3rd. Whatever! No quarterback in the land had a BETTER season than Moore. I think he has a real shot at walking away with the 2010 Heisman. 39 TD's vs just 3 interceptions and the highest rating of anyone. How about a pair of brothers being honored? James Rodgers of Oregon State is a 2nd team all purpose player with Jacquizz a 3rd team running back. Offensive lineman Mike and Maurkice Pouncey of Florida were both second teamers. Pretty cool stuff.
How about a doctor in Canada who has a direct connection to Tiger Woods getting popped with human growth hormone and Actovegin, a drug illegal in the U.S that's extracted from calf's blood. The name you'll hear is Dr. Anthony Galea. Also treated Dara Torres the remarkable American swimmer who has raised many a furrowed brow by continuing to knock them dead into her 40's. I heard Colin Cowerd this morning and he made an excellent point. High level athletes have lost the benefit of the doubt. Innocent until proven guilty still exists in courtrooms, but not the sporting court of public opinion. Not when the best of the best have repeatedly failed in this area. Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I'm loving all this Hot Stove activity. Cliff Lee to Seattle giving them a sweet 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation with Felix Hernandez. I think the Red Sox made a nice moving if the John Lackey deal goes through. Signing Mike Cameron to play left is questionable. He's a walking strikeout machine which goes against their Sabremetrics theory, but he's a heck of a glove. The Phillies landing Roy Halladay is brilliant. I believe he will be a master in the lesser hitting National League after spending a chunk of his starts facing Boston & New York in the American League East.
Okay, let's give away some loot. I have a $50 gift certificate to Roaring Rapids Pizza. Take a break from the holiday rush and visit them on Franklin in Eugene. E-mail your correct answer to stevetannen@live.com and get in the drawing. I'll announce the winner late in the 5 o'clock hour of today's show.
Jamie Moyer and Randy Johnson are the winningest starting pitchers in Seattle Mariner history. Both are lefties. Which righty has won the most games in franchise history? Good Luck!

MIXED BAG AT THE PIT by ST

I attended Oregon's loss to St. Mary's in men's hoops on Saturday afternoon and came away with mixed reviews. Certainly the offense was hurt by the absence of Tajuan Porter with a bum ankle. We're so used to this team launching a bunch of 3's but they were just 2 of 5 from downtown and Drew Wiley hit one at the buzzer that did not impact the outcome of the game. While Joevan Caetron joined TP on the sidelines, it's key to note the Gaels were without their starting point guard Wayne Hunter. This St. Mary's team can really shoot and made some clutch 3-pointers at crunch time and were a perfect 10 of 10 from the line with the game still in doubt. The Ducks were weak from the free throw stripe, hitting just 12 of 21. The offense is at best a work in progress and at times the ball movement is a bit frustrating as they dished out a mere 6 assists for the contest. That said, there was some upside and the Gaels are a pretty good team. Juco transfer Malcolm Armstead looks like the best point guard the program has had since Aaron Brooks was drafted into the NBA. True freshman Jamil Wilson will get there but he's experiencing growing pains you'd expect from a newbie and at times seems a tad overwhelmed. Another true frosh, E.J Singler has game and along with Armstead was Oregon's best player. In the post game, the coach said they have to work hard to get better and that's a dead on, accurate statement. The Pac-10 is not as cutthroat as we're used to so with 4 non-league games left before the opener at Wazzou, they can heal up, make progress and hopefully make some kind of splash to create optimism heading into the new arena next autumn.
I know much is being made of Phil Knight coming out in support of Tiger Woods saying Nike is sticking with Eldrick as an endorser. Look, I've lost all respect for Woods as a man. He has no credibility because he presented a complete lie. Was messing around on his wife while she was pregnant with his two children. No way around it, he's a pig. That said, Nike golf is now a significant force in the golf equipment world. We're talking hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. It doesn't exist without Tiger Woods. Golfers, think about it. Before 1997 how many of you played a ball, used irons or woods with the swoosh on them. We all used Calloway, Taylor Made, Titleist, Ping and the like. Now I see a ton of Nike in your bags. It's unreasonable for this company to turn their back on Woods now, despite his dispicable behavior. This is the classic case of the lesser of various evils. He didn't kill anyone, no abuse of Ellin is suspected and physical harm is not a factor. Nike can not ignore what Tiger has done for their product. Period.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS by ST

It's amazing where being a fan leads you. I remember the only year I played fantasy, then rotisserie, baseball. 1991. Back in those prehistoric times we had to set up a conference call between Eugene, New York City, New Jersey, Palo Alto and North Carolina to do the draft. It was late in the season and we were in the hunt for the big cash that came with first or second place. We had picked up Mike Gardiner to add to our rotation. He was pitching for the Boston Red Sox. As you may have noticed, they're not my favorite team. We desperately needed a win from one of our staff members. I distinctly recall thinking my soul was at risk and I could do this no more. Rooting for the Bosox is like many of you rooting for the Beavers or the Axis Powers in World War II. It was my last year playing that insane game. Last night's Thursday NFL game had the Steelers at Cleveland. Pittsburgh was 6 & 6 heading in, a game behind Jacksonville for the final AFC Wild Card spot, tied with my Jets and a couple of others. It's 13-6 Brownies in the 4th quarter. 4th & 6 from the Cleveland 39 with time winding down. Last chance for Pitt. As the last pass fell to the ground incomplete, I jumped off the couch and cheered. Really? Yes. I love sports.
I think tomorrow we might see the closest vote in Heisman Trophy history. As I'm writing this I must admit, despite that fact, I'm not riveted by the outcome. This is the ultimate popularity contest among players from high profile programs, not about who the best player in college football is. CJ Spiller of Clemson didn't make the finals. That pretty much renders the balloting insignificant. How can anyone possibly be a BETTER player than this guy? He runs, catches, blocks, returns punts and kicks for touchdowns. Duh! We've seen a lot of late support for Nebraska's terrorizing defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. The last D-lineman to finish in the Top 5 of the voting was Warren Sapp of Miami 15 years ago. Here's another bit of history. If in fact Alabama running back Mark Ingram wins, he'd be the 3rd sophomore in a row following Tim Tebow of Florida and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma last season. They are the only 3 soph's ever to take home the award. The closest vote ever was 1985 when Bo Jackson narrowly outpointed Iowa's Chuck Long. I think we'll see that challenged, but it's certainly not "must see" tv.
Here's a question that could win you some loot. I will let you know the prize on today's show. In this decade, what was the closest Heisman vote & who won & what year? Email your response to stevetannen@live.com
Enjoy the weekend

LIGHTEN UP FRANCIS by ST

If you got a chuckle out of the title of this blog, you're on board with the "Stripes" reference. It's intro time with Sgt Hulka after the bus has landed at boot camp and they're going around talking up whey they joined the Army. A guy who refers to himself as "Psycho" pretty much threatens anyone in the company with death if they touch him, his stuff or call him by his given first name, "Francis". The Seargent tells him to "lighten up Francis". This is good advice for the powers that be in the NFL. I heard a great interview with former Beav & current Bengal stud wide out Chad Johnson(I don't do Ochocinco). This year he's received a 20-thousand dollar fine for flashing a dollar at an official during a challenge then most recently for donning a sombrero on the sidelines AFTER scoring a touchdown, 30-grand. Seriously? Did the NFL front office actually think this guy was going to bribe a ref, on camera, with a buck? How about the sombrero? Why is that a serious offense? I'm all about acting like a professional, but CJ isn't a doctor or leader of the military. He's paid a bundle to play a game for crying all night and actually has the audacity to enjoy himself! Oh the horror. Look, if the guy is showing up opponents, or rubbing it in their face or causing the game to be delayed, throw a flag. This whole hitting him in the wallet for absolutely nothing is embarassing. Johnson is approaching 32 years old, has played at a pro-bowl level since coming out of Oregon State, has never run afoul of the law and is a model citizen. He's a consummate pro who happens to add a great flair to the NFL, but the fuddy duddy's want to keep him under their thumb. With all the embarassing, illegal and sometimes tragic circumstances that have recently surrounded their players, you'd think they'd embrace Chad for providing the constant smile. It's 2009, the world is seen in high def color, not the stoic black and white of yesteryear. The NFL needs to get over itself.
Alright, time to give a way another of those $50 gift certificates to Divinity Salon in Springfield, the perfect gift for your wife, daughter, girlfriend, co-worker, or self. E-mail the correct response to stevetannen@live.com
Chad Johnson has had a heck of a career. Nearly 700 catches over his 9 years, ton of TD's and he's closing in on 10-thousand yards in receptions. How many catches did he have his one season at Oregon State?

ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN, MAYBE by ST

I'm hearing a ton of Oregon fans doing a tad much boasting about taking apart Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Gotta admit, in the heat of the moment after the dazzling victory in the Civil War with my negative feelings towards what the Big 10 has become, I was of that mentality. After doing some initial research, I'm thinking this might be a pretty solid Buckeye defense. I'm not huge on the rankings because it incorporates what they did against patsies, holding Toledo to 13 rush yards and New Mexico State just 40. A closer look reveals an extremely experienced & talented group. They did march into Happy Valley and shut down an excellent back like Evan Royster limiting to his lowest total and yards per carry of his 2 1/2 year career. But again, what did they do against the top running attacks they faced. Navy puts up about 280 running it per game and OSU held them to 186, not quite a lockdown. USC went into Columbus with a true freshman quarterback and ultra-vanilla game plan and didn't exactly explode with 40 carries for 118 yards. Iowa, who is BCS Bowl bound didn't crack the 70 yard mark. Granted, none of these teams is in Oregon's league as far as a killer rush attack, but don't sell this Buckeye defense too, too short. We will get into their very conservative offense with Terrelle Pryor at the helm in the not to distant future, but I'm not a fan of his inaccuracy throwing it.
Not a pleasant situation in Portland with the Trailblazers. First, starter and defensive stalwart, Nicolas Batum had shoulder surgery in the pre-season and might, might be back in March. Then Travis Outlaw, who formed a terrific crunch time 1-2 punch with Brandon Roy was lost for the year(most likely) with a broken foot. Saturday they were hit with another disastrous Greg Oden injury meaning he misses most of his 3rd season after sitting out all of his first and the early part of his second. It's time to suck it up and realize the big fella is not a franchise cornerstone. Now the news comes down that Rudy Fernandez has a nerve problem in his back. The recently completed procedure will cost him a month and a half. I'm a huge fan of team boss Kevin Pritchard, but he's gonna have to go David Copperfield to fix this.
Okay guys, chance for you to win something for that special lady. It's a $50 gift certificate to the Divinity Salon in Springfield. Trust me, she'll love it. E-mail the correct answer to the following question to stevetannen@live.com
The Ducks ended up with the 6th most potent rushing attack in Division-1 as far as yards per game. Who were the 5 teams ahead of them?? Good luck.

THAT WAS QUICK by ST

I know it's become something that's transcended the sports pages and is now tabloid fodder, but to ignore what's happening with Tiger Woods is too ostrich like for me. He turned pro in 1996, but from his 1st U.S Amateur title in 1994, many who follow sports were aware of his existence & potential. By the time he re-wrote the Master's record book in the spring of 1997 he was a household word. It was the tail end of the Jordan-era in the NBA, Farve & the Pac ruled the NFL, another Yankee dynasty was rising in the South Bronx but Tiger-mania had taken root. I think most saw him as a pretty well educated, nice guy with a ridiculous talent. Over the years some tired of the obsession with the networks or golf channel showing every move he made. The fact was, it's what the public wanted. TV ratings sky-rocketed when Woods teed it up and moved further into the stratosphere when he was in contention on a weekend. We'd get the occasional peek into perhaps a not-so-sweet side with his impatience with photographers and members of the media. But I don't recall anyone, fan, fellow golfer, reporter, ANYONE offering up this sleazy T.W.
We've known forever high level pro athletes have women throw themselves at them. But Tiger sidestepped that reputation with a knockout wife who had given him two beautiful children. Turns out while Mrs. Woods was with child, Mr. Woods was hopping from foreign bed to bed with a series of tarts. We always hear about golfers holding down one of the last bastions of sportsmanship by calling penalties on themselves and the like. That's on the course. Perhaps it's time we used this Eldrick mess as a teaching lesson for our kids. Feel free to watch these ballplayers and enjoy their magnificent talent. But! It's critical to understand that it's not a window into their character. It might offer a glimpse if they carry themselves properly during a competition, but at the end of the day if you don't know them personally, you don't know them. It's a great opportunity. Being a great golfer means one thing and only one thing. You're a great golfer. Period!
Okay, let's give away more loot. Tiger the Cheater has won the Masters 4 times. Collectively, how many strokes under par is he for those 4 victories combined.
E-mail the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com for a $50 gift certificate to the Learning Palace in Eugene. Great holiday gift and congrats to Jason for yesterday's victory. It was Washington 46 Iowa 34 in January of 1991. Highest Scoring Rose Bowl ever.

COWARDLY LION B.C.S CLOWNS by ST

Wondering if any of you experienced this either Sunday morning or this(Mon) A.M. You've woken from a roll. Since either attending or watching the Civil War Thursday night, you've kind of gone through the motions at work on Friday and perhaps hunkered down Saturday to see how the rest of the regular season played out. Then upon arising, realized the dishes had piled up, the laundry basket was overflowing, empty beer bottles and take out receipts all over the place. Since my friends and I made most of the mess, I was up an hour earlier than usual today to cut my lovely wife a break. After taking out the garbage, the recycling, taking the clean dishes out of the washer and re-filling, cleaning the kitchen, balancing the check book and feeding the dogs, I finally got caught up. It's officially Monday, the NFL is boss for the next 3 weeks, then it's bowl season. Sure, I'll throw an eye on Baseball's Hot Stove, plus NBA & college hoops and a tad of NHL, but it's time to figure out who makes the Super Bowl tournament.
I was really pleased the B.C.S idiots extended a bid to Boise State with TCU earning the automatic Non-Traditional BCS league qualifier but to pit them against each other is nothing shy of gutless. If these self righteous dummies are so sure their precious conferences are so superior to the rest of the planet, why not take this opportunity to prove it. Have Florida, who didn't even win their league play Boise State and a Conference champion knock heads with TCU. They are such a bunch of Chicken (guess what follows), it's pathetic.
I have no problem with the BCS title game despite Texas nearly blowing it against Nebraska, but they went in under the premise of needing a win to get in against the SEC game winner and got the "W". I was also okay with Iowa getting the final at large invite over Penn State as the Hawkeyes had beaten the Nittany's head to head.
Let's talk irony. All we've heard from the national honks since summer is how magnificent the SEC is and what a joy it will be to see Florida & Alabama play for a right to advance to the big one. Turns out that was the only conference championship settled with zero drama. The Pac 10 was clinched with a sensational Civil War, Cincinnatti beat Pitt to win the Big East 45-44. The ACC title game wasn't settled until the final minute and Texas survived Nebraska after getting a second tacked on to kick the game winning field goal at the buzzer. And don't forget Ohio State took the Big 10 trophy with an overtime win against Iowa a couple of weeks back. It was a heck of a regular season but we've been denied a chance to see history and prove what a joke the BCS is because they don't have the stones to roll the dice.
Let's give away a really cool prize. I have a $50 gift certificate to the Learning Palace in Eugene. This would be a terrific holiday present. Lot of people expect this Rose Bowl to be pretty high octane. What two teams played in the highest scoring Rose Bowl in history and what was the score? E-mail your correct answer to stevetannen@live.com

ROSES, WEIRDNESS AND OTHER STUFF by ST

What began as a college football version of a bad horror movie ended with fans storming the field celebrating the 2nd trip to Pasadena since the Eisenhower administration. The irony was the young fella at the center of the early September controversy provided a terrific spark last night. LeGarrette Blount had a sweet TD run and a critical 30 yard jaunt to begin the final clock killing, Rose Bowl clinching drive. I found it odd he was in there in the 2nd half of such an important game. Oregon had already lost 2 fumbles and Blount had barely touched the ball all season. Then again, I'm still working on training myself not to doubt Chip Kelly who has been a Pac 10 coach for one year and has won the conference title each season on the job. We will obviously get into this in more detail when SportsTalk kicks in later today. I will say this. We sit behind the Oregon bench in section 11 and always enjoy the performance of the marching band. At halftime of the Duck's demolition of USC on Halloween night the U of O performed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" complete with an absolutely hysterical version of the dance that accompanied the video. The OSU band's version last night paled in comparision. Not sure what that has to do with football, but it's worth noting.
Anyone else find this whole Tiger Woods circumstance odd? Officials now say he was found with no shoes on and snoring in the aftermath of his 1 car crash. Did he decide, let's see, I've run over some shrubbery, drilled a fire hydrant and a tree, sounds like time for a nap. This certainly falls into the category of a 'sordid' incident. At the bottom line he cheated on his young wife, primarily while she was pregnant or home with their babies. Classy!
In this weekend's championship games I see Texas handling Nebraska, though perhaps not as easily as some might lead you to believe. I think Tebow will find a way to get Florida past Alabama setting up Gators & Longhorns for all the marbles. The ACC title game between Georgia Tech and Clemson is the only one that is a 2009 rematch. The Techsters took a 30-27 decision in week 2, blowing a 24 point lead, then stealing it with a field goal in the final minute. Paul Johnson's run, run, run scheme piled up just over 300 yards on the Tiger defense. Should be a tight game again. Enjoy the weekend.

RED HOT ON TWO FRONTS by ST

With all the national and local coverage over this game, the analysis has been a tad overwhelming. We see these big games and sometimes you have one team on the come with another who has been sidestepping land mines on their way to playing for a conference title. That is NOT the case here. Both Oregon and Oregon State have just one loss since September ended. The Beavs fell at USC by a score to 42-36. OSU played them dead even, but made a couple of costly penalties and their one turnover gave the Trojans the ball inside the Beav 25 leading to a short field TD. State has won 6 of their last 7 with each victory by at least double digits save the 7 point win vs. UCLA. Sean Canfield has provided impeccable play at the quarterback position. Through the first five games of the season he was intercepted 4 times. Just two since against 12 TD throws and his efficiency has been the best in the Pac-10.
I don't see either defense shutting down the opposition. The Ducks have kicked it into high gear reeling off at least 42 points in 5 consecutive games. Even in the lone defeat, at Stanford, Oregon scored with 2 1/2 minutes to go cutting the Cardinal lead to 6 points. The onsides kick failed or they very well might have pulled out the game Down on the Farm. We saw what the Ducks did against a more experienced OSU defense last year and I think this unit may even have the edge on the 2008 version. Jeremiah Masoli is the ultimate crap shooter at QB. He never gives up on a play, loves to buy time and try to make something happen. You must admire that attitude, but with everything on the line this evening, he must value possession above everything. In particular on 1st or 2nd down, he's got to be willing to throw the ball away, or accept lesser gains rather than risk a turnover. At this point I defy any defense in America to hault the Duck assault. They are the only ones that can stop themselves. I'm not big on predictions, but I see the shootout many predict with both teams putting up at least 35 points. The over/under in this game is a sky high 62 points, but I think it gets dusted. As for laying all those 9 1/2 points. Not gonna touch it with a 10-yard set of 1st down markers.

WRONG LEAD STORY by ST

Lot of talk about the possible replacement for Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame. I have news, it's a much bigger story that Bobby Bowden is stepping down at Florida State. The Seminoles are a far better bet to reach college football's elite before the Fighting Irish. I've said it before, until Notre Dame joins a conference, be it the Big East where they compete in just about every other sport or the Big 11, it's a no brainer. Sure, ND has added a few more patsies on the schedule with Western Michigan, Tulse and Army, but otherwise it remains filled with landmines. Even the ultimate Irish basher(like me) has to admit they've been willing to take on most comers. Next year they continue with USC, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Pitt, BC, Stanford and a newbie, Utah. In the next couple of years they take on South Florida, Oklahoma State and Arizona State. In what world are they improving to the point where they only lose 2 games? There, literally is no chance they can contend for a national championship in the next 5 years. Florida State plays in the weak ACC and despite the troubles this year that led to the Bowden departure, they only finished 2 games behind Clemson in the Atlantic Division. Even next year the offense should be productive with Christian Ponder returning for his senior season, along with top target Bert Reed and leading rusher Jermaine Thomas.
As for the Civil War, the oddsmakers say Ducks by 9 1/2. Seems like a big number. On the Monday after the Ducks survived Arizona and OSU waxed the Cougs setting up this historic game, I figured Oregon by 4 points plus the field goal for playing at Autzen. Not a huge difference, but the way the Beavs are playing did cause this line to raise a few eyebrows. Of course there is the logic that last year's OSU defense might have been a bit better and the Ducks went bezerk on the scoreboard. That said, the Beavers offense in 2009 is a far superior unit from my chair. Okay, I'm taking 7 of you to get in the Wednesday drawing for Civil War tickets. E-mail the correct answer to this question to stevetannen@live.com
From 2004 through the 2007 game, Oregon State beat Oregon 3 out of 4 times. Find the last 4 year period where the Beavs beat the Ducks 3 of 4! Good Luck.
I should also point out we have another pair of tickets that I'll be giving away in the 5 o'clock hour today(Tue), but you have to be at Sam's Place where I'll be doing SportsTalk to enter & win.