SHOULD HE STAY OR SHOULD HE GO? by ST

I finally got out to Mac Court to see Paul Westhead's Oregon women's team. At halftime I was thumbing through my newest edition of Sports Illustrated and saw even Seth Davis got in an opinion on Ernie Kent. In his weekly "Three-Pointer" section called the coaches prospects for remaining on his current job "dim". One of our local columnists recently wrote it was a done deal and a new coach would roam the sidelines in the new facility next season. I've taken numerous calls on air suggesting replacements. I remain unsold the most successful coach in program history is gone and I think the still new A.D may let E.K cut the ribbon at Matt Knight Arena. I believe if Pat Kilkenny were still running the show at the Cas Center Mr. Kent would be updating his resume. Mike Bellotti might have a new title since turning the football reigns over to Chip Kelly, but whose kidding who, the man is a coach. Not only that, but he knows what it's like to feel the heat of unreasonable expectations he created at Oregon. He's also a reasonable, razor sharp man who sees the big picture better than any fan or detractor possibly could. Like it or not, Ernie Kent should have the new court at Knight Arena named after him. I also don't think those blasting off nasty letter's to the editor or dial up radio shows calling for a change represent the solid majority they'd have you think. The logical among us have been of the opinion that if the team quits on the coach or tunes him out it's over. Obviously with their performance at USC & UCLA that's not the case. It's quite the opposite. They dug deep and pulled off the road sweep with the wolves howling at their door. As odd as this may sound, the Ducks are the only team in the Pac 10 to sweep two different road series this season. They've already tripled their conference win total from a year ago with two left and upped the victory total from 8 to 14 with at least 3 games remaining. It's marked improvement with a lot of youth plus some key injuries. Both Tajuan Porter and Mike Dunnigan have missed 4 games, 13 for Matt Humphrey, and of course their lone front court senior Joevan Catron has only played in 4. This is a cold, harsh business and I'm betting no decision has yet been made. I'm also real comfortable with the guy who will make that final call. Some are egging her on to fire up the song, but the fat lady has yet to even begin singing.

Really? by ST

At first I was astonished to hear the outcry over the members of the women's Canadian Hockey team having the audacity to celebrate on ice with beer & cigars? Then I realized what a hypocritcal, anal, self righteous moronic society we've created. The surprise quickly vanished. Obviously my opinion that it was no big deal was cemented when I heard Skip Bayles, one of the biggest idiots in the history of history say he was put off by their actions. We saw an athlete die in these games & we're worried about beer. Anyone who uses the term "Olympic Ideal" should be sadistically beaten about the face & neck with a wet noodle. For decades Eastern Bloc countries used their athletes as human guinea pigs. America flushed that down the drain when we began sending our pro's in the form of a Dream Team to Barcelona in 1992. The NHL started shutting down every 4 years since 1998 to send the best players on the planet to take part in the Winter games. Who is kidding who?
I know it's not the most macho of sports to admit liking, but the performance of South Korean Kim Yu-na in winning the gold last night was nothing short of dazzling. She is an amazing athlete and a sensational performer. I will actually use the word "breathtaking". If I met her, I'd drop to my knees and kiss her feet. Goosebump City!
Nice outing by the Oregon men to get a much needed win at USC. Showed some grit and played dynomite defense. The Duck women lost a killer at home to SC. A victory would have been a huge step in impressing the selection committe for an at large bid. The Trojans were 37th in the power rankings, but opportunity knocks again tomorrow afternoon with #25 UCLA in town. A win followed by a successful season ending road trip to the Washington schools would likely punch their ticket. Okay, I have a couple of $25 certificates to Mekala's Thai Restaurant in Eugene to give away. E-mail the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com to get in this afternoon's drawing.
When was the last time the Oregon Women were in the NCAA Tournament and what was the result of their final game? Good Luck!

NOT THE TYPICAL DOWN TIME by ST

After the Super Bowl I noticed a common theme among many sports fans around here. It's time for a lull in sports. Didn't really happen. Of course depending on what you enjoy or look forward to, it doesn't exist, especially in a Winter Olympic year. I've found the action in B.C scintillating. I preached the amazing entertainment value of the hockey tournament before the games and I'm happy to report many of you have told me how much you've enjoyed it. Now we get Team USA in the semi's against a pretty dangerous, defense minded squad from Finland. In the other bracket, Team Canada showed some resolve by bouncing back from their loss to the Americans to thrash the Russians setting up a go-round with the Cinderella of these games, Slovakia. We'll get into more detail on SportsTalk, but to quote Flounder in Animal House, "Oh boy is this great!".
I just read that the folks from Nike have finally come out and will maintain their relationship with Tiger Woods. Once the news hit of his Infidelity-A-Thon, I was adamant the swoosh people would not jump ship. The fact is, and golfers will back me on this, Nike did not exist on the golf radar until Tiger switched from his Titleist driver and began using Nike balls. What ever amount of money they've forked over to Woods as an endorser can't even start to approach the impact he's had making them a viable player in the equipment end of the game on an international level.
The Duck men hoopers get back to work tonight at USC. Here's hoping for some magic to end the gloom and doom angle from many fans who follow the program. Great piece in today's Guard by Rob Mosely on the dynamic duo of the women's team, Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks, both now members of the Oregon one-thousand point club. They're also great friends who came to Eugene at the same time from very different locales. Cocks is from New Zealand while Lilley hails from Newhall, California in LA County. I had the chance to meet & speak with them a few weeks back. Just terrific young women and a credit to the 'mostly' amazing scholar/athletes who represent this university.

IGNORANCE & OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS by ST

I must respond to a pretty nasty note I got a few days back in the 'comment' section of this blog. Actually it had nothing to do with what I wrote, but something I'd said on the air. A caller saw Tony Dungy at the Winter Olympics wearing Oregon gear. FYI, his son has signed a letter of intent to play football here. I said I'm not a huge Dungy fan for his involvement with a total useless piece of garbage like Michael Vick. The comment said I'm against Dungy because I'm anti-Christian. Really? So if his name was Tony Goldstein and he was a practicing Jew, or Mohammed Dungy and a Muslim or Ashok Dungy who was a Hindu, I'd be okay with his Vick involvement? What a moronic stance. Get a clue Kyle!
I read today that John Daly was offering advice on how Tiger Woods might have better handled his whole scandal. I'm allowing a moment for everyone to get off the floor because personally, I fell out of my chair laughing. How to even draw a parallel. Getting child rearing advice from Roman Polanski? Temper control via Rasheed Wallace? How to be a better teammate by Terrell Owens? It's a cliche, but opinions are really like A-holes, everyone has one. J.D. needs to go back to his trailer park and try to keep his own pathetic life from unravelling this week.
I was happy to read Derek Jeter has no interest in becoming a free agent once his 10 year, 189 million dollar deal expires after this season. He leaves the Yankees and I'll need more therapy than Woody Allen. Live from the O'Bar today on The Commons near Autzen Stadium. Gonna be fun. Lot of give-a-ways. Look forward to seeing you down there.

IS FOOTBALL SEASON OVER? by ST

I can't wait for football season to end. I thought it had when the Saints beat the Colts in the Super Bowl or at least after Letter of Intent Signing Day. Then a group of Oregon football players decided to go rogue. Guys, do us all a personal favor. After class the next couple of weeks, just go home, play with your X-box, workout, do homework and think twice before you act. We'd all appreciate it.
At some point we have to begin thinking about our brackets with Selection Sunday a mere 19 days away. Kansas started the season #1 and looked sharp but lost an odd game to a shorthanded Tennessee team before rebounding to reclaim their top spot. Last night they came out smoking & built a 29-6 lead against Oklahoma. Though the Sooners got back in it, eventually the Jayhawks pulled away and have clinched a share of the Big 12 title. This team has a near lock on one of those Big Dance top seeds. UConn beat #7 West Virginia last night to keep their Tourney hopes alive. They've had to deal with the absence of head coach Jim Calhoun to illness, but have rallied upon his return with attention grabbing wins at #3 Villanova and the Mountaineers. They're 7 & 8 in the Big East but have 3 winnable games to wrap the regular season. Accomplish that & I think they land on the right side of the bubble. Some bubble teams in action this evening with Florida hosting Tennessee and a 17 & 10 Illinois squad at Michigan.
History is taking a pounding this year. I consider the Pac 10, ACC & Big East to be the 3 strongest conferences year in and year out. Right now only Duke is ranked out of the ACC and no Pac 10 teams are in the Top 25. Odd.
Let's give away some loot. Two winners. E-mail your answer to stevetannen@live.com
When was the last year no teams from either the ACC or Pac 10 made the Final Four of the Men's Basketball Tournament?

THE IMAGE IS TOUGH TO REMOVE by ST

Got an e-mail this morning. One of those sarcastic, home-made type that makes the rounds. It's gist was members of the Oregon football team were about to star in the newest remake of "The Longest Yard", comprising most of the inmates. Ouch! Unfortunately with what's happening on a nearly daily basis, this is the newest public perception of this program. The LeMichael James situation will run through the legal system and hopefully the truth will come out. The most recent mess involves a DUI for linebacker Kiko Alonso which lead to a nasty Facebook posting by Jamere Holland which got JH kicked off the team. Nice timing. Coach Chip Kelly holds a press conference, the president of the university issues a statement regarding player conduct and this is the follow up? Yuck! I guarantee the folks in Seattle, Corvallis and other anti-ducks points are eating this up.
As for the loss against Cal at home on Saturday, it's starting to be like a broken record. Play a team dead even for about 34 of the 40 minutes of game time, but then hit a period of invisibility. I guess this was worse considering Oregon didn't make a bucket the final quarter of the game. The harsh fact is when this team needs to score, they have very, very limited options. Malcolm Armstead is just about the only guy able to create his own shot and his offense is far too inconsistent.
Gotta comment on the USA victory over Canada in Olympic Hockey. It's still early, but the Americans are playing pretty inspired hockey and getting solid work in the net from Buffalo Sabre goalie, Ryan Miller. Across the board, the Yanks are putting on quite the show in Vancouver. I was looking forward to these games with a high level of anticipation and they've delivered thus far with lot's of drama and some big time entertainment. Hope you're enjoying them as much as I am.

BRAND NEW LIGHT by ST

You always hear that parents believe each of their children has a special gift. It might not be true in all cases, but it was in mine. It just took until I was in my early 30's to realize what it was. You can contact my wife Kathy for verification, but for now, you'll have to take my word for it. I have this ridiculous ability to judge a person's character within a few minutes depending on the circumstances and conversation. When I see TV shows about reading a witness or possible perpetrator involving body language, darting of the eyes or other "tells", it makes a connection. For years I never bothered to attempt this on Tiger Woods because his game threw me off and I had no reason to care or wonder about what kind of guy he is. Since his Thanksgiving night car crash and the ensuing circus and revelation he's a selfish, cheating pig, I now see him in a brand new light. Today's laughable press conference hit me. I barely heard any of the words coming out of his mouth. I just watched his face, expression and demeanor. He's a douche! Simple as that. He's a robot. I don't buy one single aspect of anything he has to offer. I admit to being completely duped by him. I see clowns like Rasheed Wallace, lots of politicians, actors or actresses and they all have this look on their face like we should be honored by their presence. They just wreak of insincerity. Woods is that to a tee(pun intended). From this point forward, watch his facial expression when he speaks. You're seeing a manipulative, dishonest, self righteous p***k! End of story. Like Pete Rose, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Swaggart and all the other high profile slime bags, Woods is sorry for one reason and only one reason. He got caught. Anyone who believes anything else is a complete and total moron! If his wife takes him back and buys into this sex addiction crap, she's a mindless bimbo and deserves all the misery that will come her way in the future. When Woods hugged his mom at the end of this staged puppet show I almost threw up.
Drop me a line at stevetannen@live.com about this. I have some Oregon/Cal tickets for tomorrow afternoon at the Pit. Offer up your opinion on Tiger. Care? Don't care? Buy his apology? Get in on the drawing. I'll keep you posted during today's show. We'll also get into last night's disaster against Stanford. Hate to be the bearer of more negativity, but this team pretty much iced a 2nd consecutive last place finish in the Pac 10.

FINDING THE GOOD by ST

Every once in a while we hit one of those National Enquirer/Police Blotter runs in sports. Here in town the whole University of Oregon at Leavenworth on top of the drama of Tiger Woods gracing us with a meglomaniacal controlled 1st talk since his web of lies & cheating was discovered. The legal system will run it's course & if LeMichael James is guilty of any of these charges he should be kicked off the team for real. Tiger will eventually return to the links and rip out the souls of lesser golfers. He just can't be trusted and his words are worthless cause he's a liar and a phony. It will take years and years and years to earn even the most remote level of trust.
I'm more focused on what's happening between the white lines, on the hardwood and in B.C. I was overwhelmed with joy watching the women's Olympic downhill last night and I already knew the results. Seeing the absolute happiness of American Lindsey Vonn after her gold medal run was enlightening & reminded me of why we love this stuff. This magnificent young woman won a killer event like that pretty much on one leg. Her right shin is injured and she was making these turns at 60 miles an hour putting most of her weight on the left. It was inspirational.
I've never snowboarded, but this kid Shaun White is sensational. Even a novice can tell he's head and shoulders above the planet. The NBC analysts showed a great side by side computer comparison between White and other competitors in the half-pipe. He's like 5-6 feet higher than the field. He also brings that joie de vivre to his work.
Tonight at Mac Court the Duck men host Stanford. This is beyond a must win. The Cardinal are a game ahead of Oregon in the standings and have yet to win a true road game this season. It's the night the program honors perhaps it's greatest player ever and most revered, Ronnie Lee. I just have this bad feeling that a loss tonight might mean a winless finish and more bad things. Here's hoping the guys figure it out, play with that sense of desperation and get that much needed "W". I'd like to hear some of your Ronnie Lee stories on the show tonight or right here in the comment section. Thanks a bunch, you all rock!

SMOKE + FIRE =MISERY by ST

The first bit of news hit me early this morning when I grabbed the paper off my front porch. Duck kicker Rob Beard charged with assaulting a woman which may have precipitated the incident that led to his getting busted up pretty good. So I head to work, stop off for my bagel & coffee and arrive at Cumulus. The former Idol Justin Meyers then informs me LeMichael James had been arrested on some really serious violent charges against a woman. From the infamous Blount right cross on the smurf turf to the recent dismissal of defensive end Matt Simms for allegedly retaliating against someone involved in the Beard beating to this, nice! No way to draw a logical conclusion because I wasn't there and neither were you but we can state some harsh facts. The perception will be that Oregon is all about winning and could care less about the character of the players making those on field contributions. The coach, administrators and fans can take a wait and see approach all they want, but in this information age the story has spread like wildfire and folks in Iowa, Florida and Seattle can not unhear or unread the initial reports. This is bad. Really, really, really bad! Anyone guilty of the crimes LMJ is accused of is a piece of useless dirt. Forget his getting dumped from the football team, he should spend a bunch of years in jail. I was so looking forward to talking about the Olympics, college & pro hoops and the start of Spring Training 2010. Thanks guys! If anyone in Duckland thinks there won't be comparisons to the University of Miami and Oklahoma in the 80's & 90's or the thuggery that took place at Washington in the late 90's into the early part of the 2000's, they're dreaming!

ON THE FENCE by ST

Just got the word the Blazers have officially sent Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and a million and a half in cash to the Clippers for Marcus Camby. No question this team needed some help inside with the injuries to Joel Priz & Oden, but did they give up too much? The key word here "inconsistency". Outlaw can be a bit frustrating, but when healthy, at crunch time, he gives them a terrific 2nd option behind Brandon Roy. He's really the only other guy who can take the ball off the inbound and create a good shot. Hopefully Jerryd Bayless will grow into that role. No question it's a limited risk move as Camby's contract expires after this season and he is 36 years old. Let's not forget he helped UMass make the national finals before falling to Kentucky way back in 1996! Blake turns 30 in 10 days, also a member of a great college hoop team, the 2002 National Champion Maryland Terps. At times he seems like a perfect fit for this team, at others I see him as a defensive liability, but he's unselfish and a really solid team oriented guy. I'm kind of intrigued by GM Kevin Pritchard's angle here and until proven otherwise, he gets my benefit of the doubt. He's not willing to mortgage the future with a true blockbuster because he's made some many great moves in putting this team together, but he's also unwilling to just chuck this season due to some bad injuries. I do think this puts more heat on Bayless to become a more productive guard in all aspects, in particular his ball distribution. All in all, I'd say I'm on board with this deal. Obviously everything is contingent on the return to full health by Brandon Roy. Look forward to your thoughts on this when the bell sounds for SportsTalk at 3pm.
Was kind of disappointed in a comment by Hall of Famer Cal Ripken recently. He was asked about electing guys to the Hall suspected of or guilty of steroid use. He kind of tap danced and played the "no judgement" card. He's really heavily involved in youth baseball and this was an opportunity for him to take a substantial stand and he blew it. He needed to show some stones instead of walk the union party line!
Remember to join us tomorrow at The O'Bar on the Commons. It's off of MLK by turning on Kinsrow or from the other side, off Garden Way.
Here's your shot at Duck Men's hoop tickets for this weekend's games. The winner gets to pick Stanford on Thursday or Cal on Saturday. E-mail the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com to get in the drawing. If you've won a prize within the last 30 days, you are not eligible.
We know the Ducks finished last in the Pac 10 last year. Prior to that, when was the last time the U of O men hoopers ran 10th in conference?

WOO WHO CARES by ST

Didn't watch one second of the NBA's All Star weekend. I caught a video and some commentary on the slam dunk contest. I think you can make a case this event is now as insignificant as the NFL's Pro Bowl. Nate Robinson won for the 3rd time. That's a record. When we ponder such lists on SportsTalk, I don't EVER recall his name surfacing as one of the elite jammers of all time. We always hear about ways to add importance to exhibitions. The idiots that be in major league baseball decided to award home field advantage in the World Series to the winning league. Dumb! But for the dunk contest, how about this. It has to be an all-star, not an invited hired gun. I was looking over the list of recent dunk contest winners and it's not exactly a whose-who. Obviously when Dwight Howard won 2 years ago, it was an elite player. In 2005 it was Atlanta's Josh Smith who was a 2nd team NBA All-Rookie guy, but never an all star. The aforementioned Mr. Robinson isn't close to that level. In recent seasons we've seen former Duck Freddie Jones win along with someone named Gerald Green, then with the Celtics(2007), now not in the league. Jason Richardson, now of the Suns, then of the Warriors(02 & 03), won back to back but has never made an all star team. You have to go back to 2000 when Vince Carter put on the last memorable show in Oakland as a member of the Toronto Raptors. The event has run it's course and either the top guys take part or they need to make it about the college or high school guys. BORING!
Let's talk about the Duck men. Another exercise in frustration. ASU didn't blow their doors off like the trip to Eugene and in a rarity, Oregon actually gutted it out a bit to make a game of it late in the 2nd half. But like we've discussed ad nauseum, these horrifying bad streaks just take them out of games. At one point, they held a 22-13 lead, but you couldn't get too cocky because the 22 points took 14 1/2 minutes to pile up. The Sun Devils were obviously even colder but then the usual offensive naptime hit and they scored another 4 points the final 5 1/2 minutes of the half. By the time Ty Abbott nailed a 3 with 7 1/2 to go in the ballgame, the Arizona State lead was 53-38 and the run was 40-16. The U of O ground the edge down to 6 points twice, with 3:18 remaining then again at the 2:08 mark, but each time ASU responded with a dagger. The first was a perfectly executed inbound play out of a timeout for a layin by Abbott which caught the Ducks asleep at the defensive switch. Then the killer. After a nice bucket by E.J Singler, the defense was solid, and as the shot clock was about to expire, Derek Glasser threw one in from the parking lot. 9 point lead, minute and a half left. Good night nurse!
They're home for the Bay Area schools this Thursday & Saturday. If you want in on the drawing for a pair of tickets to one of the games(your choice). E-mail me your top 5 all time dunkers, pro or college to stevetannen@live.com
Good luck!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN by ST

Okay, I get it. Most normal football fans are in a kind of sports hibernation. I haven't been this pumped since the NFL playoffs BEGAN. Love the Winter Games. Seriously, this hockey tournament is going to be the best thing to happen since Brooklyn Decker put on a really small bikini! If it comes down to goaltending, hard to believe Team Canada doesn't have a slight edge with future Hall of Famer Marty Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils. Throw in reigning Stanley Cup champ Mark Andre Fleury of the Pittsburg Penguins & Vancouver's Roberto Luongo. Lot of pressure on the Canadians to win gold on their home ice. Team U.S.A will be formidable with a quality netminder in the Buffalo Sabres Ryan Miller and the LA Kings Jonathan Quick. I think the favorites will vie for the big one meaning the Russians are coming and will duel with our neighbors to the north. I also find the skiing and snowboarding tremendously entertaining & yes, it pains me to admit, but I will watch the finals of the women's figure skating. I'm a traditionalist at heart and want to see who will join legends like Peggy Fleming, Katarina Witt and Dorothy Hamill winning that prestigeous event.
This Sunday is the great American Race, the Daytona 500. One of the few times I'll pay attention to NASCAR because it's a major event and I like to see how the hotshots do with their sports biggest prize is at stake. Also, tomorrow we'll throw an eyeball to see how Danica Patrick does in the Nationwide series race. Because this is basically stock car racing's Triple-A, I'd imagine some of these drivers hoping to make the jump to the next level, she's in for a rocky ride. Here's hoping she can handle it and is successful. The thought of a woman sticking to some of those 'good ole boys' makes me smile.
Okay, for a pair of tickets to see the Oregon men next week against either Stanford or Cal(your choice), e-mail the correct answer to the follow to stevetannen@live.com
Who was the last Daytona 500 winner to capture the checkered flag as the race's pole sitter?

MIDWEEK HODGEPODGE by ST

So many issues as we get past the Super Bowl and redirect our focus. College hoops is the overall king for the next 7 weeks, but we will get special appearances from Daytona, the Olympics, pitchers & catchers reporting along with the NBA.
I can't believe the Lakers are even remotely considering playing Kobe Bryant today or in the All Star game this weekend. I understand a guy with his competative fire hates to sit, but LA owner Jerry Buss isn't paying him 23 mil this season to take part in an exhibition. It's about winning another title. If healthy, I think the Lakers cruise to the title. We'll see, but I can't imagine the logic allowing him to suit up.
Just read that Lindsey Vonn, perhaps the greatest American woman skier ever might miss the fast approaching Olympiad in Vancouver, BC. She injured her right shinn during a training run a week ago and it hasn't healed properly. In her pedal to the medal events, the downhill, slalom, ect, if she's not 100%, it's actually dangerous to give it a go. Here's hoping this charismatic, gifted athlete can pursue this dream and represent the U.S in an event we don't traditionally dominate.
In college hoops, I'm starting to think Kentucky has the clearest path to a #1 seed. The other big guns like Kansas or Villanova all play in killer conferences filled with landmines. The SEC has some quality, but is far from the caliber of the Big East or Big 12. We'll learn something a week from Saturday when the Cats visit that very strong Vanderbilt team who is a game behind them in the conference standings.
Let's give away a pair of tickets to the Oregon men at The Pit, a week from tomorrow, 7pm versus Stanford. Put on your thinking caps because we're talking Olympic Skiing.
Name the woman who won a silver medal in the downhill during the 94 Olympiad, then a gold in the 98 Nagano games in the Super G in one of the most dramatic finishes in the history of the winter games.

FILL IN THE BLANK by ST

With time to settle in, I'm trying to put the Saints victory in historical perspective. I guess it would be best to put it to you. We can use this as a digression beyond sports but it's pretty basic. Finish this sentence.
The New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl is like......
-a funny Wil Farrel film.
-Oregon State playing in the Big Dance.
-Rick Neuheisel running a clean program.
-the Jets not eventually aggravating the hell out of Steve during a football season.
-Tiger Woods ever being taken at his word again.
-the San Jose Sharks not choking in the NHL Playoffs.
-Sarah Palin making an intelligent comment without peeking at her hand.
-Barry Bonds admitting what everyone knows.
-Boston Celtics fans not whining about every call against them.
Let's try this one. As far as turning that town on it's ear and being an eternal hero with those fans, at the professional level. Pick a sport and pick a team. Who would you like to lead to a championship?
I have another question for Blazer fans. Assuming they don't pull off a big trade, that Brandon Roy, Travis Outlaw and the like remain healthy. What are your realistic expectations? Playoffs? Win a round. Threaten LA's grip on the West. Let me know what you think.

A TRUE SUPER SUNDAY by ST

The days of 55-10 Frisco over Denver seem like a lifetime ago. Remember that period from the Raiders 38 Skins 9 through San Fran crushing Miami, Bears over Pats, Giants and Washington punish the Broncos. Now the trend has reversed. Giants/Pats and last year with Pitt/Cards, provided us terrific nailbiters. Yesterday this thing looked ticketed for a possible overtime until Tracy Porter's pick six to ice it for New Orleans 31-17. Obviously that was a key play in the game as was the decision by Saint's coach Sean Payton to try for the successful onsides kick to begin the 2nd half. From my chair, there are plays that evaporate into oblivion but in football, fall into the "what if" category. It's 10-zip Colts, and the Saints had just settled for a field goal after a Dwight Freeny sack on 3rd down stymied a potential TD drive. On 3rd & 4 from their own 28 with about 8 1/2 minutes to go in the half, Manning throws a perfect dart to Pierre Garcon for a 1st down. But he drops it. Sustain that drive and the entire complexion of this game may have changed. The subtle beauty of football.
The New Orleans game plan to eat up clock to keep Peyton Manning and that offense on the sideline was brilliant. It was even more so when they did it via short passes rather than run which may have caught the Indy defense off guard. Drew Brees was nothing shy of magnificent tying a Super Bowl record with 32 completions. Well done & all hail the champion Saints.
As for the halftime show featuring The Who, I actually enjoyed it. When they opened with The Pinball Wizard and cut it short into Baba O'Reily I was a little ticked because I'm not a "medley" guy, but they pulled it off. I liked the fact they didn't try to sneak some obscure songs in and went with their powerhouse tunes which originally featured the late drummer Keith Moon & masterful bassist John Entwhistle. Who Are You, See Me Feel Me from the Tommy rockopera and Won't Get Fooled Again. Well done by Pete Townsend, Roger Daltry and a top flight band behind them.
On today's show, we'll recap the game and the season along with the college hoop scene including that misery in Corvallis where the Beavs just flat whipped the Ducks.
FYI....the winner of our Super Bowl contest is Rob who had New Orleans 31-23 outpointing Todd who had Saints 28-21 by one point. Mr. Matt was right there at 29-23. Just 7 people total went with New Orleans. Well done.

SUPER THOUGHTS by ST

Are we getting to the point where the game has become an afterthought? Seriously, every national sports show along with bloggers, entertainment websites and gossip columnist is in Miami. Lot of talk about the commercials, a possible labor problem but eventually, the Colts & Saints will kick it off. Obviously, front and center is the betting line and the various wagers one can make from the over/under to length of the national anthem to the halftime playlist of songs performed by The Who.
The consensus seems to be Indy winning and covering the spread in a shootout meaning the teams will combine for more than 57 points. I think many are underestimating the wisdom of new Orleans head coach Sean Payton who really runs this offense. Despite not having a big yard back, the Saints can really run the football behind their 2 Pro Bowl lineman, Jahri Evans and Jonathan Stinchcomb. Tennessee's Chris Johnson topped the league in rushing yards with just over 2-thousand. Pierre Thomas piled up the most yards of any Saint's back with 793 yet as a team they were 6th best in the entire NFL. The Colt run defense was 24th of the 32 teams. Certainly you have to gauge that by the fact they had a lot of leads and teams had to pass, but I believe you'll see New Orleans commit to incorporating that ground attack to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines. Let's do a contest. Give me your final score.
At stake is our final Par 4 golf card. It's a $120 value giving you 18 holes of free golf at a quartet of courses, Middlefield, Springfield CC, Elkhorn Valley and Hidden Valley Golf Course, plus I'll throw in a copy of Rob Mosely's book about the history of Oregon football. In the case of a tie, we'll go to total points. If it's still tied, we'll flip a coin. Good luck, e-mail your guess to stevetannen@live.com

IDIOTS ON PARADE by ST

I'm starting to think the powers that be in college sports just like to mess with me. The goofballs do back handsprings to avoid a playoff system to crown a champ in football, but are actually kicking around the idea of expanding their method in basketball. Seriously, if I say I'm looking forward to this year's Tournament, you all know exactly what I'm talking about. It's March Madness. Duh! It's pretty close to perfect. It's the greatest annual tournament on the landscape of the sports we follow. These morons want more teams. Sorry, but the 9th place team in the Big East should not be in the running to win all the marbles. We still haven't had a #16 seed take out a #1. FYI, when that Mark Aguirre led Depaul team was top ranked in 1981 and got upset by St. Joes, the field was only 48 teams compared to the expanded 64 in 1985. The mere discussion of expanding the current field is embarassing. FYI, email the correct answer to me at stevetannen@live to get in the drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Poppi's Anatolia in downtown Eugene. In the history of the tournament, we have had the #15 seed beat a #2 four times. Name the teams involved.
Did anyone happen to notice 2 women make their way over to the Trailblazer huddle late in their game at Dallas last weekend? The action is generating a bit of testiness. One put her arms around Rudy Fernandez before they were escorted away. Jerryd Bayless says one seemed to be drunk. No way! Odd circumstance.
Keep an eye on that Utah team who beat the Blazers last night. I believe they represent as legit a threat to the Lakers in the West as anyone. The Jazz have some of those critical ingredients from a stellar point guard in Deron Williams, size with Mehmet Okur, an elite front liner who scores 20 and grabs 10 boards in Carlos Boozer, not to mention a great, great coach in Jerry Sloan. Dangerous.
Reports around the Super Bowl claim Saints QB Drew Brees is due for a raise. Does this really need to be discussed this week? Kind of an important game on Sunday. Though the fact he's the 17th highest paid quarterback is kind of nuts.
FYI, we will continue to talk Duck recruiting on the show today because it's a beautiful thing and I love Chip Kelly's take that while he won't single out ANY player who might play right off, but EVERY new Ducks best be ready to compete to get on the field. This guy is terrific and absolutely the right man to lead this program forward.

RECRUITING PERSPECTIVE by ST

Those who are fanatical about sports have their own issues. To call someone out on a specific obsession might seem hypocritcal, but what the heck. Those who follow recruiting like it's going to matter immediately require a unique style of therapy. Ted Miller of some Seattle publication is reporting the U of Washington has set up a webcam focused on the fax machine to see incoming letters of intent. I don't think it's necessary to add anything further to that. As far as the Ducks, and we'll delve deeper when the show begins, I ran some numbers. Eye on the 4-star recruits because the lone 5-star guy, Lache Seastrunk is a newbie who hasn't had a chance to play. Oregon had a quartet of 4-stars last year with Cliff Harris playing & Bryson Littlejohn making a minimal contribution. In 2008 they brought in 8 4-stars. Blount was a home run playing a huge role in the Holiday Bowl season. Chris Harper had a few moments with Darron Thomas getting on the field during the desperate 4th quarter against Boise State. Nothing that 1st season from the other 5. In 2007, there were 12 4-star guys. Drew Davis & Malachai Lewis had 3 catches each with Terrence Scott grabbing a pair. Will Tukuafu, a juco, did well as did Kenny Rowe, a true freshman. Another high school frosh, Anthony Gildon played about half the games on special teams. That's it. Oddly, in 2006, there was just one 4-star guy, a juco. Fenuki Toupou. Redshirted before having 2 brilliant season. So from 2006 through 2009 the Ducks landed 25 four-star recruits. Two, Cliff Harris and Kenny Rowe became what you could call regulars right out of high school. So get excited about recruiting because it's the life blood of college sports but bottle it because what you're seeing today won't matter all that much until 2011.

I DO LIKE MONDAY'S by ST

I'd like to take exception with The Boomtown Rats 1979 classic "I Don't Like Monday's". Pretty good Monday to start February 2010. Kobe Bryant breaks the all time scoring record for one of the two great NBA franchises, albeit in defeat. From the NHL, it's best player, Sid Crosby records a hat trick as the champion Penquins roll. Lot of Super Bowl talk as the arrival of Sunday sneaks closer. But first, to address yesterday's comments. Lot of people ask me about programming on this station. I have no say beyond what you hear on SportsTalk. As for Jack's comment we run the last hour of Colin Cowherd at 3pm, here is an open invite to sit in this chair and see how easy it is pal! I'm certainly a fan of Colin, Patrick and some of the national guys, but their job is cake. Huge staffs, countrywide audience. Believe me, I could sit in their chair tomorrow without missing a beat. Bet you many would struggle in a market this size, having to do their own prep work, schedule their own interviews, and be radar locked onto the entire sports scene beyond the minimal amount of topics they cover each day. Remember, they open the phones lines on one topic, callers have their say and evaporate. Let's see them be informed enough to take random calls about any subject like I do and engage in an actual conversation. Have a freaking clue!
I have one last gift certificate to Poppi's Anatolia downtown. Simple drawing. Right now in the NBA give me your starting five to take on the aliens for the survival of the free world. And I need specifics. Point & shooting guard, power & small forward and a center. Will let you be flexible up front using a guy like Duncan or Zach Robinson at either power forward or in the pivot.
Email the responses to stevetannen@live.com

IMPROVED VALUE by ST

Much talk on Sportstalk about the parameters that would allow Ernie Kent to continue coaching this team into the new Knight Arena. Count me as among the most vocal supporters of his having earned that right. That said, we've gone in eyes wide open that there is no denying the big business of Pac 10 basketball. The body of work is unprecedented in program history, but if here and now in 2010, the stands are empty and the games meaningless, it might not be enough. After the nice start to league play with the 2 wins at the Washington schools, things got awful in a hurry. The 5 game losing streak led some to believe a change was pending until Mike Bellotti wisely put that talk to rest saying a post season evaluation would take place. Then came the 2 victories against the Southern California schools. If those out there want a change on the sidelines can point out the negatives to aid their cause, they must acknowledge the other side. These victories mean Oregon is playing meaningful games in February. 12 & 9 overall, 4 & 5 in conference. Last year they won 2 Pac 10 games. If a level of success continues and the Pit is rocking with important matchups come March, I think Coach Kent will be there when the new facility opens it's doors next autumn. We'll get into the details of the Trojan victory on today's show for sure but for now, a digression. It was great to see Greg Ballard having such a great time. Nice dance with the Duck. In the post game Ernie Kent was talking about their enduring friendship which has lasted 3 1/2 decades and was evident during their interraction. It was also telling to hear the emotion in Ernie's voice when he spoke with Jerry Allen after the win. I've often said that the Duck job is not a destination for most on the national scene, in particular any name coach. Coach Kent is the exception. This was his aspiration from the days as an assistant to his first D-1 gig at St. Marys. I don't know anyone exists with his passion for Oregon basketball. Okay, for a $50 gift certificate to Poppi's Anatolia, classic downtown eatery, email the correct answer to the following to
stevetannen@live.com
Greg Ballard owns one significant single season Oregon record and one career mark. They were printed on the souvenier ticket handed out Saturday at the Pit. What are they??
Good luck.