DONE DEAL by ST

So they finally got around to admitting the worst kept secret in Oregon athletics. Ernie Kent is out as basketball boss. We've often discussed what big biz Duck sports has become and if Mike Bellotti's gig as A.D is part C.F.O he probably couldn't totally ignore the dip in attendance. Down 800 per game from a year ago represents a more than 10% drop. The team was certainly improved from last year but the 2008-2009 edition was really, really bad. I'm sure M.B agonized over this decision. It was kind of interesting to see the late ground swell of support for E.K on some blogs, in the Guard letters to the Sports Editor and some polls. Between those and the talk on our show, I'd say it was about half and half, or really close. Now Oregon must "lure" a talented coach to Eugene. They dismissed the guy who considered this his dream job. Can't flat out say it's the wrong decision, but there is no guarantee the next coach will do better. I'm sorry Ernie will not get to coach at least a year in the new arena. I totally trust Mike Bellotti and know he's way more qualified than you or I to make this kind of decision. With coach Kent we got to be a big part of March Madness, the greatest annual event on the American sporting landscape. He made Oregon basketball relevant because it was a non-entity prior to his arrival. Expectations are high and that's great. I wish he and his family well down the road and hope he knows many will always be appreciative of the great work he did here.
I hope you'll join us at Sam's Place on Wilson Street off West 11th for today's show. My old partner in crime, Adam Ulrey will join me for some bracketology, as well as baseball, the NFL and more. We will be giving away lot's of loot including baseball tickets for this weekend's set versus Nevada courtesy of Guaranty RV. Also hand out a pair of seats for this weekend's Oregon Preview T & Field event at Hayward. Not to mention a bunch of Duck gear. Don't forget to come down & fill out your bracket for a chance to win a pair of season's tickets to the new Matt Knight Arena. Gotta have it in by midnight tonight. Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hope to see you there.