STILL A GAME by ST

I know we all have football fever, and I do as well, but occasionally things go down that remind us how fun these games are. Last night both the Reds and Yankees clinched spots in the MLB playoffs and I always get a kick out of the celebrations that follow the final out. For New York it's kind of old hat as they've qualified for the post season each year but one since 1995. For Cincy, the NL Central champs, it's a big of a different story. The franchise last took part in the playoffs in 1995 when they swept the Dodgers in the divisional series but got swept by eventual World Series winner Atlanta in the league championship series. For guys like MVP candidate Joey Votto it will be a first. Manager Dusty Baker has been there before as this is the 3rd team he's taking into October. Nearly won all the marbles with the 2002 Giants but they blew a lead in game 7 of the series to the Angels. He was also the skipper for the 03 Cubbies who were 5 outs from the Fall Classic before tanking against Florida. Fun stuff!
Donavan McNabb returns to the City of Brotherly Love as the QB for the Washington Redskins this Sunday. Some talk of the reception he'll receive. I know the fans in Philly are nuts, but I can't imagine they'll show anything shy of tons of appreciation for all the great football he played for them.
The experts say Ducks by a TD on Saturday. I'm not all that comfortable with the number. I think it's a pretty even game so allowing a field goal for the home team, I'd set the line at 4. I also think it's a monster wake up call for both teams. I know Stanford is getting big time credit for their 35-love conference road win at UCLA and they dominated at South Bend Saturday, but they have not faced this kind of firepower. The Ducks will also take on an offense the likes of which they haven't seen. Arizona State looked good at times but their line pales in comparison to the Cardinal front. I'm taking nothing for granted, this is gonna be a knock down, drag em out game!

ODEN, GAMEDAY AND CLARIFICATION by ST

I may have been unclear about a few things. I know the Ducks benefitted from a U-Haul filled with ASU turnovers. I also cited UCLA from benefitting from a bunch of Texas miscues. Certainly Oregon is not brilliant for causing the cough-ups while UCLA was lucky. I was trying to defend the Duck's conservative approach on offense by pointing out what happened to the Sun Devils in trying to open up their playbook in that sweltering heat. If you see the nature of the Texas/UCLA game, the Bruins had scoring drives of 2 & 4 yards, under 30 yards passing and less than 300 total yards in the game. No reason to think they put points on the board sans the gifts. Oregon had some success on offense despite pretty much taking the 4th quarter off, compiling more than 400 total yards. Still a monster victory for the Uclans at Austin and I won't try to take that away.
Looks like Greg Oden will not be available for the Blazer's opener on October 26th. It's a bit harsh, but at this point he's much closer to a bust than some Portland fans would care to admit. He's played 82 games in 3 years. Do the math, he's made zero contribution for 2/3rds of his NBA existence. This is the final year of his contract. If he is not making a legit contribution as a healthy NBA big man by season's end, it's time to cut ties and move on.
So GameDay is again setting up shop in Eugene. I've heard from a few folks who've read or been told about a movement to either have fans come decked out in Yellow or Black. I've never been big on any of this, but black is completely stupid. It's one of Oregon State's colors. Period. End of debate. If you all want to have a "Blank-Out", how about Green? Just not Black.

WHAT WAS THAT? HERE THEY COME! by ST

Still not quite sure what to make of the win at Arizona State. I do believe in leaving the greedy gene at home when watching conference road games. Get the win. Get out of Dodge. Some years back the Lakers trailed the Spurs by a point in Game 5 of a playoff game in the West. Derek Fisher hit a prayer with less than a half second left and didn't even stay around on the court to celbrate. Just ran through the tunnel to the locker room to board the plane back to LA. That's what I felt as Oregon killed the clock late in the win at Tempe. Just get the heck out of there in one piece with a huge victory. I admire the coaches and players on both sides for not using the scorching heat as an excuse. Doesn't mean it didn't play a big role. The execution on both sides was way, way off and I think the temperature impacted the officials as well because at times a fried brain was the only logical explanation.
Pretty sweet that the Game Day crew is heading our way once again. They obviously love it here and realistically, this was pretty much their last shot at an Autzen Saturday where both teams are in the national mix. The UCLA game is a Thursday, Arizona is set for the Friday after Thanksgiving and of course the Huskies stink! Good call on the part of the folks at ESPN.
How about the Bruins with a convincing win at Texas. Sure, the Longhorns appeared to be on the UCLA payroll with 5 costly turnovers including a fumbled punt inside their own 5. Who cares? This was a monster for the Pac 10, just like Stanford punishing another overrated, overhyped Notre Dame team at South Bend.
Right now I'll buy the SEC as the strongest conference. I'm thinking the Pac 10 and Big 10 look to be neck and neck for 2nd. Sure Arizona beat Iowa last week, but that was pretty much a wash. The Wildcats looked far from sharp in barely beating Cal with just 10 points on the board against a defense that got lit up for more than 50 the previous week at Nevada. I still say Ohio State is the best team in America. Then you had Michigan score 65 points and Wisconsin post 70 in concert with the Buckeyes tallying 73. As we hit the meat and potatoes of conference play, gonna be fascinating to see who flexes their muscle and who wilts in the heat.

MISPLACED ANGER by ST

Do any of you get as amused as I do about what ticks people off? We saw the list about the sinking "Q" rating of LeBron James making him a hated athlete. On the same list with cheaters and psychopath dog killers. I was watching some reaction to the Miami Heat re-signing their stud Dwayne Wade along with brining in LBJ and Chris Bosh. Here's exactly what happened. Bosh and James honored their contracts. They became free agents. They signed big dollar deals. STOP THE PRESSES! Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of North American sports. People are idiots.
My favorite story today was from SEC country. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel penned a column documenting the 30 arrests the last few years at Florida under Urban Meyer. A reader tried to defend his coach by claiming Bianchi didn't include the police blotter of other schools. Really? So the deeds of others x-out the actions of the Gator players? Why do we do that? This A.D.D mentality does a heck of a job of trying to twist facts with re-direction. It's childish, ignorant and annoying.
I really like Oregon's chances of putting ASU in their place, even at their place. I'm a trench junkie. The team who gets the upper hand up front generally wins comfortably. The Sun Devil offensive line is very inexperienced. The Duck D-line is deep, quick and smart. On the other side, the UO big uglies are among the best in the country. The State defensive lineman must make plays to slow the Duck offense down similar to what we saw with Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. With how Oregon blocks all around the field, you dont want to rely on open field tackles to save your bacon. Their line has not gotten to the QB much this season with only 4 sacks in their 3 games. Remember, they posted lopsided wins against Portland State and Northern Arizona putting the opposition in must throw situations.
I'd be really nervous if I were an Oregon State fan. They've surrendered 450 total yards in both games, and have been downright awful on defense stopping the opponent on 3rd down. Louisville is mediocre in a generous world and converted 7 of 15. TCU was a ridiculous 11 of 17. That's a "D" that's not finishing series and getting marched on. Now they play Boise State at that place. This is a severe upgrade like going from a Motel 6 to a Westin. I really think that 18 point line is a gift. BSU rolls huge in this one.
Okay, time to give away some loot. Up for grabs is a $10 gift certificate for Long's Meat Mkt, & the last $25 2 Friends Pizza certificate. Email the answer to stevetannen@live.com or text it to 653-3098. Who was the last team to beat Boise State at their place?

TRUE DEFINITION by ST

Following sports, entertainment and politics, I'm consistently amused at those in the arena who try to redefine words we've known since the second grade. Sorry and mistake come to mind. Much has been made of Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards getting popped for a double the limit DUI. Rather than just cop to what he'd done, he issued the apology, but with a catch. "I'm human, made a mistake". NO NO NO! Just say you're sorry and were stupid and wrong. End of conversation. I heard an interview with Oregon receiver Jeff Mael about how they're prepping for the heat in Tempe this weekend. He says they feel conditioning will work to their advantage when they play "Arizona". Obviously he meant Arizona State. That's a mistake. Not taking steroids, not murdering dogs, not assaulting a woman.
The bottom line is I can't recall a jock who screwed up big actually coming clean. That's another mis-used phrase because it hasn't happened. Some have cited Mark McGwire or Jason Giambi or Andy Pettite who have admitted using performance enhancing drugs. Sure, after they failed a test or were presented with overwhelming evidence or wanted to get a job working in baseball. Not once has a user decided his feelings of guilt or cheating on the job called a press conference to admit what he'd done due to strength of character. That as yet non-existent athlete should be applauded for the absence of a qualifier. Just a simple, I was wrong, please forgive me!
FYI, yesterday's correct trivia answer was Washington in 1990 & 91. The last Pac 10 football program to win outright conference titles back to back prior to USC. As for today, I have a nice combo gift, $10 to Long's Meat Market, $25 to Off the Waffle in Eugene and $25 to 2 Friends Pizza in Springfield. Email the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com or text it 653 3098.
Who was the last Pac 10 team, aside from USC to win the Rose Bowl. I'll need the winner and loser in that game. Good luck!

A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT by ST

It's kind of rare I get out to see live music anymore which is odd because once upon a time my rock obsession equalled my passion for sports. We saw "Heart" live at the Cuthbert last nite. Lead singer and one of my original fantasy ladies, Ann Wilson is now 60. Baby sister Nancy is 56. They completely kicked ass and took names. With a new release you run the risk of the band getting too caught up in pitching the current material but they simply played a 3 song set. Before and after it was a celebration of a long and productive career. They ended the show with "Magic Man, "Crazy on You" and "Barracuda". Then they encored with a couple of amazing cover songs. "What is and What Should Never Be" from Led Zep's second album and from Quadrophenia, The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me". Rock and Roll is alive and well.
Lot of coverage on the recent shockers in sports. The apparent suicide of Kenny McKinley of the Denver Broncos. Seems he suffered from depression. First we heard of the heart attack Michigan State coach Mark D'Antonio had after the Notre Dame win this past Saturday. It shows that we see these athletes and highly paid coaches and think they live a dream life but have no idea what's going on inside or behind the scenes. Once again I quote my favorite philosopher, my dad. He always told us that if people hung out their laundry in public and we all got a good look, most of us would pull back our own. Goes along the lines of "the grass is always greener". Yikes!
Really counting on you guys today. With the announcement the Pac 12 starts play next season, what's your preference for divisions and crowning a champion? And with Pac 10 play ready to roll in football, any change in your thoughts about the real contenders since opening kickoff?
Win some loot, email the correct answer to stevetannen@live.com or text us at 653-3098
Who was the last team, and the years, not USC who won outright back to back Pac 10 football titles. Not shared championships, but stand alone. I'll hook you up with a $110 certificate to Richard May Photography and a $25 certificate to 2 Friends Pizza in Springfield. Good luck!

REALITY CHECK by ST

Lot being made of the Arizona State performance at Madison this past weekend in pushing the #11 Badgers to the brink and nearly forcing overtime. Not denying that, it was a heck of an effort on the road at a very difficult venue. The fact remains their defense did not play exceptionally well and coughed up a ton of yards but on a couple of occasions the Badgers didn't finish drives and settled for field goals. That said, let's not forget the ASU defense did pretty well at Autzen last season against the Duck attack holding them to about 330 total yards of offense. Oregon put up 44 points but did benefit from a couple of short field following an interception and bad punt coupled with a nice return. It was really the U of O defense that carried the day holding ASU to barely over 200 total yards and stuffing them to the tune of just 2.2 per rush. The big ex-factor Saturday is this one is in Tempe as opposed to Eugene.
Was watching the Saints and 49ers last night and Reggie Bush went down with a broken fibula. Bush has not been the same dominant pro as we saw at SC but he's an important member of that offense. His mere presence calls for accountability by the opposing defense because of his speed & explosive nature, plus he's a dangerous punt returner. I still say Frisco wins the West because they outplayed the champs last night but simply could not get out of their own way with some crippling turnovers. Plus they play in the garbage NFC West with the awful Rams, Seahawks and the very shaky Cardinals.
How about Braylon Edwards of the Jets getting popped for a DUI scoring about double New York's legal limit. Guy is on the back end of a 40-million dollar contract and the team has a program in place where the owner will pick up the tab for a car service if the player has hoisted a few too many. That is arrogance and idiocy beyond the average spoiled jock. Throw in the fact Edwards was involved in an assault last October and got flagged for a stupid taunting penalty in this past Sunday's win over New England, he might need to sit in the corner for a while a think about what he's done! What a freaking soap opera.

AND NOW IT BEGINS by ST

So another dusting by the Ducks versus a clearly inferior opponent. Was a bit disappointed in the crowd. Those who stayed home and those who left really early. For the record, I'm not buying the weather. It wasn't that bad. It's rain and we're freaking Oregonians. Lot of spoiled brat, hypocrites out there. And as for the complainers regarding playing a school like Portland State, have a clue. Just about every major program schedules these games each season if not every other year. The lower level teams need the paycheck to help sustain their athletic department funding for all the other sports. See Alabama/Georgia State, Youngstown State/Penn State, Samford/Florida State, Nebraska/South Dakota State or Texas/Florida-Atlantic in 2010 just to name a few, so get over it.
Prior to Saturday I viewed this upcoming Arizona State game as a lock win. After the Sun Devils nearly kayoed Wisconsin at Camp Randall it might be worth a re-think. Conference play is a different animal to begin with, and when you add in a road trip, it's less predictable. The ASU defense will struggle to stop the Ducks but they seem to have some firepower. More importantly, the Oregon quarterback will make his conference road debut and even the most optimistic among us realize DT will have times when he struggles. He's in his infancy as the QB and leader of a very, very good division one team. We do hope he hasn't peaked right? He will get better and better and better right? So let's take a deep breath and get a grip on reality as league play commences.
Can we now officially laugh off the Jake Locker for Heisman and top NFL pick idiocy? Guy was 4 of 20 and has never won a big time, meaningful game. Sure, USC last year was nice, but they were facing a freshman QB making his 1st start and dealing with the loss of 8 NFL draft picks on defense. We saw how the rest of the season went. Again, the Dawgs have an E-fense cause they have no "D". Nebraska rung up more than 300 rushing yards by the end of the 3rd quarter. It was a beautiful thing. As was the Mississippi lost to Vanderbilt with Masoli throwing 2 picks, one returned for a TD. For the record, that snapped the Commodores 10 game losing streak. Well done moron!
Stay tuned to the show today to win a pair of tickets to see Heart at the Cuthbert tomorrow night. In the 4 o'clock hour when we come out of the break playing a Heart song. Those who text to 653 3098 or email to stevetannen@live.com will be in the drawing. We will announce the winner just past 5 o'clock. Good luck and remember, to "even it up and even it out"!

GAME DAY FINALLY ARRIVES by ST

Is it me or did the time between New Mexico and Tennessee fly by while this week kind of dragged. I guess the negative news about the basketball program slows things down. Of course, the laughable thing is within about an hour of the actual kickoff we'll be thinking about Arizona State because barring an intergallactic intervention, this is going to be a complete and total wipeout. Think the folks at Autzen who handle Duckvision would be adverse to throwing on some of Texas/Texas Tech or another more ingriguing, closer on the scoreboard matchup? Probably not!
Two words. STAY HEALTHY!
Tonight's California and Nevada game from Reno is extremely interesting with the Pac 10 knocking heads with the WAC. Lot of talk in the pre-season about Matt Barkley of USC, the Dawgs Jake Locker, Wildcat Nick Foles and Andrew Luck of Stanford forming the high end of the Pac 10 quarterback hierarchy. Perhaps the forgotten man is Kevin Riley of the Bears. He's the lone senior and from Carson Palmer, to Kyle Boller to Dennis Dixon, there exists a recent trend to tremendous improvement and productivity from a guy's junior season to his finale. He was better as a junior than a sophmore, but never a QB who sent a chill up the spine of a defense. He's looked pretty sharp the 1st two games, albeit against inferior talent. If they get through this one, we'll have our first critical conference matchup with Cal & Arizona next week in the desert.
Again, get in on the action for some free food. Email me your final score for Oregon/Portland State to stevetannen@live or text it to 653 3098. Go Ducks!

HERE'S HOPING by ST

Was pleased to see Ernie Kent defend his program in today's paper. I just find the whole situation surrounding Mike Dunnigan and some recent Ducks disturbing. I sincerely hope when the dust settles we find an isolated incident or two with a couple of guys just being greedy. You can't fake integrity and despite the on court roller coaster, it would be nice to know the program was as clean as most feel.
Lot being made of last night's Yankees/Rays game in Tampa. Derek Jeter was ruled to be hit by a pitch when it's obvious the ball hit the bottom of his bat. The idiot ump sent him to 1st and he scored when Curtis Granderson went yard. They ended up losing but in such a tight race it could have been a costly mistake by the clowns in blue. I should say "ANOTHER" mistake which has become the rule this season rather than the exception. Anyone who thinks Jeter was out of line by taking his base is a complete and total moron. Really? Should he have told the ump he's not going to first? Please! Let's not be a bunch of drama queens. On today's show I'll play a cut from the Tampa radio call where either Andy Freed or Dave Wills of the Rays Radio network said something along the lines of "the umpires won't change the call because they're afraid of the Yankees". Talk about bush league. I sent them perhaps the most sarcastic, biting e-mail in tech history. I encourage all to bust their balls for eternity. radiobooth@raysbaseball.com
Remember, I'm taking your prediction for Saturday's final score between the Ducks & PSU for a couple of certificates. $50 for Mio Sushi and the certificate for that $56 pizza from Pizza Pipeline. Email to stevetannen@live.com or text 653 3098. Good Luck!

NEVER SAT RIGHT by ST

If you've been a semi-regular listener to the shows, I've made it apparent the Michael Dunnigan situation was always out of whack. Why is he waiting so long to let his teammates and coaches know what his plans were? Reports now surfacing that he received extra benefits while playing at Oregon. He has informed all he's bolting to play professionally overseas. Thanks a bunch big fella. I will lead with my heart, but based on what I've read the school sensed red flags before he announced he's leaving and let the NCAA know right off. I see no way around the fact he's acted in a selfish, immature and shady manner so good riddence. This definitely goes in the books as an underachieving collegiate career.
As for the whole Reggie Bush Heisman return, I find it boring. By giving it back he's admitting guilt and there is no way around that. Leave the line blank and explain the circumstances. As for Vince Young or Matt Leinart getting the piece of hardware, please! Bush was the best player in the country that year and I don't think it was close. Remember, the ballots were cast before the National Title victory by VY's Longhorns and that was his best game. Let's move on.
I heard a some interesting comments from Chip Kelly about an issue that surfaces with really good football teams. When to remove the starters. Coach uses a pretty basic formula. How many points are they ahead by? How many posessions do they determine the opposition has left? If the numbers add up to game over, it's time to get the depth chart guys some work. Makes sense to me.
I have a couple of gift certificates left. $56 bucks for one of those monster pizzas from Pizza Pipeline, plus a $50 for Mio Sushi in Eugene. Text to 653-3098 or email to stevetannen@live.com your predicted score for this week's Portland State game. Winner gets both!

VIEWING LEGAL OPTIONS by ST

My dad will be turning 75 in early December. He's been married twice. Had some health issues involving his heart. I live nearly 3-thousand miles away. Yet, on a consistent basis, I don't think he's been caused more aggravation and sleep deprivation in area more than being a Jets fan. I'm wondering if I can sue them for inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on a decent man. We probably spoke 10 times during last night's nightmare loss at home to Baltimore to begin the season. Throw in the Yankees losing in extra innings to Tampa on a walk off homer to fall out of first place and I'm concerned.
I can not believe the offensive game plan designed and called by coordinator Brian Shottenheimer! Against the best defensive franchise we've seen in a quarter century and they are afraid to sling the ball down the field. Cowardly lion playcalling leaving those great defenders to pretty much concern themselves with covering about 20 yards. Idiots!
Tonight ESPN is running one of those great 30-30 specials. The focus is the rivalry and friendship between Chrissie Evert and Martina Navratilova. I don't think Martina has gotten her proper due as one of the most dominant athletes ever in any sport. Of course she was royally screwed by corporate America who ignored her because of her suspected sexual preference. Typical gutless, fear oriented decision making. Gabriella Sabatini, who won one major was showered with endorsement and commercial deals because she was keen on the eyes, but Martina with 18 Grand Slam titles was shunned. What a disgrace. I'm looking forward to this one because I remember their legendary matches and the class & grace each champion displayed then and now!

PLEASED AS PUNCH by ST

To me a perfect football weekend is about the Ducks, Notre Dame, the Jets and Giants. Oregon wins, the Giants won, Notre Dame loses in heartbreaking fashion, at home and the J.E.T.S play tonight. I was watching the Tennessee win at home with my wife. I take notes in pen and use a highlighter to make special notations I'd like to use on the post game or our weekday radio shows. For the 1st quarter, through the weather delay and into the 2nd quarter it was an orange highlighter. After a Duck punt, Kathy gets up, heads into the office and replaces it with a green highlighter. Oregon kicked a field goal and was off to the races. Karma?
I've defended Nick Aliotti for years, especially recently because no defensive coordinator in America has to defend against more plays than N.A. He and his guys designed a brilliant game plan. Sure, it developed slowly due to some missed tackles and assignments, but eventually they dominated. The interception return for a TD by Cliff Harris was a direct result of their committment to get in the face of the young Vol QB. UT did counter some of the pocket pressure with screens and quick popping runs, but on that play the blitz caused Matt Simms into a fatal error. Well done coach Aliotti!
I'm thinking Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow at UCLA are not quite the brilliant duet most have chirped about. Let's face it. Chow's best years were under a great, great coach like Lavelle Edwards at BYU and with those Pete Carrol constructed machines at USC. On his own? Not so much! They got humiliated at home by Stanford 35-nothing. It was a beautiful thing.
NFL fans and commentators have gone nuts. They're already talking about overrated and undervalued. It's one game. Let's not start printing Seahawk playoff tickets or buring the Bengals or Colts just yet.
Kim Clijsters won the US Open tennis title for the 2nd consecutive year. She originally retired to have a child. That's a comeback! She becomes just the 2nd mom ever to win this prestigious title joining Evonne Goolagong. She's an amazing athlete!

THIS IS FOR REAL by ST

Week one was very nice for both Oregon and Tennessee. Winning in shutout fashion by 7, 8, 9 or 10 TD's is all about kicking off the season on a positive note and emptying the bench. Now it's an SEC program that has severely dipped hoping to take a major step forward in their resurgence against a top flight West Coast team. You know many Vols are thinking that Oregon is pretty fancy, fast and interesting, but not up to SEC standards. Lot of Duck folk thinking UT is in for a rude awakening with the U of O's SEC style speed and athleticism all over the place. If this thing goes to the wire many questions will remain. If one team gains the upper hand, the other guys will have been slapped back to a rough reality.
Did you catch Vikes/Saints last night? It was a monster score for NBC earning the highest ever number for an opening night NFL game. The show of solidarity by both teams prior to kickoff was interesting but not unprecedented. Coincidentally I saw a similar stance in person. With a labor situation looming, the Patriots visited the Jets in week 2 of the 1987 season. Before the kickoff, players met at midfield and shook hands. A quick strike began the next week. We had a couple of games with "scab" players before the the issue was settled and the union guys returned for the rest of the season. Here's hoping all the knuckleheads involved realize what they have in NFL football and don't wreck it for fans.
What side of the fence are you on? Owners versus players. E-mail your thoughts to stevetannen@live.com or text us at 653-3098 or dial us up. Enjoy the weekend & GO DUCKS!

VARIOUS THOUGHTS by ST

Heard that Tom Brady was in a car accident near his Boston area home. He was unhurt. Obviously I wasn't there and it's all heresay, but seriously dude, get a haircut. Admit it TB, your hair was in your eyes. Guy looks like he's practicing for a role in the Movie version of "That 70's Show".
NFL season begins this evening with that NFC title game rematch between the Saints and Vikings. Here's a question. I'll hook two of you up with a $25 Track Town pizz certificate. E-mail your answer to stevetannen@live.com or text it 653 3098 to get in the drawing. Who was the last Super Bowl winning team, not defending their title, to win a playoff game the following season. That eliminates the 2004 Patriots who won it all in 03 & that year. Good luck.
I do not like the chances of the Saints to repeat. Way, way too many ?'s on defense. They let LB Scott Fujita walk as a free agent and they're going with a 2 year back up, Jo-Lonn Dunbar in his spot. This after the intended replacement, Jonathan Cassilas went down for the year with an injury. Then in came Clint Ingram who also got dinged and will be out at least the 1st 6 games. Their biggest playmaker from last season, Darren Sharper is out at least 6 games. With that firepower, they'll be good, but repeat? Not!
The Feds in Toronto now have gathered documents from the Blue Jays. It's a box full of medical records regarding the time Roger Clemens spent with the franchise. Is there anyone out there who is rooting for this punk? Do any of you actually think he's innocent? Does he get that if this goes sour, he loses his freedom for a while? What a putz!
If I'm Chip Kelly, Mark Helfrich or a teammate, I've made a recording for Darren Thomas to carry around right up until game time and play on a continuous loop. Live to play another down. Live to play another down. Live to play another down. With all the firepower at his disposal and a pretty thin Vols defense, he doesn't make mistakes they'll hang a bunch of points on these guys and win the game. He gets a bonus for everytime on 1st or 2nd down he throws the ball away if in trouble rather than force it running or passing.

TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED by ST

As a rule I get that the average fans perception might not be even close to representative of reality or what the coaches and players are thinking. That said, I'm a tad disturbed at the dismissive attitude of most Oregon fans about the upcoming opponent, Tennessee. From winning the initial BCS championship in 1998 through a 10 win 2007, this was an elite program. They might be down a bit right now in the aftermath of the Lane Kiffin catastrophe but they did win 7 games a year ago and qualify for a bowl. This is an SEC program, not New Mexico or Washington State. They have a new quarterback with a familiar name, Simms. Matt was rated among the top 20 at the position coming out of high school in New Jersey. He began his college career at a different location and played pretty well at a JC in California last year. They have a stable of solid backs. It looks like new coach Derek Dooley has a better front 7 than in 2009 and of course, their new defensive coordinator is Justin Wilcox who has beaten the Ducks in back to back seasons with Boise State. Don't get me wrong, Oregon should have the upper hand, but don't put this in the win column just yet.
I heard Joe Montana on Dan Patrick today. He was at Notre Dame during the "Rudy" era. I always liked Joe Cool, now he's my hero. Completely set the record straight about how much creative license was taken for that idiotic propeganda to paint those hypocrites in a positive light. Crowd was not chanting "Rudy" so it was all blown way out of proportion. HA HA HA!
Okay, I have another couple of $25 certficates to Big Town Hero of Eugene/Springfield for those who can answer the following. I mentioned earlier that Vol QB Matt Simms originally attended another D-1 school before going JC then Tennessee. What was it?
Email to stevetannen@live.com or text the answer to 653-3098.

HARSH REALITY by ST

No, this is not about New Mexico heading back home after losing by 72 points, though dealing with that fact is probably not so pleasant. Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter's contract is up after this season. Next June he turns 37. I've been following sports as a diehard fan for well over 40 years and DJ is pretty much my all time favorite. Rumour has it he and his agent are seeking a big $$ contract in the neighborhood of 4 years for 100 million. Sorry Jeets, no way. If you're a big bopping 1st baseman or DH, the ability to bounce back from a sub-par season exists. Not for a shortstop. The range doesn't return and the contribution with the wheels will continue to sink. It's like a running back whose productivity dips after age 30. That's it. The days of being elite are gone. It's a cold, hard business but Derek has earned more than 200-million dollars from the franchise just in salary. Nothing to be sorry about on either side. He's been well paid and delivered like a champ to the tune of 5 championships. They give him anything above 2 years for a discounted salary, they're nuts. He needs to seek out one of the newest New York jocks, Ladanian Tomlinson of the Jets. Left San Diego with the understanding his best days were in the rear view mirror and accepted a lesser, albeit important role. I'm hoping and thinking Jeter will take the high road.
Prior to last night's Boise State/Virginia Tech game I was kind of rooting for the Hokies to end all the BSU for BCS title talk. But as Kellen Moore led his Broncos downfield for the winning TD my distaste for the powers that be kicked in. I'm seriously rooting for them to win the rest of their games, qualify for the BCS title game and knock off Ohio State or some other monster program. This would shine a big, bright light on the ineptitude of the system used to determine a champ. Go Broncos.
As for Oregon/Tennessee, sure both demolished inferior opponents, and by a combined score of 122-nothing. New Mexico plays out of the high quality Mountain West Conference so the Ducks whooping rates a tad higher than UT taking out Tennessee-Martin. They play out of the Ohio Valley Conference which is really a hoops league. That said, the team who upset Mississippi, Jacksonville State, is also an OVC school so make of that what you like. The oddsmakers say Ducks by 13. Pretty impressive considering where they're going. Much more on this all week long.
Here's a chance to win one of 2 $25 certificates to Big Town Hero of Eugene/Springfield. E-mail the answer to stevetannen@live.com or text it to 653-3098. When the Ducks marched into the Big House and tore up Michigan in 2007, what was the betting line?(Be within a point). Good luck.

USC AIN'T GOT NO "D" by ST

In 2008 USC put one of the greatest college defenses out on the field I can recall. All 3 linebackers, Kaluka Maiava(Cle), Ray Maualuga(Cin) and Brian Cushing(Hou) start in the NFL. Their front 4 are on NFL rosters and 3 of their 4 defensive backs. Hard to believe that was only the season before last because from week 6 last year versus Notre Dame, that unit has not stopped one decent offense. Last night I had to repeatedly double check the screen to verify it was in fact, USC that I was watching. That Hawaii offense that put up nearly 600 total yards is not that high octane. With much of the same cast in 2009 they scored 6 points against Louisiana Tech, 9 versus Boise State and needed overtime to get to 17 against San Jose State. Conversely, that Trojan offense is loaded with weapons with a true freshman, Robert Woods, who might be the most electrifying true frosh in America. During his final 2 seasons at a Bay Area High School he was the state sprint champ as well as the conference MVP and defensive player of the year. Here's some advice if you bet on Southern Cal games. Take the over!
We're now officially at the eve of the Duck season. As much as anything, I've been encourage by the lack of news from the trainer's room. This team is healthy and it's amazing how that simple fact seperates them from many teams vying for big things. As far as what to expect from Darren Thomas, well that's easy. In his 3 years, has Chip Kelly ever picked out a QB and NOT gotten primo productivity? I didn't think so.
I have a couple of $25 gift certificates for 2 Friend's Pizza in Springfield. Text to 653 3098 or email me, stevetannen@live.com with an answer to the following. When the Ducks opened the 2008 season by pasting the Huskies 44-10, who was the team's leading rusher? Good luck & GO DUCKS!