Addicted To Quack

NCAA Tournament Day One Open Thread

2010-03-18T16:01:07Z

While the Ducks aren't in the tournament this year, I know that's not gonna stop us from enjoying the first day of the most exciting weekend in sports.

Stick around ATQ and discuss today's games with other Duck fans.

Launch CBS MMOD Player

Quack Fix: Putting A Wrap On Hoops; Ducks Set For 'Worldwide' Search

2010-03-18T14:47:21Z

March Madness...just what the doctor ordered as Duck fans try to put February's madness behind us. Speaking of madness, I picked the Huskies to win two games. How mad is that? On to your quack!

Bob Clark of the R-G puts a wrap on a men's basketball season that left us with more questions than answers.
The search is on. AD Mike Bellotti says he's has several inquiries about the open position and will now begin returning phone calls. Bellotti acknowledges this will be a "worldwide" coaching search.
Worried the Ducks might hire a dud? Not likely. James Day of the Statesman Journal reminds us of the considerable success being had by the likes of Vin Lananna, George Horton and Chip Kelly.
Ron Bellamy has posted his All-Ernie team (I'll take the "small" route with Maarty Leunen). Who is your All-Ernie team?
Rob Moseley caught up with Duck senior Taylor Lilley. She says the women's basketball team has plenty of energy for a run in the WNIT, which kicks off with a 7 p.m. visit by Eastern Washington tonight at The Pit. Forgive me if I take a wait-and-see attitude as the team completely sputtered to the finish line this season.
Moseley also previews Oregon's offensive line. The outlook is very, very good.
Lastly, someone decided to clown on some UO football players. Literally. If you haven't seen it, check out some new artwork found yesterday in Eugene. Or, See the KMTR video.

Feel free to add your own quack in the comments. For those of you - like me - who actually have to get some work done the next two days...well, good luck with that. Let the games begin!!!

Replacing Kent: Searching for the Oregon Ducks' next basketball coach

2010-03-17T17:00:44Z

More photos » Dino Vournas - AP

You're going to pay me how much to coach at Oregon?

Browse more photos »

So as the University begins its arduous journey towards finding a replacement for Ernie Kent I thought I would narrow the list for everyone and give some insight into a number of the guys who's name may come up over the next couple of weeks.

Here is my criteria for the next coach of the Oregon Men's Basketball team.

First, we have a new arena to fill, the guy needs to attract names and attention. Some of the names you will see below at first may seem a little enigmatic, but if any of them have a decent tourney run this year, their notoriety can grow tremendously and could bring a whole host of good attention this program has lacked in the previous years.

Second, he needs to be able to coach. Sure, you might be saying, "that's just dumb, of course he should be able to coach." Well, what I mean is I want to see a track record of being able to take a team to the dance, not a flash in the pan. As painful as this has been to go through of whether or not to fire Ernie, I have no desire to go through this again in 3 years. I want a coach who can compete at the highest level, develop players, recruit, and do it consistently for the next 10 plus years. Which leads me to...

Third, he needs to be young. Yes, I'm discriminating here, I apologize to our resident grumpy old men, Jack Lemon (benzduck) and Walter Matthau (Bill Musgrave), but the guy needs to not be on his last leg. As painful as it is to have to fire a guy because he doesn't perform, it's ten times harder to have to wonder if age is an issue too.

Fourth, he needs to have a connection to either Oregon or the Northwest. I don't want to worry about a young coach who starts to do well then all of a sudden is looking for a place to go closer to home (by the way this will rule out most of those guys from the ACC, and Big East who some of us may have an inkling that we would really like to see come here because of Nike's money). I want the guy to want to come to Oregon and coach in the Pac 10, Oregon is NOT a stepping stone to a better job (as much as Husky fans think it is).

Lastly, I think there are a couple of other pieces that could play into the coaching situations.

I know we all like to think that because Uncle Phil has shelled out $100MM plus for a new arena that another $1-2MM per year won't be that big a deal. Well, with Oregon operating in the red for the first time in a long time it definitely could be a situation. Do you pay Tubby Smith $4MM per year or Mark Turgeon $2MM? We'll look at the current coaches salaries and how they play into their chances at Oregon later.
Recruiting. Oregon has 10 sophomores on their roster right now. If we bring in a new coach next year and lose a recruiting class this year, his first full year of recruiting will happen with 10 guys going into their senior year. That's a big deal. The new coach has to be able to rebuild the recruiting pipeline quickly and even with some attrition due to a coaching change, the coach is going to have to break up the classes and have a decent recruiting background.
Coaching style. Personally, I think this will have minimal impact on who Bellotti decides to chose, but it creates a fun conversation piece. Do we want a coach who is going to have his guys run and gun and shoot quickly? Do we want a Big 10 style coach who will focus on rebounding and defense and slow the game down? Or finally, do you want a coach who's style of play is as boring as watching Gigli and drinking Shirley Temples with your sister... no offense Craig Robinson.

So, let's take a look at some of the candidates.

The Short List

Mark Few - Gonzaga

Pros: It's Mark Freakin Few. What else needs to be said? If I'm Bellotti, this is the first call I make to see if there is even interest. If Mark says yes, the search is over. I don't care if John Wooden makes a time machine and comes back to try and coach, you still hire Few.

Cons: Chances are slim and none that Few comes to Oregon. He owns Spokane. $1MM (if that is what he's really making) in Spokane goes a looooong way and he can recruit what he wants, do what he wants and stay as long as he wants and no one is going to say anything about it at Gonzaga. I know the press in Oregon isn't like the press in New York, but does Few really want the hype and pressure of trying to make Oregon into Gonzaga? I don't see it happening, but it would be great if it did.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
10	10	6	10

Brad Stevens - Butler

Pros: Stevens has coached Butler for the last 3 years and has averaged 28 wins. The guy knows how to coach. Pulling a coach out of Indiana is never a bad start. He'll be able to recruit from not only the Northwest, but also the Midwest and keep a number of the pipelines that Ernie has created for the program. Plus, going from a mid major to a Pac 10 school is definitely a step up.

Cons: Oregon is not the only program that has Stevens on their short list. Also, I'd be concerned from day one that if Stevens does well, he'll move on. He's really young (33), and I'm sure at some point if Stevens is winning on a consistent basis a bigger name program can entice him away.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
9	10	10	2

Steve Alford - New Mexico

Pros: Alford will be available. Because of his ties to Bobby Knight and his fall out at Iowa, he definitely has the name brand that could fill a new arena for a couple of years. Alford also is a good coach. He's taken two (and soon to be three) schools to the NCAA tourney.

Cons: Hasn't really proven the ability to be consistent on a big time stage. Sure Iowa isn't Kentucky or Indiana or Duke, but it's a lot closer to Oregon than New Mexico. I'm not 100% sold on Alford's ability to take a big school's program to the elite level and even though he might sell tickets, do we really want to settle for a name in a suit?

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
10	9	8	6

Eric Spoelstra - Miami Heat

Pros: Hear me out on this, I know what you are thinking, "no way in hell an NBA coach comes to Oregon." Really? Is it that farfetched that a guy who grew up in Oregon, who's parents still live here and who is now living on the East Coast would have a desire to return home and be a hero? Spoelstra is the only guy I would take over Mark Few. He's a hell of a coach, has a name brand that would sell out Matt Court for the next decade to come, he's young (just turned 39) and has the Northwest connection to stay and turn Oregon into a national powerhouse of a program. Think Carroll going to USC. Think about Spoelstra walking into recruit's living rooms talking about how he made Dwayne Wade's shot better. Also, think about if Wade decides to jump ship this year and play elsewhere about the fact that Spoelstra will be leading a team with their best player being head case Michael Beasley. Is it really that farfetched now? Lastly, think about how Kenny Payne has a connection with Spoelstra's agent and supposedly Payne is the only guy staying from the Duck's coaching staff.

Cons: This will take money, and lots of it.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
10	10	9	9

Not Top Shelf

Mark Turgeon - Texas A&M

Pros: Heck of a coach who has taken Texas A&M to the NCAA in all three seasons that he has coached there. Also, don't underestimate the attractiveness of coming back to coach at a school you have some history with. Turgeon was an assistant for five years at Oregon. Also, with his connections in Texas and Kansas, recruiting could take a nice up tick for Oregon if he decided to come.

Cons: He's already at a big name school. He's originally from the Midwest so prying him away is not going to be easy and for the money you may have to spend, does it make sense to spend it on him? He really is sort of a tweener in this situation. Not good enough to be elite, but at the same time, not a young up and comer who you don't have to pay a whole hell of a lot to get. For me, if you strike out on 1 through 4, you have to talk to Turgeon about coming.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
7	9	7	9

Jamie Dixon - Pitt

Pros: I saw this name rumored from someone in PA, who thought Nike would want Dixon (funny thing, Nike doesn't sponsor Pitt). Anyway, I think it's an interesting idea. Pitt is not a very nice school, and is located in the worst area of Pittsburg. Also, Dixon's predecessor, Ben Howland, made a jump from the Big East to the Pac 10 (UCLA). Now, Eugene is not Westwood, and Oregon is not UCLA, but it's definitely a step up from Pitt. Dixon is a West Coast guy and if he wanted to make it back out west, Oregon would be a great spot to start, besides he's a Dixon, he'll fit in just fine.

Cons: If Dixon is looking to move, Oregon is going to have to come hard at him to get him to think about Eugene over some other big name schools. I'm not sure he'd be able to recruit the east coast kids out here, and he definitely doesn't have a connection to the NW.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
7	9	8	5

Scott Drew - Baylor

Pros: Drew obviously knows how to take over a program in turmoil and turn it around. He's taken a program that was destroyed by scandal and a bottom feeder of the Big 12 to one that is actually competing for conference titles.

Cons: Not a lot of connection to Oregon or the Northwest. I'm also not sold that the name Drew is going to re-energize the fan base and get people excited about the program.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
3	7	9	2

Tubby Smith - Minnesota

Pros: With Tubby you definitely have the name brand. You know the guy can definitely coach. He's been to 15 NCAA tourney's and won 1. He's coached in the SEC and the Big 10 and is a big time coach. After being run out at Kentucky he's been relegated to a lower class Minnesota team for the last three years, and putting his name back into the limelight could be attractrive.

Cons: What's it going to take to get Tubby to come? $3MM? $4MM? $5MM? Do we really want to spend that type of money on a 58 year old coach? Plus, what obligation does he feel to Oregon or even the Pac 10? If we were an SEC school, where he coached two different teams, then maybe, but a Pac 10 school... I'm not so sure.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
10	9	2	1

Steve Lavin - Unknown

Pros: He's coached in the Pac 10 and successfully at that (6 straight NCAA appearances and 1 conference crown). His name might make an immediate splash, and stealing him away from the ESPN sidelines will gain some short term notoriety.

Cons: I'm not sold that he can really coach. He took over a loaded UCLA team and was only able to win 1 conference title. Plus, with how long he's been out of coaching (7 years) there is a risk that he may not be able to get the ball rolling again. Lastly, I not sure there is enough hair gel in all of Eugene to keep him satisfied long term.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
8	5	8	3

PJ Carlesimo - Unknown

Pros: I guess he has a NBA name and was a decent coach at Seton Hall back before the internet existed (think about that, do we want a coach who was good before the internet even existed?). He also has some ties to Oregon given that he worked for the Blazers before Clinton was getting busy with interns, but I would never even think he would actually get the job.

Cons: Well, his first strike against him is that Canzano is actually trying to break this story. Let's be candid, if John Canzano breaks a story about Oregon, chances are a) everybody all ready knows about it, or b) it's completely wrong. I'm going with "b" on this one. Lastly, one of the only reasons Oregon "may" be talking to Carlesimo is due to the fact that the other coaches are still coaching. That's the good thing about retirees, they've got a lot of free time for phone calls. Canzano, you're an idiot.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
7	7	1	5

The Others

These last nine guys are not going to be household names for a lot of people. What they lack in name brand though, they definitely make for in Oregon connection or coaching ability. If Oregon is thinking long-term and finding the next "Chip Kelly" for the basketball program, one of these names will definitely fill that order. Also, look for some of these guys to have a decent NCAA/NIT tourney run and increase their résumé.

Tad Boyle - Northern Colorado

Pros: Boyle has coached with some of the names on this list (Turgeon) as well as some you may know well (Larry Brown). He has the pedigree and ability to make a program better. He also has a connection to Oregon having been an assistant here for three years under Jerry Green.

Cons: Really only has 3 years of experience as head coach, and at Northern Colorado no less. Not sure he'll be able to recruit and coach long term at Oregon and compete against names like Romar, Howland, Montgomery, etc.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
3	6	9	9

Cameron Dollar - Seattle

Pros: He's young and energetic. We also know that he knows how to beat the 1-3-1 defense. He is definitely an up and coming coach having been an assistant at UW before becoming head coach at Seattle. He also knows how to win having been a part of the 1995 UCLA national championship team.

Cons: Anytime you've been a Husky, that's a strike against you. He also doesn't really have the track record as of yet to prove that he deserves a Pac 10 coaching job.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
4	5	10	3

Bill Grier - San Diego

Pros: Grier has the Oregon connection to make this an attractive situation for himself and the school. He coached at Creswell and Gonzaga and even took his school to the second round last year with an upset over Connecticut.

Cons: His résumé is not that long. A short high school coaching stint, an assistant at Gonzaga for 16 years and now a 2 year head coaching job at San Diego. All of that and he is 47 already. I like the idea of having a Southern California guy for recruiting, but like Boyle, he's not going to be a household name among recruits and will have to work hard at getting top notch athletes to come to Oregon.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
2	5	7	9

Brian Gregory - Dayton

Pros: Here is a guy you may not know, but can definitely coach. He's been an assistant to Tom Izzo (MSU) and has actually taken Dayton to a top 20 ranking. I also really like the idea of taking a guy from the Midwest to keep a number of the recruiting pipelines Payne and Kent have worked hard to open.

Cons: Unless Gregory has a decent tourney run, he's not going to sell out Matt Court on his own. He also doesn't have any connection to Oregon or the Northwest and Oregon would definitely be a sideways move for him coaching wise.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
4	7	8	1

Chris Mooney - Richmond

Pros: Mooney is a young guy who if he isn't already, will soon be on the short list of a number of schools. He's definitely building a résumé with a stop at Air Force and now taking Richmond to a tournament appearance.

Cons: While I like the idea of going after a young up and coming guy you definitely run the risk of him jumping ship once he's too successful. Especially with a guy like Mooney. He's an East Coast guy and if the right program came calling later I could see him heading for the exit.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
4	7	9	1

Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa

Pros: Mooney, Gregory and Jacobson are all relatively young guys that are not household names right now, but if given the right opportunity can become big time coaches. Jacobson, like the others, has a track record of being a defensive minded coach. Jacobson has really never been in the limelight (North Dakota and Northern Iowa) and if given that opportunity may find an allegiance to Oregon.

Cons: No real résumé to speak of. He's going to need to a decent tourney run besides a one and done to garner much attention. Not sure that pulling a coach from Iowa and North Dakota is the recruiting hot bed you want to be tapping.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
1	8	9	2

Greg Marshall - Wichita State

Pros: He took over Wichita State when Mark Turgeon moved on to Texas A&M, and like his predecessor may be looking to take his coaching to the next level. He definitely has a good résumé having taken Winthrop to 7 tourney appearances and is on the verge of taking Wichita State there too. Getting a good coach out of Kansas could be good for recruiting also.

Cons: We may end up competing with Big 12 schools for his services. He doesn't have the connections in Oregon to make his coming here a no brainer. He's also no spring chicken (age 47) and may be looking for a bigger fish in a bigger pond.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
4	8	7	1

Eric Reveno - Portland

Pros: Let's be honest, he did beat Ernie Kent. He'd be an easy sell on moving from Portland to Eugene. I also don't think it would take a huge salary to pull him away.

Cons: In my opinion we would be getting Ernie Kent 2.0. Runs a very similar offense of run and gun and three point shooting. While hiring him might make a splash locally, I'm not sure it will garner the attention nationally that Oregon is looking for.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
2	5	8	8

Randy Bennett - Saint Mary's

Pros: Mostly a west coast guy. He's also a loyal coach, having been at Saint Mary's for 9 years now. His biggest splash came in being able to recruit internationally and that may not be a bad thing considering where college basketball and the NBA are headed.

Cons: Do we really want to follow up Ernie Kent with another Saint Mary's guy? He's struggled in taking Saint Mary's to the next level and I'm hesitant to think that he'll be able to do it for Oregon. While I like his connection to the West Coast, I'm not sure he expands our recruiting ability much more than Kent was able to do.

Category Rankings:

Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection
2	7	7	3

Other Names

Other names you could see show up that may be fun to debate are:

Tony Barbee, UTEP

Rod Stickland, Memphis Assistant

Mike Dunleavy, Unemployment Line

Monty Williams, Blazer's Assistant

Other Info

	Salary	Age	Name Brand	Coaching	Age	Oregon Connection	Total
Mark Few - Gonzaga	$1+MM	48	10	10	6	10	36
Brad Stevens - Butler	$900k	33	9	10	10	2	31
Steve Alford - New Mexico	$975k	45	10	10	8	4	32
Erik Spoelstra - Miami	$3-6MM	40	10	10	9	9	38
Mark Turgeon - Texas A&M	$1.2MM	45	7	9	7	9	32
Scott Drew - Baylor	$412k	39	3	7	9	2	21
Jamie Dixon - Pitt	$1.3MM	44	7	9	8	5	29
Tubby Smith -Minnesota	$3.3MM	58	10	9	2	1	22
Steve Lavin - Unknown	Unlisted	45	8	5	8	3	24
PJ Carlesimo - Unknown	Unlisted	60	7	7	1	5	20
Tad Boyle - Northern Colorado	$110k	37	3	6	9	9	27
Cameron Dollar - Seattle	$108k	34	4	5	10	3	22
Bill Grier - San Diego	$600k	46	2	5	7	9	23
Brian Gregory - Dayton	$485k	42	4	7	8	1	20
Chris Mooney - Richmond	Unlisted	37	4	7	9	1	21
Ben Jacobson - Northern Iowa	$150k	40	1	8	9	2	20
Greg Marshall - Wichita State	$400k	47	4	8	7	1	20
Eric Reveno - Portland	Unlisted	44	2	5	8	8	23
Randy Bennett - Saint Mary's	Unlisted	47	2	7	7	5	21

Salaries

As you can see I have compiled the data for each coach and included their salaries and ages. Unfortunately, private schools are not required to release data about what they pay their coaches (Few reportedly makes around $1MM, but Richmond, Portland and Saint Mary's data is difficult to find or non-existent).

By comparison, Chip Kelly will make around $1.8MM this year as a first year head coach. I think Oregon will target something comparable to Kelly's. Ernie Kent made roughly $975k in his last year and his buyout will be about another $1.5MM. That means next year if they pay a coach $2MM, Oregon will be on the hook for close to $3.5MM for its head coach plus whatever they may have to pay for the buyout of the coach they bring in. That means we're looking at anywhere from $3-5MM in the first year for a new coach. That's almost double what they will pay the entire college football program combined.

Personally, I think it is going to take something in the $2MM range to get one of the top tier coaches (outside of Spoelstra, he'll require closer to $4MM). I think this also rules out Tubby Smith who is making over $3MM right now and for him to make a sideways move to take less is probably not going to happen. The real question is whether or not Oregon is willing to push the upper tier of the salary range in order to fill the arena and bring a winning program.

Recruiting

Most of this post came from a conversation that started between cougfan and myself. cougfan brought up the point that recruiting can be an issue when selecting a new coach. So I put him to work and had him evaluate some of the top two tiers of coaches that Oregon may be looking at. Here are his thoughts:

Few: I wouldn't call him a home-run recruiter, but I would say he can evaluate talent. He pulls under the radar kids from all over the country (and other countries). His best recruits have been: Austin Daye, Matt Bouldin, and Josh Heytfelt. Even Morrison wasn't highly touted out of high school, but was from Mead, WA which is a stone's throw from GU. The thing he can't, and hasn't, done is recruit Seattle/Tacoma. Romar is even on record saying that Oregon and now WSU and Seattle are where his recruiting battles come from and that GU isn't even in the picture. If he wants to play at Oregon, he's going to have to be able to get at Seattle.

Alford: Recruits all over the map. He's got guys from the area (NM, TX, AZ), and across the country (a package deal from NC, a kid from TN). He seems to do a good job of being in the picture with area talent. He's got a top ranked center from NM staying home this year and seems to have picked off some 4 stars out of Texas. Ranking wise, he's one of the best recruiters.

Turgeon: Stays local, and why shouldn't he? He pulls 3/4 star guys from Texas which is like shooting fish in a barrel. Transplanting him to the NW hotbed wouldn't hurt his recruiting at all.

Stevens: Also stays within that Indiana area for recruiting mostly. What surprised me is that he is pulling some highly ranked recruits in to Butler lately. It's not exactly the easiest school in the world to recruit to. If you want to keep that Midwest connection, he could probably do that in addition to getting the local kids.

Dixon: Made Pitt into a recruiting powerhouse. 4/5 star kids out of high school are the norm there. Recruits all over the Northeast with some Texas and Midwest sprinkled in. His record speaks for itself.

Drew: I'm an unabashed Drew fan, as well. I have a friend who worked in their athletic department and she loved him. For what it's worth, she also doesn't think he's going anywhere. He recruits to his system and also can hit the home-run with big names. Again, recruits Texas with other areas sprinkled in a bit.

Boyle: Seems to work the Southwest and Midwest for his recruiting. He actually pulls decent recruits for being in the Big Sky and with a BCS conference budget may be able to do wonders.

Dollar: Recruits like a mad man. The big names UW has had, you can mostly attribute to him. Also swooped up Garcia for SU after he was a non-qualifier. As far as someone who can recruit locally, Dollar would give you some fun head to heads with Romar for Seattle's finest.

I'm leaving Lavin, Tubby, and Spoelstra off because I really don't know with them. Spoelstra could be a Tim Floyd like coach, which would be my best guess. Lavin is mentioned for every job under the sun, but nobody ever pulls the trigger and there's gotta be a reason.

If you want Oregon to be competitive now and in the future, the coach has to be able to walk in to the Seattle/Tacoma area and pull guys out as well as keeping Oregon's talent in. We've consistently got some of the top players nationally (including Wroten and Bell in 2011) coming out of high school. The Midwest pipeline is nice, but the new coach better be able to recruit the NW and Cali. Finally, the new coach has to be able to correctly evaluate and develop talent, like any good coach. Again, that plays in to the system that the coach runs and how disciplined he is. Overall, Few is going to win that battle, but Turgeon might actually be up there pretty close with him.

Summary

Coaching style is something I will leave for the posters to debate. If you've made it this far in the post, congratulations, you now have a BS in "Hiring Basketball Coaches to Oregon 101."

I think Oregon has an opportunity by letting Kent go early to be one of the first in line for the services of some of these coaches, especially some of the younger guys who may have a decent tourney run. In my opinion I would be happy with just about any of the names on this list, but it will really depend on how much money Oregon is looking to spend and how much convincing they can do that Oregon is a destination school.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments and if there is someone you think I missed.

Go Ducks!

Poll

Who has the best chance of being Oregon's next Men's Head Basketball Coach?

Quack Fix: After 13 seasons, Kent's tenure at Oregon comes to an end

2010-03-17T14:00:44Z

Let's dedicate this morning's Quack Fix to former Oregon head basketball coach Ernie Kent. Wow, that's weird reading that, isn't it? Anyway, here you go. Happy Wednesday:

After 13 seasons and a month (or more) of speculation, a statement regarding Ernie Kent's status as head coach of the Oregon men's basketball team was finally issued to the public yesterday, when Oregon Athletic Director Mike Bellotti announced that Kent's contract will not be renewed next season. Kent, the Ducks' all-time winningest coach, also spoke, once again showing his true professionalism, despite coming under fire multiple times in the last five years. Oregon President Richard Lariviere also issued a post from his blog in tribute of Kent's accomplishments.
LeKendric Longmire was at the press conference, and answered some questions afterwards. He had pretty standard answers across the board, though it seems like he's ready for a fresh start. Like many of the fans, he seems to be sad to see an era end, but excited for a new one to begin.
Of course, by the evening, the conversation had moved on to who will replace Kent as head coach. I'm putting my money on Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon.
The Oregon softball team cracked the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, landing at No. 25 this week. Unfortunately, they're the lowest of the seven (SEVEN!) Pac-10 teams ranked.

As always, leave any relevant links or comments below.

GO DUCKS!

Ernie Kent Terminated as Oregon Basketball Head Coach

2010-03-16T22:32:50Z

In what is not surprising to anyone, Ernie Kent will no longer be the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. From the official statement just handed out:

The University of Oregon has terminated the contract of long-time men’s basketball head coach Ernie Kent, according to an announcement Tuesday by the school’s Director of Athletics Mike Bellotti.

"The accomplishments Ernie Kent has brought to the basketball program at the University of Oregon speak for themselves," said Bellotti. "No one can deny that this program stands in better shape today than when he took it over, and that’s a direct reflection on the passion he has displayed for this community, his alma mater and the players that he has brought into this program.

Bellotti's main concern seems to be consistency, and that just hasn't happened over the past two seasons. The team didn't show that improvement necessary this season.

Good luck to Ernie in his future endeavors. He's the winningest coach in school history, and has given much to this school.

Around the Quack: Assessing the recent Oregon legal troubles

2010-03-16T20:52:42Z

It's been a busy last few weeks for Oregon football, and not in a good way. With multiple arrests and dismissals, Chip Kelly and his players have been in the spotlight. Last week, Kelly dismissed team co-MVP Jeremiah Masoli after Masoli plead guilty to a misdemeanor second degree burglary charge. He also suspended LaMichael James and Rob Beard for the first game of the 2010 season after both plead guilty to harassment charges.

So how did Kelly do during this time? Was he too harsh on Masoli? Did James get off easy?

Takimoto

Should we start writing the "We're sorry we doubted you Lear Pilot, clearly we should have listened back in 2010" post now, for when we need it in three years after Chip gets fired? /sarcasm

My guess was between 3-6 games for James, season for Masoli. Trust is extremely important to Chip Kelly, that is incredibly clear. If he can trust you, he will give you the benefit of the doubt.

jtlight	I think that both James and Beard were had fairly appropriate responses. I would understand if more games were given, but we also don't know the exact details of the situation. What I think is also important, in James' case especially, was how he accepted responsibility for his actions. This helped with with the DA as well as with Kelly.
PaulSF	I agree with Tako. Masoli's crime wasn't so much the theft, but the dishonesty. Had he come clean initially, he'd probably be looking at a one-game suspension like Beard and James. But Chip desperately needs to take control of this program, and in order for him to be able to do that, he's got to draw a line in the sand. As he said (and I'm paraphrasing, "If I can't trust my players, they can't play here." With James and Beard, I think they got off a little easy. Sure, we don't know what happened, but it doesn't change the fact that both plead guilty to charges involving some form of assault on a female. It just seems like they're walking away unscathed, but I guess that's as much of a critique of the justice system as it is a critique of the message Kelly's sending with the severity (or lack thereof) of the punishments.
jtlight	I can definitely understand that position. Looking at it certain ways, it can look like they got off pretty easily. Then again, both charges were limited to harassment, a crime described as "subjecting the victim to offensive physical contact." which I think says something regarding the nature of what happened. From what we know of the situations, that sounds about right. It does not sound like the line into assault was crossed, so I feel that their punishment was fair. I think one of the big problems in James' case is that due to the nature of domestic violence laws, the worst will always be charged initially, so he was not given the benefit of the doubt. Everyone jumped to assume the worst, but it sounds like justice was served in the end. But another part of the problem is that both of these situations could have been much worse. Both Beard and James were in bad positions that could have ended up much worse. With James, it was very important that the confrontation ended when it did (though we may want to give him some credit, as he likely had a role in it coming to an end as well). Beard is lucky he didn't do any lasting damage while he was blacked out. In contrast, Masoli made a conscious decision to take property that wasn't his, and then lied about it to both police and Coach Kelly. For what Chip Kelly is trying to do, reinforce that he's in charge of the program and misdeeds won't be tolerated, I think this will accomplish that, while at the same time establishing a level of trust between him and his players. He obviously has his players backs, and trusts them, and expects honesty from them. I like this precedent.
Takimoto	I think it's incredibly important that Chip Kelly sticks to his suspension of Masoli. This can't be another Blount situation. He's had ample time to render a decision. Let's hope Beard's situation teaches a lesson for the team that just because you're a big, athletic guy doesn't mean you should try and impress anyone with your drinking ability. Know your limits. Blacking out is waaaaaay too far. Going off on that, with alcohol playing a role in at least four incidents (Bowlin, Beard, Alonso, Kaddu), is this a more specific issue the coaching staff needs to address? It's clearly hindering decision making.
PaulSF	Sticking to all of the suspensions is important -- but the Masoli punishment is clearly the one that everyone will be focused on. He's come down pretty hard on the players (imo), and creating a pattern of reducing any punishments will seriously undermine his credibility.
jtlight	With how the Blount situation went down, the changing of the suspension was understandable, and I applaud that Kelly can admit to making a mistake. But these decisions have been much more deliberate and he's had plenty of time to think on them. If he rescinds parts of Masoli's suspension, he will definitely lose credibility. As far as the alcohol issue, I'm not going to be making judgments about college students drinking, because I don't think there are too many people that are in a place to do that. But, come on guys. Pull it freaking together.
Takimoto	There is a difference between responsible drinking and getting DUIs, MIPs, and getting in fights.
jtlight	Yes. If you're gonna be drinking to a level where you can't control yourself, you have to put yourself in a position where you're not going to be getting into serious trouble. The level of idiocy has been fairly astounding.
Takimoto	Theres a level of machismo among college-aged males, and among athletes especially, and I'm sure there is a certain level of peer pressure involved in the decision making involved. Our guys have got to hold themselves to a higher standard. The coaching staff obviously can't spend their nights policing their players, but it's something that should be reiterated.
PaulSF	I think if you're focused on alcohol being involved in many of these incidents, you're missing the bigger picture. Alcohol abuse is not merely an epidemic among Oregon football players or even athletes, it's an epidemic among college students all across the country. And although I think it's probably fair to say alcohol was the catalyst in many of these incidents, I also think there's a bigger issue, and that's that the Oregon football program has outgrown itself too quickly. Fame brings unwanted attention, and heavy public scrutiny can lead to error-prone behavior.
jtlight	I don't necessarily think that scrutiny leads to bad behavior, but if you're not aware of that scrutiny, and continue to act in the same manner, that can lead to problems.
Matt Daddy	I'd like to know what everyone thinks of a question Jared ask me earlier today. Where does the Alonso punishment fit between Masoli, Beard and James? IS DUII worse than harrassment, and just as bad as lying and theft?
Takimoto	Let's compare the Alonso and Beard situations (because alcohol played a role in both). Would I rather a guy get in a fight while drunk, or drive a car? Personally, I'd rather hear about assault than vehicular manslaughter.
jtlight	On top of that, I think there's a big difference between starting fights and what happened with Beard. This wasn't a group of drunk college guys going around and trying to start fights. It was someone incredibly drunk that probably had no control of his faculties that most likely did something accidentally that caused no long term physical problems for the victim. While this is obviously still unacceptable, I can deal with this much better than I can with someone getting in a car in this state. As far as Alonso goes, I was waffling on his suspension, but the more I think about it, the more I'm glad that this happened. DUII simply cannot happen and was easily the most physically dangerous act committed by any of the offending players during this time.
PaulSF	I can't say I agree with either of you. I think driving under the influence is incredibly dangerous, but getting so intoxicated you don't remember throwing a female to the ground? That's far worse, in my opinion. And this wasn't a matter of assault vs. vehicular manslaughter. Sure, there's the potential for that, but let's be fair. This is assault versus driving under the influence. Those are two very different comparisons. But either way you slice it, both were incredibly alarming incidents, but one received a far worse punishment. It does make you wonder when the starting kicker gets a game when a back-up linebacker gets the whole season.
Takimoto	Not only a starting kicker, but a star running back too. I don't think there's any way Chip could have given Beard and James different punishments considering they both pled to the same crime. An unfortunate bi-product of this fallout is we almost definitely lose the chance to redshirt Alejandro Maldonado, seeing as we won't have Beard or Bowlin for the opening game. Unless Jackson Rice wants to handle kicking and punting duties for New Mexico.
Matt Daddy	So, to recap all the incidents (The Oregonian has the complete list): Rob Beard - Bar Fight - Harrassment - 1 game suspension LaMichael James - Fight with girlfriend - Harrassment - 1 game suspension Kiko Alonso - DUII - Plead not guilty - Full Season suspension Jeremiah Masoli - Burglary - Misdemeanor - Full Season suspension Others: Garrett Embry - Dismissed from team (not law related) Josh Kaddu - Minor in Possession Jamere Holland - Facebook Moron - Dismissed from team Matt Simms - Beard Fight Revenge - Dismissed from team Mike Bowlin - Starting the Beard fight, among other things - Dismissed from team All in all I think Kelly's been pretty consistent with his punishments and at the same time pretty severe too
ntrebon	The Alonso suspension is the only that gives me pause, particularly considering he ended up pleading not guilty to the charges. I can only assume that the timing of the incident also played a part.
PaulSF	I agree with Nick. The Alonso suspension is most definitely the only punishment that seems inconsistent. Then again, we can't know the whole story.
jtlight	So, with all these events, I think we should really analyzed if Kelly has "lost control" of the team, and what needs to happen moving forward. I still can't really buy that. Unfortunately, some mistakes of happened. Maybe the Rose Bowl played a part. This team worked their asses off for 6 months, fought through a lot, and now seem to be letting loose a bit. This is obviously something any successful team will face. So, what's your guys' feel on the team? How are you feeling heading into spring practice?
Matt Daddy	I think if these acts were going unpunished or lightly punished I might have concerns. Right now it appears that Kelly is on top of what is going on, taking each case individually and handing down harsh punishment. My problem is what is it going to take to get the players to stop? You see what happens to Holland, Simms, Alonso, and now Masoli, James and Beard. You have to realize that you are not going to skate by, right? The players are the ones at fault here. Let's not make excuses for their stupid misdeeds.
Takimoto	I think with any coaching change, different things are bound to happen. This may be a reaction against the hardheaded-ness of the way Chip Kelly does things. I still think it's just bad timing.
jtlight	I agree with what Matt said above, but if this is a reaction to Chip's harshness, how will that play out in the long run? Would this team have been able to win a Pac-10 title with a coach they didn't trust? Those questions make me also think that this is simply bad timing. I just hope our players can pull it together. This type of poor decision making has been pretty unbelievable.
Takimoto	The only way I can rationalize it is this is more of the same reaction from all the transfers last spring and summer (Roper, Pflugrad, etc...). Was it partially because these players were brought in expecting Bellotti's coaching style, which is a stark contrast from Kelly's?
Matt Daddy	I think what isn't being seen is the reaction of the kids who are doing right. On 1080 the fan in Portland the other day, they had a parent of one of the players on the show. They asked him about what is going on and whether they are concerned about their child and Kelly's coaching. His reaction was quite surprising. He said that his son was happy Kelly is being hard on guys. He knows exactly where he stands on the team. Do the right thing, go to class, work hard and you will be on this team. If you fuck around (I'm paraphrasing of course), or try and be a jackass, you're going to be giving someone else a shot at your playing time. Let's remember, Kelly goes to classes, himself, to make sure his players are there. Kelly is taking a firm hand to the action and responsibilities of his players. The good guys will love this.
jtlight	That's a great message. As much as the Canzano's of the world want to talk about how "no one knows where they stand" I don't think that is close to true. As you said, you work hard, you will get a shot. And while there could be resentment over perceived double standards, I doubt think the players will see it that way. Masoli's decision was incredibly stupid. Alonso's decision was stupid as well. But I think that most players would be able to sympathize with James, who responded badly to a bad situation, but did his best to make immediate ammends. It's really the message you need to send. As long as Chip doesn't reinstate these players.
PaulSF	So, going to back Masoli, what is everyone's immediate feeling on what he will do? Redshirt and stick around? Transfer to another DI school? Transfer down to a lower division to play immediately next year? When the suspension was announced, I was honestly surprised that he was not only still on the team, but also would have the opportunity (if Chip's guidelines are followed) to play in 2011. But, the more I think about it, the less surprising it is. Very reminiscent of his handling of Blount in that Kelly is offering to keep him on scholarship and in school and placing the ball squarely in Masoli's court.
Matt Daddy	I think he sticks around. I don't see him going somewhere to play for one year and learn a new system. I also think the team moves on without him. If DT wins the starting job, Masoli has to think about dropping down to a lower division and try and play. I think it will become interesting if DT is not able to beat out Costa. Does Masoli see a window of hope then? Tell you one thing, this really makes Spring Ball a hell of a lot more interesting.
Takimoto	I think he stays, though we'll get a better picture after spring practice. If Masoli thinks he'll be able to come back in and play in 2011, he'll stay. If Thomas lights it up and proves he'll be the man for the rest of his career, he's gotta think about going elsewhere. I don't know how much interest other teams would have in him. A pro-style system isn't gonna want him. Same with a pass-first spread.
PaulSF	I've got to call you out on this one, Tak. You're kidding yourself if you don't think there are a bunch of D-II or even FCS teams champing at the bit to plug Masoli into their offense. He's proved he can throw a good ball, and is elusive enough to move the chains on the ground. Remember, Chipper came from an FCS program, and there are plenty of up-and-coming offensive gurus dying for an even-keel signal caller who can drive truck over secondary defenders.
Takimoto	I'm not saying there won't be a place for him. I do think that it won't be an FBS program that gives him a shot, even with his redshirt year. This is why the spring is so important, if Masoli thinks he has a shot at the 2011 starting job, he stays.
Matt Daddy	Something I was thinking. Looking back now (hindsight 20-20) was it the right thing for Kelly to not suspend James indefinitely? My thought is that it was the right decision. How could Kelly only hand down a one game suspension if he had suspended him already? Ok, now you're off suspension for Spring Ball, but then you're back on, and then you're off again. Which punishment is the one applied to James' action? This way, he's handing down one punishment, it's clear to James and the team what he is getting for his actions. This whole, "well he should have been suspended indefinitely" is utter garbage and doesn't actually hold up in practicality consistently.
jtlight	I know that it was reported that James was secretly suspended. The problem is that suspension in this instance doesn't actually do anything. If there had been a game the upcoming week, based on what LMJ told Kelly, I doubt that LMJ would have played. If Kelly had suspended James, then it was have probably satiated the masses, but also given the message to the team that he doesn't trust them. I think this was a good middle ground.
PaulSF	This is kind of off-topic, but can we talk about the frat kid that pressed charges against Masoli? I mean, what self-respecting male college student wouldn't call Masoli up and just tell him, "Hey, listen, Jeremiah. I know you stole my Mac Book, so if you can just give it back and throw in a couple of season tickets, we can forget any of this ever happened." Or better yet, just call Uncle Phil and have him take care of business. How about a life-time pass to the Nike employee store? I mean, anything is better than ratting out your college team's starting QB and your lousy Apple products! Apparently this kid didn't see Big Fan.
Matt Daddy	I think it plays into some of the rumors that have been said about this whole situation, which I would rather not perpetuate. If you really want to go down this road, what about Embry's role in all of this. I'm sure he could have just fallen on the sword for Masoli. All in all, I think Masoli got what he deserves for being a dumbass.
PaulSF	I'm partly poking fun at those rumors. I read John Hunt's article on Max Wolfard, the victim, and I'm still relatively baffled. Of all the things said in the article, the one that shocked me the most was that Wolfard doesn't drink. So, let me get this straight: Masoli stole the laptop of the only self-righteous, do-gooder frat boy in America? That's not dumb. That's just bad luck! All kidding aside, the blame should obviously fall squarely on Masoli's shoulders, as he is (admittedly) at fault. But it does make me wonder how many crimes like this are committed by college athletes against fellow students that they get away with. It's probably a lot more common than we think it is.
Takimoto	I'd be asking for a job as Chip Kelly's personal assistant. It's unfortunate that media attention is more important to these guys than keeping Masoli out of legal trouble. By that same token, would we really want these kids to sweep it under the rug like that? That goes against the ethics that Chip Kelly is trying to instill in the program.
jtlight	It honestly wouldn't be a shock to think that this type of behavior happens on a consistent basis at programs throughout the country. This obviously doesn't excuse Masoli, and I'm glad that he got caught. While I think Alonso's actions were the most dangerous, Masoli's were more repulsive. From the accounts that have come out, it sounds like he simply strolled into the frat house, took what he wanted, and left. This type of behavior is completely and totally unacceptable. But as much as Beaver and Husky fans want to crow about "entitlement" at Oregon, the simple fact is that this is the case at every single big time school around the country. Oregon may be a bit more up-front about this divide, but it exists everywhere. We put the football players up on a pedastal, the University makes money off of them, and a sense of entitlement is inevitable. I don't think that this division will ever end. There will always be strong lines between athletes (especially football and basketball players) and the rest of the campus. But that entitlement can never become a situation where these players will use that entitlement at the expense of others, whether that manifests itself in the taking of property, or in a physical or verbal form. The last couple months have not been all that easy, but hopefully this will become another teachable moment, and the football players can better themselves on and off the field from these events.

Duck fans, how do you feel about this situation, and how Chip Kelly handled it? Continue the discussion in the comments below.

Quack Fix: Bellotti meeting with Kent, indoor track All-Americans announced and the release of the Masoli/Embry 9-1-1 call

2010-03-16T13:24:09Z

More photos » Chris Pietsch - AP

6 days ago: Former University of Oregon wide receiver Garrett Embry, left, and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, right, appear in a Lane County Circuit Court to plead guilty to a misdemeanor burglary charge Friday March 12, 2010 in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Chris Pietsch, Pool)

Browse more photos »

Sorry I am a little later than usual with the Tuesday quack -- let's get straight to it.

We'll start today's quack with a few quick announcements: Takimoto wanted me to pass along that it will be a Tako Thursday this week. Also, make sure you sign up for the ATQ Tourney Challenge. We'll be offering some prizes as well as the opportunity to beat axemen23.
The men's basketball season is finally over after the Ducks were not extended an invitation to either the NIT or CBI. While the benefits of playing in the CBI can be argued, John Hunt writes that Oregon just wasn't good enough to get invited. In related news, Ernie Kent and Mike Bellotti will meet this morning to discuss this year's performance. I expect official word on Kent's firing to follow shortly.
In football-related quack, Nick Daschel talks about team chemistry as Pac-10 teams head into spring. Oregon was ranked with the top group of teams based on all the returning starters, but with Masoli's suspension, Daschel bumped them down a group. It seems that Daschel is using returning starters and coaching turnover as the main indicators of team chemistry -- which seems like "team experience" might be a more apt descriptor of what he's trying to measure.
Greg Bolt of the Register-Guard has an article discussing the release of the Jeremiah Masoli - Garrett Embry 9-1-1 call (for the audio, check out the video after the jump).
Coming off the women's 2010 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship and the men's second place performances this past weekend, it was announced yesterday that Oregon led the nation with a total of 31 All-Americans (17 women, 14 men). Congrats again to both teams on their outstanding seasons.
Unlike their male counterparts, the women's basketball team did earn an invite for postseason play as they will host Eastern Washington in the WNIT on Thursday. A nice accomplishment for the Lady Ducks and first-year coach Westhead.

And, in case you missed it, there's the audio from the Jeremiah Masoli / Garrett Embry 9-1-1 call after the jump. Also included is a interview with new World Record holder Ashton Eaton.

ATQ Tourney Challenge

2010-03-16T05:37:32Z

Okie dokie artichokie, here's the details on the ATQ Tourney Challenge. I am creating this as a fanpost also, so that it will stay on the sidebar for a while this week.

First of all we are doing the ATQ Challenge through Sobe Lifewater's Fanhouse Site. You will have to create a log in and join the ATQ group.

Here is the info you will need to do that:

Website: http://sobe.fanhouse.com/
Group Name: Addicted to Quack
Password: ATQ (it's in all caps, make sure to get that right)

Once you are in and have joined the group, go ahead and make your picks.

ATQ Rules and Prizes after the jump

Here are the rules:

1. Create your name so that it is easily recognizable to your ATQ screen name. If you want to get your prize if you win, make sure we know it's you.

2. ONLY ONE NAME PER MEMBER. If we find out you've created multiple entries I'm sending the Eddie Pleasant Army to your house and it's been a while and they're just itching to hit something.

3. Once you create your entry and make your picks, your picks will be locked. Make sure you make your picks correctly.

4. Here are Sobe's Official Rules

Prizes

I liked the idea of doing a Ducks goodie box for the winner. So I have picked out a couple of cool Duck items for the winner of the Challenge.

Chip Kelly Visor

Oregon Ducks Basketball T-Shirt

Oregon O Decal

and finally... Autzen Stadium Wireless Mouse

Should be lots of fun. If you have questions leave them in the comments.

Quack Fix: Oregon women bring home a national championship, Eaton sets a world record, baseball wins series

2010-03-15T12:53:54Z

Lots of quack to get to after a busy weekend. But let's hope the future is a bit quieter than recent weeks, as it seems that the Ducks legal problems are in the past.

The Oregon track and field teams were stellar this weekend. The Oregon women won the indoor track and field national championship at this weekend's meet in Fayetteville, Ark. The women (without head coach Vin Lananna, who was forced to stay at home due to health reasons) went into the second day of the meet with only 13 points, but stormed back, getting another 48 points, and beating second place Tennessee by 25 points.
On the men's side, Ashton Eaton immortalized his already storied Oregon career, setting a world record in the indoor Heptathlon. Eaton PR'd the 1,000 meter race by over 4 seconds to set the record, which was previously set by Dan O'Brien in 1993. Eaton not only beat the old world record by 25 points, but beat his own record by 243. Simply a dominating performance by one of the best athletes to ever attend Oregon. Eaton's performance helped the Oregon men tie for second in the national meet with 44 points. They had hoped to finish with over 40 points, which they did, but fell to Florida who accumulated 57 points.
The Oregon baseball team had a good weekend, winning a series against Seattle U, whose program has just been re-established this season. Unfortunately, the Ducks couldn't complete the sweep, and only won 3 out of 4. They were undone on Sunday by errors once again, as a passed ball allowed a three up, three down inning to continue, and Seattle took an early 3-0 lead, and Oregon fell 6-4. However, the Ducks still sit at 12-6 and have a good deal of momentum as Pac-10 play nears.

With all the talk surrounding Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James, we may be overlooking the end of the Ernie Kent era. The Ducks were unsurprisingly left out of the NIT, and are not part of the 16-team CBI field. And just like that, what may be Ernie Kent's last season comes to an unceremonious end.
The Pac-10 got two teams into the NCAA tournament. Washington won the Pac-10 tourney, and likely wouldn't have gotten in otherwise, as they were given an 11 seed. Cal, the winner of the conference regular season is an eight seed. We will be having an ATQ bracket challenge with prizes involved. Details will be posted in the next day or two, so be ready to enter when we post all the details!
I'm not always a fan of Nick Daschel's writing, but he's done a very good job of looking at the recent Oregon legal troubles. His latest piece says its not time to judge Chip Kelly. And he's very right. As much as opposing fans will opine on how Oregon is headed towards disaster, these statements are absurdly premature. At this point, it looks like Kelly has taken the right steps, and time will tell if those steps bring about the desired result.
In a bit of on the field football news, Rob Moseley continues his spring previews with a look at the defensive line. With fan concerns about the position, this will obviously be watched closely during practices.

There's sure to be a lot of other quack floating around, so share yours below. GO DUCKS!

The Oregon Situation From an Opposing Fan's View

2010-03-14T06:58:57Z

[Editor's Note - dvieira]: Another creative take to go with our theme this weekend. You guys are making it easy on me. Go Ducks!

Having read the FanPosts about the current events in the Oregon Athletic Department, there has been one missing perspective. We've had the old fart, we've had JonathonPDX, but you're missing the most important perspective: the opposing fan. Never fear, though, for I am here to shed light on the situation. What follows is the opinion from fans around the country because as a fan of an opposing school, I am on the pulse of The Situation.

Strap yourselves in and prepare to have your mind blown, because i won't be holding back. What follows is a mad-lib. I'm a generous fan, so I thought I'd make it easier for other fans to put their own stamp on the situation. For you younger fans that don't know what a mad-lib is, following along and you'll get the hang of it.

As a fan of (insert school here), I am more than happy to see (derogatory name for Oregon) having off season troubles. Coach Kelly clearly has no idea how to run a football program. Sure he might've done fine on the field this one year, but when your first game involves a thug throwing a sucker punch, you've clearly never gotten control of your program.

The events of the off season show that without a doubt (derogatory name for Oregon) has issues that won't be going away. If Coach Kelly had followed through with his suspension of Blount, none of this would be happening. By giving a kid a second chance and letting him play, just because he wanted to beat (insert school here), he told his players it is OK to be a thug. NONE of these issues would've happened if the players knew right from wrong and Coach Kelly was heavy handed from the beginning. (deragatory Oregon name) has no boundaries on what behavior is acceptable. Is there even a code of conduct?

As far as the present events go, Kelly showed once again that winning is the only important thing. A reserve gets in trouble with the law? Boom, he gone. But a starter, on the other hand. gets a slap on the wrist. Where is the discipline that is so needed? Why were Masoli and James not immediately suspended after they were arrested? I'll tell you why, because Kelly was busy trying to cover for them. Just another example of the coach giving star players preferential treatment.

So what if Masoli was suspended for the entire season? Why was James only given one game? Does your coach really value the (insert button for spin move on your favorite console) button over the truck stick? That's preferential treatment right there and (insert schools coach) would never do anything like that. If this was (insert school's coach) and a player got in trouble with the law, he would be immediately dismissed from the team. We don't tolerate criminals here at (insert school). It's unacceptable that stealing laptops, which is a FELONY, is worth a year, while beating up women is only worth ONE GAME. How is that even possible???? All these thugs with questionable character should be GONE, DISMISSED, DONE. Instead, I'm sure we'll see Masoli when (derogatory Oregon name) plays (school) and Chipper needs a win. Just like Blount, Chipper will never learn.

In the future, this shows that (derogatory Oregon name) is on the way down. Just like USC, (derogatory Oregon name) should be expecting a knock on their door from the NCAA. The lack of discipline from top to bottom clearly shows that (derogatory Oregon name) cannot control their athletes and there is more to it then these actions. Blount didn't just put a black eye on Byron Hout's face, he also put on one the entire program. Sure you're on top now, but pretty soon you'll get your comeuppance.

How does this benefit (insert school)? Coach (coach's name) will surely be using this in recruiting. What kind of parent wants their kid in a lawless program filled with more criminals than athletes? I bet Coach (coach's name) is in living rooms right now warning parents not to send their kids to (derogatory Oregon name), lest they want them to come back in a prison uniform. Coach (coach's name) molds men and doesn't condone criminal acts. (derogatory Oregon name) only recruits bad areas and kids with questionable character. It's a pattern with their players and is finally showing itself. Think you're a big time program like (some SEC school)? Well, you're not and you won't be able to weather the storm like (The U/UW/Alabama/Texas). (insert school) will be benefiting from this by stealing all your recruits in no time.

The point of this is: if my (insert school's mascot)'s can't beat you on the field, we might as well beat you off.

An old fart's perspective on the recent troubles.

2010-03-13T23:54:05Z

Having read JonathanPDX's very well written FanShot, here's a perspective on the current Troubles from the other side of the generation gap.

As I see it, there are three aspects of the situation.. the Practical (what's the impact on the 2010 season?), the Philosophical (where did we go wrong?), and the impact on The Program.

The Practical

All this offseason garbage will lower the preseason ranking, making a NC run unlikely. But what were the true odds on that anyway, given the unfavorable schedule and the existence of Bama and Ohio State, who will likely run the table?

Given the returning talent, and (the secret weapon that nobody outside Duck World remembers) CK's ability to spin inexperienced straw into gridiron gold, I see no reason to think we won't have a decent shot at a Rose Bowl repeat.

Assuming, of course, that there are no more Dumbo Eruptions.

Still: It's fortunate that all this happened in midwinter. There's a full spring to work out any required offense modifications and evaluate the QB situation, and a full fall camp. In 2007, we had doubts about Dixon. In 2008, we blew through four QBs before settling on a starter in the third game. Those adjustments were made on the fly.. and the team celebrated back-to-back 10-win seasons. Why would we think the sky is falling now?

The Philosophical

I was one of many Oregon supporters who bent over backwards to give Masoli the benefit of the doubt. My initial reaction, like many AtQers, was one of incredulity -- the situation seemed so ridiculous (why would a player of his stature even think about doing something like that) that I was certain the situation was contrived and overblown, and that Max Wolfard was just another preppy racist fratboy performing some kind of retaliatory act for insults or unknown disrespects. My normal level of cynicism was completely held in check. I was, obviously, at least partly wrong; I discounted the fact that Masoli and Embry could, in fact, be knuckleheads without impulse control. I forgot that living in a fishbowl doesn't automatically make you an angelfish. (If Bill Clinton couldn't realize this, why would we expect someone barely old enough to drink to "get it"?)

If there was a way to do it, I'd apologize to Max. (I would not, however, apologize to the many bloggers and re-tweeters and filterless "reporters" who insisted on reporting unsourced innuendo as fact. Regardless of the underlying situation, pseudo-journalism is just flat wrong.)

I hope JM gets his shit together, but it would take longer than the one or two years he has left in the program to get my trust back. We need to move on. I personally hope he transfers, but whatever he does, I wish him the best of luck. I just don't want to see him behind center any more. He's blown his chance.

The Program

It will take a whole lot more problems to sour me on the program, the team, and the staff. Anyone who lived through The Suffering, like JonathanPDX's dad, understands how bad it CAN be..

No bowls for 26 years
66-0 beatdowns by UW
54-0 beatdowns by USC, at home
Paycheck games
14 game losing streaks
Consecutive 2-win seasons where all you could look forward to was beating OSU and maybe WSU or Pacific
No TV coverage
Half-empty Autzen
Second-rate cheerleaders and lousy marching bands in yellow sport coats
General laughing-stock status.

We aren't headed back there, folks. And we aren't even looking at a UW- or WSU-style short-term death spiral.

Let the media and the idiot blogging fans of other programs say what they will. There's _nothing_ CK could have done yesterday that would have made any difference to them, just as there's nothing you can say to a Husky honk when they respond to yet another stomping by dragging out Don James or even Gil Dobie. Masoli suspended for the season? "But he can redshirt! Kelly will just change his mind again! Out of control!" LMJ and Beard suspended for a game while Alonso gets a year? "They're breeding misogynists down there! How dare they mistreat their women? Inequal treatment!!"

Don't listen to them. And don't let them bait you. IGNORE THEM. One thing is true: These people hate to be ignored; it drives them crazy. (Especially the Boise State honks.) If these types of comments bother you, stay away from the oregonlive and ESPN Conversation sites, where most of the comments are either bait or the opinions of very casual fans without any level of credibility. Stick to AtQ, or get a premium membership at someplace like educk or DSA, and stay off the free boards.

I'm proud to be a follower of a program that has Chip Kelly, and Mike Bellotti, and the 95% of the players who do understand how they are supposed to behave and have learned to control their impulses. The other 5% are being dealt with appropriately, and significantly more severely than they would have been at almost any other school.

To sum up.. everyone just relax, take a deep breath, enjoy March Madness, and trust the program.

Things are decidedly not out of control.

State of the Ducks - Looking Forward and Back

2010-03-13T10:15:54Z

[Editor's Note - dvieira]: This is a great take and a heart-warming story wrapped up with a little bow. Go Ducks!

I’ve been thinking about the events of today, and the current off-season, and the offense without Jeremiah Masoli, but the more I think about them, the better I feel about our future. As a fan I’m sure disappointed with the team and the situation as a whole, but I don’t think it kills our chances to be good in 2010 or beyond. We’ll take a ripping in the media and from Fuskies fans, but we’re the reigning Pac-10 Champions and all the DawgPound tears in the world can’t take that away from us.

In 2008 we went into the season with a big batch of quarterbacks and no idea what would come out of it. It was a welcome surprise to see Masoli come out of that as the star and simply amazing to see him take the team to the Rose Bowl, but Costa and Thomas were always seen as starter-quality players, not career backups. Having a guy who can run for 100 yards and truck cornerbacks is great, but a crisp passing attack and just a little running from the trigger man can be equally effective. Remember the 2007 Sun Bowl?

But this is bigger than the last couple seasons or what happens this fall. Personally, I look back to my dad, who was a lifelong Duck fan. He passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last year just after his 56th birthday, we got to watch the Holiday Bowl win and the Super Bowl together and then just a few weeks later he was gone. I wasn’t a Ducks fan or a sports fan when I was younger, but around 2005 I started watching games with my dad and learning about his team, the Oregon Ducks. He told me about the glory days of Joey Harrington, about Rich Brooks and how he moved the program forward. Heck he even told me stories about living in Eugene in the 70’s and playing pool against Prefontaine. Watching the Ducks every Saturday became our ritual, we’d cheer and high five and I’d treat every play like it was the end of the world, but my dad was very patient and always reminded me that the game lasted 60 minutes and a single play or series was never the end.

I think about all those years my dad was a devoted fan, all those years where .500 was a successful season, all those rivalry losses, and all that time patiently waiting for the program to develop into a contender. The history of our football program didn’t begin with The Pick, and a lot of fans didn’t have the luxury of starting each season debating about a big bowl game or national rankings, heck they just wanted to get one win over .500 and not get blown out by the Huskies! Can you imagine what Rich Brooks would have given to have two guys with the talent of Nate Costa and Darron Thomas back then?

In 2007 during the epic Dixon / Stewart run I was on the edge of my seat every game, next to my dad. I was touring a bit as a musician and I’d take a cell and call my dad for scores while on the road, or even during breaks between songs during night games. We high-fived during the USC win, and paced the living room together like little kids during the final drive in the Cal game. When things were over and Dixon got hurt I was just crushed, and my dad was sad too, but he saw the big picture. He told me “I’ve been a Duck fan for a lot longer than you, in my whole life there have only been a few times we ever came close to making it all the way to the top, and in your whole life you may never seen another season like this one. So enjoy it and enjoy the ride because I’ve followed the Ducks for a long time and special seasons like this don’t come around every year.”

The Masoli era was great; he took us farther than anyone could have dreamed when he first stepped onto the field in green and yellow. I know my dad would have been so very proud to see our Rose Bowl run. But even if the Masoli era of Oregon Football is over now it’s a sign of how far our program has come, to have so much talent and depth. Heck, to win the Pac-10 with a guy who had several games passing for less than 100 yards is pretty darn remarkable. What we have now is a team that can compete every year because it was built by years of hard work and supported by fans that probably put up with more than most of us young guys ever would.

Lastly, I think it’s important to remember that Dennis Dixon was a surprise in 2007. He’d shared time with Brady Leaf and many people wanted to see Leaf as the starter that year. At the end of that season Justin Roper became a surprise with his showing in the Sun Bowl. In 2008 Jeremiah Masoli was a huge surprise, going from recruiting afterthought to 5th on the depth chart to Holiday Bowl star. And we all watched him do some pretty remarkable and surprising things (both good and bad) this last year. I have no idea who will be the starter against New Mexico in the fall, but this won’t be our first year with questions at QB, or our first year without a blue-chip passer waiting to take over, but that hasn’t kept us from being successful in the past.

My point in all this is that our team stands where it does today because of years of hard work both on and off the field. No single player, transgression, or disciplinary action can undo all those years of development. Boise State and Blount couldn’t stop last season from being a huge success, and these new suspensions won’t keep us from competing this year.

Chip Kelly hands down punishment: James and Beard suspended for one game, Masoli suspended for entire season

2010-03-12T23:29:18Z

Chip Kelly laid down the punishment in response to some of his players recent run-ins with the law. Rob Beard and LaMichael James, who both plead guilty to misdemeanor harassment charges, have been suspended for the first game of the 2010 season. Jeremiah Masoli plead guilty to a misdemeanor second-degree burglary charge, and has been suspended for the entire 2010 season.

With all the speculation that has been happening over the past few weeks, I think that these punishments are fair. James and Beard made mistakes, and when presented with poor situations, made the wrong decisions.

Jeremiah Masoli's crime was much more premeditated, and he reportedly broke Chip Kelly's number one rule: he lied to the coach. I'm honestly surprised he wasn't entirely kicked off the team, though I support the University standing by the student-athletes and helping them compete their education.

All three players will have unspecified goals they will need to meet to earn full reinstatement. And if these plans aren't met, more suspension time will be administered. I don't imagine that James or Beard will have problems with that, but Masoli will have a long road ahead. Though he has the possibility to redshirt during the 2010 season, I don't anticipate seeing him play a significant role on the football field during the remainder of his career.

For now, this seems to bring for a close a fairly hectic time for Oregon football, though I'm happy with the response of the University. I'm confident that the players know their will be consequences for their actions, and hope that will affect their behavior. Here's hoping they can keep a low profile over the next few months.

LaMichael James pleads guilty to misdemeanor harassment, Jeremiah Masoli pleads guilty to misdemeanor second degree burglary

2010-03-12T21:51:15Z

More photos » Chris Pietsch - AP

Oregon running back LaMichael James waits for Lane County Circuit Judge Maurice Merten to enter the courtroom before changing his plea on a domestic violence charge Friday, March 12, 2010, in Eugene, Ore.

Browse more photos »

[UPDATE] Chip Kelly will be announcing the status of James, Masoli, and Rob Beard at 2:55pm PST. This should be available for streaming at goducks.tv.

LaMichael James plead guilt to misdemeanor harassment this morning, and was sentenced to 24 months of probation and 10 days in prison. However, James has already been released from jail due to overcrowding, and will be electronically monitored during the remainder of his sentence.

For full information on the case, Jack Moran of the Register Guard has a good deal of info. However, the details of the case are available through this sentencing memo, which includes all the details of the argument that took place between James and his ex-girlfriend.

Unfortunately, this sounds like a classic situation that grew out of control quickly. It is clear that James was upfront with the mistakes that he made, working with the law enforcement. He wrote a letter to the victim apologizing for his actions.

At this point, it looks like James and his ex-girlfriend will be able to get on with their lives. James should be able to return to class shortly, and will need to make up a lot of ground academically to retain his NCAA eligibility. At this point, we don't know exactly what punishment Coach Kelly will hand down, if any, though it is assumed that James will stay on the team.

Jeremiah Masoli was also in court, and plead guilt to misdemeanor second degree burglary. The plea bargain kept the conviction as a misdemeanor, and Masoli will face 12 months probation and 140 hours of community service, and will need to pay over $5,000 in restitution within 10 days.

Unfortunately, Masoli's outlook as part of the Oregon football team is much more unclear. If he lied previously to Coach Kelly regarding these events (and this KOIN6 report claims just that), you can be sure that he will feel the full repercussions.

At this point, we are waiting word from Coach Kelly, who will be speaking at 3pm PST, and announcing the status of James, Masoli, and kicker Rob Beard, who recently plead guilty to harassment. We'll be updating this thread, so keep it to ATQ for the latest news.

Oregon's LaMichael James sentenced 10 days in jail, pleading guilty to 1 count misd. harassment. 4...

2010-03-12T16:42:00Z

Oregon's LaMichael James sentenced 10 days in jail, pleading guilty to 1 count misd. harassment. 4 charges dismissed. hearing took 6 min.

LaMichael James also got 24 mos. probation. He'll have to serve 8 days in jail, getting credit for 2 days already served.

[UPDATE] LaMichael James is unlikely to serve more jail time, according to the DA. Partly because of jail overcrowding.

George Schroeder

Quack Fix: Ducks fall to Cal in what might be Ernie Kent's last game, day of reckoning comes for Masoli and James

2010-03-12T15:32:46Z

It's been a busy week for quack, and that continues today, as Chip Kelly will be announcing the fate of Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James. We'll have news updates whenever they are available, so much sure to check back regularly.

Oregon fell to Cal yesterday 90-74, in a typical Oregon game. The Ducks weren't competitive, falling behind by 12 points six minutes into the game, and that was that. The closest Oregon got over the rest of the game was eight points.
But the speculation after the game was on Ernie Kent's job status. Unless the Ducks get a postseason invite, this was almost certainly his final game. Ron Bellamy has an obituary of sorts on what has been one of the best eras in Oregon basketball history. Bellamy blames Kent's mismanagement of the roster on his demise, and thinks that a lot of the issues we've seen over the past few years would have been fixed next year. Bellamy also recounts much of Kent's career. While I think the inevitable Kent firing is necessary, it definitely won't feel great.
The big news today will be Chip Kelly announcement on the status of Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James. There have been reports that Masoli's locker was cleaned out, but John Canzano has reported that to be false. So we'll just have to wait and see what Kelly decides to do with his two stars.
Ed Dickson and Will Tukuafu competed in Oregon's first pro day. Dickson continues to wow scouts, as he improved on much of his combine performances. Tukuafu is doing whatever he can to catch the eye of the scouts. His draft stock is more uncertain, but he may have the ability to play either DE or OLB in a 3-4, which will make him more attractive to NFL teams.
Oregon baseball opens up a 4 game series today against Seattle U, as they try to increase their winning streak. Seattle U has only reinstated their baseball team this year, so this is a great opportunity for the Ducks to pad their win total. If you're a Bi-Mart member, you can get buy one, get one tickets to today's game, which is at 5pm.
The top ranked Oregon women's track team heads to the NCAA indoor track and field championships this weekend, and are in great shape to get a national title, with 11 qualifiers.
Lastly, Avinash over at Cal Golden Blogs has a great piece on the Pac-10 changing the location of the Pac-10 tournament. In my mind, this really should happen. The Staples Center is an atrocious place to hold this tournament.

Got any other quack to share or comments on Kent or Kelly? Leave it below. GO DUCKS!

MBB Gameday Open Thread: Oregon Ducks @ California Golden Bears

2010-03-11T22:11:12Z

Who: Oregon Ducks (16-15, 8-11 Pac-10) vs. California Golden Bears (21-9, 13-5 Pac-10)
Time: 2:40 PM PST
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Media: FSN, Radio, Live Stats

Again, Ernie Kent possible coaching the last game of his tenure at Oregon, Tajuan Porter chasing the Pac-10 career three-point record (needs 1 to tie, 2 to break). 3:13 to go in UCLA-Arizona, with the Bruins up five. Keys today:

Rebounding - the Ducks were outhustled and outworked on the boards last night. If that happens again, this game won't be close.
Tajuan's shooting - Sure he had 32 last night, but on 28 shots. Once he got one away from the record, he went cold. Is the record in his head?
Containing the weapons of the Golden Bears - PC, Randle, and Theo can all score. Our best shot is letting one guy get his points (probably Randle) and containing the other two.
Low post scoring - If Dunigan can get it going, he and JJ can do some damage against Cal's bigs.

I'll be around for commentary. Go Ducks!

Quack Fix: Ducks Extend Their Season; Bellotti Working On A Punishment Policy.

2010-03-11T15:43:51Z

While it would be a stretch to call last night's play-in game "great" (33 total turnovers), it was entertaining. The Ernie Kent saga continues to play out with today's 2:30 p.m. shot at top-seeded Cal. Here's some morning quack from around the web:

Tajuan Porter filled it up with 32 last night, but the Ducks win was basically gifted to them thanks to 12-of-25 free throw shooting by the Cougs. Mike Tokito of the Oregonian with the game wrap up and other notes from Pac-10 hoops.
The R-G's game recap by Bob Clark.
Bob Rickert took a break from reviewing Ernie Kent's possible replacements and posted some thought's on last night's dramatic win and the match-up with Cal just 15 hours later.
Of course, last night's game was a welcomed distraction from more sour news from the football program. I won't rehash the Jeremiah Masoli links, but there is some new stuff being posted. Amid speculation of pending punishments - most think Masoli's done - Adam Jude of the R-G takes a look at what Oregon's backfield might look like this fall.
George Schroeder writes that Friday's court dates for Masoli and LaMichael James represent a judgment day of sorts for Chip Kelly. More importantly, Schroeder unveils some details of a new punishment policy being formulated by athletic director Mike Bellotti.
Over at Bleacher Report, contributor Caleb M. sizes up Oregon's NFL prospects: Ed Dickson, T.J. Ward, Walter Thurmond III and LeGarrette Blount.
Oregon Track and Field coach Vin Lananna won't travel with the team for the 2010 Indoor Championships. Curtis Anderson of the R-G reports that Lananna's doctor has advised him to stay put.

That's about it for the early morning quack. No doubt there will be considerable chatter throughout the day. Keep your eye out for previews of the Oregon women getting ready to take on USC in their Pac-10 tournament. Baseball kicks off a 9-game home stand with a 5 p.m. match-up with Seattle U. on Friday. LaCrosse tries to get back on track when Iona comes to Pape Field on Saturday.

JOIN THE UPRISING!

2010-03-11T08:32:07Z

JOIN THE UPRISING!

AtQ South lives!

MBB Gameday Open Thread: Washington St. Cougars vs. Oregon Ducks

2010-03-11T03:45:16Z

Who: Washington St. Cougars (16-14, 6-12) vs. Oregon Ducks (15-15, 7-11 Pac-10)
Time: 8:10pm PT
Location: Staples Center - Los Angeles, California
Media: FSN, Radio, Live Stats

Ernie Kent takes his Ducks, possibly for the last time, into action in the play-in game for the Pac-10 Tournament from Staples Center in Los Angeles. Beating a team twice in a row is hard enough but to nail them three games in a row? The winner of this game goes on to play Pac-10 Champ Cal early Thursday. If this is truly Ernie's last game, thank you for all the memories Coach. Let's hope for some good news on this day of bad football news.