Haywarduck

If the stats start piling up, we should highlight DJ big time. He is my favorite Duck and won't just be successful on the field, but off to with the attitude and effort he shows. As I stated previously if he shows big time promise at DE we should also give him a chance to put up some stats at TE. It is time for college football to start talking about our players, and just how special they truly are. Thibs brought us some exposure again, but hopefully that is just the start of it. Lets see the Ducks be the greatest show in college football on both sides of the ball!

Talk about misses, I hope this isn't considered political, but the police arrested no one, a big miss. I was wondering what was going on with all the drunk college students. Cops pelted with bottles at ‘out-of-control’ 1,000-person party, Oregon police say WWW.YAHOO.COM “We all understand the excitement spring brings but these irresponsible individuals, including parents and their college-aged children, should be ashamed.”

I heard Boyle can kick it through the uprights on kick-offs, and I am sticking to that story until I see otherwise. Here is a video where you can see what a soccer player, turned kicker can do. I hope Lewis sharpens his game.

If Thibs was in the discussion for consideration for the Heisman, keep DJ on defense, but put him in the for TE on occasion and start the campaign ASAP. The guys deserve any and all kudos going forward, along with opportunities to impact games. Seven should also be given an opportunity to become a name on pundits tongues as they discuss the most dangerous offensive weapon in the NCAA. As far as opportunities I just think we may be seeing the ceiling or close to it on Bo, and we have no idea how high Butterfield can rise. Ty may also rise up high, but the qb IQ and potential seem to be off the charts on Butters. As far as taking a gamble, which the previous staff was adverse to, starting Butters and seeing how high he can rise would be interesting. Bo still has a transfer available after graduating, from my understanding. Keep Ty and start Butters is my take, but then again anything but settling for the perceived safest one is what I want to see. As far as concerns about the offense, I don't have so much. When the same trick play is run twice in the same half, we know they haven't put in the whole offense. We also know the defense knows it almost as well as the offense. No other defense will know the Oregon offense like our defense. Much like a little brother who knows each and every emotional trigger of his bigger brother. The team with Donte and Coda had an advantage. I want to see Donte and Seven on the field 99% of the time we are even thinking about an explosion play or need a score. Those two players are special! I will say the Lanning staff is much more in the gambler mode than our previous staff. Now how will that gambler attitude play out in the starting positions, and play calling come this fall. I look forward to finding out as that spring game was highly entertaining. As far as students I did see quite a few alcohol poisoning, or puking coeds. I would hope there is more awareness of this issue than when I went to college. The university would be well served to have education on alcohol and drug abuse, along with fan behavior. There will always be a few bad apples, but it did seem a bit too many coeds off the deep end of behavior. Lastly on attendance I left at halftime with my 90 plus year old mom, and walked back to watch the track meet. There were about the same number of fans coming and going. With a free game, and lots of options I think there was a high turnover. We would have stayed if it wasn't for the track meet to see too, and then a dinner reservation to make. The attendance and enthusiasm was impressive to me. Next year if they want to fill it, and keep it full don't schedule so many options.

Nix looked like he had been there before, Ty looked like he needed a do over or two, and Butters looked like he has a touch I would like to hear what the receiver group thinks of. Nix made some nice, safe throws, when he was on, Ty made some bullets which shows his potential, but Butters was the one who just seemed to have the vision and touch you want in a starter. It is astounding these guys have been in the program this long and still look that raw. The most exciting thing I saw was players flocking to Ngata, alumni on the sidelines, Brooks finally back openly supporting his Ducks. It just seemed like the Ducks are truly back, who knows how good they will be, but the Ducks of old are back. That is reassuring, and all I wanted to see. I am an excited Duck fan, again. But Hayward is beyond awesome, just wow! I am not sure there is a more beautiful, better designed sporting venue in the world.

Seven is enough! We just need to turn him and others loose.

It is sad these guys haven't been around in so long, but an extremely exciting sign they feel accepted back on the field. I hope we see Bellotti and Brooks on the field at some point. Maybe Helfrich could re-emerge too. The guy should be about due for some love, and acceptance, once again!

Again this is a rich guy problem. If you don't like part of making 3+ million a year delegate. How do CEO's run massive companies, they delegate. If you give too much of yourself, you also become cheaper. Make a contact by the head coach something special, not just something all recruits get. Wherever there is a problem there is a solution from somebody smart enough to figure it out, and not just yell the end is coming. Peteresen lost all his credibility when he put on purple in my book. I suppose I fall into the camp of I don't enjoy hearing people yelling fire when there is just smoke, and it has been smoking for a while. I'll just move on from these discussions.

Luke doesn't retire as assistant at Georgia without the money he received from Ol Miss. There is definitely burnout, this has been happening for while, but the money these guys make is off the charts. Why not golf, play with your kids when your bank account says you probably never going to spend all the money while you're alive anyway. I have no sympathy for these guys making millions teaching kids how to play a game. Sure it is pressure packed, but they are well compensated. If they are quitting then great, enjoy. There will be plenty of guys wanting to make multi-million dollar contracts. The market will adjust, always does in high pay areas. Now the market for people to pick our vegetables, and cleaning our toilets, for little pay, that is a problem. Why do you retire, because you want to do other things. When do you retire, when you have enough money. It is a simple equation, and the contracts these coaches receive make the math pretty easy.

Pushing 70 degrees, it never rains at Autzen!

Noah weighs about 50% more than Seven and he didn't back down, went down, but didn't back down, well done! Between the shear power of Noah and the quickness and strength of Flowe, the RB's and QB's have to be accounting for these two at all times. That and the stunts with our safety's and db's, it is going to be fun to watch the havoc created! A melee without delay will be what we are watching.

Georgia has 4 road games this season. They do have to go to Atlanta for their first game. I wonder how the SEC does it? The spread seems about right for the two programs in Atlanta.

Greatwood, along with all those assistants help make the program what it was. That is one of the saddest parts of Helfrich's failure. He let down the assistants who had built the program through many years with Bellotti. It would seem we are just now fully recovering from that nightmare ending of the Helfrich era. The way the assistants were handled was pathetic, but they all got their PERS and are probably better off, then having to live through the slick, Mario time. They definitely hold a place in all of our gratitude debt department. Those guys were some amazing assistants. In a weird way it is kind of the way I think of my past dogs, all legends!

The Fletch movies, way underrated!

Noah and Flowe stay healthy all year, and they are at least in the hunt for a Butkis Award. We have a Heisman candidate at qb and plenty of back-up time. We have a 1,000 yd, rusher and a 1,000 yd. receiver. We go from 111th to 11th in sack rate. From 107th in penalty yardage in games to 30th, aggressive, but not stupid! We go from 115th in scoring defense to top 20. There are plenty more statistics I would like to see improved, not just scoring and wins, but I will take an improvement in those two as well. Lastly a couple wins to finish out the season. Losing our last 3-4 can never happen again under our new coach!

No worries on Wilson's part, he is selling his seattle home for over $30 million and his wife has a pretty good job too. I agree, what do you do with 12 bathrooms other than keep housekeeping, plumbers and remodelers busy?

Explosion play defined, 6 points, in about the first 10 seconds of the game!

The guy is magic, if you inspire, you don't have to require, they will just aspire!

Exactly, 4 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, what is up with that? My house has 4 bedrooms and I can assure there isn't even 4 bathrooms. Sounds like they built a bunch of bathrooms and added some bedrooms. Do the dogs of the wealthy have bathrooms too? I suppose I do have 4 bathrooms as I have been known to use the outdoor one on occasion. I suppose with 12 bathrooms that is out of the question. The difference between the truly rich and us common folks.

Well written and thought out piece of writing. I will say the wild card is how well will/can he handle the variables which effect coaching is another question I will be watching. I think Chip Kelly handled the Blount incident incredibly well, and the team was under his control. The way Mario dealt with the airsoft gun incident, to me, was just another nail in his coffin. The little things, and big things were wearing away the program under Mario. As stated most importantly can a DC get our offense off the ground. This isn't a little thing and an O-line coach couldn't. I think this could be the most intriguing question of the season. Can we create some magic, or just out coach the opposing defenses we face. We are completely unproven on this side of the ball at qb, coach, coordinator, and most importantly scheme. I do go back to the wild card which will undoubtedly pop up with this young coach. Every leader is challenged by a situation which loudly, or quietly defines them by the players, and fanbase. I don't know what it will be, but something will create a crisis and how will Dan Lanning handle it. There are also countless little things, but we don't often see that. From calling timeouts, to the airlift incident this blindspot for Mario showed the inner workings of the dysfunctional side of Mario. He sold many on the fact that he was the field general, but we could see from his game management he didn't have it as a coach. We also thought he was an amazing manager of players, but the airlift gun incident gave us an insight into just how he managed the student athletes. All these wildcards which happen in games and while coaching add up to the 'it' of coaching. Does Dan have it to handle the gametime decisions and program management of 85 plus college students. The little things just might add up to big things, and hopefully continuing our, now, bias that Coach Lanning is the real deal. I think they will, but he is unproven in the little things that happen as a person which can become huge as a leader of young men.

Should have, could have, would have, but the ball is oblong. I have no idea, but there will be some bounces we don't anticipate. I predict one big thing we all anticipate happening won't and one thing we don't think will happen, will. That is far out as I will go.

Translation, just give the ball to any of our qb's and let him throw it and I will go get it, or block like a mother for my brother who catches it. I just want to ball out!

Wow, those who I know who had pancreatic cancer, as the headline stated, didn't fair as well. This is, or is right up there as the deadliest forms of cancer out there. All the best to Mr. Redd, his health and life going forward.