Seems to me as if there was much ado about nothing yesterday. Of course, I am referring to Mike Pereira, Director of Pac-12 officiating, and his utterly ridiculous rant regarding the hand gesture which symbolizes the University of Oregon made by players in celebration WITH their fans after big plays.
Look, I understand the need to reduce taunting; true taunting creates far more negative side effects than we care to discuss in this venue. Nonetheless, football is a game. At Autzen Stadium, football is a game shared between 100+ University of Oregon football players and 60,000 screaming fans. By definition, a game should bring enjoyment not only to the spectators, but to it's participants, within reason, of course. The Oregon “O” has never, on any occasion, been directed at an opponent, nor has it been a prolonged expression meant to taunt or humiliate the opponent. It has always been a gesture that allows the players to share their pride in the University they represent with the fans whose pride is on display during beautiful fall Saturday afternoons.
I am not entirely sure that Pereira understood the firestorm he was creating when he made what he likely thought to be innocuous statements that would likely be ignored by most. Unfortunately for Pereira his words quickly spread and the outrage from not only Duck fans, but critics around the nation of an over-reaching conference official generated a faster than lightning reversal of field akin to LaMichael James' run at Tennessee.
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| Kenjon Barner Flashes "O" |
The problem here, though, is not the initial words which turned out to be harmless, but the self-validation so critical to a man who should feel comfortable with his own character by this point in life. To watch the Oregon-Nevada game and come away with this statement seems more than ludicrous; it seems self-serving.
“I'll go so far as to guarantee you that Chip Kelly and the Oregon Ducks will get a phone call this week and tell them that "You need to stop doing this. Why do I guarantee it? Because I'll be the one to make it.”
Sadly, though, the need for validation seems to permeate our society. It might be time for Larry Scott to re-evaluate his decision to hire Mike Pereira, his need for validation makes him a danger to the integrity of the powerhouse that Scott is attempting to build.
BIG TIME VISITORS
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| 5* DT Ellis McCarthy |
As Football season begins in earnest, so too does recruiting. College football is unique compared to professional in that every year, you have holes to fill with new recruits. Great recruiting is the difference between losing seasons and trips to BCS Bowl games. Over the past few years, Oregon recruiting, thanks to Chip Kelly, has gone national. With this national cache comes more big time visits.
While it would be a coup of unimaginable proportions to snag every 5* recruit that visited Oregon, getting big time visitors is still a major accomplishment, regardless of commitment. For the Nevada Game Oregon has some serious talent visiting with the likes of 2013 RBThomas Tyner (Alhoa HS, Aloha, OR), 2012 LB Brett Bafaro (Liberty HS, Hillsboro, OR), 2012 Athlete Oshay Dunmore (Newport HS, Newport, OR, committed) and 2012 OL Kyle Murphy (San Clemente HS, San Clemente, CA).
In late news this week, one of the most sought after Defensive Tackles in teh nation has set a visit to Oregon! Monrovia DT Ellis McCarthy, a 5* DT with offers from every major program in the nation, McCarthy will be making his first official visit of the recruiting season to Oregon.
Keep an eye out for these visitors and their updates, they would all be exceptional additions as future Ducks!
OREGON ROUTS NEVADA
Obviously, this is not news to most, but it was a significant event of the past week in Duck sports. The football team, after a difficult trip to Dallas, was able to rebound and work out some kinks against Nevada. While the game was not perfect, it provided young players with ample opportunity to gain some quality minutes.
From the dazzling play of true freshman De'Anthony Thomas to the debut of Bryan Bennett, plenty of young Ducks made an impact not only on this game, but on the minds of Duck fans everywhere.
These being college athletes, grades and analysis are a critical component of how we view their performance. Take a look back at the Grades and Analysis from Duck Sports Authority and see how the team fared this week.
CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS OPEN SEASON
The men's and women's cross country teams opened their season with a dual meet as they faced the Gonzaga Bulldogs coached by one time University of Oregon distance runner, and former roommate of Steve Prefontaine, Pat Tyson. The meet was held at the Summer training camp for the Ducks in Sunriver.
Oregon's 4th ranked women won handily by sweeping the first six places led by Senior Claire Michel's first place finish. Michel finished the 5000 meter race in 16:45.1 followed closely by several team mates.
The men's team, who did not race several of their top runners, did not fare as well, however. As a bright note the individual race was taken by Sophomore Ben DeJarnette who covered the 4 mile race in 19:39.5 winning the race comfortably by ten seconds. Unfortunately, the 16th ranked mens team lost 26-33. The teams will remain in Sunriver for two more weeks.
The next meet for both the men and women will be the Bill Dellinger Invitational on October 1.
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