The Grateful Duck

I'm probably more sympathetic to the Beavers/Cougars than many on this forum, at least from the responses I read. It's a damn shame in some respects. That being said, I'm not very sympathetic to some Beaver/Cougar fans' responses to the situation, especially blaming the Ducks and Huskies for leaving the Pac and moving to the B1G. I'm certain had the situation been different, those 2 schools would have chosen to leave also. But the reality is, their brands are just not as valuable. It hurts to be told an unwelcome truth. It's obvious that the O brand is recognized in all 50 states, especially, but not limited to, the football program. (Hey, Sabrina's a pretty big deal in basketball and for many young female ballers!) There's a reason that Oregon football games have been featured on several important timeslots during the season, with many millions of eyes followed. One thing I'd like to add to this discussion is the fact that, yes, OSU and WSU did win the first iteration of this court battle, but the judge did reiterate that the agreement/bylaws upon which the judge made his ruling does not give those 2 schools free rein to spend all/most of the money on their own programs. The judge stressed that the moneys should be shared equitably amongst the remaining members (I believe minus USC and UCLA, and perhaps also Colorado) and he would change his decision if the 2-pac were not to oblige the other remaining members, 9 or 10, their shares in an equitable, fair manner. Folks much more knowledgeable on these legal matters than I expect this judgement to lead to a fair settlement between the parties at some future date. There's also some shared debt amongst all the members, its repayment has yet to be decided from where/what coffers this money will come. This issue is far from settled.... Also, and finally, historically USC HAS been the cash cow for the various iterations of our conference. At various times in the past, they had requested extra funding to compensate for the extra value they provided. Obviously, fellow members did not agree to that and that refusal to acknowledge USC's contribution was an important element to SC leaving. A perfect storm of opportunity, jealousy, system-wide leadership failure, hubris, and mismanagement by all parties led us to this point. This divorce/collapse is way more complicated than anything John C has yet to acknowledge or cover in anything but a cursory, click-bait, self-important manner. He is in the business to make money to support his family and life style. It is the American way, right?