Charles Fischer

I was looking at the roster thinking about the pitching options for this weekend, when I stumbled on a stunning set of facts that amazed me about Oregon Baseball. Our Beloved Ducks had an "iffy" pitching staff last year as new starters were going through their lumps. And I've noted great development in pitchers like Logan Mercado (today's starter) and our new Friday ace, Jace Stoffal. I anticipated the same kind of growth with four other pitchers, but all have been out all season due to injury! 2022 Starter: RJ Gordon 2022 Starter: Isaac Ayon 2022 Starter: Andrew Mosiello 2022 Relief: Stone Churby Good gosh! Three starters out? How in world did we win 29 games thus far? Surviving on the new freshmen with their learning curve? It is rumored that one or more might be available by the end of the season, but we know they would be very rusty and used in occasional relief. Potentially--it can set up next year with a very strong pitching staff, but it sure highlights the incredible job that Coach Waz and his staff has done. Isaac Ayon

And in my view....they did not appreciate the value of what they had before all of this began. We figured in 2020 a football scholarship in terms of total benefits came out to nearly 2 million dollars... Pac-12 Football Players: All for Them, and NONE for All FISHDUCK.COM Do Pac-12 football players really get it? While that may seem to be insulting to them, it is a question that many of us who do the donating and buying of…

As much as I want to see an offensive display, a rolling out of the Will Stein offense--I don't think it is going to happen, (for two primary reasons) and upon reflection...I don't want it too! Reason No. 1: We must see improvement in the pass rush by the defensive line, as Lanning has made huge commitments in recruiting high school and portal transfer players specifically for that purpose. At one time, (before all the transfers began) we had 12 players for the Edge Rusher spot when we needed four or five. The process of finding out who can play is key, and soon, for all the roster planning that has to take place later. Thus you will have some very highly motivated young edge-rushers wanting to put on a show. Add to that how one of the best offensive linemen is out for the Spring Game, (transfer Junior Aguilar) and how the experienced offensive linemen will be spread out over two offensive lines, thus some rookies are lined up to be schooled by Popo, Taki, Dorlus, Burch, etc. etc. It will happen, as this is typical in a spring game. Pass protection is hard. Reason No. 2: Whether you are Dan Lanning, Will Stein or a fan....do you really need to see what Bo Nix can do? No, we know Bo. Thus, if it were me....after a few series with Nix...both sides will have newbie QBs running the show (and Ty Thompson) to see what they can do. They are inexperienced at the speed of the game, pocket presence, panicking at key moments, as we see from all young QBs. This to me shouts for a primarily defensive Spring Game that will disappoint most fans, but frankly--is what the team needs? Thoughts? But hey....I can be moved to a different conclusion. (And I'm often wrong!)

Normally....I would be concerned about a Rivals 3-Star for the most crucial position on the field. (By a mile) Yet something the Lanning staff has shown me in just over a year is how they are often in on guys who end up getting an elevated rating the next season. We have had a ton of 3-Star QBs bomb out here, yet Mariota and Herbert were also 3-Stars, so it will be fun to watch it all happen.

I used to think that too, but boy...the pressure on a coach to get the team to elite status and keep the team there is so enormous... I am not sure if Coach Lanning will slow down his portal recruiting in the future--do you?

Well said, Duck-Brother. This is a method of "firing" unsuccessful players, with new rules that the players initiated, and now--is it truly better for them now than before? A great ponder-point...

Agreed. Remember how the portal was going to be "the death" of college football, and be highly detrimental to Our Beloved Ducks? Wrong. Lanning is using the portal better than the vast majority of teams, and I will be writing about this later. Despite all the changes in college football? Oregon will be fine.

The rule is, for the first year of a coach--he does not have a limit on how many players can be ushered out, and can replace as many as he wants. However the players can still be on academic scholarship, not practice with the team, and not count against the 85 scholarship limit if they want to finish their education at that school. But who wants to be at a school that does not want them? And most still want to play--even if at a lower level. A portal transfer can turn around and transfer a second time--but with the second time he will have to wait a year before being able to play again. Since most players that transfer have the pressure to play and perform well in their junior year--most players do not have the luxury of sitting out a year. Thus schools have to be very careful about who they bring in as a portal transfer because they will be locked into these transfers. If it does not work out, then you have burned a scholarship, and you have not solved your roster problem. As for all the other rules? Between my advancing age, (66) and my love of tasty Oregon Craft Beer IPAs....I've lost too many brain cells to remember the boring rules. Well that, and they change often, and I work full-time and cannot stay up with them. I am sure it can all be searched for and found on the web...

As fans....we are torn by the double-edged sword of having a staff of great recruiters. They can go out and get most of the current holes filled with portal transfers, and that discourages the young 3-Star players from staying and developing because he can see the talent ahead of him. And he knows that this staff will recruit reams of 4/5-Star players in future classes, thus a tough road. I don't blame either side, but when you have great recruiting like this...there is a cost. How many running backs left Oregon? Are you happy with what the coaches recruited--the running back room at the moment? (An example)

(This is from the athletic department to the media, and while it was in another thread....I want to be certain you see all of this. It is stunning to me--all that is being done. Do attend the Baseball game of No. 20 Oregon vs. No. 12 Arizona State afterward!) EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon football team will host its annual Spring Game this Saturday, April 29, at 1 p.m. PT at Autzen Stadium. The intrasquad scrimmage serves as the exclamation point on the Ducks’ second spring under head coach Dan Lanning. Kickoff is set for 1:07 p.m., with live coverage on Pac-12 Networks. The Spring Game will once again be the headliner for an action-packed day in Eugene, with events and activities set for fans to attend throughout the day. The Oregon soccer team will face Portland in a spring exhibition at 11 a.m. at Papé Field, and the Oregon baseball team will square off with Arizona State in game two of a three-game series at 3 p.m. at PK Park. Below is a comprehensive list of fan-related information for Saturday’s events. Schedule of Events – Saturday, April 29 10:30 a.m. Autzen Stadium East parking lot opens 11:00 a.m. Oregon Soccer vs. Portland at Papé Field 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Pregame Fan Fest 11:00 a.m. Fan shuttles to Autzen begin running from Valley River Center 12:00 p.m. Autzen Stadium gates open 1:00 p.m. Oregon Football Spring Game begins Following Spring Game Postgame Fan Fest in HDC Plaza 3:00 p.m. Oregon Baseball vs. Arizona State at PK Park Spring Game Admission Admission for the Spring Game is free. Gates will open at 12 Noon. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Food For Lane County. Fans preferring to donate online to the food drive can do so HERE. Students are encouraged to sit in sections 7 & 8. Spring Game Parking Public parking will open at 10:30 a.m. in the Autzen Stadium East parking lot. Parking is mobile only and can be purchased HERE. Advance passes are $5 for football season ticket holders and $10 for the public. Parking will not be available for purchase day-of. Pregame Fan Fest Open from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Moshofsky Center Activities hosted by the Oregon Army National Guard. Inflatables such as an obstacle course, football toss, slide, bounce house and much more will be available for kids ages 12 and under. Moshofsky Plaza Display setups from the US Air National Guard, US Marine Corps, Army National Guard, US Navy and more will be available for fans to tour and explore. Highlights include a Stryker Fighting Vehicle, GMV 1.1 Vehicle and several High Mobility Vehicles. Autzen South Gate M119 Howitzer Cannon hosted by 2-218 of the Oregon Army National Guard. Food Trucks in PK Plaza – available from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. O’My Donuts Blessed Mess BBQ Everyday Kine Grinds Kona Shave Ice Oregon Wood Fired Pizza Great Philly Eva’s Taqueria Elephant Ears “Select a Seat” Event Exclusive season tickets will be made available for Spring Game attendees only. If you see a seat location highlighted by a Green Seatback that you like, take the attached tag to the Season Ticket Headquarters located in the southwest corner on the main concourse, right behind section 34, to lock in your tickets and claim your special Spring Game buyer gift! Spring Game In-Game Programming National Anthem Performed by SSG Reno of the 234 US Army Band. Flyover by four AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade from JBLM. Piloted by 1st Lieutenant, Brian Donohue – UO Alum. Game Format Four 15-minute quarters. Running clock except for scores, penalties, change of possession and the last three minutes of each half. 12-minute halftime. Rosters The Green and Yellow team rosters will be revealed on the @oregonfootball social media channels later this week leading up to the Spring Game. Guest Coaches Green Team – Marcus Mariota Yellow Team – Jevon Holland The guest coaches will call plays during a portion of the second half. Former Ducks Return to Autzen In addition to Mariota and Holland, a number of former Oregon football standouts will return to Autzen Stadium to attend the Spring Game. Former Ducks confirmed to be attending the game are being revealed this week on the @oregonfootball Twitter account. Among those confirmed to be in attendance: Brady Breeze, Tyrell Crosby, Dennis Dixon, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Daryle Hawkins, Jeff Maehl, Eddie Pleasant, De’Anthony Thomas and TJ Ward. Fan Engagement Pac-12 Network commercial breaks will be filled with behind-the-scenes footage from spring practices, sideline interviews with UO football alumni, and various military activations on the Autzen Stadium video board. Halftime Congratulate three future sailors who will be taking their Oath into the US Navy. Three Gold Star Families will be honored as we remember their family members lost in active duty, followed by three cannon blasts from the M119 Howitzer and a moment of silence. Learn more information on Gold Star Families here. Students are encouraged to bring their homemade signs. The five students with the best signs, as selected by UO Athletics, will be selected to watch the second half of the game from the sidelines. Please keep all signs respectful. The UO Marching Band, UO Spirit and The Duck will be in attendance and playing your favorite tunes. Postgame Activities Fans are invited to stay after the Spring Game to watch the coveted gift exchange between 120 former and active duty military and the football team. A Postgame Fan Fest will begin immediately following the Spring Game in the HDC Plaza. Three select food trucks will move to the HDC Plaza for the Postgame Fan Fest. Fans can also head over to PK Park to watch the Oregon baseball team host the Arizona State Sun Devils, with first pitch at 3 p.m.

We will NOT link any of those articles, announcements or videos, and will not discuss them or touch them. If you do, the post will be deleted and you will be a short leash with me due to this very public warning. Been-there, done-that. Years ago we had a TERRIBLE thread about gun control, gun violence, etc. that (of course) went political immediately. Feelings were hurt, friendships were lost and for what? Nobody is having their minds changed on how they feel one way or the other. Moderators--please hide any post you see pertaining to this immediately and notify me. OBD members...do not go even close to that topic--ever. Stick to discussing Our Beloved Ducks! -------------------------------------- And yes, the color of this post is garish-awful by design to get your attention.

Harrison Taggart is a loss, as he was on the track to be a LB of the future.

Forecasted to be 78 degrees on Saturday! Perfect...and compared to all the unanticipated water we have had recently? Whew!

It will help the "plodders" like Cristobal, as you can burn the clock a lot easier now through the game and effectively "shorten" the game and the number of possessions a team will have. Every play will need to be that much more productive for teams that want to score a bunch--like Oregon.

Agreed; when all those players see what is happening at Oregon, feel the vibe, and seeing some of the best other recruits--they cannot help but think that, "something special is going on here at Oregon."

For those who are watching Ducks Baseball, I could not help but notice how the majority of toughest conference series are behind us, and the Ducks have a real chance at making some big noise yet this season. I doubt we can catch Stanford, because their schedule is a touch easier like Oregon's, but we could make a real run at finishing second in the conference instead of the No. 5 prediction in preseason by most publications/coaches. When you look at the schedule below...I think we can stay ahead of UCLA and the others, and we can catch Arizona State because of their remaining schedule. The remaining series for each of the contenders: Oregon: Arizona State, USC, Washington and Utah UCLA: Stanford, Oregon State, Arizona State and Cal Stanford: UCLA, Arizona State, Arizona and Washington State Arizona State: Oregon, Stanford, USC and UCLA A MASSIVE impact in my hopes comes this next weekend as Our Beloved Ducks take on the Sun Devils at PK Park!

I apply the FishDuck Axiom to this; "Greatness and Weakness Emerge Early, and Weakness can Never be Turned Into Greatness." The best you can do when someone shows weakness early-on as a player, coach, employee, etc. is coach them up as best you can. Then--the best this person will become is between below-average to average. So the question then becomes, "is my time best spent elsewhere?" You can't send Dodo birds to Eagle School; it does not work. If you want Eagles...you go out and find (recruit) Eagles, and then see what they have. Thus my reaction is to spend the quality time with the other QBs, as I believe Ty has had his chance to show his stuff. There is one marginal exception to my rule: at Oregon Baseball--I've seen some pitchers who bordered on awful in the beginning, but the tools were there. They then were coached well, and over time turned into a good pitchers for Our Beloved Ducks. I think Ty has the tools, but....he does not have the "it" factor. You can sense a presence when Bo is on the field; when Ty is out there--it is blah, a dud. I would rather have put the time into Jay Butterfield.

Oregon has always done a great job with the Spring Game between trying to make it entertaining, and adding features such as honoring our veterans and famous former players. I thought Chip, Taggart and Mario all did a good job with making it special for the fans, AND making it a primary recruiting event. But boy...it sure seems that the Lanning organization has stepped it up another notch. I have NEVER heard of so many highly ranked recruits coming to a Spring Game as this one, and the guest list is impressive to match previous Spring Games. Am I alone in this observation? Does it seem that Oregon is making this a BIG event compared to say, Washington?

Holy Crap!

I would love to know the truth; regardless it is good-or-good. It is great if the story is true, but if it is not--many thanks to those who did bring it back. We have some GREAT YEARS of Oregon Baseball in front of us! Damn Husky is OUT at home!

Whew! Nasdaq Threatens to Delist Crucial NIL Booster's Company WWW.ACTIONNETWORK.COM The darling of the NIL era in college sports and his company LifeWallet will receive a delisting notice by the Nasdaq after trading under $1 for 30 consecutive days. John Oh no....could this impact Mario's recruiting?

I think there is a number; both Canzano and Wilner believe that the new deal with be similar to the Big-12 contract of 31M+, thus if the B1G offers ten million more--is that enough to justify a change? How much more would it take to create a move for Oregon/Washington? Now that is an interesting question that has not been discussed, and only Rob Mullens really knows that number?

Yep. Technically....Oregon and Washington are free-agents until a new contract with the Pac-12 is signed. This gives the B1G time to re-group and come up with an offer...

Who is making life for George Kliavkoff the most difficult? The loud-mouthed Arizona AD, the Big-12 Commissioner, Dennis Dodd, or this guy throwing more gas on and trying to keep the disinformation flame going? I don't see it happening. Do you?