Charles Fischer

As I told you last year at the same time--95% of verbals stick. If you read his post-decision interviews, it will comfort you about him sticking. Enjoy the moment.

New posts are the lifeblood of Our Beloved Ducks forum and we greatly appreciate all of you who announce breaking news, share articles from other sources, and create original postings. Remember, your words are scrutinized and judged by readers—throughout Oregon, from coast to coast, and around the globe, (read in over 40 countries) and every post is important. With this in mind, please observe the following tips and guidelines, especially if you start new topics. Everyone is extending the same courtesies that are below to you--please reciprocate. You can go in and edit up to an hour after your post is published in the forum. Just to up to the right corner and click on the three dots, then click on "Edit." Easy-Peasy! The Most Important Items to Learn: 1. Give us READING SPACES, please. Do NOT write continuous text which is hard for older eyes to read. (See No. 1 below) 2. Tighten up the bottom of your posts, so everyone does not have to scroll so much. (See No. 2 below) 3. Learn in less than a minute how to put a link in your post in seconds. (See No. 3 below) 4. Learn how to do the title correctly for a new thread. (See No. 4 below) 5. Avoid the common writing errors. (See No. 5 below) 1. READING SPACES, not Continuous Text! Break up blocks of text to make your posts easier to read and comprehend. Try to limit paragraphs to three lines. Never post blocks of text longer than four lines. After three or four sentences, hit the "Enter" key twice on PC, or "Return" twice on Mac. Make it easy on old-fart eyes like mine, please. 2. REMOVE EXCESS SPACES at the Bottom of Your Post! Tighten up the bottom of your post, as you should not have any extra spaces after the final period in your post. To ensure that your post does not feature extra empty spaces or lines, use the backspace key to erase any possible extra spaces. (This saves a ton of scrolling down a page for everyone) 3. How to Add a Link to an Article Into an OBD Post (Easy!) A. Get a copy of the article URL from the page you are reading it on, (highlight the URL address in the upper right and right click, then select 'copy') and first write one line, a short sentence about the article as introduction or to inform us of what it is about. B. After the sentence you wrote, hit the "Enter" on PC, or "Return" on Mac key TWICE, and then paste the link into two spaces below your written sentence. If the article box does not appear, then go back in for ten seconds and edit it to include a space below the link. (Sometimes it needs it) The article box should appear, and if it does not, which happens often, then see below. C. How to attaching a link to a word? You see how others will write out a description and attach a link to word or two? Simply copy the URL, then highlight the word you want to attach the link to. Then, go up to the top of the tool bar/dashboard and click on the "B", the "I" and "U" so that the word highlighted is bolded, in italics and underlined. The click on the chain link symbol to the right of the other symbols. A window appears, you paste the URL into the URL box provided, and then click on the "insert into post." The directions above look tougher than it is; it is only a few clicks and copy, and once you know how--you can do either one in seconds. If you are still confused? Go to the Directions, and the page I created explaining all this at the top of the forum. 4. How to Create a Good Title for a Post in a New Thread Creating an informative, and provocative title for your topic is essential. A. First Title Essential: Telling us what is the thread going to be about, because readers want to know what they are opening with a thread. Don't give us a three word title, and make us figure it out. People won't open a thread unless they know what is in it, and Google won't suggest a nebulous title either. Everyone wants certainty, so please tell us in the title what your thread/post is about, please. The cold, hard truth is that if you write a poor title, people won't click on your title to open the thread because analytics show that nebulous or tricky titles turn people off, and they won't open them. Don’t be cutesy or clever. Do be definitive. And informative. And factual. Don’t make your readers guess about what your title means. Show them courtesy by giving them no-nonsense information. B. Second Title Element: Make Me Want to Click! So many titles are boring, and you just pass them by. Then, you later find out that one was a terrific post and discussion--but you passed it because the title was SO BORING, so blah. Sell us on your topic! Make us want to click! Create curiosity, but be honest about it. Pull out a quote, or deliver a comment while describing the topic. This is not natural skill; this takes some practice, and if you work at it--you can deliver great titles that start wonderful discussions. C. Capitalize Every First Letter in the title of a new thread please, except... ...except for the inconsequential words such as, "a, an, it, the, and, as, or, etc." Always capitalize the first letter of the final word in a title too. Google will suggest one article over another simply due to looking more professional with the capitalization. D. Why Are Good Titles Important? Two reasons, and the first is that you are being courteous to your fellow OBD members and loyal readers. Other OBD members take 30 seconds to create a good title to inform you in advance as to what is in the thread, so please extend the same courtesy in return to them? "I found the forum on Google." I have heard this often, and this is the second reason for a great thread title. A good thread with a great title will come up in a web browser search, such as on Google, and thus so many great members of this forum learned of us from a search about Oregon Football, and found this site. Google and all search engines want search-integrity with what they suggest to those searching. They will downgrade a site that has tricky titles that have nothing to do with the thread, and were attempts at "Click-Bait." So being informative in your title will tell Google what the thread is about, and then it will show up in web searches. D. More Tips for Writing Quality Titles When referring to the Oregon Ducks in a title, it is not necessary to include “Oregon.” It is assumed that “Ducks” refers to the Oregon Ducks. Preferred: Ducks Win Not preferred: Oregon Ducks Win In titles, use single-quotation marks, not double-quotation marks. This is AP Style for title writing. Correct: Lanning: ‘Our Goal is a Championship’ Incorrect: Lanning: “Our Goal is a Championship” In the post itself, use double-quotation marks as you normally would in everyday writing. In titles, use single-quotation marks. Pac-12 is hyphenated. Correct: Pac-12 Incorrect: Pac 12 Incorrect: PAC In title writing, the word “and” can often be replaced with a comma. Preferred: Oregon, Alabama Play for Title Not preferred: Oregon and Alabama Play for Title Know the difference between a hyphen and a dash. A hyphen joins two words together to create an adjective or a noun. Hyphen example: Ducks Passing-Yardage Stats for 2021 The hyphen connects “Passing” and “Yardage”, creating an adjective to modify “Stats” Connecting these two words makes the headline easier to understand. Without the hyphen, the headline would read: Ducks Passing Yardage Stats for 2021 A dash interrupts a thought or creates emphasis. Create a dash by typing two hyphens—with no spaces before or after. Dash, correct example: Breaking News—USC, UCLA to Leave Pac-12 Dash, correct example: George Kliavkoff—Completely Blindsided? Dash, incorrect example: Breaking News - USC, UCLA to Leave Pac-12 Dash, incorrect example: Breaking News -- USC, UCLA to Leave Pac-12 Important reminder: Close up those spaces when using dashes—and use two hyphens for a dash, not one An ellipsis is three dots only, not four, not five: … In a title, an ellipsis leads one idea to another. Ellipsis, correct example: Canzano: Pac-12 + Big 12 Doesn’t Work…On to the B1G Here’s one way to remember the three-dot rule of an ellipsis: an ellipsis is also referred to as a “dot-dot-dot.” Use exclamation points sparingly or not at all. NEVER use double exclamation points. Overusing exclamation points makes content look amateurish. (Charles...this mean you too!) Limit your title to one line. If it extends to a second line, cut words from it. 5. Avoid Common Writing Errors in Posts We’re limiting the discussion to three common errors. A. Perhaps the most common error is the misuse of “it's” and “its.” According to Merriam-Webster, It’s is a contraction and should be used where a sentence would normally read “it is.” The apostrophe indicates that part of a word has been removed. Its with no apostrophe, on the other hand, is the possessive word, like “his” and “her” for nouns without gender. For example, “The sun was so bright, its rays blinded me.” Continuing to quote from Merriam-Webster: The rule is actually pretty simple: use the apostrophe after it only when part of a word has been removed: it’s raining means it is raining; it’s been warm means it has been warm. It’s is a contraction, in the style of can’t for cannot and she’s for she is. B. A quick reference on properly using you’re and your. You’re is a contraction for you are. Correct: You’re welcome, which is short for you are welcome. Incorrect: Your welcome. Your indicates possession, as in your car, your house, your success. C. A quick reference on properly using they’re, there, and their. They’re is a contraction of they are. Example: They’re running late. There indicates place. Example: The book is there on the table. Their indicates possession. Example: Their car is brand new. D. And an added reminder…Please do not misspell names. Former coach Chris Petersen frequently had his name wrongly spelled as “Peterson.” In the days before the Internet, it was somewhat understandable when names were misspelled. Today, there is no excuse for misspelling names. It takes just a few seconds to open another tab/page, and check the spelling of someone’s name online. If you’re unsure of the spelling of any word, please consult one of many online dictionaries. Is it really a big deal if just one or two words are misspelled in a post? After all, nobody’s perfect; we’re not English experts--we’re just college football fans, right? But yes, it’s a big deal. Using words correctly—proper grammar, error-free spelling, cogent writing—makes your discussions credible and respectable. Conversely, content that is rife with mistakes is not taken seriously. Again, fellow OBD members extend that courtesy to you, so please reciprocate for the benefit of us all. You can go in and edit up to an hour after your post is published in the forum. Just to up to the right corner and click on the three dots, then click on "Edit." Easy-Peasy! Thank you, everyone, for your kind attention. And once again, thank you for your positive contributions to making Our Beloved Ducks forum one of the very best. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to post them in this thread.

That was a just a couple of drunk students, (who were condemned by everyone) not thousands I heard in the background. Oh well. We have great Utah fans who come to this forum--and that was my original point.

Of the top six in this first ranking? Ohio State Georgia Michigan Florida State Washington Oregon Four of the six will be in the 2024 B1G... Whew! Tough conference!

My friends, for those who did not see the show--they were lavish again in praise of Our Beloved Ducks. Kirk stated what is in the title of this post, and twice they made reference to the "physical" team Dan Lanning has created in Eugene. And Kirk brought this up on his own when the question was posed to the group..."who do YOU think is the best team in the nation right now?" And that is when Kirk gave the quote...wowsa. Rece Davis and Joel Klatt have not been kind to the Ducks over the years, and to hear them in separate telecasts say so many great things about Oregon?

This is not anything official, but I'm simply connecting the dots. Perhaps it has been covered already, but for those who are not aware--safety Bryan Addison has not been playing due to "personal reasons." On a pay-site they have said that those words are code for, "not coming back." As I recall, he did not travel to Stanford, and has not played since Colorado....the fourth game. By not playing in any other games beyond the fourth game--he preserves his final year of eligibility. I am guessing, but I am thinking that he saw that through four games--he played a lot and was in the rotation, but he was not the starter. I believe he is sitting out and will transfer at the end of the season, and tons of teams would want an experienced safety such as he. (Like Oregon next year?) Again--speculation on my part, but it makes sense.

On another site they brought up these stats that are interesting... Total Sacks: 2014 - 37 (including postseason) 2023 - 27 and counting Sacks Allowed: 2014 - 31 2023 - 4 The 2023 offensive line might be built better for pass-protection, but that 2014 unit was built to move. They could block out in open space like crazy...

Fun article David, and your title reminded me of the song... "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas..." And for an Oregon fan...it could!

I agree, sixth is right for this week.

A dog wants to play me pool for money? Count me in! Got snookered again!

Well, the margin is bigger than you may think. We have 18 of the 4/5-Stars, and Georgia has 19...and if it were that, then yes--it is razor thin. But the Bulldogs have three 5-Star players besides!

We got snookered by the Utah fans? I should rephrase that to stating that we on the OBD forum were getting the wrong impression of most Utah fans by the wonderful Ute fans who show up here to discuss college football. I have a friend who is a Utah fan, and he and I have great conversations, but he told me his son, "hates Oregon with a passion, as does most of his friends." That surprised me, but I brushed it off as a small sample. Did you hear the Utah fans in the background of the game? They were booing a good bit of the time when things did not go their way. There was a play where Evan Williams was coming up to tackle the Utah QB, who then slid low. Williams then jumped over the top of him to avoid collision/penalty. When I saw the play in real-time, I thought that maybe Evan was head-hunting? But when I saw the replay--it was apparent that Williams was trying to avoid hitting him. That is not what the Utah crowd thought. Did you hear them booing the officials 15 minutes later because a penalty was not called? I think the majority of Utah fans are not Oregon-friendly, but we are fortunate to have the exception here in the Our Beloved Ducks forum.

This team is hungry after that loss...they are on a mission, and you can feel it.

Your Gators are killing it as well!

“You get the right pieces and you can do anything, especially if you have the good coaches behind it,” Rushing said. “You’re getting the right people — they’re doing that and we’re doing that — it’s going to end up going to the right place." "Coach Lanning is a players’ coach. You could see it with everyone in the locker room and how the guys carry themselves. You see it when you’re (in Eugene). It’s a brotherhood.”

Oregon No. 6 Stanford No. 23 USC No. 25 Arizona No. 43 Arizona State No. 47 Washington No. 48 In the B1G, only Ohio State at No. 2 is ahead of us... 2024 all-teams football recruiting team rankings N.RIVALS.COM 2024 all-teams football recruiting team rankings by Rivals.com

This makes the 18th verbal of the 4/5-Star players on Rivals, and is the No. 2 all-time recruiting class ever at Oregon. The record is 19, and it can be beat! Come join Oregon!

Incredible victory for the Lanning staff, as he was offered by ...Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia, USC and Washington! Elijah Rushing | DuckSportsAuthority N.RIVALS.COM Elijah Rushing - 2024 4 Star Weakside defensive end for Salpointe (Tucson, AZ) on Rivals.com

I thought the defense was a three or four year rebuild, but I did not catch on to: 1) How good the portal transfers at defensive back were, and how they would allow great help by moving two safeties to ILB, and... 2) We had a blockbuster group return for a senior year that made all the difference this year. (Bo Nix, Steven Jones, Taki Taimani, Popo, Dorlus, Casey Rogers, etc.) Next year is a massive rebuild, thus it will take another two years, and then with all the recruiting classes stacked up--we will then be a consistent elite team, IMHO. So savor it all this year, as it could be the best since 2014!

Today's article is a classic example of what I tell the FD writers what NOT to do. You have a topic you are excited about covering, (beating the blitzes) but want to add so many other things, (four-pass opening drive, weak contain defense, Conerly vs. Ellis) that I ended up making too big an article. I should have split it in half for easier reading of both. But I was pumped about the subjects, and once I finished...."I'm leaving it!"

Who should lose?

Upon second thought....this discussion will not end well. It cannot but help but get into the political realm because some will construe my post above as supporting one side or the other, when it is just my years of frustration dealing with politics becoming enmeshed with sports. So I am locking the thread. No politics on this board. Thanks Dan.

I am not comfortable with this at all. Be a football coach, and stay away from topics that could turn people (on both sides) against you. This is like celebrities, or actors telling us how to vote. If there are a lot of smart people out there Dan, then let the smart people figure it out. There aren't because you tell them to... Another rookie coach mistake, as I of all people have learned to STICK TO SPORTS and not let politics, or topics surrounded by politics ensnarl you. Like taking the points...

Now who I'm worried about, as Florida State can skip through a weak ACC and go undefeated. They're in. Ohio State is the analyst's darling, while Michigan is the media favorite. Both can/will get in with one loss over Oregon. And then we have Alabama and Georgia....