Charles Fischer

I disagree. Lanning is putting together the most talent-laden Oregon team ever, and if we make the Playoffs? The league we are in does not matter. (As mighty USC was back-in-the-day, or Clemson in a weak ACC years ago) Our brand is big, and will remain so as long as we keep winning. Oregon will be fine.

In today's article, John Canzano asked someone who was in the room for the Pac-12 CEO meeting on Thursday. The source told him... "Meeting was fine. I think we are pretty solid,” the person said. “Waiting to early next week. League needs to deliver something soon and good. Excellent communication between ADs. Seems we are strongly committed to wait and see the deals.” The issues with the deal? “Just taking far too long,” the source said. “But the climate is terrible. And peers from other conferences are trying to take the league. Along with (Fox) trying to own it all. Not healthy.” John reminded his readers... I had a Pac-12 CEO Group source tell me two weeks ago “it will be worth the wait.” I don’t think the person was blowing smoke. But that ‘wait’ needs to end soon. How’s next week for everyone? Work for you?

To repeat what is buried in another thread....."Which conference would you want to join? The B1G or the Big-12?"

Through all of these decisions about changing conferences...the fans of the schools involved are never asked. We are told..."this is about money, so...." A FishDuck photographer moved to Oklahoma nearly a year ago, and he told me that he has not met a single Sooner fan who wanted to leave the Big-12. Not one! He shoots pics for Oklahoma often, and thus is in contact with tons of their fans between work and socially since he lives close to Norman. A former FishDuck writer told me, as another major Oregon told me...who both have TONS of UCLA fans as friends in SoCal, that NONE of them wanted to leave the Pac-12. In fact a big USC fan I know has told me the same thing! Now I know that many Trojan fans in the forums have rejoiced at the move, but tons of other USC fans are not happy with it. I would bet that a HUGE majority of the fans at the schools impacted by conference realignment would be against it. But who are they? Just the ones paying the freight for the whole damn thing!

Your idea has great sentimental value to us, but a media contract for this Northwest league would not fund the athletic department needs. And, I am not sure that Phil is as generous with his money as we are with his money.

Oh brother. That article is a GREAT example of a ton of "blah-blah" wrapped up in an editorial with an opinion that has some sizzle. In the end...it says nothing, speculates, but nothing beyond what we have seen on the forum often. The writer has been around a while, and actually provided pictures to a Oregon-USC game in LA years ago for this site. So he is talented in many ways--most of which is bloviating. He makes reference to Oregon and Washington doing "the long con," and wow....look who is talking! He also writes that the Ducks and Huskies feel that, "We want to make the Pac-12 work for us … but if not, we won’t be devastated.” Geez, no kidding. Haven't I been writing for months that no matter what happens...Oregon will be just fine? This is why I don't read a lot of that crap...

Ah yes, our good friends at CBS...

Having a different opinion here is not crazy, and you will be disagreed with, but we insist on everyone being "polite and respectful" to each other. With that, I disagree with your premise; if MW teams were a great thing to watch, then their contract would reflect the number of eyes on them. I see no benefit to merging the two conferences for media purposes, other than to dilute the Pac-12 product further. MW teams would benefit; we would not. Nobody wants to watch most of those teams play, and thus why I personally am not in favor of bringing on Fresno State, Boise, etc., into the Pac-12, although SDST is fine.

Picture the poor Beaver fan who knows that if the Pac-12 dissolves--his team is headed to the Mountain West. But the one team who can keep the conference together...who can save their flat-tails is the team they hate more than they love Oregon State. Yep, it's Oregon. That has to create quite a pit in their stomach as they go to sleep... Do they deserve it?

Some really good stuff in here to ponder... Who's next to take the realignment leap? Latest intel after Colorado jumps to the Big 12 247SPORTS.COM The Pac-12 needs at least one new member and so does the Big 12, and it appears the Big 12 is not done picking at the bones of the Pac-12. Meanwhile, the ACC and Big Ten's eyes have...

I don't know what to make of this or how to feel... For those who cannot read the rest... FOX doesn't want to run the risk of losing any of their top football viewership schools to ESPN. The Ohio State insiders are saying the same thing. This is as close as I will be able to get to "confirm" that Oregon and Washington are on the verge of entering formal conversations with the Big Ten via FOX. I've mentioned many times that NBC, CBS, and FOX will grow the Big Ten. I bet it goes to 24 schools.

What does that mean?

Don't miss the ending! C'mon....you have to admit--it's funny!

Amen Duck-Buddy. Is the B1G a cultural fit for Oregon?

(From UO Press Release, and Duck-Buddies...I am excited about this hire!) EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon head baseball coach Mark Wasikowski announced Wednesday the addition of former Major League player Blake Hawksworth as Oregon’s new pitching coach. Hawksworth comes to Oregon after spending the last 20-plus years playing and working in a variety of roles in both professional and college baseball. A former big leaguer, Major League Baseball agent and collegiate pitching coach who helped lead his team to the College World Series, Hawksworth joins Wasikowski’s staff after stints at Cal State Fullerton, Grand Canyon and UC Irvine. “Blake is the total package in terms of what we were looking for in a pitching coach,” Wasikowski said. “He has Northwest roots which will be a huge advantage in recruiting with the connections he has established. His professional baseball experience, playing in the majors for both the Dodgers and Cardinals, will be invaluable for our program, as will his track record as a collegiate pitching coach who helped lead his team to the College World Series." "His approach in player development leans heavily on technology and modern pitching training methods.” “His experience off the field is equally as impressive,” Wasikowski added. “His knowledge as an agent in the Scott Boras agency will benefit our players immensely.” After spending 10 years playing professional baseball and later working as an agent in the Boras Corporation, where he actively recruited top MLB and amateur prospects and signed the first overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Hawksworth landed his first collegiate job as the pitching coach at Cal State Fullerton in 2017 and immediately helped lead the Titans to the College World Series. The Titans’ pitching staff posted a 3.64 team ERA that ranked 29th in the nation and was noted for its control, ranking among the nation’s best in strikeout-to-walk ratio (17th, 2.94), WHIP (19th, 1.25) and walks per nine innings (6th, 2.55). Cal State Fullerton finished 39-24, a record that included regional and super regionals wins and a trip to Omaha. Hawksworth also spent a year as the pitching coach at Grand Canyon during the 2020 season. In 18 games, Hawksworth oversaw a pitching staff that posted a 3.44 ERA, the best by a Lopes team since 1982 (3.07). GCU ranked 22nd nationally with a 2.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio, led by Pierson Ohl’s No. 3 mark nationally of 0.32. As a right-handed pitcher, Hawksworth was drafted in the 28th round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He spent his first seven professional seasons rising through the organization as a minor leaguer, earning the billing as the organization’s No. 1 prospect in 2004. In his eighth season in the organization, Hawksworth made his big-league debut on June 6, 2009. He made 30 appearances spanning 40 innings during his rookie season, going 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA. He made a one-inning relief appearances in the 2009 NLDS. Hawksworth spent the 2010 season with the Cardinals going 4-8 with a 4.98 ERA over 40 games and 90.1 innings. After an offseason trade following the 2010 season, Hawksworth spent his final pro season as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He made a career-high 29 appearances including 12 starts, posting a 2-5 record with a 4.08 ERA. After dealing with injuries, Hawksworth officially retired from baseball in 2014. In between his draft selection in 2001 and pro debut in 2002, Hawksworth played one season at Bellevue (Wash.) Community College as a draft-and follow selection. He left no doubt to his professional abilities by going 8-0 with a 0.18 ERA while earning recognition as both the Bellevue College Most Valuable Player and the NWAAC’s Most Valuable Player. A native of Vancouver, B.C., Hawksworth attended Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Wash. He and his wife Amie have a daughter, Madison, and two sons, Jaxon and Luke.

(From UO Athletic Dept.) The Oregon football coaching staff will host its annual “Saturday Night Live” camp for youth football players on Saturday, July 29, inside Autzen Stadium. The camp will begin at approximately 6:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Parking will be available in the East Lot next to Autzen Stadium, and fans can begin entering the stadium through the South Gate beginning at 5:30 p.m. Concession stands will not be open, but fans are welcome to bring in outside food and drink. The list of recruits for 2024, 2025 and 2026 coming to the event is huge!

You don’t see them until something negative happens. I forgot about that phenomenon, and then sure enough today some names surfaced that I have not seen in quite some time. I look it up, and sure enough this one particular member hasn’t even been in the forum for over four months, and the last time he was, it was complaining about missing on a recruit. Before that it was about play-calling, and before that it was about losing one of the last two games of the season. We have a batch of people like that, that just show up to complain, what we used to call “Negative-Nellies.” People are funny…

The PAC 12 will have five teams ranked in the top 25 at the beginning of the football season. And we will have five ranked after the conclusion of the season. What happened today does not change that. Even after USC leaves, I am quite confident the coach Dillingham will have his team in the top 25 very soon, and we will again have five ranked teams because we have five great coaches. The PAC 12 will still be the second strongest football league at the end of this season regardless of what happens with the lowly Buffs. That is a lot to build upon…facts, not panicked feelings.

Banned another! One ACC member and one Big-12 member could not restrain themselves from trying to tweak me/us, and thus are removed. We no longer have to read their crap! It is too bad, as we have had great inter-conference discussions with them before, but they cannot help but enjoy our current misery a bit too much.

Well....if we go to an eight game conference schedule...I know an easy P5 team to schedule for non-conference! (Maybe more)