Washington Waddler

As Duck fans, many of us fondly remember those days when Oregon pretty much stood alone among P5 football programs for the longevity and consistency of its coaching staff. Assistants were often career coaches, and head coach was a promotion from within the ranks. There seemed to be a steadying force in those days — a feeling, or determined vision — that held coaches in place through rough patches, and allowed us to stay the course towards the goal of playing for PAC 12 and National Championships. We grew accustom to it; we got use to it. And then Mark was fired — and like the triggering of a domino effect — we fell from that unique place where coaches felt like family, and into the competitive trough where contending programs battle with dollars and brand visibility to attract, hire and keep coaches who are only a phone call away from their next upgrade. Like the saying, you don’t know know what you have until it’s gone. It’s easy to look back on those days with a longing. Some of us would like to have them back. Many believe that kind of coaching consistency is the straw that stirs the drink; is the glue that holds all the other parts together, and without which we can never regain the path leading to greatness. That feeling can get downright uncomfortable when you look at Utah. There is a remarkable resemblance between Utah’s current program and where we once were. Like we were back then, Utah has a solid number — including their head coach — who have made Utah their career, and as a group (the 15 most prominent staff positions - my choices), average nine years in the program. Add to that the resemblance to Oregon’s past of a staff whose roots were primarily in the west (13 of the 15 for Utah), and it can feel as if they have inherited the mantel once worn by the Ducks. Two blow-out loses to them don’t help matters. But have they? And even if they have, can they hold onto that consistency, even if they want to? The question: is coaching consistency a goal unto itself, or is it just a first step — a phase — any worthwhile (and fortunate enough) program might go through on its way to entering the bigger fray? Utah could end up being lucky enough never to have to deal with a Mark Helfrich, or they may. Either way, success leads to visibility, and visibility puts you on another competitive level — another step — which programs either adjust to — or not. Coaching consistency certainly seems preferable, but is it necessary to success? It’s never a good idea to compare your program to Alabama, but that’s never stopped me before. Like the direction Alabama has been on for a long time, where I see us heading coaching-wise is similar to a roller coaster ride that is always trending slightly uphill: you start to fall ( lose a coach), but you don’t fall quite as far as you did the previous time (hire a better one). Dan Lanning feels like a step in that direction. Many of his assistant choices do so as well. Only time will tell. Will this move lead to coaching consistency once again? Probably not. Do we really need or even want that kind of consistency ever again, or is consistency something we must do whatever it takes to achieve again? I don’t know. There are lots of times, I must admit, when I miss that old consistent, unchanging Oregon we once were. But the more I let myself adjust to our new reality (expand my comfort zone?) the better I’m learning to deal with it — and even enjoying the ride! Thanks for being my therapists. Your thoughts?

It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

What was originally just the title to a fight song that became a dominant slogan over time was written in 1915, and referenced the heroic and tragic stand of western allies against the Ottoman Turks in WWI in the area known as the Dardanelles. The term, however, most likely references a more ancient tradition among warring groups of that area where edicts by despots were often signed, “fear this and trembling obey”.

And in the same way they came in: chained in a row with their noses up someone else’s rear end.

Cincinnati got in because there are that many voters who wanted to rub THE Ohio State’s nose in it.

The only ‘Bow Down’ going on in poochyland these days is the stooping it takes for recruits and coaches to crawl beneath where the Huskys have set the bar. Or, in the immortal words of Chubby Checker, “how low can you go?”

Yeah, what’s the point of building a brand spanking new four wheel drive if you never take it in the mud?

As always, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

I’m onboard with all the positive responses to AB’s game, but that 2nd half doesn’t happen without a group of freshman receivers also getting their feet wet in the first and then making it happen. Makes me think about what many of you have been saying all season long about just getting the freshmen time in the saddle.

To ring in 2022, and the start of a new chapter of Duck football, thought I’d throw-out a Robert Frost quote that I feel catches the spirit of what makes the FishDuck Forum click: “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence,” And that’s what the simple rules of the forum do — allow us all to learn — to educate ourselves — to be more civil with one another in pursuit of the thing we all share in common: Our Beloved Ducks. Thanks again Charles for providing us with this wonderful platform on which to share our common love and interest. Happy New Year, and GO DUCKS!!!

Great take Joshua. How teams respond in a final game to the disappointment in both season outcome and a sense of betrayal is never easy to predict . However, pride will play a big role. But in that, you can perceive a difference between the two schools. Bob Stoops’ temporary return seems to be more that of a therapist for a fragile ego than a coach moving a team past the pain and forward. His message appears to be to circle the wagons in pride in the past. Oregon as a program has been down this road before and has a history of knowing you only get past that pain by going right at it, and moving past it. Have we learned that lesson yet? That’s why you play the game.

Must be a southern thing. Reminiscent of Scarlet O’Hara when she was trying to figure how to keep both Rhett Butler and her pride by saying, “I can’t think about it now, I’ll think about it tomorrow.” Just like Scarlet, it’s hard Mario to have what you want and keep your integrity.

The article only said that CP wouldn’t retain him. No details as to why. Anyone know why?

Lanning is earning my respect for how he reels in smart, top drawer choices for his staff. NFL experience only means something if you get the right guy, and we saw how that can go with Lake and Donovan.

If I’m looking at just the game, then no - it’s a players’ world only. But, if I’m looking at it as a statement that something is wrong with the post season that is making players opt-out, then I’d just as soon everybody be down on the field silently rooting for an expanded play-off that would make it worth staying.

Yes, if Moss and others see our current guys staying put, helps create that sense of confidence in the program we really need right now.

The bowl situation is only top heavy when viewed through the aging lens of the ‘reward’ system. Maybe not administrations and coaches, but players are certainly experiencing a sea-change in attitude towards the lower value bowls: is the risk of further injury outweighed by reward? And who really gets the reward? To bring back balance and worth to the lower bowl system, the established route of the upper tier system seems to be the only relevant blue print; ie, expand the CBP to 12 or 16 teams, and then allow the existing lower tier bowls to bid on play-off bracket spots.

Was at Hec Edmundson pavilion with my wife for the 2019 Oregon UW men’s basketball game, aka Payton Pritchard’s “I own this house” closing argument. As halftime approached, the crowd began thumping their tails uncontrollably and peeing in their seats in anticipation of the introduction of their new head football coach Jimmy Lake. There is nothing new or unusual about using a campus sports event to unveil a new coach, and new coaches normally use the moment to simply thank the administration and crowd for their support and promise the kind of effort that will bring victories and championships to the school — nothing more. Best to leave them with a solid first impression that evokes class and the anticipation of better things to come. Not Jimmy. He seized the moment like a carnival barker conning a crowd of fools into buying tickets to see a two-headed tattooed lady. His ‘I own this place’ opening gambit was followed by an awkward TV game show host-like climb into the stands to ‘mix’ with his frothing followers that lasted well into the start of the 2nd half. My wife looked at me and I at her in blank amazement at this remarkable display of cluelessness.

Nothing but positive feelings and best wishes for all the Dye family, and a big congratulations to Travis and Erin!

Reading these great comments, it occurred to me how important it is to separate ‘Identity’ from ‘Brand’. It’s also useful to remember that ‘Brand’ or ‘National Brand’ are extremely volatile and subjective terms that don’t necessarily mean the same thing in the eyes of different recruits. And, in the hands of a recruiter who is using ‘Brand’ to sell a program to recruits without understanding it, let alone believing in that program’s ‘Identity’, you have the makings of a ‘Brand’ disaster that can reach far into future recruiting years. Unfortunately, Mario was that guy. He got the ‘Brand’ part, but he never got, nor believed in, the ‘Duck Identity’. We’re fast, smart and know how to adapt to change. We weather storms because we know when to fly, and when to hit the pond. We get to where we’re going (eventually!) because we’re a flock, and we stick together. It’s an identity that is battle tested and hard won. Mario — God bless him — drove his ‘Brand’ new Mallardati like it was a bulldozer at night with the headlights turned off. I’m just hoping that moving to a guy whose roots are more midwestern, and who has chosen coaches with a mixture of west coast roots and experience that our ‘Identity’ won’t be so hard now to grasp and — more importantly — instill in recruits. It’s not rocket science; it’s just being a Duck!

Ducky Holidays to all!

What’s interesting about that is that when you do, and the contributor hears it, the payoff is that he or she has the chance to get past the raw emotion and see what they really wanted to say in the first place — and that can become a valuable contribution!

Put a face to the names you see on this forum; don’t treat others here with the same anonymous approach as you would on other sites. See them, and treat them with respect as you would yourself. Think of it as if you were a kid sitting around a family dining room table with your other brothers and sisters learning how to converse with each other in a civil manner. At times, your older sibs (moderators) might give you the eye when they think you should shut-up. And, if you can’t control yourself, then FishDuck — sitting at the head of the table — is there to send you to your room for a well earned time out and think about what you said. Simple, but effective.

Great article Jon; whatever comes of it, it’s just interesting to ponder. One issue that is a potential Achilles heal is that of how national school administration from the federal level right down to local districts will react to the intensified financial pressure brought to bear on student athletes who will inherit that along with the expected uptick in recruiting pressure. The reverberations from such a change in college ball will unavoidably sound throughout the high school systems of the country as prominent programs begin to jockey for position in this changing landscape and schools are forced to deal even more with some of the same issues colleges do now between education and sports. The reaction from national school administrators would probably be swift and negative as they foresee students of this age group not being mature enough to deal with the pressures raining down on them. Would this alter football as it has basketball where we now have academies created especially to prepare players for the next level? Easier said than done when you look at a cost comparison of the two sports. It could be the only choice though if national educators trump athletic departments at the high school level in the effort to protect youth from a higher sports system run amok in pursuit of the almighty dollar.

Nothing new here. Fans will always see the glass as half full on their side, and half empty on the other. Not going to badmouth Mario for what he’s good at. That’s how he got the job in the first place — by letting the players talk our swishy-washy AD into hiring him. He can recruit — period. However, that should be a strength for DL going toe to toe. The before and after picture with MC has more than enough evidence to suggest to any recruit MC can’t deliver on what he promises. DL can capitalize on that. In some ways, MC reminds me of Ernie. Both were (are) great recruiters, but the only real success both ever had was when they had superior field generals (Justin Herbert, Luke Ridnour). Take that away, and their coaching deficiencies became obvious. Mullens needs to go. It’s becoming apparent he’s more concerned with his ‘national committee’ image than he is with his obligation to Oregon’s success. Just another Peter Principal case: kick him upstairs.