Washington Waddler

If Can’tzano had any interest in authentic journalism rather than the hack sensationalism he excels at, he’d have checked first with the letter’s authors just to make sure that the timing of his making the letter public didn’t conflict with the original intent of the writers. In journalism, that’s known as giving equal voice, something this sewer spewer doesn’t care to pursue.

I know it’s hindsight to say, but if they’d just dropped the heart felt justification to Mullens and just respectfully requested the extension of an offer to Wilcox, then it doesn’t really matter if Canzano gets the letter or not, and we’re not all left trying to wipe this stuff off ourselves flying from that turbo fan he calls a column. He’s always seemed a Beaver in Duck’s clothing to me anyway.

One thing for certain is Lanning isn’t walking in the door not fully aware of the offensive turmoil surrounding MC’s tenure. Neither does he have the offensive baggage Mario brought as a Miami veteran of trench war fare. A young, open mind should go a long way in bringing in the right guy to help solve our offensive woes.

MC didn’t bring any more buzz to the job than Lanning will, and he did just fine mining 5 stars. It’s not always clear what attracts top talent, but it’s more than just having a recognizable name.

You forgot the ghost of Knute Rockne

If there’s nothing else (and there’s a hell of a lot more) about this hire, what I love is that it has the rest of the PAC-12 reaching once again for the antacids wondering if Oregon is again a few steps ahead of them. Keepum guessing!

OMG! Did Mullens get it right?

Risky, strange, unknown — sounds like the basic ingredients that have always gone into Oregon HC hires/promotions. We’ve never looked back or played it safe. Just doesn’t work in the PNW. Innovation is not just our way, it’s the only way.

That’s good news — thanks!

Doesn’t solve our problem at point guard, but great news nevertheless!

Business admin guys like Mullens tend to be reactors as a result of always having there eye on the bottom line. MC was a safe hire coming off the Willie disaster because the only direction was up, and all that was required of him was to endorse the players’ choice. But, Mario changed all that, and his legacy may at last force Mullen’s into being an actor because he doesn’t want to see the bottom line fall backward as the result of him not taking the necessary risk on a new HC.

Washington Recruiting - Kenny Wheaton

With any luck, it’s built over a yet to be discovered sink hole.

I’ve got it on good authority he still uses rotary dial.

Certainly these things run in cycles. When one HC goes, it can feel like dominos — just the nature of the sport we all love. All’s fair in love and war? Another of those cycles though is that between ‘ expansion’ and ‘closed circles’. We went from years of a consistent, closed-loop program to risking it all with an east coast outsider named Chip. He took us to the doorstep, but what goes up . . . So, we found ourselves in uncharted waters, and we began swimming. That meant dumping Mark, and taking a chance on Willie and then Mario: expansion. We can blame that all on Mullens, or we can see it for what it is: the end of one cycle and the start of a new. Once again, we are faced with that feeling of being left high and dry, and in unknown territory, and looking for a safe port — that is to say, there is a general feeling in the community to return to the security of the known, hire from within, and close the loop once again. Can Justin and Bill get us to the promised land? Would they even try? I just know when I’m pouting, feeling unloved, and like life’s being unfair, it usually has something to do some choices In the past I’ve made that I’d rather not look at. We kinda did this to ourselves when we leapt for the brass ring with Chip? And that was a good thing: no risk, no gain. In this current climate of seeking safe port, we don’t want to lose sight of candidates outside our comfort zone who might be better choices than someone who will love and save us. Risk is still part of the game plan, like it or not.

It’s a lot easier to show less self interest when nobody is all that concerned with who you are and what you are doing. It becomes more of a problem when you become a hot commodity and everybody seems to care about who you are and what you are doing. Like many of you, I think of Mario as a straight shooter. He can’t please everyone, so he’s going to have to please himself. Pleasing himself will be a combination of what he feels responsible towards and his own self interest. But I also believe he’s the kind of person who has to be happy with the choice he makes because he has to live with that decision. I just wish him the best in that pursuit because I think he’s a good man.

Remember, it was the players that hired Mario in the first place; Mullen’s just accepted their decision. I’m just waiting to hear from the players and recruits. No need to jump the gun until then. But until then, we are creating an image of OBD that resembles a Conestoga somewhere on the Oregon Trail just trying to survive by dumping everything in order to ford a river. Hope we can survive our own misgivings!

Why did we kinda know this was going to happen all along? You can lead a Hurricane Duck to Pacific waters, but you can’t turn him into an Oregon Duck.

I can’t think of any Oregon head coach who has caused more extreme reactions — both positive and negative than MC. He’s like a classic case of can’t live with him, can’t live without him. Which makes me wonder yet again why it’s so hard to find a coach who can recruit AND coach? Anybody out there named Chip Cristobol looking for a job?

Watching the trajectory of a head coach from the view point of a fan when things aren’t going quite as well as we’d like is a bit like sky diving for the first time. The tendency is to jerk the rip cord before you’ve had the chance to dive. If there is one lesson I’ve learned with Oregon it’s to be patient with head coaches. You just never know what’s around the corner.

I’d agree that it’s hard to stay elite, but Chip was his own worst enemy when it came to recruiting. Not only did he have an aversion for it, but his original offensive approach played right into the hands of opposing recruiters who’d say it won’t prepare you for the NFL, and his tempo will breakdown bodies rather than build them.

One issue not addressed regarding JM’s Akron move is his health. Life in a familiar environment with plenty of leash where expectations are not too high should keep the stress level lower than had he taken a higher profile job. Either way, he’s in rebuild mode, so why not do it where it’s best for himself? And, isn’t ‘escape’ kind of a moot point, if not a forgone conclusion? You can argue the move as an escape, but wasn’t it clear from the beginning that his time at Oregon was very temporary? He made it pretty clear to me that he wanted to get back to his previous level. What’s not so clear is how much of this first move is colored by MC’s cramping of his style, or his own timeline.

I think Ken Woody got it right. Mental outlook is formed by what your focused on. If it’s on yourself, you’re on the right track. That’s why this is not a game of revenge, but a game of redemption. Thought I saw a glimmer in AB’s play against the Beavs that suggests he’s at least slowing the game down under JM’s system. Looking for that same confidence in Las Vegas. Go Ducks!

It is also a business adage (at least in retail) that competition is good for business, which is why you often see similar businesses grouped within blocks of each other, or in malls. The reason is it brings in more shoppers than any stand alone could possibly attract. The same wisdom applies to recruits and the health of conferences. Recruits are not only attracted by specific programs, but by the competitiveness within the conference that can promote and display them. Without that competition, there is no stage, and without that stage a conference slips into mediocrity. As good as Oregon can potentially be, it can’t make it as a stand alone. It needs the USC’s. Where do you think Alabama would be without the SEC? Competition is good for business. So, enough knashing of teeth and pulling of hair over Riley’s recruiting threat. It helps us. Anyway, we’re Ducks — we’ve been here before, and we know how to weather storms.

Afraid the beauty parlor can’t hold a candle any longer to the online chatter box cafe.