Washington Waddler

Great take David on dealing with the challenges any OC must face whose recruited successfully. By comparison, it made me think of those heavily-stocked USC RB rooms back in the 80’s & 90’s before the portal that just looked flat trying to re-establish their traditional power game against well-prepared defensive alignments. Don’t think that will be an issue with Stein. As with any OC though, he will be reacting to what DC’s are anticipating from him. That will influence somewhat the touches we see from his charges.

Whatever USC does now and in the future to improve their football fortunes, they can never escape from the fact that they started it all as quitters who ran away from competition they couldn’t overcome.

There’s a fine line between a psychological disorder being a condition for responsible awareness, and when it crosses over into becoming an excuse for the behavior.

While we don’t want to be perceived as a blue-blood stepping stone, it reflects well on Dana’s choices and capacity to develop his assistants. On the other hand, I think it has become very clear over the years how much he requires and depends upon consistency among his assistants. Wish him well in his new search.

I think we all have our own axes that always want grinding. I know I’ve got mine. It’s just up to each of us to control the impulse.

The bigger the market, the more provincial the foaming-at-the-mouth media advocates become - nothing new there. Adding up hidden costs; however, are usually reserved for TBD time because they’re unknowable until then. Can’t help but think though that the purse strings people at both LA schools are getting just a bit nervous. Regarding the no-name brands that litter the B1G, my wife & I traveled to West Lafayette in 2008 for the Purdue game. As a non-con no counter, you couldn’t have asked for more: double overtime thriller with the Ducks pulling it out in the end (thank you Jarius Byrd & LaGarrette Blount). Aside from that, what I remember most is the utter lack of resonance - zero. We might as well have been playing in Bulgaria. Not sure we even spoke the same language. For a non-con, that’s fine; as a counter, not sure how the LA schools will react to feeling no sense of identifiable rivalry.

With no ears at the negotiation table, we’re all left to play this frustrating, venting game of guessing. So, here’s mine. SDSU was given no other choice but to act as it did because of a protracted disagreement between media and PAC10 negotiators over the actual added-value represented by SDSU’s tv viewing presence in Southern California: yet TBD. Hate to say it, but the reality of our situation just doesn’t allow me to play the blame game. Personally, I can’t think of anyone who could, or would want to play our weak hand as it stands right now. Too many losses, too much potentially in the wind and too many rumors to appear as anything other than backed into a corner. Hope I’m wrong, and that that’s an ace up our sleeve, and not a joker.

S2 may put a number on a qb’s productive potential, but it can’t measure the player’s drive, desire and determination that leads to that achievement. What I love about Young is how he never lets momentary failures affect his focus on the over all goal to succeed. He’s a prime example of how you learn from your mistakes in game time, and turn those into advantages. The back door advantage to not being the most athletic or having the strongest throwing arm is the willingness to learn how to maximize what you do have - if you have the desire to do so. You don’t need S2 to see that in Young.

Yes, good article. Have to agree though that the LA schools are probably gone for good. If the B1G is intent on keeping them, any issues either school has with travel costs and scheduling will be negotiated in-house. Even if one or both wished to feel-out what PAC-12 re-entry would look like, the #1 issue on the table would still remain media-driven $$. As an alternative view, there remains the long-term possibility that a majority of the PAC-12 does remain together, but only as the result of coming through the back-door by merging with the B1G as its western division, thereby putting to rest most of the travel/scheduling cost issues.

I don’t agree with the cynical outlook that views Lanning’s use of faith as simply a recruit targeting tool; as a disingenuous attempt to convince of something not truly shared. If a recruit’s radar doesn’t pick that up right away, it’s only a matter of time before the truth becomes plain to see. Telling a recruit what they want to hear without believing it yourself is the surest way to lose them. Lanning knows that.

Faith, and all what that word triggers, is what makes it such a loaded term. Just saying the word can elicit responses anywhere between wide-open acceptance, and the uttering of a dirty word. Caution is probably the most common approach when mentioned in public settings. Very few - if any - assistant coaches ascend to the top spot in this day and age without well-developed instincts and radar when it comes to dealing with anything that touches on race, religion or politics. The days of Woody Hayes are long gone - thank gosh. Under the right conditions, anyone is capable of inserting foot in mouth. It happens to the best of us, Lanning included. But I don’t believe such a response would arise from him as the result of him not knowing how to act in the best interests of team and university.

That’s life in a sports top-heavy town like Seattle. That sucking sound the Washington Athletics Dept. never can keep from hearing? The finite wallet contents of average fans being magnetized by whoever the latest new kid in town happens to be; right now, probably the Kraken.

Yet again (since we all seem to need reminding of this on a regular basis), it’s not the dazzle of media stars that matter, but the relationship between high school student athletes and mentoring assistant coaches.

By comparison, it’s important to point out that of the four pitchers used by ORU in game three, not one was a freshman. There starting nine was composed of six seniors and three juniors. Experience - having been there before - is the best remedy for pressure situations. While it hurts to not be going to Omaha, what our frosh pitchers went through was priceless - developmental gold.

Guess I’m just a traditionalist. Always thought it stood for Florists’ Transworld Delivery. That said, I did come across another definition for the acronym: Fronto Temporal Disorder. Among the possible symptoms are, “ . . . unusual behavior, emotional problems . . .” So, whenever you hear (or read) a rodent fan uttering those three letters, the considerate thing to do is call them an ambulance. They may be suffering from Duck Envy which can lead to FTD.

Agreed. So many "hate Oregon more than they love Oregon State." So, any further questions as to why it’s called the Civil War, and always will be?

Yeah, sure, all at the same time they’re sticking pins in their Duck voodoo dolls.

From the Golden Flashes to the Golden Eagles. I recall that ‘Done Deal’ mood at the Kent State Super Regional fueled by all those first-timers there to just celebrate another Duck victory in the national spotlight. Wipe the smiles off your faces newbies. This is going to be a war. Make no mistake about it. ORU is for real.

A conflict of interest, in this case, would seem to focus on a possible influential narrowing of athletes’ choices to one destination, and not the products they wear. Phil Knight and Nike spread the wealth wherever they perceive a benefit may exist for the company’s products, which are worn by too many colleges to ever tie Nike and Phil specifically to Oregon.

Don’t know why , but somehow it seemed appropriate that the timing cycle for ads accompanying my read said,“Drain Issues? We can help”

When I draw-up a scheme, the O’s always beat the X’s.

I was just thinking PAC 12, but Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount should be added to that LA area shutout.

Only UCLA not advancing, and what a shocker that was. USC remains soft on softball.

Gratifying to see Ariel realizing as a Duck the same power she always displayed at Marist. On to the Supers!

It’s not just anybody who can find a Duck article in a haystack. Thoughts and prayers with you and your husband, and hope to see you back soon.