WiseKwacker

Well, the Raiders certainly need SOMETHING. I think it would be an interesting hire since Tom Brady is apparently heavily involved in the process. Without knowing any of the "particulars," it doesn't seem like Brady and Sanders are cut from the same kind of cloth. Maybe that's not important...

And, watching that "charred duck" commercial isn't so funny right now...

Their lines are DOMINANT! Howard has all the time he needs to make the throws. Gabriel throwing under pressure constantly.

Buckeyes' lines are dominating so far. Tough to watch.

I watched this game through the start of the second half. I was hopeful Ty would have a breakout game since he didn't get much playing time during the regular season. Sadly, he was under pressure nearly every time he dropped back to pass. When he wasn't just throwing it away, his passes were often off target. Thinking I'd seen this painful movie before, I turned the game off and went out into my yard to do some winter cleanup. I hope Ty is getting a college degree out of all this.

Tough to lose one. But if his heart wasn't into the move to Oregon, better to have him bolt now than later on. On the topic of the Ducks' wide receiver room, what's the scuttlebutt on Jurrion Dickey? Heard some encouraging comments from him after his true freshman year, but it never resulted in any playing time for him. What seems to be holding him back at this point? I don't even see his name mentioned in articles describing the next players who might step up with the graduation of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, and (possibly) Evan Stewart.

I desperately want to stay positive after this shaky 2-0 start to the season. Thus, I'll stick with, "Hope you're right, my friend."

Just listening to Jerry Allen since I don't have my Comcast alternative sorted out yet. Yikes! Where did Mike Bellotti stash that sledgehammer?

Well, Shelstad had a stronger rookie season with the Ducks, so there's that.

Just want to get something off my chest that's been bothering me for the past few months. As the NBA draft inches closer, I always check out the various mock drafts posted online. Seems every one has Adem Bona (UCLA) going in the middle of the 2nd round. Our beloved Dante, meanwhile, goes undrafted. Are you kidding me? Okay, I realize that Dante has a long injury history. And, I realize that he was--until recently--petitioning for an additional year of college eligibility. Even so, did these scouting savants watch the Ducks play these past few seasons? Dante made huge improvements in his footwork over the past two years. The Blazers may not be the best example right now, but I look at some of the guys they've had on their roster as back-up centers recently--Moses Brown, Ibou Badji, Duop Reath--and I can't help but think that Dante is easily better than any of them. I'm betting he lands on an NBA team roster next season, whether it's as a draftee or as a free agent.

Sorry. Former teacher here. Ticonderoga makes--in my humble opinion--the best pencils around. Several years, my team of teachers specified Ticonderoga pencils specifically on the school supply list for parents as we were sick of seeing kids bring in cheap pencils with leads that were not centered. You'd watch a kid sharpen and sharpen an inferior pencil down to nothing, trying to get a point without a portion of wood on the tip.

New rallying cry heard at Duck baseball games: "TICONDEROGA, baby!!"

Just letting you know, Darren. I got a call from Tinker Hatfield this morning. He ain't laughing.

Hat off to Dante and Couisnard. What an incredible run for the two seniors. Boy, was I wrong about Dante early this season. What I'd seen from him throughout his career to that point was a guy with a marvelous body who made many successful plays around the basket despite poor hands and bad footwork. Boy, did he prove me wrong. In retrospect, I'm guessing that he was just not fully in shape after having so many injuries throughout his first four years as a Duck. As I watched him outplay guys like UCLA's Bona and Arizona's Ballo, I wonder why Dante's not on anybody's NBA mock draft as a second round pick. On rebounding and defense alone, the guy's better than almost every backup big man on NBA rosters, IMO. What can you say about Couisnard? He had a lull in performance near the end of the regular season, but, once the PAC12 tournament started, he's really turned it on. Like Dante, I can't imagine that there's not a place for him on an NBA roster (see Jaime Jaquez). While his three-point shot is a bit inconsistent, his ability to take his man to the hoop and "bully" the ball into the hoop is truly remarkable. I think his game will translate well at the next level. Beyond those two, though, the moment seemed too big for the rest of the guys on the offensive end of the floor last night. Defensively, Tracy is a tenacious defender. I hope he returns next year. Shelstad has had an up-and-down season as a scorer, but he's a willing defender, a solid foul shooter, and provides excellent ball handling at the point. By way of comparison, I think his freshman season has easily been better that Pritchard's. He should be much improved next year. Hopefully, Evans will return next season. He needs to learn to play faster and add some muscle. He's got tremendous up side. Rigsby gives you decent minutes off the bench; nothing more. And, Oquendo will likely transfer out. He was constantly in Altman's "doghouse" for poor defensive play, and his offense was basically limited to explosive drives to the hoop with his right-hand dribble. For me, the key loss of the season was Barthelemy. During the first half of the season, he seemed a bit lost on the bench. At times, he even seemed to be sulking on the bench--presumably because he'd been supplanted by Shelstad as the lead point guard. Then, when Shelstad hit the "freshman wall" a bit during the middle of the season, Barthelemy came off the bench with a couple of really good games where he helped close out wins. At the end of the season, I think he would have made a tremendous difference as a tested, capable sixth man. As to Bittle, Cook and Zarzuela, I don't think you can say the team missed their contributions since none of them played more than a few minutes all season. I really hope Cook decides to return next year as Bittle has indicated he will. This season has again demonstrated what has made Altman such a successful coach--particularly in the late season--over the years. He is a defensive coaching genius. His multiple defensive schemes are extremely effective, but it typically takes his players a good part of the season to work out how to play together within that system of near constant switches. When he gets a group that can also play together on the offensive end, it's golden. Can't wait for next year.

That was a helluva game. I've watched several SMU games on TV this season--two of them vs. Gonzaga. I felt, going into this game, that they were tournament darkhorses. While, I'd seen half of GCU's WAC tournament win over UT Arlington, I assumed they benefitted from playing against inferior competition. WRONG! This team is very impressive, making up for an overall lack of size in the front court with some incredible leapers--including one ex-Duck, Lok Wur. One thing that caused me to smile a bit during the game came after one of the analysts wondered aloud: "How did Lok Wur not get any playing time at Oregon?" This came after a made three-pointer and an impressive blocked shot at the other end of the floor. Then, as the Lopes were trying to close out the win, we saw Wur jack up an ill-advised three-point shot and then lose his man on an inbounds play, resulting in an open three-point basket. I thought to myself, "Yep, I remember that guy." I imagine he must've driven Altman nuts at times.