Ktmguy2018

I really enjoy good movies. Movies provide insight, life lessons, contemplative moments, and laughter. I love extracting nuggets of dialogue from a movie and finding a way to weave that into my normal conversations. I am certain that we all have answered a question with “Negative Ghost Rider, the pattern is full” at some point in our lives. I've been told "You can't handle the truth" more times than I can remember. And everyone who left to run an errand developed an Austrian accent after a certain 1984 movie came out..."I'll be Bach" As I was thinking about the future of college football, various movie lines began to fling themselves around in my thought processes. “Coincidence? I think NOT!!” – Dash’s teacher, Bernie. (The Incredibles, 2004) Do movies give us a glimpse of the future of college football? You be the judge. WHO KNEW? “Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.” - Agent K (Men in Black, 1997) Transfer portal. NIL. Conference realignment. Super-conferences. Expanded Playoff. Ten years ago, none of these phrases were part of the college football experience. Five years ago, no one believed that college athletes would be able to legally accept money from boosters or sponsors. Two years ago, nobody was openly discussing super-conferences. Yet here we are. We can all discuss, argue, and dialogue back and forth about if this is good for college football. I’ve been a part of this forum long enough now to know that the majority of us are missing some of the attributes of what college football used to be. I think we have to remove the word “good” from the question and simply ask “is this college football?”. The answer is yes. This is what college football has become. Is it “good”? That is more complicated. WHAT NOW? “The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.” – Galadriel (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, 2001) I wrote a response to a post not very long ago where I compared NIL and the transfer portal to a type of mercenary activity. That may have been a little harsh. There are certainly those mentalities surrounding the “I’ll go to the highest bidder” actions, but as I am writing this; Bo Nix has said he is returning to Oregon for his final year of college football. There have been three players in the PAC-12 this past season who have completely changed my outlook on the transfer portal of college football. Those players are Travis Dye, Michael Penix, Jr., and Bo Nix. Each of these players went looking for a new start with a new team. They became the leaders of those teams by earning the respect of the coaches and players. I did NOT want Travis Dye to leave and go to USC. When he sustained that horrible injury and the ENTIRE TEAM gathered around him, it was hard for me to be emotional. That young man was a LEADER. At that moment, I did not care what color of uniform he wore; I was proud of what he represented. I was not high on the Ducks acquiring Bo Nix. I’ve never been more wrong about a player. Bo has shown class, leadership, and maturity that makes all of us proud to be Duck fans. I hated, HATED, that UW beat us. But, knowing Michael Penix, Jr’s history; his struggles and injuries, I could not help but feel glad for the young man. He is considered by some to be joining Bo and Caleb as Heisman favorite for next year. This would NOT have happened without the transfer portal and maybe some NIL as well. It rejuvenated two careers and showed the depth of leadership of another, even when cut short by injury. How many other stories like this are out there? SO IT’S GOOD? “Are you not entertained?” – Maximus (Gladiator, 2000) College football is enjoying the greatest revenue infusion ever. Massive media deals, record television ratings, and unparalleled attendance (well, except for UCLA). With all media deals, conference realignment, and money being thrown around, what could be the next domino to fall? How about the NCAA. As conferences realign and the super-conferences become a reality, what is to stop them from feeling like they do not want to play second fiddle to the NCAA. Officially, the post season play is not governed by the NCAA. The NCAA certifies the bowl to host NCAA teams and ensures they meet minimum standards of governance. That is the extent of involvement. Given the amount of money in these media deals, the super-conferences could simply pull out of playing football under the regulation of the NCAA. Is it plausible that the major super-conferences elect to do their own thing and let the NCAA handle smaller conference football? Far-fetched, maybe. But so was LEGALLY paying college football players not very long ago. Since we have started down that path, what is to prevent the super-conference from becoming the official “D” league of the NFL? Players who are not quite ready to go to a super-conference team could spend a few years in the smaller conference football before transferring to a super-conference team and then on to the NFL. I used to believe that college football was about the STUDENT-athlete and there was a reason why “student” was first. I do not see things that way anymore, with rare exceptions. Modern college football seems to be about money. That is why we are seeing the conference realignments happening. If a super-conference has a billion-dollar television deal and can potential form their own college football league, why would they not leave the NCAA behind? SO IT’S BAD? “It means your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it” – Doc Brown (Back To The Future III, 1990) I was watching “Talking Ducks” from December 15th and I heard Mr. Anthony Newman say that he relished the opportunity to compete with another player, to get better and try to take that player’s spot on the field. Has college football lost that? I do not think it has. But those stories do not get the attention or the clicks on the websites. A major player transferring to another program gets attention. As a media consumer, I have to look deeply for stories like Mr. Newman is talking about. The high-profile player looking to go somewhere else to make a splash is the easy story to find. There is an urgency around any new coaching hire, player from the transfer portal, five star recruit to have an immediate impact on the field and produce immediate results. As a fan, I am guilty of demanding that. Dan Lanning in his first year? Doesn’t matter, he should make the playoffs! Realistic, probably not. But it is what is expected. Dig deeper into Googler and you will find stories like what Mr. Newman is talking about. Maybe about how a certain UCLA quarterback with the initials DTR stayed for his entire career and became a star in the PAC-12. Or maybe we step outside the PAC and look at a certain Max Duggan from TCU. At the beginning of 2022, Duggan LOST his status of starting QB. Rather than entering the transfer portal, Duggan told his coaches that he intended to be the best backup quarterback in the country and that he'd do anything to help the starter succeed. We all know what happened this year with Mr. Duggan. Those stories are out there. They just do not produce the flashiness of a PriME hire or transfer. WHERE ARE WE? “If you focus on what you left behind, you will never be able to see what lies ahead.” – Gusteau (Ratatouille, 2007) In the previous referenced “Talking Ducks” episode, Mr. Joey Harrington mentioned that college football has changed. It is not the same as when he played, and it will not be same. It does not make it bad or worse, it just makes it different. For those of us who have been around college football for quite some time, that can be hard to hear. I have to constantly remind myself that not all change is bad. When change happens, it just requires a thorough and in-depth analysis. My initial and emotional reaction to the changes may not always be accurate. There are things about the current state of college football that I do not like. When I start to dwell on those things, it can be irritating. But then, something happens and I am thankful for where college football is. Something like, ohhhhh I don’t know….BO NIX.

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Thank you for coming early this year Santa!!

I believe that Bo is demonstrating the maturity that happens in young men. He's been around the college football game and has grown as a man and leader. He is removed from the brash high schooler who's head is clouded with his star rating and various people telling him he's gonna be the next great thing. The reality of injuries, that other players are as good/better than you has brought about a sense of reality and a better grounding in who he is. I think "generally speaking", the grad transfer is that type of person, a Travis Dye or Michael Penix, Jr. The younger players who transfer may still be in that "I'm better than they believe I am" mentality and may find that the next new situation is more of the same.

Bo Nix will be a Duck always in my book! This guy is special. Nix is working hard to help Oregon recruit the next great Duck player DUCKSWIRE.USATODAY.COM Whether he’s in Eugene next year or not, Bo Nix is working hard to help Oregon recruit the best talent...

I am happy for the Beavs on this win. It would certainly help the PAC if both Oregon schools became strong when "those schools that shall not be spoken of" leave the PAC. Beavs will be a tough out next year for anyone!

Dang...what could have been if Justin was under the current coaching staff. Can't go down that road...much bitterness and gnashing of teeth...

OSU is up 17-0 on Florida in the 3rd and Fresno State is up 16-0 on Washington State!

I dislike stories that start with "sources say"....but nonetheless this is the current news: Sources - Kent State QB Collin Schlee expected to transfer to UCLA WWW.ESPN.COM Quarterback Collin Schlee, who threw for over 2,100 yards and 13 touchdowns this season for Kent...

The Dante Moore stuff feels like:

There are actually TWO seasons to college football. We now have declared "winners" of the signing day/transfer portal activities with rankings of all the teams and their recruit prizes. It completely reminds me of when we used to dump out our Halloween candy as kids to see who got the most and the best candy. The thing is, this first "season" of signing day/transfer portal activity is being equated to ON FIELD success. I have acquaintances who were ready to declare Jimbo the new king of the SEC after last year's class (He ruled the bottom with Auburn and Vanderbilt). It is very easy for me to get caught up in all the mayhem and rankings attached to a recruiting and signing before I realize that these kids haven't even stepped on the field. I was ready to predict that TT would be the PAC-12 QB of the year when Oregon signed him. In 2015, I was absolutely elated that Oregon had scored the commitment of one Canton Kumandgetcha (I think I got that last name wrong 😂) and dismissed completely the signing of some 3 star DB named Ugo Amadi. To be fair, Canton dealt with some significant injuries and made the decision to be healthy for the rest of his long life....but nobody saw what Ugo would become. So yep, I will continue to be excited for those 5 star signings but also recognize that the games that matter or those that are played on the field...not online in the recruit rankings. For those of you who remember Canton and wondered what happened, this is a great article. It brings it back to reality that these players ARE just kids with their entire lives ahead of them. What became of former Oregon 5-star defensive lineman Canton Kaumatule? WWW.GOOGLE.COM After football didn't lead him where he expected, he's finally found a community and his voice, and even...

Agreed! What I have to remind myself about CK is that he had the opportunity to be the OC for two years before taking over for Bellotti. That's like getting to drive a Ferrari for two years before deciding if you want to buy it!! DL didn't get those two years at Oregon before taking the reins so he gets a bit of grace from me...I am sure he will sleep easier knowing that 😂 I have a feeling that DL will create a new level for the program. Just call it a hunch.

AS if I already didn't have enough to dissect this off-season...NOW they go and throw this in the mix. I do NOT appreciate this and may have to craft a strongly worded letter to those regents using some bold and CAPITAL fonts! I gotta tell ya, what is an over-anxious, over-thinking, over-analyzing, over-zealous Duck fans supposed to do?? Welp, time to call the doc and up the mg's on the BP med.

Reports are all over the place on this, but many are saying that he "needs a miracle".

A little bit of surprise that he transferred to Nevada, seems like he could have gone to a power 5. At least he won't compete against the Ducks. Former Oregon Ducks running back Sean Dollars commits to transfer to Nevada WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM Former Ducks running back Sean Dollars, who entered the transfer portal earlier this month, committed...

DL vs "The Portal" Fight Fail GIF by JustViral.Net - Find & Share on GIPHY GIPHY.COM The most viral contents on the internet.

🤮 This is so due to his play from last year heading into this year. Yeah, he played well, but I don't believe he was the best player in college football. Off the top of my head I can think of three or four players who will be playing in the playoffs who I thought we more valuable to their teams and better players.

There is a lot of dislike for Deion out there in the Jackson State realm. Much of it come from his statements about "this is where God wants me to be" when he took the HC job. No matter how you slice it, you can't spell "Prime" with it being about the "me" at the end.

I got the same vibe from the "Talkin Ducks" episode as @OregonDucks did. I am excited to see how this all plays out, but a Nix return would certainly be the sugar plums for me!!

This transfer portal craziness has been stirring up a lot of feelings in me about the state of college football and college athletics in general. So, strap yourself in for my rant. Not so long ago, college sports was seen as the last great place of amateur sports. This was the golden standard of pure sport and we as fans reveled in the sights and sounds of these youngsters playing football just for the sheer joy of playing football. We believed that the athletes were as unwaveringly loyal to the team they represent as we are in our support. Sure there were quiet rumblings of "misdeeds" and "improprieties". Deals being made with some top notch athlete and a well-healed booster in the darkened alcove of a back alley somewhere as steam rose from the utility grates and obscured the shadowy doings. Whispers of purchased talents and skills to push a team over that proverbial edge into greatness. As fans, we believed that the powers of the NCAA would seek out this activity with the vicious efficiency of a laser guided missile and wrongs would be made right. Championships would be vacated (USC) and trophies would be forfeited (USC again). Slowly, methodically, the "old way" of college football eroded. First, we had the transfer portal. Those unfortunate student athletes who were, *gasp*, misled by a coach or recruiting coordinator could submit a request to leave their current team and head off to a new team where unending glory and playing time awaits. Slowly, the once quiet rumblings of "pay to play" began to grow. Combined with the growing sentiment that the NCAA was profiting from the student athletes (along with video game manufacturers), NIL was birthed into existence. While I certainly can see many side of this new face of college athletics, I struggle more with the unknowns that I feel are going to eventually ruin the greatness of college sports. College athletes are supposed to be different from the professional athletes. They are supposed to passionately love their team and give 100% each and every time. The professional athlete is more of a mercenary; they will go where the contract is best for them. Now, those lines are blurring. Cody Orr wrote an article about this in a post on "ourdailybears.com", a website for Baylor athletics. In that post, he stated what most of us feel: "At least when everything was under the table, we could pretend that players chose their college for all the same reasons we did: the small class sizes, beautiful campus with large grassy area where guys play ultimate frisbee, and world renowned cancer research center for when we thought we could be pre-med, pre-law, and pre-business all at the same time." Professional sports understands that parity is a actually a good thing. The Patriots dynasty made them one of the most hated sports teams in the nation. Most professional teams will get their draft order based on their performance in order to move things towards parity. And, professional sports has the salary caps so teams cannot buy their way into an unfair advantage (looking at you NY Yankees). Currently, there is absolutely no salary cap type of restriction in place in college sports. Teams with an extensive collection of wealthy boosters can pool their resources to aim for their player(s) of choice. Those schools that are less well off will clearly be a distinct disadvantage. We have seen this play out over the last two years with Texas offering offensive linemen $50k. So far, we have not yet seen the "he who spends the most wins the championship" but how far off can that be? The Pandora's Box of NIL has been opened and now we have to live with it. NIL is going to evolve and change as it progresses, but unless steps are taken to adjust how deals are done; we are not far away from the Have/Have Nots of college athletics where parity is long forgotten. Combine that with the current state of the transfer portal and college athletes are becoming even more mercenary-like than the pros because they aren't bound by multi-year contracts. How do we fix it? Well, in MY ideal world NIL money would be available to athletes in a way that doesn't influence where they go to college. Unfortunately, the boosters of the schools have the upper hand to provide NIL deals with the main goal of influencing where an athlete chooses to play ball. Oh sure, you could load up booster donations with regulations...but that's already been done once before. You could put regulations on when a student athlete can start collecting or receiving NIL moneys. But, now you are back to the enforcement issue with the NCAA. Right now, I don't have an answer for this conundrum that we are in. I have a feeling that it's going to get much worse before it gets better. Truth is, I guess what I am missing the most is my own naivety. I miss believing that the athletes I was watching in UofO colors were there because they hated the Huskies. I miss thinking that they are as committed to this team and as desperate for winning seasons and a championship as I am. Dang you Transfer Portal and NIL...I have awakened to a reality that I cannot escape and I do not like it.

Thank you Charles. Your work, time, and effort is appreciated and I applaud your decision to make things easier for yourself and fellow moderators.

It is very interesting to me that we have not heard a whisper about Ty Thompson. Butterfield entered the portal, Moore is locked in on Oregon according to reports, it APPEARS that Bo may be headed to the NFL. And all the while, not a peep about TT.

So, I admired Deion's talent as a player, didn't care for the "showboat-iness", but that is just me. I will agree that he did some good stuff at Jackson State and brought that program into the spotlight. Having said that, it is Deion "PRIMETIME" Sanders....not Colorado "Primetime" Buffalos. Deion is about himself, his brand, his relevancy. I get that kids are attracted to the flashiness, the brashness, and the confidence. But make no mistake, my belief is that this is about Deion; not the community, not the University of Colorado, or the recruits that will show up. If the proverbial leopard has somehow managed to change his spots, I'll be the first to say I was wrong...

Blech-gart?