Bill Oram Declares: The Death of the Pac-12 is Blood on Oregon's Hands

[Charles Fischer]

What an insufferable jerk.  He covers the Ducks?

 

Bill Oram: Oregon Ducks survived this round of realignment roulette. But what did it really cost them?

WWW.OREGONLIVE.COM

---

The Ducks were officially accepted as members of the Big Ten on Friday.

 

[DanLduck]

Actually, he's the Beaver guy.

 

We will hear lots if this kind of talk in the immediate future. We, as Duck fans, need to let it roll off our backs.

 

This really started with USuC, and finished with an impossible media deal.

And if the shoe was on the other foot, it surely would end the same.

 

UO pres says the competition with OSU will continue (if they allow it) but life is hard sometimes. 

 

Beaver fans have for a very long time been very vitriolic about us Ducks. Even to the point of absurdity. They have a lot of gall expecting us to take it in the shorts to benefit them. When have they ever done anything for us.

 

In fact, when was the last time you read or heard a Beaver even be "civil" regarding us Ducks?!

 

So syonara rodents. Enjoy dominating the Mt. West...if you can!

[David Marsh]

Yes... On Oregons hands, not USC or UCLA, or Colorado, or Arizona or ASU and Utah and Washington... 

 

That's 8 schools... 

 

Or the B1G or the Big-12 or the media companies that couldn't make the deal the PAC needed to stay together. 

 

But we can blame Oregon I guess... Oddly enough I think we are the most hated school in the west coast. 

 

Huskies hate us but we aleast hate them back. 

 

Oregon State hates us... But duck fans usually don't hate them to the same degree. 

 

USC fears us and hates us... But we also just love to make them hate us. 

[Charles Fischer]

On 8/4/2023 at 10:28 PM, DanLduck said:

In fact, when was the last time you read or heard a Beaver even be "civil" regarding us Ducks?!

They would stick it to us in a heartbeat if they had the same choices.  And I do feel bad for them...too bad it...

 

[HappyToBeADuck]

The G5 Big 12 Commish has openly bragged that he wants a West Coast presence 

 

Now he can put his money where his mouth is........

 

The Beavs and Cougs have ready made P5 Programs that can compete in their conference.

 

They could provide ESPN with Little Big After Dark Games. It is a very dangerous game playing the Beavs and Cougs after 7 pm.

 

I have great respect for both programs. Hope it works out for both schools.

[latracey]

Bill Oram covers the Beavers and the Ducks. He took over John Canzano’s spot when Canzano left the Oregonian. That said, he tends to be a lot more critical of the Ducks. 

[Jemangi]

May I politely say, Screw Bill Oram and the Oregonian and their negative BS!

[lownslowav8r]

Lots of blame to go around. First on my list is the linear TV oligopoly that wouldn’t (and couldn’t be forced) to pay fair market price and put Oregon on TV. 
 

Second is Apple with their bean counter driven offer that told everyone that the PAC wasn’t that important to them. Imagine if Apple had given a 30 or 35 million offer, likely the PAC would have taken the risk, the PAC would be together and Apple would have a foothold in college football. The additional cost is about 10 minutes profit for Apple.
 

Now Apple has nothing unless it can buy part of ESPN. The PAC is dead.

 

Steve Jobs had many flaws but he knew when to be a visionary and when to let the bean counter rule. Now was a time for a visionary. 

 

 

[Jemangi]

"Linear tv oligopoly"    I love that correct description!

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

I look at the PAC 12 the same as I do a failing company that can’t hold onto their top talent because they refuse to pay them what they’re worth. These companies continuously make bad decisions which results in cut benefits and lower pay. Then, they get mad when their employees take off for greener pastures and question their loyalty. The Pac 12 did this to themselves. 
 

As far as continuing the rivalry with OSU, it’s a great opportunity for both schools to fill their stadiums and be home in time for dinner after an away game. It would be stupid for OSU to discontinue the rivalry out of spite. Just make it an annual non-conference match-up like FSU/UF or Clemson/USC.

Edited August 5, 2023 by DrJacksPlaidPants

[fred flintstone]

Oregon is as responsible as the person who goes to bed bath and beyond and buys the items at the store closing sale. The numbers facing the pac were not going to work keeping them a power 5. 

[Jon Joseph]

[Desert Duck]

"It was spectacularly inept conference leadership that left the Ducks with little choice..."

 

Oram did get that part right. 

[Joe F]

On 8/4/2023 at 10:16 PM, Charles Fischer said:

What an insufferable jerk.  He covers the Ducks?

 

Well said, very well said.

GO DUCKS!

 

 

[spartan2785]

To be fair to Oram, I don't think he is saying that Oregon killed the Pac-12, he's just saying it's a consequence of all the terrible decisions made over the past 20 years, and that greed is the number one driving force in college sports now.  I think he's closer to how everyone feels about this, that it's not a fun thing that has happened but that Oregon and Washington had to do this in order not to be among those left behind like OSU and WSU.

 

The whole situation just sucks that the university presidents, Pac12 officials/leadership, and the media corps encouraged this with their actions and hubris.  

 

In an ideal world, OSU and WSU go to the Big12 since those fan bases actually care about sports unlike the bay area schools who could care less for the most part and are a major reason for why we got to this point.

[Washington Waddler]

On 8/4/2023 at 10:45 PM, latracey said:

Bill Oram covers the Beavers and the Ducks. He took over John Canzano’s spot when Canzano left the Oregonian. That said, he tends to be a lot more critical of the Ducks. 

     Anyone whose been around long enough can remember when Oregon was primarily a Beavers football state (just look at the number of high schools wearing orange and black). Until the Ducks made their move in the 90’s, you could say Portland was solidly OSU, and The Oregonian sports dept were their cheerleaders. 
 

     Again, anyone who remembers reading early Canzano columns knows how his bias reflected that reality. It was only when he and all the other rodent rooters were forced to accept that something was changing that they zipped it and went to neutral ground. But, being forced to accept anything never alters a bias. Canzano, in order to survive, matured and out grew it.

 

     Oram simply reflects the reemergence of that old reality as it bubbles to the surface in bitter defense of the ‘true’ Oregon team suffering the indignities forced upon them by those upstarts down south. 

[noDucknewby]

In a sense he's right.  If Oregon states outright that they're with Pac as long as there is a Pac AND they're willing to accept a paltry TV deal that puts them in dead last of the Power 5 AND they're willing to risk fading into obscurity in a dying conference, then the Pac would probably have survived in some (albeit barely recognizable) form.

 

That or take the $ and stability of the B1G in a sport destined for a Power Two format.  Come on, Oram what you have done?

[Mike West]

I think I get it now.  I got halfway through the article and it struck me.  I now understand why millions of people around the country lament the transition to nationally focused college football.

 

You see, I'm from Southern California.  I moved to Eugene when I was fourteen. I lived in a Megalopolis.  Full of world class people, that weren't born in the USA necessarily.

 

My perspective has never been local, or even regional.  Until I moved to Eugene, Oregon State and Oregon were pesky little pests.  Missouri anything was meaningless.  Winston Salem didn't even exist in my mind.

 

That's what this is about for millions, their little corner of the world meant something for ten, eleven, or twelve weeks (more if their team was a basketball powerhouse).  That's all gone now.  

 

Suddenly, people have to watch blue bloods hammer the "insignificant" guy.  And the blue bloods get paid millions for it.  Now it's going to be ever more difficult for Appalachian State to upset Michigan. But even more, college towns all over the country no longer will feed into a region they can claim as theirs.  

 

Oregon State is no more significant than Utah State (totally untrue since they have an engineering program that is as good as, if not better that Washington brags about).  Ironically, that was the case more than one hundred years ago when the conference was founded. 

 

But what WSU and Oregon State built were two fine programs (and universities) worthy of national attention.  Maybe not as world class as say Stanford or USC (and don't choke over the spoiled children-USC is a superior University by all means), but both are significant schools by any standard.

 

Now, they lose some of that identity.  Now, they are relegated back to the "insignificance" of their locale.  Same for several university and college towns.  But for their attachment to more prestigious and we'll populated cities, they don't mean much outside their area or region.  And TV killed that.  

 

If I wasn't a crazy football fan, Pullman would never be a thought in my mind.  And while I lived in Los Angeles it never did (until September).  I wasn't really a fan of USC or UCLA when I lived in Los Angeles, but I did like UCLA's uniforms better. 

 

I never identified with any of the conference schools.  I lived in a town full of famous people (that I didn't care about), and other areas of the world didn't really matter.  That's why I don't get what most if the country feels right now.  

 

But I got it when Bill Oram talked about identity.  It truly stuck in my mind because I knew he was talking to an audience that completely feels like he does.  That I'd feel that way if I grew up up my whole life in Eugene, or Fayetteville.  

 

I personally don't believe college football falls into an NFL disdainful world.  People in Pittsburgh didn't go to the University of the Steelers.  As soon as our generation dies, lots of the nostalgia of college life dies with it.  Nothing against any other generation, but our identities were tied to loyalty in a manner no generation that followed will ever match.

 

As to WSU and OSU really being angry right now, they hardly ever played for much outside of pride.  That still exists because honestly speaking here, Oregon State and Washington State cannot compete BECAUSE of their locale.  National Titles in football, or even conference titles are and have been out of their reach for decades.  

 

But I get it.  It would mean nothing to me if USC and UCLA were left behind.  Los Angeles is way bigger than that.  It's world class.  It's worldwide. 

[Charles Fischer]

If Oregon State had a big brand…they would have been invited to attract their fan base. But they do NOT have a brand, and thus have a small following.

 

Whose fault is that?

[Jon Joseph]

On 8/5/2023 at 3:23 PM, noDucknewby said:

In a sense he's right.  If Oregon states outright that they're with Pac as long as there is a Pac AND they're willing to accept a paltry TV deal that puts them in dead last of the Power 5 AND they're willing to risk fading into obscurity in a dying conference, then the Pac would probably have survived in some (albeit barely recognizable) form.

 

That or take the $ and stability of the B1G in a sport destined for a Power Two format.  Come on, Oram what you have done?

Paltry? This is a future bet that in 2031 will yield $70M to $80M dollars.