Good Time of Year

Opening the Oregonian today led to a surprising and welcome sight. Actual sports news and thoughts that were relevant to sports fans. I can only take so much on fishing and brief stories from around the baseball world. With football underway and the Blazers training camp nearing, things are looking up in Oregon.

All I ask of the Mariners is to keep me interested until August so they can then turn it over to football...which they've done.

So a quick look at the Oregonian reveals that John Canzano thinks Mike Bellotti has been skating by which I agree with to some degree.

I think it a big time school, Bellotti would have been forced to clean out his desk the day after the arse kicking administered by BYU in the Vegas Bowl, but being the Dean of the Pac-10 gives you a little bit of leeway. Trouble is, since the Fiesta Bowl, arguably Oregon's crowning moment under Bellotti, the team has really been average. For all the money and resources they pour into the program, they haven't necessarily been re-paid with wins. According to the boys at Coaches Hot Seat, Bellotti is behind Mike Riley, Bill Doba, Karl Dorrell, Mike Stoops and Jeff Tedford in cost per win ranking. Not sure what significance that holds, but I think Canzano presents a few valid points on Bellotti.

I would counter that Oregon would be wise to not fall into the never-ending trap of hiring and firing coaches. Getting into that cycle is difficult for programs to get out of and Oregon, despite it's money and resources is probably still a second tier gig (if not lower) nationally. There will always be somewhere higher for a young coach to go. Bellotti was once courted by Notre Dame and Ohio State but stayed with Oregon. That kind of loyalty needs to be re-paid in my mind.

Of course had he gone, Jeff Tedford might have been named coach...nevermind.

------------------------------------UPDATE-----------------------------------------
SI's Stewart Mandel has an interesting idea about Bellotti in this article. He claims, and I think he's spot on, that Phil Knight will have a lot to do with Bellotti's job security. As a huge fan and bigtime booster, I'm sure he'll make his opinion known if things don't improve soon. And Phil's opinion is pretty important in Eugene.


There is another school in Oregon (other than Oregon and Oregon State) and it's Portland State, that urban school in the Big Sky Conference. Previously irrelevant until the arrival of Jerry Glanville, who immediately brought in some style and panache to the program. Tim Walsh was a great man and a good coach, but cmon, it's Jerry Glanville!

Taking a page from the Ducks down the road, Portland State has broken out it's own terrible uniforms. Glanville has some funny comments about the uniforms in this article. I think that Glanville will be a well-liked addition to the sports fraternity in Oregon. Besides, I think he will win at Portland State and bringing Mouse Davis home from Hawaii was a major major coup. Look for PSU to become a good Big Sky team and look further for Oregon and Oregon State to decline to play the Viks in a few years.

Now comes word out of Corvallis of an imminent quarterback battle for the Beavers. Perhaps Riley didn't want to play Canfield last year because he just wasn't that good. I don't know, but the majority of Beaver fans wanted Matt Moore out but the oft maligned senior rebounded to have a pretty good year and left on a high note. Now, Canfield is neck and neck with Lyle Moevao for the QB job.

Oregon State is the only Pac-10 needing to break in a new QB. Optimism is high in Corvallis with several returnees including RB Yvenson Bernard. But the Beavs will roll out an unproven quarterback this fall and that QB will surely cost them a game or two. Canfield has supposedly been the golden child since he first set foot on campus. Moevao has been more of an unknown but has grown on players, coaches and the media.

My guess is that Canfield starts but Moevao gets some playing time and eventually becomes Oregon State's next Jonathan Smith.

In Blazer news, the organization announced a couple of 10 game packages for those unwilling (like me) to fork over the big bucks for season tickets. One of the packages includes a "big game package" which includes teams like Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit and the like. I guess the question is, would you rather see Portland win or see a good team and maybe lose?

Finally, back to the Ducks. It seams that Oregon is seeking to play Boise State in in China in 2009. Calling it "very Oregon", UO director of football operations says "you like to be on the edge. You like to be the first." Oregon was also the first team on the West Coast to add an indoor practice facility. Also the first team to add a space-age locker-room with a door that opens up and down instead of like those normal wimpy doors other teams have. Unfortunately, they were also the first to have uniforms like this.

However, like the Mo Center I think a game in China is an amazing idea. Yes, China is the new frontier for US sports, everyone is trying to capture that market and the enormous population. But this will be an incredible experience for the Duck players, coaches and staffers. It may also help recruiting if players think they'll have a chance to visit some far off land on the university's dime. I mean China is no Pullman but it's close.

Some Interesting links

Part one and part two of a three-part study of the job Mike Stoops has done at Arizona since taking over for John Mackovic.

He makes some good points but I still hate Arizona and Mike Stoops, mostly because of his comments he made after Oregon escaped Tuscon with a 28-21 win over the Wildcats. In this game, quarterback Kellen Clemens' career was ended with a broken ankle and Dennis Dixon suffered a concusion. Afterwards, Stoops said something to the effect of, "our defense played well, they knocked out two quarterbacks."

When you look at the comments, not terrible but also not classy in the slightest. He should have complimented his defense and not mentioned the injuries or said that he hoped that they could return to the field soon. Instead, he complimented his team for injuring two players. I can't stand Stoops for this and several other reasons.

This is an interesting study though.

Here's a study of the SEC vs. Pac-10 Schedules. He makes some great points regarding the SEC's schedule:

The typical SEC format is 4-4-4: four games against other strong or solid SEC opponents, four games against the dregs of the SEC, and four freebies against out-of-conference weak sisters. And half of the teams play all of those out-of-conference games at home. What does that prove? Nothing.

Sure, LSU is in a conference in which four other teams are ranked, but LSU does not play them all. Georgia and Tennessee may be ranked, but neither is on the LSU schedule. And the only road game of note is at Alabama, which is about the 40th best team in the country. The Tigers' road games are Mississippi State, Tulane, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi.

He brings up some interesting points.

Here is a fascinating website studying college football coaches. Click around the site if you are a college football fan, you will not be disappointed. Some highlights for me: The Hippo Standards, a look at salaries and contracts and also a look at 2006 cost per win.
Basically a really cool site for fans of college football and coaching.

Finally, the new basketball coach at Butler is 30, used to work in sales and quit his 9-5 desk job to begin a career in college basketball. I'm 28, a low-level assistant at a small high school in Oregon and want to coach. I'm behind the eight ball.

Finally, finally, Tuesday Morning Quarterback returns!

Pac-10: A Pointless Season?

Everyone says USC is the hands down favorite. Every year, a buddy and I pick the Pac-10 runner-up because we figure USC has got the title in the bag every year. The Pac-10 coaches are not stupid (Mike Stoops is but the rest aren't) and they unanimously voted USC to win the Pac-10. True, there are a few games that could be difficult (possibly at Oregon if they can find a quarterback) and definitely at California on November 10.

The Pac-10 can be broken into four distinct tiers.

A Tier
USC – simply loaded all over the field, particularly on defense where they return 10 starters including all star performers FS Taylor Mays, NT Sedrick Ellis, LB’s Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers to name a few. John David Booty is back and will probably amass big numbers after a year of experience. Any number of the 10 scholarship running backs could be a breakout performer. To put it simply, the Trojans are obviously loaded and are making a mockery out of the Pac-10 and leaving the rest to play for second and the prestigious Holiday Bowl.


B Tier
Cal – Jeff Tedford has turned Cal into a western powerhouse, one step below USC but a step above everyone else on the west coast. They only return seven starters on offense but they are some big names. Junior Nate Longshore returns after a quietly stellar sophomore season where he passed for over 3,000 yards and 24 TD’s. He’s got great weapons out wide in DeSean Jackson (who is easily one of the most exciting players in the nation), Robert Jordan, LaVelle Hawkins and Sam DeSa. Plus TB Justin Forsett returns for what seems like his 8th season at Berkley. They are a step above everyone else and a step below USC.


C Tier - this is the biggest tier of them all. I figure teams 3-7 are in here.

OSU - despite the fact that their quarterback situation is unsettled, I like OSU at the top of the C Tier. They return 15 starters on offense including stud running back Yvenson Bernard and 2006 breakout performer Sammie Stroughter. Their offensive line is loaded in the middle led by guards Jeremy Perry, Kyle DeVan and Roy Schuening. They should open big holes for Bernard to once again run through. Whoever the quarterback is, Canfield or Moevao, there are plenty of weapons to find and both have been in the system for three years. Mike Riley appears to have things on the rise in Corvallis.

UCLA - UCLA returns 20 starters on offense and defense from a team that went 7-6 last year and lost to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl. Karl Dorrell always appears to be on the hot seat. Dorrell has always been on the hot seat as UCLA’s teams have been erratic. Quarterback Ben Olsen returns as does backup Ryan Cowan, both of whom played last year. TB Chris Markey is one of only three running backs returning with over 1,000 yards rushing and should be a force this season. The defense is the strength but depth is an issue. 10 starters return on “D” but an injury or two could be devastating for UCLA.


Arizona - As a “journalist” I try to be objective but I really can’t stand Mike Stoops. I think he’s arrogant and a blowhard and not that great of a coach. He gets his players so riled up that they make stupid plays and they hurt themselves when they shouldn’t. He can recruit though. Defensively, Arizona has always been good. Antoine Cason is a hard-hitting DB and anchors a fast and tough “D”. It’s the offense that has been brutal for the Wildcats but the addition of Sonny Dykes from Texas Tech should fix that. He’ll inject some life into the offense and possibly help all-everything quarterback Willie Tuitama reach his potential. Of course Dykes works for a Stoops who left Tuitama in a game in which he received a serious concussion. Idiot.

Oregon - I’m a Duck fan so I’ll try to be objective. They’re really good or really bad. I just don’t know. Much of the talk has been on Dennis Dixon and his struggles last year and his decision to go play baseball rather than stick around and do passing drills. I think it was just meant to be a mental escape for Dixon to get away from Eugene so he can get a fresh start this year. All it did was increase the scrutiny and pressure on him as each miscue will be met with a “what if?” shrug from the fans. The focus on Dixon has overshadowed several things in Eugene, namely leadership (is there any?) Chip Kelly (how will his new offense play in the Pac-10?) and Jonathan Stewart (will he get the ball?). There’s talent in Eugene but can they put it all together?

ASU - Did you know Dennis Erickson is coaching ASU? Of course you did, everyone knows that. The coaches gave ASU a ton of love, ranking them fourth in the preseason poll. I don’t see that happening but it won’t take Erickson long to reacquaint himself with the top of the conference. He’s upgraded his talent from what he had at Idaho but they’re still suspect on “D”. They do get most of their tough games at home including Cal, USC and OSU but travel to Oregon and UCLA. They return Rudy Carpenter who is somewhere between what he was as a freshman and what he was last year. He rebounded to have a decent year, tossing 23 TD’s and has nine other offensive starters returning including TB Ryan Torain who rushed for 1,229 yards last year. The defense was soft last year, getting torched by Cal and Oregon but they did a good job later in the season.

D Tier - Washington, Washington State and Stanford. These teams are rebuilding and will probably play the role of spoiler. Washington State is particularly dangerous because I think games in Pullman in late October/early November are difficult games to win. Jim Harbaugh is the new coach at Stanford and is using his mouth to get some attention for the Cardinal. The fact is, they’re terrible and his verbal swipes at big time programs like USC and Michigan isn’t going to endear him to many AD’s and Presidents. Washington has Ty Willingham whom I really like and think is a great man. I don’t know how great of a coach he is but I think he’ll return Washington to respectability if they give him more than three years. It’ll take a bit more time for him to turn that around after Kevin Gilbride flew that thing into the mountain.

Blazers Leapfrog Two

Tip-off is still months away but the Blazers have already leapfrogged two Western Division foes. Kevin Garnett has already been shipped east but now comes word that Elton Brand has ruptured his Achilles tendon.

Neither Minnesota or Los Angeles were playoff teams last year, but neither was Portland. In the quest to reach the playoffs, which is still somewhat of a pipe dream for Portland, they'll have to pass several teams.

The fact that two teams that will presumably be fighting for the eighth playoff spot in the west are now weaker, helps the Blazers immeasurably. And training camp is still months away.

Last year, 42 wins got Golden State a playoff berth. 42 wins is not out of the question for Portland albeit it might be a little high. The fact remains that young teams just struggle to win games...particularly late in the season when the wear and tear on the body takes its toll.

But these two off-season happenings have undoubtedly strengthened Portland's stature in the west and makes the playoffs even that much more of a possibility.

Blog Update

With Blazers news hard to come by, we are going to fill the void by posting about other sports, notably college football and the Oregon Ducks. We'll also comment on other sports stories that are relevant but it will most likely be West Coast centric and even Northwest specific. With that in mind, I'd like to comment on the Pac-10 possibly leaving the BCS:

Commissioner Tom Hansen says that if college football adopts the plus one model the Pac-10 will leave the BCS "no question." I'm hopeful that this is just posturing on Hansen's part but this is ludicrous for several reasons.

1. The Pac-10 is not the SEC. The Pac-10 is essentially USC and nine others. If this happens, I guarantee USC leaves the conference and becomes an independant and the Pac-10 dissolves as a conference not long after.

2. If this was the SEC the football powers that be might listen. The SEC is easily the best conference in college football, produces huge ratings and produces dozens of NFL players each year. The Pac-10 doesn't have the depth or talent that the SEC does. The Pac-10's talent is in their coaches who are innovative and creative offensively.

3. The Rose Bowl ceased to be "traditional" years ago. True, it's still played on New Year's Day but the game has involved a Pac-10 and Big-10 school just three times since 2001. It's time to progress and buy into what the whole world wants to see.

The Pac-10 has tried to remain as traditional as possible. They have balked at adding members and splitting into a North and South. They don't play a conference championship game. They now play each team in football, something that no other big time conference does. In basketball they still play each team twice, once at home and once on the road for a total of 18 conference games. They also still play on the tradtional nights of Thursday and Saturdays with only a few exceptions. You rarely (if ever) see a Pac-10 team playing on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday nights.

As a fan of the more traditional approach, I understand what the Pac-10 is thinking. However I think Hansen's stance is misguided and wrong. The Plus 1 model is actually a worthwhile investment for college football. It gives us a small playoff without getting into the logistics of an eight or 16 team playoff.

The Pac-10 would be wise not to bite the hand that feeds it, and continue to feast off USC in football and UCLA in basketball...as sad as it is to admit.

The New Eastern Conference Favorites?

If this proposed deal goes through, the Boston Celtics have certainly joined the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. They might have mortgaged the future to do so, but in the immediate future, say, the next two or three years, they've become extremely relevant.

Landing Garnett to team with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen gives Boston three superstars, including two in Pierce and Garnett who are still among the top at their positions. Ray Allen continues to be a good scorer and excellent shooter, capable of putting up big numbers.

I like that Boston is attempting a run at the Eastern crown. The (L)eastern conference has played the doormat to the Western Conference for too long and some balance would do the league some good. As would some good publicity for a change.

But, is it enough to get them to the finals and contend? Absolutely it is. For the next two to three years while KG and Pierce continue in their primes and Allen continues to be a very good NBA player, Boston has enough to challenge everyone in the East. The question is, have the Eastern contenders improved at all?

For the defending eastern conference champs, they haven't improved their roster at all. Lebron is still Lebron but as evidenced by the San Antonio massacre, he can't do it alone. Zydrunas Illgauskus, Drew Gooden and Boobie Gibson aren't enough. How could that team compete with a trio like Boston's?

Some say Detroit needs to blow it up and start again. I disagree, they're still talented enough to contend because their perimeter is still solid and 'Sheed would be a good matchup for KG. A Detroit/Boston final is a distinct possibility.

Despite having Dwayne Wade, Miami is in trouble. Their key players are getting older or aren't that good. Shaq can't dominate the way he used to and now that the refs will be scrutinized to no end (even more than they were in the '07 playoffs) Dwayne Wade will not draw a foul every time someone looks at him. His forays to the rim will not end with a whistle with every moan or arm flail as they have in the past.

It all adds up to a good chance for Boston to make a run. True, they've sold the future to make a run now but when the fan base is threatening a mutiny, you have to at least attempt to get better. Danny Ainge has done that and now he can rest a little easier having essentially traded Brandon Roy for Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff because those two helped him later land KG (if the deal goes through).

Of course, Doc Rivers still coaches the Celts and if you read certain writers, they'll tell you he is a grease fire. So having three great players might not do a bit of good. Only time will tell but for the first time in several years, things are looking up in Boston.

--------------------------UPDATE-------------------------
Truehoop is reporting that now Al Jefferson may not be included in the deal. If this is the case, Boston looks like the definitive favorite in the East in my mind. A lineup of Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Jefferson and KG would be formidable for the whole league, not just the East.

Tim Donaghy - Dirty Ref

Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee under investigation by the FBI for influencing the point spread of basketball games he officiated, is the same referee that engaged in a post-game shouting match with Rasheed Wallace a few years back. That incident led to a 7-game suspension for Sheed, and another black eye for the Portland franchise. As I recall, Sheed claimed Donaghy instigated the argument. Maybe we should have listened to him.

Non-Blazer Summer League Evaluations

After returning from Vegas and getting back into some semblance of a routine, here are my non-Blazer Summer League evaluations.

Kevin Durant – Truly an exciting player despite a poor shooting performance. He’s a scary offensive player for the defense because he’s a deadly shooter. I think in Vegas he forced some shots, settled for outside jumpers and didn’t force the issue too much. I think when he adds some bulk you’ll see him attack the rim more because he’ll be more durable. I also think Seattle didn’t do a good job utilizing him in the halfcourt set. They ran him off horizontal screens at the foul line towards the wing creating a tough passing angle from the top, allowing his defender to easily deny him the ball and knock away passes. I think they should have put him on the block and had a post player screen down for him and allow him to read the defender. He would have had about four or five options coming off the screen. Or they could have put him in the corner and done the same kind of thing. He will be a superduper star in no time…if he's not already.

Jeff Green – He was as aggressive on Sunday evening against Portland as I’ve ever seen and really showcased his abilities. He attacked the glass off the dribble, used his jumper effectively and showed his all-around abilities. This was as good as I’ve seen him play. Georgetown’s offensive scheme wasn’t conducive to individuality (Princeton-type offenses are predicated on backcutting and unselfishness) and Green probably suffered from that slightly. He finished the summer league with authority and should team with Kevin Durant to make one of the most devastating and powerful perimeter combos in the league for the next 10-15 years.

Corey Brewer – I really liked Brewer the two times I saw him. He’s an exceptional athlete and did several things well. He showed an ability to attack the rim (even though a couple of times he resorted to circus/lucky shots to finish) and a good outside jumper. Defensively he played well, going against Rudy Gay in the Memphis game. Gay made some great shots against Brewer on his way to 26 points. He also got into the middle and fed the big guys well. I would have loved to get Brewer in Portland to let Jack, Roy, Brewer, Aldridge and Oden grow together for the next 15 years. That would have been a sweet lineup. I think Minnesota got a nice pickup there.

Randy Foye – Had an exceptional summer league and was a deadly shooter. For some reason Memphis went underneath the ball screens and Foye lit them up. Mike Conley repeatedly went underneath the ball screens and Foye had 28 points on 12-17 shooting…many of which were from the perimeter. Foye was Minnesota’s second leading scorer and shot a ridiculous 53% from the three point arc. Don’t ask me why Memphis continually went under the screens rather than hedging and making Foye give the ball up.

Mike Conley – The knock on him coming in was his shooting and that still holds true. Shot poorly (39.8%) from the field and averaged 11.4 points per game. He’s jet quick and does a great job getting into the middle. He’s a great athlete and I like how he stays under control around the rim by coming off a two-foot jump stop. This allows him to be strong around the rim…even though he didn’t finish as well as he did at OSU - but I think that will come. His perimeter shooting was atrocious and this comes from a Conley fan. He was huge for Ohio State last year and I think he’s a great pick for Memphis.

Aaron Brooks – He had an incredible summer league. Easily one of the quickest players in the league and continues to impress with his shooting. Still needs to work on not fading on his pull up threes (it’s tough because he’s so quick that his momentum carries him to the side on his pull up jumpers). I think he’ll fit in with Houston right away and I know T-Mac will demand the ball, but I think “D’s” will have to respect Brooks and his abilities to penetrate. He also excels at flip shots and scoop shots in the paint (at barely 6-0 he needs to be) which makes him a better finisher than people may think. There were countless times in Vegas when Brooks would probe the defense on the dribble and create a wideopen shot on the perimeter without even a screen set. Steve Novak was a primary beneficiary of Brooks’ penetration.

Oleksiy Pecherov – In the first game we watched of the summer league, we were making fun of Pecherov for being ugly. Moments later our jaws hit the floor when he caught the ball out high and like a flash attacked the rim and got an easy lay-up. The fact that he’s listed at 7-0 impressed us even more because he moved like a small forward. He went on to finish with 26 points and 14 boards in that game. He also hit 3-5 from the three-point line which impressed me as well. Pecherov appeared to be reasonably quick with a good skillset. He’s a prospect I will be interested in seeing in the next few years.

Javaris Crittenton – He was known as an erratic player at Georgia Tech but I thought he had a good summer league. He led a sorry Lakers club in scoring and showed no problems putting up a ton of shots. He teamed with Jordan Farmer to form a pretty good backcourt duo. There were many times that Crittenton split the defense on high screens to get into the lane freeing up jump shooters and the low post players. He finished with 28 points, three assists and three turnovers and carried them down the stretch against the Pistons. He finished with 17 points but shot poorly from field and the foul line. He’s a great scorer but unfortunately the Lakers already have someone like that so I’m not sure how he’ll fit in next year.