Some quips about the sporting landscape these days:
? Despite being the two-time defending national champs, the Oregon State baseball team was left out of the 64-team field for college baseball’s playoffs. Although the Beavers finished with a mediocre 28-24 record, they suffered as many losses as Oklahoma (34-24-1), another team that was considered on the bubble and made it into the field of 64, yet the Beavers had five series wins against other teams in field while the Sooners had none.
So who would you rather side with Duck fans, a Beaver or a Sooner?
? If there’s any sign of what the bracket means for the Ducks, I wouldn’t be too optimistic about Oregon’s chances for a decent record next year, or a regional postseason appearance in the next two. The defending champs are left out of the mix while five other Pac-10 teams made the bracket. George Horton or not, it’s going to be a rough season for a first-year program in what may be the toughest conference in college baseball.
? In the ongoing debate on Phil Knight’s donations and influence at Oregon, nobody seems to mention the ethics involved in accepting Knight’s money knowing full well how he built the Nike empire. Sometimes while I’m sitting in the library or other Knight-financed buildings, it’s tough for me to think that my accommodations were brought to me by the efforts of 9-year-old sweatshop workers in Indonesia.
? No Duck fans, The Oregonian isn’t out to get the University; it’s just where all the big money is flowing these days. If the state of Oregon was like any major sports market, the Ducks would be another blip on the radar, and while Knight’s influence would be reported on regardless of the market, I doubt the story would have received nearly as much criticism if it were in a larger market. Regular sports content is just hard to come by this time of year, as evidenced by this scatter-shot column.
? Did Drew Viney really leave the Ducks for a team that went 5-26 last year? It’s hard to fathom in college athletics these days, but some players obviously have different priorities than to win big and go pro. Viney’s family priorities are refreshing after the recent surge of one-and-dones and O.J. Mayo’s scandal.
? Fellow staffer Bryn Jansson and I threw down whatever we were doing last Friday to stop and watch Andrew Wheating run the 800 meter in the TV replay of the Pac-10 Championships. Bryn and I already knew what time he ran and how much he won by, but we were still in awe as Wheating surged to the finish, blowing by USC’s Duane Solomon who did everything he could to ensure Wheating would not out-kick him.
Wheating has brought a buzz and excitement to Oregon track that’s been missing since Galen Rupp decided to redshirt the season. Still, I find Wheating more exciting and fan-friendly, given the events he runs in and his personable who-me? demeanor that has made him this year’s best track story.
? And as much as I abhor the notion of rooting for the Celtics and Lakers in the conference championships, a matchup between those two teams in the NBA Finals sounds infinitely more captivating than another sleep-inducing Pistons-Spurs series.
But that’s me believing basketball should be played at a faster pace than baseball games.
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