Luck Favors the Prepared Mind

Who knew?  John Canzano did an interview with Chip Kelly on Tuesday, and it was an intelligent, cordial, and interesting conversation.  The Coach was as candid as he's ever been in a media interview, and he and Canzano seem to have developed a grudging respect for each other.

Among the highlights:

Kelly thought the Ducks "played horrible" in the National Championship Game, particularly early, but played hard.  He doesn't lament the decisions or the breaks of that game, refusing to make excuses or replay calls.  "Give credit to Dyer for not giving up on the play," he said, referring to the infamous and controversial two-stage run at the end of the game.  He remembers a missed tackle earlier in the drive, that could have stopped a screen pass for a loss. 

Kelly was philosophical about the breaks of the game.  "Luck favors the prepared mind," he said.  It's a line from a Steven Seagal movie, Under Siege 2, he said, as he and the radio host riffed on movies for a couple of minutes.  Vision Quest is one of the coach's favorites.  He played it for the team one day on a plane flight.



"Chance favors the prepared mind," is the original quote, from the scientist Louis Pasteur.  It says a lot about the facile, inquisitive mind of Kelly, that he looks for inspiration and insight almost anywhere, including B movies and junior welterweight boxing matches.

Few people prepare as relentlessly as Oregon's coach, who has a two-year record of 22-4.  He's likely to remain lucky.