Friday Two-Minute Drill

Some clarity may be coming  in the Kiko Alonso situation.  KVAL reports he will appear in court today for a change in plea and sentencing.  The police report indicated Alonso was "confused and disoriented" at the time of his arrest, rather than intoxicated, so speculation is rampant that there is more to the story.  There may be less, but everything should be a little clearer after his court appearance, and Coach Kelly should follow with more specifics about the talented middle linebacker's suspension or dismissal.

The new PAC-12 has star power, and now every game will be on a national stage.  Jon Wilner forecasts the 2012 NFL draft, and he can't resist a dig at Duck fans.  Three PAC-12 quarterbacks could go in the first round of next season's draft, and Cliff Harris and LaMichael James could be first-round picks.  David Paulson is the top-rated tight end in the conference, as high as number two nationally.

Some people think Chip Kelly is a genius, and those people include the sports writers at the Wall Street Journal.

The genius label, like many labels, isn't useful.  Kelly is a good football coach.  He has a supreme talent for organization and motivation, getting kids to understand and believe in the goals of the program.  He has a great gift for strategy, enough to plan anyone's castle onslaught.  But people misunderstand and misinterpret Oregon's success.  It isn't a gimmick.  It's good athletes, well-coached.  Nothing about it is a football mad scientist concoction, just fundamentals and execution.  His innovative use of scheme just keeps everyone distracted and in a dither.

Speaking of genius, by night, in the secret confines of his man cave, he's FishDuck, breaking down formations and plays with aplomb and alacrity. By day, in his guise as mild-mannered financial planner Charles Fischer, the FishDuck advises folks on retirement strategy, and he does so with integrity and a sound eye on the future.  One of the first principles of his day job is, when blessed with a windfall, resist the urge to splurge on luxury items and toys.  Instead, invest in your future.  In light of the new, lucrative PAC-12 media agreement, the Ducks and Beavers would be wise to heed his advice.