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.

Make No Mistake, This is a Big Loss

Live long enough as a sports fan and you'll encounter the phenomenon of it-might-have-been, whether it's a backup slider to Kirk Gibson, a ground ball through Buckner's legs, or Len Bias overdosing on cocaine.  The painful memories of agonizing muffs, lost chances due to inattention or misbehavior are part of the legend and humanity of the games.

The enduring image of Kiko Alonso, other than a mug shot, will be him in this year's Spring Game, throwing down David Paulson like he was roping a steer.  That kind of aggressiveness and tough intensity can't be taught.  One athlete in ten thousand has it, and now it appears Alonso's might be wasted forever.

The Ducks will manage without him, probably, but the value of a stud middle linebacker to a defense is inestimable.  A seek-and-destroy presence in the middle gives a defense character, identity, and the play making ability to change games.  It's a quality that can't be faked, or adequately replaced by a journeyman with six career tackles.  The personal issues of Alonso's life will be sorted out.  But the loss of his talent in the middle might haunt the Ducks for two seasons.

This team has risen above adversity before in big ways, notably and emphatically after the losses of  LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Masoli.  Stars took themselves out of the lineup with bad judgment.  Now Michael Clay and Anthony Wallace will have to do what LaMichael James and Darron Thomas did before them, replace a seemingly irreplaceable player.  Chip Kelly's forward-looking, no-excuses demeanor will have to lead this team out of the football wilderness one more time.

This Sunday, in a vastly more significant context, the Navy Seals reminded the world what superbly trained and conditioned men can do in a crisis.  For now, the ongoing saga of Kiko Alonso is a sad footnote to the success of Oregon football, a washout, a reminder that ability without discipline is a damned shame.

In Chip Kelly Year 3, The Ducks are among the usual suspects

Chris Sprow of ESPN breaks down the top preseason contenders for the national title.  His short list includes Oregon and one other surprising addition from the PAC-12:

Wednesday Two-Minute Drill

At three billion dollars and 21 million-a-year per school, the new PAC-12 media deal is currently the richest in the NCAA.  It's a huge boon for the conference's member teams, especially the small market schools, Washington State, Oregon State and Colorado. In one bold stroke they have national exposure like never before, and a much improved, healthier bottom line.

Of all the players to lose on the defense, middle linebacker is the worst.  The MLB is the quarterback of the defense, responsible for calls and knowing where everyone is.  Kiko Alonso's recent arrest and suspension leaves the Ducks with a pretty good best-three at linebacker, but they are one injury away from being very young, thin and inexperienced.  The rapid progress of the defensive tackles during spring practice takes some of the pressure off the linebacker corps.  They'll face fewer double teams, and fewer linemen getting to their legs, with Heimuli, Hart, Wade K and Ebert playing tough in the interior of the line.

All coaches are plagiarists, and Chip Kelly more brilliant than most.  When he was offensive coordinator at New Hampshire it was a running joke on the staff that anything intriguing they saw an opponent do on film one week would be in the game plan the next.  The recent innovations unveiled in spring practice, with the quarterback under center and LaMichael James in the deep "I" formation, gives defenses twice as much to prepare for, allows Oregon to change up the tempo and pace of games, and takes advantage of James' three outstanding gifts as a runner: acceleration, vision, and a knack for setting up blocks.  FishDuck has the details, and the x's and o's, in his spring game "Fish Report."

As big a splash as the new media deal is, it will eventually run into the first sad law of finance: expenditures always rise to meet income.  For one, transportation costs in the newly-configured league might triple over the ten-year life of the deal, between the dramatic rise in the cost of fuel and the addition of far-flung conference members Colorado and Utah.  Athletic Directors will cringe, signing the checks to send the women's lacrosse  and men's soccer team to Provo.

The Fish Report: Spring Game Surprises

Special Guest Column by Charles "FishDuck Fischer

How was that for a boring Spring Game?  If that wasn’t the worst Spring Game I’ve seen in thirty years—then it was in the top three!  Truly, the best entertainment was the coaches on TV, the touching halftime tribute, and the salute to the Armed Forces at the end.  Yet I still learned some important new surprises to the offense beyond the reporting from the multitude of usual media sources. 

Alonso Arrested Again

John Hunt of the Oregonian reported last night that Oregon middle linebacker Kiko Alonso has been arrested and charged with burglary.

Receiver May Be a Question Mark, but the Ducks have several answers

The Spring Game left Duck fans feeling deeply concerned for the outlook at receiver, but there are several things to keep in mind: