The Pac-12’s fourth — and final — media rights piece is taking shape. It will be a direct-to-consumer streaming platform, I’m told. But one of the questions that has been gnawing at me is why the conference hasn’t started promoting the service and selling subscriptions.

Nothing on social media.

Nothing on the Pac-12 website.

No details yet.

The conference relaunches on July 1, and the competitions will start a couple of months later. I’ve wondered what I’m missing. But the whispers of the last couple of days have provided clarity that will delight Pac-12 fans.

I also have some information on The CW’s streaming partnership with ESPN. That development will benefit both the Pac-12 and Mountain West.

What I’ve learned may surprise you:

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Oregon State may want to pay attention to the United States District Court filing on Wednesday, known as Dam Nation Collective, LLC v. Blueprint Sports and Entertainment, LLC.

From my vantage point, that freshly minted civil complaint looks like a slam-dunk win for the collective that was founded, operated, and then sold by Kyle Bjornstad. I’m making Bjornstad a 14-point favorite to win it, collect penalties, interest, and his attorney’s fees. But the complaint comes with tentacles that could be far more costly to OSU.

Bjornstad’s attorneys filed the civil complaint on Wednesday in Portland, accusing Blueprint Sports of failing to hold up its end of the $166,828.50 deal it cut last year.

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Every once in a while, when I was a kid, my dad played hooky from work and took me to see a movie on a summer day. When I was 8 or 9, we went to a theater on Bascom Ave. in San Jose, Calif., and took in a childhood classic — “The Bad News Bears Go to Japan.”

It was the third installment of the ‘Bad News Bears’ baseball movie series. Actor Tony Curtis played a desperate promoter who chaperoned the team on an international trip. The film has an 11 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Jackie Earle Haley, who was one of the actors, later called it the worst movie ever made.

Don’t care.

I loved it.

Dan Lanning is taking a bunch of his University of Oregon football players to Japan to play 7-on-7 football in June. Division Street, the school’s collective, is the promoter. The athletes will conduct a live exhibition, demonstrate skills, and Lanning will lead a coaching clinic. I’m popping the popcorn.

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Will the Trail Blazers fire coach Tiago Splitter? Is the threat of Tom Dundon’s team moving somewhere else real? Would the NBA allow a relocation? And where would the Blazers go?

I also received questions about the Pac-12’s rebrand, Oregon’s football vacation in Japan, the “Jail Blazers” documentary, ESPN fatigue, World Cup dangers, world records in running, and more.

Thanks to all who submitted questions.

If you’d like to share this publication with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, consider giving them a paid gift subscription. You may also donate a paid subscription to a senior on a fixed budget. Thank you to all who support and share this independent entity. It means a lot to me. I won’t stop writing that.

Onto the questions…

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Jon Haarlow found a seat in the dugout at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman. The Washington State athletic director, on the job officially for just six days, was charged with throwing out the first pitch at Sunday’s WSU baseball game.

“There’s a new energy around here,” he told me on the phone.

A day earlier, Haarlow started his morning with a youth soccer game for his 7-year-old son, Gage. Then, he was off to a Cougars’ volleyball match, followed by the annual “Crimson and Gray” spring football game, and meetings with sponsors and donors.

“I tried to introduce myself to everybody, and shake as many hands as I could,” Haarlow told me. “I got home late and helped put the kids to bed at night, then made it about as far as the couch before I crashed out.”

The AD sought out the parents of WSU football players in the stands at the spring game. He told them he appreciated that their sons were suiting up for the Cougars. It’s a smart tactic, but I can’t ever remember that being part of the game-day duty for a college athletic director.

Two summers ago, I spoke with a dozen athletic directors about how their jobs were changing. I published a piece that was a candid and revealing peek into their world. The ADs worked in seven different conferences, including the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and Pac-12.

How had their job changed? What didn’t the public know? What were/are the pressures? And what’s the impact of having a supportive university president?

Their answers blew me away.

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PULLMAN — First-year head coach Kirby Moore held his first “Crimson and Gray” spring scrimmage at Washington State on Saturday.

Moore’s defense won the scrimmage under a unique scoring format, 40-29. Defensive coordinator Trent Bray saw his defense intercept two passes to seal the victory. Bray is the former head coach at Oregon State.

Photographer Iain Crimmins was on the scene at Gesa Field for JohnCanzano.com. His photo gallery is a treat:

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EUGENE — There were a few drops. Some overthrown passes, too. The University of Oregon’s spring game on Saturday had all the usual markers of a scrimmage.

The event took on a defensive feel.

One of the highlights came when the stadium’s public address announcer, Don Essig, alerted the crowd that two former UO players had been picked in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Receiver Malik Benson was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 195 overall pick. Offensive lineman Alex Harkey was selected 11 spots later by the Chargers.

“The crowd was impressive and amazing,” photographer Darby Winter said. “When they put those two draft picks up on the video board, and Essig announced the draft picks, the place went nuts. And it was one of the craziest ‘Shout’ performances I’ve seen, too. The whole team ran onto the field and went over to the student section to dance during that song.”

During the scrimmage, transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola hit receiver Evan Stewart with a 76-yard TD pass. Stewart missed all of last season with a torn patellar tendon. He played just one half of football on Saturday and wore a green “non-contact” jersey during the scrimmage, but amassed 110 receiving yards and drew a couple of big ovations.

Winter’s photo gallery is worth your time:

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CORVALLIS — No videos of the scrimmage.

No photographs allowed, either.

That directive from Oregon State didn’t stop the photo team at JohnCanzano.com from showing up at Reser Stadium on Saturday. Photographer Naji Saker was on the job for the first spring game of the JaMarcus Shephard era of football in Corvallis.

Shephard didn’t allow photos. He doesn’t want “Power Four” programs scouting his roster. But Saturday’s scrimmage was a success.

“The vibe was great. The weather was superb. The fans had some energy and looked like they were having fun,” Saker said. “I’ll be honest, my favorite photo was when (JaMarcus) Shephard popped out of the locker room before the scrimmage and looked around the stadium. It was the first time he’d seen Reser Stadium with fans inside.”

The Pac-12 also revealed its newly designed logo for the first time (See photo below or watch the new logo video on Instagram). The logo will be officially unveiled on Monday by the league.

Saker’s photo gallery is worth your time:

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Something about the act of Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon smells funny.

A league source tells me there are whispers, and players are pissed.

The Pac-12 has another expansion move left.

Is UConn a potential target?

Notice anything interesting about the first round of the NFL Draft?

I sure did.

Three thoughts for the weekend…

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The lady the kids called “Ms. Weate” says elementary school teachers shouldn’t have favorite students, but after 31 years in the business, she knows better.

“That’s a lie,” she told me. “All teachers have favorites.”

Daniel Lanning was one of hers. So was his brother, David. She was 24 and in her second year on the job when she first encountered the Lanning family.

“Those two boys ended up as candlelighters in my wedding,” she told me.

Ms. Weate’s first name is Gail. She married a man she met on a Southwest Airlines flight. She was returning from an educational conference and had a stack of postcards in front of her on the plane. She was busy writing to each child in her class.

“A school teacher?” Rob asked.

“I am,” Gail said.

“I’m a consumer electronics rep for Casio,” he said. “I can get your students free calculators if you’d like.”

Those two passengers fell in love, got married, and had children of their own. A boy named Gavin and a girl, Hollie. Life was a dream, that is, until Rob was diagnosed with brain cancer. He fought it for 14 years. There were radiation treatments, hospital stays, surgeries, and chemotherapy. He lost the ability to speak near the end.

Rob died in 2016.

It tore a hole in Ms. Weate’s heart.

“It was life-changing,” she said.

Lanning grew up to become a college football coach, of course. Ms. Weate still follows him. This spring, he’s charged with leading one of the top programs in the country, the University of Oregon. I asked Lanning’s second-grade teacher what he was like in class.

“Daniel was a funny, funny kid,” she told me. “He loved science, and he always observed everything. What a darling. He was a darling little boy. My hair was about as big as my car. I had this big perm. It was the 1990s.”

Ms. Weate called me on Wednesday. She told me that little Daniel Lanning had donated to a charity she founded in her husband’s honor. After his death, she noted that families impacted by brain cancer were stressed and frayed.

The finances were a challenge. She founded a non-profit — “Be Headstrong” — that supports the families of patients fighting brain cancer.

“We help with anything they need help with,” she said. “Gas, motels, groceries, whatever. Nobody in our organization makes a penny. Brain cancer is so expensive.”

The charity’s average grant: $1,020.

Lanning donated an auction lot that included an autographed Oregon helmet and jersey. Also, two sideline passes for the team’s home football game against Portland State next season. The lot started with a high bid of $200 but escalated above $2,000 in just a few hours. The auction closes on Sunday.

Ms. Weate called me in tears on Wednesday.

“I’ll never forget this,” she said.

I read something this week about the problems we all think we have. If you wrote your worries on a slip of paper and put it in a hat filled with everyone else’s problems, would you willingly reach in and trade yours for theirs?

Ms. Weate understands life perspective. She watched her husband fight a nasty and relentless brain tumor. Her son was just a high school sophomore when his father died. His school arranged a surprise when it became apparent Rob wouldn’t make it much longer.

They invited him to a musical recital. He sat in a wheelchair, smiling, as Gavin and his classmates performed a private concert featuring one of Rob’s favorite songs — U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Then, Gavin secretly slipped on a cap and gown, and the school held an impromptu graduation ceremony, two years early. Rob beamed as he saw his son receive his diploma and walk as the first graduate of his class.

“Being able to have that happen was really spectacular,” Gavin told a local TV news station after the ceremony.

I suppose today’s column is a reminder. Daniel, that second-grade kid, didn’t forget where he came from or who helped him get there. Ms. Weate hasn’t forgotten her pupil, either. She’s attended a couple of Oregon football games and remains close with his parents, Don and Janis. She still sees the Lanning family a couple of times a year and likes to visit when Daniel and David are home.

Cancer is insidious.

It hits hard.

It doesn’t discriminate.

Sauphia Lanning, Dan’s wife, beat osteosarcoma herself. Five times over the years, the Ducks have worn football uniforms with cancer-themed missions. In 2024, UO wore a “Heroes” uniform designed with elements suggested by Dan and Sauphia and each of their three sons. It was a big deal. Not just for the Lanning family, I realize now, but also for Ms. Weate, too.

She’s still teaching, of course. Three decades later. Her perm of the 1990s is gone. New students. New school. And the lady once known as Ms. Weate has an Oregon Ducks football in her classroom with an inscription from Daniel Lanning.

It reads: “To the best 2nd-grade teacher ever!”

Turns out students have favorites, too.

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University of Oregon football coach Dan Lanning made an interesting and heartfelt donation to a charity auction. The Trail Blazers won a big playoff basketball game and made people momentarily forget about the team’s new tightwad owner.

Oregon State is cracking down on photos and video at the spring football game. And the Pac-12 is making a bowl-game push behind the scenes.

Washington State introduced its new athletic director.

Washington faces a conflict-of-interest question… or does it?

What are the tell-tale signs of a cheapskate?

Emptying my notebook here…

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I went to Warren Buffett’s house once. Knocked on the door, and looked around the place while I waited on his porch.

There was a clothesline in the side yard. A handful of white undershirts were hanging from it. A couple of cases of soda pop were stacked off to one side, near a side door. It looked like he’d recently made a Costco run.

Buffett is a famously frugal billionaire. A financially disciplined guy. He drove an older-model car. He used a flip phone. He ate leftovers. We may have a similar kind of animal on our hands as the new owner of the Trail Blazers. Either that or Tom Dundon is just a cheapskate with a hidden agenda.

So which is it?

Why is he OK with losing the fan base two weeks in?

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This might be the most fun the Monday Mailbag has ever had.

I was asked terrific questions about the penny-pinching Trail Blazers, the Pac-12’s expansion options, the lawsuit vs. the Mountain West, Oregon’s odds to win the national title in college football next season, and much more.

Settling a political election with free throws?

A bowl game in San Diego for Oregon State?

More NCAA Tournament games in Portland?

Thanks to all who submitted questions.

If you’d like to share this publication with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, consider giving them a paid gift subscription. You may also donate a paid subscription to a senior on a fixed budget. Thank you to all who share, read, and support this independent entity.

Onto the Monday Mailbag…

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BOSTON — The merch was everywhere on Saturday. Boston Marathon jackets, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and an entire wall of Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 running shoes.

A Boston Marathon letterman’s jacket?

A hoodie?

What do you need?

John Miller, the president of Adidas North America, stood in the center of the room for six hours on Saturday, directing traffic inside his team’s 32,000-square-foot pop-up store. As I stood beside Miller observing the spectacle, a woman approached and asked him, “Do you work here?”

Miller nodded and said, “I do.”

“Do you know where I can find a cowbell?” she asked.

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BOSTON — He finished last.

Dead last.

For 36 consecutive years, spectators of the Boston Marathon could count on Dave McGillivray being the final runner on the course. Sometimes, he crossed the finish line alone, in the dark. Occasionally, he got jeered and heckled.

“Hey buddy,” two guys sitting in folding chairs on their lawn cried out one year. “Next year, try training for the race.”

McGillivray, 71, is the Boston Marathon race director. He’ll run for the 54th time on Monday. He won’t start or finish last this year. More on that in a moment. First, some context.

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BOSTON — I’m in Beantown for the big footrace. I was wearing a Boston Marathon pullover jacket on the downtown streets on Thursday afternoon. I happened to walk past a police officer who was directing traffic.

He sized me up and said, “Good luck with the run on Monday.”

I’m taking it as a compliment.

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The Pac-12 presidents and athletic directors are on campus in Corvallis this week for spring meetings. There are 77 days before the launch of the newly formed conference.

July 1, 2026, is a big date for Commissioner Teresa Gould and her schools. The campus leaders have their talking points, but how do they really feel about expanding? Do they need another member? The final media-rights piece? Will a direct-to-consumer digital offering be a hit with Pac-12 fans? And are the students of a public relations course at Texas State onto something?

My takeaways here:

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The season pretty much began with a knock at the door at six o’clock in the morning. Federal agents took Chauncey Billups into custody following the Trail Blazers opening night as part of a multi-state investigation into illegal, Mafia-backed poker games.

During the very same season, the Portland franchise was put on the market and tossed into uncertainty. The team was auctioned off, and the high bidder only took control a couple of weeks ago.

The same franchise came from 11 points down in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night on the road in a playoff play-in game to stun the Phoenix Suns, 114-110.

Portland made the playoffs.

Wrap your head around that.

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We had lights, cameras, and sound equipment. But I hadn’t thought to bring an extension power cord. So on Monday afternoon, we scrambled about the “Welcome Center” at Reser Stadium, trying to borrow one.

“Any chance you have a power cord?” I asked a front-desk staffer.

“No,” she said, “but we do have a fossilized woolly mammoth bone.”

Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy and Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould agreed to an exclusive 2-on-1 sitdown-style interview with me. The Pac-12 spring meetings are this week on campus in Corvallis.

The rebuilt conference is preparing for the official launch on July 1, and the athletic directors and presidents are in town.

Is there another expansion move coming for the Pac-12? The league’s fourth — and final — media-rights piece? Will that be a direct-to-consumer streaming endeavor? And how vital is making the College Football Playoff to the new Pac-12 in season one?

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The Portland Diamond Project opened an office space, with some fresh signage at the Zidell Yards property. A careful reader wants to know if that signals movement on the MLB to PDX front.

The Monday Mailbag also included questions about the Pac-12, UNLV, New Mexico, the WCC’s expansion play, Oregon’s rebuild, the women’s NCAA Tournament, and more.

Music?

Classic cars?

Space travel?

Thanks to all who submitted questions this week.

If you’d like to share this publication with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers, consider giving them a paid gift subscription. You may also donate a paid subscription to a senior on a fixed budget. Thank you to all who support and share this independent entity. It means a lot to me. I won’t stop writing that.

Away we go… this week’s questions:

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