94 Comments

John, simply put, you rock. Now that I am retired, another subscrition is just not in the budget, but I really enjoy what I can read and listening to you on the radio! Keep up the great work!

I'm not a big Aaron Rogers fan, but no one should make light of someone else's injury, no matter what.

I played men's competitive softball for 22 years and just after my 44th birthday I pulled my achilles tendon rounding second base headed to third. I lay writhing half way between. I had wished someone would have just dragged me off the field and saved me the humiliation. I vividly remember hearing some outfielder yell, "Kick him in the head and put him out of his misery!" I never played again.

Aaron will heal. He has been paid well. But please folks, there's no humor in someone else's injuries.

Go Beavs! Go Cougs! Go Pac-2!

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Shoot me an email Mark… johncanzano@icloud.com

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I did the same thing except I was in between first and second bases.

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This 87 year old is just as blasted happy to be reading your every column!

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John, I can’t express well enough how much you are appreciated for your writing, truth and tolerance of all our reader moods. It takes a special talent and strength of character to build such a diverse and intelligent community. This is a special place, and we are grateful to you!

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I really like this column for exactly the reason you wrote about today - connection. Great story.

This is my go-to west coast sports journalism...nobody does it better. I like your buddy, Wilner, too, and Plaschke and Ostler are terrific columnists, so was (is) Ken Goe...but this is a special spot. It's much more in-depth but also with a small town feel to it. I don't always agree with you - i.e., your take on Oregon's playcalling vs. Texas Tech - but that's a nitpick...in fact, I enjoy the give and take on the rare occasion I think you're wrong. I appreciate you poking back.

This is real sports journalism. It's not political, it's not "woke", there's no axe to grind - it's direct, deep and fun. Best sports investment I've ever made. Slightly better than my decision not to buy new golf clubs. Thanks for outstanding work.

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To add to your list of Oregon columnists I'd like to add Ken Woody, who lurks around here on occasiion. It' be nice ifhe chimed in more often.

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Good choice.

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It actually is “woke” and that is a good thing.

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Where to this season suggestions.... 1.) Go to a North Dakota State FB game in Fargo at some point. Talk to the athletic department and boosters there how they manage to be an FCS super power (9 FCS FB champs from 2011-2021, loads of Power 5 upsets all on the road in the past 15 years, 4 NCAA men's BB tourney appearances since 2009, solid to crazy strong across all sports) -- AND YET they were only 12th in highest 22/23 athletic revenue in just FCS! I'm not an alum, but OSU/WSU need to quick study the playbook at NDSU for ideas how to compete really well on less $. You could help paint that picture. 2.) Go to one of the non-FB Pac-12 championships this fall and get real world student athletes on the record as to what the real world implications are of this football realignment mess. Cross-country, volleyball, soccer -- those kids matter and for all the token "sympathy", those kids deserve a right to be heard first hand.

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Great suggestions!

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Week 4 brings us Colorado at Oregon and Oregon State at Wazzu. Both will be extremely compelling! Which one will you be at??? I vote at Pac-2. Go Cougs!

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Thank you, John. Look forward each day for your column. Non-subscribers don’t know what they are missing. Don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy your writing!

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Your enjoyment you are getting from this gig comes through in your writing. The feeling is engaging and inspiring…..ride that wave!

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Thank you. I am so happy that you're here.

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Glad to know you helped the woman get her situation straightened out, GOOD WORK J C .

In a couple of weeks, (OSU -WSU) one of the teams will lose, which is sad, as they are working so hard together to get things straightened out and moving forward to form a NEW PAC CONFERENCE..

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What a beautiful way to start my day! Reading this column put a smile on my face and a sparkle in my heart. I’m grateful to be a paid subscriber to your Substack. Thanks for the heart-to-heart this morning.

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John's IT Dept is working on a virtual reality clone that can simultaneously attend every event on the check list.

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My experience with 'customer service' is a clueless automated AI (artificial insanity) who may finally..after hanging up a few times, or waiting minutes long on hold, spin the lottery wheel and connect you with a rep in India, China, Philippines, Tumbuktu? depending on the luck of the wheel. The very marginal English speaker's favorite phrase is 'I can definitely help you with that"......you know you are out of luck. So.....if you EVER OUTSOURCE your service, may your IPAD fry and your pen run out of ink.

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I think you should be in Pullman for the OSU-WSU game, even though there are also compelling games that day in Eugene, Salt Lake City, and Seattle too.

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I don't have a dawg in the fight, but my gut tells me you are going to Eugene on the 23rd, while my heart tells me you should be in Pullman. I do not envy your dilemma.

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You are a “wordsmith” in writing and draws me to read is the little, but big things that are personal insights that most would pass over. I have an opinion that this wagon of PAC 12 isn’t over and time will uncover the “dust in the closets”. Thank you

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Take the Beavs to cover the 24 pt spread this weekend. We ARE that bad these days. Yikes. Go Aztecs. 🙄😭

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Let it shine dude. Good stuff

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