Great job with the interviews yesterday, Johnny C. It’s good to see a more personal view of these players because once the season kicks off it is all about football strategy and matchups.
Ever the iconoclast, your take on things is really appreciated, John. The larger sports pundit crowd is fraught with faux hype and prediction. It gets old. So now we go from the inflated Duck to the inflated football. You have to marvel at the marketing genius, but that Duck will deflate quickly if the Ducks don't measure up. Winning out takes more than skill. It takes a dose of luck. Remember the trajectory with Dennis Dixon?
Gabriel is wonderful reflection of Hawiian culture, as is Mariota. I wish him and his teammates every success. And I wish Lanning and his staff great wisdom in guiding this talent-laden team. Go Ducks!
John, thank you for another excellent interview! I look forward to your insight into how Dillion Gabriel leads this 2024 version of Oregon Ducks football. He appears ready to shoulder the load, and lead the Ducks, in the College Football Playoffs! Go Ducks! PMM
JC, me thinks as you grow older and wiser you’re leaning more into your ‘inner Leach’. Love to see it A recommendation to know Gabriel and all Hawaiian born athletes better? Try a stab at reading James Michener’s ‘Hawaii’, (historical fiction of that place and all its inhabitants & influences) published way back in 1959. It’s been translated into 32 languages
As a Wazzu fan I am still trying to process how to act towards Oregon and Washington since they jumped to the BIG10. I think I will continue to hate the teams, but root for some of their players like Dillion Gabriel. Go Cougs!
John, well done again! Your interview did what you wanted. Time will tell but Dillon Gabriel appears to have the 'stuff' it takes over and above physical talent to be quite successful. Most importantly he doesn't have a "me" agenda.
Nice interview with Dillon; it offered a glimpse of this young man’s beliefs and what guides him. I thought his analogy on his comfort level on the field to taking/learning Japanese was a good sign that he is ALL in for Oregon- immersed if you will. My takeaway is he has the potential to be a wonderful QB for the Ducks, a good teammate and above par human being. I’m looking forward to watching him and the rest of the team in their inaugural season with the Big10. Thanks John.
But how much can a six-year senior truly immerse themselves into a culture? How much would he honestly want to bother, beyond surface-level performances? Particularly when he already knows he will be around only for a year…no, a few months.
This is the new-normal for today’s mercenary players who bounce from school to school in search of the deepest-pocketed donors. It’s not about the team so much anymore.
I don’t blame the kid. It’s simply the new nature of the beast.
I felt he was genuine in his responses. It didn’t seem to me that he was feeding John a bunch of BS. Regardless of NIL or transfer portal, I think it is still about the “team”- the team, the coaches, the school- football isn’t a game played by one person.
Oh, I'm sure he'll do his best, but in his autumn stay with the Ducks, will he even have time to learn everyone's names, much less the culture?
And while there's been a ton of financial investment, will fans want to continue investing emotionally with players constantly spinning through the revolving door?
Historically, part of the pleasure of college football has been following the development and maturation of individual players at their respective universities. Good writers like John would introduce them to us on a more personal level and we'd enjoy watching their college careers unfold, feeling as if we knew them a bit. Now we meet them with the understanding and expectation that they could well be onto other pastures before it's time to skip their end-of-season bowl game.
This has been a problem fans have had with professional basketball players for decades, and now it's happening at the college level. Again, I can hardly criticize the players themselves. They're only *doing what's best for themselves* TM within the precepts of the day.
But building genuine relationships and understanding culture takes actual time, not just a single lap of a six-year college career--no matter how hard anyone tries or hopes otherwise.
Well, I’m a believer that you can foster relationships in a shorter period of time, and build team bonds. But what do I know? I’m just a 63 year old gma, mother, wife, daughter and lover of Duck football. Just sayin’
Jen GH, I am amazed to say I'm EXACTLY the same as you...except instead of being a lover of Duck football, I'm a Beaver alum and crazy about my Duck alum husband of 41 years.
I am really looking forward to the Big -10 season. West coast teams in the conference will finally get the exposure the programs deserve -- better start times and better overall opponents week-in and week-out. Though we've always known how tough the Pacific-12 conference schedule was in football, that did not resonate east of the Mississippi. A victory over Cal, Stanford and a few other schools just didn't compute back East. Playing against better-known opponents with more exposure in their markets will help all the teams venturing into the Big 10. Now, to the task of winning our games ...
"Better" start times? Better exposure? Most kickoff times have not been determined. UO and UW have two Friday night games, that never happened in the Pac-12. The first 3-4 UW games are getting dumped off onto Peacock or the Big Ten Network. UO's first two games are on Peacock and the Big Ten Network too.
I’ve been tuning into the B1G Network this week. So far I’m impressed. The addition of Ashley and Yogi to the network is nice, familiar faces make the conference transition slightly less awkward. The overall production quality is noticeably superior to the now defunct PAC 12 Network.
Your reporting from Indianapolis is, as always, excellent. The interview with Gabriel had an authentic feel, especially when recalling the oddly stilted responses your softball questions elicited from Shedeur (?) Sanders during last season’s PAC12 Media Days.
My initial response, having watched the interviews with coaches and players from the old PAC, is a sense of excitement about joining theB1G and an eagerness for the upcoming season. Sure, everyone is putting their best foot forward and towing the company line, but that’s to be expected.
Appreciate the work you put into covering the event.
John, Well done! You didn't ask the usual questions, but you did ask questions that delved behind the expected persona. I enjoyed your questions and Dillon's answers; and, your interview encouraged us to consider and talk among ourselves. Thank you, and I remain VR,
I see your points, but actually, yes, better start times and overall much more exposure. Peacock, part of NBC, has more than 20 million subscribers, and growing, exceeding the PAC-12 network audience. People who subscribe to Peacock get more than just sports and that means a much more diverse audience watching the West Coast schools. More future athletes and their families will see West Coast teams play. That's good for the schools. Getting "dumped" on Peacock will certainly be better than being dumped onto PAC 12 after dark, which no one watches in the biggest population areas because everyone's asleep. There will be far fewer 9:30 PM Eastern time starts for the West Coast teams. That's good for recruiting. Not to mention a victory over Iowa, Indiana or Penn State will carry far more prestige then beating Stanford, Cal, or Utah, teams that no one watches or knows anything about in the east. Wins all around.
John’s experience and autonomy allows him to take chances that disarm the subjects of his interviews. It’s refreshing to get to get a glimpse of the person versus their persona. You don’t hear cookie cutter questions in these interviews. We get to see/hear layers that other journalists can’t get to for various reasons.
Gabriel appears to be grounded, mature, and properly focused. DuckFan should be pumped
…dang
GO DAWGS
😎
I'm no fan of UO, but I do hope they have success this season. It will be a good look for the state overall. Man, that was hard to admit...
Great job with the interviews yesterday, Johnny C. It’s good to see a more personal view of these players because once the season kicks off it is all about football strategy and matchups.
Ever the iconoclast, your take on things is really appreciated, John. The larger sports pundit crowd is fraught with faux hype and prediction. It gets old. So now we go from the inflated Duck to the inflated football. You have to marvel at the marketing genius, but that Duck will deflate quickly if the Ducks don't measure up. Winning out takes more than skill. It takes a dose of luck. Remember the trajectory with Dennis Dixon?
Gabriel is wonderful reflection of Hawiian culture, as is Mariota. I wish him and his teammates every success. And I wish Lanning and his staff great wisdom in guiding this talent-laden team. Go Ducks!
Good work! He seems like a solid kid. Is October 12th the biggest game in duck history?
The hype, the anticipation, the excitement, you definitely can feel it. But Gabriel is spot on that it means nothing once the ball is kicked.
Oregon has just about everything you want...on paper. I look forward to seeing it play out on the field.
BTW John, I've been booked for Ann Arbor since January, hope to see you there! 🦆
John, thank you for another excellent interview! I look forward to your insight into how Dillion Gabriel leads this 2024 version of Oregon Ducks football. He appears ready to shoulder the load, and lead the Ducks, in the College Football Playoffs! Go Ducks! PMM
JC, me thinks as you grow older and wiser you’re leaning more into your ‘inner Leach’. Love to see it A recommendation to know Gabriel and all Hawaiian born athletes better? Try a stab at reading James Michener’s ‘Hawaii’, (historical fiction of that place and all its inhabitants & influences) published way back in 1959. It’s been translated into 32 languages
Love the recommendation.
As a Wazzu fan I am still trying to process how to act towards Oregon and Washington since they jumped to the BIG10. I think I will continue to hate the teams, but root for some of their players like Dillion Gabriel. Go Cougs!
John, well done again! Your interview did what you wanted. Time will tell but Dillon Gabriel appears to have the 'stuff' it takes over and above physical talent to be quite successful. Most importantly he doesn't have a "me" agenda.
Very interested to see how he fits in Will Stein's offense. Off field, he's super contemplative and calm.
Nice interview with Dillon; it offered a glimpse of this young man’s beliefs and what guides him. I thought his analogy on his comfort level on the field to taking/learning Japanese was a good sign that he is ALL in for Oregon- immersed if you will. My takeaway is he has the potential to be a wonderful QB for the Ducks, a good teammate and above par human being. I’m looking forward to watching him and the rest of the team in their inaugural season with the Big10. Thanks John.
Maybe. He does sound like a good kid.
But how much can a six-year senior truly immerse themselves into a culture? How much would he honestly want to bother, beyond surface-level performances? Particularly when he already knows he will be around only for a year…no, a few months.
This is the new-normal for today’s mercenary players who bounce from school to school in search of the deepest-pocketed donors. It’s not about the team so much anymore.
I don’t blame the kid. It’s simply the new nature of the beast.
I felt he was genuine in his responses. It didn’t seem to me that he was feeding John a bunch of BS. Regardless of NIL or transfer portal, I think it is still about the “team”- the team, the coaches, the school- football isn’t a game played by one person.
Oh, I'm sure he'll do his best, but in his autumn stay with the Ducks, will he even have time to learn everyone's names, much less the culture?
And while there's been a ton of financial investment, will fans want to continue investing emotionally with players constantly spinning through the revolving door?
Historically, part of the pleasure of college football has been following the development and maturation of individual players at their respective universities. Good writers like John would introduce them to us on a more personal level and we'd enjoy watching their college careers unfold, feeling as if we knew them a bit. Now we meet them with the understanding and expectation that they could well be onto other pastures before it's time to skip their end-of-season bowl game.
This has been a problem fans have had with professional basketball players for decades, and now it's happening at the college level. Again, I can hardly criticize the players themselves. They're only *doing what's best for themselves* TM within the precepts of the day.
But building genuine relationships and understanding culture takes actual time, not just a single lap of a six-year college career--no matter how hard anyone tries or hopes otherwise.
Well, I’m a believer that you can foster relationships in a shorter period of time, and build team bonds. But what do I know? I’m just a 63 year old gma, mother, wife, daughter and lover of Duck football. Just sayin’
Jen GH, I am amazed to say I'm EXACTLY the same as you...except instead of being a lover of Duck football, I'm a Beaver alum and crazy about my Duck alum husband of 41 years.
Rock on, my friend. No joke.
Back at you friend 🥰
I am really looking forward to the Big -10 season. West coast teams in the conference will finally get the exposure the programs deserve -- better start times and better overall opponents week-in and week-out. Though we've always known how tough the Pacific-12 conference schedule was in football, that did not resonate east of the Mississippi. A victory over Cal, Stanford and a few other schools just didn't compute back East. Playing against better-known opponents with more exposure in their markets will help all the teams venturing into the Big 10. Now, to the task of winning our games ...
"Better" start times? Better exposure? Most kickoff times have not been determined. UO and UW have two Friday night games, that never happened in the Pac-12. The first 3-4 UW games are getting dumped off onto Peacock or the Big Ten Network. UO's first two games are on Peacock and the Big Ten Network too.
John,
I’ve been tuning into the B1G Network this week. So far I’m impressed. The addition of Ashley and Yogi to the network is nice, familiar faces make the conference transition slightly less awkward. The overall production quality is noticeably superior to the now defunct PAC 12 Network.
Your reporting from Indianapolis is, as always, excellent. The interview with Gabriel had an authentic feel, especially when recalling the oddly stilted responses your softball questions elicited from Shedeur (?) Sanders during last season’s PAC12 Media Days.
My initial response, having watched the interviews with coaches and players from the old PAC, is a sense of excitement about joining theB1G and an eagerness for the upcoming season. Sure, everyone is putting their best foot forward and towing the company line, but that’s to be expected.
Appreciate the work you put into covering the event.
John, Well done! You didn't ask the usual questions, but you did ask questions that delved behind the expected persona. I enjoyed your questions and Dillon's answers; and, your interview encouraged us to consider and talk among ourselves. Thank you, and I remain VR,
I see your points, but actually, yes, better start times and overall much more exposure. Peacock, part of NBC, has more than 20 million subscribers, and growing, exceeding the PAC-12 network audience. People who subscribe to Peacock get more than just sports and that means a much more diverse audience watching the West Coast schools. More future athletes and their families will see West Coast teams play. That's good for the schools. Getting "dumped" on Peacock will certainly be better than being dumped onto PAC 12 after dark, which no one watches in the biggest population areas because everyone's asleep. There will be far fewer 9:30 PM Eastern time starts for the West Coast teams. That's good for recruiting. Not to mention a victory over Iowa, Indiana or Penn State will carry far more prestige then beating Stanford, Cal, or Utah, teams that no one watches or knows anything about in the east. Wins all around.
John’s experience and autonomy allows him to take chances that disarm the subjects of his interviews. It’s refreshing to get to get a glimpse of the person versus their persona. You don’t hear cookie cutter questions in these interviews. We get to see/hear layers that other journalists can’t get to for various reasons.