Canzano: Mailbag deals with 'Hype Train', Pac-2 fate, Damian Lillard and more
Your questions, my answers...
Brian Howell boarded a 61-foot fishing boat on Friday off the Oregon coast. He and his wife caught some rock fish and crab. A few hours at sea must have felt like a nice departure from the flighty ride he’s been on this season.
Howell covers Colorado football for the Boulder Daily Camera. He’s been on the beat for years but now finds himself covering an undefeated program that commanded a television audience of 9 million viewers last week.
“A lot more eyeballs,” Howell told me.
It’s a far cry from the sad scene at Colorado’s final road game of the 2022 season. Nine months ago Howell was the only media member who showed up to Mike Sanford’s news conference after a 54-7 road loss to Washington.
“The post-game press conference was me — literally me, only — talking to the interim coach,” Howell said.
Coach Prime’s 3-0 start has been great for college football. It has drawn in peripheral sports fans and fueled enthusiasm for Saturday’s game at Autzen Stadium. Colorado-Oregon kicks off at 12:30 p.m. on ABC.
“If they win it, it’s massive and it sends a big-time message to the entire conference and the nation that ‘Wow, Colorado might actually be a contender,’” Howell told me.
I reached out to Greg Walker, an associate athletic director for UO, to ask how many media credentials were issued for Saturday’s football game. Howell won’t be alone in the press box. He’ll be alongside media employed by ESPN, FOX Sports, The Los Angeles Times, SiriusXM, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, USA TODAY, The Washington Post and Yahoo Sports.
A typical Oregon home football game includes 85 credentials. Walker told me that Saturday’s game will have 132.
Said Walker: “Even the Christian Broadcasting Network is here.”
It’s working on a piece about Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
I’m thankful to all who have a paid subscription to this publication. I’m also grateful to readers who give a gift subscription to a friend, neighbor or family member. Your support doesn’t just help feed my family, it allows me to cover the stories that need to be told.
On to this week’s mailbag…