Well, I'd hope that maybe we could at least attempt to have some modicum of ethics and integrity being coached. I realize in the shuffle of all the money going around (particularly in a place like Eugene), nobody seems to care about a single thing besides the playoff and "winning at all costs".
Call me old fashioned (happy to accept that), but these are still mostly all just student athletes, most of whom won't ever sniff a pro football career and it'd be nice if we could not "gameplan to cheat". What are we teaching kids when that's an acceptable part of "the plan"?
That's mostly a rhetorical question and the answers aren't positive.
I'm very happy that many, if not most, coaching staffs still have some integrity and care for instilling some correct values -- none of which involve cheating.
As an aside -- if I were Oregon, I'd can Lupoi. That guy is a POS, a cheater and frankly not a good DC either. Surely they can find a better person for that role.
Franklin faked an injury at the end of the first half against CAL. That was even more egregious, given the context (3 score lead going into halftime). I remember how mad I was when Cal was faking injuries against Chip's offence about a decade ago. Young coach Lanning needs to get a handle on this...
Hi Jason, agree faking injuries is cheating. I’d argue that Kris Hutson stunt was 10x worse, because it had a chance to impact the outcome of a massive NW rivalry game including whether or not Ducks had chance to make CFP, or chance Washington can reach the Pac12 championship game. A ton more at stake than a Cal halftime score and why we’re all still talking about it. Imagine Oregon won that game. Rather than the “Slip” game we might have to agree it was the “Fake” game
John - given the PAC12 turmoil I thought you’d find this excerpt from Bruce Jenkins SF Chronicle column today of interest……..
These are depressing times for the Cal and Stanford football teams. Even worse than the won-lost records is an unavoidably bleak future with football-obsessed rivals gaining a massive edge in high-profile player transfers and lavish NIL deals. That’s just not how the Bay Area schools operate, which brings to mind a suggestion from Gary Cavalli, now retired after a long career in the Stanford athletic department. “I would consider forming a league of programs that still value academics,” he wrote on his Inside Track blog, “perhaps including the likes of Stanford, Cal, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, Tulane, Army, Navy, Air Force, and others who feel that the current descent into professionalism has gotten out of hand. Rather than try to keep up with the Joneses, why not form a league that actually stands for something? A league that gives priority to education. Whose players fill out the same applications and meet the same admissions standards as the rest of the campus. Whose players actually go to class. A league where ‘student-athlete’ would actually mean something. Andrew Luck might call it ‘The Nerd League.’”
Honestly, I think we've let the money rush corrupt this sport completely
I don't know what entity formation needs to take place to allow for some legally enforceable NIL rules and guardrails to form, but this completely unfettered and unrestricted payment free for all that is just getting started is honestly going to destroy the sport if left unchecked.
Imagine the NFL with no rules about who can get how much and what teams can/can't do on that front. You'd have no league.
Many people in the last few months have been advocating for this. I might add that if you have an East Coast League as well as a West Coast one that a championship could be played on New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl. I'm sure the people running the Rose Bowl could move any NC game off January 1st in order to have two events instead of one...plus lets face it the schools in the new ESPN/Fox semi-pro league could care less about a New Years Day tradition, but certainly the likes of people on the West Coast do.
If you want to see how far Cal and Stanford have fallen I will bet that attendance at the game will be not only bleak, but the fact that it is not being shown locally, unless you can find the obscure Pac-12 Network somewhere, says volumes about the "who cares" factor. Go Bears....
Surprisingly (sort of) the big game is a sell out. I agree with your points about fandom in the Bay Area. Stanford and Cal both can't even fill half of their stadiums on most Saturdays. Consider also that Stanford's new stadium only holds 50,000 whereas their old stadium held 100,000. With younger folks ignoring tradition, unlike older fans - who now are getting too old to go to night games, something has to change. The Bay Area is almost exclusively a "pro" market these days, though nobody follows the Oakland A's.
With no evidence at all, I would bet (not a lot of money) that Cal and Stanford won't be playing college football in 10 years. It is no longer a "fit" with the culture of that part of California, and having a football team is a huge cost for a university that can't field a competitive team. They have lots of tradition at those schools, but as younger alumni replace older alumni the desire to go watch a game on a Saturday will diminish even more. Look at Gonzaga (where I work). They cut football in 1946 and have been able to succeed in sports without football and protect their/our university from huge spending issues and stadium battles.
Excellent take. “As younger alumni replace older alumni….”. You have highlighted a key point. Younger alumni don’t seem aware of previous athletic traditions and are not particularly interested in carrying them forward. The SEC and B10 seem to remain strong in their football cultures which in large part may be due to a rural vs urban dynamic. In the culture of the Bay Area, football is a neanderthal afterthought. I lived there 1979-1985 and the Big Game was significant. Media stories were abundant. Students even participated in hijinks against their opponents. Such activities now would be considered micro-aggressions which could result in criminal prosecutions.
Yes, but that is like the old D2 and although guys like Kyle Juszczyk occasionally show up that is not what I had in mind...something between the ESPN/Fox semi-pro league and the Ivy League. Stanford has existed for years with real students as has Cal, although not as much, so there are plenty of high level players who want to also get an education. Let Alabama, USC, Clemson, etc. have all the dunces that do not really go to school and we can take the smart folks. Might as well polarize things in new ways across the country...rural versus urban, red versus blue, so why not the smart guys with their own league, and let the other dumb kids play the other game, which is basically a business renting the name of the university.
John. I grew up in Oregon and eventually moved my law practice to Utah closer to my wife’s childhood home as we raised the last few kids.
I’ve been reading you for years. Your research and writing has always been…well, award winning. Of course, working in print for an employer, you probably had to be more provocative at times to get eye balls. Being bold and telling it like it is (at least from your perspective) can also be confused for being contrarian.
I sense a more relaxed, joyful vibe in your prose, as if this is what you wanted to do and were probably meant to do. Your insider connections are prolific. I have thoroughly enjoyed your new format and the unique content you’re bringing to the table. It’s becoming a must read. I wish you much success.
Oh my what a spot on “puppy” story. When our first 2 were little my husband’s friend had a liter of kittens to move so my husband decided to pick out a male and surprise the kids. He brought home 2 females. Our kids names them Dixie and Peaches. They made it through 3 more kids and two moves before they left this world after 18 years. They are still referred to after 55 years.
The next Christmas my husband KNEW our young son would love a puppy so he researched breeds and finally couldn’t pass on the Springer Spaniel because he got lost. in the sweet face and eyes. My husband was over the moon with excitement knowing Christmas morning was going to be the best ever for our young son. Christmas morning dawned and the “special surprise” was in a box under the tree with our son’s name on it. He ran to it, opened it then proceeded to open and play with the brand new Tonka truck he wanted, for the rest of the day. “Jesse” was now my husband’s. He ended up sleeping in the garage; a couple years later; when she delivered her first liter. She was his’s through and through. The “eyes” make the difference whether they belong to the kids, the puppy or a besotted Dad. Love your column. Your sports stories are good too…….XXXOOO
Request John...can you continue to call the Ducks and Beavers game "The Civil War". It is not illegal. I have never been one who is much for political correctness. The term "civil war" can be generic. It is defined as "a "war" or conflict between factions or regions of the same country or state". No one really means it in the sense of the war between north and south in the 1860s. Obviously, no one means it in the sense of deadly violence when used in football. It is just wrong to limit our national vocabulary because of some long ago event where the term had some other social meaning. If we continue this process, eventually no words will be left to us. I love the passion around "The Civil War" between two instate college football programs 40 miles apart. No other term describes it as effectively, certainly no "The Rivalry Game" (which someday will be offensive to someone as well). Thanks! Brian
It wouldn’t be that hard to prevent injury faking. All the officials have to do is hurry up the medical staffs to get them off the field via stretcher if necessary, rather than just letting them take as much time as they want in the middle of the field.
On a more permanent basis, pass a rule that if your injury results in a game stoppage, you have to sit out the rest of that possession, plus give the refs the discretion to use delay of game, unsportsmanlike conduct, and too many players on the field penalties.
Thank you for sharing the story of your new dog! That's one of the many things I like about your newsletter on Substack. It's more than a sports column. The postings are sometimes personal and sometimes random and they often tug at our hearts.
Re: Why doesn't everyone fake injuries
Well, I'd hope that maybe we could at least attempt to have some modicum of ethics and integrity being coached. I realize in the shuffle of all the money going around (particularly in a place like Eugene), nobody seems to care about a single thing besides the playoff and "winning at all costs".
Call me old fashioned (happy to accept that), but these are still mostly all just student athletes, most of whom won't ever sniff a pro football career and it'd be nice if we could not "gameplan to cheat". What are we teaching kids when that's an acceptable part of "the plan"?
That's mostly a rhetorical question and the answers aren't positive.
I'm very happy that many, if not most, coaching staffs still have some integrity and care for instilling some correct values -- none of which involve cheating.
As an aside -- if I were Oregon, I'd can Lupoi. That guy is a POS, a cheater and frankly not a good DC either. Surely they can find a better person for that role.
Franklin faked an injury at the end of the first half against CAL. That was even more egregious, given the context (3 score lead going into halftime). I remember how mad I was when Cal was faking injuries against Chip's offence about a decade ago. Young coach Lanning needs to get a handle on this...
Hi Jason, agree faking injuries is cheating. I’d argue that Kris Hutson stunt was 10x worse, because it had a chance to impact the outcome of a massive NW rivalry game including whether or not Ducks had chance to make CFP, or chance Washington can reach the Pac12 championship game. A ton more at stake than a Cal halftime score and why we’re all still talking about it. Imagine Oregon won that game. Rather than the “Slip” game we might have to agree it was the “Fake” game
Completely agree
I want no part of winning that involves cheating to get there
John - given the PAC12 turmoil I thought you’d find this excerpt from Bruce Jenkins SF Chronicle column today of interest……..
These are depressing times for the Cal and Stanford football teams. Even worse than the won-lost records is an unavoidably bleak future with football-obsessed rivals gaining a massive edge in high-profile player transfers and lavish NIL deals. That’s just not how the Bay Area schools operate, which brings to mind a suggestion from Gary Cavalli, now retired after a long career in the Stanford athletic department. “I would consider forming a league of programs that still value academics,” he wrote on his Inside Track blog, “perhaps including the likes of Stanford, Cal, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, Tulane, Army, Navy, Air Force, and others who feel that the current descent into professionalism has gotten out of hand. Rather than try to keep up with the Joneses, why not form a league that actually stands for something? A league that gives priority to education. Whose players fill out the same applications and meet the same admissions standards as the rest of the campus. Whose players actually go to class. A league where ‘student-athlete’ would actually mean something. Andrew Luck might call it ‘The Nerd League.’”
A great quote and great point Kurt
Honestly, I think we've let the money rush corrupt this sport completely
I don't know what entity formation needs to take place to allow for some legally enforceable NIL rules and guardrails to form, but this completely unfettered and unrestricted payment free for all that is just getting started is honestly going to destroy the sport if left unchecked.
Imagine the NFL with no rules about who can get how much and what teams can/can't do on that front. You'd have no league.
Many people in the last few months have been advocating for this. I might add that if you have an East Coast League as well as a West Coast one that a championship could be played on New Year's Day at the Rose Bowl. I'm sure the people running the Rose Bowl could move any NC game off January 1st in order to have two events instead of one...plus lets face it the schools in the new ESPN/Fox semi-pro league could care less about a New Years Day tradition, but certainly the likes of people on the West Coast do.
If you want to see how far Cal and Stanford have fallen I will bet that attendance at the game will be not only bleak, but the fact that it is not being shown locally, unless you can find the obscure Pac-12 Network somewhere, says volumes about the "who cares" factor. Go Bears....
Surprisingly (sort of) the big game is a sell out. I agree with your points about fandom in the Bay Area. Stanford and Cal both can't even fill half of their stadiums on most Saturdays. Consider also that Stanford's new stadium only holds 50,000 whereas their old stadium held 100,000. With younger folks ignoring tradition, unlike older fans - who now are getting too old to go to night games, something has to change. The Bay Area is almost exclusively a "pro" market these days, though nobody follows the Oakland A's.
With no evidence at all, I would bet (not a lot of money) that Cal and Stanford won't be playing college football in 10 years. It is no longer a "fit" with the culture of that part of California, and having a football team is a huge cost for a university that can't field a competitive team. They have lots of tradition at those schools, but as younger alumni replace older alumni the desire to go watch a game on a Saturday will diminish even more. Look at Gonzaga (where I work). They cut football in 1946 and have been able to succeed in sports without football and protect their/our university from huge spending issues and stadium battles.
Excellent take. “As younger alumni replace older alumni….”. You have highlighted a key point. Younger alumni don’t seem aware of previous athletic traditions and are not particularly interested in carrying them forward. The SEC and B10 seem to remain strong in their football cultures which in large part may be due to a rural vs urban dynamic. In the culture of the Bay Area, football is a neanderthal afterthought. I lived there 1979-1985 and the Big Game was significant. Media stories were abundant. Students even participated in hijinks against their opponents. Such activities now would be considered micro-aggressions which could result in criminal prosecutions.
Culture is the south is Daddy was in the armory and uncle is in the infantry. Let's play football.
I've been thinking about starting a West Coat NCAA recognized Ultimate Frisbee league.
Actually, that league already exists and it's quite popular in the section of the country it's located in. I believe they call it the Ivy League
Yes, but that is like the old D2 and although guys like Kyle Juszczyk occasionally show up that is not what I had in mind...something between the ESPN/Fox semi-pro league and the Ivy League. Stanford has existed for years with real students as has Cal, although not as much, so there are plenty of high level players who want to also get an education. Let Alabama, USC, Clemson, etc. have all the dunces that do not really go to school and we can take the smart folks. Might as well polarize things in new ways across the country...rural versus urban, red versus blue, so why not the smart guys with their own league, and let the other dumb kids play the other game, which is basically a business renting the name of the university.
Good Luck with the puppy!
I agree and for dog lovers everywhere, what a great story to read while sipping your coffee on a Saturday morning!
John. I grew up in Oregon and eventually moved my law practice to Utah closer to my wife’s childhood home as we raised the last few kids.
I’ve been reading you for years. Your research and writing has always been…well, award winning. Of course, working in print for an employer, you probably had to be more provocative at times to get eye balls. Being bold and telling it like it is (at least from your perspective) can also be confused for being contrarian.
I sense a more relaxed, joyful vibe in your prose, as if this is what you wanted to do and were probably meant to do. Your insider connections are prolific. I have thoroughly enjoyed your new format and the unique content you’re bringing to the table. It’s becoming a must read. I wish you much success.
GREAT MAILBAG! Thank you.
Vodka and coke - NYET!
Awesome stuff, John. Others pick a few questions in these Q&As. You take a lot of them and give heartfelt, thorough responses. Well done.
The puppy will alter the course of Casa Canzano for the forseeable future. Your family just grew. Big reponsibility - and so much joy. Woof!
Congratulations on the new puppy. She probably has you wrapped around her little paw already!
No questions, just appreciation for what you do
Oh my what a spot on “puppy” story. When our first 2 were little my husband’s friend had a liter of kittens to move so my husband decided to pick out a male and surprise the kids. He brought home 2 females. Our kids names them Dixie and Peaches. They made it through 3 more kids and two moves before they left this world after 18 years. They are still referred to after 55 years.
The next Christmas my husband KNEW our young son would love a puppy so he researched breeds and finally couldn’t pass on the Springer Spaniel because he got lost. in the sweet face and eyes. My husband was over the moon with excitement knowing Christmas morning was going to be the best ever for our young son. Christmas morning dawned and the “special surprise” was in a box under the tree with our son’s name on it. He ran to it, opened it then proceeded to open and play with the brand new Tonka truck he wanted, for the rest of the day. “Jesse” was now my husband’s. He ended up sleeping in the garage; a couple years later; when she delivered her first liter. She was his’s through and through. The “eyes” make the difference whether they belong to the kids, the puppy or a besotted Dad. Love your column. Your sports stories are good too…….XXXOOO
Request John...can you continue to call the Ducks and Beavers game "The Civil War". It is not illegal. I have never been one who is much for political correctness. The term "civil war" can be generic. It is defined as "a "war" or conflict between factions or regions of the same country or state". No one really means it in the sense of the war between north and south in the 1860s. Obviously, no one means it in the sense of deadly violence when used in football. It is just wrong to limit our national vocabulary because of some long ago event where the term had some other social meaning. If we continue this process, eventually no words will be left to us. I love the passion around "The Civil War" between two instate college football programs 40 miles apart. No other term describes it as effectively, certainly no "The Rivalry Game" (which someday will be offensive to someone as well). Thanks! Brian
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
…mic drop
You only talk about grown men playing with their balls but the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is this weekend. Do you think Max Verstappen is the GOAT?
It wouldn’t be that hard to prevent injury faking. All the officials have to do is hurry up the medical staffs to get them off the field via stretcher if necessary, rather than just letting them take as much time as they want in the middle of the field.
On a more permanent basis, pass a rule that if your injury results in a game stoppage, you have to sit out the rest of that possession, plus give the refs the discretion to use delay of game, unsportsmanlike conduct, and too many players on the field penalties.
I thought 'fake' questions were part of the game plan...
Thank you for sharing the story of your new dog! That's one of the many things I like about your newsletter on Substack. It's more than a sports column. The postings are sometimes personal and sometimes random and they often tug at our hearts.
How did you come up with the name 'Chili'?