93 Comments

Gotta say, John, I totally disagree with you on this one. As far as caring about people wagering on the game, I don't at all. It's called gambling for a reason, if that's your thing great, but Coach ain't there to help folks cover the spread. And as far as being there to support your favorite players, this is college, folks are there to support their favorite team, town, university... Regardless of who plays. And Coach is right, releasing that information benefits the opposing coaching staff. Why do that?

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Forrest, do you believe there should be a regulator for the largest casino in the world? There happens to be one called the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Would you prefer public corporations' and their employees and friends being allowed to trade on 'inside information?' Or, prefer that regulation exists to balance the playing field?

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Apples and oranges. Our Coach is not there to make a profit. Our coach is there to win games. Should he also tell everyone the formations he is going to play and everyone that will or won't play? We're just talking about QB right now, but should also have to commit to his inside linebackers are going to be? Sorry, I see what you're saying, but that's just not an apt comparison to me. Of course he's going to have inside information. If he went out and gambled on the outcome himself with that information, different story. But he's not. (Let's hope)

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He's not there to make a profit?

That's EXACTLY why he is there. To take Oregon football to the best post-season payout possible and to cash in on bonus clauses in his contract that reward on field success.

Apples and Oranges? How does uniformly disclosing injuries have a thing to do with the a team's strategy for a given game?

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He isn't there to ensure gamblers or "vegas" profit. Different kind of proffits.

Coaches shouldn't give two wiggle sticks about spreads and covers.

Unless you are talking about spread offense and route coverage.

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Right on coaching priorities.

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How is that any different than giving out information about strategy or who starts? There are no guarantees who he is going to play for any reason at all. Ever. Why should injuries be any different? I'm sorry if you're sympathies lie with gamblers, mine clearly do not.

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I'm with you Forrest. The whole debate about money is everything that is wrong in college sports today. Just check with USC and UCLA on that score. Wonder what the over/under is on whether UCLA actually moves?

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Gentlemen, I understand and respect your POV.

In my opinion antiquated in this day and age but that's just 1 old guy's opinion.

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Making a profit is THE ONLY thing the universities are here for. Wins help with that, but tickets sold with premium fees attached are what they are about.

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Wow... making profit is the only thing universities are here for? Used to be educating our young citizens to prepare them for making our country successful. Yikes.

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Take a serious look at the timing and content and presentation of communications coming from most athletic marketing departments (key word here is "marketing").

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Ok, if you want to see it through that lens, that's fine. Coach is TRYING to win to make a profit. And he's TRYING to win, by playing his hand the best he can. And Autzen is going to be sold out, either way. So, again, why should he release information to make gamblers happy?

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I reiterate. Not to do so helps no one but the sport books.

I'm not certain why you prefer coaches playing games instead of telling us all the truth regarding injuries?

I do certainly understand if legit. players being a game day decision.

OT but how do you feel about fake injuries? I think this is gamesmanship beyond the pale but again, that's just me.

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That's an interesting point. We won't allow players and coaches to bet... but who says a player's family can't bet? The great thing about the uncertainty of injuries is that it screws up the odds... for anyone who wants all betting out of sport (me) that's a bonus.

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Great take up on CBS sports today regarding college athletes and betting. Including betting on sports like women's CBB.

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Colleges are benefiting immensely both directly and indirectly from wagering and the interest that it brings. Colleges and conferences sell information to support gambling. Getting all the revenue they get as a result pays the bills, and giving it back is a non-starter.

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Still don't care. And neither should Coach Lanning. The house always wins and the interest in this game is not going to decrease one iota. This is an important game no matter who plays. They sure as heck aren't selling the information on who is injured and who isn't. I just don't buy that any gambling entities are going to lose money regardless. And as far as individuals, no sympathy at all. Gambling is chance, period.

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The House always wins? Mr. Canzano is .583 ATS so he is ahead of the House.

BTW, if you are in a casino and want the best odds, play craps and the Don't Come Bet. You will find few friends at the table but the one bet that consistently, but barely, beats the House.

Coach Lanning cares about winning. Winning = post-season pay outs. This is also true of Dana Altman.

But I am in your corner as regards wanting to win for winning's sake.

However, I don't get the angst in 2022 against the bettors' versus the House?

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This. Stats are being sold by universities and conferences that help encourage betting.

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Explain how colleges get a share of wagering for us. As for indirectly creating interest... who cares when all the games are sold out... no impact.

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The conference is actively pursuing selling data and analytics to the sports gaming industry. The conference and schools also benefit directly and indirectly from advertising revenue generated by and from programming that includes information on lines and spreads. Its also a fact that gambling and fantasy sports is one of the largest drivers of new fans and viewers.

There is also a reason why the Pac-12 FB Championship, both the MBB & WBB tournaments, and one of the conference's major bowl tie-ins are all located in Las Vegas.

Viewership of not only the games, but of supporting programming, drives the size of media contracts, and there are whole programs (see "The Daily Wager") centered wholly around gambling.

Also player acquisition and retention is increasingly driven by NIL, and a players' name, image, and likeness are obviously influenced by their actual appearance on gameday.

It's also far from true that all games are sold out, much less that they will remain so, even if some games and some schools still approach that. (Keep basketball in mind as well.) And interest drives ticket prices. A sellout or near sellout with a substantial number of deeply discounted tickets does not generate as much revenue as one for a premium opponent that commands premium ticket prices does.

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$s... pure and simple. I don't think you have all the facts on how revenue gets shared. I sure as hell hope you are wrong. Wonder how the track athletes feel? 😎

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The NFL long ago figured THIS out.

Millions of fans watch the NFL not because they support a given team but to see how whether a given game(s) covers the spread.

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If I'm Whittingham, I'm preparing for Nix and then I count my lucky stars if the Ducks send out one of the guys that made getting Nix necessary in the first place.

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Bingo! Unless and it's not that long a shot, they play Bo and he is hindered by the injury and/or it gets worse and the Dicks miss a chance at the Rose Bowl. However we look at it - John ignited a pretty interesting debate.

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Since players are now getting paid, college football is a minor league version of the NFL. Injury reports should be mandatory.

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You are spot on. It’s all about the money period. The old rah rah days are gone thanks to a worthless NCAA, NIL, and the transfer portal.

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Does that mean we don't get injury reports for the vast majority of players who aren't receiving NIL money?

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Gotta play outlier here John. I think betting on sports is out of control and getting more so by each year. When I watch a game with fans who are more interested by how the players in their pool are doing in other games and how teams are faring against the point spread it drives me nuts. Don't even get me started on the over/under - these folks are fans of gambling not sports. I'm interested in one thing and one thing alone - who wins. I'm happy to bet someone straight up win or lose, hell, on my teams - Bears, Leafs, Trail Blazers, Cubs - I'll bet straight up even when the book makers say I should get points. Who cares if the Bears beat the point spread against the Packers and lose the game? Then I have to watch that arrogant cheesehead scream at our fans "I own you!" What a jerk. Guess Tannehill owns Aaron now eh. 80% completion rate for 333 yards versus 55% and 227 yards for Rogers. Can you spell 'loser' Mr. Rogers? I knew you could. 😉

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You have pinpointed the effects of gambling on sports. Then of course there are the financial life catastrophes that befall some. So few are able to see the big picture and how this negatively impacts society. Viruses are insidious things. What seems like harmless fun at first then starts to eat away at the fabric.

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Is 'THE LOTTERY' out-of-control or popular because folks know that it is controlled?

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I do believe people trust the lottery. I bought a ticket when it topped $1.5b... pure gambling... for fun. Sports for me is about the contest, the win or lose, David beating Goliath (sometimes). I never watch a game with anyone fixated more on a bet than the game itself. Boring.

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Of course he's gonna play. He's gotta lay it all out there for the program he's loved so much for the past...3 months.

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I have been wrong most times I try to understand college injuries and how these types of situations play out. So I will just say that the Oregon run game is good enough to let a bruised Nix or backup find success. Will that equal a win? Not if the defense can't create some big plays.

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Pedro, good take.

In response to our Utah friend who posted that Utah 'has dominated Oregon:' Oregon 23 wins; Utah 12 wins.

Res ipsa loquitor.

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Last two games? Oregon did not get dominated. They got ANNIHILATED!!

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Old news. Nobody cares what happened last year. Only what the autzen scoreboard says at 00 tomorrow.

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Red Storm Rising

The Ducks are not prepared for Utah. Oregon D will be overwhelmed.

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Nov 21, 2022·edited Nov 21, 2022

Seems. Like they prepared okay to me.

The good news is that your Red Storm will make it to Vegas this year to play on Dec. 17th.

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Who was that said: The Truth HURTS!

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Mark my words: It's truly only a matter of time until we get a CFB betting scandal of some type. Say you're a 19-year old Power 5 player with insider information, or you're in a position to influence the outcome of a game, well, I'll let you take it from there...

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In the 1950s before gaming was internally regulated by guys like Jay Kornegy, people like Jay who check the gaming boards for unwarranted shifts in lines, many the game was thrown and many the person indicted.

Reporting injuries in CFB like in the NFL helps to regulate the market including moves because a guy has been bought to throw a game.

People may abhor gaming like they abhor other 'sins' but this is no reason not to regulate a multi-billion dollar market.

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Setting aside the immense economic side of the situation (not that you really can or should), I enjoy a game a lot more when I know who is actually going to be playing, as well as other aspects of how the game gets played. And I've talked to enough other people at everything from this level down to the local kid teams to know that who's actually playing is of interest to a lot of people who don't have a dime bet on it. The players are people, not nameless, faceless robots.

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Not sure I get the point. How can you enjoy a game if you haven't started to watch it yet? If you tune in and your favorite player is out, or get's injured on the third play, are you saying you would no longer be interested? You can turn it off then, no?

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Good points John. I’m a Duck season ticket holder who lives in Portland. It would sure be nice to know if Bo is injured or not. If he is it may determine whether I go to the game or not. It’s a pretty big commitment I’m not sure to drive down for a Pac12 After Dark game, watch the Ducks go 3 & out on every series, put up w/horrible refereeing, then get home at 2:30 am after battling terrible traffic from Eugene to Portland. Give the fans a little consideration.

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Get a motel and make a fun weekend out of it. A big breakfast the morning after surrounded by your fellow fans adds to the enthusiasm that is college football.

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Have you seen the cost of hotels in Eugene?

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I didn’t think they allowed capitalism to thrive in Oregon.

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It’s alive ‘ well around Duck games.

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I wonder if "fall down and fake an injury if we need a free timeout" will still be in the game plan this week

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I don’t buy the “student privacy” angle to not releasing injury status. They aren’t disclosing grades. They aren’t disclosing personal medical issues. The disclosure is (nearly always) directly related to on-field injury.

The NCAA as a whole needs to address this soon with the expansion of sports betting.

The line doesn’t swing 6+ points without SOMEONE in Vegas knowing what’s happening. Amounts to insider trading, pure and simple

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RW - I'm against anything that makes more people want to gamble on sports. So anything that encourages expansion of gambling in sport I oppose.

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That’s certainly an opinion, and you’re definitely welcome to have one

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You stated an opinion, we do agree. Thanks for the reply!

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One of those round and round debates. Sort of like who is the GOAT in any sport. I like those. My statements are both facts. "I am against gambling." Fact. "I oppose anything that encourages gambling in sports." Fact. It only becomes an opinion when I say something such as, "Gambling is bad for sport". Opinion. Can we agree on that? 😉 If you really want some fun, try and prove that Bobby Orr isn't currently the GOAT in hockey? 👀

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As a Bruins fan going back to when there were 6 teams in the NFL, I am giving a Big Amen for Bobby Orr.

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Gretz was an offensive force, there hasn't been one like him. But Bobby changed the game.

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I prefer to spend my timing betting on sports rather than waste a minute thinking about hockey. Have a great weekend pal!

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You must have all of your chicklets?

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You too. Ummm - sports is hockey. World Cup coming up too... check it out. 😎

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Hmm, I think it's a statement... and I agree we are all welcome to our opinions.

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It's been an excuse to but cover, nothing more, nothing else.

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I am grateful that I do not have the desire to bet on games.

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AUDITION ALERT! San Diego State plays tonight, check it out to see if they are PacX worthy. I watched SMU - Tulane last night, and sure enough, SMU looked up to it, if you like Colorado!

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And Tulane academics-wise is a Pac-10 fit and New Orleans is a decent sized TV market.

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Good job John to help keep this issue in the forefront. It's just silliness that it takes a subpoena to even get a timely and accurate depth chart out of most programs.

Poor game planning, bad clock management, and ridiculous play calls that lose games have a lot more to do with losing games than the opponent having some idea about who is more likely to play does. Not that coaches often want to take responsibilities for their mistakes.

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Gee John, sure glad you state that Bo will either play or not play. I had no idea. Only Bo knows . The more I read some of your takes, the more I disagree with you. Will they still play the game at 7:30 pm tomorrow in Eugene? Is it still senior night, and the last home game of 2022? Will the place be full, as it was last week for the Huskies? I am sure the Ducks will give 100%, and have 11 players on the field for each play. Utah beat us twice last year, in a short time span, as sub-super Mario Cristobal had no clue on how to prepare for the second beating the Utes put on us. He could not figure out clock management at the end of tight games either. Slick Willy Taggart had his players doing the Willy jive on the side-lines during the game, as they were getting beat. Good riddance to these two, and am very happy that we now have a very good coach in Dan Lanning. He accepted responsibility for the loss to the Monsters from Montlake last week. He cares about his players, and I am quite sure they love and respect him. Thank God we finally have a good coach,which we have not had since the Chipster left. I predict the Ducks will play a very good game tomorrow. I know Utah is a very good team. They have a top flight coach. Is a huge game for both teams. On my column on substack.com titled DONNIE DUCK'S LATEST, I explain about wagering on football at the two casinos in Sheridan, Or and Lincoln City Or where i place my bets. Has to be cash in person. On the year I am at just barely over .500, including college and pros. I love many sports,but my favorite is college football, followed by the NFL. I also made my picks for tomorrow including Beavers losing in the desert, Cal losing at home vs. Cardinal, and USC over UCLA from the Rose Bowl, Ducks vs. USC for Pac-12 title in Las Vegas, after winning the non civil war in Corvallis. All will be close, well-played games , decided by just a few plays. Can't wait! My dream is for Ducks to win Pac-12 championship, and Bo comes back for one more year in Eugene. Only Bo knows. GO DUCKS

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Nov 18, 2022·edited Nov 18, 2022

Yo. Make it an NFL style system.

Also. Let’s eliminate fake injuries.

Did you know that certain NFL players get paid to fake an injury?

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