Coming off a sweep in the desert last week and a win last night against SC, the Ducks find themselves sitting in second place in the Pac-12 at 5-2. However, if they plan on playing in a post season tourny with the letters CIT, CBI or NIT then they will most likely have to win the conference outright. Most years the conference would have 4-5 teams in the big dance, but this year the Pac-12 might be the worst in the country and the chance of them getting even two teams in minimal.

The Ducks success has been somewhat of a pleasant surprise considering how the year started. Before the season even began 3 players had transferred, and then a month in their top recruit from last years decides to bounce. Not to worry though because while players transfer out of the program players also transfer in. D. Joseph, T. Woods, C. Emory, and O. Ashaolu are all transfers who are playing significant minutes for the Ducks. Add in T. Nared who came in as a transfer last year and you have 3 starters (Joesph and Ashaolu) who had nothing to do with the program 2 years and are now the face of it. Not sure if that’s good or bad, but they are winning. What Altman has been able to do with this group is pretty impressive. Usually when multiple players leave a program it is a reflection of the coach, not in Altman’s case though. The guys who left were scrubs that either didn’t want to work, play d, or thought they were way better than they actually were.

The Ducks play the pathetic Bruins Saturday where they should pick another W, and then next Sunday they will play host to the Bark Rats where another W should be in order as well.

The only thing worse than the Pac is Singler’s mop atop his dome. It’s been brutal all year, bust he took it a step further last night by channeling his inner Sasha Vujacic by wearing a hair band.

If everyone in Wisconsin didn’t already want to kill themselves after the loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, then last night’s game against Michigan State has definitely pushed them over the edge.

Poor clock management strikes down the mighty badgers yet again.

Just a crack squad running the clock at the Kohl center. I thought the home clock was supposed to help the home team not send the fans running for their nooses. 

Just to stick it to Wisky a little more here’s Oregon’s Rose Bowl highlights brought to you by MadMike1951

This has been a fun weekend for Ducks fans. If losing that game to USC wasn’t bad enough worse news came yesterday that probably the biggest recruit in Oregon basketball history Jabari Brown is leaving the team after only 2 games. No real reason as to why Jabari is leaving has come out other than coach Altman saying that he has been frustrated the last 2 games.

Who wouldn’t be frustrated if you have started your college career like Jabari has. Shit I think the 50 year old guy from my rec league that can barely make it up and down the court has put up better numbers than Jabari has. Here’s a quick peak at the kind of numbers that would send anyone running home.

25.5 min (3rd on team)

6.0 ppg (Tied 2nd to last)

27.3 fg% (Last on team)

3.5 3pt att (2nd on team)

14.3 3pt % (Last on team)

6.0 ft att (1st on team)

41.7 ft% (2nd to last)

5.5 turnovers (More than double 2nd most)

Not quite the numbers most of us and I assume he has hoped to see after the kind of hype he has been getting coming into the season.

I went with Kinger to what could be Jabari’s last game as a Duck, and it was very noticeable that he was just not into the game. Kinger even mentioned that he thought Jabari was playing like he didn’t give a shit. Half-assed jogging up and down the court and going into the corner and just camping out like he wasn’t even a part of the offense. Even when the Ducks were making a comeback and the 1500 people that were in attendance started to get into the game he still just stood in his corner uninterested.

So when Kinger told me that Jabari was bouncing before the game yesterday I really wasn’t in complete shock like most Duck fans were.

So whatever coach Altman has to do to keep this kid in Eugene must be done. Even with his game attitude and his horrific numbers he’s going to be a legit player. So Dana, take the kid to a strip club, tell him all will be well, make some promises that you don’t even have to keep, but you cannot let this kid leave if you want to get all the Duck fans behind you while you are the coach here.

Not bad, U.P., not bad.

Now go beat Gonzaga, and maybe the Chiles Center will fill up. Until then it will be empty seats bickering with empty seats about gate receipts…

Yesterday’s pac-12 basketball results from Pac-12.org.

Tuesday, November 15

#23 California 72, Austin Peay 55
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) – Jorge Gutierrez had 14 points, six rebounds and three assists and No. 23 California jumped out to an early lead on the way to a 72-55 rout of cold-shooting Austin Peay on Tuesday night.

Pepperdine 66, Arizona State 60
After battling back in the final minutes of the game, the Arizona State men’s basketball team fell to Pepperdine 66-60 Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Arena despite a big game by junior guard Trent Lockett.

Middle Tennessee 86, UCLA 66
LOS ANGELES (AP)–LaRon Dendy led five players in double figures with 16 points, and Middle Tennessee State rode its hot shooting to an 86-66 victory over UCLA on Tuesday night, the Bruins’ second loss in four days.

Stanford 64, Colorado State 52
STANFORD, Calif. (AP) – Josh Owens scored four of his 15 points in the final 1:54 to lead Stanford past Colorado State 64-52 in the second round of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tuesday night.

Come tourney time in March, these non-conference games count. UCLA takes the cake with a cool 20-point home loss to Middle Tennessee, preceded by the Bruin’s double digit loss to Loyola Marymount, also at home.

PS – Anyone see Terrence Jones for Kentucky last night? I’m glad he screwed over UW, he put on a lot of weight and would destroy underneath in the Pac-12.

It’s late October!

So inevitably the cool nights have me migrating towards the darker beers and passing by the IPAs until Spring of 2012. Yup … drunken rodent text droppings coming up … you know life hasn’t been the same since the last post … ADMIT IT!!

Buckle up … going on a fun ride … a relaxing ride to the tune of Tribe … so just chill bro …

[a tribute to the release of their documentary]

Let’s begin with BASEBALL!! You heard me!!

Let me preface this tasty section with the knowledge that I have not watched one inning of MLB playoff action since Ryan Howard folded to the ground like a drunk stumbling over a street curb at last call. Yeah, this 2011 ending has left a horrible after taste for all Phillies’ fans. The mere thought of watching baseball right now is hurl inducive. On to my controversial point …

Give me LaRussa or give me shit!

Tony LaRussa is the GREATEST MLB manager of all-time … IMO. Six WS appearances, two WS championships … two different teams … two different leagues. Dude is right there with Sparky Anderson. With the one exception, Tony ain’t done.

[please don't fire back with Joe Torre, with all due respect, who couldn't win with that payroll/talent of NY?]

LaRussa is a dick … a defender of his players to no-end … a guy that probably doesn’t laugh at a lot of jokes … but a baseball manager, he is … the best in my feeble (slightly intoxicated) mind. If I could replace Charlie Manuel with Tony LaRussa I wouldn’t hesitate. And you shouldn’t either.

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This just in!!!

I’m a casual Oregon Ducks football fan. And to be frank … this season sucks when it comes to watching Ducks football … from a casual-point-of-view that is. Yeah, I understand you die-hard Eugene-living-bleed-green-Ducks fans … you watch every minute of every game. But us ‘casual’ fans don’t. So when the Ducks get up by 21 … which has been a lot this season … I grab the remote and flick over to another game. Take a look at the schedule … every game has been shit for the casual fan … even the LSU game because the Tigers had that in hand before the 4th qtr. Meaning, every game this season … the casual fan has not watched a FULL Ducks game yet.

Just my way of saying I’m looking forward to Washington & Stanford.

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The Indianapolis Colts are 0-6 … if Peyton Manning doesn’t win MVP … the voters should throw themselves off the nearest bridge.

While on the Colts … how sick would it be if Andrew Luck became a Colt and had to sit under the tutelage of Peyton Manning? Could we see the first TWO-QB backfield in the NFL? Who would the snapped ball go to??

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Tick-tock-tick-tock … the arms on the NBA clock keep spinning around and no season is in sight … oh well … the BETTER game which is NCAA hoops has a chance to shine for 2011-2012. Go get your preseason magazine now, you’ll thank me in December.

Oh … and before i jump off the NBA train … what a dick Bryant Gumbel is. Sure NBA Commish David Stern can come across as a high fah-lutent cock … but the dude is a damn Jew … how can you call him a “plantation overseer” ?? Sorry Gumbel, I brushed off your ridiculous opinions after hearing this …

Seriously dude? When was the last time you actually sat in the stands? You strike me as the type that sends the waiter (of the corp-suite) off to the local sushi joint if the salmon isn’t fresh. How bout this Bryant … go F urself you pompous ass-clown.

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[on a side note ... I began this post with 2 Ninkasi Oatmeal Stout bombers ... finishing with DeSchutes Jubelale bottles ... even an AIDs-riddled-desperate-for-money hooker would say both beers taste better than Bryant Gumbel's shriveled cock if she was offered a grand in cold-hard-cash]

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Don’t git ur hopes up!!

I’m talkin about all this super-conference shit goin down right now. Money grabbing all over the place … ACC, BIG-12, SEC, BIG-EAST … all adding squads … doesn’t mean the MONEY-GRUBBING NCAA Prezs will suffice to a tournament … you don’t really believe that do you?

Don’t be that chick that falls for ‘just the tip’.

Ain’t gonna happen. Too much money in bowls for those teams that finish JUST over .500.  Cuz MONEY bro … is what Big-Time NCAA football is all about now. Not integrity, not tradition, not academics … no way chief … keep dreaming about a tournament. Maybe year 2019, when high school players are big enough to go from 12th grade to NFL practice squads … just maybe then you’ll see a tournament.

Which spawned the next question … will there be an NIT for the mid-majors like Boise St and such?

[I know, don't call me genius, just Nostrameerkat]

So I will leave you with this … just breathe dude …

From O Live:

For one night only, Oregon fans will be able to catch an early preview of the 2011-12 men’s and women’s basketball teams as the Ducks tip-off the year with Matt Knight Madness on Friday, Oct. 14. The doors to Matt Arena open at 7:30 p.m., with the event scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

See that convenient name change? Matt Knight Madness. Where has Midnight Madness gone? Any college kid of the past decade can tell you it’s a great time to sneak booze in the event, take a ”break” every 30 minutes to liquor up, yell and scream when the BMOC leads the 3 man weave, and when it’s over (at 1 am mind you), you’re so drunk you want to destroy things on campus.

But apparently that’s changed. Screw the big party that gets everyone excited about the season. Even ESPN’s coverage of “Midnight” Madness begins at 9pm in the east. Every student looking to have a good Friday night will have bailed before you can grab their attention for 3 hours, and every fan there to watch will have seen one too many power lay ins to make it to midnight.

Ducks open exhibition in 3 weeks, time to get to know Altman’s boys again.

Yahoo. UCLA’s gamble to pluck an assistant coach from Georgia’s top AAU program appears to be paying off so far.

Small forward Jordan Adams, Rivals.com’s No. 69 prospect in the Class of 2012, announced Monday evening that he will follow former Atlanta Celtics coach and CEO Korey McCray to Westwood. The Georgia native chose the Bruins over Memphis, Georgia and Miami in part because of McCray’s presence.

“It was a big factor,” Adams told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. “I’ve been playing for Coach McCray since I was 12 or 13 years old. I used to always work out with him. He helped me get to where I am now as a basketball player. If it wasn’t for [McCray], I wouldn’t be this good and none of these college coaches would be recruiting me.”

Oh I love it! The ridiculousness of the NCAA rule book never ceases to amaze me. Pay a guy that runs a scouting service in football $25,000, who may or may not be trying to a little too “buddy-buddy” with a player, and talk of firings, vacating wins and the death penalty become the talk of ESPN.

Hire an AAU coach in an effort to directly influence kids he knows/coaches at an old guard program like UCLA, and no one even pays attention.

If you’re wondering why a program like UCLA would hire a 32 year old AAU coach from Georgia, I’ll give you one simple reason.  It’s Access.  Of course it’s access, it’s always about access. How do these names of former Atlanta Celtics treat ya; Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson.

I’m sure that McCray coached a couple of national-level players the last couple of years, that have UCLA on their radars is also purely coincidence. 

It isn’t as though Howland is reinventing the wheel here, this stuff has been going on in college basketball for a long time. It’s a good thing no one really pays attention though until March, or these moves would probably be met with more scrutiny. Remember when Coach Cal gave Dajuan Wagner’s dad an assistant coaching job as part of a “package deal?” Arizona recently hired Emmanuel Richardson who was the AAU coach in NY for MoMo Jones and Kevin Parrom. Down at Baylor Scott Drew hired John Wall’s AAU coach during Walls recruiting process. Strangely, he only lasted at Baylor for two years. 

I’m not even saying I care that teams continue this practice, but lets at least call a spade a spade. These guys are all hired by their institutions because they give them great access to better players than their rivals, it’s just good fucking business. It’s stories like this though that always make me shake my head when I hear about how scummy Chipper and the fast-timing Nike Ducks are paying for access from a guy that ‘sends players’ to multiple schools. Not because I don’t think they were, but because I think they all are.

If Oregon really wanted to circumvent the system, they should have just given Lyles some phony job in the football offices and the NCAA would be hunky dory with it.

Jason King of Yahoo thinks all college athletes should be banned from using Twitter:

Twitter is beneficial for people in the workforce, and there’s no denying its ability to inform and entertain…College athletes, however, have no business on Twitter.

He points out the obligatory every-so-often bad seed to back his claim:

In February, Syracuse guard Mookie Jones took to Twitter to complain about a lack of playing time. A few months earlier Jones’ teammate, Scoop Jardine, shared with his followers what he’d learned in college: “#collegetaughtme that groupies really exist! But we just call them #teamplayers! Ahaha”

First of all, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Knuckleheads will be knuckleheads, and these knuckleheads give you something to write about and a check to cash. Jason King is so bored with his job that he wrote a column on the Oregon Ducks basketball team 2 weeks ago!

Secondly, those tweets, like many from college athletes, are actually pretty funny to read. So Mookie and Scoop had to cease tweeting, apologize (read: blame it on those who took his message out of context), and run a few extra sprints before practice. Big whoop. Besides, we wouldn’t get quote machine Steve Spurrier weighing in either:

“We have some dumb, immature players that put crap on their Twitter, and we don’t need that,” Spurrier said. “So the best thing to do is just ban it.”

I’ll listen to TOBC’s take on whether his players can use Twitter. JK’s take, not so much.

And finally, just because a few jackasses misuse Twitter doesn’t mean you ban it from all. How dare people be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them!

PS – “There’s a definite buzz” around the Ducks’ basketball program right now, according to Garrett Sim. Uhhh, sure there is.

Such a Georgetown move. Seriously. If it wasn’t them, you would have to put your money on like UNLV doing something like this. Somewhere John Thompson is chewing on a towel screaming about how racist this is. Somewhere one of his sons (the one that coached at Ball State and screamed racism after he got axed) is sitting around screaming about how the racist white man poisoned the Chinese view of the big bad and black Hoyas. Dikembe Mutombo is wagging his finger is protest of this fight and Patrick Ewing admits if he was involved in the fight, he would have missed the clutch punch.

The Thompson’s, Sharpton and Jackson will be holding a presser admonishing the “white devil” at 4pm, stay tuned!