A sad day

Terrible news from my hometown of Lafayette, LA. Tony Peloquin, a regular sports radio presence over the past 15 years and one of the more genuinely nice human beings one could have the pleasure of knowing, has died after a long battle with cancer. Tony was in his early 30s and he will be terribly missed.

R.I.P.

Ducks hold off USC

We were on the opposite side of the stadium, but this is pretty much how I remember Autzen, right after Matthew Harper's second interception to seal the deal:

Pandemonium in Autzen

What a fantastic game, and what a performance by Oregon's defense. GameDay is back in Eugene Saturday, for the Oregon-Arizona State game. As of this afternoon, the game is to be televised only regionally, the latest example of just how atrocious the Pac-10's t.v. deal is.

Update: ESPN has ridden in and saved the day. Kickoff at 3:40 local, with Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe calling the action.

Ducks at 13 in preseason coaches' poll

Oregon will certainly miss Aaron Brooks, who carried them for so much of last season. I do think Malik Hairston and, especially, Bryce Taylor will have monster years, and if they can figure out what to do with Tajuan Porter, then things might work out similarly to last year. Whatever happens they should be fun (due to assembled firepower) and frustrating (due to Ernie Kent being the coach) to watch.

Preseason Coaches' Poll

Potter walks out

I don't know if I can recall a more stunning display of petulance by an elected official:

Mayor Crybaby

He tried to shove this name change down people's throats, without adequate process or feedback from the affected community. He charged racism against anyone who dared to question the idea and, when the council decided to take a breath and slow this whole thing down, he walks out of the meeting. This is an embarrassment to the city and, certainly, to this lame duck, accomplishmentless mayor.

Giusto on the way out?

Likely due to the scope of the sheriff's office not typically overlapping with downtown protest marches, zoobombing or listening to Talk of the Nation, this baboon of a sheriff we have here in Portland has skated through scandal after scandal, remarkably intact. That all could be coming to an end, now.

Bernie the Baboon

Ratings bonanza

If I were a TV producer here in the States, I would make this happen, and I would make this happen yesterday:

Wok Racing

I would include more opportunities for audience participation and make it generally "crashier", but this is a golden concept and one that deserves the light of day here.

Another cyclist dies in Portland

There is no small amount of tension between cyclists and drivers in Portland, despite the fact that many drivers ride their bikes regularly, and vice-versa. The cycling community's bombast gets old really quick and their refusal to problem-solve, lest they see their "rights" erode is nothing short of reprehensible at this point:

Another Cyclist Dies in Portland

That's two deaths in two weeks, under almost identical circumstances, yet the people who speak for the cycling community here refuse to even consider changes to bike lane protocol at intersections. Amazing.

A big one at Autzen

I have the good fortune of holding two tickets to the Oregon-USC game Saturday, and S and I will be making the drive down to Eugene for what might be the biggest game in Autzen Stadium history.

Coming from the South and being used to spending Saturdays on campus, it was quite an adjustment that first fall we were here. Luckily, both Oregon and Oregon State have grown significantly in relevance since then, and football here is now a priority.

I root for both state schools, but I'm more of a Duck, for several reasons, including the fact that I have a regular professional relationship with UO. I've been to Autzen for gameday a few times, now; the atmosphere, while not insane like what you would see at some southern schools, is impressive. There is a decent level of partying, but it's also pretty family-friendly there. These folks could certainly use some guidance on food prep, however--not a pot or pit in sight at most games.

As for the game, I just don't know right now. USC has been categorically unimpressive this year and it now looks like they have a quarterback controversy. The Trojan defense is fairly stout but I don't know if anyone can slow down this Ducks offense enough to stay in the game. If Oregon's o-line does its job and there are no special teams meltdowns, I think the Ducks win by 10-14 points.

No matter what, this will likely be the loudest crowd USC has ever experienced and I can't wait to be a part of it.

An introduction (for what it's worth)

I can give you no good reason to read this blog; all I can say is that S (identities will be protected here) thought it would be a good outlet. This is probably, from the reader's end, the absolute worst motivation in the world, but so it goes.

I'm married, with a beautiful wife (the aforementioned "S"), two beautiful young girls ("H" and "M"), a good job and a tiny bungalow in Portland's eastside. Rounding out the cast are family members who joined S and me here in Portland, coworkers and friends, and an idiot dog ("O").

If you have happened upon this by chance and think you might be interested enough to check back, I do plan to update at least a few times a week. Until then...