By Jay Jones, June 29, 2008

Now, when someone asks me, “Have you ever been to an Olympic Track & Field Trials?” (Happens all the time, right?), I can give them the answer I feel obliged to give them.

Yes. Yes, I have. And, honestly, I’m good for another four years. As long as I can get free tickets then, too (Thanks, Rick and Steve.).

To occupy my time in between the heat and heats, I conducted a mental decathlon in my head (Someone else won. Kind of sad.).

Here are the results from each event:

1. It was frakin’ Hot Hot Heat! My face got sunburned. And my back was facing the sun (No, I’m not possessed)! [Update: My wife wanted me to mention this, too; it was so flippin' hot out there that the paint on the bleachers melted on to her shorts.]

2. I think I had a heat stroke, and the associated delusions. I could have sworn I was having an ’80s flashback considering all of the OP/Magnum, P.I.-length shorts I saw today.

3. Deadspin has had a sophomoronic (look it up in the Urban dictionary) track & field day with some of the names in the competition. Hooker. Gay. You get the idea. The kind of laughs your friends had when your fifth grade class watched a sex education film. Real mature stuff. So, I’m going to help them out. Here’s a quick list of other names they will undoubtedly have fun with: Dix, Gaymon, Cox, Dixon, and Johnson. They should be able to get a few miles out of those. Dix. (Did I mention that one?)

4. Only in Eugene, Oregon (Track Town, U.S.A.) does the eight-year old kid sitting in the row behind you know more about the event rules than you do.

5. Those three men perched on top of the old Condon school must have been really, really hot. No shade. And they were wearing all black. Hmmm. I wonder what they do for a living?

6. The Hayward Field crowd was at its most electric when current Duck Ashton Eaton won the 400M in the decathlon.

Here’s an interview with Ashton from some friends of Duck Sports News.

(Thanks A.J. and Cameron.)

7. The most explosive event of the day was an errant discus blowing up part of the white picket fence and a chair.

8. The next throw was errant, as well. And almost deadly. As a group of officials were taking care of the fence and chair, that discus landed right in the middle of them. Folks, those are not frisbees flying in your general direction! Right before this incident, my wife wondered out-loud how the officials avoid getting hit by those things. I replied that they seemed to know what they were doing. I guess that only applies between the lines.

9. Up until #8, I was wondering why officials were using remote-controlled monster trucks to transport the disci (or discuses, if you like) between the officials in the field and the throwers. Now, I’ve got a pretty good idea as to that reason. Don’t need runners shuttling those things back and forth and…WHAM!…picket fence.

10. My bad-timing streak at track events continues. Left before Maria Mutola ran the 800M at the Prefontaine Classic. Left before Tyson Gay ran a 9.68 in the 100M. Thank you, Wind.

Now, when someone asks me, “Did you have a good time at the Olympic Track & Field Trials?”, I can give them the answer I want to give them.

Yes. Yes. I did.

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Hear Jay on the radio every Friday at 9 a.m. on KSCR 1320-AM in Eugene.

By Jay Jones, June 10, 2008

This morning, I am starting my weekly (Fridays) co-hosting duties on The Writer’s Block with George Schroeder at 9:00am on 1320-AM in the Eugene-Springfield area. You can also hear a rebroadcast on 590-AM at 6:00pm.

As far as topics are concerned, I think we’ll talk a little NBA Draft, and its impact on former Oregon players.

If you would like to call the show, here’s the number: 541-284-8571.

By Jay Jones, June 26, 2008

On Wednesday, The Sports Idol, Justin Myers, caught up with former University of Oregon basketball player Byrce Taylor and talked to him about today’s NBA draft.

Here’s the interview.

Hear Jay on The Writer’s Block with George Schroeder each Friday at 9 a.m. on KSCR 1320-AM in Eugene.

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By Jay Jones, June 24, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, Portland’s The Fan (1080 AM) had Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen on the Isaac & Big Suke show.

Here are a few of the things they talked about:

- Misconceptions about the job of the Pac-10 Commissioner

- ESPN vs. Fox Sports Network

- Pac-10 bowl affiliations

- Pac-10 expansion

- Biggest accomplishments

- Chances of a Plus-1, football playoff

- Selecting the next Pac-10 commissioner

You can listen to the interview below.

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By Jay Jones, June 24, 2008

On Monday, The Sports Idol, Justin Myers, caught up with the University of Oregon’s Joe Giansante and talked College World Series and Oregon Baseball.

Here’s what they talked about.

- Giansante’s experience in Omaha at the College World Series

- The possibility of a Pac-10 baseball tournament

- Oregon starting the baseball season with Fresno State (currently playing Georgia in the Championship Series)

- Oregon’s interest in helping the NCAA form baseball policy, and make selections

- The importance of exposure in selecting the next Pac-10 commissioner

[Joe makes an important point here regarding the primary responsibility of the next Pac-10 commissioner: national exposure. And I'll take Joe's point a step further: the Pac-10 should name someone from the entertainment world to lead the conference into the future.]

- The lackluster Pac-10 broadcast partners

Here’s the link to the audio.

Joe, you’re the best when it comes to talking everything Oregon.

And that leads me to this…

In Justin’s conversation with Giansante, Joe mentions that the players are treated like “kings” in Omaha. Well, there are “No More Kings”. And they’ve written a little song called “Sweep the Leg” (featuring a recreation of the All-Valley Tournament). It’s a must-see YouTube video for all you “Karate Kid” fans out there.

Here you go.

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By Jay Jones, June 23, 2008

Last week, ESPN.com concluded releasing their selections for the “Face of the Program” feature on college football.

As noted right here on Duck Sport News, Phil Knight was named Oregon’s “Face of the Program”. And noted on Beaver Sports News, Terry Baker was selected as the “Face of the Program” for Oregon State.

Since posting those entries,several DSN and BSN visitors requested that we put together a list of all of the Pac-10 “Face of the Program” selections.

So, here you go.

Arizona: John “Button” Salmon - Salmon’s “Bear Down” is Arizona’s “Win one for the Gipper.” This one goes back a ways. When I think of Arizona football, I think of “Desert Swarm”. And I also think of a season-ending injuries at the hands of that defense.

Arizona State: Pat Tillman - Pat Tillman has transcended the sport, and become an American hero.

Cal: “The Play” - An iconic play. The downside to this is that Cal has not had a player rise to that kind of transcended level.

Oregon: Phil Knight - So, who stands out on this list? Or should I say doesn’t belong? Phil Knight has done a lot of good things for the University of Oregon. But his selection as the “Face of the Program” is a swipe at Oregon’s history, its accomplishments on the field, and Autzen Stadium. Or were they saying that Oregon really doesn’t have anything emblematic enough to be considered the “Face of the Program”?

Oregon State: Terry Baker - Good choice. Heisman Trophy winner. Although, this selection is reaching back into history pretty far.

Stanford: Jim Plunkett - Won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 over Notre Dame’s Joe Theisman. That’s good enough for me (That orange man turned me down for an autograph.).

UCLA: The Rose Bowl - An iconic venue. But Bruins’ fans think that ESPN missed the boat on this one. And I agree. Again, what does this say about their play on the field? Even though Troy Aikman started off at Oklahoma, he did his damage at UCLA, and with America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. How ’bout them ESPN boys!

USC: Tailback U - Five Heisman Trophy winners at the tailback position. USC was named the “Face of the Program” representing the decade of the 2000s.

UW: Don James - “Dawgfather” is about right, with all the good, and bad, that implies.

WSU: Mel Hein - Talk about the way-back machine. An All-American in 1930. 1930! The Great Depression. Speakeasies. Flappers. Call me a young whipper-snapper, but “Jumping Jehosaphat”! Couldn’t they have selected Drew Bledsoe and called it good?

Hmmm…So, what “Face of the Program” doesn’t belong? I’ll give you a hint: Barry Sanders was named the “Face of the Program” for Oklahoma State, not T. Boone Pickens.

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June 21, 2008

Why is the story revolving around the Ramos pulled scholarship offer getting so much traction?

Is this particular situation going to link Oregon and the problems with recruiting for the foreseeable future?

What will be the impact for Oregon as it recruits?

What do you think?

Here’s the link to his column.

By Jay Jones, June 20, 2008

Just got done with The Writer’s Block. And it was all about ESPN.com naming Phil Knight the Face of the Program (the football program).

Here’s my segment from The Writer’s Block.

While I don’t think it’s inaccurate, I do think it’s a slight and dismissive of many other aspects of the football program.

Even though I’m not a fan of The Pick, that’s a possibility. Len Casanova. Joey Harrington. Dan Fouts. Chris Miller. Mike Bellotti. Bobby Moore. Norm Van Brocklin. And there are many more.

So, Duck fans, who do you think should be the Face of the Program?

By Jay Jones, June 20, 2008

Congratulations to the Duck Athletic Fund’s Matt English on being named the new Athletic Director at Concordia University.

Here’s the story in the Portland Tribune.

As a side note, I’ve met Matt on several occasions.  The UO is losing a good guy.  I was always appreciative for the way he treated a family member of mine.

Unfortunately, it seems like the UO is losing, and will continue to over the course of the next year, a number of quality people in key leadership positions.

[Welcome, Beaver Sports Central II visitors! Make sure and check out Beaver Sports News.]

By Jay Jones, June 20, 2008

On Thursday, The Oregonian’s John Canzano talked to Saint Bonaventure High School Head Football Coach Todd Therrien regarding the Xavier Ramos situation on his sports talk radio show, The Bald Faced Truth.

Here’s the link to the audio. Canzano’s conversation with Therrien is right off the top.

Towards the end of the discussion that follows the interview, Canzano talks about a conversation he had with Ramos earlier in the week in which Ramos told Canzano that he does not want to go to Oregon now, and would like to go to Oregon State and “stick it” to the Ducks.

Can anyone say Mike Hass?

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