Perusing the net, I’m once again embarrassed to be a Beaver fan.
That my brethren are cheering the suspension of Masoli only shows that they tremble and quake at the mere presence of the man who shredded consecutive Rose Bowl bids. Hey, I’m scared of Masoli as well–he is dangerous, borderline unstoppable in the spread offense. That being said, when the Ducks come to Corn Valley next season I’d like a crack at them with their best players. To be the best you must beat the best, and for that reason I’d like to see the Ducks at full strength. You can’t have a changing of the guard if one of said guards isn’t there to change out.
Now, let’s not confuse what I am saying here with legal matters. Masoli is guilty and should be kicked off the team permanently. Same with James–Kelly was both inconsistent and lenient, and this favoritism will lead to deeper problems for him down the road. But as a Beaver fan I should not want players kicked off the team. If I do, it only shows that I’m deathly afraid of this opponent. What the reaction should be is this: “What they did is illegal, and therefore they should not be afforded the privilege of playing football under scholarships paid for by Oregon residents, but this really sucks because I’d love to beat these guys at full strength next December.” Instead, Beaver fans are ecstatic that they now have a chance at winning the Civil War while also taking the low road and reveling in the current Duck misery. It screams (classless) little brother, and frankly, I’m tired of playing that role, which is present in every athletic and academic endeavor the university pursues.
If the Beavers do win the Civil War this coming season, the feat will be tarnished in these eyes. Until the Beavers beat the best they’ll play second fiddle, and that’s a chair the old, tattered Beaver fan who lived through “28 years” is content sitting in, but the new generation of fan is coming on and we have higher expectations of what Corvallis can and should be. This is not your mom and dad’s generation you old, dying farts. Stop cheering on felonies because it’s beneficial to your inferior football team and instead criticize your own team so it’s better based on merit and mettle rather than an opponent’s attrition.
I agree with your sentiment, angry. However, I think its fine to shame them for their terrible behavior. They should have been punished more than they are. Feel bad for Kelly–but perhaps he is reaping what he was sowing.
Beavgirl, I think there are ways to shame them without reveling or sounding relieved of having to fear them. What I wrote above (i.e. “What they did is illegal, and therefore they should not be afforded the privilege of playing football under scholarships paid for by Oregon residents”) is shaming while also not showing fear. I think showing fear is weakness, and weakness loses the mental battle and the physical shortly follows. Beaver fans also pride themselves on being classy, so to act this way is an embarrassment to that quickly slipping reputation. What the internet has done is expose Beaver fans as phonies who are no more classy or superior than any other fan base. It takes each individual biting their tongue in situations like Masoli’s to maintain a positive reputation, and what are the chances of that in a community of hundreds/thousands? It just takes a few to tarnish an entire fan bases reputation. You can look far and wide on every duck/Beaver forum on the net and you won’t find me making a peep about what went down other than to say Kelly probably should have suspended James permanently to make a statement/for the good of his program.
“What the internet has done is expose Beaver fans as phonies who are no more classy or superior than any other fan base.”
this may be a stretch but is angry talking about beaverblitz again? :p
If blitz is the figurehead of the fan base i feel sorry for beav fans. Good thing its a private site ahee
Actually I was reading Blitz and the comments on the Canzanno article.
Canzanno got it wrong on this one in saying Kelly handled this situation correctly. Maybe he just wants to mend his relationship so he gets future interviews. Kelly is in for a world of hurt. You can’t treat two people who committed the same crime differently and expect that to result in team cohesion. Embry kicked off the team while Masoli can redshirt? Ouch. You might as well kick off every player who was friends with Embry at that point because they’re not going to play for this guy. Expect transfers.
But that is Kelly’s problem to deal with…if you read the comments you’ll see the underlying and latent fear and subsequent jubilation by Beaver fans. They aren’t happy about justice being served, though that is what they’re portraying; what they are happy about is not having to face Masoli again. They might as well just come out and say it and admit the complex so they can begin to fix it. First step in healing is admitting a problem, right?
Right!
After reading the court documents on the LMJ case…a one game suspension is fitting if not too harsh.
Masoli should never play college football again. Pre-meditated crime contrasted by the heat-of-the-moment mistake by LMJ. A punk is a punk is a punk, and he are one.
I want few things more than for the beavers to beat him on the field though. The guy is a brilliant football player, at least for CK’s offense. Hopefully he’s back in 2011, and we take it to them at the landfill.
My gut tells me that he’ll transfer after Darron Thomas takes the reins this year…it would be a tough decision for their program to start a kid for his sophomore year, sideline him for his Junior year then play again his Senior year which would be the case for DT. There’s something to be said for continuity in leadership, and plugging Masoli in would interupt that.
-GWH
Angry,
I feel that the fact that Masoli and LMJ are both key note players for their program, that they are getting “special treatment” for their crimes as a football player. I am curious to know what the NCAA/Pac-10 rules are when it comes to a student athlete found guilty of choking a female (I don’t care if it’s “in the heat-of-the-moment”). Striking a female, any female, to cause harm is a serious matter in my eyes. What would have happened if it was Kelly’s kid that was choked? I bet LMJ would be kicked off the team so fast that Kelly would put a restraining order on LMJ. If any student athlete gets convicted of a crime, they should lose scholarship at least for a punishment. If they wish to continue playing for my team, they have to pay their own way to do it.
As far as Masoli goes, pre-meditated stealing is a stupid thing to do. I don’t think he should be kicked off the team, but a suspension for a season does seem fit for this because it’s getting out of hand for the “heat of the moment” crap. Blount started the whole thing with his punch and Kelly set the example of, “If it’s in the heat of the moment, you’ll be suspended, but if you prove yourself, you can come back and play at the end of the season.” That’s what I have gotten from Kelly so far. He is a lousy disciplinary. I hate to say this because I dislike Belotti, but I must give him credit for his disciplinary skills as a coach. Some guys will do what they want no matter what, but you need to grow some back bone and just say, you know what, enough is enough if this is going to continue happening and have a pattern of stupid off the field behavior, then I need to kick someone off the team who I feel fits the best and LMJ is the perfect choice, and Kelly failed.
I would love nothing better than to defeat the Ucks at full strength, but I also want to see guys who earned their shot because they are disciplined enough on and off the field. Who would you rather defeat, Mike Tyson, or Evander Holifield? I choose Evander because he’s a classy guy and you know he’ll play fair. I hope that analogy helps a bit with why some Beaver fans are “happy” about Masoli not playing. I have no feeling on the matter because a lot can happen between now and the Civil War. Injuries are what I am referring to.
I’d rather defeat Mike Tyson if he was #1 and Holyfield is he was #1. The Ducks right now are #1 in the conference (that is, defending champs) and they would have been better this coming season. So, to answer your question, I’d rather defeat Mike Tyson in this case. I don’t care if my opponent is classy or not; I care that I am beating the best (in my “weight class”, to extend your analogy) and changing the guard.
And these players should be kicked off the team. So again don’t get me wrong. I think the punishment was too lenient. But, as a Beaver fan I wanted another shot at those guys. Most fans have this latent jubilation that is very transparent: they’re simply elated they don’t have to play Masoli again, and yet they’re spinning it as a moral/legal issue. It’s just a large plate of weak sauce.
I would rather fight the best and beat them than fight a weak, but honorable man.
Posters on this blog are acting like its better to play an honorable player who isn’t the best. They seem to be confusing outside the field behavior with player talents.
Yeah, I mean…do I want to watch (and beat) Wilt Chamberlain and the 30,000 women he slept with or the self-proclaimed 40 year old virgin AC Green? That a guy isn’t a saint doesn’t matter at all if he is the best…everyone with a competitive bone wants to beat the person they know is #1.
Do I want to strike out Babe Ruth and his glutinous, beer drinking belly or Lou Gehrig?
etc etc etc.
Give me Masoli. And beat him. Otherwise you are second fiddle. Hell, if the standings read #1 at the end of the year I’ll be glad, but I’ll know it was a backdoor entry, and that is why as a fan I’m disappointed to see Masoli sit.
Did you read the account of the LMJ incident? Sounds like the girl went pyscho, ripped his necklace off of his neck, then stole his keys and took off running…if HE had done that, they’d (the court) have strung him up! He was trying to hold HER off! I would never condone any sort of domestic violence, retalitary or otherwise, but women can tee off at will with no repurcussion whatsoever! At worst, he’s guilty of getting mad for getting his property ruined (necklace) and for getting his property stolen (keys). At best, he showed a certain degree of restraint.
My tune has changed with regards to this incident since it was first reported. Strangulation? Assault? Hardly.
I’m as ardent a beaver fan as there is, but this whole deal was blown way out of proportion.
Masoli has shown a PATTERN of criminal behavior. If he has the resolve to stick this out at the UofO with the potential of watching from the sidelines in ’11, I’d be shocked.
“Did you read the account of the LMJ incident?”
I didn’t. I’ve only read the media reports. Where can it be found online?
Your description of the incident sounds like a he said/she said…that he spent days in jail and had a misdemeanor charge is the legal system saying he is a criminal who was in the wrong.
Double standard? Maybe. That is a reality in any society and to talk too much about that goes down the slippery slope of individual choices. I’ll just keep it really brief and say that James put himself in that situation by associating with that type of person. End of the day he is responsible for who he’s with and what he does.
Don’t blame the victim. The account also said that he grabbed her and manhandled her. She grabbed his necklace and threatened to pull it off unless he let her go. He didn’t. She did. He got mad and threw her against his car.
The evidence against him also includes severe bruising on the victim’s neck… not her collar as LMJ claims. I don’t blame her for hiding in the car he threw her against. It was probably smart that she did take the keys. He would have probably don more than tackle her after that if she had not.
I don’t have any sympathy for woman-beaters. The rumors on that side of town are that LMJ was going to get whupped by some other tenants if the fight continued much longer. You know how it is with people screaming at each other. People let it go if it doesn’t last that long. There were some witnesses that said he was just out of hand. People rarely call the police, but they should have done it that day.
In fact, he should have called the police first. He would have only been a jerk at that point. Now he’s a jerk and a woman-beater.
But the real embarrassment is the school’s lack of support, education and development of these kids.
It’s true, JackBeav, they treat them like race horses, not humans. But the player chose to attend that particular school. Birds of a feather, like begets like, etc.
“If the Beavers do win the Civil War this coming season, the feat will be tarnished in these eyes. ”
This is idiotic.
A win is a win is a win. Two years ago, we were missing half our team and got crushed. Should that have made anyone feel better about getting our asses handed to us? It shouldn’t and it didn’t. When we beat them with no Dennis Dixon, did that win count for less? Did it feel hollow? Hell no. We beat the team they put on the field.
When we win next year, will it make the win any worse? Hell no. They have other quarterbacks and one of them will step up and play well enough to earn the starting spot. And we’ll beat them. Don’t start tarnishing future wins with your nonsense.
I’m glad they suspended Masoli for the season. Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop. Dude will probably start stealing more shit, thus making Oregon easier to recruit against in the future.
A win isn’t a win. There are clearly degrees of victory.
Beating a team at full strength > beating a team without one (or two) of their Heisman candidates.
Sorry this concept eludes you.
You guys all live in a dream world. To think you can beat the ducks with or without masoli is nuts. I do agree masoli should get the boot, lmj is a different story. Read the court documents on kval.com from the d.a. (the plaintiffs account) and put yourself in his shoes. How would you handle it and would you deserve same treatment he got. He tried to diffuse girl gone crazy and that us impossible. Hell hath no fury than that of a woman scorn. Quit acting like we are only program that has players arrested
Beavers have had plenty of run ins with the law.
http://www.fanblogs.com/oregon_state/004973.php
I loathe the ‘blame the victim’ crowd more than the ‘joyful bliss’ crowd. I’m almost apathetic when it comes to the property crimes. But when it comes to manhandling a woman to the point where the police are forced to act due to severe visible bruising on the victim’s neck… why am I even responding to this cretinous ass?
What nobody seems to get is that the victim had to begrudgingly tell the story because she couldn’t hide the evidence and there were too many witnesses who saw the event… one who told me he was going to kick LMJ’s ass on principle until the two noticed a bunch of people were watching them and vamoosed the scene.
No. I would not have handled it the same. I would never have touched the woman… PERIOD.
And MORON! You’re in a thread which is attacking the joyful glee crowd. Do we have to start a thread about the inability of our little sister to teach its students to read and comprehend the English language?
Ease up there cowboy. Simply stating to those who believe that James should get the boot that its not how the media spun it. Do you use all those big boy words in everyday conversation or do they do better for your argument
Big boy words? It’s English.
You should try to comprehend it sometime. You obviously didn’t understand the court documents you claim you read and tried to pass off on us like we were ignorant of the facts.
I know someone who saw the LMJ incident happen. I’m told by this Ducks fan that he got off light with probation because the victim didn’t just ‘fall’ against his car.
Use your imagination from there small boy.
For anyone who wants to read it…
http://www.scribd.com/doc/28271575/LaMichael-James-Sentencing-Memorandum
I especially like the sentence, “Uninformed gossip, blogs, and other internet communications have distorted the circumstances, misstated the victim’s relationship with the defendant and compounded the harm done to her.”
If MORON would have read and understood this document as he had claimed, then he probably would not have furthered the generalization that Duck fans are just idiots.
There are so many right-minded Ducks fans in this world who are justifiably saddened by this circumstance. Why is it the putzes make more of an impact than they do by posting crap like the above?
You do a lot of name calling jackbeav. I wonder if you would be so brave standing in front of me? I’m not trying to be confrontational, but I have interpreted the memorandum differently than you did. Apparently the D.A. did to. As far as misstatements, the media has made James out to be a woman beater and choker. I am saddened by this beav, but feel like its just a situation that git away from him.
If you made the same excuses you do here I would loudly make these statements to you in person. I have no fear wearing my Beavs gear on the UO campus itself, and I have no fear when calling out a woman beater… which is what LMJ turned into. There is no reason to ever manhandle a woman unless her life is in danger, and the justice system somewhat bears that out since the preponderance of evidence weighed goes against any claims of innocence on LMJ’s part.
This is not to say that he’s a bad person for the actions he’s guilty of. He has taken responsibility and can learn to avoid such circumstances in the future.
It’s important to note that one of the witnesses of the actual incident did call the police, and that’s why they were involved. The victim could not deny the incident because of the physical evidence on her body. It’s a sad event that I’m sure involved more passion than anything. Hate the sin and all that.
But saying that physical violence is ‘understandable’ in any way makes a mockery of the issue as a whole. LMJ did the right thing in taking responsibility, and his fans (I’m one) should do the same for his sake and the sake of his team. Blaming the victim only prolongs the situation and removes any honest claim to maturity in LMJ’s apology.
This thread was begun in the wake of Beavs fans doing the exact same thing by taking joy in the circumstance. They are putzes and morons as well if they don’t look at the reality and just wish for an honest rivalry with the Ducks. College kids make poor choices… some of them poorer than others. And OSU is not immune from adolescent stupidity. Why would there be any joy derived from this situation?
I’m sorry if I went overboard with name-calling, but that’s my knee-jerk reaction to things that really anger me. It might be because I’m a large man with a wife, mother, sisters and a daughter that I feel protective of women in general. But I like to think that my imposing frame has nothing to do with speaking freely to the truth.
The fact is that there was good reason for the police to be called and further good reason for them to act as they did. LMJ’s actions are forgivable because there is no pattern to this behavior, and the initial physical action, though ill-advised, was borne more from embarrassment than anger.
I can think of two scenarios where it’s okay to manhandle a woman:
1. She’s going to kill you. That is, self-defense.
2. She’s into that kind of thing. ;)
Jack beav, I also have a wife, a daughter, a mother, and a sister of which I am extremely protective of. Oh and I am a large man myself. This calls for an arm wrestling duel, ha. I agree with everything you have said in this last post. When I envision James situation I see a pissed of girlfriend standing at his door screaming and yelling and probably threatening the other girl. James has a reputation for being the nice quiet kind. I’m not saying its OK, but the situation got away from. Seems like it could happen to a lot of good men.
“I can think of two scenarios where it’s okay to manhandle a woman:
1. She’s going to kill you. That is, self-defense.
2. She’s into that kind of thing. ;) ”
didn’t read the thread but this is pretty right on
Besides, beating a team that self-destructed due to its numerous severe character flaws is NOT a tarnished victory.
I’d put a lot more value in a win vs Masoli than a win vs Darron Thomas no matter how you want to spin this.
There are degrees of victory.
1. Score–beating a team by 30 > beating a team by 1.
2. Personnel–beating a team at full strength > beating a beleaguered team
3. Home/away–beating a team in their building > beating a team in yours.
etc.
Not sure why you guys are making this an argument since it is so clearly a losing one.
“There are degrees of victory.”
Yeah, not sure why we are arguing about this haha.
I do.
It’s because a lot of guys have a hard time admitting difficult truths. Like if you’re a physically ugly person, it’s probably hard to admit that, even if you know it. Or if you scored a 600 on the GRE. You probably don’t want to admit you’re not graduate study material.
It’s hard for Beaver fans to admit the school is second rate and little sisters. And that the 30+ point shellacking was the most impressive Civil War victory in the history of the series, or that Masoli is the best player on the field when the two teams meet..
It’s easier to say there aren’t degrees of victory and simply be happy that Masoli was kicked off his team.
I’m all about accepting difficult truths. It’s an empowering way to go through life. That guys spend their entire days going back and forth on message boards trying to justify why their team is better when it’s ALWAYS so clear (to the objective man) who is better just makes me roll my eyes and feel sorry for them.
There are people who can’t accept the difficult truth for any sports team. I know many Duck fans who are saying things like, “who cares? Masoli sucked anyway. Darren Thomas is waaaay better.” The fact is all sports teams have people like this and they are generally the most vocal ones.
Being a sports fan is something ANYONE can do. A majority of sports fans are going to be complete dunces. Especially the loud and obnoxious ones.
Most people aren’t objective about things in REAL life that actually matter, let alone something like sports that brings out the basic us vs. them mentality bred into us since before we killed of the Neanderthals… :P
Oh man that was awesome taking a 2hr mid day nap and waking to a comment about Neanderthals.
I think you are right about degrees of victory. In the end I don’t really care as long as my team wins though. :P
I think it’s a bit presumptuous to say that beating UO with DT is going to be a “worse victory.” He could end up making them better than last year. There’s no way to know just yet. Taking a firm stand on that right now seems ridiculous. I think you just like to argue. :P
If we were going to play them next week I would say you’re right. But this isn’t like when Dixon went down. They essentially have the whole off-season and whole season to get into a grove before we play them.
I probably meant “get into a groove” but get into a grove is actually kind of cool. I might start using that more often.
What’s presumptuous is presuming that DT will play at a Heisman level. When you realize Masoli was at that level my original thought shifts from presumptuous to pretty much spot on/realistic.
This is going back and forth again… judge it when the CW is here and we know what kind of team they are. No one is saying he’s Heisman, but what I believe too, and what RodgerBro is getting at is saying it is quite some time, and a whole season [-1] until then. Assess then, and don’t chock up a CW win as a tarnished W in March. Hell, we might be losing said game anyway…
That’s not to say I don’t agree on degrees of a W, it’s just too early to see what those degrees might be.
Right, it’s true that they might have zero defense and be ripe for shredding, something either Masoli or DT would be unable to overcome. But my point is valid that I’d like to see the Beavers beat that teams best QB and that is valid since DT will not be a Heisman candidate. Also, as it stands right now Masoli is a legend in this series…two for two in Rose Bowl denying games. It would be nice to knock him off at least once and now there is no chance of that.
And Rodgers, go with “get into the grove”…
Dude, Angry, I understand your sentiment but you give me a bit of pause here when you talk about backdoor entry, not only because that phrase made me snicker a bit, but because one could argue that the Duck’s entire Pac-10 championship was a backdoor entry. The Pac-10 was HORRIBLE last season…and the bowl records show this. When your greatest opposition is Oregon State, you might as well put the crown on your head because our defense was atrocious.
Everybody’s defense, this season, was bound to improve, especially USC’s. UCLA is going to be a force. Arizona’s offense will stlll go neck and neck with Oregon’s. Oregon State has a ton of experienced players returning. Hell, even Arizona State and Washington State will put up a more significant fight. Washington had a great class of recruits and Stanford still has Harbaugh. The offenses are all going to be better too.
Oregon shouldn’t have been anyone’s, besides lazy journalists who are/were always willing to put USC and Oregon at the top, pick for first. There is a lot that can happen, not just injuries, to keep them out of the top. I think if Oregon State were in the same position with the Ducks next season, it would be a miracle for both- and I’m just trying to be real.
Also, by the same logic you’ve employed in the past about why OSU will continue to dawdle about in the middle of the Pac-10 due to their lack of getting star power in recruiting, Oregon is naturally going to be “superior” to OSU with or without Masoli and LMJ. It’s true that there are going to be retarded fans that delight in all this because they are afraid, but I have to argue with your idea that a victory against the Ducks will be a hollow one because there are a lot of fans who understand the Pac-10 is a TOUGH conference and defeating any team in this conference is difficult and I know that the Ducks have some talented guys because they are getting to the point where they can reload. You need to give more credit to Thomas and others. The Ducks haven’t lost much here and they will be a challenge without Masoli.
Last but not least, when it comes to Masoli, the guy is a repeat offender. In any other life he would be on his way to being nothing but a thug. A lot of those fans that are celebrating are those that like to see bad people get their come uppance, and being a thief in two states makes you a convict in the eyes of many and a lot of them are probably even more pissed this criminal is going to get a free education, which many of them can’t, couldn’t, didn’t. Personally, I think his sheer stupidity off the field shows that he doesn’t have what it takes as a competitor anyway (see: Ohio State). Besides, there a lot of fans just like you Angry, who aren’t “afraid” of Masoli because we know the guy can be stopped- we just didn’t.
And finally, give OSU some credit. Despite the complaints we’ve had about them, they have managed to be fairly competitive. Even if some of our fans are scared, I don’t think our team is, and that’s what matters most.
1. Nobody knows what will happen with Thomas. My point isn’t that the Ducks will be better/worse. It’s that the Beavers should want to beat the (known) best, and that would be the team with the Heisman candidate at QB because it puts a firm stamp on their arrival, vindicates ghosts, signifies an inarguable changing of the guards, and does wonders for a program with a fragile psyche. Do you think Thomas will be a Heisman performer? If you don’t, then the Civil War, should the good guys prevail, will be a lesser win.
2. “The Pac-10 was HORRIBLE last season”…then you mention bowl record. The Pac-10 played great in OOC games. Ducks beat Utah and Purdue, USC beat Notre Dame, Ohio State, and BC, and UCLA went out and beat Tennesee (and KState) at their place. Cal thumped Maryland and Minnesota. Stanford beat Notre Dame. etc. Then there were the near misses in ASU/Georgia and Stanford/Oklahoma.
Before saying it was a terrible year because of bowl games understand what the conference did to OOC teams outside of bowl games.
3. I don’t know if every team will be improved like you said. The Beavers have a lot of unknowns and depth issues. It’s unlikely that UCLA is a force next season, etc. This argument sounds like you’re downplaying the Ducks conference championship because…well…they’re the Ducks.
I agree with the idea of wanting to beat the best. Any true competitor should always want to be the best and want to fight the best on the way to the top. I don’t celebrate what happened to Masoli and James, instead I am pissed. I feel like if I had commited similar crimes my punishment would have been way worse. I want them booted and will be very angry. I used to respect Kelly, now I think he is a piece of trash. I think it is terribly wrong for these individuals to continue to receive scholarships when others work so hard to do it the right way.
James may have had some light shed on his situation with the court documents but he still commited a violent crime. He should have called the police for trespassing and had her removed in the first place. It was way too simple, he is a thug.
Now, this nonsense about Masoli. He is a THUG. Period. The other nonsense about him being so great, lets clear this up, Dixon was WAY better than Masoli. Dude cannot throw outside of the pocket at all. It is disgusting that the Pac-10 fails to stop them, especially the touted Oregon State defense. I liken stopping the veer to stopping their offense. It is only a matter of time before the conference pulls their head out and finally stops it. I have written a matter of times a strong theory that works to stop the offense. I have seen it run several times with great success.
I am not happy that Masoli is gone because “now we can beat them”. I am unhappy by their weak sauce punishments. I also think to assume a win because those two are gone is dumb. They got killer recruits and running back and they have a couple of back-ups who have proved that they are no scrub. Same at the QB position. They are an athletic school with a very intelligent coach who has a strong system. I worry that we won’t beat them until either Banker or Kelly leaves…
Come on, man, don’t put words in my mouth. I definitely don’t assume we’ll beat them and I never said we would…I was saying IF we beat them. We’ll start to know if we have any defense in a few weeks when camp begins.
I am not putting words in your mouth about us beating them. I am more speaking about individuals who would celebrate the loss of Masoli.
Additionally, his actions are embarrassing to the entire state. Many on the east coast see this on ESPN and generalize. I know that many people not living on the west coast hear that someone goes to OSU and they ask, “oh is that the ducks?” (and vice versa). Not only do Masoli and James embarrass the university, they embarrass the state.
I find it hard to get worked up about these kinds of things. College football changes on a dime. Injuries, academic issues, leaving early for the NFL, suspensions, transfers, etc. etc. You never know what you are going to get from year to year. Individual players come and go in the blink of an eye.
My only constant is when the Beavers take the field I root like hell for them to win!
I get worked up about it because my tax dollars support his Thug attitude. I work hard for my money and would rather use it towards my current tuition at OSU. I am disappointed in his transgressions and that he simply got a slap on the wrist. I know that if you or I went out and committed the same crimes as Masoli and James we would both see much harsher punishments, even in a plea deal. This for me goes way beyond sport.
Have you ever lived in Eugene? I remember back in early 90s a murderer got 7 years, got out and did it again. You have to love the Lane County judicial system.
I hear your frustration with the sentencing, but it seems about right for the Lane County justice system. I remember when I lived there a guy stabbed a fellow transient to death and got seven years for murder (not manslaughter). It made the news because of course soon after he got out, he cut up another person.
Things that I have to say…
I will never be embarrassed to be a Beav fan. I may dislike some fellow Beav fans or their actions. I may dislike some athletes or their actions. But I’ll always be proud to be a Beav fan. I wore my black OSU polo to the Market of Choice on Franklin today, and I didn’t hear word one from any of the people in the store. And at least 50% (probably more) were wearing Ducks apparel.
Btw… that stadium is way too tall for a hoops venue. I remember how far down the floor is from when the construction was in its earlier stages. They’ve constructed another tiered arena. I can’t think of a single tiered hoops venue which screams “hallowed” to me. They just suck. But at least they’re new dump is shiny… and has indoor plumbing.
Back on topic… I think this sentiment speaks directly to what I think of our non-con schedule next year. I want the tough teams. I want the rest of the world to see that we’re not lilly-livered chicken shits like the SEC is. One of the things I love about March Madness is that we hear people talking about ‘bubble’ teams. We hear about strength of schedules. We hear about RPI ratings. The BCS just sucks rotten eggs. And if they don’t think so then they are just the biggest morons on Earth.
And, in the end, we get the best the Ducks have because that’s just the way it is. I understand what you’re saying. This should be celebrated about as much as an injury. But, like an injury, I make and take no excuses. The Ducks weren’t national champs with Dixon because they didn’t have the ability to be national champs. If you’re going to run your QB, expect him to be broken. If your contingency doesn’t cover that, then you don’t deserve to win. The same is true of any other form of attrition. They are what they are, and there can be no better ‘they’.
But I understand how you feel. I can empathize. I will call it the Lance Mitchell Condition. If anyone truly wants another shot at Masoli, it’s got to be him.
And the whole self-righteous ‘my taxes’ argument doesn’t hold water. They’re going to use 85 scholarships anyway. Let them spend one on someone who doesn’t play. It’s their choice.
I’d much rather see them start a program much like the NFL does for rookies… classes, seminars, avoid this and that, etc….
Well, I’m not actually embarrassed to be a fan, but I’m embarrassed that the fan base is happy about Masoli’s suspension.
I understood your intent. I just wanted to be clear.
I don’t mean to be self-righteous about my taxes as much as I mean that I believe that other more deserving athletes should be receiving the scholarships. I am sure that UO has walk-ons who are great citizens and work hard everyday. I know OSU does, I hope that they receive scholarships. One person at OSU that I think really deserves a scholie is Aaron Nichols. He is not only a hard worker and good player, he also does great things in the community.
Agreed on Nichols. And agreed on the feeling that there are more deserving people who can receive a scholarship. But, in the end, it’s their choice.
I personally think he shouldn’t receive a scholarship while on suspension. Getting a free ride is not really a punishment.
I don’t think anyone would be upset if Aaron Nichols got a scholarship. He’s a player.
Since we’re on football, has anyone else heard the rumor that Tuivailala is already an academic casualty? That was fast.
He was always a risk. There was apparently a stretch last fall where he allowed depression to set in–or something like that.
Apparently his father kicked him in the ass and told him to pull it together. And the kid did it. But his checking out for a couple weeks cost him some time in the classroom as well as on the field. I guess that’s why he was scheduled as a grey shirt.
I agree that we want to face opposing team’s best players but if those players are practicing behaviors that are not consistent with the terms and expectations of their scholarships, then they shouldn’t be playing on their scholarships, and if they are, they detract from their own teams performance (either wins or losses).
If Duck players have negative impacts on their team because they’re behaviors prevent them from playing for the Ducks, the teams that beat the Ducks don’t have to feel bad – its not the winning team’s fault.
I do agree that nobody should be happy about the player’s crimes, or their punishments. It all detracts from college football.
I agree with all of this. They shouldn’t be playing (of course), but we shouldn’t have to fear these guys so much to the point we’re happy they’re off the team. It would be nice to just have equally good players so we could be confident in stopping them and want to stop them. -fini-
Hey, angry…I had a dream last night that I ran into you at a movie theater or something with stadium style seating and I have no idea how I thought it was you since I have no idea what you even look like. I just thought I would share that funny thing that happened to me.
Anyways, I think what you’re saying Angry is that without 1 player(Masoli) on the roster, we won’t be beating the best of last years conference champions. Well, I must add that Blount debuted his come back in the Civil War, so couldn’t you say that with all of the teams that didn’t play with Blount in the backfield be tarnished wins? I mean, the ducks’ momentum clearly changed when Blount came into the game last year and scored a TD. So, how is this any different? 1 player doesn’t define a team, even if it is a QB. We won’t be playing against the conference champion QB. I think you’re contradicting yourself a bit here too. Isn’t saying, “Yes he SHOULD be kicked off the team, but since he’s still on the team, but suspended for a season, then we aren’t playing against their best player.” (I’m paraphrasing)
I think this suspension, in a way, is like Masoli getting kicked off the team, except just for 1 season (assuming CK doesn’t go back on his decision like Blount). I feel that it’s a whole new season and I want our best Offensive guys Vs. their best defensive guys and our best defensive guys against their best offensive guys of 2010-2011. I don’t see how him being suspended for season is different from being injured for a season, being kicked off the team permanently, but I do see it would have been a bit different if he was suspended right before they were supposed to play in the Civil War because then we wouldn’t have the chance or satisfaction of beating them. The Civil War is a good what 9-10 months away!?!? That’s a freaking long time away! We don’t even know if the ducks will be the top team this year and thinking that Masoli being out will change how that could have panned out is ludicrous! What if we were to lose one of the Rodger’s brothers again(God Forbid). Would that tarnish the wins our opponents would have over us? HECK NO! There are 60+ guys who play on a team and they are there because they have enough talent to play on that football team in that system. It’s the Coaches job to put the best 11 on either side of the ball on the field to win games!
1. “I think what you’re saying Angry is that without 1 player(Masoli) on the roster, we won’t be beating the best of last years conference champions.”
exactly.
2. “Well, I must add that Blount debuted his come back in the Civil War, so couldn’t you say that with all of the teams that didn’t play with Blount in the backfield be tarnished wins?”
No. Blount was the 2nd best running back on that team. (or third, Barner looks really good).
So unless you believe Darron Thomas is better than Masoli, I rest my case. And before you say “he might be”, realize Masoli is one of a handful of Heisman favorites. Is Darron Thomas going to win the Heisman? If he finishes in the top five I’ll eat crow and your point is correct, but I like my chances with that bet. So yes, we won’t be beating the best (if we do win the game) and it is tarnished.
Oh man, I forgot to comment on your dream.
That’s ridiculous and funny, but it creeps me out a little so I’ll just leave it at that.
yeah that’s a bit creepy ha
Awesome! I’m a John Braun fan. And I’m sure angry will be happy with Frahm’s move inside… if he’s happy about Frahm at all. :)
http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbeaversbeat/2010/03/riley_talks_about_spring_footb.html
Frahm is the least of my concerns. He’s better suited inside since he is so slow, but once there he’s too weak to have an impact. It’s easier to bulk up and gain strength than gain speed (i.e. fast twitch/genetics).
I really don’t like this team…they’ll have to have a great spring for me to get excited. Burke Ellis is our RG? Weak. Seumalo and Devon Kell are our backup ends? Wow. Beyond weak. The talent level still isn’t there, and the depth is paper thin.
I’m doubting the depth chart stays this way. I fully expect Rosa to move up, Glover to make an impact, etc. I’m happy to hear that Miller is showing speed on the outside. And Braun was a monster DE in HS. He was just also a monster OT.
I’m actually feeling a little better than I was to end last season. I trust Seumalo to have natural talent fill in the gaps where projects have been for the last couple years.
Of course… we’ll have to see what spring ball brings.
Yeah, I thought Rosa would be a backup DE as well, and I thought Colin Lyons would be the favorite at RG. If Burke Ellis is our RG next season that will be 3 walk-ons on the OL…that is ridiculous. You’re not going to win with that kind of mismatch. Quiz made the 2 walk-ons look a lot better than they were last season, but at some point you have to give the guy a real line to run behind.
Braun must not have put on weight like expected as a red shirt. I’m fine with that because he’s an outstanding athlete on either line. I’m just glad he’s such a Beav homer, because the Ducks tried their best to recruit him away early on. If coach Seumalo gets his pad level down at all he could be a beast.
And remember Enger, Thomas, Andrews and Beaton are still in the mix. I expect to hear their names often in the years to come.
I think next year’s class will be the real test for line recruits. Just watching Terron Ward tape, I saw Vei Moala, Nate Falo, Faigame Lopa and Dylan Wynn. Then there’s Lyerla, Scarlett, Mitchell and Wolfe from the Portland area. I’m sure there are others from around the country I’m missing… Asiata in Hawaii is a name I recall. There was a kid who played alongside Sapolu who looked good, and another who blocked for Marable, and I think another who plays for Kristick’s high school.
It’s not time for me to start scanning for potential football recruits. That’s something I save for a rainy day to kill the boredom. But the point is that the failure to land big name recruits on the DL and the youth on the OL both demand that they be the emphasis of the next class.
I do expect Lyons and Kelly to make more of an impact. Do we think Oshinowo can put it all together for a whole season? And I don’t know if I’d go as far as calling Garner a true walk-on.
I didn’t think Ellis got a scholarship… did he? That would speak more than anything to his importance on the depth chart.
Lyerla will be Owa II in terms of a local 5 star that snubs us.
Is he the one ga ga over Oklahoma and Florida? I think it would be more of a snub to the Ducks if he left the state. Isn’t he a Duck homer?
Yeah. Beaver fans are gushing over him as if they have a chance. Let’s make a pact right now not to even talk about this guy as he will definitely not be a Beaver and there’s no need to invest any emotion into this process.
Duck1,
Saying a guy made a bad choice in a situation that got away from him…well surely you can see the slippery slope there. Where do you excuse that kind of behavior? Heat of the moment murder? “Oh, he just got mad, great guy otherwise…”
We all want to yell at people sometimes, some of us want to physically hurt people, but most of us don’t. If someone crosses that line they pay the prices our society deems just. I’m not saying that is right or wrong, but those are the rules we all play by, and we all know the rules going in, so James should have either (a) played by said rules or (b) avoided said girl if she stirred up this kind of emotion. Not sure age matters here…I knew not to throw around a girl at age 10. Stop making excuses or confusing the victim just because it’s a sad situation.
Our society deemed James harassment charge just. How can he avoid her if she is standing at his door? I’m not trying to justify anything, but this is not your everyday domestic abuse charge. The accounts state clearly he did not choke or hi her. Seems he tried to remove her from his door step and then retrieve his stolen keys from her. You don’t need to tell me its a sad situation, it clearly is and I know she is the victim, but I don’t think he deserved the allegations he got thrown his way. I don’t think the intentions were to hurt her is all.
I’ve said this already in other forums, but it looks like the UO needs to institute a course for their athletes much like the seminars NFL rookies go through. The ‘teachable moment’ needs to be in a classroom… not on the streets.
The easiest way for him to have avoided this situation is to have gone inside and lock his door. She would then have been in the wrong for harassing him. And at that time he would have been in the right for calling the police. Being embarrassed for being a jerk is a thousand times better than this outcome.
Nothing good can come from laying hands on a woman, especially an adrenaline charged athlete in a public place with many witnesses. There was nothing she could have done short of using a deadly weapon against him that the court would have deemed unjust on her part after he grabbed her. You tell me that your sister would not be in the right to wrestle free from someone when they physically handle her for no reason other than they want her to shut up, and I’ll tell you that he was right. Now put it in the context of a man grabbing your sister and dragging her toward a car… no hitting… no strangling.
All athletes need to know this, and if the UO can’t find players who intrinsically know it, they need to teach and mentor them. Discipline is reactionary. Mentoring is preventative.
The same goes for all programs. There are some much worse situations (Florida) than these growing pains at UO. Winning seems to be the common band-aid for these programs, but it doesn’t hide their shame forever.