Although originally hailing from Eugene I'm not a huge University of Oregon Duck fan, but I did have the opportunity at being at last Weekend's Duck/ UW Husky game, the season opener.
This was my first since that famous UCLA game some 20 years ago, marking their first undefeated at home season and the start of what appears to be a Phil Knight/Nike sports dynasty at that institution.
Coaching a Football team is more than just measuring how fast your wide receivers and running backs can cover 40 yards.
If you'll recall the Huskies had a great year nearly 20 years ago, winning the National Championship under former coach Don James.
Unfortunately the UW program has had a long decline since those years, perhaps most notably begining with the 'overlooked' rape charges against star players including by the PC police chief, Dean of Students Dean Morris, an African American who certainly appears distinguished.
That's no slight against Tyrone, he seems like a good guy - the problem is not likely with him, nor was it with Neuheisel, rather it would appear to be a metastized cancer in the larger authority of the campus community.
Sport has lessons for life, and one of those is that you fire the violent morally decrepeit power abusers, no matter how much money they are currently bringing in.
Salvaging the UW, and the State, at this point will be tough. Who is going to pay THAT cost...?
FWIW, methinks Paul Allen, part of the Knight's Portland sport community, will have more to do with it then Gates and crew.
BTW, game was great, even from the cheap seats.
-Douglas Tooley
At the McKinley Neighborhood CoffeeHouse, Tacoma
