There is rejoicing today all over Duckdom: The University of Oregon football team is ranked Number 1 in the nation for the first time in history, and stands at Number 2 (behind Oklahoma) in the season’s first BCS standings.
Following last week’s upset of Ohio State by Wisconsin, the undefeated Ducks edged Ohio State out of the top spot in all three major polls – USA Today coaches’ poll, Harris Poll and Associated Press poll.
As followers of this blog know, I’m an ardent Duck fan and I hate to piddle on everybody’s parade … but somebody needs to say this and it might as well be me:
When Oregonians care as much about having a nationally ranked physics department or math department as they do about having a nationally ranked football team, our educational system might begin to rise above third-rate status.
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 2010.
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Yeah when Phil gives a few bucks to an academic building INSTEAD of an academic building FOR ATHLETES, I’ll rejoice.
“We’re”, “We are?” How many of you source weekly athletes take the field in uniform this season? You guys are “athletic supporters” AKA Jock Straps
If the country cared as much about science, math, and the arts as it does about American Idol and shopping we’d have something to be proud of.
That said, go ducks!
On Wisconsin!
18 year olds can throw a football well while the country goes down the drain… rejoice!
Rome all over again…
Brian: Do you put on the helmet and pads every Saturday? If not, you’re just as much a “jock strap” as the rest of us.
Jack: Hey, don’t diss “Idol”!
HBM: Okay, okay, how about I use “Jersey Shore,” any of the “Real Housewives of [enter region I have no intention to move to here],” or any show with “Dance” or “Dancing” in its name as examples of inanity?
No Bruce I do not, nor do I claim as the author who lists his education as “BLANK” claim that “WE” are number one. I don’t claim the Ducks, fact is I can’t stand being in Eugene on game day. I am not a jock strap athletic supporter in any stretch of your little imagination. I do however financially support some local teams, which I find far more entertaining than the UofO football inmates… I mean team.
You mean the thugs of Oregon? Not one player on the roster could make the grade to play at Stanford… or Cal or USC for that matter. Heck, if those guys couldn’t tackle or throw a football, about half of them would be in jail.
My heroes.
Football has nothing to do with our education system, unless we are talking about how colleges make millions from the programs which helps the college and the education of all who attend that college, spending money on wars and short changing our children is more of a factor than football will ever be.
How cool is Anonymity!!! Hmm afraid to show your name AND say what you feel. You people stand up and be proud of yourselves, and your beliefs. Do not hide behind your keyboards
Who cares Oregon is still # 2 behind Oklahoma,GO Sooners!
T.Collins: GO Sooners?!? How dare you!
Wait, I have a longtime friend in Oklahoma City. So a Sooner victory is one for him. So that’s okay.
Whew. Sports rivalry battle averted.
FlyingEagle: I get pretty much what you say, but I wonder about “[…] colleges make millions from the programs which helps the college and the education of all who attend that college.”
I confess I always question these kinds of statements. Didn’t we just read that UoO’s athletic department was sucking money out of the general fund to pay for its programs? And saying that hosting a Superbowl is good for a city’s economy, when it turns out that once you factor in the support and services the city provides, the traffic, and other negative impacts, cities actually lose money. You restaurants and hotels do pretty good, but the rest of the city ends up paying for it.
I need to correct my words. I wrote “And saying that hosting a Superbowl is good for a city’s economy […]” which makes it sound like I was responding to what FlyingEagle said. Better I should have written,”People also say that hosting a Superbowl is good for a city’s economy…”.