Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts

Monday, November 08, 2010

Barking up the Ducks' tree


Washington's athletic director didn't mince words -- or make an attempt at being a gracious guest -- during the Huskies' visit to Oregon last weekend.

Instead, he went on and on to the Huskies' radio crew about how the university in Eugene had become an embarrassment because of state budget cuts, and about how UW was superior in every way.
(Except, of course, on the gridiron.)

NORMALLY, I wouldn't give a duck's tail (or a Husky's hind quarter) about Pac-10 pissing matches. I don't have a dog in that fight. Then again, neither did Washington, as it turned out.)

One thing occurred to me, however. This, as reported on Sports by Brooks, is
exactly what somebody's going to be saying about my alma mater, LSU, if and when Gov. Bobby Jindal gets his budgetary way and finishes his ongoing work of destroying the state's flagship university:
Mahler to Woodward: “What do you make of this place? When you come down here, you see the new baseball field, you see the brand new turf, you see the atmosphere. And don’t know if motivation is the word but obviously this is kind of where Washington wants to be, ranked #1 in the country and have all eyes on them.”

Woodward: “Sure, it’s not really where we want to be Softy (Mahler’s nickname), because it’s an embarrassment what their academic institution is, and what’s happened to them as far as their state funding has gone. In my mind it’s a wonderful athletic facility but they’ve watched it at the expense of the university go really down.

“The athletic facility is impressive. The fans at Oregon should get down on their hands and knees at night to Phil Knight and pray to him because this is an incredible facility he’s built.“

Mahler: “Talk more about what you were just mentioning, about academics, is that backed up by some stats that just came out? Or numbers? Tell me about that.”

Woodward: “Sure, any of the rankings you look at, you watch how far they’ve (Oregon) dropped because of their state funding. And it’s a message for us too. Our state needs to get its act together because we can’t continue to progress without investment in our institution. But we’re doing extremely well and we’re very proud of that fact.

“We’re a part of the whole University of Washington. That’s who we are.”
OK, TIGERS. You have been warned. You will be embarrassed . . . that is, if anyone in Louisiana still is capable of such.