Quack, Quack, that was whack...

It has now been a full day since learning about the "sanctions" brought on by the NCAA against the University of Oregon Ducks....I am still angry. On a day we saw DOMA stripped down, Aaron Hernandez arrested for murder, and one of the craziest days at Wimbledon in history, I figured the football Gods would give us a program-destroying recommendation that would shock the world. Instead, the only people who are shocked are Oregon's rivals (and most importantly the Husky Loyal Army).

When Oregon recommended a slap on the wrist, I figured it was a slap in the face to the NCAA who have given out harsher penalties to babies wearing the wrong colors at a diving meet. Yesterday we learned that Oregon football would lose two scholarships, go on three years of probation and lose a score of recruiting visits (an amount that Oregon didn't even use all of last year). And the coup-de-grace, the clincher, the biggest joke of the investigation and its outcome? FORMER coach Chip Kelly is not allowed to coach college football for the next 18 months............really, I'm not joking.

The biggest punishment handed down to Oregon who have cheated for the duration of their "Duck Dynasty" is to not allow their former head coach to give up millions of dollars and return to college football in the next 18 months. Nice work, NCAA. I have generally defended the system that regulated college athletics, but this may have brought me to the other side. After seeing how badly they treated USC, somewhat deservedly so, how badly they messed up the University of Miami investigation, and how they handled the misguided attempt at punishing Penn State; we now have this.

I am not sure there was a single Oregon fan who was disappointed in the findings. In fact, I bet you a million bucks there were thousands of Mallard fans who were ready for much worse sanctions and were going to tell us why it was stupid that their team was getting punished for something every other school is doing. The owner of the "Ducks Dominance Dlog" (which I just made up) would have said something along the lines of, "Bro, we are banned from a bowl game?!? That's dumb. Alabama recruits 45 bros, and only keeps 25 of those bros after spring practice, and nothing happens. God Kelly reaches out to someone for help, a disciple, and we can't go to a bowl game? I'll be in my trailer home if you need me."

This doesn't change anything when it comes to being rivals with Oregon other than we have yet another reason not to like this program. In fact, when we finally beat Oregon this year in our new stadium, we will know that there were no asterisks or anything else that could take away from a potentially monumental win. There is nothing we can do about it, this is a final ruling, but this gives us plenty to think about going into a season that could change everything for the Huskies.

GO DAWGS!!!

Spreads are out.....not too bad.

One of the most exciting elements to start the lead up to the college football season (which is already just 82 days away) is the release of the spreads for each college football game. It is almost completely unfounded, irrelevant, inaccurate and pretty stupid if you think about it, but at the same time really awesome. The spreads themselves have zero impact on the games, but it reminds all of us loyal fans that football is just over the horizon and thus begins the "summer season of projection". That's really all these spreads do, but isn't it fun? Every fan across the country is happy, sad, angry, confident and sometimes indifferent about each of the spreads for their respective favorite team. While I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard some of the spreads for the powerhouses across the country, which for some reason did not include the Huskies, I thought about the opportunity the Huskies are being presented for this season. We have great talent, great coaching, a new stadium and buzz going into this season, and the opportunity to turn some heads. Here are my thoughts on all of these spreads:

Oh, Oregon, thank you for being you.....

News has just come out in the last 24 hours that the University of Oregon football program has recommended it should go on two years worth of probation and strip one scholarship away each year for the next three years. I really am not sure how to take all of this in. My first reaction was, "THANK YOU FOOTBALL GODS, JUSTICE HAS BEEN SERVED!!!" Seeing the Ducks in this unenvious position really does make me feel good deep down inside. I know the Huskies haven't been angels when it comes to NCAA regulations in the last couple of decades, but the timing of the Ducks success and this investigation just make this feel so slimy and blatantly egregious. I mean, there has got to be a direct correlation between the Ducks going from the middle of the Pac-10 to national title contenders year and year out, all while committing to questionable recruiting practices.

As the recruiting dust settles.....NICKNAMES!!!

Another year of recruiting has more or less come to a close and you have to feel good as being part of the Husky Loyal Army. Great class. Really, really good class. Besides Daeshon Hall being as cool as the guy at the gym who wears those shoes with toes, we more or less closed the recruiting season landing in the top 20 nationally with all of the major recruiting sites. In fact, we landed as the number 14 team according to Scout.com, pretty freaking good. And, most importantly, we are ahead of the Ducks in most experts eyes and the #2/#3 Pac-12 team as well. Yes we lost Hall. Yes we couldn't steal Nico Falah (see my comment regarding toe shoes). Yes Eddie Vanderdoes teased us right up until 5:00pm. And yes the Robinson Twins turned out to be as loyal as Bill Clinton (you know, goes away for a little...but comes home when he realizes he'll make more money if he sticks with his first). BUT, there is a lot to be excited about with this class. Awesome defensive line class, amazing group of receivers, solid offensive line pick ups and a QB of the future. There has not been a lot to be excited about with Husky football over the last few months, but this is where it turns around. A veteran team with a favorable schedule and a great crop of players on their way in with a new stadium. This is starting to feel pretty good.

It's beginning to look a lot like Ve-gas

There just seems to be a different feel in the air this year compared to last. The Huskies will be playing a highly ranked Boise State team in a lesser bowl than last year's carpet burner. The likes of Robert Griffin III have been replaced by Joe Southwick....who? The defense's are taking center stage for two teams more recently known to have a tough time stopping my high school's JV team (which went 2-7 this year). And all this coming off of a bitter loss to the in-state rival, compared to last year's triumphant victory at would soon be the Dawgs new home at the CLink.

We be bowlin'...

The Huskies finished the season 7-5, good enough to land into the bowl madness that comes about each December and January. No, we aren't playing on New Year's Day or even the weekend leading up to what used to be considered the greatest day for college football each year. But, considering the meltdown that occurred in Pullman this year, heading off to Vegas playing against a ranked Boise State team is not half-bad.

No words to describe

This is the most challenging and depressing blog post to date, and could be one of the toughest I will ever have to do. There are not many words to describe how it feels three days after one of the most frustrating and embarrassing losses these Huskies have ever seen. High expectations, heavy mismatch, overwhelming momentum, a blown lead and much more describe what could have been and what ended up not being. As a longtime UW fan I have gotten used to disappointment, it kind of comes with the territory and is what makes Husky fans who they are (which is very special). But this one seems tougher for a lot more reasons than "we should have beat our rival". What hurts so bad is looking at what this season could have represented. Eight, maybe nine, wins, a decent bowl game, great play from a backup running back, a complete 180 from our defense, hype and momentum going into next year and, finally, something to be proud of. What do we have now? Seven wins, maybe eight, likely against Navy in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, a loss to the G-D Cougars, a fire brewing underneath Coach Sark's seat as head coach, possible recruiting setbacks and a bunch of angry fans. Not exactly what we were hoping for heading into our new digs on Montlake next season.