Unnecessary distractions
So the Ducks, my alma mater, are 6-1 in football, and ranked 13th in the BCS standings. They're finding ways to win. The offense is clicking (36 points per game). The defense is coming around (19 points per game since slipping by Fresno State and getting creamed by USC).
Great! I'm excited. Go Ducks!
So I was waiting to see if Heisman Fever would strike the athletic department's public relations department because, you know, they don't have near enough to do in a season when they could finish 10-1 and go to a big bowl.
Sure enough, word comes today that the success of the program has prompted the athletic department to ramp up its publicity campaign for the rancher kid from Burns, Oregon (population 2,854), quarterback Kellen Clemens.
It's not that Clemens isn't having a good year. In fact, he's having a great year. Through seven games, he's completed almost 65 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards, and thrown for 18 touchdowns vs. just three interceptions. He ranks among the top three Oregon quarterback in history — which includes names like Danny O'Neill, Bill Musgrave, Joey Harrington, Chris Miller and Dan Fouts — and will likely be the school's top QB by the end of the year.
Clemens is also, from everything I hear, a nice kid. Humble. A hard worker and a decent leader, but not one to toot his own horn. As he said to the Oregonian: "We just want to win games. The rest of it, you get caught up in it and you get off track."
Exactly. How come a 22-year-old kid gets it, and an athletic department full of adults doesn't?
Maybe they think that by promoting Kellen Clemens for the Heisman, it will bring additional attention to the team, and that's probably true. But couldn't the PR department find a way to promote the team without the ego distractions inherent in a Heisman campaign?
After all, if the Ducks finish 10-1, they should have a legitimate shot at one of the BCS games. The Rose Bowl is out, because it's hosting the national championship game, but they could go to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 or maybe even one of the other BCS games (Sugar or Orange). Obviously, a lot of football remains to be played, including home dates with very good teams in Cal and Oregon State and a roadtrip to the Palouse to play WSU. Also, the Ducks don't meet UCLA (currently 6-0) this year. Heck, the Ducks could finish 7-4 (sorry, I can't quite bring myself to imagine a loss to Arizona) and end up in El Paso for the holidays. Yuck.
Still, this Heisman thing has got to be the stupidest idea I've heard in a long time. We all know how well the last one worked out...
Great! I'm excited. Go Ducks!
So I was waiting to see if Heisman Fever would strike the athletic department's public relations department because, you know, they don't have near enough to do in a season when they could finish 10-1 and go to a big bowl.
Sure enough, word comes today that the success of the program has prompted the athletic department to ramp up its publicity campaign for the rancher kid from Burns, Oregon (population 2,854), quarterback Kellen Clemens.
It's not that Clemens isn't having a good year. In fact, he's having a great year. Through seven games, he's completed almost 65 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards, and thrown for 18 touchdowns vs. just three interceptions. He ranks among the top three Oregon quarterback in history — which includes names like Danny O'Neill, Bill Musgrave, Joey Harrington, Chris Miller and Dan Fouts — and will likely be the school's top QB by the end of the year.
Clemens is also, from everything I hear, a nice kid. Humble. A hard worker and a decent leader, but not one to toot his own horn. As he said to the Oregonian: "We just want to win games. The rest of it, you get caught up in it and you get off track."
Exactly. How come a 22-year-old kid gets it, and an athletic department full of adults doesn't?
Maybe they think that by promoting Kellen Clemens for the Heisman, it will bring additional attention to the team, and that's probably true. But couldn't the PR department find a way to promote the team without the ego distractions inherent in a Heisman campaign?
After all, if the Ducks finish 10-1, they should have a legitimate shot at one of the BCS games. The Rose Bowl is out, because it's hosting the national championship game, but they could go to the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2 or maybe even one of the other BCS games (Sugar or Orange). Obviously, a lot of football remains to be played, including home dates with very good teams in Cal and Oregon State and a roadtrip to the Palouse to play WSU. Also, the Ducks don't meet UCLA (currently 6-0) this year. Heck, the Ducks could finish 7-4 (sorry, I can't quite bring myself to imagine a loss to Arizona) and end up in El Paso for the holidays. Yuck.
Still, this Heisman thing has got to be the stupidest idea I've heard in a long time. We all know how well the last one worked out...
posted by Ken @ 9:12 AM
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