The ducks are playing their opening Pac 10 tourney game. Behind, but playing very, very hard... oh, the men's team is playing... my bad...
Ernie Kent and I were at Oregon during the same time. I was one of those crazies who would sit outside Mac Court, study, then party, then rush in to claim your prime seat in The Pit. We never saw Ernie's play as the "Million Moves" player that earned him Mr. Basketball honors as the top player in Illinois, his senior high school year.
Those duck teams were very tough. Played the same defense you'd later see by the Detroit Pistons, NY Knicks, and yes for a couple of seasons the Portland Trailblazers. That's because, the duck head coach, Dick Harter, would later teach defense to those NBA teams. The great teams recently were foremost defensive teams that used the opportunities from their tough-nosed play to create offensive opportunities.
If the new reports are true, and Ernie Kent's tenure as Oregon's head coach is coming to an end, I'm going to be very, very sad. He's as big a duck as there is on this earth. I won't fault some of his critics; they do have a right to their opinion, absolutely. But there are some who spout from ego, and I have no use for what they say, and would be happy if they went somewhere else. You know the ones, who think their wallet gives them a greater say... not in my book. Idiots come in all socio-economic strata.
Well, Ernie, you are one hell of a coach. I've said before, that recent habit of large freshman-dominated classes was a huge error.
Ernie, I'll miss you, appreciate all you have done, and how it will pay off in the future for this program and university. I hope you stay close you are loved by ducks. Don't every confuse that.
