SOUND OFF.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Classless Ducks

Once again the Ducks show their `class' by pushing, shoving, mugging and acting like the infantile adolescents they are in Thursday night's game at Washington. If it's not the team, it's the fans.

Concerning Jay Anderson's shoving of Washington player Bobby Jones, coach Ernie Kent said, `I'll have to look on tape and see WHY we shoved him. I don't know why we'd do that." I do - the Oregon players and fans have the least amount of class and fair play than any other school in the Pac-10. You should all be ashamed of yourselves - but I'm sure you are not.

What you folks are is an embarrassment to the good people of Oregon.

DAVID HART 

Long Beach, Calif.

Get stronger schedule

In response to Ron Bellamy's column questioning the Beavers' decision to play LSU in an opening football game, I say `come on, Ron.'

It's painful at times to read and hear the commentary on the Ducks by the local writers and broadcasters of Oregon athletics. I think they're worried if they give an objective view that they could wind up on the outside of the fancy new Duck locker rooms.

Let us look at the 2004 Oregon September schedule of Indiana, Nevada and Idaho. Another possible 3-0 start to a rousing 7-4 finish and a Sun Bowl showdown with the Big Ten's fifth-place team.

So why not schedule the big boys, go play them in Baton Rouge, mix it up against the Buckeyes like the Huskies and Trojans do, and even the lowly Beavers? But then being on the West Coast, the Ducks do have the luxury on game day of gathering their super prep top 100 recruits and watching the real games take place on ESPN while lounging in the state-of-the-art locker room. It's no wonder they bought the giant plasma screens to watch the games in progress. It must make them feel like they're part of the action.

RANDY DUKE

Springfield

Better plan next time

Before the current push for a new Mac Court died, a friend asked: "Why are they planning a gym that seats no more than 14,000?" He has a point.

If plans for a successful future demand a massive expenditure for a worthy gym, why not plan to accommodate massive crowds in the years ahead, big enough to host NCAA events?

That may be a moot point after the need for major spending moved the project back - way back - on the burner. Reports said $130 million had been pledged by private donors. The big spenders always are there for varsity athletics.

The challenge now is for the UO department of development to do its job: persuade those donors there is greater merit to giving their excess change to academics that are hurting while sports flourish.

GEORGE BERES

Eugene

Colorful comment

My 6-year-old granddaughter, Madison Nelson, and I were talking about dreams. I asked her if she dreamed in color. "Yes, Grandma, every color except black and orange," she said. I don't think she will be attending Oregon State.

JANICE NAIL

Junction City 

Welcome to Oregon

It was great to read about yet another athlete from the state of California committed to playing sports at the University of Oregon.

Cameron Colvin has joined many other athletes present and past who have ventured north to play sports at the U of O.

We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to these California athletes who have chosen to play here in Eugene. Without them, would our college football and basketball programs be as successful? I think not. Keep them coming, California.

JAMES ZECHMEISTER

Eugene

Take responsibility

Make all the excuses you want, it starts with one and only one thing: coaching.

It's time for coach Ernie Kent to be a stand-up guy and take responsibility for his team being such a big disappointment.

You have one of the more experienced teams in the Pac-10, that's been around the block a few times, in a program that's now 7 years old.

Yet more often than not, we still see the familiar big choke (Alabama, UCLA, Stanford), and the always popular "I didn't have my team ready to play at all" (Oregon State, Kansas and Arizona, to name a few).

If this team is as good as you keep telling everybody, with four seniors and that deep, deep bench, they should be able to rise above the absence of Aaron Brooks until his return. But they haven't. They are 5-4 in the Pac-10 when they should be no worse than 8-1, with the one loss to Arizona.

What will separate this team from the others down the stretch is coaching. Here's where you start earning that big paycheck you get every month.

Time to bring out the desire, attitude, hustle, discipline, rebounding and defense, and just being plain ready to play.

Lots of teams have made trips to the Elite Eight. The trick, however, is getting back. Anything else but the Big Dance is a bust.

DAN KLINKEBIEL

Lebanon