SOUND OFF.

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Mail letters to: Sound Off, P.O. Box 10188, Eugene, OR 97440-2188

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Hold coaches accountable

When are the media (mainly the radio hosts) going to stop protecting the U of O coaches from being criticized by the people who pay their salaries?

In the past three years I have watched some of the worst performances by the Ducks since the early 1980s, when they simply didn't have the talent of the rest of the schools in the league.

It's a three-year trend of not being able to score in the second half of games. It's a three-year trend of the special teams going from one of the best to one of the worst in the league.

For us fans not used to losing at home to having some of the most lopsided losses: In 2002 a loss at home to archrival Washington 42-14, in 2003 a Washington State 55-16 loss at home, and in 2004 a crushing loss to Indiana, where the Ducks played one of the worst games I have seen in a long time.

As fast as the fame and good fortune have come to the program, it will leave just as fast if the coaches aren't held accountable.

To this fan's eyes, coach Mike Bellotti has lost interest in coaching at Oregon. This fan thinks coach Bellotti was surrounded by great assistants three years ago and they have all moved on and he now has fair to bad coaches.

Take control, coach, before the masses call for your head. We still believe you can coach, but the team has taken a three-year setback.

It's a tough profession, but that is why you're getting paid the big sum. You raised the bar here at Oregon, but in the past three years that bar hasn't been met.

TIM PYATT

Cornelius

Too much time

As the adage goes: Offense wins ballgames, defense wins championships.

How many times have we heard Jerry Allen or any commentator working a Duck game say of the opposing QB, `He's got plenty of time'? How often must Mike Bellotti repeat after a game, `We have to tackle better,' or, `We can't give up explosion plays.'

How many times on third-and-long does the Oregon defense go into a three- or four-man rush, the secondary take a deep drop and the opposition convert? How many times must it be repeated before coach Bellotti rids himself of this albatross?

Forward to the Civil War: Derek `Bigfoot' Anderson, a big arm, but notoriously immobile and slow afoot, having `plenty of time' to shred the Duck D and even scramble four times for a first down. Oregon went virtually every down with a four-man rush until the game was out of reach.

Bellotti has hired, trained and lost a number of top-quality coaches, only to be stuck with Nick Aliotti.

Acquaintances from other Pac-10 schools repeatedly ask how long will Bellotti keep Aliotti?

Perhaps the only way to get Bill Moos to listen is hit him where it counts. I'll always be a Duck, but I am giving up a season ticket next year.

STEVE BOWERS 

Harrisburg

Players deserve better

How disrespectful is that? What right do fans have to boo a senior player, on senior day, who has given his all for the team?

Football is a game, and there are winners and losers. Unfortunately we lost at Cal.

This is a team sport, and as a team Oregon lost. Keith Allen did not lose that game alone; there were many other plays that could have changed the outcome.

So students and fans, we all have ups and downs. As fans, you just have to move on and support the team. Keith Allen deserves more from fans, as do the rest of the team. This season did not turn out to be a great one, but they played with their hearts, and as fans that is all you can ask for, win or lose.

Let us support our team. Hopefully Keith Allen can forgive the fans for their classless behavior. The booing fans need to take a good hard look at themselves and see what kind of people they really are. I look forward to next season, and I will be cheering on the Ducks, win or lose.

JEFF GIENGER

Creswell

Thanks for everything

Thank you, U of O football team, for the memories of all the games you should and could have won - the smell of roses turning into skunk cabbage.

A year of no bowl game to watch and wait for - and for the respect that should be yours - and all the dropped balls, literally every game.

Maybe it is time for a few coaches to see if they really want to stick around or should stick around. And of course Bellotti will have a few excuses.

But like an old Duck fan, the saying still goes: There always is next year. How many years have I been saying that, and still no roses?

Good luck to all the seniors and all the other players. Thanks for all the good memories also.

CHERYL BROWN

Springfield