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Byline: The Register-Guard

Lack of leadership

Where do I begin? Honestly, this is one of the most underachieving Oregon football teams I have ever witnessed.

Mike Bellotti has seemed to have lost all concepts of strategy, decision-making and leadership. He has the same tired lines for every game and all the same excuses after every loss. He has no clue what he is going to do going into games and is even more clueless when he is actually out there on the field. Bellotti used to be one of the most prepared coaches in the nation, outcoaching more talented teams and winning consistently with less talent.

Now it seems that he is recruiting better and using that talent less. He recruits the top running back in the country (Jonathan Stewart) and constantly uses a running back by committee backfield and runs plays for Stewart that really have no chance of going positively.

This Oregon team should be at the very least third in the Pac-10 instead of a lowly sixth. This Oregon team should have plenty of confidence and momentum going into 2007, but all they have is doubts, questions and a lack of leadership. Last time I checked, that all starts with the head coach.

TOM HOLLEMBAEK

Eugene

Keep tradition alive

Since its creation in 1998, the BCS has faced nothing but controversy. At this point in the season, the BCS debate seems to dominate football conversation. Everybody seems to be missing the point of intercollegiate athletics. The mission of the NCAA is to celebrate the positive role intercollegiate athletics play in society.

The NCAA code of ethics lists academic integrity as its chief priority. We often forget that athletes go to class to further themselves intellectually. We also sometimes forget that college athletics' primary importance is to display the proud tradition of universities and promote pride among its students and alumni.

If we are going to sacrifice the integrity of student academics and the sanctity of college tradition for the sake of having a `just' national champion, then the question becomes the following: Does it matter if we have a national champion?

I would advocate keeping the tradition of bowl games alive; meaning no playoff system and allowing conferences to keep their traditional bowl ties.

I would also advocate that we hold academic integrity and performance on the field higher than the idea of having a definite national champion.

PAUL LANDON

Eugene

No lack of truth

Ron Bellamy's column of Dec. 1 has a misleading headline. There is no lack of truth here. Negotiated severance agreements are often confidential to protect the privacy of the parties involved. Bill Moos' job description probably included finding and maintaining quality donors, and if he failed with Phil Knight, it is a significant job-performance issue that does not necessarily need to be made public.

If it has taken you 30 years as a reporter to discover that you don't know how to ask the right questions, then maybe you should look at doing something else.

GUY ANDERSON 

Eugene

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