Strange Doings in Duckville

Who's in charge here?

In the seven weeks since the Rose Bowl the Oregon Duck football team has had nothing but trouble. Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for someone is doing a Poor job of keeping this group focused.

There are only three things a football player should be doing in the off season: 1) going to class, 2) working on strength, conditioning and improving their skills and 3) enjoy being a college student. But number three does not include stealing things, punching people, hitting women or getting arrested.

It seems like every week there is a new incident and more trouble, and by now it's getting embarrassing for the university. The Ducks are rapidly developing an image problem that has blown up all over the national sports news, and the real concern is there may be an underlying problem of discipline and character. Reports out of Eugene these days sound like the excesses and outlandish criminality that plagued schools like Florida or Miami or the Huskies of the late 90's.

Coach Chip Kelly has been strangely quiet. One lame statement is the only public action he's taken, while LaMichael James is wearing an ankle bracelet and Jeremiah Masoli is up before a grand jury. Someone may get kicked out of school over this, and probably should.

The goal is to do things the right way, focus on the prize, and stay out of trouble. Oregon's football players have lost their way this winter. Here's hoping they get back on track soon.