I got an email from reader Travis Normand about this ebay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=120356282606

It appears to be Patrick Johnson's Las Vegas Bowl MVP trophy.  Can't vouch for the authenticity (its ebay, you never know), but you certainly don't see this kind of thing every day.

If its the real thing, it would be nice to see it end back up in Eugene somehow. 

No.  In fact, if Oklahoma were to disappear completely, the world would be a better place.

I know what you're thinking.  Can Oklahoma really be any worse than Alabama or Mississippi or North Dakota?  North Dakota has some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.  You just can't beat that good midwestern hospitality.  And while a large number of the population of Alabama and Mississippi are batshit crazy, they both have a lot of natural features that makes the states scenic and enjoyable.

Oklahoma, on the other hand?

The is not an uglier state in the country.  Dust.  Dust.  More dust.  Flat.  Oil rigs.  Boring.  I live in the flattest city in the valley, but can see Mt. Hood from my backyard.  In Oklahoma, you see nothing in the distance.  Think Southern Idaho, but with no pretty part of the state to make up for it.  Get a mental picture of hell, make it about ten times worse, and you may start to approach Oklahoma. 

As for the people? Where do I begin?

Are there two crazier people in the senate than Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn?  If Satan ran for office in Oklahoma, he's get at least 65% of the vote so long as there were an (R) next to his name.  Not saying there's anything wrong with Republicans, and there are certainly idiots in both parties, but Oklahoma seems to get more than their fair share.

How about their sports fans.  Well, we all know if their defense and/or field goal kicker suck, they'll just give death threats to geriatric replay officials, opposing bloggers, fans, etc.  And still whine and bitch about it years later.

They'll lie to steal another city's basketball team without remorse, and whine about how they deserve it because there's nothing else to do in their crappy state (although with a 2-17 record and Clay Bennett and Aubrey McClendon losing most of their net worth in the stock market crash, karma's coming back to bite them in the ass on this one).

And don't forget, Mike Gundy's a man.  He's 40.

Oklahoma is like that comedy on TV that's so far fetched that you can't even bring yourself to laugh at it, then you cry and realize that its actually a real place.  They don't call Oklahoma the armpit of the nation for nothing.  Sadly, while we can't send them off into oblivion, we can kick their ass at football.  Since the national title game is already a formality (Does Florida win by three or four touchdowns?), lets send their other football team out with a loss as well.

Apologies to OklaDuck.

After finding new and innovative ways to choke away the Apple Cup today, Washington has only a trip to Strawberry Canyon standing between itself and an 0-12 season.  Washington is officially the worst team in Division 1 football--and I love every minute of it.  Seal the deal, Fuskies.  Live on in infamy as one of the absolute worst Pac-10 teams in history.

Meanwhile, the Beaver Rose Bowl dreams live on after the Barkrodents squeezed by Screamin' Mike Stoops.  What sweetness will it be when we not only win the Civil War next weekend, but crush their wildest dreams in front of their own fans.

The dream lives on.  At this time next week, both of our rivals will suffer complete dejection.

In the wake of all the talk about #30 being retired in honor of both Terry Porter and Bobby Gross, there has been a lot of spirited debate regarding retired numbers, and what the requirement for them should be.  Portland seems to have been somewhat liberal with retiring numbers, with the following being retired:

(I won't count #1 as its not really "retired")

#13 (Twardzik)

#14 (Hollins)

#15 (Steele)

#20 (Lucas)

#22 (Drexler)

#30 (Porter and Gross)

#32 (Walton)

#36 (Neal)

#45 (Petrie)

#77 (Ramsay)

Those who would argue that one has to be a superstar to have his number retired would argue that only Drexler and Walton should be hanging in the rafters.  They would bemoan Terry being on the list, and especially the fact that anyone who even played a marginal rotation role on the championship team is also here.

I would argue that the list doesn't go far enough, and that #25 (Kersey), #00 (Duckworth) and #52 (Williams) should also be on the list.

Portland is different than most cities.  We don't have three or four teams all competiting for our attention.  The Blazers are OUR team, our ONLY team, and we hold them more dear than most.  Of course, it helps that throughout their history, the Blazers have went out and sought to become part of the fabric of the community.

Its the reason that the early '90s teams are so revered, despite having never won a title.  The rejection of that mantra is the reason that the Jail Blazers are so despised despite having a similar level of on court success.  Sheed, Bonzi, JR, etc completely rejected the community, and were despised for it.

So, in my opinion, the requirements for Portland retiring numbers is different.  On court success is a factor, but so is longevity and iconic status.

Spread the word.  Put 00, 25, and 52 in the rafters.

So, the fire Bellotti birds are coming out again.

Can someone tell me what kind of weed they're smoking?

I admit that these kind of seasons don't have the thrill that last season did.  But, before the season, most of us said we'd be happy with 8-4.  And guess what--8-4 is our likely record this year.  And considering that we're on our fourth string quarterback, its pretty hard to complain about the results.

What the fuck is the problem?

Lay off, people.  This kind of crap is a complete embarassment. 

Hello everyone.  This will be my new username here.  I'll try to stop by a couple of times a week.

We had some good times, baby.  And maybe, a few times, when we feel a passionate moment, we can get intimate again.  But only as friends.  Is it awkward if we only be friends?

Big game this weekend.  Do you have your bear spray ready?

Oh, and we finally got Comcast SportsNet in Woodburn this week.  Just in time for basketball season!