If you would like to call the show, here’s the number: 541-284-8571.

You can email the show at thewritersblock1320(at)gmail.com.

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Listen to Jay on Thursday and Friday on The Writer’s Block with George Schroeder at 9:00 a.m. on ESPN Radio 1320 “The Score” in the Eugene/Springfield area.

On Friday, Kenny & Katy talked to Oregon State University quarterback Lyle Moevao on The Morning Sports Page with Kenny & Katy on 95.5 FM “The Game” in Portland.

In the course of their conversation, Kenny, Katy, and Lyle talk about off-season workouts and the Beavers’ upcoming season.

Here’s the link to the interview.

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On Monday, The Oregonian’s John Canzano talked Oregon and Oregon State football on his sports talk radio show, The Bald Faced Truth.

Here’s the link to the audio. Canzano’s college football discussion starts right off the top.

Canzano has Oregon 2nd and Oregon State 5th in the Pac-10.

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A couple of weeks ago, Portland’s The Fan (1080 AM) had Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen on the Isaac & Big Suke show.

Here are a few of the things they talked about:

- Misconceptions about the job of the Pac-10 Commissioner

- ESPN vs. Fox Sports Network

- Pac-10 bowl affiliations

- Pac-10 expansion

- Biggest accomplishments

- Chances of a Plus-1, football playoff

- Selecting the next Pac-10 commissioner

You can listen to the interview below.

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Last week, ESPN.com concluded releasing their selections for the “Face of the Program” feature on college football.

As noted right here on Beaver Sports News, Terry Baker was selected as the “Face of the Program” for Oregon State. And noted on Duck Sport News, Phil Knight was named Oregon’s “Face of the Program”.

Since posting those entries, several BSN and DSN visitors requested that we put together a list of all of the Pac-10 “Face of the Program” selections.

So, here you go.

Arizona: John “Button” Salmon - Salmon’s “Bear Down” is Arizona’s “Win one for the Gipper.” This one goes back a ways. When I think of Arizona football, I think of “Desert Swarm”. And I also think of a season-ending injuries at the hands of that defense.

Arizona State: Pat Tillman - Pat Tillman has transcended the sport, and become an American hero.

Cal: “The Play” - An iconic play. The downside to this is that Cal has not had a player rise to that kind of transcended level.

Oregon: Phil Knight - Phil Knight has done a lot of good things for the University of Oregon. What does his selection as the “Face of the Program” say about Oregon’s accomplishments on the field? Or does Oregon really have anything emblematic enough to be considered the “Face of the Program”?

Oregon State: Terry Baker - Good choice. Heisman Trophy winner. On the field accomplishments. Although, this selection is reaching back into history pretty far.

Stanford: Jim Plunkett - Won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 over Notre Dame’s Joe Theisman. That’s good enough for me (That orange man turned me down for an autograph.).

UCLA: The Rose Bowl - An iconic venue. But Bruins’ fans think that ESPN missed the boat on this one. And I agree. Again, what does this say about their play on the field? Even though Troy Aikman started off at Oklahoma, he did his damage at UCLA, and with America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. How ’bout them ESPN boys!

USC: Tailback U - Five Heisman Trophy winners at the tailback position. USC was named the “Face of the Program” representing the decade of the 2000s.

UW: Don James - “Dawgfather” is about right, with all the good, and bad, that implies.

WSU: Mel Hein - Talk about the way-back machine. An All-American in 1930. 1930! The Great Depression. Speakeasies. Flappers. Call me a young whipper-snapper, but “Jumping Jehosaphat”! Couldn’t they have selected Drew Bledsoe and called it good?

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The Oregonian’s Paul Buker made reference to Michelle Obama’s shout-out to Beaver fans on The View on his blog Saturday.

Here’s the YouTube clip. It’s at around three minutes in (3:03) .

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On Tuesday, Kenny & Katy talked to former Oregon State University basketball player Charlie Sitton on The Morning Sports Page with Kenny & Katy on 95.5 FM “The Game” in Portland.

In the course of their conversation, Kenny, Katy, and Charlie talk about why Oregon State University, and the University of Oregon, have a difficult time recruiting in state.

Here’s the link to the interview.

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ESPN.com has named Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker as the Face of the Program for the Oregon State University.

Here’s how it all started over at ESPN.com. And I would suggest you click on comments for the list of suggestions the folks at the “Leader” had to work with on this one.

And here’s how it all ended with the naming of Terry Baker as the Face.

I think ESPN.com got this one right. As Mkit40 states:

Terry Baker. How could the only Heisman Trophy winner from an entire REGION (the northwest) not be the face of his program?

The greatest athlete from Oregon State University winning the greatest amateur athletic award. That’s pretty spot on.

And what I like about this selection is that Terry Baker is emblematic of OSU’s success on the field, as opposed to off the field (as is the case with Phil Knight being named Oregon’s Face of the Program.)

So, Beaver fans, do you think they got it right?

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The Athlon Sports 2008 College Football Annual is shipping this week.

Here’s a sneak peak at the Athlon Sports 2008 Preseason Top 25:

1. Florida
2. Ohio State
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Georgia
6. Missouri
7. West Virginia
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. Clemson
11. Texas
12. Wisconsin
13. Kansas
14. BYU
15. Arizona State
16. Illinois
17. Tennessee
18. Texas Tech
19. Oregon
20. South Florida
21. Virginia Tech
22. Rutgers
23. Penn State
24. Wake Forest
25. Fresno State

And here’s a look at the Pac-10:

1. USC (Link to preview.)
2. Arizona State (Link to preview.)
3. Oregon (Link to preview.)
4. UCLA
5. Cal
6. Arizona
7. Washington
8. Oregon State
9. Washington State
10. Stanford

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O.J. Mayo, you think you’re untouchable?

Think again.

From today’s Los Angeles Times:

The FBI, IRS and U.S. attorney’s office have begun a joint investigation into potential income tax evasion and fraud stemming from the alleged misuse of charitable organization funds by basketball star O.J. Mayo’s former advisor, an attorney familiar with the investigation said Tuesday night.

And that got me to thinking about a question that has dogged local, regional, and national media-types: what can prevent one-and-done collegiate athletes from taking the money?

The school they’re leaving can’t penalize them.

The NCAA can’t penalize them.

The professional league they are headed to doesn’t want to penalize them.

Ahhh…but the federal government can. More specifically, the IRS can. And will. Just ask former University of Michigan “Fab 5″ member Chris Webber.

And that might be the solution to this one-and-done question: follow the money. And make sure they pay taxes on it.

While I would like to think I’m the only one that has come up with this obviously brilliant solution, alas, I am not.

Here’s NBA Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban on his blog:

Bring in the IRS. I think I can say with certainty that there were not any contracts signed between the parties giving and receiving money on the behalf of High School students. Agree ?

I think I can also say with certainty that those who gave more than 10k dollars in gifts did not pay any gift taxes on amounts given to individuals. If the amounts were given to charities, I’m guessing some, if not most of those charities were either not qualified or did not live up to their certification requirements.

Get the IRS involved, and I bet not only would the investigation pay for itself with untold millions coming back to the US Treasury in taxes and penalties, but the agents would clean up their acts very , very quickly. It would also clean up much of what ails “amateur” basketball. Its a world that has become dependent on a thriving underground economy. its a cash business. Just the kind the IRS should and could step in to clean up.

Up until this point, one-and-done athletes have been concerned about…well, not much. Do you think they’re really scared of their school or the NCAA? No. There’s no reason for them to be.

But the federal government is a different matter, as the Conquest Chronicles notes:

Having almost gone through my interview with the DOJ on a business matter I can tell you that these guys need to buckle up because it’s going to be a bumpy ride. They deserve it!

Who has the most to risk in this situation? The person with nothing or the person with everything? It’s going to be the person with everything, all the time.

That’s why O.J. Mayo is going to become the poster boy for “One-and-Done Athletes Gone Bad”. Do I really think he’s going to be cellmates with Wesley Snipes’ Sidney Dean? I doubt it. But he’s muckin’ with the G’s now. And as the Conquest Chronicles observes, he’ll probably be facing some tough questions:

I have seen elsewhere where the thought process is that with the Feds now involved that SC will finally get hammered. People need to understand one thing here; SC is not implicated in this. I am sure Mayo will have to answer some questions and he should. That’s a good thing, as it will either clear him or it won’t.

One-and-done athlete, Kevin Costner, and Robert Stack, got Capone. That means they can get you, too. And if they can’t get you, they can get the people around you. Agents. Go-betweens. Runners. Friends. Maybe even family.

So, what are you prepared to do? One-and-done? Or 5 to 10?

Here endeth the lesson.

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