Weekly Poll Question 2/22/2005

[Dan Wishengrad]

The Daily Racing Form. Vol I, Issue 1 The Complete Horse Racing/PNCLL Lacrosse Insiders Tip Sheet.

Feature Race: 2005 PNCLL Regular Season Bragging Rights Derby. For 1-4 year old Stallions & Colts. Date & Place: Sunday, Feb 27th. Duck Downs, Eugene Oregon Purse: $1,000 Monopoly Money Times Total Number of Voters

PP/ ODDS/ HORSE/COMMENTS
1 / 3-1 / HowYuenDoin? / SFU wins by 1-3 lengths
2 / 9-2 / CoffsupMattedhairballs / UO wins a rout by 10+ lengths
3 / 8-1 / OnwardChristianssoldier / SFU wins by 4-6
4 / 4-1 / Oh, Danny Boy / UO wins by 7-9
5 / 2-1 / Tes for Two / UO wins by 4-6
6 / 30-1 / CanuckAmok / SFU wins a rout by 10+
7 / 5-2 / Core Diva / UO wins by 1-3
8 / 16-1 / Gareseundheit / SFU wins by 7-9

Post positions drawn at random, except for Horse #8 (see below). Odds are pre-race estimates only, actual winning odds to be determined by final number of votes cast. Horse #3 to wear blinders. Horse #2 to wear a muzzle. Unusual starting gate loading procedure for Horse #8 deemed perfectly legal, albeit just plain different and somewhat difficult to fathom. Getting the outside post was ruled the best solution to avoid spooking the other horses.

[Another Dumb Jock]

I’m going to assume that SFU has the potential to destroy Oregon by 10+ goals.

We all to often look past our opponents (Chico in 2004), allowing our huge heads to assume that we have already won, forgetting that we are a team with nothing to brag about and everything to prove.
Next Sunday we will come out with no expectations. The Clan is a skilled team that knows how to win.
As for now, Chico is our primary focus and must be dealt with on Friday before we can even begin to worry about SFU on Sunday.

[ZagGrad]

We all to often look past our opponents (Chico in 2004), allowing our huge heads to assume that we have already won, forgetting that we are a team with nothing to brag about and everything to prove.

I don't think you guys have anything to prove. If anything, I think Simon Fraser has something to prove and that is to regain the the top spot they had for so many years leading up to last years loss in the championships. Honestly, I think the game between you guys is one of the biggest in the history of the PNCLL. 2 Nationally ranked teams with very reputable and skilled programs. I wish I could watch it live.

[laxer818]

I don't think you guys have anything to prove. If anything, I think Simon Fraser has something to prove and that is to regain the the top spot they had for so many years leading up to last years loss in the championships.

I agree with Shogan to a certain extent about SFU. I agree that they have something to prove, and I think that they have something to prove to themselves more than anyone else. However, if I can speak vicariously for Another Dumb Jock, I think Oregon has something to prove as well, and not just to themselves or to the PNCLL, but to the whole nation.

At #8, Oregon obviously has come a long way in the past several years and is a threat to win any game they play against any opponent in any league. But we all know that there is usually a significant difference in overall quality of program between the top 3-4 teams in the country and the teams at the lower rungs of the top 10. Teams at the bottom half of the top 10 seem to always fall short when they go up against the nation's top programs (UCSB, CSU, Sonoma, BYU, etc. -- teams that contend for the national championship year in and year out).

Having played against Oregon in the past and having witnessed the development of the program first-hand, I would surmise that Oregon is happy with their ranking, but not satisfied with it. For a team like Oregon, which has consistently exceeded all (of our) expectations over the past couple of seasons, the sky's the limit. I'm sure that most of those guys have no doubt that they can make a strong push for the USLIA title over the course of the next couple of years if they continue to move forward and work hard like they have been doing recently.

That said, at this juncture, a solid win against Chico can act as an effective barometer of improvement for Oregon. Sure, Chico is currently ranked lower than Oregon, but keep in mind that Chico has, for the past several years, been one of the top programs in the WCLL A-Division (arguably the most talented division in the USLIA). Therefore, a win againt Chico will help solidify Oregon's claim as a Top 10 team, will provide them with the experience they need to continue to improve so that they can ultimately contend with and beat the top 3 or 4 teams in the country, and will help them continue to develop into a legitimate contender for the national crown.

If that's not something to prove, then I don't know what is.

-Emil
Whitman '03

[Scrape Mode]

I agree. Chico is highly underrated in the national standings and I think Oregon is overrated at this point. The scores of the games taking place in Eugene this weekend will be important in determining where these teams stack up against the rest of the MDIA.

[Scrape Mode]

There is gonna be a lot to talk about come Sunday evening!! I feel like we're all analysits waiting to go to work..

[CATLAX MAN]

Slow down, fellas. Before you guys start reading too much into these games against Chico this weekend, keep in mind that this is just the 5th best team in the WCLL according to the polls. Just keep it in context; it's not like they're facing the top ranked team in the nation. Based on the rankings, Oregon & SFU should handle Chico but that doesn't mean that they will. In fact, I suspect that SFU will have trouble with them.

[Dr. Jason Stockton]

Having played both SFU and UO this year and last. . .and having played a game against Colorado State last year. . .let me say this--- Last year, we played all three teams and honestly SFU and Oregon were a full rung below the Rams - the best USLIA team I had seen in many years. For stretches of time, our team was able to compete rather well with SFU and UO last year. Against CSU - we were pretty much manhandled from the opening whistle. It wasn't very competitive.

Having seen Oregon last weekend, and CSU less than one year ago, I can honestly say that Oregon has closed the gap. They are far better than last year, and I think they are knocking on the door of that "mystical top-4" that nobody is supposed to be able to beat.

Obviously, Chico State is not the real litmus test for the Ducks. Like CATLAX said, they are the 5th best team in the WCLL. The Michigan Invitational in a few weeks will really tell us how close the Ducks are to the nation's elite.

I too wish I could be there to witness the best our conference has to offer. Being a UC Davis grad myself, it is very, very easy for me to root for the Ducks and Clansmen to send Chico State home with 2 losses this weekend.

[Dr. Jason Stockton]

And by the way Dan. . .very funny with the horse race. . .I think you have a little too much free time on your hands!

[Dan Wishengrad]

Thanks Jas... aand here I thought nobody liked my attempt at injecting a little humor in this thing

[CATLAX MAN]

Having seen Oregon last weekend, and CSU less than one year ago, I can honestly say that Oregon has closed the gap. They are far better than last year, and I think they are knocking on the door of that "mystical top-4" that nobody is supposed to be able to beat.

I think you may be getting ahead of yourself here. Oregon may be better this year (I haven't seen them yet), but if you had seen their game against UCSB at SB and at the National Tourney last year, they had a ways to go before they "close the gap". Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Oregon is a bad team or that they haven't improved, but I do think it is a stretch to say that they have closed the gap until they have shown it on the field against top flight competition. There's is a big difference between dominating lesser competition and being able to be competitive with stronger competition. Everything comes a lot harder; every ground ball, every faceoff, every attempt to drive to the cage is much more difficult when you are up against the type of defenses that UCSB, CSU, Michigan or Arizona brings to the table. Let's see how they do against those guys before you make the comparison.

[Kyle Berggren]

..... If PLULax is trying to compare last seasons CSU to this years Oregon, why would that be such a stretch? He coached against both teams? Yes we don't know for sure until Oregon plays a top team, but he made an observation, and to shoot him down could be tough. He covered his bases, he didn't say Oregon is Number 1!!!! If you're honest, from the coaches box, you get a front row seat to the game, and how good the other team and their coaching stands.

[Another Dumb Jock]

Horse #1 wins the race! 5-7 Clan.

[CATLAX MAN]

Looks like that gap opened up a little, wouldn't you say?

[doylebrunson]

Catlax in a lot of ways I feel the gap is closing due to the vastly improved compititionin the PNCLL, unlike days of old SFU needs to bring there "A" game to win in conference games this will only help them improve. Oregon will continue to push them and SFU will push right back, which will only help both teams be as competitive as possible at Nationals.