Oregon Ducks Give Football Fans Their Money's Worth

Yes, this is a college football article, but allow me to digress briefly.

In the 1930s, the Harlem Globetrotters were the most dominant basketball club on the face of the earth. So dominant, in fact, that the lopsided beat-downs eventually became yawners, and gate receipts suffered. Apparently, just watching good basketball wasn't enough.

Globetrotter founder, Abe Saperstein, instructed his players to lighten up a bit—to goof off and employ their comical antics—like they did in a typical practice. From that point on, Saperstein's quintet became the Harlem Globetrotters we all know and love.

And has anyone ever left a Globetrotter gig feeling cheated out of their money? (Well, perhaps only the poor woman whose purse was emptied at center court for all to see).

People like a good hard-fought battle. But they love to be entertained.

Followers of the University of Oregon football team have become accustomed to both—especially in the recent era of coach Chip Kelly.

Every aspect of Oregon's football program—from pre-recruiting strategy sessions to the particular playing surface at Autzen Stadium—is purposeful in its support of Kelly's up-tempo, spread-option offense.

Though it sometimes takes a quarter or two to solve the defensive scheme, Oregon's talented and versatile backfield corps eventually breaks loose to literally provide a thrill a minute.

But, as exciting as Oregon's offense can be, the Ducks' thrill factor doesn't fall off much (if at all) when their opponent has the ball.

Nick Aliotti's defense seems to be assembled—by design—to complement the offense. It is populated with fleet-footed theft artists who have been remarkably successful at foiling opponents' attempts to control the ball.

And the mutual respect between the two platoons is obvious.

Oregon's defensive secondary enjoys the luxury of a gamble or two in passing situations, knowing the offense can back up any mistakes and strike back quickly. More often than not, those gambles have paid off, as Duck defenders have accumulated 32 sacks and 12 interceptions for 410 return yards and three TDs so far this season.

The offense has also profited from having the option of using all four downs (or a trick play) to keep a drive alive, trusting in an opportunistic defense with a proven ability to get the ball back.

And speaking of trick plays, this is where Kelly channels the genius of Abe Saperstein. The sleight-of-hand antics of the Globetrotters have nothing on Kelly and his bag of tricks.

With coach Chip calling the shots, one never knows when to expect a fake punt, onside kickoff or snapper-eligible two-point conversion attempt.

But it's not entertainment value that Kelly is seeking with his trickery. That's merely a positive by-product. It's the element of surprise—enhanced by Oregon's unpredictable no-huddle offense—which any good general would cleverly insert into his battle plan.

Yes, the purist football fan might see the beauty in a knock-down, drag-out defensive struggle which leaves both end zones unscathed. But out in Eugene, the fans have already ventured too far into the YouTube highlight realm to retreat back into the mundane.

Which is why a seat in Autzen Stadium is currently one of the hottest (and toughest) tickets going.

What more could a fan ask? Great rivalry. Raucous crowd. Top-notch entertainment. Satisfied customer.

The only thing missing is a soulful rendition of "Sweet Georgia Brown."

The Oregon Ducks (9-1) host the USC Trojans (8-2) this Saturday evening. A Duck win will guarantee a playoff game for the Pac-12 championship. Oregon is still mathematically alive for a return trip to the national championship.

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