That player turned out to be Darron Thomas.
So when he texted me sometime around noon on Sunday that Chip Kelly was taking the Tampa job, I got a little nervous.
I decided to sit back and wait for an official word before I reacted. Before you knew it, the internet was blowing up - facebook and twitter, blogs, and message boards were buzzin with the latest rumors and gossip.
I still wasn't panicking yet, and I set my phone down and watched this great NFC championship game taking place between the Giants and 49ers.
By the time the official was done explaining the overt time rules, it was being confirmed that Chip accepted the Tampa Bay coaching job.
Now I was mad!
Losing LaMichael James and Darron Thomas were one thing, but to lose your coach - nine days before signing day - felt bad. I was a sucker for believing the things Kelly would say in the past, when his name would surface with an NFL job: things like his heart was with Oregon, he could never leave, he was building his dream house in Eugene. All the right things.
Funny how money changes that.
Kelly proved he's no different than anyone else in that position. Business is business. And that's fine, I get that. But it left me with a bad feeling regardless.
Former Duck great Cristin McLemore said it best when (paraphrasing) 'that's what you get for putting everything into one person.' Essentially - you're going to get burned.
By the time I was done watching Victor Cruz doing the salsa in a post game interview in the locker room, it was being reported that Chip had a change of heart. He couldn't leave Oregon after all.
That's swell. But it didn't make me feel better. He only came back to Oregon, because they (Oregon) reportedly matched Tampa's offer.
You know the guy who gets dumped for the better looking guy, only to have her come back to you because things didn't work out with the better looking guy? Yeah well that's how I felt - like a back up option, or a second choice.
Oregon fans need to be prepared, because Chip won't be around for long. His loyalties aren't with Oregon, they're to himself. Business is business, and when money talks, he'll listen.
Let me make it clear btw, I SUPPORT CHIP KELLY. I love the guy and appreciate everything he has done for the program. This just woke me up to the reality that it is business. I don't fault him for seeking better opportunities.
ReplyDeleteWell put. Although, I believe Phil Nike is a bigger part of Oregon Athletics than Chip Kelly. Kelly is replaceable, NIKE is not.
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