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Hello from San Jose del Cabo.
I’m on vacation this week and have done a fair job of mostly disconnecting from the hustle and bustle of the Oregon sports scene — I say mostly, because how could you not get wrapped up in the Oregon women’s whiplash-inducing win Wednesday over Illinois?
Yet, while it’s 80 degrees outside and the beach is a short walk away, I’ve found myself glued to the TV this morning watching the first day of the Olympics. In particular, I enjoyed the U.S. women’s hockey team’s dominating 5-1 win over the Czech Republic, where USA captain Hilary Knight wasted little time scoring a goal in her first game of her fourth Olympics.
That’s GOAT material right there.
Next comes curling. Then comes skiing. And I’m sure all of you, like me, are counting down the minutes until the ice dance competition gets going.
So what about Oregon ties?
Four Oregonians are competing over the next two weeks in Milan: skiers Hunter Hess (27, freestyle, Bend) and Jackie Wiles (33, alpine, Aurora), plus snowboarders Sean FitzSimons (25, slopestyle, Hood River) and Alessandro Barbieri, a 17-year-old from Portland who finished ninth at last year’s world championships in the halfpipe.
And while she’s not technically competing, Portland’s Lauren Rich is on the World Curling Federation’s ice crew, making sure those surfaces have the perfect texture for throwing stones.
It’s not exactly the Summer Olympics, where more than 50 athletes with Oregon ties competed at the 2024 Paris Games.
But hey, with a few more years of practice, I’m still holding out hope for a roster spot on Team USA’s 2030 curling delegation in the Alps.
Catching up with the OG O-Chain guy
You’ve definitely seen the chain.
Now you have its origin story.
Earlier this week, I profiled Eugene’s Tanner Faris, a 32-year-old middle school teacher whose life has been unquestionably changed thanks to his loyal Oregon fandom and his dad’s ability to turn some scrap aluminum into a piece of Oregon lore.
A Super Sunday
Currently, there are six Patriots Super Bowl rings owned by former Oregon Ducks: Safety Patrick Chung has three, running back LeGarrette Blount has two — he won a third with the Eagles — and former tight end Jed Weaver has one.
Christian Gonzalez, Brendan Schooler and Bradyn Swinson are looking to join the ranks. The three former Ducks highlight Oregon’s presence in Super Bowl LX — with the Seahawks’ lone UO representative being practice squad member Shane Lemieux, an offensive lineman.
Duck of the week: Katie Fiso, Oregon women’s basketball
OK, I couldn’t not mention more about that women’s hoops game. The Ducks led by 21 points at the half, trailed by eight midway through the fourth quarter and then rebounded to claim a 76-73 win.
The victory was spearheaded by Katie Fiso, whose driving layup regained the lead for the Ducks with eight seconds remaining.
Fiso, a sophomore guard from Seattle, finished with 16 points and 9 assists to secure Oregon’s fourth win in a row.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“This is a big down, but I still like coaching, still want to coach. I still enjoy going to the gym every day. Got a great staff. So, no, it doesn’t change how I feel about it.”
— Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman on the worst season of his career.
UPCOMING GAMES
- Softball vs. Missouri • 10 a.m. • Friday
- Softball vs. Clemson • 1 p.m. • Friday
- Men’s basketball at Purdue • 10 a.m. • Saturday
- Softball vs. Tennessee • 4 p.m. • Saturday
- Softball vs. Southeastern Louisiana • 7 a.m. • Sunday
- Women’s basketball vs. Ohio State • 12 p.m. • Sunday
- Men’s basketball at Indiana • 5:30 p.m. • Monday
STORIES I’m WORKING ON
It’s about time we learn who these new Oregon football coordinators are, wouldn’t you say?
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I’ll be bringing home a sunburn,
Tyson
