Got to thinking today about the Univ. of Oregon playing the Tony Dungy card in its case for the reinstatement of LeGarrette Blount’s playing career. (Along with the other prominent figures cited by UO Coach Chip Kelly as party to Blount’s image overhaul: Dr. Harry Edwards, Kermit Washington and Jon Gruden.)
Considering that virtually every media account of Blount’s future reinstatement included a mention of Dungy visiting with the player, I set out today to find out just how much time Dungy has spent with Blount.
After an extensive online search resulted in virtually no details, I contacted prominent OREGONIAN columnist John Canzano and Univ. of Oregon Executive Assistant Athletic Director of Media Services (SID) David Williford to find out what they knew.
Williford emailed this response about the Dungy-Blount exchange: “I don’t have info regarding Blount’s contact with Coach Dungy, other than I know it was by phone. I don’t know how many times or how long.”
Canzano’s responds after the jump.
I had a few graphs on it in my column the night Blount was (maybe) reinstated. Edwards spent six hours talking to Blount in a hotel room in Eugene. Dungy was on the phone, we’re told. So was Kermit Washington.
I mean, these are all helpful people but it’s clear that someone at the University of Oregon understands the formula for laundering someone in the eyes of public opinion.
Love to see Blount make something positive from this but I’m thinking there must have been someone on campus in Eugene able to impart some wisdom. Why not announce those voices too?
Nevermind.
We know why.
Based on the seemingly opaque framing of the relationship between Blount and Dungy & Co. by the school - and the above reax of Canzano - is it unreasonable to think the Ducks were using Dungy and others as cover for the reinstatement?
Of course not.
To be fair, it’s also the Oregon media’s job to press Kelly & Co. about the nature of the relationship, and to my knowledge all of Kelly’s statements about Blount’s comeback - as it pertains to Dungy - have gone largely unchallenged.
But if you’re Kelly, and you knew of significant contact between Blount and Dungy, wouldn’t you trumpet that fact?
Another under-the-rug detail of UO’s reversal on Blount’s punishment is the role the player’s lawyer may have had in causing Kelly to cave. A charge that Kelly has strongly denied.
Not to mention rumors that Kelly succumbed to internal pressures from within the athletic dept. and/or boosters to bring Blount back.
I’m not a subscriber to the latter, as the Ducks have played their best football since Blount’s departure, with replacement LaMichael James having established himself as a proficient Pac-10 running back. Sure Blount could probably help the team, but what about possible further distractions? Why take that risk, especially if the team is playing better without him?
I do expect a drill-down from the media about Dungy’s contact with Blount in the coming days, especially as the player prepares to make his return in November.
And if the Dungy mention, which was heralded far and wide by online and electronic media, turns out to be based on a cursory call, it’ll further chip away at the credibility of a coach who contradicted himself in ditching Blount’s original punishment.
5:36 pm on October 9th, 2009
anyone else sick of dungy trying to cure the ills of the sports world? The guy would have been arrested for his crime had it not occurred on the football field. why doesn’t dungy start helping out the common street thugs too?
5:51 pm on October 9th, 2009
There are certain actions that you don’t get the magic wand waved over…Blount’s was one of those imho..
His re instatement is BS!
7:06 pm on October 9th, 2009
Tony Dungy is at risk to become the Barack Obama of the NFL. Except that Dungy has actually accomplished something in his career.
7:07 pm on October 9th, 2009
Good one!! I trust Chip Kelly on this and who cares how often Tony Dungy spoke with Blount. The Alum’s have no problem with Chip and his credibility. Clownzano is a columnist, not a journalist. This means he has an opinion and doesn’t generally back it up with concrete facts. I can understand why people would be against Blount’s reinstatement, I would just suggest your voice of reason from our local press to be someone who has a better relationship with the University. George Schroeder or any other beat writer would work. Canzano has an anti-Bellotti agenda and has attacked the University multiple times.
7:22 pm on October 9th, 2009
Give it rest already..
Canzano is the laughingstock of local sports world.
I just see where Jamal Magloire punched someone during an NBA exhibition game. His punishment? 2 games.
IF Blount is reinstated, he will have missed 75% of the season. That is more than precedent warrants and certainly more than the NCAA maximum 2 games for fighting.
Get off your high horse already.
7:26 pm on October 9th, 2009
With respect to the local media, (especially around Portland), how it works is, if you do not tell them what they want to hear they (all) will write bad things about you, much like little school girls. Canzano is the biggest little girl of them all.
7:28 pm on October 9th, 2009
Canzano is a joke. You’d have gotten a less biased opinion by asking Hout.
7:36 pm on October 9th, 2009
If I were you, I wouldn’t use Canzano for a source. The guy is a terrible sports reporter. He seems to have an agenda to take down the University of Oregon football program.
7:41 pm on October 9th, 2009
Hey Bustoff, good one funny guy. Im sure Dungy would be proud to be compared to Barack Obama, both have accomplished more in their lives than you could ever dream of. So stop being a hater because you are frustrated with your own life. Let me guess, you are a bitter white male who watches a lot of Fox news.
7:45 pm on October 9th, 2009
This isn’t a news piece this is simply and opinion based rant hoping to entice some readers.
8:46 pm on October 9th, 2009
Honest to god, I had forgotten how lovable UO-biased commenters were.
9:07 pm on October 9th, 2009
I fail to understand how all of the sudden Tony Dungy became the next Ghandi? What, he wrote a self help book or something? He’s a nice guy? Big deal.
And oh my God, someone doesn’t like Obama. Well guess what- his approval rating is barely above 50% and has dropped 20% in less than a year. But that’s all just a conspiracy orchestrated by Fox News right? Can’t come up with a rational argument? Just mention Fox News.
10:03 pm on October 9th, 2009
When you’re citing Clownzano, you know its bullshit.
They don’t pretend that Dungy is somehow the Ghandi of football, but people like you sure have fun making it seem like they do.
And yup, they “dont like” Obama now, but when the election rolls around, there will literally be NO ammunition for the other guy. None. Zilcho. Except that he’s secretly a Kenyan terrorist trying to destroy America. It’ll be tough to get him “un-elected” for his second term, just because he’s so rhetorically impervious, and that’s a fact, no matter what bullshit you believe. Oh, and hes a Nobel Peace laureate now.
10:24 pm on October 9th, 2009
Canzano is really a beaver fan who happens to write for the ducks. He is on a one man war path to make sure Blount never plays another game of football.
Dr Harry Edwards said that he talked with Blount for over six hours. ESPN wrote a similar article saying that an unknown source (probably Canzano) said Dr Edwards only talked with Blount for less than 10 min (which was not true).
My point is that any article or blog entry using Canzano as a source for a topic relating to Blount’s suspension is not credible.
Maybe you should question the credibility of your source before you question the credibility of a young football coach who had less than 24hrs to make a very hard decision.
12:22 am on October 10th, 2009
The responders are right about Canzano. But it is not just Oregon football. It is anything about the University of Oregon “Prominent” is not the word I would use to describe him. He does everything possible to bring every negative thing up that he can. He always uses speculation and presents it as fact.
1:09 am on October 10th, 2009
Gents,
Personal insults don’t persuade anyone to see your side of the story.
Juvenile comments hurt your argument, not help it.
The first time I see something like “Clownzano”, I move on from your comment.
And broad statements without material evidence has the same effect.
11:24 am on October 10th, 2009
Brooks,
Place punctuation, such as a comma, within quotes. (It can however be placed outside parens). When possible, try not to start a sentence with a conjunction.
This is simply the line editing; I chose not to comment on the copy. As a note, if you choose to share your thoughts and opinions as an authority, expert or insider, please accept the responsibility to produce work with an eye for basic grammar, usage and composition.
Cheers
11:42 am on October 10th, 2009
People, let’s keep some perspective. It’s kind of accepted that during a game as physical as football, things like this happen. Also happens in baseball, basketball, and hockey. If it had happened in the streets instead of in a game, Blount would have been suspended for few games, but likely not the entire season. The overdone suspension was a result of the national spotlight, and the commissioner being at the game. But I love how fans get so outraged about these things and want to treat athletes like property.
11:44 am on October 10th, 2009
By the way… Bush’s approval rating used to be pretty high, too. For those who insist on making all discussions political and/or racial.
6:38 pm on October 10th, 2009
dungy, reid and several other coaches and players are held up as pinnacles of society… but weren’t even their for there own families… and in Dungy’s case with tragic consequences!!!