Category: Oregon Legends

Details released for Ben Affleck’s ‘AIR,’ a movie about Oregon legend Phil Knight

A new movie starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will reportedly come out in April, detailing Oregon legend Phil Knight’s creation of Nike.

Oregon Ducks’ legend Phil Knight is coming to a big screen near you this spring.

On Monday, it was announced that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are releasing a new move titled “AIR” which depicts the beginning of Nike, and Knight’s pursuit of NBA legend Michael Jordan in the 1980s.

Affleck, a two-time Oscar Award winner, will be portraying a young Knight, while Damon, another Oscar Award winner, will portray Sonny Vaccaro, one of the driving forces in creation of Air Jordan.

Viola Davis and Jason Bateman will also star in the movie, per Front Office Sports.

The movie is reportedly being released by Amazon.

Seeing Knight portrayed on the big screen isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, most recently in the HBO series ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,’ Knight was portrayed once again in the race to land Magic Johnson to a sneaker contract early in his career as well.

Tyson Alger, with the i5 Corridor, interviewed the actor who played Knight, Olli Haaskivi, about playing the sports apparel giant.

[mm-video type=video id=01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h/01gqg9tj9mmj1yr5nr6h-a6f8529006faae0786f8b071bf45168c.jpg]

[listicle id=38053]

Justin Herbert’s historic Week 15 performance commemorated in Hall of Fame

Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert’s wristband and towel from Week 15 will be on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In a week where Bo Nix returned to Eugene and Dan Lanning secured an incredible recruiting class for the Oregon Ducks, it’s easy to forget about the history made by former quarterback Justin Herbert.

Herbert wasn’t his sharpest in LA’s 17-14 win over Tennessee on Sunday, throwing for 313 yards with a pair of interceptions and no touchdowns.

However, he did become the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in each of his first three seasons – and that accomplishment will forever be immortalized in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Herbert’s hand towel and playsheet wristband from Sunday’s game have arrived at the museum for display – according to a tweet from the official Pro Football Hall of Fame twitter account.

Herbert is in a bit of a third-year slump, with his 21 touchdown passes far lower than his rookie and sophomore season totals of 31 and 38.

The Chargers are 8-6 on the year ahead of a road game in Indianapolis on the 26th.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

[listicle id=36449]

Social Media Buzz: Justin Herbert’s outstanding game vs. Miami Dolphins has Twitter buzzing

Justin Herbert put on a show vs. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins on Sunday night, and Twitter celebrated him for it.

If you’re someone who has watched Justin Herbert at one point or another during his first three seasons in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers, then what you saw on Sunday night wasn’t out of the ordinary.

Herbert, the Oregon Ducks legend, completed 39-of-51 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown in the 23-17 win over the Miami Dolphins. It was an important win not only for the Chargers’ season, but it also allowed many to see what they were wrong about when thinking that the Dolphins should draft Tua Tagovailoa over Herbert back in the 2019 NFL Draft.

With the numbers that he put up, Herbert broke a few statistical records on Sunday night and had social media buzzing. Vintage Herbert.

Here are some of the best reactions to the game:

11 things that Oregon Duck fans should be most thankful for in 2022

What are you most thankful for as an Oregon Duck fan as we get into this holiday season?

Last year when we checked in on the Oregon Ducks’ world of sports during Thanksgiving time, things weren’t looking so great. The football team had just suffered the first of two blowout losses to the Utah Utes, falling from their No. 3 spot in the nation; the No. 9 men’s basketball team was quickly exposed as fraudulent; the women’s basketball team was tanking in the standings after back-to-back losses as the No. 12 team in the nation.

Of course, things didn’t get much better from there, either. Oregon’s football team went on to get blown out in the Pac-12 title game by Utah again and watched as their head coach Mario Cristobal jetted to warmer weather. Dana Altman failed to align the Rubik’s Cube and missed the NCAA Tournament. Kelly Graves had his squad competitive, but nowhere near as good as we expected going into the year.

By comparison, the Ducks sure do have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

Not only did the football program bounce back in a magnificent fashion with an up-and-coming head coach that looks to be among the best young signal-callers in the nation, but Altman and Graves also have things rolling in the right direction on the hardwood.

On top of the tangible success, Oregon is still Oregon, and Phil Knight is still the greatest Uncle in the world. The Ducks have some of the best facilities, best uniforms, best coaches, and best players in the nation, and routinely are in the conversation among the best teams across all sports.

So on this Thanksgiving Day, as we gather with friends and family, we thought it would be nice to reflect on what Oregon fans should be the most thankful for this year. Here’s what we came up with:

A piece of Eugene in the NFL; The story behind Justin Herbert and Marcus Mariota’s custom cleats

Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert have had different paths in the NFL. On Sunday, their cleats honored the cornerstone that both Oregon legends share.

If you tune into the morning slate of NFL games on Sunday in hopes of watching Oregon Duck legends Marcus Mariota and Justin Herbert battle it out on the gridiron, look closely during warm-ups.

You might just see a little slice of Eugene down there on the field.

Of course, both program-altering quarterbacks hold a big chunk of Oregon in their hearts each and every day, but this matchup between the Men of Oregon will hold a little special piece of Oregon artwork to go along with it.

Both Herbert and Mariota are expected to be wearing a set of cleats designed by Justin Tigner, a high school art teacher at King’s Way in Vancouver, WA. He and his students have painted a number of cleats for Mariota over the years, and a pair of cleats by Tigner’s design were auctioned off at Herbert’s charity golf tournament in Eugene last year.

Tigner is licensed by the Ducks, and has designed posters for past bowl games, such as the 2011 BCS National Championship or the 2012 Rose Bowl. His fandom goes deeper than that, though. As with Mariota and Herbert, his blood runs green.

Tigner’s grandfather, Wally Still, was a running back for Oregon back in the 1940s, and he ran track with Bill Bowerman under Coach Hayward. If you ask me, that’s about as Oregon as it can get.

“I grew up less than a mile from Autzen Stadium,” Tigner told me. “I had no choice who my team was.”

He did have a choice about what he would do with the artistic gift that he grew up with, though, and he chose to marry his love for sports and design, finding a niche in cleat design. When he found out that Herbert and Mariota were going to be playing each other this year in the NFL, the idea formulated quickly.

“I am incredibly proud to be able to do this,” Tigner said. “These are two incredible people that do so much for their communities that it is an honor to help them any way I can.”

His way of honoring the two was by mixing in their roots with their current surroundings. For Mariota, that meant the Oregon Duck wings painted in red and black, set against the Atlanta skyline. For Herbert, the same can be said, but with Charger blue and the Los Angeles skyline as the backdrop.

Photo Courtesy of Justin Tigner

For both, a rendering of Autzen Stadium, fit with the letters “EUG” is featured prominently.

Photo Courtesy of Justin Tigner

“There was a lot of pressure when painting these,” Tigner said. “First, I wanted Marcus and Justin to love the designs. Second, I wanted Duck fans, Charger fans, and Falcons fans to love them as well. I know I can’t please every fan, but I want most of them to appreciate my respect for their teams.”

Regardless of what Falcons or Chargers fan think, the design should hold a special meaning for Duck fans. While these two Oregon legends have gone on to do incredible things at the next level, through all of that, they’ve still made it known that Oregon has their hearts.

To see more of his art and support his craft, you can click here.

Scroll for more photos of Justin Herbert and Marcus Mariota’s cleats

Sabrina Ionescu announced as guest picker for ESPN College GameDay

Fans asked for it, and ESPN delivered. Oregon legend Sabrina Ionescu will be the guest picker for College GameDay this weekend.

The fans were calling for it, and the decision-makers at ESPN delivered.

Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu has officially been announced as the guest picker for ESPN College GameDay this weekend before the game between the No. 9 Oregon Ducks and No. 10 UCLA Bruins.

GameDay will be returning to Eugene, featuring the Ducks for the 26th time in its history. The Ducks are an impressive 15-10 in those games where Lee Corso is in attendance.

[lawrence-related id=31516]

After the initial announcement that GameDay was coming came out on Saturday night, fans quickly debated online who should be the guest picker for the Ducks. It usually is someone with a close tie to the home team and has a big enough fanbase that will draw passion from the crowd. Ionescu is a perfect fit, having been one of the best players in college basketball history in Eugene, and making waves with the New York Liberty in the WNBA over the past couple of years.

Ionescu was already planning to be in town to host a girls’ basketball camp, so this worked seamlessly.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=5901]

Marcus Mariota named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

Vintage Marcus Mariota indeed. The Oregon legend is getting NFL honors for his game against the 49ers on Sunday.

It was a vintage performance for former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota over the weekend, as he turned in an efficient stat line to propel the Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Mariota finished the day completing 13-of-14 passes for 129 yards and 2 TD. He also added 50 yards and a TD on the ground as well.

The performance led the NFL to name Mariota the NFC Offensive Player of the Week, an honor that is given to best defensive and special teams players as well for both AFC and NFC.

The Mariota experience in Atlanta has gone a bit better than expected thus far, with the team sitting at 3-3 and remaining competitive in all of their losses as well. We will see after the year if the one-year contract with the Falcons leads to anything down the road, be it with Atlanta or another team that is in need of a veteran signal-caller.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=31527]

Sabrina Ionescu named to All-WNBA second team

Former Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu was named to the All-WNBA Second Team after a tremendous third professional season.

Former Oregon Ducks point guard Sabrina Ionescu was named to the All-WNBA Second Team on Thursday, minutes before Game 3 of the Finals between the Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun.

Ionescu earned second team honors alongside Sylvia Fowles, Alyssa Thomas, Jonquel Jones, and Nneka Ogwumike. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Candace Parker, and Skylar Diggins-Smith earned First Team honors.

Ionescu made her first All-Star Game appearance in 2022, winning the Skills Challenge alongside Zoe Brooks. She went on to win multiple WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Month awards, while finishing the season with averages of 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.

She also led the Liberty to the playoffs and into a surprising Game 1 victory over the defending champion Chicago Sky, before they were ultimately eliminated.

Ionescu clearly has a very bright future in the WNBA, and if health permits she will get a chance to play alongside fellow Oregon alumni Nyara Sabally, who was drafted by New York this past year before missing the entire season with a knee injury.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=29365]

Sabrina Ionescu heads to Las Vegas to report for Team USA

Former Oregon Ducks star guard Sabrina Ionescu is in Las Vegas for Team USA training camp ahead of the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.

The WNBA playoffs are still in full swing, with the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky, and Connecticut Sun all battling to be this year’s champion.

For many of the WNBA’s best stars who are already eliminated from playoff contention, however, a stop in Las Vegas to report to USA Basketball training camp is next on the agenda.

That list of athletes was revealed on Monday, and it included former Oregon Ducks star and current New York Liberty point guard Sabrina Ionescu.

Ionescu is reporting to camp alongside Diamond DeShields, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, and NaLyssa Smith, among others.

Ionescu had her most successful full WNBA season in 2022, making her first All-Star Game and averaging 17.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while leading the Liberty into the playoffs.

While some of the players still participating in the playoffs will ultimately end up participating in the Olympics in 2024, Ionescu’s selection at this time is a promising sign she will get a chance to help lead Team USA toward an Olympic Gold Medal in Paris in two years.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=28618]

Marcus Mariota tired of people disrespecting Oregon’s chances vs. Georgia

“I really truly believe they have a chance to win.” Marcus Mariota doesn’t want to hear about Oregon’s chances to cover the spread against Georgia.

You can take a player out of Oregon, but it appears that sometimes you can’t take the Oregon out of a player.

For former Heisman Trophy-winner Marcus Mariota, it’s been a few years since he put on the green and yellow and stepped onto the field with an Oregon O on his helmet. That doesn’t take away the competitive fire that he has when asked about his former team, though.

On Monday, Mariota — the honorary captain for the Ducks in their game against Georgia on Saturday — met with media members to discuss the upcoming game. He told a story about that competitive fire coming out in the past couple of weeks.

“I did a radio show a couple of weeks back and obviously, a lot of Georgia Bulldogs fans. He looks at me and his question to me to start, it might have been midway through the whole thing, but his whole question was ‘Do you think they’ll cover?'” Mariota said. “I literally said ‘That was the most disrespectful question I’ve gotten in the last few years about covering.’ They’re gonna be competitive. I really truly believe they have a chance to win.”

Not many people are giving the Ducks a chance to win, with many betting lines pegging Oregon as somewhere between a 16-18 point underdog. With a new coaching staff, a new quarterback, an unproven RB and WR room, and a new defensive secondary, it’s understandable that Dan Lanning’s squad wouldn’t be the favorite against the defending national champions.

“I love that aspect. It’s kind of what we’re dealing with here in Atlanta,” Mariota said of both his Ducks and his Falcons.  “I think that underdog mentality is dangerous and I’m excited for this team because when you strap up the pads and you go out there and play, it’s a whole different ball game and it doesn’t matter what other people think.”

A similar sentiment was shared by Lanning himself on Monday night during his pre-game press conference. Multiple times throughout the evening, Lanning pointed out that, despite the endless storylines about him facing his old team, neither he nor any of the coaches who know him will be the ones taking the field. It’s the players who have to execute in order to win.

That notion extends to the sports books who set the lines, many of whom want to see what Oregon has to offer before giving them respect on a national stage.

“We don’t really bother ourselves with the opinions of others,” Lanning said on Monday night. “Nobody in Vegas is gonna play in this game. Right? Our players are gonna play in the game so we know what everyone thinks of our team and that’s okay by us. Our goal is to go out there and play the best game we can possibly play. But that’s gonna have zero effect on this game. The opinions of others is not going to matter.”

If you are a gambling man, there may be some incentive to put a few shekels on the Ducks this Saturday against Georgia. The coaches and players sound confident — as they should — and are saying the right things leading up to the game.

Of course, it would be a problem if that weren’t the case.

[mm-video type=video id=01gbr3ttxr803zb6dpmk playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gbr3ttxr803zb6dpmk/01gbr3ttxr803zb6dpmk-5b0f345e15a86f61be611659c469e2be.jpg]

[listicle id=28401]