Tag: Phil Knight

Column: Dan Lanning’s vision is coming together in Eugene, earlier than some expected

Dan Lanning and the Ducks are approaching their ceiling quicker than many expected them to in Eugene.

There were about two hours remaining until kickoff on Saturday in Salt Lake City. It was a bright and sunny morning, but the air was still crisp and cool in Rice-Eccles Stadium. While event staff milled about, preparing for a top-15 matchup between the Oregon Ducks and Utah Utes, Dan Lanning walked alone up and down the home team’s sideline.

Still wearing the dark-blue sports jacket he donned on ESPN’s ‘College GameDay’ a couple of hours prior, the 37-year-old head coach was subdued. Ahead of him was among the biggest tests of his young head coaching career; a road matchup against a ranked opponent in a brutal environment — the type of game that Lanning has yet to win in his two years with the Ducks.

After his quick field walk, Lanning went back into the locker room with his team. It would be several hours until he would walk back into that locker room again, high-fiving the Oregon faithful while carrying the biggest win of his coaching career in hand.

35-6 was the final score. It was a total annihilation, one that Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham said was far more lopsided than the scoreboard would suggest.

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Coaches don’t typically get introspective after a big win but rather choose to focus on the moment, the team, and the future. I figured I would give Lanning an opportunity to look within, though. After the victory, I asked him about his pregame walk and the significance it holds for him.

At first, he was unsurprisingly technical.

“I’m just picturing what the game’s gonna look like,” Lanning said. “I always talk about playing the game before the game ever happens and trying to assess where the play clocks at. ‘Okay, where are the timeouts? Where’s the board?’ I want to make sure that I’m at my best for our players. So how do you do that? You’ve got to know where the clocks at. What’s the environment? When you’re out there on the field, you don’t want to be surprised.”

Coach speak precluded the rumination.

“For me, once I walk out on the field, I’m thanking everybody who ever helped me get here,” Lanning continued. “I don’t belong here any more than anybody else, but am lucky to be sitting in the seat. There’s a lot of people that helped get me here.”

Lanning’s pregame visions of what’s to come certainly help him on the field. I have to wonder if he envisioned himself finding this much success so early in his career at Oregon.

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As of now, the Ducks are ranked as the sixth-best team in the nation. They have established themselves as one of the top two teams in the Pac-12 with an inside track to the conference championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff should they win every remaining game on their schedule, something they’re favored to do. They are the only team in the nation ranked inside the top 10 when it comes to both passing offense and rushing offense, and one of three teams in the nation that boasts a top-15 rushing defense, and top-15 sack rate. A Heisman candidate leads the way at quarterback, a Rimington Trophy leader spearheads the offense at center, and a likely Biletnikoff finalist is holding it down on the outside.

The balance is there. The ceiling is there. The expectations are high.

Did they arrive sooner than anticipated? That depends on who you ask. I think that over the past year, many Oregon fans have allowed themselves to believe in a world where this type of domination was possible for the Ducks, be it in 2024 or 2025. There’s been a conviction in Eugene that their brash and bold head coach would be the first to deliver a championship trophy to Phil Knight, making good on years of promise, and billions of dollars invested in the program.

I’m not sure many people pegged 2023 to be the year, though.

Since Lanning showed a willingness to reflect on Saturday evening, I followed up, asking if the outcome vs. Utah went as he envisioned it while walking to the field on that chilly morning, several hours in the past.

“We gave up six points — I was hoping to give up zero,” Lanning said with a smile. “So, similar.”

Similar enough to get the job done, and dominant enough to convince the college football world that the Oregon Ducks’ championship window is coming, and it’s running ahead of schedule.

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Column: Ducks display patience in win over Cougars, sending message to fans in the process

Oregon’s patience in a win over Washington State offers a good road map for Duck fans throughout the rest of the season.

Phil Knight seemed to be in a much better mood as this game wound down to a close.

Just a week after he watched his Oregon Ducks lose in frustrating fashion from the visiting sideline of Husky Stadium as a light drizzle started to come down, the Nike Co-Founder was in a lighter mood as he enjoyed the winning side once again.

I shared an elevator with Oregon’s biggest donor on Saturday afternoon as he traveled from his suite inside Autzen Stadium down to the field in the fourth quarter of the Ducks game against the Washington State Cougars. He smiled and joked with the several members of his entourage, and struck up a short conversation with the elevator clerk as we descended to the concourse.

After exchanging a few words, Knight stood quietly, patiently waiting for the doors to open.

I can’t help but look back on that incredibly brief, largely uneventful moment and think that Knight’s demeanor should be reflective of what Oregon’s fan base strives for at large this week. Coming off of a brutal loss to the Washington Huskies — their second in as many years — it had been a tough week to weather the storm. Dan Lanning felt it as he answered endless questions and criticisms about his aggressive fourth-down decision-making in the loss. I’m sure Knight felt it as well, watching the aftermath as the football program that he has invested billions of dollars into over the years once again fell short in a big moment.

When the pressure is on, though, as it currently is for the Ducks, there is no room for rash thinking. Instead, it’s patience that needs to be present. I’m sure that’s a lesson that Knight has learned time and again in his career, and it’s something that Lanning and the Ducks displayed on Saturday afternoon.

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Oregon entered this game against Washington State with no more room for error. Despite suffering their first loss of the season, the Ducks still had every preseason goal out in front of them, but another loss could tank their chances of making it to the Pac-12 Championship Game, and ultimately a spot in the College Football Playoff. They can still do both of those things but need to win every remaining game on their schedule.

You can’t do that in a single day.

Even Oregon’s 38-24 win over the Cougars required some level-headedness from Duck fans who watched. Lanning’s offense got off to a slow start, scoring only 3 points in the first three drives despite putting up over 130 yards of offense during that time. Ultimately, though, they ground down a less-talented Washington State team with their punishing rushing attack, and pulled away in the third quarter. Oregon won the game without any semblance of stress in the end.

“I don’t think our guys ever got rattled,” Lanning said after the game. “They stayed focused in the moment and that’s really what playing great football is about; being one-play focus.”

Going forward, it’s going to be that one-play focus that has the ability to carry the 8th-ranked Ducks forward to their ultimate destination. They’ll need that focus this week traveling to Salt Lake City, where the hype is already growing around their showdown with the No. 13 Utah Utes. ESPN’s College GameDay will be in town once again, and the eyes of the world will be watching to see what the Ducks can do.

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With a win, they have the opportunity to position themselves nicely in the race for a spot in the Pac-12 title game, and further their status as a CFP contender.

Both of those things are goals that the Ducks have had all season long, but neither will be fully accomplished with a single win. That was true last week, this week, and will continue to be true going forward as we march on through November.

Patience will be key.

I have a feeling that Phil Knight understands the patience that I’m talking about. He’s more invested in the success of the Ducks than any man in America. He’s seen the many highs over the past couple of decades, and he’s had a front-row seat to the handful of low moments as well.

Knight doesn’t pop champagne with each victory, and he doesn’t pull the plug with each defeat. He weathers the storm, knowing that with the right pieces in place, and the correct amount of time, the end-of-season goals can be accomplished.

The Ducks appear to be in a position to achieve those goals. They’ve got the coach, they’ve got the players, and the road map is clear. It’s not going to be an easy journey, and there will certainly be some bumps along the way.

Patience is going to be key.

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Deion Sanders hugs Nike’s Phil Knight before Colorado-Oregon

Deion Sanders and Phil Knight got together at Autzen Field

For a minute, the bad blood between Deion Sanders, Colorado and Oregon subsided on Saturday.

That’s because the Buffs’ coach seemed honored to see Nike boss Phil Knight prior to the Pac-12 game with the Ducks.

Everything was sweetness as the pair exchanged some love.

Sabrina Ionescu claims ‘Oregon Duck’ and ‘Uncle Phil’ editions of Sabrina 1 shoes stolen

There appears to be a shoe thief on the loose, and they’r snatching up limited edition Sabrina 1s.

You know you’ve made it in the world of athletics when you get your own shoe named after you.

I guess you can say you’ve made it, even more, when certain exclusive versions of those shoes go missing or get stolen.

That’s the case for New York Liberty star and Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu, who claimed on social media Thursday afternoon that someone stole a couple of pairs of her new shoe, the Sabrina 1, from the opposing arena.

The two shoes designs were exclusive, one which honored Phil Knight, the Founder of Nike, and the other of which was an Oregon Ducks’ colorway. Of course, Sabrina wanted her special insoles back more than anything else.

It is unclear where the shoes went missing, but Ionescu debuted the ‘Thanks Uncle Phil” shoes on August 13 against the Indiana Fever. She wore the Oregon Ducks Sabrina 1s a couple of days later in a game against the Las Vegas Aces.

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AIR: See the cast of Ben Affleck’s new Nike movie compared to real-life counterparts

Ben Affleck nails it as Nike founder Phil Knight.

We’re getting closer to the release date for the upcoming sports movie AIR.

The early reactions are overwhelmingly positive and the Nike biographical sports drama currently has a 100 percent approval rating on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie tells the story of Knight and the partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike’s basketball division, which eventually led to the creation of the Air Jordan brand.

RELATED: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Nike film AIR debuts with a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes

Ben Affleck, who directs the film, stars as Nike co-founder and former chairman Phil Knight.

Affleck stars alongside Matt Damon (as Sonny Vaccaro), Viola Davis (as Deloris Jordan), Julius Tennon (as James Jordan), Chris Tucker (as Howard White), Jason Bateman (as Rob Strasser), Matthew Maher (as Peter Moore), Chris Messina (as David Falk), and Marlon Wayans (as George Raveling).

Michael Jordan, a character who appears more as a mythic figure than as an actual presence on the screen, specifically required Affleck to cast Davis to portray his mother.

This movie will have its theatrical release in the United States on April 5. Until then, you can watch the trailer to get excited and build anticipation for AIR.

You can also check out our side-by-side comparisons of the actors and all of their real-life counterparts:

The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Nike film AIR debuts with a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes

This movie sounds amazing.

The upcoming sports movie AIR recently had its premiere at South By South West and the early reactions are overwhelmingly positive.

In fact, the Nike biographical sports drama currently has a 100 percent approval rating on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. That specifically means that all seventeen reviewers thus far have rated this movie favorably.

As also noted by For The Win’s Cory Woodroof, Variety‘s Peter Debruge called the movie “this generation’s Jerry Maguire“ in his review.

AIR will have its theatrical release in the United States on April 5. But until then, you can watch the trailer to get excited and build anticipation for this movie.

Ben Affleck, who directs the film, also stars as Nike co-founder and former chairman Phil Knight.

The movie tells the story of Knight and the partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike’s basketball division, which eventually led to the creation of the Air Jordan brand.

Affleck stars alongside Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker and Viola Davis. Michael Jordan, a character who does not actually appear in the film, specifically required Affleck to cast Davis to portray his mother.

Could this movie possibly be a contender for another Oscars win for Affleck, who took home the award for Best Picture for Argo in 2013?

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The Nike Air Jordan film from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon is receiving tons of early praise

Ben Affleck’s sports drama Air is getting great early notices out of South by Southwest.

The upcoming sports drama Air had its world premiere at South by Southwest this weekend, and the early reactions are incredibly encouraging.

The dramatized telling of how Nike landed Michael Jordan for the legendary Air Jordan shoe deal comes from actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck, who directs and plays Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the project.

Affleck’s longtime collaborator and buddy Matt Damon plays Nike employee Sonny Vaccaro, who worked to get Jordan on board for the shoe deal that changed both of their lives.

Affleck showed the film at the Austin, Texas, film festival on Saturday, and the early returns are quite encouraging. Affleck and the Air team got a standing ovation from the SXSW crowd.

Affleck seemed to really hype up the importance of the film premiere in the grand scheme of his career.

In his review, Variety critic Peter Debruge called it “this generation’s Jerry Maguire.”

More reactions praised the cast, Affleck’s direction and the film’s uplifting message.

If you’re excited to check out Air, it’ll hit theaters nationwide on April 5.

Michael Jordan required Ben Affleck to cast this Oscar winner to play his mom in Air

Michael Jordan wanted this Oscar winner to play his mom in the upcoming sports drama Air.

While meeting with NBA legend Michael Jordan ahead of making the upcoming sports drama Air, actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck got a few requests from the basketball legend.

As he premiered the film at South by Southwest this weekend, Affleck talked about what Jordan had hoped to see in the dramatized telling of the Nike shoe deal that changed his and the company’s lives forever.

Via Variety, Affleck shared that Jordan wanted to see Howard White in the film, who is the vice president of sports marketing for the Jordan Brand. Affleck said the casting opportunity gave him a chance to work with actor Chris Tucker, who appears as White in Air.

Jordan also had a specific casting request for who would portray his mother, Deloris Jordan. The Chicago Bulls great told Affleck he wanted Oscar winner Viola Davis to play the part.

“I got the script and then had the chance again to talk to Michael. Michael Jordan, for those of you who don’t know, is one of the most intimidating, impressive men you’ll ever see in your life,” Affleck said (via Variety). “He told me about is father. And then he talked about his mother. It was the first time I saw this look cross his face. It was a look of reverence, of awe, of love, and gratitude, and innocence. He said, ‘None of this would have ever happened without my mother.’ I said, ‘Who would you like to play your mom?’ He said, ‘Well, it has to be Viola Davis.”

Jordan got his wish, as Davis indeed appears in the film as his mother. Affleck had a very apt comparison as to what it meant to cast Davis in the project.

“That’s like saying, ‘Can I play basketball on your court?’ ‘Yeah, if you get Michael Jordan.’ “Viola Davis is the best actor I’ve ever seen,” Affleck continued. “This is a hard business. It’s hard to know if you’re successful. It’s hard to know if you’ve accomplished something. But honest to God, I always felt that if i was a director one day, and I had Viola Davis in a movie, that would really be something. That would mean the world to me. And it does.”

Affleck co-stars in Air as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, while his longtime collaborator and friend Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, who spearheaded the effort at Nike to bring Jordan aboard for a shoe line.

The film opens on April 5 nationwide.

The Greatest Oregon Duck of All Time Bracket: Round One

Who is the greatest Oregon Duck of all time? Here is the 1st round of our 32-person bracket, working towards the crowning of a GOAT.

Who is the greatest Oregon Duck of all time?

It’s a loaded question and one that has a handful of different answers that are all respectable, and hold a lot of truth. It’s a question that spans the sporting landscape, not just touching on football players inside Autzen Stadium, but traverses over to the hardwood at Mac Court and Matthew Knight Arena, and finds a home at the track at Hayward Field as well.

It’s a question that has stirred up a debate for decades in Eugene, and likely will go on for years into the future as the Ducks continue to see massive success across all of the major sports.

It’s a question that we are trying to find an answer to here at Ducks Wire and on the Sco-ing Long Podcast. 

In honor of the start of March, I sat down with JD Pluid and Shane Potter, co-hosts of The Flock Pod, and we went through a 32-person bracket of who I deemed worthy of the title ‘Greatest Duck of All Time.” Cutting the bracket down to just 32 was incredibly tough, and it left a long list of honorable mentions. Seeding the bracket was even tougher, pitting some of the most beloved figures in Oregon sports up against one another in the first and second rounds.

Here is a look at the seeded bracket:

In the end, we boiled down the bracket of 32 to a single winner, crowning one Oregon legend as the Greatest Duck of All Time. To hear the entire conversation, you can listen to the Sco-ing Long Podcast.

If you’re more of a reading fan, here is the first round of the bracket:

Why Michael Jordan isn’t in the trailer for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Nike film ‘Air’

The movie “Air” is all about Michael Jordan’s deal with Nike. So why isn’t MJ in the film?

It seems almost counterintuitive to make a movie about the greatest sneaker deal in sports history, featuring the most marketable player in sports history, and leave that athlete almost entirely out of the script.

So you’re going to have to trust Ben Affleck and Matt Damon when it comes to their new Nike biopic “Air”. The film focuses on the quest to sign a rookie Michael Jordan to what was then a third-place company in the basketball market.

Though the trailer released on Thursday shows Viola Davis and Julius Tennon portraying Jordan’s parents, the NBA legend won’t make an appearance on screen. Not a cameo nor an actor portrayal. And that’s by design.

 

Affleck and Damon—who reworked a script originally penned by Alex Convery—are focusing less on Jordan and more on Nike execs Phil Knight (played by Affleck) and Sonny Vaccarro (Damon) as they work to build the company’s basketball brand.

Per The Hollywood Reporter:

The story will focus on Vaccaro’s relentless quest to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company, a journey that took him to Jordan’s parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisers and friends. Jordan will be a mythic figure hovering above the movie and never seen, even as Vaccaro tries to reach him by gaining access to those close to him.

Jordan isn’t listed in any credits, so if there is a cameo the filmmakers are keeping it tightly under wraps. Certainly there’s enough star power attached to the project to interest Jordan, but considering the movie isn’t about MJ’s greatness, he likely doesn’t care to get involved.

Either way, fans of sneaker culture and basketball history should find themselves entertained by the story of a plucky little basketball division that took over the world.