Dunbar to Oregon

Thank God for the Ducks?! Are you kidding me? No one should thank God for the ducks, especially the Pilots! Go Pilots!

The Oregonian reported today that the UP AD is leaving to take the Marquette job. A lame duck AD could make life very easy or very hard for Dunbar if he hasn't already secured his release.

Conner is an easy going guy and would probably let him off the hook but as someone else said it's the AD's call.

By the way, has UO released its transfers like, Chad Hall, Justin Harbor or others?

Just so you guys know, an AD has to sign a waiver for another school to even talk to an athlete. Dunbar took care up his waiver some time ago.

Whine Much? wrote:

Just so you guys know, an AD has to sign a waiver for another school to even talk to an athlete. Dunbar took care up his waiver some time ago.

What happens when an atlete transfers without being released and are required to sit out a year? This happens every year but you're suggesting that transferring without a release is an impossibility. Please explain further.

I don't think Dunbar can make the "next level" because the "next level" is running professionally and has ZERO to do with cross country. Portland is indeed a great program for xc, but even during track season, you're basically prepping for next cross country season.

If indeed Trevor feels as though he could ultimately run 13:20 then Oregon is absolutely a great move.

Crazy that Oregon is in such scramble mode with departures and not making Nationals (more surprising if Lananna is in fact leaving coaching for CEO position?)

I'm not going to be thankful that Dunbar transferred to UofO. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic for competition, but Portland has traditionally been unrecognized and everyone knows about the storied history of Oregon, and rightfully so. It's nice though to watch the underdogs (Portland) win and keep winning; Portland doesn't have the facilities, the trainers or the name recognition of Oregon, so it has been cool to see Portland beating Oregon in XC, because from 2004 to 2009 they were getting beat by Nike's Dream Team.

I'm not going to question the motive for the move anymore, Dunbar did great things for Portland, I'll going to keep supporting the small school's great running program.

This is a nice stop gap for Vinny as he prepares to move on to USA Track and Field next July. He will get a respectable few months with Dunbar on his team before Vinny exits stage left. The Ducks are also hoping that Elias Gedyon can pass some junior college courses in Cali to become eligible mid year.

The wheels, they are starting to fall off the Oregon Duck bus. Andy Powell is lookiing at Virginia, other distance runners in the program see the writing on the wall and are looking to transfer. The Oregon women are in better shape right now. But Hasay will redshirt outdoors, and who knows if the Ducks can get the most talented 800 meter runner in the country, Laura Roesler, to perform this season to her capabilities. It should be fun to watch.

Whine Much? wrote:

Just so you guys know, an AD has to sign a waiver for another school to even talk to an athlete. Dunbar took care up his waiver some time ago.

Two different releases. An AD may grant permission to speak to specific schools but not the "final" release which would allow one to compete immediately. Some may just grant the initial release as a courtesy gesture & wait to see where they want to end up. Maybe he ends up at Florida State or Arkansas & PU figures they'll only see him at NCAA's & regretfully wish him the best of luck. Or he ends up at a rival who they're going to see much more often & who's always in contention for one of those two auto's at regionals. As deep as the west is, no one wants to count on an "at-large."

Yes, because Dunbar was granted permission to speak to U of O, it would suggest the final release is more likely, but not automatic. Now, there is always an appeals process that goes to a panel comprised of non-athletic department staff/faculty members on campus. Depending on precedent set by previous decisions or just the general feeling the AD gets about the lean of the panel, they may not want to drag things out if they feel the student-athlete will ultimately secure their release any way These panels are often very student-athlete friendly...

Technically that is correct but why would you release an athlete to talk to a school that you wouldn't release him to compete for. Have you ever seen that happen? The way I have always seen it go is an AD says "you can talk to these schools, if you go anywhere else we won't release you to compete." Maybe it does happen differently, I've just never seen it that way.

what the f wrote:

Thank God for the Ducks?! Are you kidding me? No one should thank God for the ducks, especially the Pilots! Go Pilots!

Maybe Dunbar wants to go to a school that actually has a track. Portland has a great program for guys whose strength is 10k/XC, but access to a track on campus would be useful.

There have been 3-4 other runners over the years that also transfered from Portland to UO. A runner can have success at Portland, but I can see the lure of a program that offers fantastic facilities in addition to good coaching.

Did UO just build this track? It wasn't there in 2009 when he selected Portland? Did UP remove a track?

Observer of Existing Tracks wrote:

Did UO just build this track? It wasn't there in 2009 when he selected Portland? Did UP remove a track?

Why does it matter? Students transfer all the time for a better situation and greater opportunity.

Maybe Portland was the best place for Dunbar his first few years of college. That doesn't mean it is the best place for him now.

Have you ever changed schools or your job?

If Rob Conner one day takes a new coaching job does that mean he is a sellout or disloyal to Portland?

webfoot wrote:

Observer of Existing Tracks wrote:

Did UO just build this track? It wasn't there in 2009 when he selected Portland? Did UP remove a track?

Why does it matter? Students transfer all the time for a better situation and greater opportunity.

Maybe Portland was the best place for Dunbar his first few years of college. That doesn't mean it is the best place for him now.

Have you ever changed schools or your job?

If Rob Conner one day takes a new coaching job does that mean he is a sellout or disloyal to Portland?

If Conner took a new coaching job at the University of Oregon, you're damn right he would be considered a sellout and disloyal among Pilot fans and alumni. Whether or not that is a fair reaction is beside the point.

Are you trying to argue that Portland fans, alumni, and current runners don't have a right to harbor ill will towards Dunbar for transferring to UP's biggest rival in Cross Country because other athletes have transferred schools in the past? Sorry, but that's a big time sellout move, and if I was one of his teammates or the coach at Portland I would feel betrayed.

I think this is a big mistake by Dunbar. Conner is one of the best coaches in the NCAA, and he has proven time and again that if a runner is motivated and sticks with the system at Portland, he will run to his full potential by the time he is a senior. Conner does an excellent job developing athletes, and while there may not be as much glitz or glamour in his system, it works if you're willing to pay your dues and keep grinding.

It's too bad Dunbar doesn't realize what he is throwing away, but the program at UP will continue to churn out great runners without him.

Vortex: This is about the right of a student to attend the university they think gives them the greatest chance for success.

I understand your disappointment, but wishing ill will towards Dunbar is juvenile. Dunbar was attending the University of Portland, not some gang or tribe. You need to put it in perspective.

One more thing: a student on athletic scholarship is not an indentured servant. If a coach tells a student that they "owe" the unversity, then it really is time to get the hell out of there.

University of Portland is a fine school and they have a great coach in Conner. I bet Portland gets more runners transferring in than out.

webfoot wrote:

Observer of Existing Tracks wrote:

Did UO just build this track? It wasn't there in 2009 when he selected Portland? Did UP remove a track?

Why does it matter? Students transfer all the time for a better situation and greater opportunity.

Maybe Portland was the best place for Dunbar his first few years of college. That doesn't mean it is the best place for him now.

Have you ever changed schools or your job?

If Rob Conner one day takes a new coaching job does that mean he is a sellout or disloyal to Portland?

I was just thinking about this very point today. Coaches leave schools all the time and there are no repercussions. In fact, John Calipari, now at Kentucky, led two other schools to Final Fours (UMass and Memphis). After he left, UMass and Memphis ended up with NCAA violations and vacated their NCAA Final Fours.

Athletes, on the other hand, can be made to sit out an entire year if they wish to transfer to another school. I can understand rules related to transferring to other schools within the same conference but the NCAA needs to give the athletes more flexibility in this area.

People here lacking in track speed try to make believe that XC is somehow important, but in truth nobody in the USA makes a living based on what they do in cross country. Track is what matters, and if Dunbar wants a professional future, he needs to put down some track marks that would justify sponsorship.

This being an Olympic year, if he wants to take the long view and concentrate on the OT, he (and Vin) might not particularly care about whether he gets a release or not. He will certainly have a better shot at least qualifying if he has a real nonest-to-God track to train on. I don't know if this is the logic here, but it might very well be.

webfoot wrote:

Vortex: This is about the right of a student to attend the university they think gives them the greatest chance for success.

I understand your disappointment, but wishing ill will towards Dunbar is juvenile. Dunbar was attending the University of Portland, not some gang or tribe. You need to put it in perspective.

One more thing: a student on athletic scholarship is not an indentured servant. If a coach tells a student that they "owe" the unversity, then it really is time to get the hell out of there.

University of Portland is a fine school and they have a great coach in Conner. I bet Portland gets more runners transferring in than out.

I don't think anybody here has argued that a student doesn't have the right to attend whatever university he or she thinks will offer the greatest chance for success. However, supporters of the program that is being abandoned have a right to think less of the individual who is leaving said program as well. Dunbar was attending the University of Portland, and he was on a college cross country team, which does happen to be very much like a gang or tribe. Have you ever been on a college cross country team? If you have, you would know what I mean.

I believe a student on an athletic scholarship does have a responsibility to the university to train and compete to the best of his ability in the sport. I don't know if that is considered indentured servitude, but the school is providing the student with an education, room and board, etc., and thus I believe the student does have an obligation to fulfill. Now if the coach is holding this over the student's head as a threat or something to that extent, then that is not right. However, I have no reason to believe that anything like that has ever happened at Portland.

I hope Dunbar continues to develop into a fine runner, and I also hope UPXC, and Washington State for that matter, continues to wax the Ducks in Cross Country.

Letter to Santa;

Please take coach Lannana and put him in charge of USA track. He may be one of the USA"s greatest organizers.

Thank you for sending LV to Colorado. He did not fit at Oregon.

Thank you for pointing Centro at the pros. He has earned that status.

If you are planning on moving a couple of other Oregon coaches, indeed it might be a good idea. Would be a nice present to have the Portland coach move down to Eugene to motivate the wealth of fresh talent. Also, there is a throwing coach in the PDX area but he may not be available.

Also, the Ducks need a top level steeple runner. See if there is anyone out there.

Santa, please see that the Oregon ladies stay healthy this Spring. It should be their turn.

Santa, thank you for the early Xmas present of the World Youth Champs to be in Eugene.

And Santa, please send me the time to get to more of the athletic competitions.