Portal Panic
How to make it through transfer/recruiting season unscathed.
From Seven McGee to Justin Flowe, Ducks of all levels of the depth chart are hopping into the transfer portal at a rate hitherto unheard of.
Some former Ducks* have landed as far from Eugene as Jackson, Mississippi, and as close as not-talked-about-enough-as-a-border-state, Nevada.
* “Former Duck” doesn’t make sense if “Once A Duck, Always A Duck” is supposed to be a thing. Only one can be true.
Whether these in-flight Ducklings land safely back home (still possible for some) or mostly just in Reno (probable for most), it’s safe to say that it’s a lofty task to navigate recruiting season at the same time that the Portal is Portal-ing.
So my sage advice? Don’t.
Don’t try and keep track, don’t start follow random anonymous accounts with names like @CrootDucks541, and definitely don’t wade into the Twitter replies of any transfer/commit/official visit announcements.
If you do, you’ll find guys like Jim, who was less-than-happy that UDub lost out on 4-star QB Lincoln Kienholz:
Don’t be like Jim.
Also, another tip for protecting your peace during signing season:
Never watch any recruiting film.
In the film Almost Famous, Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane imparts some key wisdom that applies to anyone following rockstars across the country, as well as those among us who have become attached to 17 year-old kids and their 247 composite scores:
“I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun…”
So do yourself a favor and never fall in love with a highlight tape.
For one, you’re only ever going to see film of the best of the best plays from any given player. You’d have to be crazy not to fawn over any 4 or 5-star kids’ highlights—and especially if you believe them to be destined to join Your Team™.
So what individual judgement are you actually making at that point? Virtually none, but you clicked on it with your mind already made up, and now you’re all in on this guy.
If you ever so much as hover over a link to a Hudl or YouTube highlight tape just take a deep breath, you are going to be okay without it.
I remember when I thought Blake Cantu was going to be the next big thing in an Oregon jersey. Instead, all of you will have to go and google him instead (except maybe my brother, Peter, who was always more of a Tacoi SumlerHead, anyway).
Look, I’m speaking from a place of recovery. I am a personal victim of refreshing recruiting rankings over and over.
I’ve taken great joy in seeing that “O” high up in the rankings, and then jesting about the lowly status of our enemies.
But at the peak of this whirlwind—and combined with the new drama of the transfer portal—I only mean to suggest that there is another way.
Mostly, I’m just recommending we all turn instead towards something constructive like meditation, or building a DIY cold plunge in your backyard, or getting like really into WWII history.
Any combination of these things will bring you far more joy than even a “successful” set of outcomes of the impossible “which fast/strong teenagers like your team more” game.
Go Ducks.