..according to the Oregonian’s Bob Rickert. Here’s a link to the full tournament brackets, and here’s the matchups in the Midwest regional:

1: Florida
16: Jackson State

8: Arizona
9: Purdue

5: Butler
12: Old Dominion

4: Maryland
13: Davidson

6: Notre Dame
11: Winthrop

3: Oregon
14: Miami (OH)

7: UNLV
10: Georgia Tech

2: Wisconsin
15: TAMCC

Wisconsin and Florida are both very, very good teams. Georgia Tech and Notre Dame are quite dangerous as well. But if — and this is a mighty big if — the Ducks continue to play as they have in the past week, the Gators are the only team that could stop Oregon from advancing. The Ducks should play on Friday the 16th, and according to the NCAA website tickets in Spokane are already sold out.

The Ducks are red hot right now, after destroying USC 81-57 to win the Pac-10 tournament with emphasis. The high-flying Ducks were bouncing all over the floor, hitting threes at will and getting 5 players in double figures. The team as a whole was clicking, but the standout was Bryce Taylor who had what amounted to a perfect game. Taylor scored 32 points on 11-11 shooting, and was 7-7 from 3. The Ducks played fast-paced, dynamic offense, but didn’t skimp at the defensive end either. USC was beat before the end of the first half, and looked lost the entire second half as Oregon bombarded them with threes. The Ducks were up by about 40 before Ernie Kent emptied the bench, and let the reserves hold on to a 24 point finish. Exactly the kind of performance you want to see in the last game before the big dance. Sweet Sassy Molassy!

The official story of the SRC, as told by Dennis Munroe, director of PARS. Please note, we called our version “Rec Center Runaround,” while he calls his “UO Student Recreation Center: A Success Story.” Read ’em both, and let us know which title is more apropos. (more…)

The Emerald is running an editorial today, calling for Senator Nate Gulley to face “stern censure by an impartial jury of his peers” for obviously violating conflict of interest in a Senate vote. Mentioning the Commentator grievance as “a convincing case that Gulley violated the ASUO Constitution, Robert’s Rules of Order and the Senate Rules,” the editorial concluded that Gulley did not deserve to lose his seat, but that he should face Senate censure.

I agree. We’d all be a lot better off if he weren’t in his seat, but it’s probably not worth the trouble. I just want to see him have to explain himself, and hopefully someone will try to defend him. Bring on the censure, I’ll be there with my popcorn!

While you’re over at the Emerald, check out Jobetta Hedelman’s monster three-part piece on Wednesday’s Senate meltdown. Oh, and DPS can’t account for tens of thousands of dollars too. Crazy shit.

The Student Recreation Center (SRC) and its chronic budget woes have become one of the most pressing issues facing the ASUO, and was the subject of a feature in the Winter Issue of the Commentator. In order to get raise more awareness about the issue, I have asked Student Recreation Center Advisory Council Chairman Richard Pryor to write up some thoughts for this blog. Students will face a referendum on this issue in the coming election, and so I hope this thread will help answer questions about the problem and the possible solutions. (more…)

Editors note: This is the first in a series of email interviews with candidates for ASUO office. All candidates are encouraged to contact us at ocomment[at]uoregon[dot]edu for their interview questions.

Our first interview is with Neil Brown, who is running for Senate Seat 3 (PFC). (more…)

I have attended quite a few Student Senate meetings this year (well, more than Dallas Brown did last year), and it seems like every time I sit down to write about it for this blog my thoughts end up more critical and negative than the week before. I don’t like this, because the Senate has made some progress this year, and I don’t want to sound like a whiner, but yesterdays meeting was so horrendously embarrassing that I almost want to pretend that it never happened. It was bitter, divisive, unproductive, long and above all, embarrasing to everyone involved. The only solace I can find in all this is that next weeks meeting can’t possibly be any worse… or can it? Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
(more…)

So, can someone tell me who thought it would be a good idea to schedule the Oregon/Arizona game for 12:20 in the afternoon on a day most people have school or work? The game could’ve easily been scheduled for yesterday evening, but instead those of us with, you know, jobs and other responsibilities miss out. Thanks Pac-10!

Those of you unable to watch today’s game but able to use the Internet can see live scoring updates here.

The Register-Guard has a front page story in today’s paper about Springfield’s efforts to host the Simpsons Movie premiere sometime in July:

City officials have accepted an invitation from 20th Century Fox to compete against other Springfields across the country in a contest where the winner will host the premiere screening of “The Simpsons Movie,” due out in July. The film is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.

“If we’re selected, that’s nationwide and even worldwide exposure for us,” said Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken – not to be confused with Mayor Joe Quimby, of the Simpsons’ fictional hometown of Springfield.

Worldwide exposure! This could be the start of a golden age for the Springfield tourism industry!

God bless the Smoking Gun.

 Emerald Opinion Editor Tyler Graf sat down with ASUO Exec Jared Axelrod, to get his take on the elections thus far, in an “Emerald Exclusive Podcast.” Unfortunately for the drama queens out there, Jared doesn’t give out much in the way of opinions or privileged information, but it does serve as a good primer on ASUO elections. Besides, we guilted Ol Dirty into reviving its podcasts and blog features, so we might as well help promote them.

Every year, Oregon Republicans gather for the annual Dorchester Conference in Seaside, Oregon. Current Con Court Associate Justice, former ASUO Senator, and long the sanest man in the ASUO, Wally Hicks attended the bash, and sent us a few of his notes on the gathering. Find them after the jump… (more…)

OC Editor-in-Chief Edward Niedermeyer filed elections paperwork today, entering the already crowded race for ASUO Executive. Speaking at a lonely media event, attended only by this blogger, Niedermeyer outlined the many challenges facing the ASUO, and his plans for the future. “The ASUO needs to check itself,” said Niedermeyer, “because projecting current trends into the future, it appears very much at risk of wrecking itself.”

The centerpiece of Niedermeyer’s campaign is what he terms as “the dire threat of global douchebaggery.” “Transnational douchebaggery presents an existential threat our campus,” Niedermeyer explained, “student leaders must stand up and be counted: they are either with us or against us.” According to Niedermeyer, douchebags are responsible for many of the recent attacks on the dignity of the student body, from Toby Keith’s attendance of the Oklahoma/Oregon game at Autzen this fall, to Ty Schwoeffermann’s column on interracial dating. “Our own student government is complicit in these acts of douchebaggery,” said Niedermeyer, “indeed, I am currently compiling a list of douchebags who have infiltrated our own student government. These douchebags must be smoked out of their Suite 4 offices and brought to justice.”

The Niedermeyer campaign has yet to announce a running mate, and is still in the process of developing its platform. “I am very interested in decreasing the incidental fee, yet there are important issues that will require judicious amounts of student money” said Niedermeyer, when questioned about his commitment to fiscal responsibility. “For example, I think it is crucial for campus diversity to offer drinking fountains that serve Pabst Blue Ribbon as well as Labatt Blue. Yes, it will cost students an extra $3 million to provide this capability, but I think we can all agree that diversity is always good, regardless of the cost… especially given the fact that Canadians are tragically underrepresented on this campus.”

Tolerance was another serious issue for Niedermeyer, and one which also appears to have trumped his longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility. “It’s important to educate all students about the importance of tolerance,” said Niedermeyer “and make sure they never forget this crucial lesson.” In support of this position, Niedermeyer is considering using student funds to establish “re-education camps” to teach students the importance of tolerance. “We will not stand for students who perpetuate a micro-brew hegemony, and constantly oppress those who find pleasure in the cheaper beers,” Niedermeyer explained, “maybe a few months of hard labor and hard liquor will teach them that all beer is beautiful, whether lovingly hand-crafted or industrially mass-produced.”

I feel I’m constitutionally (or is that mission statementally?) required to link to Ed Oser’s article on partying in the Emerald today. There’s no hard reporting or investigatory work here, but there doesn’t need to be. It’s just a mildly entertaining article about competetive drinking. So kudos to Oser for writing it.

What’s funny, however, is that the article is accompanied by two additional pieces, one of which quotes an AA member as saying that competetive drinking is “so, so dangerous” and the other which states that “there’s thousands of times when [partying] hasn’t been fun.” Perhaps the Ol’ Dirty’s editors realized that they would take some flack from neo-prohibitionists for daring to write about people who drank and had a good time without dying in a car wreck or raping someone. The two other pieces seem forced and, worse yet, are boring.

Also, I’m not the Ian mentioned in the story. I don’t do keg stands. At least not while ODE photographers are around.

I’m not trying to start a debate over abortion here, but, uh, I think this article will be able to serve as the gold standard of how not to advocate a pro-life position.