Third in the Nation Baby

I don't care if you're a duck or beaver fan, the state of Oregon has to be really happy with where the Oregon Ducks are right now. After beating an 8-0 Arizona State, the Oregon Ducks improved to the #3 team in the BCS. With Oregon State winning back-to-back national titles in baseball, Oregon fighting for chance to win a national title in football, the state of Oregon is getting a lot of national attention.

What does this mean as far as PR is concerned?

Last week Sean Fouts blogged about the need for the Oregon Athletic Department to better prepare their players for interacting with the media (You can read that blog here). I couldn't agree more, both Oregon and Oregon State are getting a lot of national attention and what their players say or do on national television directly affects their programs. Last week University of Oregon's quarterback, Dennis Dixon, appeared on the nationally televised Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN. University of Oregon's running back, Jonathan Stewart, will also be making an appearance on the show. On top of the great year Oregon is having, after last weeks performance, Dixon is now the front runner for the Heisman Trophy and I wouldn't be surprised to see Stewart make the trip to New York as well. Oregon State is no stranger to national media attention. As many of us know, Oregon State is a two-time defending national championship baseball team. In a sport that is dominated by east coast teams, mainly due to whether, last year Oregon State proved the nation that the first national title was not a fluke. Great baseball players are now staying in the NW because of the name Oregon State has made for itself. I haven't even got into Oregon bringing back baseball and Hayward Field hosting the 2008 Olympic Track and Field trials.

I could go on and on about the success of these programs and breakdown every interview an Oregon athlete, or Oregon representative, has had, both good and bad, but it would all lead back to the same point. Both Oregon and Oregon State need to better prepare their athletes, coaches, athletic directors, etc... for interviewing on national television. It is easy to for an Oregon or Oregon State fan to overlook a bad interview because we are biased and we love our teams. But for the rest of the nation, what our players, coaches, athletic directors, etc... say or do on national television is a direct representation of the University. Like University of Oregon's athletic director said in a previous interview, "We should all be held to higher standards, even the duck."