October 21, 2005

Ducks coach to be known as 'Sledge'

Apparently Oregon football coach Mike Belloti made quite the impression on his team a few weeks ago during the halftime of the Stanford football game.

Belloti, who's generally very composed in public, is now being called 'Sledge' after he took a sledgehammer to something with a Stanford logo to drive home his point.

About three weeks ago, as Cardinal fans discussed their team's plucky first-half performance that had left Oregon with a modest 21-13 halftime cushion, the Ducks were inside that building, listening to coach Mike Bellotti.

A screaming, sledgehammer-wielding Bellotti.

"It was inspirational, it was a turning point," quarterback Kellen Clemens said. "It was a different side of Coach Bellotti than I think we've seen."

Apparently, Bellotti hammered his point home at the expense of something bearing the opponent's logo.

Message received.

...

"It's a halftime ritual now," Phinisee said. "He gets some sort of prop from that school, and he lets us know that we have to keep beating on 'em, keep beating on 'em.

"That gets some people fired up, and after halftime, we come out here and we handle business.

"I don't know if it's the sledgehammer, but whatever it is, we're doing pretty good and we're happy with it."