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Bill Oram

@billoram.bsky.social

2.2K followers 150 following 860 posts

Columnist at The Oregonian. Lucky enough to write about sports for the newspaper that made me love newspapers.

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Reposted by Bill Oram

Joe Freeman @freemanjoe.bsky.social · 1d

From @matthewkish.bsky.social and @billoram.bsky.social: Tom Dundon says his group can buy the Blazers without money from the Cherng family »

www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Tom Dundon says his group can buy the Blazers without money from the Cherng family

Legal filings made public Tuesday suggest an investment from the deep-pocketed Panda Express founders isn’t critical to the sale.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 1d

Jake Dickert is the one coach to lose a game vs Oregon St in the last year.

He brings 3-2 Wake Forest to Corvallis on Saturday. He said "the narrative is wrong" on Trent Bray.

“I know exactly what he’s going through."

Disagree.

He would have had to stick it out at Washington St to truly get it.

Oregon State, Jake Dickert and the two kinds of survival after a nuclear explosion | Bill Oram

Dickert bailed on Washington State while Oregon State has had no choice but to sift through realignment's rubble.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

That game was yet another example of Beavers failing with multiple chances to get just one yard.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

I misread the Houston chart, so you're right. But I do think the point still stands: Had a golden chance to still win in overtime, came off with no points. If you want to say that was because they couldn't trust the special teams to make a FG, that's definitely fair.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

A correction on this. The win predictor doesn't go into overtime so I misread the Houston chart. The 78% is before Smith's missed FG. The point I would make is that even AFTER that moment, OSU was in great position to win in OT but left the field with no points. Couldn't execute.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

ESPN's win predictor isn't a perfect tool by any means, but to my point about this not just being special teams: It gave OSU a 62.5% chance of winning at App State, 72.6% vs. Fresno State and 78.1% vs. Houston — all in final 2 minutes or OT.

All after surviving that day's special teams blunder(s).

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

Yes, special teams put OSU in tighter situations than it should have been.
But the Beavers were still in position to win all three.
That they won NONE of them speaks to play calling, discipline and execution. That's why it's so distasteful to just fire the special teams coach and call it a day.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

ESPN's win predictor isn't a perfect tool by any means, but to my point about this not just being special teams: It gave OSU a 62.5% chance of winning at App State, 72.6% vs. Fresno State and 78.1% vs. Houston — all in final 2 minutes or OT.

All after surviving that day's special teams blunder(s).

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

ESPN's win predictor isn't a perfect tool by any means, but to my point about this not just being special teams: It gave OSU a 62.5% chance of winning at App State, 72.6% vs. Fresno State and 78.1% vs. Houston — all in final 2 minutes or OT.

All after surviving that day's special teams blunder(s).

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 2d

Oregon State AD promised “immediate” change and then let his football coach fire the special team coordinator.

The Beavers are 0-6.

This is immediacy?

On the art of timing and reading the room:

Oregon State waited way too long to pin all this on the special teams coach | Bill Oram

Special teams have cost the Beavers at least three wins this season, but they still had a chance to win all three. Who gets blamed for the fact they've won none?

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

I am fascinated by the strategy of announcing you are committed to “immediate change” 10 minutes before making a personnel move most observers knew was necessary a month ago.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

Bray has fired special teams coordinator, Jamie Christian, whose uncle Dennis Erickson guided the program to its best season ever.

Special teams could be directly blamed for three, if not four, of OSU’s losses.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

Oregon State AD Scott Barnes releases a statement that says… nothing?

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

Bray has fired special teams coordinator, Jamie Christian, whose uncle Dennis Erickson guided the program to its best season ever.

Special teams could be directly blamed for three, if not four, of OSU’s losses.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

Oregon State AD Scott Barnes releases a statement that says… nothing?

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 3d

Oregon State AD Scott Barnes releases a statement that says… nothing?

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 4d

In honor of Oregon State's game at Appalachian State here is a photo of Armanti Edwards getting sacked in Missoula in the 2009 FCS semifinal game. Go Griz, always.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 4d

So impressed by the work of my colleagues @oregonian.com who teamed up to show what a full day outside of Portland's ICE facility really looks like.

Is this what "lawless mayhem" looks like?
www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

24 hours outside Portland’s ICE facility: Is this what ‘lawless mayhem’ looks like?

President Trump said conditions continue to deteriorate. Here’s what the newsroom saw.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 5d

“Third and Modesto” is a great call from Trent Rush on New Mexico/SJSU. Lake Oswego’s Jack Layne is such a gamer.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 5d

I had several conversations this week with Blueprint Sports CEO Rob Sine in an effort to truly understand the company's NIL arrangement with Oregon State and its role on campus.

"I want to make one thing very clear," Sine told me. "We are not profiting or taking money from student athletes."

Blueprint Sports CEO defends ‘eat what we kill’ NIL contract with Oregon State

OSU has come under fire from some fans for signing a deal that dictates exorbitant fees once Blueprint reaches a certain fundraising threshold.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 5d

Lewis & Clark has selected a new mascot: The River Otters.

They're having a lot of fun with it already.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4_Z...

Who Is L&C's Next Mascot? | Lewis & Clark

YouTube video by Lewis & Clark College

www.youtube.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 6d

Story has been updated with Blaylock's response to SANIL deal falling through. Said he was aware of that, but that Blueprint gained access to SANIL's technology and data, which was appealing to OSU.

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 6d

Tried to unpack and explain Oregon State's controversial NIL revenue share with Blueprint Sports and why Beavers administrators think its a good deal — even though fans very clearly do not.

Read on ⬇️
www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Is Oregon State’s shared revenue NIL partnership with Blueprint Sports worth the cost?

Beavers administrators agreed to a deal this year with a Nevada-based company that costs nearly $300,000 upfront each year and calls for split revenue after reaching a certain threshold.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 6d

SBJ's report that Blueprint's merger with Student Athlete NIL does raise questions about OSU's due diligence here. OSU deputy AD Brent Blaylock told me *yesterday* that "what attracted me to them was their acquisition of SANIL."
www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...

Student Athlete NIL shutting down operations

T hird-party NIL collective SANIL, which worked with a number of Power Four schools including Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Oklahoma, is closing down, sources said.

www.sportsbusinessjournal.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 6d

Tried to unpack and explain Oregon State's controversial NIL revenue share with Blueprint Sports and why Beavers administrators think its a good deal — even though fans very clearly do not.

Read on ⬇️
www.oregonlive.com/sports/2025/...

Is Oregon State’s shared revenue NIL partnership with Blueprint Sports worth the cost?

Beavers administrators agreed to a deal this year with a Nevada-based company that costs nearly $300,000 upfront each year and calls for split revenue after reaching a certain threshold.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

Trent Bray is welcome to run his program as he sees fit. Obviously, I think changes need to be made. The message he sends by sticking with assistants (and AD Scott Barnes sends by sticking by Bray) is that the status quo is acceptable. Complacency will doom Oregon State.

Ryan Clarke @ryantclarke.bsky.social · 9d

Trent Bray came to the defense of special teams coordinator Jamie Christian (and offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson) on Monday.

“I believe Coach Christian can do this job and finish the year, for sure.” #GoBeavs

Trent Bray defends staff amid Oregon State’s 0-5 start: ‘It’s the best thing for those players’

Bray is refusing to make changes to his coaching staff, saying such a disruption would not benefit his team.

www.oregonlive.com

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

I had to read this several times to understand this is a band

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

Shaedon Sharpe at the media day podium as we hear a powerful scream from outside the room.

Who invited Dan Lanning?

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

Leave it to the great @tysonalger.bsky.social to dig up the dirt, or in this case sod, on Oregon's win in Happy Valley. Such clever reporting. 10/10.
lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/ducks/...

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

Deni Avdija on the return of Damian Lillard:

"His dream is my dream. I want to give this city a championship as much as he does."

Bill Oram @billoram.bsky.social · 9d

I like the subtle updates to the uniforms. Thought I would miss the trim more than I do.