The I-5 Corridor: Recent Episodes
Tyson Alger
Tyson Alger and Justin Myers kick off August with fall camp in full swing and a fake controversy leading the Oregon news cycle: Dylan Raiola’s perfectly standard “I like it here better” transfer quote somehow becomes a national talking point.
From there, they zoom out on college football’s weirder traditions: Do we actually still need the coaches’ poll? Are conference media days useful, or just content cosplay and an excuse for writers to expense a trip? Is all the “culture/chemistry/retreat” talk any different from what every other program is doing?
Then the good stuff: Bend vs. the coast, what it’s like to be a civilian at a packed Zach Bryan show at Autzen (fireworks and all), and the emotional journey of being awarded — and then mentally defending — a coveted work parking spot.
The World Cup is over. Whatever will we do?
Oh right, this is a football podcast. So this week, we're back on football -- with a slight turn toward the end about the billionaire trying to ruin our basketball team.
Tyson Alger and Justin Myers mourn the end of the USA’s World Cup run and ask the big question: Didn't we do this a couple of years ago with Colorado? They relive the wild scene in Seattle, debate why decades of MLS growth still haven’t moved the needle for Team USA on the global stage then pivot to the most American thing possible: Big 12 Media Days. They break down the now-infamous “tortillas vs. noisemakers” question, imagine a world where each school can ban one rival tradition (goodbye chainsaw, shout, and dotting the i), and share war stories about asking long, winding questions in press conferences while a coach quietly sharpens the knives.
Ja Morant is a Portland Trail Blazer. OK, then. On this week's Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin digest that news, then dig a bit into LeBron's next stop, the World Cup, the Savannah Bananas at Autzen and what it would take for Oregon to have a Joey Harrington-billboard-like cultural moment again.
Tyson is back from the World Cup to debrief Justin on USA/Australia, crossing the border and the reason why Americans are finally following the world's game.
The World Cup is here. Tyson is excited, Justin is doing his best, and on this week's Traffic Report, the two preview the upcoming tournament and reminisce about the last time the U.S. hosted in 1994. Then, it's on to Brennan Scorsbey, Texas Tech and the college football scandal de jour.
The Oregon Ducks are on to the Super Regional in Austin after a sweep through the Eugene Regional -- and Oregon State. Tyson and Justin discuss what this means in this week's I-5 Corridor Traffic Report.
Oregon brought back baseball with exact visions of this weekend -- it just took about a decade longer than anyone thought. On this week's Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin dive into all things Ducks and Beavers as the Eugene Regional of the NCAA baseball tournament gets underway.
It's May, Justin had the weekend to himself and Tyson is sunburned from his trip to LA, which led to an off-the-rails episode of the Traffic Report that includes our thoughts on Oregon recruiting, hockey movie power rankings, using 1990s power hitters as a metaphor for a current health trend and that first feeling of collegiate freedom.Only three months 'till kickoff. Only three months 'till kickoff. Only three months 'till kickoff.
The Oregon Ducks were ahead of the curve. This week on the Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin discuss how a team that's been "cool" for so long can remain there.
Dylan Raiola’s Oregon debut has Tyson and Justin wondering what it means for the Ducks' QB room in this week's Traffic Report. They also go in on NCAA Tournament expansion and brace themselves for the coming Blazers offseason.
We scraped together enough cash to pay our internet bill to bring you this week’s episode of The Traffic Report, where we exalt and praise the business practices of new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon.
Who cares about the fan base or the momentum of a playoff run when there’s a bottom line to attend to, right?
Then, Tyson and Justin break down the new “Jail Blazers” Netflix documentary and close with a look ahead to Oregon’s upcoming spring game.
Welcome to The Traffic Report -- a Portland Trail Blazers podcast. OK, so maybe we haven't talked much about one -- we're looking at you, Netflix -- of Portland's professional sports teams, but seeing as Portland is playing in the NBA Playoffs on Sunday, we figured now is the time to jump on the bandwagon. Tyson and Justin talk about what it means for the city, Oregon spring ball and review Justin's trip to Bandon. Then, Erik Anderson joins to break down the Blazers' series.
It's Masters week here on The I-5 Corridor's Traffic Report. We're talking pimento cheese sandwiches, Augusta, the college basketball title game and whether we should feel bad for CB Bunknor.
Then, Kevin Palmer, our 2024 Masters Correspondent, shares his unsolicited thoughts on the upcoming tournament.
Hello, friends. No, it’s not time for the Masters yet. But it is time to welcome back the Boys of Summer. On this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin are talking baseball. We’re talking opening day, we’re talking streaming and, eventually, we get to the news of the transfers of Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans Jr. from the Oregon men’s basketball program.
Before heading out to Austin to cover the first round of Oregon’s run through the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, Tyson had to catch up with Justin this week to put a bow on the men’s season and share a few stories about how, uh, unique Chicago was.
Then, we’re talking brackets and the men's tournament descending on Portland.
It's that time of year when everyone starts talking about college basketball. And while the Oregon women are set up nicely for an NCAA Tournament selection, it's looking like a long, quiet and far too sane March for Dana Altman's men.
The Traffic Report is back this week with guest Andrew Greif. Andrew joins Tyson for a conversation about his time covering the Winter Olympics in Milan.
Tyson and Justin reflect on the Super Bowl, Oregon's 10-game losing streak, baseball bloopers and take a first-hand look at the Portland Timbers' new kit.
This week on the Traffic Report: Does Dante Moore's return make Oregon the front-runners in 2026? Or is there another Indiana out there ready to take the sport by storm?
It's a good thing, folks. Because while 99 percent of the following podcast was recorded an hour before Moore announced his return to Oregon for 2026, well, we figure the news of Moore's return outweighs an instantly dated episode that wraps up Oregon's 2025 season.
I speak briefly on Moore at the top, then it's on to putting a bow on the 2025 Oregon Ducks season.
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson is back from Miami to debrief Justin on the Orange Bowl before the two dive into this week’s Peach Bowl, the rematch with Indiana and where this 2025 Oregon Ducks season now stands in the UO pantheon of time.
It's a quick episode this week, but Justin wanted to check in with Tyson in Miami, where he's spent the last two days following the Ducks around in preparation for Thursday's Orange Bowl.
On this week's Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin preview Saturday's College Football Playoff game between James Madison and Oregon before taking a stroll down memory lane after Tyson's visit to McArthur Court.
Yes, there is plenty of 2025 football to talk about on this week's Traffic Report. Tyson and Justin share their thoughts on the bracket, on James Madison and the first home playoff game in Autzen Stadium history. But really, we're all here for the 2007 Sun Bowl Replayables, right?
We missed a week and boy do we have a lot to catch up on. This week on the Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin go over the Washington win, catch up on the news of Will Stein and (maybe) Tosh Lupoi departing for head coaching positions, take a look at the playoff picture and then try to put this 11-1 Oregon Ducks regular season into context.
So much is different in this era of college sports. But for the 2025 Oregon Ducks, their playoff hopes rest in two games against the very familiar:
Hello, USC.
Hello, Washington.
When the rain started pouring and the wind began to whip around Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, everything was playing into the Hawkeyes' hands.
Right? Right??
Wrong, as this week Tyson and Justin dissect another instance of the Oregon Ducks wiping out another Big Ten Bully.
On this week's I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin take a look at the first College Football Playoff rankings and see how the Oregon Ducks stack up as they enter the final month of the season.
Is Saturday against Iowa a must-win? We think so.
This week on The I-5 Corridor's Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin talk about the 18-innings of baseball madness in the World Series, dry out after Saturday's monsoon at Autzen, catch up on what happened with Chauncey Billups and the Blazers and dive into the state of Oregon's backup QB position.
(Sorry for the late Wednesday posting, folks. Got tied up today.)
This week's I-5 Corridor Traffic Report begins with the heartbreak of the Mariners' Game 7 loss to Toronto in the ALCS.
It ends with talk of the Grateful Dead, Tie-dye and whether or not we just don't get it.
And in the middle, the two dissect Oregon's 56-10 beating of Rutgers.
The Oregon Ducks are undefeated no more. After a disappointing loss to Indiana last week, Tyson and Justin take a look at the challenging road ahead for a team that still has everything to play for.
Plus: Tyson's review of Game 3 of the ALCS and the two talk about a wildcard of an Oregon State coaching candidate.
The No. 3 Oregon Ducks beat Penn State, flew back home to Oregon, rested during the bye and are welcomed back to football with the No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers coming into Autzen for another top-10 matchup.
This week, Tyson and Justin voice their concerns about Indiana’s offense, try to figure out what happened to Penn State against UCLA and enjoy the moment of an unexpected Mariners’ playoff run.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Or, watch us over on YouTube:
(Video note: I screwed up the autofocus on this one. Will be better next week.)
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Well, that was a fun one.
I’m back from State College after a whirlwind weekend, and Justin and I didn’t think it would be right to wait any longer to dive into Oregon’s win over Penn State in this week’s Traffic Report. Listen for our thoughts on the game, the experience at Beaver Stadium and a review of Pittsburgh — a great American city.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
And in case you missed it last week:
Our promo code Corridor10 is still active for 10% off your purchase of Water Avenue’s new Oregon Ducks Coffee at oregonduckscoffee.com.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Well, we’ve largely said what we’re going to say about this Oregon/Penn State matchup.
At least that’s what I thought until friend of the Corridor Shane Hoffmann gave me a ring. With the No. 6 Ducks and the No. 3 Nitnay Lions kicking off tomorrow, I caught up with my old pal for a few final thoughts about Oregon and Penn State before the White Out sets in over in State College.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
It’s No. 6 Oregon and No. 3 Penn State with College GameDay in town, a White Out planned, Big Ten bragging rights on the line and playoff implications aplenty.
What more could you want?
After getting off to a 4-0 start, Oregon’s first true test of 2025 is here: an experienced Penn State team, coming off a bye, looking for revenge after its 2024 Big Ten Championship Game loss. It’s as big of a road game as Tyson and Justin can remember for the Ducks. They preview the game, give their predictions and catch up on the Mariners in this week’s episode of the Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
This week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report is supported by Water Avenue’s Oregon Ducks Coffee.
With a 5 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh on Friday, I’m thankful I have four new roasts of Oregon Ducks Coffee — Fourth Quarter Fuel, Early Bird Blend, Quack Attack Roast and the limited-edition Tie Dye Bag — to get me up and to the airport on time. Roasted by Portland’s Water Avenue Coffee, Oregon Ducks Coffee can be found at New Seasons, Market of Choice, Roth’s Fresh Market and Zupan’s Market and online at oregonduckscoffee.com.
Use promo code Corridor10 for 10% off your purchase.
The Traffic Report
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The game is coming back.
The Oregonian reported earlier this week that Oregon and Oregon State have struck an agreement to resume their annual rivalry game beginning in 2027 — meaning we’ll only have a one-year hiatus after Saturday’s 129th meeting between the two programs.
But on this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Justin Myers wonder just how much of a rivalry will be left to resume.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
No, Oregon hasn’t played anyone.
No, we’ll probably not know anything until Penn State.
But through two weeks, could the Oregon Ducks have looked any better? Tyson and Justin get together on this week’s Traffic Report to talk about Oregon’s 2-0 start, preview the Northwestern game and wonder just how good this Oregon team could be.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
We’re also on YouTube.
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
One game down, and there are no apparent issues for an Oregon Ducks football team that thumped Montana State 59-13 on Saturday in the season opener.
Tyson Alger and Justin Myers break down what they liked, what they still need to see and more in this week's episode of The I-5 Corridor's Traffic Report.
Then they dive into the comment war between Mike Gundy and Dan Lanning and close with Justin's big question: When did guys stop wearing mouth guards?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Looking for more Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve made it.
Eight long months have passed since the Oregon Ducks’ football season came to an end in Pasadena. In the time since we’ve seen portal additions, headlining returns, position battles and a new mantra from a team that spent half of 2024 ranked No. 1: Double Down.
Do we think the Ducks can run it back in 2025? Tyson and Justin discuss on this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Looking for Oregon Ducks coverage? Lookout Eugene-Springfield is the new home for Tyson Alger’s coverage of University of Oregon athletics.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The I-5 Corridor Traffic Report is back to break down the biggest sports story in Oregon this week — OK, so maybe we recorded this before the Blazers news dropped on Wednesday.
However, Tyson and Justin do touch on the changes happening here at The I-5 Corridor, share their thoughts on college football coaches’ injury policies, recap Ichiro’s Hall of Fame weekend in Seattle and then Justin shares an update on Starbucks Tipgate.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
And remember, you can find my Ducks content over at Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
All season, the Portland Timbers’ fan base has been desperate for the front office to make a move to bolster the team’s run to the postseason.
All season, the Seattle Mariners’ fan base has been desperate for the front office to make a move to bolster the team’s run to the postseason.
Well, the Mariners didn’t just make one move, they made two. Same with the Portland Timbers.
And now, Tyson and Justin are feeling a bit like the dogs who finally caught the car. What do we do now? We try to figure that out on this week’s Traffic Report, then dive into the further NFL-ification of college football.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify. Or, watch here:
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Welcome back to The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report.
After a two-week break, Tyson and Justin are back for the start of fall camp, and this week they catch up on media days, early-season hype and whether the Ducks and Beavers should keep doing the weird September thing.
Then, it’s on to Ichiro. The Mariners’ legend is officially a Hall of Famer, but where does he rank in the pantheon of best Mariners of all time?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
This week on The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin revisit some dorm horror stories, wonder why The Athletic doesn’t find much value in Oregon’s football rivalries, outline trophy etiquette, discuss the Pre Classic and dive deep into Justin’s disdain for backup cameras.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Programming note: As I mention in the podcast, I’ll be teaching at the High School Journalism Institute camp next week on the Oregon State campus. I have a few stories in the can for while I’m away, but just a heads up that things may be on the lighter side for a few days.
Not to worry: I have my tickets booked for Big Ten Media Days in Vegas the week I return, then we’ll be off to the races with training camp coming in hot.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
It’s the Fourth, but allow us to take you back to Halloween of 2009 on today’s episode of The I-5 Corridor Traffic Report’s Replayables.
It’s a Saturday night. After a dismal start to the Chip Kelly era in Boise, the Ducks have rattled off six straight wins to climb to No. 10 in the nation with No. 4 USC and its seven consecutive Pac-10 titles in town. It’s not the strongest team of the Pete Carrol era, but it’s still USC talent and the Trojans feature the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, Matt Barkley, at quarterback. An early-season shocker to Washington gave the Trojans a limp, but they’ve won four in a row coming into Eugene and might just be a win against these upstart Ducks away from reestablishing the status quo and rejoining the title hunt.
Sure, the Ducks are averaging 38 points per game during their win streak, but there’s no way that fast-paced, gimmicky offense they’re running can hold up against the athletes the Trojans are bringing to town.
Right?
Tyson and Justin look back on today’s episode, plus thoughts on Oregon’s bounce-back week on the recruiting trail.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
(And if you want to watch the game before you listen, here you go.)
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.i-5corridor.com
First, the news: The Portland Trail Blazers selected….Yang Hansen with the No. 16 pick in Wednesday night’s NBA Draft.
No, that’s not the guy from Duke. Hansen is a 7-foot-1 center, dubbed the “Chinese Jokic” on social media and very much a project for a Portland team coming off a 36-46 season.
“Yeah, it might take him a little time, but as he figures o…
This week, Justin and Tyson talk about Oklahoma City hate, what the Lakers’ $10 billion sale means for the Blazers and whether or not the Ducks have developed any rivals in the Big Ten other than Ohio State.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
We’re still a little more than two months away from the start of the 2025 college football season, but we’ve hit the part of the offseason where folks are feeling a bit celebratory.
For Oregon, that means it’s Hall of Fame season. Nationally, former Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart has been selected to be on the 2025 National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame ballot.
Locally, Oregon has released its own list of honorees, with Marcus Mariota and Hroniss Grasu leading the class of athletes to be inducted into the Oregon Hall of Fame this fall.
And while in this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson wants to focus in on which players from the last 10 years have a shot to be enshrined as an Oregon immortal, Justin wanted to focus on a coach.
Mark Helfrich, to be specific.
Oh yeah, it’s a take. And you’ll have to listen to the episode to find out just how well it’s supported.
Plus: Oregon vs. the Heat Wave, the Beavers are heading to Omaha and the concern level for Oregon’s WRs post-Evan Stewart injury.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The beauty of baseball and softball is that, when you’re good, you get to enjoy it for quite a while. The Oregon baseball team played 58 regular-season games. The Oregon softball team played 64 games.
The folly of those two sports is that one can be that good, for that many games, and still watch it end in the blink of an eye. For the Ducks baseball team, it was two-and-out at the Eugene Regional. For the softball team, which reached the Women’s College World Series for the first time in seven years, the Ducks lasted three games in Oklahoma before coming home.
On this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin put the two programs’ seasons into context, marvel at the year Cal Raleigh is having for the Mariners and share a surprising change of opinion on one of Oregon’s most famous tourist traps.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Richard Wesley will not be an Oregon Duck.
But don’t expect his commitment video to disappear anytime soon. You may remember Wesley as the 5-star EDGE player who signaled his commitment to Oregon earlier this month by jumping into a pool with a shirtless Dan Lanning.
As it turns out, Lanning taking the shirt off his back doesn’t mean anything in today’s college football world, as Wesley decommitted from the Ducks earlier this week.
Are the Ducks left in the wake of a cannonball gone wrong? Tyson and Justin discuss this, along with postseason baseball and softball, on today’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
On this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, I needed a little help from Justin Myers.
See, it’s 2025, which means there’s a lot of “Best 25 [insert noun] of the first 25 years of the century” lists going around. Notably, over at The Athletic they’ve put together lists of the top 25 coaches, players and college football teams of the 2000s.
They have Chip Kelly at No. 24.
They have Marcus Mariota at No. 15.
And, well, I wanted to go a little deeper. So in the spirit of ‘25, I’m putting together The I-5 Corridor’s list of the best 25 Oregon football players since 2000. While the list will come out next week, I needed Justin’s help to figure out where to start.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
It’s happening.
The Portland Trail Blazers are up for sale. And no, Phil Knight isn’t interested.
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin dive into what this means for the franchise and the city. They also recap Sabrina’s return to Eugene, talk far too long about the merits of In-N-Out versus Burgerville and finish up with the one thing Justin just can’t stand about modern television.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The Oregon Ducks are on a bit of a cold streak. Yes, here on May 8, UO’s 2026 football recruiting class is ranked 21st in the country. And yes, the Ducks have recently watched other schools like Georgia, USC, Ohio State and Washington reel in fish Oregon thought it had on the line.
Is the sky falling in Eugene?
On this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin are here to tell you, no, we’ve all just gone a little mad about modern-day recruiting.
Plus: Our thoughts on the Open Cup format, acceptable pricing for chips and salsa, Oregon baseball’s power surge and Justin’s sleeping college football giant in Tempe.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
It’s been a tough couple of years for our friends in Corvallis, with conference realignment making it challenging for Oregon State to keep up with Oregon regarding revenue sports such as football and basketball.
But while the Ducks are lapping it up in the Big Ten, the one thing the Beavers have held onto is baseball. That’s Oregon State’s thing. That’s the one thing Oregon’s money couldn’t seemingly buy success over the Beavers since reinstating the program in 2009.
Well, let’s go to the internet to see how that’s going:
Oh.
The Ducks swept the Beavers this season for the first time since bringing baseball back. And in this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Justin Myers dive into what it means if, well, the Ducks have taken the diamond for themselves, too.
Plus: Our review of Oregon’s spring game, the NFL Draft and Damian Lillard’s injury.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
(Top photo courtesy of Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com)
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Welcome back to The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, where this week Tyson and Justin are just about done with replay.
Maybe it’s the end of the Timbers’ 3-3 draw with LAFC that did it for them. Maybe it’s the last two minutes of NBA playoff games that can take an hour. Whatever it may be, our two hosts are back from vacation and back yelling at technology to get off their lawns.
Plus: Oregon spring game memories, a massive Marcus Mariota what if? and the Winterhawks are on to the WHL Western Conference championship.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Hello, Friends, and welcome to Masters Week here on The I-5 Corridor.
In this week’s episode, we preview Justin’s upcoming trip to Bandon, discuss whether Dan Lanning has set himself up as the “coolest” football coach Oregon has ever had, long for the days of a good Blazers playoff run, and then bring on Corridor 2024 Masters correspondent Kevin Palmer — who isn’t too happy about this year’s credentialing situation.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The Traffic Report went for a bit of a field trip this week. On today’s episode, Tyson and Justin are back from their Wednesday outing at Joe Etzel Field, where the No. 15 Ducks and Portland Pilots had an ending that neither one of us had seen in person before.
We discuss the game, our pre-first pitch celebrity encounter, Justin’s trip to Vegas and why Oregon MBB doesn’t just put together an NIL superstar team before airing some grievances about Top Chef’s egregious use of hockey terminology.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Soccer fans: I’ll have a preview of Portland’s upcoming match with Austin FC, focusing on the responsibilities veterans like Diego Chara and Felipe Mora have shouldered throughout the first month of the season, later this afternoon.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Hello everyone and welcome to The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report. On this week’s episode, Tyson Alger and Justin Myers recap the first week of the NCAA Tournament and discuss whether or not there’s still room for Cinderella before diving deep into our thoughts on Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season.
Then, we check in on Shane Hoffmann down in Los Angeles for a quick discussion on the Timbers, Timothee Chalamet’s hoops skills, Severance and White Lotus.
Programming note: I have a feature coming on Friday on Oregon baseball shortstop Maddox Molony, then will be out at Providence Park on Sunday for coverage of the Timbers’ Sunday Night Soccer debut against the Houston Dynamo.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
On this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Justin talk Oregon at the Big Ten Tournament, Dan Lanning’s new contract (for real this time), Scott Rueck and Oregon State’s improbable run back to the NCAA Tournament and what Dana Altman’s Ducks need to do to be remembered as one of those teams.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
OK, so we don’t actually cover Dan Lanning’s new contract in today’s episode of The Traffic Report — we recorded Wednesday afternoon — but the big man signing a big $$$ deal is news enough that it’s worth leading today’s post.
The terms? The fourth-year Ducks coach has reportedly agreed to an amended contract that will increase his salary to nearly $11 million per year through 2031. The contract will be up for approval on Friday during a UO board of trustees meeting.
What does this mean?
For a program that considers itself one of the top in the nation, it’s now paying its top job like it. Lanning’s new deal will make him the fourth-highest paid coach in college football, according to CBS Sports, increasing his current contract by $2 million annually.
Here’s the list of football coaches making more than $10 million a year:
-
Kirby Smart, Georgia $13.2 million
-
Ryan Day, Ohio State $12.5 million
-
Dabo Swinney, Clemson $11.5 million
-
Dan Lanning, Oregon $11 million
-
Steve Sarkisian, Texas $10.8 million
-
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama $10.25 million
-
Lincoln Riley, USC $10.1 million
-
Bill Belichick, UNC $10 million
Pretty good company there. But after a 35-6 start to his career, with a 12-0 regular season and a Big Ten Championship in his third year as a head coach, it’s hard to make the argument that Lanning isn’t worth the money when compared to his peers.
It’s also interesting to start thinking of the longevity of Lanning. Chip Kelly coached four seasons at Oregon — same with Mark Helfrich and Mario Cristobal. Should Lanning make it to the end of this deal — there’s the same $20 million buyout — the coach who came to Oregon as an outsider will have made it longer in Eugene than anyone not named Bellotti, Brooks or Casanova.
OK, now to the podcast: This week Justin and I have a range of topics to dive into, from Oregon’s home finale on Tuesday against Indiana to what might be the end of spring football to the best goosebump-moments stadiums can provide.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Happy Thursday, folks.
We here at The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report hope you’re listening to this week’s episode from your lawn mower. Because with sunny skies and temperatures rising into the 60s, Justin Myers and Tyson Alger have a full episode for you where they:
-
Talk about being yard guys.
-
Dive into the latest turnaround for Oregon men’s basketball.
-
Figure out what it will take to support Portland State football.
-
Plan a baseball outing on The Bluff.
-
Go deep on Cast Irons and Interstate constructions.
What more could you want?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
We’re almost out of the doldrums, folks.
Yes, mid-to-late February can get a little slow for sports news. Luckily, there’s sun on the horizon.
Pitchers and catchers have long since reported to Arizona for spring training and March Madness is just around the corner — same with spring football and the start of the MLS season.
And here at the I-5 Corridor, Tyson and Justin have thawed out from last week’s snowstorm for a super-sized episode of the Traffic Report.
This week, we talk about the life the Oregon men’s basketball team is starting to show, the questions we still have for Oregon football in the run-up to spring football and whether it matters if All-Star games are good. Then we wrap with this question: What non-star athlete/celebrity would you get excited to meet in person?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Welcome to The Replayables, where The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report hosts Tyson Alger and Justin Myers revisit one classic game in Oregon history every month.
Well friends, we sure hope you didn’t leave this one early.
Yes, Oklahoma was up 10 points with four minutes to go. Yes, the Sooners had the ball, in the red zone, with quite possibly the best run-out-the-clock running back in college football history — Adrian Peterson — in the backfield.
And yes, the No. 18 Oregon Ducks looked tired, beaten down and all but cooked in a matchup against a No. 15 Oklahoma team that would only lose one more game the rest of the regular season.
And while the Ducks managed to force the Sooners to kick a field goal to go up 13 with 3:16 to play, that was just a consolation prize. Right? Right????
Wrong.
In this episode of The Replayables, Tyson and Justin do a deep dive on what might be the wildest three minutes of football in Oregon history.
Then, we bring on Jason Kersey, formerly of The Oklahoman and The Athletic, to break down just how much this one stung for the fans from Norman.
Thanks for listening, everyone. Let us know in the comments what game we should replay next.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
Previously on The Replayables:
14 years later, Dyer still looks down
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The I-5 Corridor Traffic Report went for a field trip this week.
With the Super Bowl coming up on Sunday, I spent a couple of hours earlier in the week over at Lombard House, home of the North Portland Bird Watchers Society, where I sat down with owner Brian Koch and regular Nick Calcaterra — the older brother of Philadelphia Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra — to talk about the big game, the Eagles, what it’s like to go to the Super Bowl as a sibling, Gardner Minshew’s bathrobe, that one time DJ Khaled opened up the Eagles’ post-Super Bowl loss party with an interesting choice of song and how this video of Nick celebrating Grant’s first career touchdown ended up on Jason and Travis Kelce’s podcast:
We also take a moment to remember Lynn Kindrachuk, an important figure of the Philadelphia and Lombard House community, who passed away earlier this week.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Editor’s note: The Traffic Report’s next episode of The Replayables will be released on Friday.
Also, a note about this podcast: We recorded at the bar over a couple of drinks. There might be a swear word or three. I apologize in advance.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
We have a bit of everything on this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report.
We begin with a deep conversation about how very uncool it is to get injured doing athletic activities as you age, we move into talk about why it seems everyone hates the Kansas City Chiefs so much, we veer right into an inquisitive discussion about which sports conspiracy theories might actually be true, then we try to figure out how Tyson and Justin both got sucked into watching two hours of simulation golf on television thanks to the TGL.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Bonus: We’re gearing up for our next Replayables podcast. This time, we’ll be taking a little stroll back to 2006, a time when Dennis Dixon and the No. 18 Oregon Ducks upset Adrian Peterson and the No. 15 Oklahoma Sooners 34-33 at Autzen Stadium.
Of course, there’s a little more to it than that.
Here’s a refresher:
And if you want to watch the full game, like we’ll be doing.
— The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
And with that, the 2024 College Football season has officially come to a close.
The Ohio State Buckeyes won the tournament. The Oregon Ducks won a consolation prize. And on this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Justin Myers give their final thoughts on a historically different season of college football.
Then, they try to figure out how someone could justify leaving Ichiro Suzuki off of their Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Bonus: The Traffic Report has been around for four seasons of Oregon football, and throughout that time this podcast has started with music from Alaska artist John Budnik. I always told him that if he had anything to promote to come on the show as a thanks for giving our pod some life. Well, John has a new album out, the fantastic Beginner’s Mind, and he joined the podcast for the last 15 minutes to talk about its release, making it as an artist in Alaska and what he would do with the Cowboys’ vacancy.
Apple Music
Amazon Music
— The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Welcome to The Replayables, where The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report hosts Tyson Alger and Justin Myers revisit one classic game in Oregon history every month.
With the national championship coming up on Monday, we kick off this new series by transporting listeners back to January of 2011, when the Oregon Ducks and the Auburn Tigers met in Glendale, Arizona with all the Tostitos on the line.
The final score may have read 22-19 Auburn, but Oregon fans know there’s much more to the story. Listen in for stories about Chip Kelly, Brent Musburger, Dyer’s knee and the origins of the phrase “Natty.”
Then, tell us what game we should do next in the comments.
Catch the full episode in the player above find us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Editor’s note: Our Traffic Report team suffered a loss last week, with Crash, Justin’s best buddy of a Pitbull, passing away after nine years together. After recording this month’s Replayables, Justin wanted to say a few words to remember a very good boy.
Thanks for listening and supporting, everyone.
— The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Yes, there’s still plenty of football to talk around these parts.
The Oregon Ducks have been very active in the transfer portal, the College Football Playoff semifinals are this weekend and there’s still a bit of #Legacy talk to sort out.
However, after 14,000 fans came through Matthew Knight Arena for two quality Big Ten opponents last week, Tyson and Justin attempted to answer that age-old question: How do you make men’s basketball cool again in Eugene?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
PS: Yes, you have homework for next week. Justin and I will be rewatching the 2010 national title game before we record next. Here’s the link to brush up before we stroll down memory lane.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
And just like that, it’s over.
The 2024 Oregon Ducks are now a team spoken about in the past tense. This week on The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Justin Myers and Tyson Alger attempt to understand what that means.
Plus: Is Tez Johnson the best Oregon receiver ever?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Bonus: I know nobody really wanted to see more Rose Bowl things on Wednesday, so I held off on my usual “Camera Roll” post. But a little time has gone by, so I’m including my favorite behind-the-scenes shots and videos from Pasadena below.
And away we go.
NYE after the Lakers game got out.
The media hotel.
Breakfast of champions.
Where we going Sean?
My favorite thing at the Rose Bowl: Walking through the colorless tunnel and coming out to technicolor.
Always fun to see the student paper kids get to experience something like this. Great season, Brady and Joe.
I don’t know how good of a football player Brady Breeze is anymore. But the hair game is as strong as it’s ever been.
The legendary Nick Krupke.
The jacket is one thing, but I really should have gotten a shot of Orlando Sanchez’s shoes. Flashier than Oregon’s helmets.
Just two Montana grads at the Rose Bowl.
The band came to play.
Do you think Urban is telling his friends that he rode an elevator with The Corridor?
When your Alaska friends tell you to Facetime them from the Rose Bowl, you oblige them.
That thing just sneaks up on you.
The one major venue/game I’ve been to that’s better in person than the TV presentation. If you ever get the chance, go.
Behind the Bowl.
About sums it up.
“The media shuttle is that way.”
Fin.
Thanks for reading this season, everyone. It’s been a trip. Have a great weekend.
— Tyson
Thanks for reading The I-5 Corridor! This post is public so feel free to share it.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Well, folks, the Oregon Ducks have a game to play.
Four days from now, the No. 1 Ducks will face the No. 6 (8-seeded) Ohio State Buckeyes in a good-old-fashioned Pac-12 Big Ten vs. Big Ten showdown.
And after a week of pretty obnoxious college football discourse, Tyson and Justin can’t wait to get this Rose Bowl quarterfinal game underway.
The two preview the game in this week’s Traffic Report. They also get vulnerable with their Prime Rib takes.
What else could you want on a Saturday?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Well, folks, the playoffs are finally here.
After all that talk, college football’s new 12-team bracket makes its debut Friday night with No. 7 Notre Dame hosting No. 10 Indiana with the temperature expected to plunge below freezing.
Justin Myers and Tyson Alger preview the playoffs in this week’s Traffic Report. They also discuss the Heisman Trophy, Oregon’s advantage at attracting high-level quarterbacks and the shakeup out on the Palouse.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Tyson survived his trip to Indy. Justin’s truck is back up and running.
There’s little that can stop them now. The two got together for this week’s Traffic Report, where Tyson gave Justin a behind-the-scenes look at how the Big Ten Championship felt before Justin dives into his grand plan to save the College Football Playoff.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Boy, did Justin Myers and I have a bit to catch up on.
Back from our one-week Thanksgiving hiatus, Justin and I caught up on the Washington game, Oregon’s 12-0 start, Dan Lanning smashing a Washington helmet in, the ridiculous notion of throwing the Big Ten Championship game, signing day and more.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication doing its best to provide quality sports stories throughout the state of Oregon. Every paid subscription is integral in producing the great sports stories Oregonians deserve. Thank you to the nearly 1,000 of you who have supported so far.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
Former Washington and current Oregon cornerback Jabbar Muhammad may consider Saturday’s Ducks vs. Huskies rivalry tilt to be “just another game,” but old man Christian Caple over On Montlake and I have been around too many years of this to know that’s not the case.
So this week, we decided to podcast about it. I filled in over on Caple’s Say Who, Say Pod this week, where we broke down what the latest iteration of what Ducks/Huskies means and where this rivalry goes from here.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
A Thanksgiving note: 1. For anyone listening to, reading or cursing The I-5 Corridor this holiday, thank you. This year has been the most rewarding and challenging one yet, and I’m incredibly grateful this Thanksgiving for every one of you who has encouraged and supported me along the way.
I was nominated for Oregon Sportswriter of the Year earlier this week, and I’m up against four great writers from publications that all date back to the 1800s. They have editors, expense budgets and paid time off. I have the occasional midnight text from Shane Hoffmann about typos and an audience that’s proven it values and appreciates storytelling. That right there is the win for me, and I thank you all for letting me do this job.
- Now I have to sell a little bit. We’re running a Black Friday sale through Monday where first-time subscribers can get their first year of The I-5 Corridor for $25. For current subscribers, a $25 Corridor subscription might just be the gift you need for that awkward office White Elephant party.
I will be on-site for every Oregon event going forward and every sub sold over the next two months is going toward what I expect to be a pretty mega travel bill at the end of this Ducks run. I got my tickets booked for Indy and could really use the help toward whatever trip comes next.
There are going to be some truly great stories to tell.
Have a great Thanksgiving,
Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
It’s been a week, folks.
Justin’s car broke down, JJ and I spent all of Thursday battling internet trolls and a JetSki would have been more proper for the drive back from Corvallis last night.
However:
Justin and I managed to get together on Thursday before hoops to share a bit of our misery before we turned our thoughts to the Washington game, Oregon clinching an appearance in the Big Ten championship and why Justin believes Dan Lanning is who he is.
“This is a dude who 10 years ago was coaching high school football and teaching elementary school PE,” Justin says. “His vision got him to be the No. 1 coach in the country, and now he’s going to stop? Now he’s going to start playing it safe?”
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Bonus: I asked JJ to put together some of his favorite photos of the season so far. Enjoy.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com
The Oregon Ducks are undefeated.
They haven’t lost since December and, frankly, haven’t even flirted with defeat in more than a month. They’re No. 1 in the country — and they’re the team whose last few wins are being skipped over in the national discussion and needled a bit locally.
Every week can’t be the Ohio State game, which is why in this week’s Traffic Report, Justin Myers and Tyson Alger dive into what Justin calls Oregon’s “Champagne Problem.”
Then we get into the important stuff: Whose jersey is worth buying this holiday season?
Speaking of the holiday season…did you know you can gift The I-5 Corridor?
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Bonus: I never ran JJ Anderson’s photos from the Maryland game. Let’s fix that.
— Tyson Alger, I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Happy Friday everyone and welcome to a new(ish) era of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report.
For the rest of the football season, I’ll be joined by friend of the show Justin Myers, who will bring his Oregon football insight, history and much better broadcasting skills to this program weekly.
This week, we begin by talking about why that’s possible before getting into a discussion about this week’s Oregon game against Maryland and the start of the Portland Trail Blazers season.
And good news: Since Justin actually has a background in this, we’re making efforts to improve our audio quality. We’re still getting there with this week’s episode, but thanks to Justin we have some hardware reinforcements to set up for next week.
Appreciate all of you for reading and listening.
For paid subscribers: Shane Hoffmann is publishing a detailed piece on Oregon’s WR depth moving forward later this morning.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
For the last decade, even as Oregon reached a national championship game under Mark Helfrich and won a Rose Bowl under Mario Cristobal, it’s felt like the UO program had still been chasing the ghost of the Chip Kelly era. The coolness. The popularity. The branding. The dominance. But after Saturday’s win against Ohio State, that era is finally beginning to feel like a long time ago.
Justin Myers joined me on this week’s Traffic Report to dive in on the thought.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This one has been in the works for a long time.
The Ohio State and Oregon home-and-home series was initially announced in October of 2012. The Ducks and Buckeyes would play in Eugene in 2020 and Columbus in 2021.
And of course, it didn’t happen that way. But now, as conference rivals, the No. 2 Buckeyes will finally make their trip out to Eugene for the first top-5, top-4, top-3 matchup in Autzen Stadium history.
Shane Hoffmann joined Tyson Alger on The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report this week to discuss a pretty notable game for the No. 3 Ducks.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
A lot has happened in Aidan Schneider’s life in the last year.
The former Oregon kicker has moved. He’s gotten married. And he’s lately found himself in the heart of Husky country as a new Seattle resident. After way too long of a layoff, Aidan rejoined the Traffic Report on Thursday to catch up, reminisce about playing in that Michigan State game from 10 years ago and talk about why he’s starting to change his mind on NIL.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
So, a bit has happened around Portland in the last week. The city landed a WNBA team, the Portland Diamond Project dangled its latest carrot and the Blazers announced they’ll be broadcasting their games over the air.
Justin Myers and I got together to talk about it all in our latest Traffic Report. Then, it’s on to UCLA — a program that Myers says, much like Tuesday, has no feel to it.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Really fun Traffic Report out today.
I spent 40 minutes with UO broadcaster Jerry Allen inside the Hatfield Dowlin-Complex, diving into what this week’s game against Oregon State means, why he initially hated his “Kenny Wheaton is going to score” call and that time he got mad at Mike Jorgensen for hiding under a table.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor needs your help! We’re a reader-supported publication doing our best to provide quality sports stories throughout the state of Oregon. Every paid subscription is integral in producing the great sports stories Oregonians deserve. Thank you to the nearly 1,000 of you who have supported so far.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane recap Oregon’s opening weekend against Idaho, take a look ahead to Boise State and wonder what exactly happened to DJU down in Tallahassee.
Then, it’s the Shane Hoffmann exit interview. Tyson grills Shane on his favorite stories, interviews, places to eat and moments in Oregon before his move down to Los Angeles later this week.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Andrew Greif saw Raygun happen in person.
That should be good enough on its own to carry this week’s podcast, but our longtime friend of the pod stops by to share some of his other favorite moments from covering the last two weeks in Paris.
Greif breaks down Cole Hocker’s win in the 1500m, Noah Lyles’ gold and silver medals and, yes, what exactly happened during that breakdancing competition.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s Traffic Report, Shane Hoffmann returns to the podcast desk to talk with Tyson Alger about Cole Hocker’s run to Gold, why he thinks college football’s regular season means more in the 12-team playoff and…his upcoming move to California.
In more important news, Tyson gives his review of Twisters.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Justin Myers fills in for Shane Hoffmann in this week’s Traffic Report as he and Tyson Alger discuss the opening of football training camps across the state. The two talk about Myers’ time at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis and then reflect on the first week of the Olympics.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The mic still works.
Shane is back from Canada and the Olympic Peninsula. Tyson has finally recovered from his Africa jet lag. And after a couple of weeks away, the pair met up at The I-5 Corridor’s St. Johns’ office and shared stories of their travels for the masses (dozens) to hear.
They also had plenty of sports to catch up on, like the NBA Finals, N'Faly Dante’s rejection and that Sophia Smith red card.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
PORTLAND(ish) — We have some important news to break here on The I-5 Corridor: According to sources, Andrew Greif is “questionable” for the Media 400 on Saturday at the Prefontaine Classic.
For longtime I-5 subscribers, you may remember the time Andrew and I decided to dust off the spikes to dash around Hayward Field at the 2022 Pre-Classic.
Well, I’m out this year because I’m in Africa. And while Andrew did sign up for Saturday’s race, my source tells me there’s some Achilles tightness that could make it a game-time decision.
Thankfully, Andrew’s laptop is healthy and he’ll be there all weekend writing about the real athletes for World Athletics. But first, Andrew stopped by The Traffic Report to preview this weekend’s Prefontaine Classic and tell us a little about what he’s been up to since his time covering the Clippers for the LA Times came to an end earlier this year. Then I ask him if he’s going to lean more Lanning or Dabo when it comes to utilizing the transfer portal when NCAA Football 24 hits shelves next month.
In the second part of this episode, I sit down at Lombard House with owner Brian Koch, who will be hosting Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end Grant Calcaterra at the bar on Saturday for a fundraiser to support the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. It’s a great cause, a great bar and I would highly recommend getting up to St. Johns on Saturday for some great company and drinks.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
As for me, I still have another week here across the world. I’ve been weighing whether I should write some sort of Travel Blog for when I get back, but I also get really bored when other people talk about their vacations, so let me know if that’s a non-starter.
I will make you look at a few pictures, though. And hey, if you want to subscribe to The I-5 Corridor and help out so I don’t have to worry about working during my next once-every-two-years vacation, we’d sure appreciate the support!
Now, just a few photos from this morning’s trek through Hlane Royal National Park in Eswatini.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week’s Traffic Report has a little bit of something for everyone.
We begin in the parking lot of the Timbers training facility out in Beaverton, where Tyson and Shane braved the elements to learn that Phil Neville is getting tired of the compliments. Then we talk the end of spring football, NBA Playoffs, What We Ate and Fallout before Brian Tovey joins the show to celebrate the end of The I-5 Corridor’s Toll-Free month.
That’s right: The paywall is coming back, baby.
But, one more time for good measure, let’s plug the guy who has helped us reach a wider audience this April than in any years past.
Even without the paywall, this April generated more paid subscriptions than April 2023 and saw our page views jump from 30,000 to 100,000. Heck, I don’t even think I sold out on content too much. Ok, maybe The Masters thing.
Thanks again to Brian, and thanks to everyone who has read and supported The I-5 Corridor over the last two-plus years — it’s your support that allows our state here in Oregon to have a sports section that knows the difference between OU and UO.
Go Water Birds, Go!
— Tyson Alger, TheI-5 Corridor
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Bill Oram had a take.
The sports columnist of The Oregonian/OregonLive went to Reser Stadium on Saturday for Oregon State’s spring game, wasn’t impressed and wrote about it.
If a spring football game exists only to get players live reps and to give coaches fresh film to obsess over until August, then Oregon State knocked it out of the park on Saturday.
But if there is an opportunity at the end of spring practices to energize your fanbase, build excitement and tell your story, well, it was a whiff.
That column had mixed reviews in Corvallis. Naturally, Oram doubled down, writing on Wednesday that Oregon State needs to start thinking a little bit like Oregon.
My advice to Beavers fans — and, more important, the people calling the shots — is to stop being so proud that you can’t admit something needs to change.
And, well, guys like Bret aren’t handling that one well.
I was at Oregon State’s spring game, too, and had similar thoughts as Oram. We discussed them on this week’s Traffic Report.
Then, Kevin Palmer stops by to let us know what he wrangled out of the Augusta gift shop.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
On Deck: I’ll have a report from Eugene following Oregon’s Saturday spring game.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
We got a two-part Traffic Report this week.
First, Shane Hoffmann and I begin with the Oregon State women’s hoops situation, then we check in after Timbers training before discussing what will undoubtedly be the story of the summer: The Big I-5 Corridor race.
Then, Taylor W. Anderson of Building Salt Lake joins the show to explain why Salt Lake City has left Portland in the dust when it comes to attracting professional sports franchises.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
It’s March 20, and in this episode we’re previewing Oregon’s first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament.
Just like we all expected, right?
OK, so before diving into the brackets for the Oregon men and the Oregon State women, Tyson and Shane take a moment to try and figure out how, exactly, we ended up in the most unexpectedly-expected place yet.
The Ducks tip Thursday against South Carolina at 1 p.m.
The Beavers begin Friday against Eastern Washington at 5 p.m.
Join us for some talk about the hoops, Oregon’s spring football practices and the Portland Timbers’ new signing, Jonathan Rodriguez.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Happy Friday all,
Got a new Traffic Report today from Shane Hoffmann and myself that we recorded yesterday afternoon for you all. We start with the thrilling state hoops tournament down the street at the Chiles Center, we detour through the wreckage of the Oregon women’s basketball season, then we end up with some Dune 2 talk.
We also start getting ready for Oregon Ducks spring practice to kick off next week. For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
And if you want access to our coverage of UO spring football, please consider a paid subscription to help foot our gas bill up and down The Corridor.
The I-5 Corridor is supported by nearly 1000 paid subscribers. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming one of them.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
We’ve been putting some mileage on the cars lately. Between trips to Eugene, Corvallis and out to Beaverton, The I-5 Corridor 2.0 has been doing its part in burning precious fossil fuel to bring you, in our biased opinion, some of the best sports coverage in the Northwest.
Not all Substack writers are heroes. And really, we don’t need more applause.
But dang it, at least one of us has earned a little R&R. So in this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane preview Shane’s trip to the Oregon Coast, recap our weekend spent at our second home (Gill Coliseum) and work our way through a True Detective finale therapy session.
Then as a bonus, Shane interviews OSU’s assistant director of integrated communications, Andrew Goodwin, about how his job has changed since the OSU women’s hoops team has become the hottest ticket in the state.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
It’s a monster weekend for basketball in Corvallis with two top-25 games on the women’s side and one pivotal showdown between the Ducks and Beavers with the men.
The I-5 Corridor will be at Gill Coliseum for coverage on Friday and Saturday, but first Tyson and Shane had to sit down and discuss the important things, like which program we’re going to lead into the future on EA Sports College Football 2025.
(By the way, this commercial was directed by UO grad Jack Jensen. Boy, that would make for an interesting story next week…)
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Happy signing day, for those who celebrate.
Yes, the Ducks got another 5-star (Idaho WR Gatlin Bair, whose arrival to Eugene will be delayed by two years with a church mission) and yes, it’s still an important time for teams across the country as they put their final touches on their rosters before spring practice.
But ever since the early signing period in December came into play late last decade, February’s OG event kind of has the feeling of going to Disneyland the week Disney World opened up in 1971.
So yes, on this week’s Traffic Report, we do touch on national signing day. But we also dive into how Shane’s story on the D-Boyz came together and announce our foray into soccer coverage.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
DON’T FORGET: CORRIDOR CLUB MEETING
We’re hosting our first monthly Zoom chat with subscribers tomorrow (Thursday) at 7 p.m. Pacific. In the future, this is exclusive for Corridor Club members, but I wanted to open it up tomorrow for everyone as a thank you for the best month of growth The I-5 Corridor has ever had.
We’re really about to put a dent in this market, and I’d love to chat and share stories with any of you tomorrow who have the time to stop by. Plus, I might have a few special guests lined up. For CC members who can’t make it’ll, I’ll splice up the highlights and send out a video of what you all missed.
The Zoom link is here.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Don’t expect Dana Altman to send Wayne Tinkle a Christmas card any time soon. After Oregon State’s upset of Arizona Thursday night, the Oregon State coach sent the Wildcats to Eugene as a team hellbent on making up for a rare loss.
And boy did the Wildcats take it out on the Ducks.
Is it time to start worrying about an Oregon men’s team that’s now lost three of its last four games? Tyson and Shane discuss — along with some football and True Detective — on this week’s episode of The Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
Thank you for reading The I-5 Corridor . This post is public so feel free to share it.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The good news: we’ve had sightings of that blue stuff up in the sky the last few days.
The bad news: the temperature of the Oregon men’s basketball team has seemingly swung in the opposite direction.
Tyson and Shane check in after UO’s 0-2 road trip through the mountain schools, preview this weekend’s series against the Arizona schools, discuss Tyson’s trip to a Rip City Remix game and dive into the latest episode of True Detective.
Then as a bonus: we head down to Eugene for basketball availability and welcome on Will Patterson. Patterson, UO MBB’s director of communications, is an Arkansas native who came to Oregon after seven years with the Los Angeles Lakers. He shares with us a few stories of his time working around Kobe and LeBron, and why he chose to leave Hollywood for the woods.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
With the storm settled here for the time being, Tyson and Shane regrouped to recap college football’s hurricane of a weekend.
The Washington Huskies have a new coach, Arizona needs to find one and Dan Lanning’s stock continues to soar as the Big Ten era is officially upon us. The two discuss this, along with Oregon basketball’s win over Cal and the first episode of True Detective season four in this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Hope everyone is settling in for this storm.
Then again, with no plans to hit I-5 for an interview with a Heisman hopeful this week, you can likely expect clear skies and moderate tempts.
Now that was a trip. Some say he’s still stuck out there on the Corridor.
Anyway, a little different podcast this week. Shane and I recorded a Traffic Report on Wednesday, right before the collective college football and NFL news cycles lost their minds. I had a few stories to write and quickly found that Shane and my efforts were a bit dated.
It also didn’t help that I spent a fair amount of my Thursday afternoon taking advantage of a little creative energy.
More on that Tuesday. Teaser: Your subscriptions are about to get better.
So, podcast: We’re going to run this interview with Dusty Harrah from 1080 the Fan that was originally going to be exclusive for subscribers. Dusty shared some great insight into his year as Oregon’s sideline reporter in 2023, his interactions with Dan Lanning and his time as an assistant football coach at Banks High School. But things really get good when we start talking about Oregon’s burger wars.
Dusty is the son of former Oregon running back Andy Harrah, who is also the former owner of Helvetia Tavern. Dusty literally came home from the hospital to one of Portland’s best burger bars and he shares some great stories about his dad’s battles with Steve Stanich for the best burger throne.
Stay safe out there this weekend.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Turns out, Oregon might have been pretty good in 2023.
Unfortunately, the cost of figuring the Ducks’ standing out among its national rivals is coming at the cost of Washington potentially winning the national championship. The Huskies are four days away from a day that not only could be program-changing up on Montlake, but will have ramifications all the way down the I-5 Corridor if the Huskies manage to pull off a win over Michigan.
Tyson and Shane begin to explore the potential fallout of UW’s playoff run — plus some hoops — in this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
We got a doozy of a Traffic Report to close out 2023.
Tyson and Shane begin with a review of the last week of transfer portal action, then it’s on to The Traffic Report’s Best of 2023 Awards.
We give out our awards for Story of the Year, Duck of the year, Beaver of the year and more. For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
Need a last minute Christmas gift? Show someone you really care by gifting The I-5 Corridor this holiday season.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane share their final thoughts on the Pac-12 Championship game, take an early look at Oregon’s movement in the transfer portal and review the hot start to the Oregon men’s basketball season.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The Ducks are 11-1.
The Huskies are 12-0.
On Friday, the two teams meet in Las Vegas with a (probable) spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.
Tyson and Shane preview the Oregon/Washington rematch, review Friday’s win over Oregon State and talk about Jonathan Smith’s departure from Corvallis in this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Well, folks, we’ve avoided this long enough.
For much of the season, as the Ducks and Beavers kept winning, it didn’t feel like the end would get here. The football was too good. Things were too fun. But on Friday, Oregon and Oregon State will meet for the final time on equal footing.
Maybe they’ll play again in a distant September, but i’ll never be quite like this again.
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane talk about the game, Jonathan Smith’s future and Oregon’s playoff chances before doing a check in with the Ducks men’s hoops team.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
As you consider your holiday shopping plans, consider gifting The I-5 Corridor. As we move into the postseason, every added subscription goes a long ways in helping this independent venture cover the expenses of telling the stories this type of season deserves to be told.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Well, what else could you want from Dan Lanning? The second-year Oregon coach’s name was brought up in rumors for other jobs, then he went out and did what no Oregon coach has been willing to do before.
In long:
“I think I’ve been really, really clear here since Day 1, everything I want exists right here. I’m not going anywhere. There’s zero chance that I would be coaching somewhere else. I’ve got unfinished business here; there’s a lot that I want to accomplish here at Oregon. My No. 1 priority is being elite here at Oregon and we have the resources, the tools — anybody that can’t understand why you would want to be here at this place does not understand exactly what exists here.
“Like what I’ve said before, with a 13-year-old, a 12-year-old and a 10-year-old, to be able to raise your family in a community like this, to be able to compete for championships and have the ability to get the resources you need. A lot of coaches hang onto these moments and they don’t do anything or don’t say anything, No. 1 because they don’t want egg on their face when they decide to do something else, No. 2 because they’re concerned about things that I’m not concerned about, like getting a better contract. I’m taken care of extremely well here at Oregon. I have the resources I need here at Oregon to be really, really successful. I’m not motivated by that. I’m motivated by winning. I’m motivated by being elite here. Our players deserve my complete focus. Our fans deserve the best product on the field. It’s outside noise — it didn’t matter before; it doesn’t matter now. I’ll continue to say it until I’m blue in the face: I’m going to be here at Oregon. That hasn’t changed. That won’t change.”
In short:
The entire city of Eugene is about to run through a wall for the guy.
Tyson and Shane share their thoughts on Lanning saying he’s all-in with the Ducks in this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube.
— The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane break down the surprisingly decent start to the men’s basketball season for the Oregon Ducks.
Then, it’s on to football to preview USC week.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube:
— Tyson Alger
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
A day after driving down and up the I-5 Corridor, Tyson and Shane recount their day at Oregon football practice and basketball media day in this week’s Traffic Report.
Shane even shares what he believes is keeping Oregon quarterback Bo Nix away from the front of the Heisman race: It’s not East Coast bias, it’s Bo Nix Bias.
“There are still media members to this day that can’t shake the Auburn Bo Nix,” Shane says. “He’s been doing this long enough, with a second OC at Oregon, I’m surprised it’s taken this long for people shed that perception of him at Oregon.”
For more on Nix, the No. 6 Oregon Ducks and our thoughts from basketball media day, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Andrew Greif is in his sixth season covering the Los Angeles Clippers for the LA Times.
Had to type that one out before it felt real. Because while it feels just like yesterday Andrew and I were in the Rice-Eccles Stadium press box watching Joe Walker run back Kaelin Clay’s fumble at the one-yard line, the Oregonian’s time on the NBA beat has now actually surpassed his years on the Ducks.
With the NBA season beginning this week and the Ducks’ upcoming game in Salt Lake, I figured it would be a good time to check in with my old beat partner for this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple, Spotify or over on YouTube.
Corridor Clips
Here’s a piece Linus Brush-Mindell produced from Saturday’s Oregon/Washington State game for The I-5 Corridor. He got some stellar footage for someone who never stepped foot in Autzen Stadium before and I’m really excited to see how we can collaborate on some future projects down the road.
Coming Friday: Goodbye, Utah.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
With the Oregon/Washington game now in the rearview, Tyson and Shane take a look at the Ducks, Beavers and the Pac-12 as the season reaches its midway point.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Hey all,
We’re a bit backloaded here this week on The I-5 Corridor, but I promise there’s a payoff. We kick things off today with the latest episode of The Traffic Report, where Shane and I give our thoughts on this weekend’s top-10 matchup in Seattle.
Then keep an eye out later today, tomorrow and Saturday for:
A Home-and-Home with Christian Caple.
A conversation with Mike Bellotti.
A story from Shane on how Oregon can have a better chance against Michael Penix Jr.
A former Ducks’ guide to living behind enemy lines.
Then on Saturday, we’ll have coverage from Shane and myself, along with photos from JJ Anderson up in Seattle. Going to be a doozy. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
You can also watch The Traffic Report on YouTube.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane break down the good (lots) and bad (not a ton) of the Ducks at the bye, while also touching on Oregon State’s big win over Utah and Shane’s story on chef Ricky Bella.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Dame.
After months of rumors, it’s finally happened. Damian Lillard is…a Milwaukee Buck. Tyson and Shane break down the move in this week’s Traffic Report before putting a final bow on the battiest week in recent Oregon football history.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
We got some big football games to talk about on this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report. Tyson and Shane preview Colorado vs. Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State and wonder if anyone can stop Michael Penix Jr. up in Seattle.
That and more on this week’s episode.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The Pac-12 may be over. But after a 13-0 start, we’re falling in love again.
Tyson and Shane discuss on this week’s I-5 Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On today’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane celebrate the second birthday of the Corridor. And after Tyson’s hour-long monolog listing all of his accomplishments, they return to talk about the weird reaction to the Bo Nix billboard from local media and why Dan Lanning seems to be so peeved at pretty basic questions.
Then: Our final drafting of Pac-12 teams for the season. There’s dinner on the line and Shane’s got the first pick.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Well, it’s been a week.
And while there are still a million questions swirling for Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford, I wanted to bring on two of the best reporters I know — Andrew Greif of the LA Times and longtime Oregonian sportswriter Ken Goe — to help us sift through the wreckage of the last week for the Pac-12.
We talk about what happened, what comes next and reflect on some of our favorite memories covering the Pac.
Plus, with Micah Williams joining the football team, I figured I’d use the opportunity to ask one former track star (Greif) and one track reporter (Goe) about some of the fastest players they’ve ever seen.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Thank you for reading and listening. We’re just about to start Year 3 here on The I-5 Corridor and your support has meant everything to the success of this publication. Please keep sharing and spreading the word!
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
- Caleb Williams
1B-1D. Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Cam Rising.
That’s the generally accepted hierarchy of the Pac-12’s quarterbacks heading into camp this week, right? The Heisman Trophy winner followed by some ordering of the conference’s other very accomplished signal callers.
But is that how things will look come December? On this week’s Traffic Report we take an August look at the Pac-12’s quarterbacks, the must-watch games and more.
Also: What should Justin Herbert buy with his mountains of cash, Month 2 of Blazers purgatory and the Sports Cliches Draft.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Hand up: I missed the boat on the Homefield Apparel thing. For the last two weeks, college football fans have been going bonkers all over social media celebrating the clothing brand’s landing of Oregon gear.
Apparently they didn’t have Oregon. Now they do. And people, like my pal Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer, have been out celebrating in the streets. The shirts are, admittedly, pretty sweet. But I had to get Justin on this week’s Traffic Report to figure out why this was such a monumental event in sports history.
Then, we look back at the Bo Nix/Robby Ashford swap between Auburn and Oregon.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
USA Today’s Dan Wolken thinks Damian Lillard is the most annoying player in the NBA. We disagree.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Back from the holiday weekend, Tyson and Shane are here with a Tuesday edition of the Traffic Report. We catch up on the NBA Playoffs and take a look at what the Celtics elimination might mean for the Blazers’ roster construction.
Then (cue the piano) we say goodbye to Barry and Succession.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
A note for paid subscribers:
Keep an eye out on Friday for the debut of The I-5 Corridor’s summer series on the new faces of football in the state of Oregon. Between the transfer portal, recruiting and coaching changes, it’s never been harder for fans to know who to know.
We’re going to spend the next 10 weeks trying to make that a little easier.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Jared Mack from Duck Territory stops by to break down Oregon baseball's late-season surge. Then a Monaco Grand Prix preview.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On today’s Traffic Report, Shane and Tyson check in before tonight’s NBA Draft lottery. Is today the day the Blazers’ brass are made out to be geniuses? Or....
Also: A NBA Conference Finals preview, a review of Air and our weekly Succession/Barry download.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Shane wants in on the bandwagon.
With the Seattle Kraken advancing to the second round of the NHL Playoffs, the Traffic Report co-host reached out to figure out what he needed to know to sound smart for the next round.
I told him I’d help, but why not just record it for content?
That, plus spring football, NBA Playoffs and our Barry/Succession recaps on this week’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Look, if the Ringer can seemingly dedicate a dozen different podcasts to Succession recaps and reviews, we here at The I-5 Corridor feel like we can at least squeeze a few minutes out of our favorite show after a Traffic Report episode filled with spring football and NBA Playoff talk.
But first, Pearl Jam!
Editor’s note: We do not have the rights to Pearl Jam. We do have the rights to John Budnik Band, however.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The first-round of the NBA Playoffs isn’t even a week old and we’ve already been treated to an oustanding set of games. And while we here in Portland are missing out, this week on the I-5’s Traffic Report we live vicariously through friend of the show Andrew Greif, who checks in from Phoenix where he’s covering the Clippers/Suns series for the L.A. Times.
Come for his behind-the-scenes look at how this fantastic gamer came together, stay for the end-of-podcast therapy session about daps gone wrong.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Got a fun one today.
Longtime Oregon sportswriter Steve Mims joins this week’s Traffic Report for a podcast on the Final Four, where Oregon basketball goes from here and how he feels about the 2023 version of Dillon Brooks.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Well, today is a bit of a bummer, right? Across the country the NCAA Tournaments are getting underway and here in Oregon the Ducks and Beavers are, well, home. In this week’s Traffic Report, Shane Hoffmann and I try and figure out why, and also recap Tualatin’s thrilling upset of West Linn in the 6A boys state tournament.
Then — oh yeah, today is a twofer — Chantel Jennings stops by to give us the lowdown on the Women’s NCAA bracket and how the Caitlin Clark Show at Iowa compares to the Sabrina days in Eugene.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Since the Corridor is all about that soccer life these days, we wanted to check in with Jake about his new gig, his view on the sports streaming world and reflect of his favorite memories covering the Ducks back in the day.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, we go back to Lombard House to check in with owner Brian Koch, the founder of the North Portland Bird Watchers Society, to see how the North Portland Eagles bar is preparing for Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
John Scukanec can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Longtime readers of The I-5 Corridor may remember John’s story from last summer, when I ventured up to Camas to play catch in a park with a man attempting to play catch every day for a full year.
That was Day 144. Well, John has kept at it and only has 30 days left to go. So in this week’s episode of The Traffic Report, I caught back up with John to chat about the last 200 days, where he takes this venture from here and that one time Ken Griffey Jr. pranked him real good.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week of the I-5 Traffic Report Kevin Palmer returns for a chat about his journey towards a better golf game, the aftermath of the LIV Golf tour at Pumpkin Ridge, his favorite courses around the state and an apparent run as the MySpace comedy blog king.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Andy Buhler of SBLive is here talk about the Lions’ dominating performance, Bronny James and where the LSI goes from here after nightly sellouts of Liberty High School.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann end the year with a few final thoughts on Oregon and Oregon State’s signing classes before sharing our New Year's resolutions and favorite stories of 2022.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
There’s a lot of ground to cover in this week’s Traffic Report. Tyson and Shane begin with a quick wrap on the Pac-12 Championship game before diving into the news of Oregon’s new offensive coordinator and all the players jumping into the transfer portal.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Hey everyone, Monday’s I-5 Traffic report is getting posted here on Tuesday due to some server issues over at the big ol’ Substack factory. Still there’s some good nuggets in here for anyone that wants to, you know, talk about what happened this weekend.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Today on The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann talk through it — one of the wildest, intense and, well, devastating losses for Oregon in a long, long time.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann give their final thoughts before Saturday’s Oregon/Washington matchup then jump right into talk on college hoops, Blazers and why it’s time to move on from the Portland carpet design.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Look, we can’t get them all right. And on today’s episode of The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane enjoying taking turns roasting the other for a handful of stories that haven’t exactly aged well over the course of the last year.
Is there a Corridor curse? Listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify to find out.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, Tyson and Shane wrap up an all-time weekend of Oregon sports. We talk about wins by the Ducks, Blazers and Beavers, then preview this week’s Pac-12 basketball media days.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast Andrew Greif of the LA Times stops by to talk about how much those SoCal schools are moving the needle, old beat stories and why the Clippers may just be the team to beat in the NBA.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
College GameDay is coming to Eugene, USC is no longer undefeated and, you know what? Those Oregon State Beavers just might be good. But today’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report begins with the important stuff: Colorado got a win.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Today’s I-5 Corridor podcast is a twofer:
First: Mike Yam of the NFL Network stops by for a great interview about his time at the Pac-12 Network, his career path since and what makes good sports radio.
Second: My buddies AJ Mazzolini and Billy Gates — two former Oregon sports reporters — stop by for a group therapy session about the Mariners finally making the playoffs.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger@tysonalger
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week on The I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann take a look at the top of the Pac-12 standings as teams like Oregon, Utah and USC state their cases for being the conference’s front-runner.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The Ducks won — while racking up 600-plus yards of offense — the Beavers lost — while keeping USC below 20 points — and the top of the Pac-12 is starting to look a little bit crowded. Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann take a look and wrap up the weekend in this week’s episode of the I-5 Corridor’s Traffic Report.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Washington, USC, Oregon State and Washington State are undefeated.
Oregon knocked the snot out of BYU.
The quarterbacks look great. Is the Pac-12 fun again? Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann break it down in this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
In this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast we catch up with The Oregonian’s Andrew Theen, who 10 years ago lucked into covering one of the most historic games in Oregon high school football history.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann discuss a delightfully competent weekend of Pac-12 football — highlighted by road wins from Washington State and the 2-0 Oregon State Beavers.
Is something special brewing in Corvallis?
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
While Oregon State looked explosive on offense, game-wrecking on defense and overall impressive in a 34-17 win over Boise State, we still probably need to talk a little bit about what happened in Atlanta. In this week’s Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann give their final thoughts on Georgia, then wonder if Oregon State has a potential top-25 home game with USC on the horizon.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week Tyson and Aidan preview Georgia, review Dan Lanning’s first fall camp and wonder just where all the transfer starting quarterbacks are coming from.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Hey, it’s game week.
In this week’s I-5 Corridor Traffic Report, Tyson Alger and Shane Hoffmann give their first thoughts on Oregon/Georgia, predict breakout candidates and try to figure out what to watch now that The Rehearsal is over.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
A conversation with Christian Caple, the Washington Huskies writer for The Athletic.
Topics covered:
First impressions of the Kalen DeBoer era.
What went wrong for Jimmy Lake.
Expectation for the Huskies.
Why isn’t the 5-star starting at QB in Seattle?
His memories of growing up an Ichiro fan. The former Seattle right-field enters the Mariners Hall-of-Fame on Saturday.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Today’s traffic report topics:
Anthony Brown Jr. and Devon Allen turn heads in preseason NFL play.
Sabrina Ionescu faces elimination.
Updates from camps in Eugene and Corvallis.
The story behind the repainting of the Moshofsky Center.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
World Athletics and USA Track & Field want track and field to be the fifth-most popular sport in the United States by the time the Summer Olympics arrive in Los Angeles in 2028.
The last 10 days of the World Athletic Championships were supposed to serve as a springboard. On the track, USA dominated. But away from it, there were some critical of the U.S.’s first-time effort hosting the event.
Where does the sport — and Hayward Field — go from here? Andrew Greif of the LA Times stops by the podcast this week to discuss his recent piece on the future of American track and field.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week on The I-5 Corridor podcast I’m joined by John Canzano of JohnCanzano.com.
Ok, still getting used to that one, but it’s certainly been interesting watching The Oregonian’s former columnist and 2021 Oregon Sportswriter of the Year navigate his way through the independent publishing field over the last few months.
“I wake up every day and I get to write what I want to write,” he told me in this episode. We talk a little about Canzano leaving The Oregonian, Phil Knight’s bid to buy the Portland Trail Blazers, the reason he’s not a welcomed visitor of Tulsa, Okla., and why he’s looking forward to taking his dad to this weekend’s Worlds of Sport convention for Father’s Day.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
Thank you for reading The I-5 Corridor, produced right here in St. Johns, Portland. Consider a free subscription for future unlocked stories or become a paid subscriber for access to all stories and podcasts.
— Tyson Alger
@tysonalger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The reason for this podcast? I’m damn proud of a friend. For the better part of pandemic, Brian Koch was driving up and down the streets of North Portland in a Volkswagen van trying to keep his dream alive.
He opened up Lombard House in 2016 and quickly turned it into one of the area’s best community hang outs. Then the pandemic shut him down, switching Brian’s role from friendly host to delivery person.
“It got weird, man,” Brian says. “I drove around in that Volkswagen for nine months, all day, every day, delivering super expensive jars of beer to people who were essentially handing me charity money.”
Brian is no longer the pandemic milk man. Lombard House is back open, only now with a new designation: Last month, LH tied with The BeerMongers for the award of “Best beer bar/tap house” in 2022 Oregon Beer Awards.
I sat down with Brian this week at Lombard House to talk about keeping his dream alive, camping spots, good places for lunch and how this random bar in St. Johns turned into Portland’s best Philly bar.
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
@tysonalger
Thank you for reading The I-5 Corridor, produced right here in St. Johns, Portland. Consider a free subscription for future unlocked stories or become a paid subscriber for access to all stories and podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
You ever reply “Yes” to an email a little too quickly?
Happened to me a couple of weeks ago. One minute I’m a happy, sedentary sports writer. The next, I’ve impulsively agreed to participate in Saturday’s media only 400-meter “Race the Wavelight” competition to kick off the second day of the Prefontaine Classic.
Like anyone who’s visited Hayward Field before, I’ve imagined what it would be like to run down the final stretch. But I’ve also avoided running for the better part of my life.
You know why hockey is great? You can coast on ice.
On the track it’s just you, your legs and, now that I’m reading the fine print, “camera and TV crews will be allowed on the track to shoot the media Race the Wavelight competition.”
Oh.
All publicity is good publicity, right?
Thankfully my old pal Andrew Greif from the L.A. Times — and a former member of the UO track team — is running, too, and he joined me this week on The I-5 Corridor podcast to go over strategy.
He also previews what he’s watching for when the actual athletes get on the track later in the day. That includes Colin Sahlman, a prep senior from California chasing Alan Webb’s high school record of 3:53.43 in the 1500 meters set at the Pre Classic in 2001.
Greif was there for that one, too.
“There’s an argument to be made that [Sahlman’s] having the best season as a distance runner in U.S. history,” Greif said. “…I would just keep an eye on that. A little bit of magic could happen there.”
For more, listen to this podcast in the player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
Note: The winner of the media 400 wins $500 to donate to a charity of their choice. In the rare chance I don’t win, consider a donation to Run Freely. It’s a charity founded by former ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne, which raises money to cover the costs of getting veterans moving again.
Thank you for reading The I-5 Corridor, produced right here in St. Johns, Portland. Consider a free subscription for future unlocked stories or become a paid subscriber for access to all stories and podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week on The I-5 Corridor podcast we have an interview with Oregon equipment administrator Kenny Farr. On and off with the staff since the 1990s, Farr is one of the most recognizable faces on campus and the most popular among Oregon’s athletes.
For good reason: He’s the guy who makes sure the school known for looking good looks so good week in and week out.
Today we talk about how his job has changed over the years, the risk of wearing chrome helmets at the Rose Bowl, what coaches took the most interest in jerseys and what uniform concepts got left on the design room table.
Listen in the podcast player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify. Or, you can go ahead and watch this episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast on YouTube.
A written Q&A version of this podcast will be sent out later today for I-5 Corridor paid subscribers.
— Tyson Alger
Thank you for reading The I-5 Corridor, produced right here in St. Johns, Portland. Consider a free subscription for future unlocked stories or become a paid subscriber for access to all stories and podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
AJ McCord leaves Portland having covered a Rose Bowl, the NBA Playoffs and multiple Super Bowls. She anchored KOIN 6’s sports coverage, was the only woman in Portland hosting a sports radio show and was named the 2021 Oregon sportscaster of the year by the National Sports Media Association.
It’s an impressive list of accomplishments for someone who came to this state five years ago without a job and was looking into becoming a pole vaulter.
AJ’s off to something new now — which she’ll announce at a later date — but before she took off, she spoke with The I-5 Corridor about her time in Oregon and how she found her voice.
Listen in the podcast player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify. Or, you can go ahead and watch this episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast on YouTube.
— Tyson Alger
Hey, thanks for reading The I-5 Corridor. Consider a free subscription for future unlocked stories or become a paid subscriber for access to all stories and podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This podcast from The I-5 Corridor is free for everyone thanks to the support of Dark Star Barbers. If you’re a Portlander — or just coming through town — Dark Star is a fantastic shop for quality cuts and conversation in the Jubitz Travel Plaza. Book an appointment with Tyson — great name — or Adam at Darkstarbarbers.com
Look Oregonians, we get it. Mother Nature has thrown just about everything she has at us this last month. The constant drizzle of the winter gave way to the wettest Portland April on record, with the heavy downpour only interrupted by the occasional hail storm.
But today is a gift. Look outside. The sun is shining. The mercury is rising into the 70s. There is blue in the sky.
Don’t look at the forecast beyond today. Do listen to today’s episode of The I-5 Corridor, which features Aidan Schneider, Justin Myers and Tyson Alger drafting their top five things to do on a glorious day such as today.
Plus: What to make of Oregon’s lone NFL draft pick. (37:18)
Listen in the podcast player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify. Or, you can go ahead and watch this episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast on YouTube.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This podcast from The I-5 Corridor is free for everyone thanks to the support of Dark Star Barbers. If you’re a Portlander — or just coming through town — Dark Star is a fantastic shop for quality cuts and conversation in the Jubitz Travel Plaza. Book an appointment with Tyson or Adam at Darkstarbarbers.com
In the last 48 hours the Seattle Mariners have lost two games, scored two runs and wasted one fantastic pitching debut from a rookie.
Is this 2007? Or 2012? Or 2017? Or….You get the picture. It’s been a long 20-plus years of playoff futility for the team just up the I-5 Corridor, but 2022 is supposed to be different. Led by young stars like Julio Rodriguez, Jarred Kelenic and Matt Brash, many publications around the country actually picked Seattle to end the longest postseason drought in professional sports.
Through five games, the Mariners are 2-3. Is it time to worry? Mariners beat writer Corey Brock from The Athletic stops by to give us an update about where the M’s stand after the first week.
Some highlights:
Is this a year to pay attention to the kids or to actually go all in as a playoff supporting fan?
You can do both. I think we started to see signs of this last year when the Mariners somehow won 90 games despite having one of the worst offenses in baseball. You remember that final series against the Angels? Three games. Three sold out crowds. I think people are starving to come back out and support a winner. There’s exciting young players and they made a trade in spring training that hopefully will improve their offense.
I think it'll be a wildly fascinating year. I mean, I can't sit here and say today that the Mariners will win 90 games again. In fact, I don't think they will. But with the expanded playoffs, I think there is certainly a greater opportunity for them to get into the postseason.
I think these guys are trending upwards and there might still be a move or two to make here with this group. They may have to go out and get another bat. I thought they were a bat short coming out of spring training. You don't want to read too much into these early results, but I still think scoring runs might be a little bit of a struggle for them.
But again, I think the pitching is really good. So we'll see where this leads them.
When you first started at The Athletic you really dove into the rebuilding of the Mariners farm system. Where do you see it now that those young players are at a point where they’re being called up to the big leagues?
The farm was pretty bad before they went down the rebuild path and they’ve acquired a lot of young players over the last three or four years. Some have panned out — some haven’t — and I think generally the farm system has gotten a lot better. They’ve drafted very well. There was a stretch there where they took three college pitchers with their first pick — Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Emerson Hancock — and what it’s done is, by building your farm system up, it can not only help you at the Big League level, but you can end up using some of those assets to get you win-now players.
And that’s what they did.
They traded Brandon Williamson, one of their top left-handed prospects, to the Reds in February for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winkler, and there still may be more trades coming. I think a lot of people in the industry really think a lot about the Mariners prospects, some of which they have no intention of trading and rightfully so. But there are still a few people and a few players that they can move.
When you’re not the Dodgers or the Yankees or the Red Sox, these competitive windows are pretty finite. When it opens a little bit and you get your foot in the door, you better take advantage of it. I think they view their window as now — this year and next year. They already brought up Kelenic and Gilbert last year. Julio Rodriguez is here now. Matt Brash had a big year in the minor leagues last year. So they have some guys.
Now, can those guys help them or indirectly help them by being a part of a trade? I seem to think that [General Manager Jerry Dipoto] will go out and get a bat. You can’t do that in April and May when teams are just kind of settling into their lineups and want to see what their guys can do. But I do think this roster could look different, maybe even dramatically different, by the end of the season.
For more from Corey on the Mariners, listen in the podcast player above or find us over on Apple or Spotify.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Bill Oram, a Tillamook native, has covered the Los Angeles Lakes for nine seasons. As of Tuesday night, the Lakers have now missed the playoffs in seven of those. While movie projects and books have been written about the Showtime and Kobe/Shaq Lakers, Bill might just be SOL.
“Probably have the worst record of any relatively long-term Lakers beat writer in franchise history,” Oram said on this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast. “…Nobody wants to read ‘Slowtime.’”
We talk the Lakers’ disaster, what it’s like to work among the most famous people in the world — and, most importantly, Oregon high school mascots.
Then, Kevin Palmer and Sam McDonald of Portland’s Little Cuties Hockey Club stop by (53:00) before the Oranges take off for Austin, Texas for a weekend tournament.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The I-5 Corridor is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
— Tyson Alger
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Oregon baseball won a lot of games with “Horton Ball.” Under former manager George Horton, the Ducks played a purist’s form of the game. Horton’s Ducks got on base. His Ducks advanced the runner. His Ducks, at their best, would manufacture runs and ride pitching and defense the rest of the way.
In 2012, it got Oregon one inning away from reaching the College World Series. That year, the Ducks hit 29 home runs in 65 games.
Here a decade later, former Horton assistant Mark Wasikowski has gone the opposite direction. In his first year replacing Horton, the Ducks hit a team-record 56 home runs in 2021. Then in the offseason, Oregon moved in the fences at PK Park, long considered one of the friendliest places for pitchers in the conference.
How has that worked out? Well, it’s April 1 and the No. 21 Ducks (18-7, 7-2 Pac-12) have mashed 41 home runs through 25 games. They’re also leading the Pac-12 standings heading into this weekend’s series with UCLA.
Steve Mims, who has covered more baseball at PK Park than anyone, stops by the show this week to talk about Oregon’s power surge.
Then we get into some Final Four and Oregon basketball talk.
This is a free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast. The I-5 Corridor is independent, local sports journalism dependent on its listeners and readers. For access to all podcasts and written material on The I-5 Corridor, consider becoming a subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On this episode of The I-5 Corridor: Tyson and Aidan catch up after a few weeks, preview Oregon’s spring practice schedule and wonder if Anfernee Simons jerseys come in an XL.
Then, former Oregonian sportswriter Connor Letourneau stops by the show. Connor used to cover Oregon State for the O, then went off to cover the Golden State Warriors dynasty with the San Francisco Chronicle. He recently asked off the beat, and frankly, I wanted to know why.
Great conversation here.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
The I-5 Corridor is independent, local sports journalism supported by its subscribers. For access to all podcasts and stories on The I-5 Corridor, consider becoming a subscriber.
Not ready to subscribe? We’re not above tips.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Former Oregon running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio got Ducks twitter talking Wednesday, pondering the sort of thing that’s right up The I-5 Corridor’s alley.
“So a former Oregon teammate of mine are debating. He thinks his 2015 Ducks team would beat our 2019 Ducks. I disagree! Let’s debate.”
The 2019 team won the Rose Bowl with Justin Herbert, yet both Aidan and Tyson are siding with the team that collapsed in the Alamo Bowl for this hypothetical clash.
Why?
More or less, Vernon Adams Jr. was awesome. And you’ll have to listen to find out more.
Plus: Aidan’s thoughts on the CJ McCollum trade and, if you make it all the way to the end, Dennon, the only Cincinnati fan Tyson knows in Portland, on the Bengals and trading cards.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And if you want to see this interview, The I-5 Corridor is now on YouTube.
The I-5 Corridor is independent, local sports journalism supported by its subscribers. For access to all podcasts and stories on The I-5 Corridor, consider becoming a subscriber.
Not ready to subscribe? We’re not above tips.
This episode is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
After significant struggles to start the season, Dana Altman’s Ducks have won nine of 10 games to position Oregon surprisingly well for the stretch run of the regular season.
After a road sweep of the mountain schools, which included a win at Colorado for the first time in program history, the Ducks are 8-3 in Pac-12 play — just two games behind conference-leading Arizona.
How has Altman concocted his latest turnaround? I-5 Corridor contributor Shane Hoffmann stopped by the podcast this week to share his thoughts.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
More from Shane:
This is a free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast. The I-5 Corridor is independent, local sports journalism dependent on its listeners and readers. For access to all podcasts and written material on The I-5 Corridor, consider becoming a subscriber.
Not ready to subscribe? We’re not above tips.
This episode is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On this episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast, Tyson is joined by DeVon Pouncey.
DeVon works for Street Roots, does men’s basketball analysis for Portland State and Pacific University, hosts the Wake up and Win podcast and spins a little music on the side. He’s a grinder, whose media career in Portland began in 2017, just weeks out of college as a co-host on 750 AM – right around the time the Dino Costa Show barreled through town.
That train wreck makes for quite a story.
Plus: DeVon on former AAU teammate Gary Payton II’s rise with Golden State, the Dame generation getting skipped and how to carve out an independent niche in the media world.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And if you want to see this interview, The I-5 Corridor is now on YouTube.
This is a free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast. The I-5 Corridor is independent, local sports journalism dependent on its listeners and readers. For access to all podcasts and written material on The I-5 Corridor, consider becoming a subscriber.
Not ready to subscribe? We’re not above tips.
This episode is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Aidan Schneider has a few fond memories of his first pursuit of professional kicking.
There was Pete Carroll in Seattle, smacking gum in his ear during a Seahawks minicamp, imploring him to miss left.
At another camp in Kansas City, he had the best performance of his career — after being told the team wasn’t actually looking to sign anyone.
And then there was the time he was one of numerous candidates to replace Cody Parkey in Chicago after the infamous “Double Doink.”
Aidan got close, but he never quite made it to the NFL after his All-American career at Oregon. For the last couple years, he’s been laying low here in Portland, waiting and biding his time, working a job in advertising by day and co-hosting a worldwide phenomenon of a podcast by night. And it turns out he’s been doing a bit of kicking on the side.
He’s got a USFL combine this weekend. And this was all just a big run up to say we talked about it on this week’s I-5 Corridor podcast. Plus: A look at Oregon’s new strength coach Wilson Love.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And if for some reason you actually want to see this, well, The I-5 Corridor is now on YouTube.
If you’re receiving this free podcast and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories, you can do so by clicking the button below.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The University of Oregon football team’s head coach is currently finishing out his time with Georgia. His new staff is still being assembled and, among other pressing needs, a recruiting class desperately needs to be shored up.
After four years of stability, it’s been an unsettling start to the winter in Eugene. Still, as Aidan and Tyson discuss in this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor, the Ducks are likely better positioned to contend for a championship now than the Blazers are in the NBA.
With Damian Lillard on the shelf for the next few games, is it time to just shut it all down and start over?
Also on this week’s pod:
*We (briefly) remember the Alamo.
*These two have more than just this photo in common:
- And, “Where the f* is Troy Dye?”
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
The last time Tyson and Aidan got together for an I-5 Corridor podcast, Mario Cristobal was Oregon’s head coach, the Ducks were about to play for the Pac-12 championship and Twitter wasn’t angling to put us out of business.
So today, we had a bit of catching up to do, beginning with Aidan’s thought’s on the Dan Lanning hire.
“It’s a little late to want to go back to where Oregon’s been.I thought firing Mark Helfrich was a mistake. I thought there was a lot of value in staff continuity and it was a big part of what made Oregon a really special place. But we’re five years removed from that and three head coaches removed from that. I think that was what it was — a great era at Oregon and there was a lot of success, but at this point you want to hire the best guy you can get and Oregon feels like they got that in Dan Lanning.”
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you’re receiving this free podcast and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week on The I-5 Corridor, Tyson and Aidan preview this evening’s Pac-12 championship featuring Utah and Oregon, and then dive into a wild week that drastically changed the college football landscape.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you’re receiving this free podcast and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
(2018/Tyson Alger)
This week on The I-5 Corridor, Aidan recalls the time his mom dropped him off at the front gate at Reser before a game, Tyson breaks under the pressure put on sports writers to coin a new name for rivalry, and together the two parse through the Oregon men’s basketball team wreckage from the last week.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
If you’re receiving this free podcast and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories, you can do so by clicking the button below. The I-5 Corridor is currently running a Black Friday special through Monday.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
On Today’s I-5 Corridor podcast:
- Aidan and Tyson on how a 12-team playoff would benefit the Ducks, and Mycah Pittman’s transfer.
“This comes with the territory of how well Cristobal has been recruiting,” Aidan says, “Oregon four or five years ago was far less likely to have a really talented recruit with his eyes on the NFL getting buried on the depth chart.”
- (22:40) Former Ducks pitcher Cole Irvin, now with the Oakland Athletics, stops by for some stories on his Oregon days, George Horton, the perks of being in the big leagues, e-racing with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and what lessons he learned from poking the bear.
You can listen in the player above, or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
For subscribers of The I-5 Corridor, a written Q&A with Irvin will be posted on Saturday.
If you’re receiving this free podcast and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Stories from the last week:
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast is sponsored by Planet3Vitamins.com. Use promo code “Corridor10” for $10 off your first purchase.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
This week on The I-5 Corridor, Tyson and Aidan wrap up a memorable Washington week, sympathize for Oregon State kicker Everett Hayes’ roller coaster of a Saturday and continue to wonder if the Blazers are going to turn this thing around.
Then (at the 20:30 marker) Tyson travels out to Hillsboro to sit down with Hillsboro Hops general manager K.L. Wombacher. The Hops just completed their first year of full-season Single-A and the have big plans moving forward under the new minor league baseball realignment. Wombacher talks about the future of the franchise, his time with World Series champion Dansby Swanson and answers Tyson’s important question: What’s better: Winter Meetings for Spring Training?
For subscribers of The I-5 Corridor, a written Q&A with Wombacher will be posted on Friday.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Stories from the last week:
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Kyle Bonagura had an excellent piece up on ESPN.com Wednesday taking readers behind the scenes of Nick Rolovich’s firing at Washington State.
Bonagura stops by The I-5 Corridor today to talk about his story, where Washington State goes from here and whether or not any or Oregon’s numerous coaches with WSU connections will be considered for the vacant job.
That interview starts at the 23-minute marker.
Before that, Aidan had a question for Tyson:
Would it even be a good thing for this Ducks team to make the Playoff this season?
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Stories from the last week:
The Friday 5: The Ducks at midseason, Kayvon Thibodeaux's dominance and surviving on the scout team against Chip Kelly's UO offense
Built for the SEC, Brandon Dorlus has become the prototype for Oregon's changing defensive front
Final thoughts: A quality win holds off the pitchforks
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Seth Wickersham, senior writer for ESPN and author of “It’s Better to be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness,” stops by The I-5 Corridor podcast this week to share stories about Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and former Oregon State coach Mike Riley’s near miss at greatness.
But first, I had a question for Seth.
How does someone from Anchorage end up reporting the definitive piece on one of the best dynasties in sports history?
“When you grow up in Alaska, at least before the internet got going, you were just disconnected from the country, and I would subscribe to Sports Illustrated and to The Sporting News and to Time and Newsweek. And when you’d get the magazines, they were more than a week old. So when you’d read them, you’d kinda read them looking for something more than what most readers did. You’d read the stories looking for kind of a timelessness to them. So I kind of grew up thinking that’s what journalism was. And you cover these games and people, sure, but when you’re writing about them you want the story to feel vibrant, even way after its supposed due date. So when I decided I wanted to do journalism for a career and I went to the University of Missouri, that was kind of just the mentality that I had. I wanted to write stories that had that magazine quality to them.
I was fortunate to get hired at ESPN when I graduated from college and one of my very first assignments was to go to Foxborough, Massachusetts in November of 2001 to go interview this guy who was filling in well for Drew Bledsoe.”
That guy was Tom Brady.
Our interview with Seth begins at 22:25.
Plus: Aidan and Tyson on the start of the Blazers season, the Nick Rolovich mess at Washington State and what to make of these 5-1 Oregon Ducks.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Premium stories from the last week:
As the Ducks keeps trudging on, where does the offense go from here?
Verone McKinley III, Oregon’s general, is keeping the Ducks in the Playoff hunt.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Longtime Register-Guard sports writer Steve Mims stops by The I-5 Corridor podcast this week to preview the Pac-12 men’s basketball season and answer this question:
Who has had the bigger impact on their program at Oregon: Dana Altman of Chip Kelly?
That’s a complicated one, Mims said, because it doesn’t look like Altman’s stopping anytime soon.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Premium stories from the last week:
Verone McKinley III, Oregon’s general, is keeping the Ducks in the Playoff hunt.
‘If you blink you might miss him’: On CJ Verdell and the potential end of an era at Oregon.
The I-5 Corridor Mailbag: On Bennett Williams, 'The Play,' Cristobal's worst losses and is Anthony Brown Jr. putting too much pressure on himself?
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Sean Meagher had a busy weekend. The Oregonian’s sports photographer captured Oregon State’s win over Washington Saturday night at Reser Stadium, the Portland Timbers’ 1-0 win over Inter Miami at Providence Park on Sunday, then spent his Monday night at the Moda Center capturing the Blazers preseason opener against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Sean’s been behind various lenses at some of this state’s biggest sporting events of the last 16 years, and this week he joined the I-5 Corridor podcast to offer a perspective we just can’t get from the press box.
Plus: Justin Herbert — still good, and is it time for the Ducks to make a move at QB?
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories —like this week’s look at why Justin Herbert didn’t look like this at Oregon — and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
For much of the summer, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard seemed unhappy. The Blazers were bounced early from the playoffs, Portland fired its coach and throughout the summer the 31-year-old guard and his NBA future were under the microscope.
“It was a really odd thing for everyone, including Dame because he’s usually so positive and inspiring and this was a different side of Damian that a lot of people hadn’t seen,” Quick said on this week’s I-5 Corridor podcast.
Yet as the Blazers began practice this week, The Athletic’s Jason Quick noticed something surprising. Lillard was happy, and Quick hasn’t been this energized to cover a season in years.
Listen above, or on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to learn more about Lillard and the kind-of-new-look Blazers.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories — like Tuesday’s look at the numbers behind Oregon’s 4-0 start — and premium podcast episodes — like Thursday’s episode with Corey Brock previewing the Mariners’ playoff push — you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Corey Brock appreciates good beer and baseball, so a career of covering MLB in wonderfully crafty cities like San Diego and Seattle, where he currently covers the Mariners for The Athletic, has at least satisfied one of those needs.
Yet here in 2021, the Padres have a roster filled with All-Stars. And the Mariners? Well, it’s September the the M’s are still somehow mathematically in it.
It’s a a pretty sweet gig, and it was great to talk to Corey about the job, the Mariners and the best rivalry in sports, The Vedder Cup, over a couple of beers at Lombard House in this subscribers-exclusive edition of The I-5 Corridor podcast.
— Tyson
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
(Tyson Alger and Andrew Greif on matching shirt day at the Rose Bowl. Photo by Taylor Wilder)
On today’s free episode of The I-5 Corridor podcast, Andrew Greif from the LA Times stops by to swap stories about his time on the Oregon beat as a writer for The Oregonian. From national championship memories to his time covering Willie Taggart, nobody was better on the Ducks better than Greif.
(Just don’t tell him I said that.)
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories — like this last week’s profile of Ahmad Rashad and our thoughts on Ty Thompson’s debut — and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
(Eric Evans/GoDucks.com)
Oregon is up to No. 4 in the country following its win over Ohio State while its primary rivals are, in Washington’s case, winless and in USC’s case, coachless. Tyson and Aidan wrap up Oregon’s big win at the Horseshoe and take a look at how Clay Helton’s firing at USC changes the outlook for the Pac-12 Conference. That’s all before diving into the real important things like team travel seating charts.
Was Marcus Mariota a first class guy? You’ll have to listen to find out.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories — like this past weekend’s Ohio State coverage from Columbus — and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Not all teams get to 1-0 the same way. The result is just the same.
Oregon is 1-0. Ohio State is 1-0.
Montana is 1-0.
The good teams are where they’re supposed to be coming out of a weekend that otherwise torpedoed the Pac-12 North. The Ducks won 31-24 against Fresno State. Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, Cal and yes, Washington, all fell.
Aidan and Tyson sift through the wreckage on this week’s episode of The I-5 Corridor.
Then, it’s the debut of Picking Oregon, a four-person Oregon-themed fantasy draft that could become a monthly part of the show with a rotating cast of characters from around Portland.
This week’s topic:
The Best things about fall in Oregon.
Our pickers are:
Brian Koch of Lombard House.
Elliot Njus of The Oregonian.
Kevin Palmer of The Little Cuties Hockey Club.
Tyson Alger of The I-5 Corridor.
Yes, there are other Oregon Ducks podcasts out there. But none of them have Apple Cider donut takes like this one.
— Tyson
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Sure, the Timbers got back into the win column convincingly on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Seattle.
But that takes a back seat on today’s I-5 Corridor podcast.
Because, well, it’s Week 1.
Tyson checks in with Jonathan Smith down in Corvallis. Aidan mics up Rob Moseley in Eugene.
There’s football this week. Let’s not waste any time.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories — including last week’s debut Mailbag and this week’s profile of comedian Ian Karmel — and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Today on The I-5 Corridor podcast, we learn Aidan traded away Justin Herbert.
And he’d do it again — for the right value.
Also, ESPN college football analyst Ryan Leaf stops by to break down his Pac-12 predictions that got the Oregon socials all up in arms.
Leaf doubled down on the podcast.
“This Oregon team has a real chance to be special, and what Mario Cristobal and that staff have done in terms of recruiting and changing over that model and that environment, I think is huge. I just feel like there's there's a little too many unknowns in Oregon for all the hype. I think they're probably one of the more over-hyped teams in the country.
“…every time I’ve bet against the Ducks and against Mario Cristobal over the last couple of years, they’ve absolutely made me eat my words, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they made me do it again this year.”
Leaf also addressed the news cycle his alma mater has been in, with Washington State coach Nick Rolovich’s responses to questions about the university’s vaccine mandate for employees.
“I liken it to how I behaved, when I was defiant and resentful and angry in front of the San Diego Chargers media when I was in San Diego. I was just kind of like a petulant child giving short answers, being flippant, looking at the people that were asking me the questions as idiots. And that’s what this looks like it’s coming off as when Nick Rolovich is talking to the media.”
If you’re receiving this free podcast episode email and would like to upgrade to a paid subscription that gives you access to all stories and premium podcast episodes, you can do so by clicking the button below.
Follow Aidan Schneider on Twitter. Follow Tyson Alger on Twitter.
Podcast music by John Budnik Band.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe
Welcome to the prelaunch of The I-5 Corridor. Things officially get underway here on Aug. 23, but today we’re cracking open the door with the release of the new weekly I-5 Corridor podcast, co-hosted by Tyson Alger and Aidan Schneider.
Aidan is a former All-American. He’s kicked in the Rose Bowl, national championship game and got a cup of coffee during training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tyson has hosted a podcast before.
Join the two for their maiden drive through The Corridor, with a little Ohio State talk, fall camp stories and how Aidan transformed from a walk-on with a soccer background into one of the best kickers in Oregon history.
The I-5 Corridor podcast will publish a free episode every Monday, with bonus episodes throughout the month for paid subscribers to The I-5 Corridor.
Subscribers receive:
Three to four premium stories a week mailed to your inbox — and hosted here on i-5corridor.com.
A minimum of two bonus podcasts a month in addition to the weekly free episode.
We hope you enjoy this first episode, and we’ll hope to see you back next week for the official launch of The I-5 Corridor.
Learn more about The I-5 Corridor here.
Follow Tyson (@TysonAlger) and Aidan (@SchneiderAidan) on twitter.
This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.i-5corridor.com/subscribe