The I-5 Corridor

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

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