By now, I'm sure we've all heard about our "feathered friends'" recruiting scandal concerning their football program.  It's been all over the sports news, and I even took a moment to see the reactions on AtQ as they rolled in.  And I'm confused.

You see, I was sort of expecting to be eating it up.  Like "Ha!  So they start doing really well, and it turns out it was because they went SECheat with it!  Investigations!  Possible sanctions!  Wooooo!"  But that's not what happened.  Rather, I find myself cringing - sort of not really wanting to find out that anything wrong took place there, even if it would be a black eye for the Duckies.  Pulling for everything to be in order.

Why is this?  After the painful season we had, and the unprecedented success they had, I should be eating up anything that can help with a Duck return to earth.  And yet I don't want it to happen like this.  Maybe it's because I live in a little self-induced (delusional?) bubble of "yeah most people game the system and break the rules in college football, but that's [insert SEC/Trojan team here]!"  We're different!  I don't want to think of our lil' ole Northwest (Pac-12 North *cough*gag*) schools being engaged in that junk, even if they are of the yellow and green variety.  Maybe it's because for some strange reason I actually kind of admire the job Chip Kelly has done so far down south.  Several-game suspension for the Bronco-Puncher.  Giving Masoli the boot.  Punishing instead of coddling, yet still making it to BCS games twice in a row.  Sure, it wasn't all perfect (LGB back in '09 Civil War, etc., yes I know, I know...) But still, compared to the SECrap we see pulled on an annual basis and general major team slide into complete NCAA rule-flauting, the Duckies seem to run a fairly respectable organization.

I guess I want to believe you can achieve success "the right way".  I want to believe we do things right up here.  And that's why, even though it confuses the heck out of me, I am hoping to find out that no improprieties actually took place down the road.  Let the Reggie Bush and Cam Newton dramas stay far south where they belong.