University of Oregon planning to spend lots of money on basketball arena

As a U-Dub alum, we'll look for any reason to take a cheap shot at Oregon. As a Husky, you're supposed to hate Washington State the way a married couple hates each other after 10 years. But the true diehards hate Oregon much, much more than that.

So when Oregon decides to spend a record $200 million on a new basketball arena, opposed to, say, education, we can't help but laugh.

From The Oregonian via Ben Maller...by the way, Ben Maller is the shit. That guy finds all these juicy nuggets while we merely link to them and make jokes. That's why he's employed by Fox Sports (read: paid) while we're self-employed (read: unpaid). Anyway:

University of Oregon leaders will make their biggest pitch ever to the Legislature this month, requesting $200 million in state-backed bonds to build the most expensive campus basketball arena in the nation.

Lawmaker approval would create a no-money-down, 30-year mortgage that the university plans to repay with arena revenues and athletic department donations.

UO's proposal pushes a debate held largely in faculty meetings to the floor of the Capitol: Is it appropriate to use public debt for a posh athletics venue while the state's universities struggle to support core academic programs?

Or is the plan, which requires no cash from the state, merely a creative way to replace an ancient arena and maintain the school's national edge in sports facilities?

Some observations:

-We, for some reason, think the new arena will sort of resemble the Death Star.

-The Pit is one of the best venues in the Pac-10, if not the country. It's old, decrepit and small. Perfect for a college hoops game.

-The word "lawmaker" looks a lot like "lawnmower."

-Let's go hypothetical: If this facility was approved and built last year, would that have convinced Kyle Singler and Kevin Love (both native Oregonians) to sign with the Duckies?

-Phil Knight should financially back this blog.