UO football coach Chip Kelly announced today that he may allow a player who punched an opponent and threw an embarrassing violent fit on national TV to play for the UO after all.

Sports columnists are all abuzz about with speculation on exactly why Kelly suddenly changed his mind about kicking LeGarrette Blount off the team. But in the past, such dramatic flips in UO decisions haven’t been made by the football coach, the athletic director or the UO president, they’ve been made by Phil Knight.

ESPN has reported how UO officials “genuflect at his Nikes” and “coddle and fawn over their rich uncle at every turn.” The story noted how pressure from the UO megadonor forced the UO out of an anti-sweatshop group and forced out a track coach.

There’s no direct evidence Knight made the decision. He may make decisions at the UO, but he doesn’t do press conferences about them. But does anyone believe Blount could be reinstated if Knight objected?

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