I get the sense Willie Lyles doesnt even know how to turn on a barbeque, but I have no doubt that he is going to end up serving University of Oregon football fans some version of grilled duck.

I was schooled to doubt everything. One professor in the University of Oregons School of Journalism and Communication used to tell my class, if your mother tells you she loves you, check it first. As a Duck fan I want to believe everyone who tells me Oregon will be fine after the NCAAs investigation of the athletic departments relationship with Lyles.

Lyles says the Ducks paid him because of his relationships with top recruits and forced him to rush a packet of outdated recruiting information to Eugene so they could make a $25,000 payment seem legitimate; the athletic department says they didnt do anything wrong and Lyles was paid for a national high school football recruiting package; the NCAA says they will investigate and figure out what happened.

I dont believe a single one of them is telling the complete truth or even knows what the complete truth is. Reality is stuck in the crevices between the mountains of words created by the things everybody has said (except for the remarkably quiet coach Chip Kelly who I would bet has to wear a mouth guard so he doesnt hurt himself while he has to bite his lip during this investigation).

I dont know Lyles and probably will never meet him. He could be a savvy mover and shaker with deep ties in the high school and college football world of Texas or he is a grocery store bakery grunt who doubles as the director of a poorly developed football scouting service that jumped into the deep end of the pool without floaties. Probably hes in the middle of those two cynical extremes.

Whether Lyles is a sly recruiting coordinator, 7 on 7 camp organizer, or a booster that didnt care about the NCAAs rules or was too clueless to understand them he is a dime a dozen. Weather the University of Oregons football program knowingly committed serious NCAA infractions or broke minor rules they are also just another small fish in the big pond of NCAA violators.

It has been over four years since I was covering day-to-day Duck football activities, so Im a fan and university alumnus not a journalist when it comes to Lyles versus the Oregon athletic department. Being a fan of a college sports team forced on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what if any sanctions will be levied by the NCAA against my school, means Im also one of many.

Credit the NCAA that they do not necessarily rush judgment with compliance investigations, or act swiftly when divvying out punishment, because it seems they truly want to get all the facts before they make a decision.

It does have a funny effect on programs and its fans because the NCAAs punishment could hit you like a ton of bricks even when you see it coming from a mile away.

USC Trojan fans knew that they were going to be in some type of trouble a few years ago when the issues surrounding Reggie Bush and improper benefits started to come to light.

Probably some fans even realized that forfeiting past wins and trophies was a real possibility. Based on the reactions from fans and media members alike, after the NCAAs sanctions were levied, not many people expected the program to be rendered irrelevant for the next couple of years because of a postseason ban.

I dont think taking away past wins is really that big of a deal. Ohio State fans still know they beat Oregon in Pasadena in 2010 even if the trophy is not longer on display in Columbus (and the Buckeye players Rose Bowl rings arent worth as much on the black market.)

If the worst-case scenario punishment hits Eugene and the NCAA wipes a season or two off the books, Duck fans still know they got to cheer during a lot of wins and the NCAA cant retroactively take those memories away.

The fear as a Duck fan, as we look into the crystal ball about the future, everything is murky. I suspect a similar grey cloud is sitting over the heads of Ohio State football fans that wait for the other shoe to drop with their teams punishment.

As a cynic I suspect that Lyles has unwittingly turned on the BBQ and will cook the Ducks at least a little bit.

If you are an optimist I dont blame you for not believing me.

Erick is the news/sports director at KOHU/KQFM. He is also the play-by-play voice of Hermiston High School athletics. Complain to him at eolson@eotnet.net.