Fast Break

College football

Duck suspended for fowl play

What would Walt Disney think?

Oregon’s Duck mascot has been suspended for a game because of an altercation with the Houston Cougar in the season opener.

Apparently, the Duck became upset when the Cougar imitated one of the Duck’s trademarks, push-ups for total points after each touchdown in front of the student section.

Next thing you know, the Cougar was on the ground and Duck appeared to be punching him repeatedly. The fight ended up on YouTube.

Although some thought it was staged, turns out it wasn’t – hence the suspension. Because the Duck mascot is a role filled by several students, specific discipline was not disclosed.

Oregon uses the Donald Duck character as its mascot under a special agreement with Disney.

“Official representatives of the athletics department must be held to higher standards,” Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny said.

Even the Duck.

NFL

Dolphins sign former Cougar

Former Washington State defensive back Lamont Thompson joins another NFL veteran, Donovin Darius, as an emergency safety at Miami.

The Dolphins decided to sign both Wednesday, so desperate is the team to shore up a thin secondary with a game against the high-powered Dallas Cowboys looming Sunday.

Other teams, however, found Darius and Thompson expendable. Darius was released last week by the Oakland Raiders after nine seasons with Jacksonville. Thompson, a starter the past three seasons for the Tennessee Titans, was released two weeks ago.

“I was surprised,” Thompson said. “I thought I did well enough. My peers thought I did well enough.”

NFL

Chiefs place Allan on practice squad

Former Whitworth tight end Michael Allan has been placed on Kansas City’s practice squad, the Chiefs announced.

Allan, the Chiefs’ seventh-round pick in the 2007 NFL draft, originally made the 53-man roster but was inactive for the first game of the 2007 season.