An Aside

I'm not that into Oregon football. Well, not even college football. I like to know who won when the Beavers and Ducks are playing, maybe see how they are doing in the Pac-10 (soon to be Pac 12?). I like to root against USC no matter who they are playing. [Growing up in the Pac-10, USC is like the evil empire of college football - lots of money; big, seemingly unbeatable program; the epitome of the arrogant, heartless team to beat in all those kids sports movies (I'm specifically thinking of The Big Green), but those descriptors don't sound too antithetical to Oregon anymore, do they? The biggest difference it seems is that when USC has a great season, plays in the Rose Bowl, or contends for a national championship, they don't always follow it with mistakes, disappointment, and scandal, which the Ducks have perfected.] I do still get a little bit of a kick out of the Civil War, but I view my loyalties as pretty much even between the two, with perhaps a slight edge to the Beavers because they seem to be the perennial underdogs. And, of course post-season play/bowl games are worth paying attention to in the all-important arena of bragging rights.

I'd forgotten what it's like to be in Eugene on gameday. Its only been three Septembers since I last experienced it first hand, but when you go to school across the country, and to one without a football team, I guess you have no reason to reminisce. Today is the season and home opener at Autzen Stadium. I've been long gone and have already started classes by this time this happens. This year, because I'm going to Spain, I leave about two weeks later than usual and thus am reintroduced to Eugene's typical Saturday in the fall.

It's not even that I forgot there was a game and accidentally drove near campus, or worse yet, down MLK Jr Boulevard. Nope, I went to return books at the library and run a few other errands safely out of the expected nuisance zone. And its not like I was especially annoyed by traffic or obnoxious people, or tailgaters already drunk before noon. It was partly heartwarming, that the majority of the city supports the same team, and partly weird, because I had simply forgotten how pervasive college, and especially Duck, football is in my hometown.

Its not uncommon to see people wearing Oregon gear all year round. Much as wearing a Red Sox t-shirt for no apparent reason is perfectly acceptable in Boston, so is wearing U of O apparel here. Part of me wonders if it's because you can always find something green and yellow and branded with an O at the local Goodwill, but I digress. Its weird to see people just walking around, going about their business, shopping or walking or eating looking, as they say around here, "all ducked out." Are these people even going to the game? Its 40 minutes before kickoff, shouldn't you be at Autzen drinking and tailgating and yelling and generally preparing yourself already? Or is that just my stereotype of Oregon fans? Mostly, though, I think I just don't like football enough to fully understand and appreciate the obsession.