yell O!

(the contents of my pockets:postgame)

there are people who are college football fans
there are people who are not college football fans
& there are people not yet classified who do this:
(any resemblance to Q circa 2004 is purely coincidental...
that's his game face by the way)

maybe you would call them super fans
maybe you would call them crazy
or mr. & mrs too-much-time-on-their-hands
(we did put a temporary tattoo on our 6 month old, after all)
just don't call us late for kick off
(ha!)

i wouldn't say that brian & i are super fans
but then again how do you explain this:
i am an oregon duck fan
my boss is an oregon state beaver fan
(it's okay you can wince...)
i feel okay about it though because
my sister actually MARRIED a beaver fan...
i know! seriously!
(love you kate! love you ryan!)
one of the other people i work with i only know through work
she graduated from UofO last year
& i think she would say she is an oregon fan
but i would beg to differ because a few weeks ago
on a friday night while we were working she said
'i think we're going to lose tomorrow'
this simple statement caused something to rise up in me
something mean & overreactive (look! a new word!)
& i think it says something about
my maturity that i didn't say anything out loud
(no, i just saved it to post on the internet
very very mature)
but i wanted to say
'you're not a fan!
you're not a duck!
a real duck fan doesn't say 'we're going to lose'
they say 'it's going to be a tough one'
or 'it'll be close'
or 'i sold my tickets cause i can't stand the pain'
a real fan does not utter the word lose
unless it is in a sentence like 'i hope i didn't lose my giant foam finger'
(actually i think those are banned from autzen stadium
along with umbrellas
but why would we need umbrellas?
'because it never ______ __ ______ ________'
a real fan knows how to fill in those blanks)
or like brian said on saturday
'i wouldn't bet money on the ducks today'
(but oh baby, you should have!:)
anyway
why such venom & aggression?
isn't everyone entitled to their own opinion?
i suppose so
but then just don't call yourself a fan
maybe you could be a duck appreciator
or a duck observer
(or a fairweather fan!!!!
oops there's that aggression...)

anyway
on to the cheerleaders
first may i say
i have many friends who were cheerleaders
& they were good ones & cute & flippy & all that
i love them dearly
this is not a bash on cheerleaders
it is simply an observation about the oregon duck cheerleaders
okay
i should start off explaining that phil knight
the founder of nike is an oregon alumni
this is like having oprah be your aunt
(or how i would imagine it...
'what's that room?'
'oh it's full of my aunt's favorite things.
she sends them to me after every episode')
& so since this man loves his alma mater (is that how you spell that?)
he showers us with gifts & new uniforms every few games
(by the way i loved the black on black & the feathers!
i loved the wings!)
& new libraries & locker rooms & such
you know trinkets...
& so our CL's are outfitted by one of the best
active wear design companies out there
when other teams CL's visit they wear traditional outfits:
sweaters with stripes, pleated skirts, sleeveless turtleneck things
our cheerleaders?
cute little halter tops, a-line mini skirts & the coolest white quilted puffy jackets ever
(i know they sound really weird but those jackets are so cool)
other CL's hair:
ponytails with coordinated ribbon tied in a bow
ours:
always down & either stick straight
or curly & crimpy
(much better to fly around when they do their crazy moves)
it's like if pac-10 football was gilligan's island
all of the other team's CL's are maryanne
& the oregon CL's are ginger
yes
i think that is the perfect comparison...
the real question is
would coach bellotti be the professor, the skipper or the millionaire?
(answer D all of the above)

all of that to say
brian & i went to the game saturday
the usual duckie roller coaster ride
winning
almost not winning
(notice i didn't say losing)
winning
oh!
NO!
agh!
whew...
won!
i love going with brian
we sit in the same place
high five all the same people when something good happens
the people we only see a few times a year
but it doesn't matter
because we all have something in common
we are oregon fans.
yes we are...

go ducks!
:)

& that cool oregon necklace in that picture was made by erin reive
& she sells them
(she even makes oregon state ones but i don't recommend those:)
she has a blog & an etsy site
(the necklaces aren't on her etsy
but you could email her & she would help you out
she's really nice:)