Tako Tuesdays: Remembrance

I remember that one. I camped out in front of the EMu, and was 4th in line when the window opened. Too bad they DESTROYED us.

Reading your memories made me think of mine, so pardon me while I get all sappy for a minute. It’s been a long weekend.

I remember watching my first Ducks game with my dad, I think it was ‘05. I didn’t really understand what all was going on but I thought it was nice to spend some time with my dad.

I remember feeling the same way watching ’09 against Cal and ’07 against Michigan. Some combination of delight, shock, and confusion.

I remember the ‘07 Cal game and pacing the living room with my dad. He had a big grin on his face and kept shuffling from one foot to the other, saying "We’re really in this thing, I’m so nervous, but we have a chance!" After The Fumble I went up to the grade school nearby and threw a Nerf Football in the pouring rain for at least an hour.

I remember the end of the ’07 USC game, sitting on the couch with my dad and my little brother. He high fived us both with a big smile and kept saying “We did it, we did it!”

I remember seeing South Florida rated #2 in the country, and thinking that they might very well blow us out.

I remember ’08 starting with a bunch of quarterbacks, and ending with only one.

I remember 2009 for taking my mind off a bunch of terrible stuff. I remember looking at the prospect of losing my house, and fighting to save it, and as the deadline came closer and I didn’t know if we’d make it or not, I got up every day and said “We’re going to the Rose Bowl whether we save this house or not. And damnit, if I can get through the end of this week I’m going to watch my team in the freaking Rose Bowl and no freaking bank is going to ruin that for me.”

I remember the night last year when I lost my dad. I remember standing in a little park in downtown Milwaukie late at night, pacing back and forth and mumbling to myself. For some reason all I could think about was the Holiday Bowl we’d watched less than 2 months before, and how he was right and I was wrong about our comeback. And that we had so much fun eating chips and cheering and that, for a last memory together, it was about as good as you could ask for.

I remember the last 3 or 4 games of the 2009 season, and going to bed at night feeling like my dad had been there with me. And that he was enjoying the ride, and incredibly proud of our team.

I remember watching Ronnie Harris return a punt for a touchdown against New Mexico State in 1991.

I remember watching Josh Wilcox catch a TD against Arizona in ’94.

I remember that heart-breaking loss at UCLA in ‘98, in what still may be one of the best and most exciting football games I’ve ever seen.

I remember Matt Smith knocking down Tuiasosopo’s 4th down pass in 2000.

Though that is the last thing I remember from that night…

I remember the first beer I had without my parents’ approval: Bud Light, in a steady downpour, at the railroad tracks near a 7th-grade friend’s house. Ah, to be young again.

I remember my first basement beer party. Halloween, age 14, a couple friends stole as much Milwaukee’s Best as they could fit in their trick or treat bags from some high school party in the flood plain near my house. Nothing like room temperature to make a bad beer worse.

I remember my first kegger. MGD at an illegally booked Red Roof Inn room. Which we subsequently demolished like the 15-year-old rock stars we were, drunk at 4am.

I remember Beach Week, a post-HS-graduation ritual where I grew up, and the fifteen cases of Keystone in the trunk angling my friend’s Reliant K back about 30 degrees. No officer, no dead bodies in the trunk. I swear.

I remember the week before my first year of college, my brother drove me to Liquor Barn to buy all the beer I could sneak into my dorm room. Which turned out to be twenty 12-packs of Olympia, on sale for $1.99 each. With all the added cans our friends brought to our dorm, we almost turned a profit just recycling the empties.

I remember moving into my brother’s Eugene apartment on Willamette Street at age 19, sampling some of his homebrewed mead, thinking it was awful, but then realizing that we could brew all the beer we wanted cheaply and legally. It portended many drunken nights to come.

I remember walking to the grocery store to buy our geriatric, alcoholic landlady a six-pack of Hamm’s tall boys and a half gallon of strawberry ice cream every Friday, because she was too weak to go herself.

I remember my first legal beer at a bar, a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale at 12:01am on my 21st birthday at the Black Forest Tavern. It was the usual anticlimactic experience after a beer-soaked youth.

I’ll sum up the rest of my beer drinking memories with the following lines from a Silver Jews song:

“In 27 years, I drunk fifty thousand beers.
And they just wash against me like the sea into a pier.”

The Reggie Bush game, and even though we got beat, my mom who drove down to see me from northern Washington became a Duck fan that day.

I remember Walter Thurmond’s pick six at Reser, against Purdue and his punt return against Utah.

I remember selling Pepsi just so I could be in the game day atmosphere.

I remember sitting in the deluge before the Cal 2008 game thinking “We’d better win…” and we didn’t.

I remember sitting in the sun with two of my newest and best friends before the Cal 2009 game thinking “We’d better win…” and we did.

I remember being nervous about a 27 point lead on USC, being a victim of the Reggie game and discussing with my friend “When are they gonna come back?” With two minutes left, hugging another man and saying “Wow, we beat USC by 27.”

I remember standing in the locker room during the 2007 Civil War listening to Mike coach the team and tell them to get to the f-ing quarterback.

I remember the feeling the day after the Civil War, waking up realizing that my team was going to the Rose Bowl, and what’s more, my arm was on the front page of the RG holding up Puddles.

I remember Keith Lewis taking it to the house against Nevada.

I remember walking to pick up my tickets from my friend at Autzen the night before the USC game. The sun was setting I walked through the ranks of the Trojans wearing an Oregon polo and jeans, looking at them and realizing “They’re not special. They’re just men.” Then turning my head and walking past Jeremiah Masoli and other Ducks thinking “We got this.”

I remember my first game against Fresno State. The only play I remember was someone getting knocked out of bounds at the 4 yard line.

I remember game day against ASU and Autzen looming in the fog.

I remember being 5 years old, sitting on the floor of my living room watching the Rose Bowl against Penn St. and having no idea what was going on, but knowing it was a big deal. I remember my first trash talk to a kid in a Washington sweatshirt telling him that the Ducks were better and that I bet him $5 Oregon was going to win. Thank you Kenny Wheaton.

My top 5 Oregon memories of all time

I remember being there for Harrington’s first comeback. He came on in relief and led the Ducks to a TD with 9 seconds left on the clock vs. ASU.

I remember the 1995 and 2010 Rose Bowls, one heralding the start of my insane Oregon fandom, the other celebrating how far we’ve come.

I remember that day in 2005 when we beat Cal in OT in a rain storm (although not the worst ever).

I remember the 2007 ASU game, where I thought we would never fall from our lofty perch.

I remember the feeling the moment I knew we had the Civil War won last year, yelling so loud my dog scampered from the room a little frightened.

My freshman year winning Pac-10 titles in both football and basketball

Sweet alley oops to Freddie Jones that still give me goosebumps

The first game I went to as a UO student. Fuck you, Stanford.

Beating the piss out of #3 Michigan for the first half, then holding on for dear life in the second

Then endowing our fresh SI cover by getting pounded by Wazzu

Beating the Beavers in ’03 when Canzano said we had no shot

Then beating the piss out of them in the fog two years later, may last game as a UO student, and one of my favorite of all time

I remember watching my first college football game on TV. 1991 – Florida V Florida State.

I remember going to my first college football game. We lived near the Air Force Academy when I was growing up, and I recall going to… 2-3 games. I cannot remember any of the opponents. But I do remember their half time shows.

I remembering having disdain for college football, because they started to air that and push the schedule around my cartoons. I had to start waking up at 5:00 to watch The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show and various Schoolhouse Rock shorts.

I remember deciding to watch a football game, only because one of the local college teams were playing. They were just some crappy 4-3 team. But at the end, their freshman cornerback picked off the ball, and returned it for a touchdown. They ended up beating a highly ranked Washington team.

I remember that 4-3 crappy team winning out, and making it to the Rose Bowl. It appeared to be a big deal! I started to know names/remember like “Danny O’Neil”.

I remember setting time aside, for the first time, just to have my ear glued to the radio when Oregon played against Air Force in the Las Vegas Bowl. I felt torn. But I realized where my fan loyalty was that day. I left the past behind. I hated Colorado anyway. I was a Duck.

I remember when I realized college football was a thousand times more entertaining than the NFL after watching one of the most insane football games ever in 2000 when Oregon was at Arizona State.

I remember thinking, “We’re going to get destroyed by Texas”.

I remember going to my first Oregon Duck game. It was a heart attack finish against USC.

I remember thinking, “We got screwed out of the National Championship game!”

I remember thinking, “We’re going to get destroyed by Colorado”.

I remember now only following one NFL team, instead of the whole league, and it was only because that’s where Joey Harrington was drafted to.

I remember being asked by some patrons to leave a sports bar, because I was cheering for Oregon while I was living in Husky land.

I remember paying attention to recruiting for the first time.

I remember 2007-Today being the best time regarding my college football watching life. Too many memories to list.

I remember when Darron Thomas started his first game.

I remember when LMJ rushed for 2000 yards in one season.

I remember when Oregon won back to back Pac 10 titles.

I remember stumping the Huskies at Autzen in Jake Locker’s last chance to beat the Ducks.

I remember beating the Bavers, and keeping them out of the Rose Bowl for the third consecutive year.

I remember when Chip Kelly was named coach of the year in college football.

I remember when Oregon won the Rose Bowl for the first time in 94 years.

You don’t remember these things? Just bookmark this comment for 214 days from now.

I remember going to the Civil War my Freshman year (1997) and watching the Ducks beat the Bavers 48-30 in one of the dirtiest games I’ve still ever seen. The Beavers must have had at least 150 yards in personal foul penalties in that game

I remember watching the next Civil War on TV and watching those dirty Bavers tear down their goalposts after beating us in double overtime

I remember when I became a Duck fan. After my fourth consecutive summer trip to my Uncle’s house in Portland, I walked into the Duck store and saw a J-Stew jersey sitting there on a rack. 60 bucks later I was hooked. This was 2006 or 2007.

The first Duck game I ever watched (on TV) was the infamous and classic UO vs OU game at Autzen. Still happy to have beat the fucking Sooners.

I remember Dixon becoming “fo realz” against Michigan. After that game, Dixon transcended to the ranks of the immortals.

I remember going to my first Duck game, 2008 Holiday Bowl. Zac Robinson’s bell is still ringing. From this point forward, I can remember watching every game.

1 of these days I’m going to get a fucking keg sticker if I have to tear my ACL again to do it.

I remember tailgating at Autzen, when EVERYONE could park in the lot. Only 25k people went to the games and there was plenty of room for everyone.

I remember always answering our phone with “Go Ducks!” on game day.

I remember that we’d pick up a pony keg at The Cooler at 10am and have it in the back of my friends SUV – all games were at 1:00pm.

I remember that we didn’t have to wait in line to get good seats in the student section – we’d stroll in about 15 minutes before gametime and get perfectly good seats.

I remember 1989 – we won 6 games and went to the Independence Bowl. Most people point to 1994 as the turn around for Duck Football, but some of us know differently.

I remember living at the ‘Club Mill’ apts on 13th and Mill. Actually, I don’t remember it very well – much of that year was a blur.

I remember beating nationally ranked BYU in 1990 – someone had a tie-died sheet that they used as a sign and it said “Ty died at Autzen Staudium”.

I remember that we won 8 games in 1990 and went to the Freedom bowl. Wild delirium for the fans – I could have never have imagined winning 10 games back then. It just wasn’t something that was a possibility in our minds.

I remember road tripping to Anahiem for that Freedom Bowl. What a bummer, but it was the best time ever.

I remember working at Louie’s Village in the summers and spending every moment I was off work at Fernridge floating on an inflatable raft.

I remember graduating and walking at Autzen. It was sunny and warm – unusual for June. Mark Hatfield gave our commencement address.

I remember going to the Rose Bowl in 1994 – it was a surreal experience – we couldn’t believe we were actually there.

I remember being at the Arizona State game in 2007 and everything was perfect with the world, because we were going to be #2 in the country and Dennis Dixon wasn’t hurt that bad – look, he’s jumping up and down over there on the sideline!! He must be totally fine.

I remember that he wasn’t totally fine after all.

I remember going back to the Rose Bowl in 2009 – everything had completely changed. We are big time – we are National. We are news on ESPN. Sometimes I remember that in 1988, I could have never imagined Oregon football in 2009.

I remember the first time I ever saw a game live at Autzen. I was working concessions for a friend’s swim team during the Oklahoma game. With 3:12 to go and the Sooners up by two TDs, I remember that place emptying like Takimoto’s bladder after a case of PBR. I promptly bailed from my hot dog post and made my way down to the student section. I remember two of the fastest drives ever accompanied by a really long onside kick review and an epic block. Then I remember rushing the field and giving out tons of man hugs to random strangers…but not as many man hugs as I gave on the field after the Fall of Troy and the War for the Roses.

I remember.

emptying like Takimoto’s bladder after a case of PBR.

POTTY HUMOR!

Well I remember, I remember don’t worry
How could I ever forget, it’s the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don’t fool me
The hurt doesn’t show; but the pain still grows
It’s no stranger to you or me

Ba-doom-da-doom-da-doom-da-doom-doom-doom

I remember New Year’s Day 2002, and watching this QB who I had a little about, and his team whose games I caught parts here and there, absolutely own the University of Colorado in an iteration of football I was just starting to develop an interest.

I remember when Mel Kiper assured me that there wasn’t a bad choice between that QB or David Carr in the NFL Draft.

 I remember enjoying the start of the 2002 season and deciding that yes, this was going to be my team. I remember discussions about whether Jason Fife and the 2002 Ducks could be Tee Martin and the 1998 Volunteers. I remember researching what this meant. I remember they wouldn’t.

I remember trying to explain to my University Roomates on the East Coast of Canada why I cared about a college football team from Oregon.

I remember the love I had for the 2005 season despite not being able to watch a single game. I remember being pissed off when I heard about the new BCS format for 2006, because that format in 2005 would have meant a Rose Bowl bid against Penn State.

I remember when typing "Oregon Ducks" into YouTube produced a grand total of 4 highlight videos, and at least 10 of actual ducks in Oregon.

I remember pacing my living room during the Oklahoma at Autzen game. I remember there were a few more results on YouTube after that. I remember watching the Jason Williams show as the boys in all white (but Green Helmets) take an ASU team to task on a scorching day in the desert. I remember there wasn’t much to remember after that game.

I remember Gary Crowton leaving was the worst thing I could think of for the Ducks’ offence.

I remember walking into the ABC affiliate in Seattle to see if I could somehow acquire a tape of the Michigan game I had missed due to my trip to the city. I remember lying on the couch in disbelief after Cameron Colvin fumbled through the end zone. I remember watching the Arizona Game on a plane and working out the math that could get the Ducks to the Rose Bowl. I remember the next week it didn’t matter. I remember thinking what a ridiculous sponsor Brut is…..for anything, but the game was redeeming for a season that could have been.

I remember the emotional roller coaster of 2008 and the crazy high that it ended on. I remember the Holiday Bowl as one of the most satisfying football games I have ever watched.

I remember getting as many friends as possible to come watch the Ducks kick off the 2009 football season with me. I remember being dumfounded 4 hours later.

I remember my first (and so far only) trip to Autzen as ranking among one of the best things I have ever experienced. In spite of the Whisky shots and shotgunned PBR in the parking lot I remember every detail of the 42 points the Ducks scored, and the 3 they gave up. I remember not wanting to leave.

I remember the USC and Arizona games as great games for entirely different reasons.

I remember it being a beautiful summer Friday early afternoon outside in Sydney. Probably the nicest day in the week I had been here. I remember spending it sitting in a pub where I could get free wi-fi so I could follow the Civil War live.

I remember the joy of finding a bar that would be open at 8:00am on January 2 and would be showing the Rose Bowl live. I remember watching another fumble through the end zone. I remember as time ran out, thinking it was too bad but that the season had been worth it.