I attended the game. I got back home late yesterday. My best friend, Kyle, asked me to call him when I got home. Tired as I was from seeing so much orange and blue and hearing "Good game, y'all", life decided to pile on. Kyle informed me that our mutual friend, Scott, drowned on the Colorado River, the day of the game. He was an expert kayak-er. His crew was rafting the river in the winter because winter is the best time to run the river's rapids because only then is there sufficient water to navigate it properly. Scott's kayak rolled on a medium rapid and he didn't come up.

Kyle, Scott and I were the Three Amigos of the University of Oregon while we were there. While I was the football geek amongst the three of us, Scott loved watching Duck football. Two of my happiest memories of him were the following.

I could not attend the Ducks vs. Michigan in 2007. So I went over to Bend, stayed with Scott and we were going to watch the game together. We started drinking at 10 am. We didn't get belligerent. We hugged after the Statue of Liberty play. We lost our minds at the fake Statue of Liberty play. We continued drinking after the game and kept the buzz going for 12 straight hours because we couldn't believe our Ducks walked into the Big House and spanked the most storied program in college football.

I invited Scott to sit with me for Fright Night 2009. He dressed as the Duck of Death. Black executioner's cowl. Duck billed nose piece. Black gloves. Black cape. He went way over the top for that game. And you all out there in AtQ land know the results.

If losing the National Championship was bad, it pales to the hurt I feel right now for Scott's 20 year old son, Zack, Scott's family and Scott's girlfriend. Keep your head up Duck fans because life can pile it on when you least expect it.