On Losing

especially when two nights ago I was jumping up and down in a football stadium screaming, “JEFF MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEHHHHHHHHHHHHL!!!!” at the top of my lungs as he caught that two-point conversion, giving me a memory that I will keep forever.

Good perspective, old man.

I agree, this really doesn’t hurt as much as it could. It’s quite sad, but with how amazing this season as been, it’s hard to be too upset when you lose a hardfought game to a great football team.

The Ducks did so much this season, and did so much in the NC game to hang around and ultimately tie it up against an excellent team, that I can’t be anything but proud and happy about the season. Losing games that we should win still frosts me, but this one is just one of those ‘tip your cap to the other side’ games.

Man, I’ll miss Maehl, though-seems like just yesterday he was getting switched over from D and making a great catch while getting lit up by Alafava (sp) in the 2007 Civil War.

Strange, because I thought losing a nailbiter would make things worse. But I’m feeling good today. Optimistic. I, metaphorically of course since the weather is ass, can see clearly now. The rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.

To lose to a great team is one thing. And I actually don’t feel that sad about the loss. We got there, and it was an amazing run. What pisses me off is hearing Cam Newton talk about “God’s plan,” and Fairley’s smug grin as he walks off the field, after a game in which he slammed LMJ’s head to the ground. That’s what i find myself getting upset about right now, not our team. Not after seeing Chip hugging each and every player as they came off the field. That’s gonna stick with me for a while, and for that I’m thankful.

Good for you that you feel that way. I’m not as emotional about it as I was expecting to be, so that’s good. But I definitely still have a small pit in my stomach that wonders if we didn’t just blow the only chance we’re going to get. It’s not pleasant, but it’s not crippling, either.

Oh, and I have to say this even as a baseball fan: “Bull Durham” sucked.

I’m glad we’re playing LSU. Rather it wasn’t the first game of the year when we’re trying to break in several new starters, but I like the fact that we’ll get more experience against the elite athletes that we’ll face in any BCS bowl game. We certainly need to get some more beef on the lines as well, but it will help our team to get a better understanding of how we can best attack that kind of front 4.

I feel totally different. This sucks. I hate losing. I fucking hate everything about losing. I know, I know, you learn a lot about yourself and what you did wrong, and blah blah blah. But I fucking hate losing. I hate knowing that someone else out there is feeling the elation and joy that I should be feeling.

I hate the “what ifs” the “I told you so”and especially the “ha ha, you guys can’t do it.”

The Rose Bowl last year left a different taste in my mouth. There was a sense of joy of just getting there after all that went on during that season, and after struggling for 16 years to get back to that point. This game was different for me. I wanted this one. Our team had done everything right during the season. We were as prepared and ready as we were ever going to get. There were no excuses. And we fucking lost. We didn’t play the way we had 12 other times this season. It sucked.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you out there that can hold your head high, feel a sense of satisfaction, and see the brighter side of this. Maybe, I’m not mature enough, too wrapped up in it, or whatever. But this one pissed me off, and I’m going to need the entire 235 days to get over it.

Now, where’s my whiskey…

they just showed the Dyer run on ESPN. Now I feel like shit again.

Here’s what our tailgate cooler had in it:

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
Deschutes Abyss and Inversion IPA
Ommegang Witte and Hennepin
Boddington’s Pub Ale

Because its still the best season ever and I’ve been a fan for long enough to appreciate how far we’ve come in a short period of time.

It scares me that we might never get back but I’m not that hurt. Although as I said yesterday, if/when we do get back, we had better win.

I went to the game and to be there for the Maehl catch, in the corner of that endzone, 30 rows back, was one of the most insane moments of my life. I’m so glad for that tie since it showed no matter how much they dominated us in the trenches, WE DESERVED TO BE IN THAT GAME. A great showing by the Duckies, not a championship-caliber showing, but a great one still nevertheless.

Part of the reason I’m not incredibly sad about the loss is that as a duck fan, I am conditioned to always know that the Other Shoe is always up there, hanging over us and it’s just a matter of time before it takes its bow. The Ducks are on the rise in a huge way, but we shouldn’t be surprised to have it happen in baby-steps. This loss is so so painful, but it is going to make our eventual National Championship THAT much better. Just like LGB’s fall from grace made the end of that season even sweeter.

Finally, getting to my point that I alluded to in the Subject line….everyone in my office knows I’m crazy about the Ducks. Today’s my first day back and there was no doubt in my mind that I would wear my bright green polo shirt. No matter how we lost or WHO we lost to, we played a hell of a game against a great squad, and by virtue of the fact that the game was the most watched event in cable history, everyone knows.

The rest of the College Football world is Now Officially On Notice, and that’s why I’m wearing Solidarity Green today.

I haven’t read all the comments yet, but I wanted to say that I haven’t been posting since before the game because the reactions of Dave, Matt, TQA8, Will, etc. made me feel bad for not really being that disappointed. I am glad we made it to the National Championship game, and I’m glad we took Auburn down to the last second. I enjoyed this season immensely, and though I wish we had won the game, I’m just glad we were there.

I was actually riding the elevator up this morning, trying to put a smile on my face to greet my co-workers. And I had this random thought: I think this loss actually closed the door on the 2007 pain for me…finally. I am sad. But I am not devastated and inconsolable as I was that November. I feel like we gave it our best shot, played our guts out and went down swinging. And I don’t just mean the players…I sort of feel like that was my experience as a fan too. Weird but true.

I feel the same as you. I’m 28 — old enough to remember the bad times…but not the REALLY bad time..like the Seattle Bowl which I was in attendance — and a husband and teacher. Perspective is a wonderful thing, and I don’t say that to be disingenuous towards how Dave and Matt are feeling…because there are times when I feel that throughout my day.

All I kept saying the night of the game as the 4th qtr. was dwindling away, was that I just wanted us to score to give us a chance. Our defence gave us some many opportunities that I didn’t want to see it all pissed away by Auburn being able to run their victory formation. When we scored and got the two, my hopes were realized. Knowing that Auburn still had time on the clock, I knew I was going to be okay — as okay as one can be — with a loss because Auburn — were they to win — was going to have to earn it.

That night I just kind of sat around in silence in my apartment, but the next day I went into work and sure enough my students were themselves and able to cheer me up by being who they are; they were also able to help put things in perspective even more.

After all, what kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t adhere to Kelly’s mantra of Win the Day.

Anyway, I don’t think people should confuse your feelings or mine for ambivilance, because that’s not what it is — as you so wonderfully stated in your post. Anyhow…that was a lot of rambling to simply state this: I hear ya, and I pretty much feel the same way you do.

Go Ducks!

Bitch slap’d.

Really well said.

I was there. I was hoping that we’d win and I thought we’d have a good shot, and I knew that we needed to play more cleanly than the other team.

And at the end of the day, the team with the ball at the end of regulation won. That’s it. I don’t consider Auburn a significantly better team than oregon or even a better team. No Auburn fan I talked to or overheard did either. They, to a man, said the same thing – the game was brutal and they were lucky to win.

I don’t think we made bad coaching decisions. I don’t second-guess Kelly like I have Bellotti so often.

I don’t wonder about why we went away from play X or what would have happened if someone didn’t get injured.

We lost. I’m not happy that we lost, but at the same time we showed the entire nation that the Oregon Ducks this season absolutely deserved to be talked about as one of the best teams in the nation. No one doubted that Oregon belonged. No one was thinking that Oregon was soft or a pushover or just didn’t fit. No one chanted overrated.

Oregon was part of one of the best – if not the best – national championship in college history. That makes me proud as hell. IT makes me even prouder that I was there and got to see Maehl’s crazy grab. That’s going to be one of the best experiences as a fan I’ve ever had.

One last thing. As I walked back to the hotel I walked past a bunch of Auburn fans hanging out around a fireplace talking. They saw my jersey and they all yelled out “GO DUCKS!” If the other team’s fans go out of their way to congratulate you and tell you what a great team you have and wish you luck, you know you’ve got something special.

This isn’t the end. This is a start.

There were just too many good things in Ducks Football this year. They far outweigh the bad.

I love Ducks football more than is probably mentally healthy.

My first time back to work was a graveyard shift on Tuesday after taking Sunday and Monday off to prepare and watch my much loved Ducks play in the game of all games. The loss was painful and I cried at the end. Not because of the loss so much, but because I really love that team and I could somehow feel the pain they must be feeling across the miles.

Within the first five minutes walking into work on Tuesday night two of the less classy Baver fans came up behind me laughing and being their usual selves, and said “How about them Ducks!”

I turned around and said, “You are an asshole”, and walked off. I sometimes love my Ducks too much for my own good, as of course that’s probably not an appropriate response at work. Normally I would appologize for saying something like that, but later when guilt would have run its course and I would say I’m sorry, I smiled to myself, called my supervisor over to me and confessed about what I said. I felt great because after I confessed to my supervisor, who is a Baver fan also, he said, “You know, he really is an ass.”

Sports Illustrated has 2 Pac-12 North members in their preseason top 5, along with an Oregon opponent.

I was just thinking…if the defense played worse, maybe we win. Hear me out…what if the defense doesn’t get that huge goal-line stop? They score to make it 14-11, Auburn, but we get the ball. We went into halftime down 16-11, so who knows. This game is going to be the death of me, or at least land me in an asylum. There are so many crazy things that happened, and the only one that actually went our way was the fake punt…and that drive ended on a turnover on downs at the 1 yard line after failing to punch it in after 1st and goal from the 3. It’s like NOTHING went right, and we still were tied with 2 seconds left. SIGH

If I told you that in 50 years Oregon wasn’t going to be back to a National Championship game, would that change how you felt about this loss at all?

You see, I’d rather laugh at myself for being too upset about this loss when we make it back to the MNC game in a couple of years, then be pissed that I didn’t understand the importance enough at the time.

I think I don’t feel as bad because we really did reach the pinnacle or as damn close to the pinnacle as you can get. When Dixon injured his ACL, our dreams were put to a dead stop. Oregon won twelve games and made it to the Natty. Think about it! If Alabama and Ohio State don’t lose.. Oregon wouldn’t be in the NCG. Even though Oregon lost, I bet you can ask any Duck fan who went to Glendale if they had a good time and they’d say yes. Oregon’s title is coming soon.

Also.. Cliff Harris said today:

Only thing to do now is get better….It cost to be the boss. You rest you rust!!!!