If there has ever been a worse idea relating to Duck football, I have not heard it. Sure, Roboduck was insanely stupid (though short lived), and the yellow helmets are pretty bad, this takes the cake.
First, some background. Some company called Ruxxe is attempting to get everyone to call Autzen "The House of Loud." Why? To make a few bucks of course. Here is the release from Moseley's blog:
Eugene, Oregon company RUXXE announces that it has trademarked a nickname for Autzen Stadium.
Oregon’s Autzen Stadium has a reputation among the college football community as being one of the most intimidating
places for opposing teams to play. The level of noise that Duck fans create during games is said to be unmatched - even
by much larger stadiums, such as Michigan’s "The Big House", Ohio State’s "The Shoe" or "The Swamp" at Florida.RUXXE is excited to give Autzen something that is long overdue, a nickname that Duck fans can embrace - a nickname that
truly invokes the experience of college football at Autzen Stadium… "THE HOUSE OF LOUD".
This really is totally ridiculous. First, the name is stupid. Absolutely and ridiculously stupid. It sounds like a marketing ploy. Oh yeah, and that's what it is.
You cannot manufacture nicknames, plain and simple. While it is fun when a stadium gets a nickname, it is by no means necessary. The Big House, the Shoe, the Swamp, etc. all got their nicknames over time. These were not foisted upon a fanbase, and that's what has made those nicknames great, and helped them to last.
If this were a group of fans, then maybe I could deal with this a bit better. Sure, it sounds ridiculous, but that's not so bad. But this is a company that has COPYRIGHTED the term. So every time it is printed or used, these jokers make money.
I have never seem such a small minded attempt to grab attention. Autzen does not need a nickname. It is already renowned. If if has a nickname, I would think that it would be "The Autzen Zoo." And you know what, that's just fine.
Manufacturing a nickname makes the entire fanbase look small, weak, and pathetic, and makes us look like we have an inferiority complex. Oregon football has been growing up over the past 15 years, and doesn't need to copy every single thing other successful programs have done. It needs to be it's own program, and make its own traditions.
And thus, I denounce this crap, and I hope you will all join me. Autzen is a great place, that does not need to be mocked and degraded in this fashion.