Reason number 4,092 why I hate the University of Oregon

it's no secret that I'm not a big fan of the other major state university in Oregon. It's written into my DNA. Pretty much every relative I have went to OSU. From the city where it's located (they complained when city hall put up a Christmas tree because it was insensitive to other religions) to the crummy green and yellow colors I left West Linn to get away from, there's not much I like about the Ducks. Then I read today's story in the Oregonian about Phil Knight's $100 million donation.


From the article:

"Knight revealed the donation Saturday to about 100 Oregon donors he had invited to the Nike campus near Beaverton, and his guests gasped when they heard the news, Frohnmayer said. Pat Kilkenny, the former Oregon booster who was hired as Oregon's athletic director this year, recalled the moment with awe.

"Not to be sacrilegious, but it was almost spiritual," Kilkenny said."

I have no problem with him giving them money. I'm not one of those Beaver fan who bitches and complains that they have this rich guy that gives them money. We have Al Reser, they have Phil Knight. So their fish is a little (ok a lot) bigger than ours. Nothing they need to be ashamed of. Calling receiving a cash donation "spiritual?" That is just absurd.

I understand that the job of athletic director is to make the athletic program as successful as possible. Opening your mouth and saying garbage like that doesn't help. Absurdities like that are the reason that non-Ducks think that UO Grads have an inflated view of themselves. Their AD was a booster before getting his current post, and he just annointed the Top Duck to Pope-like status. Yet they wonder why we think they have a holier-than-thou attitude.

This comes on the heels of them starting a baseball program, saying it has nothing to do with the two National Championships the Beavers have won recently. Um, really? You're saying that the increased interest the Beavs run has generated in the sport of baseball in this state has nothing to do with the timing of your institution forming a baseball team? Really? Little League in Corvallis drew record numbers of kids this year. That has nothing to do with the Beavs success either. I swear.

Also, U of O is in talks to play a football game against Boise State. That in itself isn't anything to write about. However, where they want to play the game is. Autzen Stadium? Nope. PGE Park? Nope. Boise? Not even close.

Try China.

Yes, the country. Why? Good question. Is there any conceivable reason to play a football game in China? Even if you make a ton of money, all that will do is offset the cost of sending your entire team (along with coaches families, cheerleaders, the marching band, that guy who rides his harley out with the duck on the back and countless other athletic personnel) halfway around the world. I really don't know what this will accomplish for the university other than let them say "we played a game in China. We're important."

It's just another example of Oregon being Oregon....generating as much off the field buzz as possible because their teams can never generate enough of it on the field.