Upon reading a recent sports column written by Luke Andrews, I was struck by a sudden epiphany: He was absolutely right! (“History repeating as basketball traces football footsteps,” ODE Feb. 19, 2007) Indeed, as this basketball season winds down it is looking increasingly like this past football season. Just like during football season, lots of fair-weather, bandwagon fans like Mr. Andrews are looking to jump off and abandon the team at the first sign of struggle.
I think at this point we are all willing to concede that the team has hit somewhat of a late season slump. However, this should not nullify what has otherwise been a landmark seasons for the Ducks. This season marked our first non-conference win against a ranked opponent, the first win for any of the Ducks against a talented Stanford team, and of course massive upsets against UCLA and beating Arizona in Tuscon. These are the type of wins you build a program on. This season also brought us the explosive culmination of Aaron Brook’s career, as well as giving us hope in the talented young blood on the roster. Mr. Andrews claims in his article that “One win came against Arizona State, a team with one Pacific-10 Conference victory, and in the other, the Ducks needed every second to beat Washington State.” However, this statement overlooks the fact that the Sun Devils’ meager win came in convincing fashion over a tournament bound USC team. Also, if you analyze wins by a narrow margin of victory, you must do the same with losses. Arizona needed every second to beat us, as did USC – twice in fact. California too needed a late rally to beat us, and given Oregon’s rough history with Bay Area road trips, that loss, while painful, is at least forgivable. Sometimes good teams lose close games to other good teams. That happens in basketball.
Is it time to be frustrated with our basketball team? Perhaps. Should we be sweating bullets over making the big dance? Certainly, I know that I am. Is it time to declare the season over and sharpen our pitchforks for Coach Kent? Hell no. If your allegiance is so fragile, please take off the green and yellow; maybe orange and black would look better on you. This is the time for solidarity and hope. Call it hollow sentimentality if you will, but the next time you hear “Mighty Oregon,” think of the third verse: “Rally fellows,/stand behind them/They are doing all they can/Back the team in sun and shadow/Back the captain, back each man/They will carry home the vict’ry/To old Deady’s hallowed hall/Give the team the best that’s in you/Give your Alma Mater all.” In breaking with most college fight songs, this is not an appeal to the team, but rather to the fans. That is important to remember. We are needed to carry our team to the tournament. Shake the rafters of Mac Court, make those walls tremble with the roars of 10,000 stomachs hungry for a tournament berth. Let everyone know that our painful February will be made up for by a glorious March. Most of all, when the score is close and the seconds are few, and one of our men rises for the game winning shot, let him know that every single one of the Oregon faithful rises with him.
Bob Claridge is a Eugene resident