Back on Oct.11, when ESPN’s College GameDay made its way to Eugene, I grabbed dinner at Dave’s Hot Chicken and saw groups of students decked out in their UO gear. They were making their way to campus to wait all night long in the cold, just for a spot in the soon-to-be crowded pit. How crazy.
Although I’ve never really been a football fan, there’s still a lot of pride that comes with being a Duck. Since starting at UO, I’ve found myself checking scores for games I would have never previously considered going to. I almost feel like I’m part of an exclusive club.
What makes UO sports culture so unique that it gets people who couldn’t care less about sports into the spirit? There’s a buzz and excitement that comes with being a Duck that is sort of unexplainable unless you’ve experienced it.
The Emerald’s live coverage of College GameDay stated that approximately 1,000 people were in attendance. At some point, our mascot, the Duck, showed up on horseback. If I hadn’t seen the photos, I wouldn’t have believed it.
Actually, let’s talk about the Duck. This absolute icon of a mascot did a Michael Jackson-themed performance later that day at the Ducks vs. Indiana Hoosiers game. According to the Register Guard, the Duck was developed in the 1940s, and after partnering with Disney, the mascot became official when a live duck named Puddles started showing up at games.
UO junior and big sports fan Jonah Villegas described how our mascot is one of the unique aspects of UO’s sports culture. The Duck has become a widely known mascot, which allows fans to build loyalty and an emotional connection to it aside from the pressures of sports.
“Everybody seems to rally behind the football team, like not just in Eugene, but the whole state. I’m driving around and there’s Oregon stickers everywhere,” Villegas said.
Villegas mentioned how there’s a sense of pride around being a Duck that transcends the school’s sports. Even non-sports fans can feel this pride from going to UO and being a part of the local community.
Senior Greta Svendsen said, “I just feel like UO is such a welcoming community in general, so I think that transfers over to sports.”
While Svendsen isn’t really into sports, she still keeps up with the scores of the games, is excited to go to games with her friends and keeps up with her other friends’ school teams.
“I just went through sorority recruitment, and I was talking to a lot of freshmen and pretty much all of them said that one of the main reasons they came here was for sports and the school spirit. So I think it’s a big part of the school, and even though I may not care about sports, it’s still fun to be a part of it,” Svendsen said.
When talking to Svendsen, I realized that sometimes it’s less about the actual sport and more about taking part in shared experiences. The school pride, the Eugene and UO community and the infectious energy, combined, make for this great feeling of being a part of something.
So, whether you’re a diehard Duck fan or not the least bit interested, go out and sport your green and yellow with pride. There’s a place for everybody in the Duck community!
