I wanted to take this opportunity to write a letter to the University students, staff, alumni and any other Ducks fans who might happen upon this. I’m writing because I have just returned home from one of the most impressive experiences of my life: the Oregon-Oklahoma game on September 16. I’m not writing to discuss the game itself. We can all read about the officiating and the repercussions elsewhere. I want to write about the experience I had in Oregon, coming in wearing the opposing colors.
I am a University of Michigan alumni who lives in San Diego, but when a good friend of mine, who is an Oklahoma graduate living in Los Angeles, asked me if I’d like to take a road trip to Eugene to see the game, I jumped at the chance and I’m so glad I did. Even though we were sporting Sooners garb, everywhere we went we were met with friendly smiles and pleasant conversation. We stayed in Florence on Friday night, and overheard a radio program asking Oregonians to be nice to the Sooners fans, and they were. On our way to Eugene, we stopped at a restaurant, where more than a few Oklahoma fans had also decided to stop by. We could not have been treated better by them. While waiting in the parking lot before the game, we had complete strangers in green and gold asking us if we were being taken care of and if we needed a place to tailgate.
During the game, there was a little smack talking, but that’s to be expected. The moment it ended, however, more Ducks fans came up to us wanting to make sure we’d been treated well. This continued while we relocated to the Villard Street
Pub after the game to watch the Nebraska – USC game. We met with a lot of Ducks fans there who were passionate about their
own team while extremely accommodating and friendly to two guys in Oklahoma colors.
It continued on to Medford, where we spent the next night. I can’t stress enough how impressed I was by the Oregon students and fans. I’m a Michigan fan and my friend is an Oklahoma fan. We’ve both been to a lot of games in a lot of places and we’re used to being reviled and despised. What we’re not used to is coming across a great set of fans like the Ducks have; fans who love their team and aren’t afraid to show it, but who are also civil, kind and generous. So for that, Ducks fans, thank you. Thank you for one of the greatest college football experiences of my life.