Carpe this diem, friends.
Carpe this diem.
Pardon my poor Latin, but “carpe diem,” as we all know thanks to “Dead Poet’s Society,” means “seize the day.”
Seize this day.
Because Thursday, February 28, 2002, could be the pinnacle for the Oregon athletics program. The point of no return. The top of the mountain where the Ducks place their Nike “O” flag and start down the other side.
But more than likely, the top of that athletics mountain is a little broader. More than likely, the Ducks reached the summit in 1995, when they went to the Rose Bowl in football. Or 1999-2000, when the Oregon men’s basketball team lived through a stunning 20-win, NCAA Tournament season.
It was probably earlier, with the women’s track dominance of the 1980s. Or the living legend of Steve Prefontaine in the early 1970s.
All of those athletic phenomena have served to raise the nation’s eyebrows in the direction of the Beaver state.
The Duck state?
Because we live in the Oregon athletics renaissance.
This renaissance is Oregon football eating buffalo for a Jan. 1 afternoon snack, furthering the argument that the Rose Bowl days later should have been red, white, green and yellow.
This renaissance is Oregon men’s basketball playing USC tonight for Pacific-10 Conference dominance, an almost sure first-round win in the Pac-10 Tournament and a West Coast NCAA Tournament berth. If there was any remaining doubt about whether tonight’s game is one of the most important games in the country, Fox Sports Net broke a strong policy by allowing the game to be televised in the Northwest.
This renaissance is CBS crawling over McArthur Court on Wednesday because this Saturday’s game at UCLA is nationally televised.
It’s a Freddie Jones season-dunk highlight reel on SportsCenter. It’s top recruits like Luke Ridnour choosing Oregon over nationally prominent programs such as Kentucky and UCLA. It’s a phenomenal 16-0 home record in a season that’s turning into a true gem.
It’s Joey Harrington on ESPN’s SportsCentury. It’s Mike Bellotti as an analyst for ABC’s coverage of the Rose Bowl. It’s a No. 2 final football ranking.

There are Duck fans who’ve lived in Eugene for years and never seen a hint of the renaissance. They’ve lived through 0-0 Toilet Bowls and six-win basketball seasons.
Now it’s payback time. How about the most heart-stopping football team and the highest flying basketball team in the land to make up for those historically dull Ducks?
But the renaissance isn’t confined to Autzen Stadium and Mac Court. It’s slowly bleeding like a soccer injury out to Papé Field and the stands at Hayward Field. It’s seeping out to the Eugene Country Club and Howe Field.
The renaissance is Oregon soccer landing recruits like Chalise Baysa and Nicole Garbin, big-game kickers who are laying a foundation for coach Bill Steffen.
It’s Oregon volleyball hiring a top-drawer coach in Carl Ferreira, who in turn landed big-time recruits like Katie O’Neil and Stephanie Martin, who are slowly building that foundation.
The list continues. Oregon will renovate an already legendary venue in Hayward Field. Autzen Stadium is currently getting a major facelift. McArthur Court could be the next historic building to experience its own renaissance rebuilding.
And what about that mountain? What if the Ducks never come down the other side? What if Bellotti stays forever, Ridnour recruits some fresh talent before leaving, the volleyball and soccer recruits keep waltzing through a revolving door with “Oregon” printed over it?
Right now, it certainly feels like the Ducks will stay on the summit forever. Enjoy the view. Take some pictures. Have some trail mix.
Time to end this metaphorical roller-coaster.
Tonight the Oregon men’s basketball team faces a very important matchup with USC. Watch it. Enjoy it — win or lose.
Thousands of Duck fans have gone before you. Mostly they’ve lived in the middle ages. So enjoy the renaissance.
Carpe the diem.