Jack:

Now we have the Civil War to figure out who we are and where we stand in our own league. Never mind that we had two heartbreakers and two lazy losses. It’s rival time. And nobody has a rival like Oregon State has a rival.

Sure, there are schools out there who have to put up with their younger sister school getting all the guys. And a lot of those little sisters are sluts too. But we get the one who comes with a fandom full of entitlement and a megaphone in every pot.

Or is it pot in every megaphone?

We have Ducks oozing out of every pore in our every day lives. We have to look at the toilet seat they use for a logo on the back of every other SUV on the road–SUV’s destined to never go off-road. They pump our gas. They bag our groceries. They ask us if we want more coffee. And they take our money at the local Dairy Mart.

And then there are the Ducks in our lives who didn’t even go to the school.

They’re so special that I don’t even want to talk about them. I forgive the kids who haven’t yet gone to school. But the adults who flash Ducks colors (white? grey? mauve? chartreuse?) and crow about the dominance of Duck High over all comers are just ridiculous. Some of them have never been on campus. They think parking at Alton Baker Park and walking to an event at Autzen makes one a Duck.

I guess I was a Duck when I saw the Indigo Girls open for the Dead in ’93?

I was certainly in the right state of mind.

There are some people out there who will cry and whine about me just being a hater.

But I don’t hate. That takes too much energy.

So the whine turns to cries of eternal envy.

Yeah… what I want most is have an identity of no identity. There’s nothing I want more in life than than to leave glitter wherever I go.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the school just disappeared. My taxes would decrease instantly. I could sit on my porch and drink my coffee in peace. And we would decrease unemployement in Oregon by 80%.

I think that’s a win-win-win.

Then again, my wife graduated from the place. So it can’t be all bad.

Can it?

I should go before she reads this.

Beavs 75 – Ducks 62

Angry:

The Ducks are consistently average, and the Beavers are wildly inconsistent. Craig Robinson is "learning how to coach", Dana Altman knows how to coach.

These are the two biggest factors at play this afternoon. My guess is the "bad Beavers" show up, since it is a road game, and they are 2-4 away and 10-2 at home. So, that is one strike against the Beavers. As far as coaching, Altman has the clear advantage and the home crowd.

The Beavers are the better team on paper and have put up better stats, but the Ducks have the results. It's due to their tenacity and sound coaching.

I don't see a case for the Beavs unless they start the game hot and take the crowd out of it early. They'll also have to have someone go off for 30 and just dominate the game to win this one. e.g. Cunningham driving to the lane early and often. If each guy plays average, Altman will out coach Robinson and that'll be the difference. OSU has a size/rebounding advantage if they want it, but the Beavers don't always want it, often getting lazy on box outs, etc. If they get zoned and settle for three pointers, the outcome will be grave.

Altman will make the necessary adjustments and highlight the difference between average coaching and good coaching. With Beaver fans at the end of their ropes, I expect post-game message boards to light up with the "fire Craig Robinson" talk…

Altman's coaching adjustments, Duck's defense/tenacity, veteran leadership, consistency, and home court advantage win this for the bad guys.

72-65, Ducks