Fan Day in the Mo!

David R.

August 29, 2010 - 12:35 PM

Football Fan Day had a turnout that was said to be one of the biggest in years. All the Duck fans in the Eugene area came out to show their support for the football team and to meet some of the players and coaches before the season begins.

 

The event took place in the Moshofsky Center (also known as the MO), where the indoor football field is located. I got there at 10 a.m. to start setting up some of the decorative elements. We blew up all of the inflatables that were scattered around the field. We have a huge duck, a giant lineman and inflatable stations for kids to throw and kick the footballs. The only challenge is getting them up and making sure that they stay up. Being full of only air, the inflatables can sometimes begin to wobble or wilt to one side. It doesn't help either when youngsters decide to run into to them at full speed. I can't say I blame them though, because it looks like a blast even though we have to try to prevent them from doing it.

 

There were tables located all over the field for players to sit at to sign autographs. There were players at each of the stations to sign autographs as well but there was one area that was solely for autograph signing that had a line that was over two hours long some fans said. Head Coach Chip Kelly came out and made himself available so sign autographs for a while. Everyone seemed to love the fact that the coach was out with the fans and was open to take pictures with everyone who wanted one.

 

The cheerleaders came out as well and they were all decked out in the new Oregon spirit t-shirts. Every so often they would perform cheers and dance routines to entertain the fans who were making their way around. They too made themselves available to meet with fans and take pictures with the little ones.

 

At the end of the event I unfortunately had to play the bad guy role. The event was supposed to end at 2 p.m. and at 1:59 p.m. there was still a huge line for all of the players signing autographs. The team is busy and the players had been there for hours so it was important that they be done at 2 p.m. I had to go stand in the middle of the line and inform everyone standing behind me that I was cutting off the line. After hearing the complaints from those who had been waiting the line finally dwindled and and I didn't feel as bad about being the jerk.

 

Fan Day was an all around success and it was nice to get a little experience before the season begins. I can't believe that the season is only a week away but it is already that time again. I am going to head into the office this week to make sure that I know what I am supposed to be doing come Saturday morning for the season opener.

 

 

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The Great Voyage

David R.

August 28, 2010 - 5:29 PM

After running around for hours on end until almost midnight on Wednesday, my car was finally packed up and ready to go. As much as I would have liked to have a companion for the ride, I don't think another person could have possibly fit in the car. Even in the front seat I had things packed to the top of the car.

 

I didn't leave my house until around 7 a.m. on Thursday morning. I thought it was probably better for me to sleep a little longer and get some rest since I had been working a ton from Sunday to Wednesday night. The Atlanta Braves were in Denver to play the Rockies and since it was my last series of the summer my boss decided to let me work all three games. I was glad to make some extra money but the time that I had set aside to get ready for my trip was cut down, which made Wednesday night seem like a fire drill.

 

I took the route that I had planned on taking, which took me over the continental divide and into Utah. It wasn't until I had been driving for a few hours that I realized that this new route was surely slower than the regular route through Wyoming. On interstate 80 in Wyoming the speed limit is set at 75 mph for the majority of the ride, and the highway runs straight, so travelers can gain some serious ground. On interstate 70 through the western half of Colorado, the speed limit is set at around 65 and the road winds through the mountains, making it harder to keep a constant speed.

 

I eventually made my way through Salt Lake City and up to highway 84, which takes you through Boise and into Oregon. Honestly, the next worst part of the drive (2nd to Wyoming) is the stretch from Boise to Burns, Ore. The whole way I kept thinking to myself, "Wow, I'm making great time." I thought I was moving right along. Wrong. After hauling for an hour I was approaching a mileage sign which I thought would tell me that I was getting close. It instead reported that I had more driving left to do than I had already done since leaving Boise. I thought it had to be a mistake. Wrong again. I continued to drive and drive and drive and after thinking I would never make it, I drove by the cathedral known as Autzen Stadium. I was finally back.

 

We have the keys to our new house, now it is just a matter of making the switch. My roommates were down yesterday so we moved in a few things to claim our territory then we chose rooms. The house is older but still in good shape and will make a great place to hang around in for our last year here.

 

Tomorrow is my first day with the Athletic Department for Fan Day. It sounds like a good time and will be good practice before the season begins on Saturday.

 

 

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Morning Trip to Boulder

David R.

August 21, 2010 - 2:12 PM

Waking up at 4:45 in the morning can really throw you for a loop. That's what time we were up this morning so that we would make our 6:40 tee time in Boulder. This weekend is that last one that I will be here for this summer, so I thought it would be a good idea for me to get in one last round of golf with my dad and brother. We needed a fourth to play so we invited my uncle to come along. He lives right in Boulder so it wasn't too far out of his way.

 

We were one of the first groups to go off this morning so we were able to beat the rest of the crowd-and the heat. We never had to wait on anyone and made our way through around the Flatirons Course in under four hours. Since we were done at 10:30 in the morning we beat the afternoon heat waves. It was still rather cool when we finished, and right now I sit here writing this blog in plain view of our outdoor thermometer that says 94. I sure am glad I'm not outside in that.

 

It can be hard to get up so early in the morning, but it is well worth it. If there is no one ahead of you, like there usually isn't in the morning, then you don't have to worry about being held up. South Suburban Golf Course (the course by my house) is known for the notorious late afternoon hold up. This course is constantly packed full of people because it is relatively cheap and convenient. If you play too late in the afternoon, not only will the sun abuse you at will, but you will be forced to wait before every shot and become another victim of the golf course death march (figuratively of course). It's never enjoyable and can make the frustration of the game alone seem ten times worse.

 

It doesn't feel like I should be heading back to school, but at the same time, I have never gone back this early. As I usually do I will probably try to delay the packing as long as possible. I can usually get everything stuffed into my car in one day's worth of hard packing. The car that I take to school is very durable, but there's no sense in taking any chances when you're about to drive 1,200 miles by yourself. I'm going to take my car into the shop sometime this week to have everything looked at before my journey. Every so often on the drive out there I will see someone's car on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and I hope that never happens to me.

 

No one ever likes to feel like they're getting old but my brother, who has always seemed so young to me, started high school the other day. He already has his permit and will be driving by himself when I get home from school in June. I just hope I never come home to find that my baby brother is bigger than I am!

 

 

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Another Chapter in Life

David R.

August 20, 2010 - 10:50 AM

Yesterday was officially my last day with Kroenke Sports Enterprises. I had a great experience at my internship and I will definitely miss it. It was awesome to be a part of the KSE team for the summer and to learn all that I did about corporate sponsorships.

 

Now that my internship is done it is time for me to start thinking about making my way back up to Eugene. I am planning to leave next Thursday at about 10 a.m. and my goal is to make it to Boise that day.

 

One thing I realized on my way home from school in the spring is that I am absolutely sick of driving across the state of Wyoming. I have done it five times now and that is enough or me for the rest of my life. This year I have decided to take a new route. Instead of taking interstate 25 north to Wyoming, I am going to head directly west on interstate 70. This route is the more scenic route, because it will take me over the beautiful Rocky Mountains and into Utah. From there I will head up to Salt Lake City and get back on the normal route to Boise. From there the drive is more interesting and consequently more bearable. Wyoming is simply brutal. The other day I heard a statistic about Wyoming: It is the third largest state but has the lowest population. I don't know if this is true, but it sounds realistic considering what I have seen during my rigorous treks across the state.

 

I will get to Eugene hopefully in the late morning on Friday. This will give me some time to settle in and go over to the Athletic Department to figure out what exactly what I need to be doing on Saturday for the Football Fan Day. I don't know too much about this event yet but it sounds like some sort of pep rally to get fans excited for the football season that is right around the corner. With each new poll Oregon seems to be higher and higher on the list. Last month's issue of Sports Illustrated had the Ducks at number eight, even with the loss of Jeremiah Masoli, which is three spots higher than last year's Sports Illustrated pre-season poll. All signs show that Ducks should have a great season, and anything short of another Pacific 10 title will be a disappointment.

 

Shortly after I get back to Eugene I will have to begin moving into our new house. I'm not sure how big the window is but I know we have to be out of our old house quick because the lease ends soon. It will be strange to move out of our old house but I guess that's what happens with the coming of each new school year.

 

I can't believe I am a senior in college. Every year that passes seems like it goes by faster. I know I will miss college, so this year I plan to do whatever I can to live it up for my last year in Eugene.

 

 

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Almost Time to Switch Gears

David R.

August 15, 2010 - 4:06 PM

I couldn't find the time or the money to make it to the Mile High Music Festival this year. It's ok though, because tonight I get to watch Tim Tebow in action in the first Broncos pre-season game. I love to watch sports, especially with my friends, but tonight there might not be any of them to watch it with.

 

I have reached that point in time during the summer at which all of my friends begin to head back to school. Thus far the majority of my friends who go to Colorado State University are there to stay, and just the other day one of my friends left to go back to the University of South Carolina. This is the point in time where I would usually become another victim of boredom, but for the remainder of my time here I will be kept busy with my internship and my job with the Rockies. Luckily for me, I have to be back in Eugene on the 28th for my internship at school, so I won't be forced to sit around here alone until the middle of September.

 

The "moving in" phase at the beginning of each new school year is always a hassle. When I get to Eugene I will need to start moving my belongings from one house to another. I took most of my things home with me for the summer but some things, like my bed, stayed in Eugene and will be the most difficult and frustrating to move. I am not positive but when I get to Eugene on the 27th I think I will be the first one to move into the new house; therefore, I will have the privilege of having all five rooms to choose from, which is nice.

 

The house that we are moving into next year is much older than the house we had for this last year. Last year's house was equipped with two refrigerators and freezers, a dishwasher and a full washer and dryer set. Next year we will have only one freezer and refrigerator and we will be without the convenience of a dishwasher, which will pose a major problem. Even with a dishwasher this last year, there were times when the dishes were piled up to our shoulders in the kitchen. I can only imagine how trashed the kitchen will become with no dishwasher. We had a little roommate pow ow before we left and I think we have found a solution.

 

In the entirety of our kitchen we will have five plates (of different designs so we know which belongs to who), and five forks, five knives and five spoons. That's it. I think you know where I am going with this. Basically, if there are only five of each eating utensil, then there will be enough for each person to have one. If you eat, and don't rinse off your plate, you will be forced to rinse it off before you can eat instead of reaching into the cabinet and pulling out another plate to dirty up (that is how the dishes pile up). The same thing goes for the forks, knives and spoons. This seems like a pretty good plan and a good way to make due without a dishwasher. We have also considered going with the paper and plastic option for plates and silverware so we can dispose of everything after we eat with no washing necessary.

 

I'll have my hands full when I return, but I can't wait to get back to Eugene- the greatest college town in America.

 

 

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