How Did YOU Become a Ducks Fan?

[30Duck]

We all spend a lot of time here, and go through angst and sorrow, with enough exhilaration to make it worthwhile. But how did it come to be for you?

 

I was heading towards being a Husky. But fortunately, my family left Seattle in 1966. It wasn't until '69 that I remember going to my first Ducks game in Autzen, where I watched Dan Fouts, and Super Soph, Bobby Moore, now Ahmad Rashad. He was born in Portland, but went to high school in Tacoma, and ended up at Oregon. My cousins, still stuck in Seattle, were enamored with Sonny Sixkiller, the Husky QB, from Ashland, Oregon.

 

I remember my time in Jr. High and high school being in tense battles with Beaver fans in the early 70's. Me and my fellow Ducks got the best of them. All of this well before the internet of course. 

 

My first game in "The Pit" was in 1970, Oregon 78 UCLA 65. Steve Belko would have that season and the next, then some guy named Dick Harter showed up. We all know that the football years after Jerry Frei were pretty lean, Enright, Reid, but then came Rich Brooks.

 

Thank goodness my family left Seattle.  So, what route did you take to end up here?

[kirklandduck]

When I got accepted to attend the UO 

[Kurt Rambis]

Grew up in Rogue River.  When I started getting interested in football as a kids, the Ducks were the closest team we had and as I recall the only one on the radio ('cause they sure weren't getting any TV coverage in our two-channel town).

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I was born and that’s all it took.

[Roguefirm]

My dad, after graduation from U of O law school moved to Grants Pass. He started taking us to games at Hayward field when I was just a little boy. What I remember was how muddy it was at Hayward. 

My dad was one of the first donors for Autzen and had awesome seats under cover for decades. 

I got my first two seats from a client 

and, over the years, turned those into six awesome 50 yard line seats in Sec 31. I have now turned those over to my daughter whose husband played for Oregon in  the Rose Bowl and Cotton Bowl. She will pass those on to our grand sons who play for coach Chris Miller at West Linn. Perhaps coach Lanning should pay attention to West Linn football.

We have relocated from Grants Pass to Surprise AZ and attend Football and basketball games here. 

Lynn M Myrick 

Edited February 23, 2022 by Roguefirm

[30Duck]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:23 AM, Kurt Rambis said:

they sure weren't getting any TV coverage in our two-channel town).

Speaking of TV coverage. I remember back in the 70's there was a problem with TV. Back then Saturday night on CBS was All in the Family, M*A*S*H. Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and the games were on Saturday night. But without even a VCR then, Archie and Hawkeye and Mary and Bob, were pushed aside for the Kamikaze Kids. 

[Gizmoduck]

I was born to it. My Grandmother Mattie Reynolds was one of the first black women to work on the U of O campus. She was a cook. She loved the Ducks so much that she made my uncle Sam go there, where he was among the first black graduates from the UO law school.

My mother graduated with a degree in psychology, and worked there as an academic advisor until her retirement in 2012. The Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center was named in her honor in 2019. My family, like many, many others has a long and proud history of supporting our beloved ducks!

[LADuck]

Grew up in Southern California and was lucky enough to end up heading up to Eugene and attend the U of O. Was such a great experience and loved my time in the Northwest.

 

It was such a great change for me going from suburban LA to a college town. Had great times going to football and basketball games plus the degree really helped land the job with the company I have been with for a long time! If I could sit thru the zero - zero Oregon State game I can weather anything and really like winning better than losing.

Edited February 23, 2022 by LADuck

[idontrollonshobbas]

I was born in Portland 1965.....my Uncle was a UO SAE and bought my folks a Duck baby blanket.  Uncle Ken wears Duck clothing everyday of his life.  Needless to say every gift I ever received had a logo on it.  My cousins and I joke that when it came time to choose colleges, we had no choice since we had an entire wardrobe full of gear.  

 

Needless to say, none of us dared go to Oregon Agricultural College.

[Haywarduck]

Genetic, but watching Prefontaine, and the Kamikaze Kids made it a way of life. 

[Steven A]

Graduated HS in 68, Stockton CA.  Wanted to go to a Pac 8 school.

 

 $C & UCLA seemed to be in LA (no thanks); Cal too close, Stanford didn’t return my calls; sister at uw (state not big enough for the two of us); that left OSU and the Ducks.

 

Accepted at both, but as the Knight Templar told Indiana Jones, “I choose wisely”.

 

Fall soph year while registering for classes my tuition was taken care of.  Turned out there was a frosh Stephen A. Smith on Bball scholarship that I got.  He was from Sacto and had a girl friend who dumped him shortly thereafter.  I think Barbie Benton went on to better things.

 

Later that year the Ducks were recruiting a HS friend.  Jim and I were jay walking across campus when a car honked at us.  I turned at gave a one finger wave.  Turned out it was his student athlete sponsor, Dan Fouts and coach was George Siefert who were taking us to dinner at the Branding Iron.

 

I told them about “being on scholarship”.  George thought it was funny as long as it wasn’t football.

 

When the Ducks made it to the RB after ‘94 season, I told what turned out to be the best unknowing lie of my life, “Honey, this is a once in a lifetime thing”.  Never happier to be wrong.

 

Go Ducks.
 

 

[Charles Fischer]

Grew up in Corvallis, and LOVED to hate the Ducks, as my father was a professor at OSU.  Went to a party in Eugene, (a friend was invited and did not want to go alone and dragged me along) and met a girl, dated, fell in love and married her.  She had a great job in Eugene to put me through school, so I went to Oregon.

 

Found myself becoming an avid fan, bought season tickets in 1986 and had them since.  I am a Platypus, as I do wish the Beavers to victory when they are not playing us, thus some retention of my parents influence!

 

But have no warmth in my heart for Huskies...

 

Been on message boards/forum since 1997, and began doing my own "Scrimmage Reports" beginning in about 2003.  Started FishDuck.com in August of 2011, and now...the Our Beloved Ducks forum.

 

I love my DUCKS!

 

 

Everybody....tell us your story as an Oregon fan!

[David Marsh]

Went to Oregon and graduated in 2012. I was in a car accident that should have killed me ... oddly enough driving back from Seattle after seeing some friends. 

 

After the car accident Oregon football became something fun to watch and something new to learn. And being the person that I am I became glued to everything Oregon football and quickly became a fan... though maybe not just a fan as I am pretty obsessed about my Ducks. 

 

Then just under two years ago I started writing for FishDuck ... which has been a wonderful outlet for all my constant need of talking about Oregon. 

[Pennsylvania Duck]

I became a Duck when I was accepted to Oregon in 1970. My first Duck football game was that fall, during the days of Dan Fouts and Bobby Moore (Ahmad Rashad). I remember the game was so long that we missed dinner at the dorm. However, my fondest memories were of track meets at Heyward Field. Our dorm looked towards Heyward and we could see Pre practicing every day. To this day, I have not witnessed the energy of a track meet like at Heyward. The good old days!

[woundedknees]

My step dad played for the beavith... (starter on d line. Quit the team a couple days after Pearl Harbor)

He worshipped the ground the great pumpkin rolled upon...

 

It was logical, Captain. 

Edited February 23, 2022 by woundedknees

[DUCKED]

Growing up in Oakland the Ducks weren’t even on my radar, until my transistor radio late one night in 1957 picked up a Ducks basketball game. For some reason I became a Charlie Franklin fan, and kept track of him, more than the team itself. But the seeds were there.

 

I went to Cal, arriving in the Fall of ‘64, and two memorable things happened my very first day on campus. Number one was seeing Mario Savio on the steps of Sproul Hall charging up a huge crowd…..it was the beginning of the Free Speech Movement that spread to liberal campuses, like Oregon, all over the country.

 

The second thing was I met my roommate, Russ Critchfield, who was from Salinas, and a highly recruited basketball player who went on to be 3 year starter and an All-American for the Bears. One night in passing I casually mentioned the Ducks and he went off: “I hate the Ducks!” He went on to tell me that his brother, Ron, had played for Slats Gill at OSU in the late 50’s (no doubt playing against my favorite Duck Charlie Franklin), and that’s all it took to spur the hatred.

 

Still one of my best friends to this day, he has reminded me more than once that his best game ever came at Mac Court when he went for 36 points his senior year. He also says Mac Court was the loudest place he’s ever played.

 

So, how did I become a serious Duck fan?

 

I moved to Oregon in 1971 to take the job as sports editor at the Ashland Daily Tidings, and occasionally I would cover Ducks basketball games, usually sitting on the floor under basket, snapping pictures. If you have read Bud Withers’ book Mad Hoops, you’ll see a photo I snapped on the cover. It’s a great read and if you are or were a fan of the Kamikaze Kids I highly recommend it.

 

Fast forward…… I’ve lived in Oregon for 50 years and have become a diehard fan of the Ducks. Both of my daughters are Oregon grads and my two grand daughters were just admitted for the Fall of 2022.

 

I’m still a fan of the Golden Bears but I live and die with Oregon.

 

GO DUCKS!

[WillieMosconi]

My grade school was just across the street from Hayward Field. After class, a few of us would go over to their practices and they’d let us help move dummies around, do errands etc. Every day,  Norm Van Brocklin would come over and make us tell what we learned in school that day, or we’d have to leave. 
 

How could someone NOT be a fan after all that!

 

Class of 1953, Condon Elementary, Eugene

[shawnski]

Watched the high-light of "The Pick" while stuck in some NCO club on Guantanamo Bay, NOT invading Haiti. 

 

Later attended the ASU game that year, and ETSed that fall.

 

Enrolled Winter term 1996, the rest is history. 

 

Go Ducks!

Huck the Fuskies 

[30Duck]

On 2/23/2022 at 1:11 PM, WillieMosconi said:

Class of 1953, Condon Elementary, Eugene

Condon, 5th grade, 1969. Great kickball games!!

[Drake]

Grew up on the Oregon coast. My 2.8 HS GPA was apparently good enough to get accepted by the U of O in 1978.

 

Old enough to have watched Steve Prefontaine run HS track in Coos Bay.

Edited February 23, 2022 by Drake

[Krsmqn]

I was born. 

[Darren Perkins]

Grew up in Eugene. NEHS '92, UO '97. In 1980, at 5 years-old, I was finally old enough to tag along with my Dad and big-brother to go to the football games, and the rest is history. 

[Southwest Duck]

Gang green defense in the mid 90s

 

loved Watching Akili Smith

 

The 1995 Rose Bowl vs Penn St. 

[Annie]

Grew up in CT, moved to Eugene with my dh and daughter in 1975 when he got a job as a professor at the UO. None of us had ever been to a college football game. In fact, the only football game we'd been to was a Giants preseason/exhibition game at Yale Bowl. Neither my high school nor college had football teams. (I was once teasingly chastised by my HS history teacher because I didn't know who Y.A. Tittle was.). So, we decided to go to the Duck-beav game that year. At that point I think the Ducks had beaten the beavs only once since 1963. But the Ducks won that day and we were hooked. Went to every home game the next year, then got season tickets the year after that.

[noDucknewby]

One of my first teenage acts of rebellion back in the 70s.  Dad was a hardcore Beaver fan, in fact took me to my first college football game, Civil War at Parker Stadium.

[30Duck]

On 2/23/2022 at 2:37 PM, Annie said:

I didn't know who Y.A. Tittle was.)

Very strange, but in the late 60's I just all of a sudden was full of sports knowledge and knew who Yelverton Abraham Tittle was. Aside from that I look around now and every day I'm more thankful about being a Ducks fan. Pre, Rudy Chapa, watching the Olympic Trials in Hayward Field in '72 and '76. I can't imagine a better situation than being 13 when the Kamikaze Kids started

 

Of course, it was no surprise that the Portland Trail Blazers, who have made a habit of horrid draft picks, went past Lee, and took Wally Walker from Virginia. Lee ended up going to Phoenix but was stuck behind some guy named Don Buse. There was one game on TV that I'll always remember, the 76ers and Dr. J were playing the Suns, and it was all Ronnie Lee, 28 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists in a 111-94 win for the Suns.

[Just Ducky]

Saw the Ducks and Bobby Moore play at Civic Stadium and I’ve been hooked on the Ducks ever since. He was a running back at that time.

[Badwater]

My wife at the time took me to my first college football game. That was back when you could walk up to the box office and get student tickets - I think they were $8 or $9.

 

The game was Washington vs. Oregon, 1994. You know the rest.

[30Duck]

On 2/23/2022 at 3:28 PM, Just Ducky said:

He was a running back at that time.

As great as he was, he doesn't get enough credit. He's on a short list of both greatest ever RB's and WR's in Ducks history. 

[Viking Duck]

Born in Eugene at Sacred Heart Med Center (parents were poor grad students who made the trip to the hospital in a freak snowstorm with an almost broken down car, according to legend, and were convinced the birth was going to happen on the side of the road in a snowdrift.)

 

I grew up in Portland but they are die hard Duck fans to this day, and the first game I can actually remember as a youngster is sitting and freezing to death during the Toilet Bowl, and I probably only remember it because of how much suffering was involved. How could I be anything less than a life long Duck fan with that background?

Edited February 24, 2022 by Viking Duck

[PittDuck]

Mom grew up in Eugene/Springfield area and raised me to love green and yellow.  Loved the title of Tracktown USA and got to see Pre in action.

 

Was lucky enough to watch some great games in Autzen, starting with the win over BYU when Detmer got sacked by Marcus Woods for a safety right in front of me!

 

Back in the early 2000’s, I got to drive a quad pulling band equipment onto the field when the GPHS Marching Band played the halftime show, 4 years in a row.

 

These days I try to bring the Grandkids to at least one game each year.  Enjoy watching the Ducks play football, MBB, WBB, softball, baseball, Tumbling & Acrobatics, Track & Field, etc.

[olcodgerduck]

Back in the 60's my family would come out to Oregon from the midwest to see grandparents and cousins for Christmas. Cousins had decorated their room with (what seemed like) lifesize posters of Puddles and Ducks athletes, and all they could talk about was the new Autzen Stadium. It all seemed pretty dazzling to my young, impressionable mind, and I have been a Ducks fan ever since!

[Duck 1972]

I played DL/OL in HS football in 70/72 for Estacada which is 20 mi SE of Portland. Recruited by the Ducks but throwing discus was my thing. Wanted to be a Duck after throwing at Hayward during state tournament. Didn't materialize tho.

 

Then moved to Eugene because of work in 75. Went to numerous games including the "toilet bowl". Lived there till 81. Life long fanatic ever since.

[Kurt Rambis]

On 2/23/2022 at 6:41 PM, Roguefirm said:

We have relocated from Grants Pass to Surprise AZ and attend Football and basketball games here. 

Lynn M Myrick 

Too funny.  I actually recognize the name Lynn Myrick from my time working in Grants Pass many, many years ago at KAJO.  And I eventually relocated to Arizona before moving overseas.  Small world...

[LB48]

Living in Portland and going to elementary school in the 50s. Had to pick a side in the Civil War. Couldn’t stand the black and red unis, and as a Packer fan, choosing the Ducks was easy. 
 

Fell in love with the Casanova teams, especially Bob Berry, Mel Renfro and Dave Wilcox. Was honored to wear #15 as a hs quarterback. 

[Flyin Vee]

Just a kid born and growing up in the blue collar town across the river. I fished the stretch of river from day island to ferry street. I remember the landfill that was the river bank. My favorite book was Huck Fin.

 

in 1959 my mother worked at Del Hoffs ice cream Parlor for several years. Del Hoffs was a popular hang out for the basketball team. We went to a basketballs game. I do not remember who the ducks played, it did not matter, I was hooked. If truth were told I waited until half time or snuck into more games in my youth than I have paid for as an adult.

[FG Lumber]

My folks took me to Hayward Field when I was a junior in high school at Medford High.

Year was 1963 and I watched the Ducks beat OSU on a beautiful day.  Won 31-14 even though Mel Renfro couldn't play.  Dave Wilcox and Co. were terrific.  Hooked me then

[GODUCKS15]

Born and raised in Eugene how could you not be a Duck fan? Wife's mother worked at the UO registration office so we used to get her faculty seats at the 1/3 off discount since she didn't care much for football. Started going to Duck games in the late 70's early 80's. 

 

[30Duck]

On 2/24/2022 at 7:53 AM, Flyin Vee said:

Del Hoffs ice cream Parlor

Wow, this thread is full of memories, I remember Del Hoffs, great ice cream cones. Anybody remember Hugh Luby's? They sponsored my Little League team in 1969.

[Steven A]

On 2/23/2022 at 11:01 AM, Gizmoduck said:

I was born to it. My Grandmother Mattie Reynolds was one of the first black women to work on the U of O campus. She was a cook. She loved the Ducks so much that she made my uncle Sam go there, where he was among the first black graduates from the UO law school.

My mother graduated with a degree in psychology, and worked there as an academic advisor until her retirement in 2012. The Lyllye Reynolds-Parker Black Cultural Center was named in her honor in 2019. My family, like many, many others has a long and proud history of supporting our beloved ducks!

Very cool story, congrats to you and your family.

[Washington Waddler]

     Grew up in the Coliseum (Dad USC class of 33) watching Trojans steamroll whoever - fun as a kid. Travels somehow brought me to Oregon in early 70’s, working my way as a picker and ranch-hand until I landed a job at SPRR in Eugene.

 

     Father sent me a ticket to 1974 game. Sitting among the Trojan faithful, as I so often had as a kid, it brought back a familiar, blasé feeling — an unconcerned, excessively indulged appetite for winning that was reflected in so many of those complacent, supremely confident faces I was sitting with.

 

     Remember it was a good game - close. Remember the Oregon fans living and dying with every play, the energy and noise ceaseless. Remember the USC fans sitting smugly expectant, erupting on occasion with polite clapping. Looking back and forth between the two, I vaguely remember yelling something like, “what the f**k is wrong with you people?” and moving to Autzen’s rim among the Ducks, and never looked back.

     

[Charles Fischer]

On 2/24/2022 at 10:33 AM, Washington Waddler said:

     Grew up in the Coliseum (Dad USC class of 33) watching Trojans steamroll whoever - fun as a kid. Travels somehow brought me to Oregon in early 70’s, working my way as a picker and ranch-hand until I landed a job at SPRR in Eugene.

 

     Father sent me a ticket to 1974 game. Sitting among the Trojan faithful, as I so often had as a kid, it brought back a familiar, blasé feeling — an unconcerned, excessively indulged appetite for winning that was reflected in so many of those complacent, supremely confident faces I was sitting with.

 

     Remember it was a good game - close. Remember the Oregon fans living and dying with every play, the energy and noise ceaseless. Remember the USC fans sitting smugly expectant, erupting on occasion with polite clapping. Looking back and forth between the two, I vaguely remember yelling something like, “what the f**k is wrong with you people?” and moving to Autzen’s rim among the Ducks, and never looked back.

     

Epic post.

 

What great writing, and what a great story!  Indeed...you are truly one of us!

[jgeiger]

My dad is an alumnus of UO from the early '90s. As a young boy I said, "I'm a Ducks fan because my dad was a Duck." When I was 8
I stayed up late watching the national championship against Auburn, not really knowing anything about the team. The next year (2011) my fandom really took off. Go Ducks forever!!!!

[LuckeyDuck]

Playing HS football. I remember how excited the broadcasters would get if we got a first down.   "Jorgy under center"  (OMG PLEASE GOD PLEASE, IT'S ONLY 2 MORE YARDS) !

[DanLduck]

Went to Oregon, met my wife there.

Her dad taught journalism and we have never been anything but solid Duck fans.

Earliest memorable football game was beating Troy Aikman and UCLA.

[Duckdude]

On 2/24/2022 at 10:33 AM, Washington Waddler said:

     Grew up in the Coliseum (Dad USC class of 33) watching Trojans steamroll whoever - fun as a kid. Travels somehow brought me to Oregon in early 70’s, working my way as a picker and ranch-hand until I landed a job at SPRR in Eugene.

 

     Father sent me a ticket to 1974 game. Sitting among the Trojan faithful, as I so often had as a kid, it brought back a familiar, blasé feeling — an unconcerned, excessively indulged appetite for winning that was reflected in so many of those complacent, supremely confident faces I was sitting with.

 

     Remember it was a good game - close. Remember the Oregon fans living and dying with every play, the energy and noise ceaseless. Remember the USC fans sitting smugly expectant, erupting on occasion with polite clapping. Looking back and forth between the two, I vaguely remember yelling something like, “what the f**k is wrong with you people?” and moving to Autzen’s rim among the Ducks, and never looked back.

     

AND…….USC would have been nothing without Oregon’s John McKay, and John Robinson!

[OhioDuck]

A little different story here maybe. 

 

I grew up rooting for the University of Virginia. Lean years back then, until George Welch became the coach.

 

I moved to Portland in '99 and lived there for 2 1/2 years. Some friends there were Beaver fans and I went to several games with them. It was the Erickson years so it was a pretty exciting time for the Beavers. I still think his second year they were the best team in the country.

 

but while in Portland I also started watching Oregon. I really liked how they played and kept following them even when I moved back to Virginia.

 

When Kelly took over the offense and then as head coach that pretty much locked me up as an Oregon fan. I loved the spread offense with the read option, lots of play action, speed, speed, speed everywhere and playing the fastest tempo in football at any level.

 

As I became a fan, I learned more about the program, doing things the right way, being innovative, creative and aggressive in every aspect of how the program is run as well as on the field. And I guess there is just that little bit of being the little guy threatening the big guys that I like too. Look out USC's, Alabama's, Ohio State's of the world, here comes Oregon! 

 

Now I'm excited about a new coach, maybe not a life long Oregon guy, but neither am I. I think Lanning fits the reasons I became a Duck fan.

Edited February 26, 2022 by OhioDuck

[1Ducker1]

I started back in High School when I went to school with Fred Quillan, Also Joey Harrington's father was a teacher --pre Joey LOL. My alma matter has put out quite a few Ducks over the years.

[Westsalemduck]

Back in mid 80’s my brother was a student.  I would visit him and he would take me to the games and I would sit in the student section when I was an 14 or so.  Also I went to a frat party when I was 17.  How could I not be a duck fan?