Year Of Karma

Is it fate, kismet or just an interesting coincidence that GonzoPR's annual year-in-review marks the 500th blog post since initiating this forum in 2008? According to astrologers, numerologists and those in touch with the ethereal plane, 2024 translates into a year of karma because of its association with the number 8. Karma, of course, can be both good and bad, and we've certainly had plenty of both over the past 12 months.

January's post featured some of my best photography for 2023, including shots of the second blue moon in August, a rare event known as a lunar perigee, or supermoon, taken with my Canon EOS 60D utilizing a 70-200 millimeter zoom lens to catch the full moon at its closest point to the Earth. Another favorite was my shot of UO PRSSA on its first professional development tour in Seattle (below) since before the pandemic.

As winter morphed into spring, we witnessed the waning months of the Pac-12 Conference, a collection of west coast institutions of higher learning that had been conference members since 1916. Blame Big TV and a feeble NCAA for its demise. We also suffered the loss of a beloved colleague at the UO School of Journalism and Communication, Ralph "Pete" Peterson, one of many part time instructors in "the bullpen."

In April, the Aldo Leopold Society gathered at the Owl Conservatory for a reunion of former wilderness rangers and trail dogs. In May, we celebrated the publication of my second memoir, Wilderness Strangers: Adventures in Shangri-la with a reading and discussion at Tsunami Books in Eugene attended by more than 50 friends and former colleagues and students from my days as a public relations practitioner and educator.

Also in May, those of us near the 45th parallel had the good fortune to observe the northern lights due to unusual solar storms. In late May, I joined UO PRSSA for another professional development tour in Seattle, where we had the opportunity to visit Starbucks Headquarter, the Seattle Kraken hockey team, Edelman Public Relations, The Fearey Group and Raffetto Herman Strategic Public Relations

As spring waned, we said good-bye to my college chum, fellow newspaper reporter and public relations practitioner, Jeff Foreman. "Mr. Duke," as I called him, weathered Parkison's supranucear palsy with great patience and good humor. He was a fighter. We continued to meet to consummate our annual bet on Duck football, usually at Bier Stein. Jeff’s mind and wit remained as sharp as ever. He was a friend indeed.

Prior to the summer solstice, we concluded our labyrinthine

journey through the complex and torturous process of securing the contents of our brother's storage locker in Portland's Pearl District following his passing in May, 2023 after a brief illness. Later in the summer, lightning strikes ignited forest fires uncomfortably close to the Owl Conservatory. State and federal firefighters quelled the blaze quickly.

As autumn began, I attended professional gatherings in my role on the PRSA Oregon board of directors: the PRSA CommCon held annually in Portland, and the PRSA Leadership Assembly in Anaheim, California during the PRSA International Conference. It was refreshing to reconnect with longtime colleagues (above) from near and far, along with students from the UO Chaper of the Public Relations Student Society of America (below).

In November, karma took a stark turn as Americans inexplicably elected a convicted felon as president, spawning the return of a popular series known as Rude Notes From The Field, an unfiltered review of the fear and loathing coming from this savage journey into the heart of the American Dream, where GonzoPR's far flung team of crackerjack reporters will skewer the Pointless Man and his demonic minions. Stay tuned.

Duck Dynasty

My association with University of Oregon athletics dates back to the 1960s, when the Ducks would play one of their big games of the year at Multnomah Stadium in Portland, usually against the University of Washington, Oregon State University or the University of Southern California. Occasionally, my Dad would take me to a Duck game at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Both my Dad and my Mom had attended the University of Oregon in the late 40s, though both completed their college careers in Portland at the University of Portland and Marylhurst College respectively. My Mom moved back home to attend her sick father and my Dad found UP to be a better fit for his career as a high school science teacher.

When it came time to decide on a college, I considered such out-of-state journalism schools as the University of Missouri and Northwestern University, and came close to choosing the University of Colorado like my cousins. But due to economics and the fact that UO had one of the finest journalism schools in the country, I chose to stay in-state and moved to Eugene.

When I arrived at UO, Jerry Frei was the UO football coach, having succeeded the legendary Len Casanova (below) in 1967. Frei had been offensive line coach for Casanova, who had become the winningest Duck mentor of all time. When I (finally) graduated, Oregon had cycled through three more coaches. In short, the team struggled during my college career.

As I departed Eugene following graduation, a billboard on Franklin Boulevard announced: "The Dawning of a New Era" with a picture of Rich Brooks, formerly a coach and player at Oregon State University. For my five and a half years at UO, the school had four coaches. But soon, the Ducks saw progress, with winning seasons in 1978 and 1979.

When I returned to attend graduate school at UO in 1981-82 and 1982-83, the team relapsed into its old losing ways, precipitated by a pay-for-credit scandal, an illicit travel fund, and sexual abuse and misuse of phone cards charges against several players. The team was placed on probation for two years, and Coach Brooks tendered his resignation.

But then-UO President William Boyd refused his resignation and instead fired Athletic Director John Caine. The dark ages lasted for two years, culminating in a dismal 0-0 tie against Oregon State University. Dubbed the "Toilet Bowl," the game featured 11 turnovers and no scoring in a wild monsoon during the wettest year on record in Oregon. It was hard to watch.

In those days, 15-20,000 fans would attend Duck football games in the 43,000-seat stadium, and the place seemed empty. A few of us diehards could take up a whole row and have our feet propped on the row below and our elbows spread on the row above. "Do you think we'll ever go to a bowl game?" asked a friend. "No," I replied, "but if we do, we're going."

At one point, an Oregonian sports columnist critical of the University of Oregon for extending the contract of Coach Brooks wrote: "The fact is, both (Oregon and Oregon State) play in a league they can never -- NEVER -- hope to win. Brooks has become the symbol of it -- the Maharajah of Mediocrity, if you will. Why not consider playing at a (lower) level."

Then, in 1984, the Ducks recruited a local quarterback from Sheldon High School, Chris Miller, and along with a stout defense, started winning games. They stunned mighty UCLA in the Rose Bowl, 20-18. In 1985, the team found its way to a winning season. With Miller on to the NFL in 1986, Duck fans were ambivalent, and many feared another relapse.

But during the spring football game in 1987, a young freshman named Bill Musgrave emerged at quarterback, and after the Ducks won back-to-back home games against the Washington Huskies and USC Trojans, he helped turn the program around. In 1989, Musgrave let the Ducks to a 7-4 record and its first bowl game in 26 years in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Soon, I heard from my buddy. "We're going," he announced. It was short notice, but with help, we put together a package and were off to Louisiana. Stopping in Denver to change planes, we shuddered when we saw crews de-icing the jet with a pink substance, but soon took off for Houston. Fnding other Duck fans in the Houston airport bar, we joined them for a beer.

One inebriated Duck fan, clearly out of control, spouted off to a server and drew the manager's wrath. It wasn't long before the whole group of us was exiled from the bar by the management. As we left, the drunk Duck fan fired off one final salvo: "Fuck Houston!" he exclaimed with more than a hint of disgust. That phrase became our battle cry for the rest of our sojourn.

Arriving in Shreveport, the weather was freezing cold. We found a bar called "Fatso's Sports Bistro" and holed up until game time. At kickoff, the temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. At halftime, the Fighting Ducks were down by two touchdowns. The situation looked grim.

Then, Bill Musgrave went to work. First, he connected with Tony Hargain in the end zone, and after a defensive stop, methodically moved the team down the field, running in the tying score himself. With minutes left in the game, kicker Gregg McCallum booted a game winning field goal and the Ducks defeated the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane 27-24.

Afterward, temperatures hovered at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. My friend, looking at me with a sense of relief, notes: "How 'bout them Ducks?" Delirious fans stormed the field at Independence Stadium and slapped shoulder pads with Duck players and shook hands with coaches. From then on, our mantra became: "Fuck Houston. And how 'bout them Ducks?"

The next season, the team -- again led by Musgrave in his senior year -- finished 8-3 and were invited to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim, a West Coast bowl that promised fun in the sun. This time, Duck fans flocked to the game by the thousands and, besides the game, the kids enjoyed the game's close proximity to Disneyland at Christmas.

The uptick would lead to more success for Oregon football, but the rise to the top would be ever-so-gradual. In 1994, Musgrave's successor Danny O'Neil, and another tough defense known as "Gang Green" would lead the team through the gauntlet of Pac-10 play. The watershed moment of the season would come against the #4 Washington Huskies.

The game was close, with the Ducks leading at halftime, 14-10. But as they have done before, the Huskies roared back to take the lead when freshman cornerback named Kenny Wheaton intercepted a sure Husky touchdown pass and ran it back for a pick-six to seal the game, sending the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl since 1958. Excited Duck fans from around the country flocked to Pasadena, California to see the team play #2-ranked Penn State.

After that "Dream Season," Coach Brooks resigned to take a head coaching position in the NFL and handed the reins over to Mike Bellotti, the team's offensive coordinator. But Duck football didn't miss a beat. Bowl games became the norm, with the team playing at various times in the Cotton Bowl, the Las Vegas Bowl, the Aloha Bowl, the Sun Bowl and the Seattle Bowl.

In 2000, the Ducks finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Pac-10 with the Washington Huskies and the Oregon State Beavers. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, the best bowl venue since the Rose Boal in 1994. Led by quarterback and future Heisman candidate Joey Harrington, the Ducks edged the mighty Texas Longhorns, 35-30.

The next season proved to be the apex of the team's gradual climb into the top echelons of college football. Again led by Joey Harrington, the Ducks won but had a number of close calls along the way. Ultimately, the Ducks were tripped up by the Stanford Cardinal to finish the regular season 10-1, good enough to be considered for the national championship game.

Unfortunately, the University of Miami had finished its season undefeated at sat at #1 in the polls. So the decision came down to BCS computers, which didn't weigh later games any more heavily that earlier games, and one-loss No. 4 Nebraska came out ahead of two-loss No. 3 Colorado and one-loss No. 2 Oregon. Nebraska would play Miami in the Rose Bowl.

The Ducks were relegated to the Fiesta Bowl for a game against the University of Colorado Buffaloes, which had beaten Nebraska in the Big-12 championship game. The Buffs would be favored agains the higher ranked Ducks. Instead, Joey Harrington, Maurice Morris, Onterrio Smith, Keenan Howry, Jamie Parker and a stout defense stomped Colorado, 38-16.

That season would go down as one of the best in Oregon football history, but there was more to come. The Ducks continued to be successful. In 2009, they returned to the Rose Bowl but lost to Ohio State. The next season, the team went undefeated and played in the national championship game, losing a tight contest to Auburn University, 22-19.

The next year, the Ducks retuned to the Rose Bowl. This time, they would not be denied, beating the University of Wisconsin, 45-38. In 2014, the team played in the BCS national championship series and won the Rose Bowl again in the semi-final game against Florida State, 59-20. University of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy.

The Ducks won another Rose Bowl against Wisconsin guided by future NFL quarterback Justin Herbert and have now been to bowl games in 20 of the last 21 years. The team traveled far from the "sad sack" days of the 1980s and the infamous "Toilet Bowl" (the last recorded scoreless tie in college football history) to establish a dynasty that continues to this day.

But now, sadly, the Pac-12 has come to an end, terminating the 108-year history of the conference. The trouble began with UCLA and University of Southern California becoming the first teams to leave the Pac-12 conference, announcing in summer 2022 that they would jump to the Big Ten in 2024. Soon, other members of the conference rushed for the exits.

The University of Washington and University of Oregon joined the LA schools in the Big 10 and Colorado, Utah, Arizona and ASU then fled to the Big 12, thereby decimating the Pac-12 Conference and leaving Oregon State and Washington State behind. Even Cal and Stanford left the conference in a head-scratching move to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Yet conference realignment is only part of the college football’s transmutation. The creation of the “transfer portal” and the ability to pay college players through “name, image and likeness” endorsement deals have also brought us to this new world of college sports. Through the transfer portal, college players can more easily seek transfers.

NIL money isn’t always the reason for a transfer, but with top college players, especially quarterbacks, it is the primary motivation. Throughout this past season, media pundits highlighted the irony of the 108-year-old Pac-12 being so stacked with talent in its final year. But the volume of top-level players in the conference should surprise no one.

Many have written about how a decimated Pac-12 will affect coaches and staff and “student athletes.” But what of the millions of people who have invested years as fans? These followers of college football understand that it was often less about Oregon State beating Washington or Washington State beating Oregon than their connection as fans. 

So as the UO and other Pac-12 schools move into the brave new world of college sports, there's a palpable sense of shared grief over all that's been lost. Many will try to cling to those traditions that can still be saved and continue to be savored by fans. One thing is for sure, once a Duck, always a Duck (or Beaver, Husky or Cougar, depending on affiliation).

End Of An Epoch

The response on the West Coast to the ongoing demise of the Pac-12 Conference in 2024 has ranged from dismaying and disheartening to dispiriting and distressing for universities, alumni, students and fans of conference members, who are left to suffer the consequences of moving ahead into the new environment or risk being left behind in a situation ruled by an indifferent sports world focused on bottom lines.

Who's to blame? ESPN, Fox Sports and their controlling interests, certainly. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) which for years has functioned as a shill for Big Sports, bears some responsibility. Yet the Pac-12 Conference leadership itself is primarily responsible for the collapse of the conference. Meanwhile, universities, state legislatures, alumni and fans must weather the loss of history and tradition.

Pac-12 fans are saddened by losing of longtime traditions and rivalries. "It is indeed a dark day in the Pac-12," said one. "A sad and pathetic state of affairs," said another. Yet, I'm reminded of the line from a character in Deconstructing Harry: "Tradition is the illusion of permanence." Needless to say, I'll be rooting for the Washington Huskies to win it all, just to thumb our collective noses at the blue bloods of college football.

(Editor's Note: This is the first of series of posts addressing the ongoing seismic shift in the fabric of college athletics.)

The Pick

The college football rivalry between the University of Oregon and the University of Washington has mostly been a lopsided affair over the past 115 years the game has been played, with the Huskies dominating on the field. When the games were close, the Huskies would often snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against the "sad sack" Ducks at the end.

My first Duck-Husky game was at Multnomah Stadium (now known as Providence Park) in Portland, my hometown. In the 60s, the most significant games were scheduled in the City of Roses because the stadium held more fans than Hayward Field in Eugene. Hence the UO could net more revenue for the big games against opponents like UW, USC and Oregon State.

As a student in the early-to-mid 70s, my beloved Ducks typically lost more games than they won. UO would beat the smaller schools on the schedule but lose many of their league games. During my five years as an undergraduate, the UO had four different coaches: Jerry Frei, Dick Enright, Don Read and Rich Brooks, who finally started to turn the program around.

The Ducks became more competitive with the Huskies, coming close yet losing in spectacular fashion in several games, Then Brooks recruited a young quarterback from Grand Junction, Colorado named Bill Musgrave and the team's fortunes took a dramatic turn in 1987 when the Ducks beat Washington and USC on consecutive weekends. More was on the horizon.

In 1994, the Huskies came to town ranked in the top ten in the country. But the Ducks had assembled quite a collection of talent and led most of the game going into the fourth quarter. The Huskies, however, also had talented players. When Duck quarterback Danny O'Neil led the team down the field on a 98-yard drive for a score, things looked good for the Ducks.

But there was way too much time left on the clock. The Huskies marched down the field with ease, picking up first down after first down. "Not looking good," said my buddy Roger, a Michigan grad. "We need a turnover," I countered. "What do you want, a fumble or an interception?" he asked. "I want an interception," I replied. "Granted," he pronounced.

The clock read 1:08 and the Huskies, on the 8-yard line, were driving to score the winning points. Incredibly, instead of running their All-American tailback Napoleon Kauffman, their quarterback threw a pass toward the sideline, where it was promptly incercepted by a redshirt freshman cornerback named Kenny Wheaton, who ran 97 yards for the deciding score.

The rest, as they say, is history. The win would lead the Ducks to their first Rose Bowl in 37 years, and suddenly, the rivalry became more competitive than it had ever been. This weekend, the UO-UW rivalry becomes a contest of biblical proportions, with both teams currently undefeated and ranked in the top ten. Should be a heckuva game. Go Ducks!

Mio Padre

My father, Ralph Cameron Mitchell of Payson, Arizona, passed away at on August 21, 2022 at age 93. After a long career as a high school science instructor teaching chemistry, physics and general science, Ralph had retired to the Oregon coast in Lincoln City and Florence, and Arizona.

Ralph was born in Portland on December 15, 1928 to Cyril William and Ethel Adele Mitchell. His siblings included older sister, Grace Eva Mitchell, younger brother Bruce Allan Mitchell and stepbrother Harold James Barker.

He attended Irvington Elementary School and Grant High School, enlisting in the U.S. Marine Reserves in 1944. He graduated from Grant High School in 1947. Following graduation from high school, he reenlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1949, serving until he was honorably discharged in 1951.

While in the reserves, Ralph attended the University of Oregon in Eugene with an interest in pursuing a degree in architecture, then completed his bachelor's degree in chemistry and physics at the University of Portland in 1953.

Ralph married Charlotte Nitta Cargni in Portland in May, 1952 and they had five children, John, Robert, Richard, Carla and Stephanie. They later divorced. Ralph married Florence Edna Edgar in Portland in June, 1983.

After working for Ortho Chemical and General Electric Company, Ralph obtained his teaching certificate and taught high school science and coached athletics in Ukiah, Forest Grove and Sutherlin, Oregon before he was hired at Evergreen High School in Vancouver.

In 1961, Ralph was hired at the newly opened John Marshall High School in Southeast Portland. He later obtained his master's degree from the University of Portland and also taught night classes and summer school for many years.

Ralph enjoyed the outdoors and joined the Mazamas, a mountain climbing organization based in Portland. He climbed Mt. Hood countless times, along with Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams, among other Cascade peaks. He was an avid sailor and explored the San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Islands on several occasions.

An avid Duck fan since his days at the University of Oregon, Ralph and Florence had season tickets for Oregon football for many years and were among those early adopters who cheered the "Mighty Ducks" and witnessed the team develop from also-rans into champions. 

Ralph and Florence ventured to many bowl games, including the Cotton Bowl, Independence Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Seattle Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and several Rose Bowls, including a big win over Russell Wilson and the Wisconsin Badgers in 2012 for their first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years.

He is survived by his wife, Florence of Payson, Arizona, children John (Rebecca) of Eugene, Robert (Elaine) of Philadelphia, Penn., Richard (Nancy) of Bainbridge Island, Wash., Carla (Bob) of Portland, and Stephanie of Tigard.

Ralph is also survived by his grandchildren Regina, Jory, Nicole, Sarah, Jessica, Jason and Brandon; and a sister, Grace Eva Mitchell Freeland of Redwood City, California. Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Bruce and stepbrother Harold, and his granddaughter, Jacy.

Ducks Interrupted

A friend recently asked if, in my time associated with the University of Oregon, I have ever witnessed anything as strange as the recent effect of the coronavirus on the institution. My reply? "Well, I've seen some interesting times for sure, but nothing like this. "Like what kinds of things have you witnessed?" she asked.

"Well, most but not all, were in the 1970's," came my reply. "There was the time protesters stormed the ROTC storage area in Esslinger Hall and set fire to the place. More protesters marched from the Erb Memorial Union to Alton Baker Park in resistance of the Vietnam War." "What else?" she asked.

"Can't remember the exact year, but maybe the early 00s, my PR Writing class was disrupted by students protesting the Workers Rights Consortium controversy that caused a rift between Dave Frohnmayer and Phil Knight. And, of course, 9/11 was a bad deal. But this is unprecedented: a strange time to be a student."

Be that as it may, this season was unarguably the best athletic outing for University of Oregon athletics ever. Men's football, women's basketball and men's basketball all captured Pac-12 titles, and despite having their post-seasons cancelled due to COVID-19, the future looks bright for the Mighty Ducks.

Requiem For A Heavyweight

For Duck fans, the 2015 football season featured the highest of highs and the lowest of lows: beating highly-ranked Michigan State, followed by a devastating loss to upstart Arizona, then running the table en route to Pac-12 and Rose Bowl championships, a Heisman, and finally, a crushing loss to Ohio State in the national title game.

After the drubbing by the Buckeyes in the title game, however, those nattering nabobs of negativism -- also known as “fair-weather Duck fans” -- were out in force. As Dr. Seuss would say: “the Gree-Grumps were growling.” Regardless, those of us with some perspective will greatly appreciate this season for some time to come.

As a season ticker holder for the past 30 years and a perennial student before that, Gonzo would fall into the latter category. In a recent interview for a student paper, I was asked how many Duck football games I had attended so far in my lifetime. After some thought, my estimate was well over 200, including road games and bowls.

Therein lies the perspective. During my undergraduate years, the UO football team was a collective 13-31. Over a seven-year period in my time as an undergraduate and graduate student, we had four different coaches: Jerry Frei, Dick Enright, Don Read and Rich Brooks. Times were tough for UO football fans, but we still cheered for our Ducks.

I remember sitting in the end zone for one particularly excruciating game, along with an accomplice, a college chum who will only be identified here by his pseudonym: Mr. Duke. We were leading 21-0 at halftime, but eventually lost the game 27-24. It was an epic collapse. By the way, in those days, it always rained in Autzen Stadium.

“Do you think the Ducks will ever go to the Rose Bowl?” I queried the inimitable Mr. Duke. Both of us were dripping wet after nearly four hours of football. What had begun as a game with high hopes of a win invariably led to what can only be described as a stunning defeat. “No,” he said, definitively, and with not just a hint of disgust.

Right then and there, we made a blood pact. If the University of Oregon “Fighting Ducks” were ever to qualify for a bowl game, we were going -- whenever and wherever it might be. Years passed, then a decade, with no bowl game on the immediate horizon. By 1986, many of my colleagues at EWEB were ready to fire Rich Brooks.

Then, a freshman quarterback from Colorado would ignite a spark in the program. Bill Musgrave (above), a cerebral ginger with moxie, would lead the Ducks to the Promised Land. Following back-to-back wins over USC and Washington on two glorious, 80-degree Saturdays, and a winning record (6-5) in 1987, the future did indeed look bright.

In 1988, with Musgrave at the helm and a 6-1 record after yet another win over the Washington Huskies, the scent of roses was in the air and fans were openly making plans for a trip to Pasadena. Then Musgrave went down with a broken collarbone and the Ducks lost their last five games in a row. No Rose Bowl. No bowl game, period.

The next year, however, the Ducks finished 7-4 and were invited to an obscure post-season contest in Shreveport, Louisiana called the Independence Bowl, the first in 26 years. Mr. Duke and I, along with brother Roberto, booked reservations and by early December, we were winging our way to Bayou Country with 4,000 other Duck fans.

The Ducks would face the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. Due to an unusual weather system, the temperature at kickoff was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. With the Ducks down by two touchdowns in the third quarter, the outlook was bleak. Despite the adversity, Musgrave willed the Ducks to victory and the team won by a field goal.

With Bill Musgrave, we not only hoped -- but also actually believed -- we could win. The next year, we went to the Freedom Bowl in Anaheim. The UO football program was on the upswing. But as was the case with Rome, empires are not built in a day. The ascension to the apex of the college football world would be oh-so-incremental.

A few years later, the Ducks won the Pac-10 with a defense dubbed “Gang Green” and played in the Rose Bowl against Penn State. After another half dozen years, they won the Fiesta Bowl and finished ranked #2 nationally under the leadership of Joey Harrington (above). More big bowls, including BCS games, would follow.

This season started very well. But as injuries to key players mounted, the Ducks became vulnerable, particularly on the offensive line. The defense hadn’t yet found its mojo. Against Arizona, the team faltered and lost, and the malcontents in Autzen were grousing loudly. Bad enough watching what was unfolding: their criticisms made it worse.

But the “Webfoots” rebounded emphatically, winning the next eight in a row. They avenged their loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 championship game, and followed that with a 59-20 thumping of undefeated Florida State in the Rose Bowl. Quarterback Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy -- college football’s highest honor.

So for the whiners who believe that anything short of a national championship is failure, and particularly to those critics in the stands at the Arizona debacle, I say: “bugger off, mates.” The UO is 80-14 in the past seven seasons. They have indeed become “heavyweights” in the world of college football. Win or lose, I'll always love my Ducks!