Let me start by saying that I have met a few pretty classy Beaver fans over the years. I have also met a few not so classy Oregon fans. However, the majority of Beaver fans I have met (and I have met a considerable amount) need to learn how to properly cheer for their team.
So, welcome to Fan 101.
Any publicity is good publicity
It seems these days that Beaver fans are actually Duck fans, masquerading as OS believers, putting 90% of your energy into hating on the Ducks and only 10% into rooting for your own team. It has almost become an obsession.
Your percentages need to flip-flop. If you know anything about how football rankings work, you want every team on your schedule to win until you play them. Especially the ranked teams.
I remember all of the videos posted online showing Beaver fans cheering ecstatically when Stanford beat Oregon. You just broke the first rule. Oregon was next on your schedule. Therefore you should have wanted them to win, thus giving you the chance to beat a higher ranked team and move up.
What would be sweeter, beating the Ducks when they’re ranked No. 5, or when they are ranked No. 1? Wouldn’t you rather knock the Ducks out of the National Championship, rather than just beat them?
Oregon fans cheer on the Ducks
The players on your team are not oblivious to how their fan base feels. If fans spend more time hating other teams than cheering for your own, it can lessen the motivation on the field.
I imagine Autzen Stadium would be nowhere near as intimidating if Oregon fans were mulling over how much they hate the Beavers, rather than cheering for the Ducks.
Beaver fans should also stop wasting their money making and buying products that insult the Ducks. How does the saying go, “any publicity is good publicity”? When you wear a 12-1 t-shirt with the number 1 being a middle finger. You are not only showing your crassness, you are promoting the Ducks; the shirt makes no mention of your own team.
Oregon State coach Mike Riley
Now it is time for Beaver fans to start thanking the Ducks. Oregon has almost single-handedly kept the PAC-12 relevant. If you take Oregon and Stanford out of the conference, the PAC-12 becomes extremely average. Oregon gets knocked on their strength of schedule playing in the PAC, while teams like the Beavers get praised for having a tough schedule because Oregon is a perennial top 10 team.
The main reason Beaver fans should thank the Ducks, and learn to respect their “big brother” is simple…money! When two teams from one conference get selected for a BCS bowl, that conference gets an extra 6.1 million dollars to split. What does this mean? With the help of Stanford, Oregon has earned Oregon State and extra 1.5 million dollars in the last 3 years. If that doesn’t give you enough reason to appreciate the Ducks, nothing will.
If you can’t learn from the Ducks, take a note from your own coach. Mike Riley is one of the classiest coaches in the nation. There is quite a contrast between Riley and Beaver fans.
Well, the bell is about to ring for your next class. Make sure to review your notes, and don’t forget what I have taught you over the weekend. You will be tested on this next season, and I expect to see good scores and more than a few thank you’s.
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Sam was born and raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon and he has been a die hard Duck fan his entire life. Sam studied at the University of Oregon before moving to San Diego for 5 years. After moving back to Oregon, Sam decided to follow his passion for writing and started writing for various sports sites. To him, nothing is better than being in Autzen Stadium with 59,000 fans screaming their heads off!