Pre-Game: How to Prepare for Game Day as Fans

McKalie Bellew FishWrap, FishWrap Archive

Well Ducks fans, I don’t know about you but the day before a big game and the day of the game always has my tummy full of butterflies! That’s how you really know you love the team, the sport and just the overall experience.

Over the past week we have reviewed how our Ducks are preparing for this weekends game against the Huskies but us fans have to prepare too.

Let’s review seven very important pre-game necessities as fans:

  1. Ducks Gear. If you aren’t wearing at least one piece of clothing representing the University of Oregon are you even a Ducks fan?! Let everyone know who you’re rooting for, you can never wear too much Ducks gear.
  2. A Good Nights Rest. Game day is a very special event in our lives this time of year, being well-rested is absolutely crucial. Half-time is meant to get refreshments and complain to your fellow Duck fans about all the terrible calls that were made in the first half, not take a nap!
  3. A Fully Charged Cell Phone Battery. You know that you’re gonna be on Twitter and Instagram and Snapchat and Facebook showing your love for our team so make sure that you have the battery power to do so!
  4. Your Best Yelling Voice. I’m not 100% sure but I think that it is in the Rule Book for being a Duck fan that you must have your voice at full potential prior to the game and barely any voice by the end of the game. (I can’t confirm that that is actually a written rule… but it sounds right?)
  5. A-Game. We all run into the opposing team at tailgates or sports bars on game day and have to be prepared. For example, while tailgating before the Michigan State game a couple of confident Spartans approached us with a Corn-hole challenge. Guess who won that game? That’s right, we did. Know why? Because we brought our A-Game! You must always be prepared for such challenges, my fellow Duck fans.
  6. A Satisfied Belly. Game time is no time to be worrying about your stomach growling! Satisfy your hunger and thirst needs prior to the game so you’re focused on what’s most important at the moment.
  7. All Your Love and Support. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. However, to elaborate a little bit… When you walk into Autzen, or when you sit down in front of the television you’re “attending” the game on, remember why you are a Ducks fan. Remind yourself that no matter what happens during this game, when the time runs out on the clock you will still love and support our boys the same as before the game. With that being said, be confident and excited every game that we are about to play the best game of the season.

So there it is, seven pre-game necessities while preparing for a game. I’m sure there are plenty more, we all have our own rituals. Did I miss any crucial pre-game rituals Duck fans?

Top photo by Kevin Cline

New 2024 FishDuck Publishing Schedule….

During the off-season the FishDuck.com publishing schedule will consist of articles on Mondays and Tuesdays. Do keep checking as new articles could be published during the week when a writer has something to say.

In mid-August of 2024, we will go back to the seven-days-a-week of articles during the football season as we did in the football season of 2023.

The Our Beloved Ducks Forum (OBD) is where we we discuss the article above and many more topics, as it is so much easier in a message board format over there.  At the free OBD forum we will be posting Oregon Sports article links, the daily Press Releases from the Athletic Department and the news coming out every day.

Our 33 rules at the free OBD Forum can be summarized to this: 1) be polite and respectful, 2) do not tell anyone what to think, feel or write, and 3) no reference of any kind to politics. Easy-peasy!

OBD Forum members….we got your back.  No Trolls Allowed!