Oregon fans are strange, really strange. I’ve picked up some peculiar observations about them/us/me over the years and I still wrestle with some of the odd elements about them in my pondering. Let’s take a look at some of the puzzling aspects about us and concerning fan behavior over the web that can only be classified as Mysteries of the Mind.
We have an incredible analysis posted today about the Stick Concept, and how Oregon uses it, yet as well as those articles do (thousands read them) they are only a fraction–10% or less–of our total hits/visits on the site. In fact the major component this site is known for (analysis) is hardly read at all compared to our other articles. Why would that be? I call it Mysteries of the Mind….
I post these analysis articles as links on other Oregon message board websites, and those sites are visited by thousands daily, and yet so few will actually come over and read the analysis article. Now does that stop them from posting an inane opinion about something? Even when they know nothing about it? Messages are for giving opinions, and those folks (I am one of them) who enjoy doing so–yet few actually want to learn anything about football, and they post their dunderhead thoughts anyway. Why is that? I call it Mysteries of the Mind.…
I don’t get it…
I’ve had members of those sites accuse me of trying to troll for hits from their site, and on that day when the observation was posted that site contributed all of 2.90% of our total hits/visits that day. That is it! The majority of our visits from other sites occur on analysis days, and yet they constitute less than 10% of our total visits/hits that day. Wow! Wouldn’t you think that lots of Oregon fans who wish to state an opinion about the team would take fifteen minutes a week to learn something about our beloved Ducks? No, and it is again part of Mysteries of the Mind…
On one site we had over 1,200 readers click into the post about the analysis piece recently with TONS of opinions expressed. Many of these opinions seemed completely stupid, considering I covered those points in the article. Then I looked at my analytics to see how many people came over from that site to read the analysis? Only 254! So let me get this right…only 254 actually read the article, but 1,200 wanted to read about other opinions, wanted to post opinions themselves, that had not read the article? This is really strange, and it is as if people are rebelling against learning anything. Yep–it is Mysteries of the Mind again!
Most fans think that on a scale of one to ten their level of knowledge is a 7, while the typical small college or high school coach I work with on analysis articles is a 9.5 to 10. The reality is that most fans are a 1.5, and I learned that the hard way when I began doing the analysis work. (Because that is where I was at.) Most fans are morons when you consider the depth of their football knowledge … and they really don’t want to learn anything. Holy Crap.
The good news? For the fans who want to learn, we have a coach from Kentucky this week teaching us, while next week it is a coach from Albany, New York teaching us some subtle nuances of the Oregon offense that keeps opponents off balance. Next month we will have former Oregon safety Ryan Mitchell begin to help us understand what is going on in the secondary with the Ducks and he will be a consultant during the season as well.
Most fans DON’T want this…
Rory Davidson will begin his Opponent Analysis articles every week during the season to prepare us for what to look for in the upcoming game, and Nik Brownlee will begin to pose the question of, “who do you want to lose this week, and why?” We have some tasty articles this fall for those want to learn and enjoy the games that much more.
This is why FishDuck.com is now in the top 2% of the World for hits/visits per day and although not as many are learning as I hoped, we are helping thousands of fans and coaches around the nation as it is.
I was thinking about all of this, and wondering why more people are not curious and thirsting to learn more about the game as I am. Then I noted how our Technical Editor, Steven Wright, has that natural curiosity about all things involving technology, and how when he discovers something about the site that can help us–he is almost gleeful as he is explaining it to me. I do not have that intuitive curiosity about technology at all, and frankly get freaked out by some of it.
Thus we all have our areas we wish to learn about, and not others that seem obvious to someone else?
So perhaps this is not something about the fans, but more about human nature? Only a small percentage comprise those who want to learn about the subject?
So maybe Oregon fans are not so strange after all…
Charles Fischer
Top Photo by Craig Strobeck
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Charles Fischer has been an intense fan of the Ducks, a season ticket holder at Autzen Stadium for 38 years and has written reports on football boards for over 26 years. Known as “FishDuck” on those boards, he is acknowledged for providing intense detail in his scrimmage reports, and in his Xs and Os play analyses. He is single, has a daughter Christine, and resides in Eugene Oregon where he was a Financial Advisor for 36 years.
He now focuses full-time on Charitable Planned Giving Workshops for churches and non-profit organizations in addition to managing his two Oregon Football Websites, of FishDuck.com and the Our Beloved Ducks forum. He is a busy man!
He does not profess to be a coach or analyst, but simply a “hack” that enjoys sharing what he has learned and invites others to correct or add to this body of Oregon Football! See More…