COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMES TO WATCH WEEK 8
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Canzano: Bridge stunt puts Oregon-Washington rivalry in new light
By John Canzano, The Oregonian
October 22, 2009, 6:39PM
The first big play of this week's rivalry game between Oregon and Washington started with a telephone call.
Peter Buck, a corporate attorney in Seattle, dialed up a college friend, and asked for a $50 commitment. Then, he called eight more friends. This is how Husky-themed purple and gold lights came to blanket the Morrison Bridge, twinkling over the Willamette River this week.
What Buck knew, and maybe Ducks fans are just now learning, is that the color of the bridge lights can be purchased for $500 a week.
Any color you'd like.
First come, first served.
"Whatever theme you want, we'll do," said M'Lou Christ, director of the Willamette Light Brigade. "We're content neutral."
Mostly, people laugh when they hear about Buck's stunt. But some are shocked. Or angry. One downtown business owner even retaliated against Husky Week on the bridge by putting up green lights on his building Thursday.
But Buck, who was born in Portland, went to Lincoln High School and graduated from UW in 1991, said he did it all as "good-natured" ribbing, and expects that he'll get his share back from Ducks fans.
Remember, Oregon purchased a billboard smack in the middle of UCLA territory once. And Washington State lit the Space Needle with its school colors during the Apple Cup one time. And so really we're talking about good, clean fun in a rivalry that probably needs some.
The people at the light brigade have lit the bridge with red, white and blue lights during the first week of July. The bridge was red and green last Christmas. They've used orange and black for Oregon State, green and yellow for Oregon and even turned the Morrison Bridge red and black once in honor of the Trail Blazers.
Again, this is a diversion while we wait for the football, isn't it?
Ducks head coach Chip Kelly will tell you he loves to watch movies when he's not coaching. And Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers said he collects shoes, and spent his down time last week when the Beavers were off traveling to malls in Eugene and Portland looking for new kicks. And I learned this week that Ducks defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti takes his wife out to dinner on Thursday nights during football season. Then, they go home and watch Grey's Anatomy and Survivor on television.
"I don't really like Survivor," Aliotti said. "But Grey's isn't bad."
He's not watching television in place of his game preparation, mind you. The Ducks assistant has mostly watched Washington's upset of USC this week, looking for tendencies in both.
But Aliotti said the date night is his one worthwhile diversion. And Kelly said his staff recites movie lines to one another sometimes. So while sport is the diversion for most of us, there is sport in finding a diversion from the football, isn't there?
I think that's what the bridge represents.
The hostile reaction from a few outraged Ducks fans is surprising. Buck's witty gesture should be greeted with a tip of the cap, not taunts about how badly Oregon will beat Washington on Saturday.
It was a clever idea. Give him credit.
In fact, the attorney responsible for the purple and gold lights on the Morrison Bridge said he wouldn't be surprised if Oregon and Oregon State fans move quickly today in a race to lock up the bridge in their colors for Civil War week.
"It's a beautiful thing," Buck said, "to see your colors on that bridge."
But you've thought of that already, haven't you?
- John Canzano
- Catch him on the radio on "The Bald-Faced Truth," 3-6 p.m. weekdays on KXTG (95.5).
_________
lol, fuck that
Canzano: Bridge stunt puts Oregon-Washington rivalry in new light
By John Canzano, The Oregonian
October 22, 2009, 6:39PM
The first big play of this week's rivalry game between Oregon and Washington started with a telephone call.
Peter Buck, a corporate attorney in Seattle, dialed up a college friend, and asked for a $50 commitment. Then, he called eight more friends. This is how Husky-themed purple and gold lights came to blanket the Morrison Bridge, twinkling over the Willamette River this week.
What Buck knew, and maybe Ducks fans are just now learning, is that the color of the bridge lights can be purchased for $500 a week.
Any color you'd like.
First come, first served.
"Whatever theme you want, we'll do," said M'Lou Christ, director of the Willamette Light Brigade. "We're content neutral."
Mostly, people laugh when they hear about Buck's stunt. But some are shocked. Or angry. One downtown business owner even retaliated against Husky Week on the bridge by putting up green lights on his building Thursday.
But Buck, who was born in Portland, went to Lincoln High School and graduated from UW in 1991, said he did it all as "good-natured" ribbing, and expects that he'll get his share back from Ducks fans.
Remember, Oregon purchased a billboard smack in the middle of UCLA territory once. And Washington State lit the Space Needle with its school colors during the Apple Cup one time. And so really we're talking about good, clean fun in a rivalry that probably needs some.
The people at the light brigade have lit the bridge with red, white and blue lights during the first week of July. The bridge was red and green last Christmas. They've used orange and black for Oregon State, green and yellow for Oregon and even turned the Morrison Bridge red and black once in honor of the Trail Blazers.
Again, this is a diversion while we wait for the football, isn't it?
Ducks head coach Chip Kelly will tell you he loves to watch movies when he's not coaching. And Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers said he collects shoes, and spent his down time last week when the Beavers were off traveling to malls in Eugene and Portland looking for new kicks. And I learned this week that Ducks defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti takes his wife out to dinner on Thursday nights during football season. Then, they go home and watch Grey's Anatomy and Survivor on television.
"I don't really like Survivor," Aliotti said. "But Grey's isn't bad."
He's not watching television in place of his game preparation, mind you. The Ducks assistant has mostly watched Washington's upset of USC this week, looking for tendencies in both.
But Aliotti said the date night is his one worthwhile diversion. And Kelly said his staff recites movie lines to one another sometimes. So while sport is the diversion for most of us, there is sport in finding a diversion from the football, isn't there?
I think that's what the bridge represents.
The hostile reaction from a few outraged Ducks fans is surprising. Buck's witty gesture should be greeted with a tip of the cap, not taunts about how badly Oregon will beat Washington on Saturday.
It was a clever idea. Give him credit.
In fact, the attorney responsible for the purple and gold lights on the Morrison Bridge said he wouldn't be surprised if Oregon and Oregon State fans move quickly today in a race to lock up the bridge in their colors for Civil War week.
"It's a beautiful thing," Buck said, "to see your colors on that bridge."
But you've thought of that already, haven't you?
- John Canzano
- Catch him on the radio on "The Bald-Faced Truth," 3-6 p.m. weekdays on KXTG (95.5).
_________
lol, fuck that
