It's the eve of the 114th (I think) Civil War here in Oregon, the annual football game against Oregon and Oregon State. This year, as most of you should know, Oregon is playing for a spot in the National Championship game. Also this year, Oregon State is playing for a chance to ruin Oregon's chances. And to go to a miserable bowl game.
Coach Mike Riley, of the OSU Beavers, said that if OSU wins this game, it'll be the biggest win in OSU history.
Really?
Between the two schools, there's always been this concept of the "big brother" and the "little brother." Oregon is the big brother with the flashy uniforms and the ridiculous facilities and the giant booster (Uncle Phil). They have all the money and none of the class, people say. The Beavers are the little brother, often over-looked despite their abilities, with a genuinely nice guy coach and an aura of doing things the "right way." They wouldn't take a big booster like Uncle Phil, cause they are such a boot-strappy team (an idea that is absolutely ludicrous, but I'll let it go for now).
I think that idea is bullshit. I don't think of OSU as the little brother at all. Or at least, I didn't, until Coach Riley busted out the "biggest win ever" quote. Because honestly, if there's anything more "little brother" than playing to ruin your rival's season, and then claiming it's the team's biggest win, I don't know what it is.
People will point to Oregon's win over OSU in Corvallis a few years ago that kept OSU from the Rose Bowl and say "well, all the Ducks cared about was ruining the Beavs' season." And that might be true, but that wasn't Oregon's biggest win ever. Oregon was having a down year, but went into their arch-rival's stadium and beat the snot out of them. And then went to some crappy bowl. It was nice to beat the Beavers, and felt good keeping them out of the Rose Bowl, but that win wasn't even close to as big as the win over, say Washington with "The Pick." Or some of the wins in '95 when the Ducks went to the Rose Bowl. Or beating the snot out of USC last season on Halloween. Hell, I'm not even sure that win over OSU ranks in the top ten.
But for OSU, who claims not to be the little brother, beating Oregon and keeping them out of the National Championship, THAT'S their biggest win? Isn't the very definition of little brother measuring your life against what the big brother does, and being jealous, and wanting to beat him?
I was shocked to hear Riley say that. It diminishes what the Beavers have done, it diminishes their Fiesta Bowl year, and the "Giant Killer" team. It makes them seem small and petty. Yeah, winning against Oregon will be sweet for them, but the team is still 6-6 and going to a bad bowl game. That should make Beaver fans pissed, not elated. Not treating the game as the Biggest Win Ever. It should be a stepping stone to better things. Not the bench-mark for all victories ever.
Small and petty are words most people would associate with little brothers.
Oregon started Dennis Dixon at quarterback with a torn ACL in a game against Arizona in 2007. When Dixon inevitably blew out his knee, Coach Belloti blamed Dixon for wanting to play, and not himself for putting the team's No. 2 national ranking ahead of the health of one of his players. THAT seemed pretty small and petty to me.
ReplyDeleteBut still, I am sure you are right, Riley really diminished the Beavers with his comments. What an asshole.
All of those things you said about a coach that isn't at Oregon anymore is true.
ReplyDeleteAnd Riley isn't an asshole...he's a very classy coach. But OSU needs to stop measuring themselves against Oregon and then denying that they do it. Make your own history and stop thinking that preventing another team from doing something makes your team better.
You are right that Belloti doesn't coach at Oregon anymore, but the school stood right by him when he made those asinine comments, with the same fans who didn't object to them at the time, and he is the same person that was handed a multi-million dollar unwritten sweetheart deal shortly thereafter.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for history. Remembering the good with the bad is the key.
As an aside, you know what team has a lot of history? Notre Dame.