Nick Daschel is a veteran sports writer and columnist who has worked on the West coast for nearly three decades. Nick has covered the Pac-10 for about 15 years, primarily focusing on the Northwest schools.
If we’re being honest here – and I’m not sure why I’d even say that, since you people know I’d never lie about anything – the fan bases in the Pac-10 are OK. They’re not nuts, and not sit on their hands. They’re OK.
Being a West coast guy, I’m OK with that. No need to sell your first born for a 40-yard line seat, as some might in that league down south. No need to take spring football seriously. You like your schools, you try to show up on Saturdays, you show a reasonable amount of passion, and you want your team to win.
But some fans in the Pac-10 are better than others. And here’s our completely subjective ranking of the league, from 1 to 10:
1. California: The joke around the Old Blues is that many have an overdue date with St. Peter, but refuse to leave Earth until Cal gets to a Rose Bowl. You’ve got to love a fan base that would rather play in the Rose Bowl, where the Bears haven’t been since 1959, than the BCS Championship game. Jeff Tedford said as much a month ago at Pac-10 media day. That’s crazy, but it’s sort of heart-warming, too. Then there’s the quirkiness of Memorial Stadium, which includes Tight Wad Hill and a remodel delayed in part to tree huggers. The school is testing the passion of Bear fans by asking some to pay as much as $225,000 for a seat in the renovated stadium. As a personal aside, I’m particularly impressed by the intelligence of Bear football fans.
2. Washington: I used to think this was the most passionate fan base in the Pac-10, but the gut-punching events of the past several years have sapped the life out of many. I don’t know if the passion can come all the way back, but Washington won’t be down forever. There remains some arrogance in the fan base, but it’s mostly a minority group of message board folks who believe 10-win seasons are the minimum acceptable standard. The majority believe as I do: UW football will come back, and while it will win 10 games on occasion, a winning season should be the expectation.
3. Oregon: You’re No. 3 Duck fans, but I’m not happy about it. Oregon fans travel well in bowl games, and they do show up for games, so I’ll give them that. But in a survey of just about every person I know, Duck fans are the most annoying, entitled fans in the Pac-10. It’s really not close. I hate to lump all Oregon fans into one group, because some of them get it, that they are where they are because of Phil Knight’s deep, deep pockets. But too many of them don’t. We are Oregon, we are owed success, and if you don’t understand our superiority, then blank you. Here’s a news flash: without Knight, you’re Oregon State.
4. USC: There is a huge sense of entitlement among USC fans. If the Trojans are going good, as they are now, they support the heck out of the football team. But when things aren’t going so well – see the Paul Hackett years, when 55-60K crowds were the norm – USC fans would just as soon spend a Saturday afternoon at the beach. If the Trojans ever drop down as low as something like the Sun Bowl, you’ll be able to transport all of the fans to El Paso in a school bus.
5. Oregon State: Beaver fans used to be like the sad-looking hound at the pound; you felt so sorry for them. They were loyal as a dog, but with no reward. No more. The Beavers are winning, and fans have opened their wallets wide to build new campus palaces to house, feed and train their heroes. Though some Beaver fans are starting to get a bit of an Oregon complex, most seem grateful to have a team worth following after decades of struggles.
6. Washington State: I have a soft spot for WSU, because no fan base gets tested like the Cougars. You can’t use attendance as a barometer of their passion. WSU fans are often rooting for a bad team, having to travel hundreds of miles on a two-lane highway, many times battling evil weather conditions, in a college town that offers less than 1,500 hotel rooms. And when the Cougars are good? The school had over 400,000 requests for Rose Bowl tickets in 1997.
7. Arizona State: In a weird way, Arizona State has an interesting obstacle, though not at the level of Washington State. Namely, it’s the weather. Most games are scheduled for the evening, because searing September heat would keep many people far away from an afternoon game in Sun Devil Stadium. ASU draws fairly well for its games, though the Sun Devils are a little on the fair weather side, no pun intended. ASU also wouldn’t set any records for travel to bowl games, either.
8. Arizona: Football isn’t an afterthought in Tucson, but it definitely plays second fiddle to basketball. Like ASU, afternoon heat is an issue, which leads to a lot of evening games. Still, unless it’s the Territorial Cup or USC, the Wildcat faithful are indifferent to home games. While on its way to its first winning season in 10 years last season, Arizona Stadium had nearly 10,000 empty seats for important games against Cal and Oregon State. That would have never happened in basketball.
9. UCLA: A few years ago, it would have been easy to drop Bruin fans into last place. They didn’t attend home games all that much, seemingly saving their interest for basketball season. But attendance has picked up in recent years, despite some not-so-good teams. The fact remains, though, that the Pac-10 has a reputation as a poor traveling league during the bowl season, and it has a lot to do with UCLA. USC is just as bad, but at least the Trojans mask it by playing in big-time bowl games.
10. Stanford: I can’t blame Stanford fans for their lack of interest when the team played in old Stanford Stadium, which was as large and spread out as a Wyoming cattle ranch. But they don’t care to watch the Cardinal in the new stadium, either. In four of its five home games last year, Stanford drew less than 35,000, including 30,000 for the opener. Pathetic. But what do you expect from a school that cares as much about women’s tennis and water polo as it does football?
Nick Daschel covers the Pacific-10 Conference for Buster Sports, and can be reached at ndaschel@bustersports.com
Wow. Surprised you put Cal and Washington before Oregon. Oregon sells out every game, no matter the opponent. Autzen is regarded as the toughest Pac-10 environment for opposing teams and top 5 in the nation.
He doesn't understand our superiority, so blank him.
What does it matter that Phil Knight has deep pockets that Oregon has the advantage of reaching into? Every school has donors and alumni they wish to be donors. Oregon just happens to have PK AND he is willing to donate extensively. Anytime that is brought up it seems like it is just an excuse as to why your school can't compete. You don't see USC fans complaining about PK's donations.
BTW, PK has made large donations to OSU and Stanford recently. Those two programs suspiciously got better around that time as well. So maybe you are on to something. Damn you Phil Knight. Why does everything you touch have to turn to gold?
Wait... What??? No, it couldn't be the coaching staffs. Certainly not the players.
are you serious? one losing season and the Cal bleachers are empty. Cal has the WORST fans in the pac-10. what happened, did someone give you the finger at Autzen?
this article is a joke and you lost whatever credibility you think you had. by your comments, I can see you have only been cover Pac-10 football for less than 10 years.
what's with the PK envy? Please get over it. I am sorry the Husky alumni can't scrape together the cash needed to fix-up the shanty you call Husky Stadium. Sorry the Husky politicians couldn't scrape together enough votes to force taxpayers to fix up that dump.
Man, you need to sober up. don't you remember when the Huskies shit did not stink? Don James walked on water. Please, get over the fact those days are long gone.
entitlement? OMG, that paints the picture of Husky fan. they used to talk about how the Rose Bowl was "their" game. "we play for the national title every year". GIVE ME an effing break. entitlement?
Oregon and USC have the best fans in the Pac-10. They show up, both at home and on the road.
Lets see... He has a degree from a Pac-10 school, started in Journalism in the Portland area, and has an axe to grind against Oregon. Sounds like we have a Beaver alum, with an outside chance of Husky. That's alright. If I surveyed all my UO friends, they wouldn't have much nice to say about Puppies or Barkrats either.
What a joke having Washington at number two. Even as a biased Oregon fan, I can say that Husky fans are far from the 2nd spot. Perfect example, I took my little step brother to the Husky/OSU game in 2000. One of the most action packed games I have ever seen live, and only one loss between the teams at the time. We bought scalped tickets and sat in the Washington season ticket holder area and all they did was piss and moan the entire time about how their team stunk. No roar from the crowd on big third down plays at all. You could hear the Beaver fans cheering louder.
Even though all these Oregon fans are a bit emotional with these comments, I do agree that having UW at #2 is a bit off. I went to ASU/UW last year in Seattle, the place was a ghost town and the UW fans that were there were just making fun of their own team to no end. I would definitely have Cal and UO at the top. I just wish that ASU would have ranked a bit higher..go devils!
I'll admit, I struggled to come up with these rankings, because none of the fan bases are way, way out there. The bottom was fairly easy, but the top ... just about everyone could take the top 5 and come up with a different set. As for UW, unfair to conclude something based on the last year or two. Oregon would be a ghost town, too, if it were 0-12. These are my observations over the past 15 years.
I think you got it spot on with Oregon and Washington. First of all, anyone that refers to Phil Knight as PK is proving your point. Why not call him Lil' Buddy. Secondly, I agree with your assessment of Washington fans. Sure, the Puget Sound area has taken a hit (who wouldn't after five years of 0-5 wins?) but growing up a Beaver fan in the 70's and 80's, the Husky games were always the highest attended, even over the Civil War at times, because they traveled so well. Even two years ago, the Husky game at Reser was packed with purple and gold wearing fans.
I am not sure about Cal, as I have never been to a game there, but college football is such an after thought in the Bay area I was kind of shocked.
I do agree with Stanford. The hardest part about playing there is getting excited for a game with a scrimmage like crowd. I was there five years ago and the student section was about 1/3 full, the end zones were tarped off and the "money" seats were about half full. It was like watching a 9 man football game, crowd wise.
Nick, did someone drop you on your head as a baby? Oregon has to be #1..did you know that the big house in Michigan is under going renovations to make it louder?
I spit out my coffee when I saw this list. I live 10 miles from Cal and go to 2-3 games a year. They are just like any other California pac-10 team fanbase. Fair weather bandwagon etc. etc. I can still go to a game without a ticket and get in with no problem. 8 years ago I could walk down and sit wherever i wanted.
If you are judging Oregon on annoying fans, I guess you don't remember Washington when they were winning. They are twice as arrogant as Oregon fans. But I understand since it's been so long since they've had a good team.
SFduck, it was just because Washington was good and the Ducks were bad--it made it that much more annoying to you.
Kind of why it is reverse now. It is all relative. Do I personally believe, in comparison, the Duck fans can be more annoying? Yes, but only because I believe the average age of the fans.
The Husky fans still can be annoying and heck, I am a diehard. They annoy me when they leave with 4 minutes to go to beat the traffic....even in a tie game!
But, when I am in Autzen, I do see classless and absolute cruddy behavior all over. When I really look at who is doing it, though, it isn't the guys that I saw in the stands in the 80's and early 90's. It is the "newer generation" of Ducks and I am guessing that was the same way it was with the Dawg fans of the 80's and 90's.
Every fan base has their culprits, and when studying the diehards we are the least reasonable (as far as expectations and beliefs on our own team) yet the most courteous come game time. Some just haven't got that memo.
And Nick, I agree. Taking the last 15 or 20 years is the most fair comparison for the fan bases. Autzen would have about as many fans in the stands as they did when Troy Aikman and UCLA came to town (about 12k) if they had an 0-12 season.
What they do have going for them, however, is that there is nothing to do in this town in the fall and it is a reason to get together and drink....so that does help their attendance no matter what!
And btw, "PK" is not just any donor....nor is the other "PK". The Ducks would not be where they are today without Knight, although there is something to be said about Bellotti. One heck of a coach that is for sure and I am glad he isn't on the sidelines any longer.
"Oregon would be a ghost town, too, if it were 0-12. These are my observations over the past 15 years."
YOU STINK OF FAIL!
Even back in the day when our offense was centered around the shovel pass, the true and loyal fans of Oregon came out for game day. Autzen has witnessed more than four million fans walking through the turnstiles to watch Oregon football since 1987. Further emphasizing its popularity is the fact the Ducks have exceeded per-game seating capacity on a season basis seven of the last eight years and enter this season boasting of a school-record 24 consecutive sellouts. Autzen is the heart of football in the pacific northwest. The roar of it's inhabitants produce a concussive wave felt from Eugene to Ann Arbor...Can you here us Nick? We're coming for you!
You just making this up as you go alone there big guy?
In my opinion, Oregon fans should take the number 1 spot, bar none… Cal is just so Busch League what with their little button up 70's sweaters and piece of S stadium….
Huskies…? C’mon! Those dogs have rolled over and died… Purple Poodle Pile don't bark no more.
I’ve always known Duck Fans are number 1. Go Ducks!!
I think eugenedawg and Nick make a lot of great points. Having grown up in Oregon, I used to pull for both my Beavs and the Ducks. Somewhere along the way (around the early 2000's) their fan base has really attracted some not so great fans. I believe it was a combination of a few things. When Phil Knight really started to invest in the program and when the fan base started to take on the personalities of the coach.
When the practice facilities and stadium expansion were paid for by Phil Knight, a lot of fans piggybacked off that. It was as if they won the lottery. It's like the annoying elementary school kid that everybody else hated, but because his parents were rich he thought he was above everybody else and had a right to act arrogant and annoying. Now this could be due to the kid acting like his or her parents, which is similiar to fan bases taking on the personality of their coach. Belotti was a good coach, but his faults were he never admitted another team was better when he lost and always had excuses for everything. A lot of the similiarities you see in the Duck fans these days which is why a lot of fans from other programs think they are annoying.
To be fair, most of the bad Duck fans are not alumni. The alumni seem to have a more realistic view of the university and their team. It's the "other" fan they are attracting that seem to be the problem. You can see it at the office. There will be a few alumni that follow their team and have season tickets that really know a lot about football and their team. Then there are the 10 or more fans at work that deck out their cube, wear Oregon gear almost everyday at work, have stickers all over their car even though they never stepped a foot on campus except maybe a football game here or there. To be fair if the question was Who are the most PASSIONATE fans I would say the Ducks are #1, but that does not translate to best fans.
It is my experience having grown up in Berkeley and gone to school at Oregon that Cal at #1 is ridiculous. As mentioned earlier, up until the last four years or so, a fan could by a ticket game day and sit just about anywhere in memorial stadium. Cal has a great alumni tradition and old blue's love their team, but the student section fluctuates drastically depending on the teams record. I find it hilarious traveling down to Cal games from Portland to see a packed student section which just five years ago barely 60% full.
Home Total ........238,405
Home Average .......34,058
Yep, this is the Rose Bowl year - and, Oregon fans who were ALWAYS so loyal to the team, left a QUARTER OF THE STADIUM empty that year (capacity of 44-thousand). Even after beating the Huskies and having the inside track to Pasadena, Oregon couldn't sell out its remaining two home games.
Loyalty, huh?
Funny how, back then, all I heard was Oregon fans complain about how much money USC had, and how much money UW had, and how it was unfair to compete with their budgets.
It's the Nike marketing machine has turned people who can't think for themselves (Duck alumni not included in this group - they've always been a passionate group), into Oregon football fans. I mean, where were these people before Phil started handing out cash to the program?
First off I have been a Duck fan sense the mid 70's and yes things have changed over the years. However, I am so tired of the PK bull. Yes Oregon did not draw well for a lot years for lot's of reasons. The number one reason would be that they weren't very good. But college football has drastically changed over the past 20 years. It has become huge with almost all games being on t.v., but the number 1 reason teams like Oregon are so much better is the drastic reduction in scholarships. Programs like USC and Stanford have so much more alumi with so much more money than a school like Oregon. And Marvin gardens the crowds both Oregon and Oregon State get are amazing. Our state is tiny, you have as many people in a county as we do in our entire state. So to be able to draw around a 110,000 people when both teams play at home on the same day is amazing. And I am a realistic Duck fan that is happy when the go 8-4, as I sat through many a 2-9 season. So the PK stuff, you all need to get over it. Schools like SC, florida, Texas, have hundreds of miny PK. Not to mention states with huge populations, so I won't apologize because we have PK.
I've been to all the stadiums several times. I hope you have to be making these comments. I do not agree with any of it. Cal fans are the worst bandwagon fans in the Pac. Washington is a ghost town up there. Coogs...you can't be serious. Been going up there 20 years and been called everything and been hit with objects. I get a kick out of people knocking the Ducks. Been a ticket holder since 1974. Never seen any problems in tailgate area. There are a few new fans who are rude in the end zones, but that's about it. You've bought in to the hype...how many times have you been to Autzen? What games? People love you when you're down, which we were forever, but hate you when the $ arrives and you start to pass them. Just the way it is and you fell right in to it. Very poor journalism. The poll makes absolutely no sense.
Those attendance figures during the Rose Bowl year are pretty impressive considering the population base and where we were at the time. You have no idea of the history prior to that year. I was always amazed at the crowds and the energy for teams that were mediocre.
Well, let's do some basic math..."The Ducks have exceeded per-game seating capacity on a season basis seven of the last eight years and enter this season boasting of a school-record 24 consecutive sellouts"
Ok, that 6.5 home games a year, times 54,000 a game, times seven years. Thats 2.45 mil. in just the past seven years...so yes, maybe you're right...4 mil since 1987 seems a bit low. Thanks for pointing that out.
I believe some criticism of us Duck fans is warranted - the, uh, "overlyzealous" in and around the student section (northwest) are an embarrassment with their "shenanigans," at times.
The Donor section (under the roof on the south side, 50-yard line-ish) don't quite get it, either, regarding "The Wave" - it WASN'T invented by UDub!! - (get over the misconception - don't be afraid, alumni, join in, please).
By and large, Duck fan "attitude" is dictated by the perception of the opponent - I believe out-of-conference visitors are treated with total respect and hospitality. Fuskie fans - no way (see 1948 vote against the Ducks to be in the Rose Bowl - yes, it goes back that far).
The decibel level in Autzen is also a factor of the opponent's perceived "threat" to victory and/or National ranking and/or "rivalry status."
eugenedawg, you are totally wrong. I was at the UCLA/Troy Aikman game and it was a sell out. Aikman's worst game of the year
hey marvinsgardensm, Autzen capacity in 1994 was 41,000. We took 40,000 to the rose bowl.
most beaver fans don't even have a high school diploma
husky fans are, and will always be, the most arrogant.
Cal is fareweather! I have been to several games where the visitor nearly outnumbered the home crowd at Memorial. a couple of losses and you'll see them bail FAST.
ASU fans are BAD too.
We need a new term for the huskies like what WSU does to them selves, like "coug it." How about "dawd'd it?"
Nick, great list. I can't vouch for Cal being #1, but I think UW has very loyal fans (at least top 3). 76,000 seat Husky Stadium was nearly sold out for many games last year during an 0-12 campaign during Losingham's regime. The fact that season ticket sales have not completely bottomed-out after such a run of incompetent management is a feat in itself.
The LSU game is going to be huge from a fan perspective. Expect a very loud sell-out crowd ready to see a new era in Washington football.
Dawg fans may be the most arrogant according to Duck fans (have you ever met a die-hard USC fan lately?) but Oregon takes the cake on annoying. Worst behaved traveling fans in the Pac 10, hands down.
As a Cal fan, I also question Cal at one. But one thing is crystal clear - it should not be Oregon. First, based on the posts of most of the Oregon fans here, they have proven the writer's point - they are both annoying, overly indignant and have an inflated sense of entitlement. Moreover, I also think it is generational, as every Duck fan over 40 that I have met is incredibly friendly, intelligent and reasonable. However, with those under 40, it seems to be quite the opposite. I have been to games at every venue in the Pac 10 and naturally at every place, including Cal, you get a lot of expletives directed at visitors. Oregon, however, is the only place I have actually been pushed or shoved, by young Duck fans, for no reason other than wearing my team's colors. I think the fact that it is younger duck fans who tend to be annoying supports the conclusion that at least younger duck fans have an over-inflated sense of entitledment based on the recent winning over the last 2 decades.
First of alllllll, it's a ghost town? You ignorant f**** listen up, I want you to go and find the another program in the god damn country that hasnt had a winning season in over 5 years and STILL AVERAGE MORE THAN 60,000 fans. If 60,000 is a ghost town then wtf is Eugene. And how bout this, how does it feel to not even come closeeeeeee to recruiting as well as a winless 2008 team. 16th ranked recruiting class in the country, and were not even close to done. Don't you wonder why that is? It's because everyone knows, INCLUDING PETE CARROL (he has said it multiple times over the past few years....do research rejects) that USC's dominance WILL ONLY come to an end at the hand of the return of the other class of the Pac-ten...The University of Washington. Still one of the top 20 winningest programs in THE COUNTRY, still one of what... 3 schools who have never played a D-2. And stilllll whooping everyone's ass in attendance during a horrible losing stretch. Oneeeee more thing look at thissssss below....notice during YOUR rose bowl year that by the way you have a horrible home attendace average THAT WASHINGTON is your highest attended game. Why is that??? It's the same reasons ball parks fill up to see the yanks and redsox. People love to see a real winner. Not to mention us Dawgs pry easily gave that number a 10,000 seat boost. Oh, and have fun with Boise State, we are busy NOT shying away from real programs like LSU and Notre Dame.
Wow, Frozen, you sure about that? I just ran across this gem about Autzen home attendance to show how loyal Oregon fans are. 1994 Portland State* ....30,505 Utah* ..............25,358 Iowa* ..............29,287 California* ........30,678 Washington* ........44,134 Arizona* ...........36,760 Arizona State* .....41,683 Home Total ........238,405 Home Average .......34,058 Yep, this is the Rose Bowl year - and, Oregon fans who were ALWAYS so loyal to the team, left a QUARTER OF THE STADIUM empty that year (capacity of 44-thousand). Even after beating the Huskies and having the inside track to Pasadena, Oregon couldn't sell out its remaining two home games. Loyalty, huh?
In regard to the above comments offered by those who believe they are the best college football fans:
I have travelled as a Washington Husky Football fan to away games all over the country. Generally, at most schools their fans are nice to visiting fans and are well-behaved. I have met wonderful Oregon Duck fans, while travelling to a bowl game, who were very friendly, -and they were loyal alums of Oregon. However, during the last 20 years at Autzen Stadium (Oregon), there has been significant distasteful behavior displayed toward visiting fans by just enough Duck fans to make a visitor feel like never wanting to see them again. I'm sure there are Duck fans who are respectful, and I would encourage college football fans everywhere to enthusiastically support their favorite team, yet not deride others but treat them with respect as they would want in return.
Like it or not, this fact is true; it occured during a visit to Oregon in 2002.
After driving from Seattle to watch the game, we went near the Oregon Stadium to find parking. Cancer had been discovered in my friend's back and he had surgery to remove a tumor and some bone.
We had a Handicapped Pass and tried at 4 different enterances to get parking near the Stadium but were refused enterance. Why? For one reason and one reason only - we had Washington license plates.
Finally, I found the Stadium Parking Supervisor and explained the situation. I was told that "Stadium Parking is reserved for the Oregon fans, you'll have to find somewhere else to park".
The nearest parking was about 2 miles away - that was my last trip I will ever make to Oregon.
Damn. Last game I went to in PAC-10 country wasn't even a PAC-10 game (Army/Navy in Rose Bowl- early 80's). Based on what I have read here, I probably shouldn't try to top that.
Don't mind me. I just popped in with my cheese wheel cuz someone said they were serving some excellent oregon whines here. (right, not original, but very appropriate)
I really don't need to say a word either. The duck fans are quite eloquently proving my point.
The majority of the above comments from all the Orger Schmuck fans simply reinforces Nick's description of your fan base. I am friends with Cougs, Beavers, Bruin and Sun Devil alums and they all agree that U of O has the most obnoxious fan base in the Pac 10. The fans and uniforms deserve each other.
Comments
Maybe I'm just arrogant though.
I go to all the games and have years of experience with Pac-10 fans. You are perpetuating an Oregon State myth about Oregon fans.
Sorry, didn't mean to come of as arrogant!
What does it matter that Phil Knight has deep pockets that Oregon has the advantage of reaching into? Every school has donors and alumni they wish to be donors. Oregon just happens to have PK AND he is willing to donate extensively. Anytime that is brought up it seems like it is just an excuse as to why your school can't compete. You don't see USC fans complaining about PK's donations.
BTW, PK has made large donations to OSU and Stanford recently. Those two programs suspiciously got better around that time as well. So maybe you are on to something. Damn you Phil Knight. Why does everything you touch have to turn to gold?
Wait... What??? No, it couldn't be the coaching staffs. Certainly not the players.
this article is a joke and you lost whatever credibility you think you had. by your comments, I can see you have only been cover Pac-10 football for less than 10 years.
what's with the PK envy? Please get over it. I am sorry the Husky alumni can't scrape together the cash needed to fix-up the shanty you call Husky Stadium. Sorry the Husky politicians couldn't scrape together enough votes to force taxpayers to fix up that dump.
Man, you need to sober up. don't you remember when the Huskies shit did not stink? Don James walked on water. Please, get over the fact those days are long gone.
entitlement? OMG, that paints the picture of Husky fan. they used to talk about how the Rose Bowl was "their" game. "we play for the national title every year". GIVE ME an effing break. entitlement?
Oregon and USC have the best fans in the Pac-10. They show up, both at home and on the road.
I am not sure about Cal, as I have never been to a game there, but college football is such an after thought in the Bay area I was kind of shocked.
I do agree with Stanford. The hardest part about playing there is getting excited for a game with a scrimmage like crowd. I was there five years ago and the student section was about 1/3 full, the end zones were tarped off and the "money" seats were about half full. It was like watching a 9 man football game, crowd wise.
If you are judging Oregon on annoying fans, I guess you don't remember Washington when they were winning. They are twice as arrogant as Oregon fans. But I understand since it's been so long since they've had a good team.
Kind of why it is reverse now. It is all relative. Do I personally believe, in comparison, the Duck fans can be more annoying? Yes, but only because I believe the average age of the fans.
The Husky fans still can be annoying and heck, I am a diehard. They annoy me when they leave with 4 minutes to go to beat the traffic....even in a tie game!
But, when I am in Autzen, I do see classless and absolute cruddy behavior all over. When I really look at who is doing it, though, it isn't the guys that I saw in the stands in the 80's and early 90's. It is the "newer generation" of Ducks and I am guessing that was the same way it was with the Dawg fans of the 80's and 90's.
Every fan base has their culprits, and when studying the diehards we are the least reasonable (as far as expectations and beliefs on our own team) yet the most courteous come game time. Some just haven't got that memo.
What they do have going for them, however, is that there is nothing to do in this town in the fall and it is a reason to get together and drink....so that does help their attendance no matter what!
And btw, "PK" is not just any donor....nor is the other "PK". The Ducks would not be where they are today without Knight, although there is something to be said about Bellotti. One heck of a coach that is for sure and I am glad he isn't on the sidelines any longer.
YOU STINK OF FAIL!
Even back in the day when our offense was centered around the shovel pass, the true and loyal fans of Oregon came out for game day. Autzen has witnessed more than four million fans walking through the turnstiles to watch Oregon football since 1987. Further emphasizing its popularity is the fact the Ducks have exceeded per-game seating capacity on a season basis seven of the last eight years and enter this season boasting of a school-record 24 consecutive sellouts. Autzen is the heart of football in the pacific northwest. The roar of it's inhabitants produce a concussive wave felt from Eugene to Ann Arbor...Can you here us Nick? We're coming for you!
In my opinion, Oregon fans should take the number 1 spot, bar none… Cal is just so Busch League what with their little button up 70's sweaters and piece of S stadium….
Huskies…? C’mon! Those dogs have rolled over and died… Purple Poodle Pile don't bark no more.
I’ve always known Duck Fans are number 1. Go Ducks!!
goduckspodcast.com
When the practice facilities and stadium expansion were paid for by Phil Knight, a lot of fans piggybacked off that. It was as if they won the lottery. It's like the annoying elementary school kid that everybody else hated, but because his parents were rich he thought he was above everybody else and had a right to act arrogant and annoying. Now this could be due to the kid acting like his or her parents, which is similiar to fan bases taking on the personality of their coach. Belotti was a good coach, but his faults were he never admitted another team was better when he lost and always had excuses for everything. A lot of the similiarities you see in the Duck fans these days which is why a lot of fans from other programs think they are annoying.
1994
Portland State* ....30,505
Utah* ..............25,358
Iowa* ..............29,287
California* ........30,678
Washington* ........44,134
Arizona* ...........36,760
Arizona State* .....41,683
Home Total ........238,405
Home Average .......34,058
Yep, this is the Rose Bowl year - and, Oregon fans who were ALWAYS so loyal to the team, left a QUARTER OF THE STADIUM empty that year (capacity of 44-thousand). Even after beating the Huskies and having the inside track to Pasadena, Oregon couldn't sell out its remaining two home games.
Loyalty, huh?
Funny how, back then, all I heard was Oregon fans complain about how much money USC had, and how much money UW had, and how it was unfair to compete with their budgets.
It's the Nike marketing machine has turned people who can't think for themselves (Duck alumni not included in this group - they've always been a passionate group), into Oregon football fans. I mean, where were these people before Phil started handing out cash to the program?
They weren't in Autzen.
Go back to school my friend because you are ABYSMAL at writing on the Pac.
You're the Lou Holtz of the Pac-10 blogosphere.
Well, let's do some basic math..."The Ducks have exceeded per-game seating capacity on a season basis seven of the last eight years and enter this season boasting of a school-record 24 consecutive sellouts"
Ok, that 6.5 home games a year, times 54,000 a game, times seven years. Thats 2.45 mil. in just the past seven years...so yes, maybe you're right...4 mil since 1987 seems a bit low. Thanks for pointing that out.
The Donor section (under the roof on the south side, 50-yard line-ish) don't quite get it, either, regarding "The Wave" - it WASN'T invented by UDub!! - (get over the misconception - don't be afraid, alumni, join in, please).
By and large, Duck fan "attitude" is dictated by the perception of the opponent - I believe out-of-conference visitors are treated with total respect and hospitality. Fuskie fans - no way (see 1948 vote against the Ducks to be in the Rose Bowl - yes, it goes back that far).
The decibel level in Autzen is also a factor of the opponent's perceived "threat" to victory and/or National ranking and/or "rivalry status."
Oh - and we DO travel well to Bowl games.
hey marvinsgardensm, Autzen capacity in 1994 was 41,000. We took 40,000 to the rose bowl.
most beaver fans don't even have a high school diploma
husky fans are, and will always be, the most arrogant.
Cal is fareweather! I have been to several games where the visitor nearly outnumbered the home crowd at Memorial. a couple of losses and you'll see them bail FAST.
ASU fans are BAD too.
We need a new term for the huskies like what WSU does to them selves, like "coug it." How about "dawd'd it?"
The Huskies really dawg'd it against BYU!
Buster sucks
The LSU game is going to be huge from a fan perspective. Expect a very loud sell-out crowd ready to see a new era in Washington football.
Wow, Frozen, you sure about that? I just ran across this gem about Autzen home attendance to show how loyal Oregon fans are. 1994 Portland State* ....30,505 Utah* ..............25,358 Iowa* ..............29,287 California* ........30,678 Washington* ........44,134 Arizona* ...........36,760 Arizona State* .....41,683 Home Total ........238,405 Home Average .......34,058 Yep, this is the Rose Bowl year - and, Oregon fans who were ALWAYS so loyal to the team, left a QUARTER OF THE STADIUM empty that year (capacity of 44-thousand). Even after beating the Huskies and having the inside track to Pasadena, Oregon couldn't sell out its remaining two home games. Loyalty, huh?
I have travelled as a Washington Husky Football fan to away games all over the country. Generally, at most schools their fans are nice to visiting fans and are well-behaved. I have met wonderful Oregon Duck fans, while travelling to a bowl game, who were very friendly, -and they were loyal alums of Oregon. However, during the last 20 years at Autzen Stadium (Oregon), there has been significant distasteful behavior displayed toward visiting fans by just enough Duck fans to make a visitor feel like never wanting to see them again. I'm sure there are Duck fans who are respectful, and I would encourage college football fans everywhere to enthusiastically support their favorite team, yet not deride others but treat them with respect as they would want in return.
After driving from Seattle to watch the game, we went near the Oregon Stadium to find parking. Cancer had been discovered in my friend's back and he had surgery to remove a tumor and some bone.
We had a Handicapped Pass and tried at 4 different enterances to get parking near the Stadium but were refused enterance. Why? For one reason and one reason only - we had Washington license plates.
Finally, I found the Stadium Parking Supervisor and explained the situation. I was told that "Stadium Parking is reserved for the Oregon fans, you'll have to find somewhere else to park".
The nearest parking was about 2 miles away - that was my last trip I will ever make to Oregon.
I really don't need to say a word either. The duck fans are quite eloquently proving my point.