Oregon-Washington: Tale Of The Tape
In the Pac-10, there are traditional rivalries, and then there is Oregon vs. Washington. From a deep-seated loathing perspective, it’s hard to tell the difference. In the traditional rivalries (UCLA-USC, Cal-Stanford, etc.), you have to hate the rival. In Oregon-Washington, you want to hate the rival.
If Washing
ton State were to play Oregon for the right to go to the Rose Bowl, if Husky fans were honest with themselves, more would root for the Cougars to win. Oregon used to be the little pain-in-the-ass punk who hung around with cool kids like Washington. Then the Ducks grew up and became cool, while the Huskies became outdated, like a TRS-80 Radio Shack computer.
For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, it was as good as a rivalry gets. Then Washington went into its period of suckage, and so did the rivalry. No matter how much two programs despise each other, when one can boat race the other from here to the Pacific Ocean, it’s no fun.
We think things are about to change, maybe as early as Saturday when the two teams play in Husky Stadium. We offer a comparison:
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Washington
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Oregon
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Most hated personality
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Ty Willingham
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Scott Woodward, for firing Ty Willingham
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Fan base
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Humbled arrogance
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Irrationally entitled
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Best view
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Lake Washington
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Duck cheerleaders
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Highest mountain
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Bill Gates’ pile of cash
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Mount Hood
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Showtime moment
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Huskies dancing on the “O” at Autzen Stadium
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Rick Neuheisel vomit video on Autzen big screen
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Coaching antics
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Nick Holt yells at Fox TV cameraman to get off the sideline
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Chip Kelly needs to yell at Mike Bellotti to get off the sideline
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Icon
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Don James
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Phil Knight’s money
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Famous UO-UW play
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Washington fans tackle UO’s Larry Hill
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The Pick
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NFL draftees
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227
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144
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Politics
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Thinks Eugene is too liberal
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Thinks Seattle is too liberal
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Odd series moment
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Beats UO 66-0 in 1974
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Beats UW 58-0 in 1973
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2009 highlight
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Beating USC
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Beating Cal senseless
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2009 lowlight
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Getting beat by McGaha
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Beating Byron Hout
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Famous business
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Starbucks
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Keeping Phil happy
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Famous movie
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Jerramy Stevens acting like he lives in Animal House
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Animal House
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Nick Daschel covers the Pac-10 for Buster Sports, and can be reached at ndaschel@bustersports.com
You can also follow Nick on Twitter
Comments
Nice, creative piece.
Most Hated Personality--for Oregon, it must be Don James. He was a champion of smug arrogance. Altho, if Neuheisel had survived, Huskies wud have stayed good and it wud be a toss-up.
As for Husky fans tackling Larry Hill, as I remember, Hill was wide open, had just crossed the goal line near the right corner, and 20-25 fans rushed to surround him just as the ball arrived. Had to be the first iteration of the 12th-man (36th-man???). Okay, how about "cover-25".