irony

Yesterday, the University of Washington, won what we all hope will be a program defining game. The Huskies defeated the University of Southern California. No two programs could have defined the two ends of the football spectrum more perfectly than these two. On this day, however, the mentor was defeated by the mentee. It was a day that everyone who was in attendance will be telling their grandchildren about. When the horrible memories of the Tyrone Willingham led Huskies become distant, 162,000 fans will say there were when in reality there were 62,000. It was a day of lore. A day of redemption.

It was day I spent in Autzen Stadium.

Much of my family has ties to the University of Utah, who played in Eugene yesterday. When the idea of going to the game was proposed many months ago I could not have imagined such a quick turnaround for UW. After last year's drubbing, I was pretty sure I couldn't bear sitting in Husky Stadium to watch the repeat. So, in a show of support for the Utes we all traipsed down I-5 to attend to football game.

The Utah/Oregon game was one marred with quarterback ineptitude. I will spare everyone the link to the stat sheet, but I will say, it was not good for either team. Before the game started, I had made a deal with my good friend Joe to send me updates. As the game progressed and each text arrived to my phone on the wings of angels, it became abundantly clear -- The Dawgs were not (repeat NOT) outclassed. As one reported later noted, we were winning 'old school'.

Then the updates stopped. I was on the edge of my seat. The game I was attending suddenly was interesting after three quarters of football purgatory, but I couldn't keep my mind of what was happening in Seattle. I was cursing Joe! Didn't he know what I was going through.

Picture this: four Husky fans in Autzen Stadium, sitting in the Utah section of the stadium, huddled around my sister's Blackberry hitting refresh every time it loaded in hopes of an update while the Oregon legions were copying the sideline to sideline 'Go Huskies' chant. (Their rendition was both inaudible and ill informed.) Oh....the irony. The Dawgs were winning and I was in Eugene. I was in EUGENE!

In spite of my absence, the Dawgs won, and the riot ensued.



Image Credit: Leslie Danielson