Oregon Basketball: A Field Guide

The Student Section:
You can generally spot these creatures lurking outside doors 7 and 8 of Mac Court up to two hours before the doors even open. Clad in yellow shirts and hyped up on adrenaline and alcohol, they enter the arena ready to give all spectators the Game Day Experience and uphold Mac Court's reputation as one of the worst places for opposing teams to play. In unison, their chants of "OOOOOOOOOOOOO", "Air Ball" and clapping along with the fight song and Dr. Who create a sense of unity that can be found few other places on campus. They support the team through the good times and the bad. --dedicated to the Insane-O's, Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and Isaac Rosenthal.

The Team:
Unfortunately, due to a poor decision on the part of Oregon Athletics of hiring someone who kicks ass at recruiting but can't coach a team to win if his life depended on it, the Ducks really aren't looking so hot this year. However, they are still a collection of talented athletes who could do great things with the right direction. --dedicated to Tajuan Porter because he's short

Ernie Kent:
Screw him.

The Daisy Ducks:
A group of wonderful ladies who serve as the boosters for Oregon athletic teams. The OMB loves them because they bake yummy treats for us for away trips. During basketball games they sell bingo cards. It's pretty much the best part of halftime. --dedicated to that one lady who sold me a bingo card today

The Oregon Basketball Band:
This group of musicians is a small portion of the Oregon Marching Band who performs the music at all the games. However, they don't start their musical duties until winter term (the Green and Yellow Garter Bands, aka GaYGB, trade off gigs during the exhibition and non-conference games that take place during fall term and winter break), which is why several members of the student section were confused as to why the band suddenly got so big. They play a wider variety of music than the OMB (thank God) and only make Mac Court that much louder and more intimidating. In addition, they make signs and yell crap at the opposing team in an attempt to make them miss shots. They're pretty much awesome. --dedicated to Nathan Stokes, the OBB Trumpet Section and a couple of the trombones

The Cheerleaders:
They dance to whatever the band plays.

Puddles (the Duck mascot):
He walks around Mac Court and does things to entertain the crowd. He will steal your popcorn, dance like a gangsta, do crazy things with the cheerleaders and pose for pictures with your kids. Plus he plays drums, although that's rarely seen this time of year. He's also pretty cool. --dedicated to Mikey Navarro

CMS:
They walk around and make sure that no one enters without a ticket, no one brings bottle-like weapons, no one takes flash pictures, no one stands on the benches, no one blocks the walkway...etc. Other than that, they're pretty chill. Also, they know certain people in the Pit Crew on a first-name basis. --dedicated to that lady who loves Isaac for some reason

The Enterprising Reporters:
They sit up in the 100-level on their laptops and post constant Twitter updates on behalf of the ODE. Because that's journalism. --dedicated to Robert Husseman

The Audio Technicians (aka Popcorn Buddies):
They sit up in the 100-level, play on the computer and share popcorn with each other. Mostly, it's a really boring job. They run the reader board and play canned music while the team is warming up and before the band starts playing. But most of the time, they sit there with glazed expressions and wish the game was over already so they can go home. --dedicated to Josh Shere and whoever his popcorn buddy is

:) :) :)

Tonight was the worst basketball game I've ever seen played at Mac Court. Something needs to change, or we're in for a really, REALLY frustrating season.

However, it wasn't a bad night otherwise. I sort of fixed a situation I was having with someone, and Pit Crew was a blast as usual.

I am loving the happy right now. :)

all-american reject...

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few years, if you're even a little bit close to me you know that I am in no way a stranger to problems when it comes to relationships, if not my own, then those of my close friends. Often, the two coincide.

For example, while I'm still trying to deal with a close friend leading me on and then dating a mutual friend, another one of my friends is in his apartment right now, sulking with a beer bottle because he messed things up with a girl he really likes. He told her he was going to ask her to band prom, and she said she wasn't planning on going. Which apparently is a "massive setback."

So I texted him to try and comfort him, like any good friend would do. Because really, that's all I can do. I've gotten so much practice at the "good friend" thing -- despite what people in my family insist on believing; they seem to be married to the idea that I'm a heartless bitch -- that I feel like a professional. I give advice and hugs like they're going out of style.

But in the end, it seems like I'm going to end up being just that, nothing more than a good friend.

Break away from everybody. Break away from everything.

I'm tired of people hurting me, over and over again. In the past few months I've lost a few friends because apparently I'm "too depressed." It's not something I can easily control or stop, as much as you'd like to daydream that that's possible.

And when you lead me on for months at a time, then suddenly stop hanging out with me completely, and then I have to find out on Facebook that you're going out with one of the people who I trusted with my heart and soul when I was trying to figure my life out just so I could function, it really pisses me off. And doesn't really help with the whole depression thing. Continually telling me that it's all my fault really isn't helpful either.

I constantly feel like I'm being shafted by the entire world. I've been alone in the world, searching for someone special for a year and a half after being jilted by yet another good friend. I'm not into dating or hooking up with people because I want to preserve myself as a valuable gift to the one person who I will finally give my heart to for good...hopefully.

However, as everyone around me finds happiness, it constantly seems like my shelf life is running out. And once it does...I'll go from valuable gift to unwanted sketchy clearance item just like that.

You used to be one of my best friends. I trusted you so much. I gave you second and third chances because you seemed so honest in confessing when you messed up. Now, I can't even watch Anchorman anymore because of that stupid song you posted on her wall.

This just hurts way too much. I can't be friends with you anymore. Not right now. Maybe not ever.

Goodbye.

Fun with friends!

One of my best friends, Alitia, came up to Eugene from Central Point for the weekend. She hadn't seen us since FOB -- a weekend when both Ashley and I were super busy with OMB stuff -- and there wasn't a football game this weekend because the Ducks had beaten the Beavers in the Civil War the previous Thursday. It ended up being really good timing too; she and her boyfriend for almost two years had broken up recently, and Saturday would have been their two-year anniversary (aka a day she really didn't want to spend alone, or near him...) So, she came up Friday night, and merriment ensued.

Friday, she joined me and a bunch of friends (both people she knew from OMB last year and some amazing new friends) for tailgating. Traditionally we do this the night before home football games, but Thursday's game would have put tailgating on the Wednesday night of dead week -- very few people would have been out and about at the bars and stuff, and we would have angered more people than we would have entertained. So...we rallied on Friday to celebrate the Ducks' victory over the Beavers and the trip to the Rose Bowl! Also, Brian got to come finally because he didn't have to work until the next day, and he borrowed some of my 'gating attire.

After tailgating, we got a yummy late-night dinner at Dough Co. and then went to the Walmart parking lot to eat and then walk around for a bit in the store. We finished eating, Alitia reminded me to lock the front door, we walked about 10 feet from the car, and...Alitia realized that she had left her keys in the ignition. So, our casual stroll through Walmart ended up turning into a frantic search for wire coat hangers and duct tape. About 45 minutes of freezing cold weather and hard work later, we had successfully broken into Alitia's car and were on our way back to my apartment.

Saturday was a nice, relaxed day. We both slept in because we were so tired from the night before, then hung out in my warm apartment while we waited for Ashley to get off work, retrieve her boyfriend Danny and come over. Once we met up, we went to Goodwill, where we managed to find some cheap Duck game attire for Alitia, who until that point had been limited to OMB gear. Then, we went to Jamba Juice and Taco Bell (two of our favorite foody places to go) and then to Valley River Center to kill time until 9:30ish when we had planned to pick up Chase and Adam. We found some good sales, I managed to get a few more people checked off my Christmas list and we took some funny pictures in the photo booth.

Then the craziness started.

We picked up Chase and Adam and went to Strike City for cosmic bowling. Alitia took a bunch of pictures to document the occasion, and as it got later and later we got more and more silly...
After bowling we went to Shari's, where we continued to decline as far as self-control goes.



All in all, the weekend was a huge success. I got to see people I hadn't seen in a long time and Alitia said that she couldn't have asked for a better day. :)

I guess sleeping isn't an option tonight.

Sometimes, my mind and I just don't get along.

Case in point: tonight. Or this morning, rather. Right now it's just after 5 a.m. Saturday. I should be sleeping. I want to be sleeping. But apparently my mind has other plans tonight. It wants to remind me of all the things I've done to unintentionally hurt my friends, all the situations I've made awkward just by being present, all the reasons why, no matter how much I want to just lay all my feelings and problems out in front of someone for no other reason than to just get it, I can't because it will either get me in trouble or ruin my friendship with the other person.

Lots of aspects of my life are still very uncertain, and that scares me to death. I still have no clear idea of what I want to do in a year and a half (ish) when it's time for me to leave UO. I don't know where I want to live, or where I'll be able to afford to live. I'm worried about the economy, and how it's very likely that, especially in my chosen field, I'll start having to pay back the crap ton of student loans I have long before I have a secure job. I'm losing confidence in the one thing I thought I would be good at and enjoy.

But above all of those other things, the one thing that's been weighing on my mind the most lately is love, or rather, the apparent shortage of it anywhere in my near and even not-so-near future. This is also one of those things I can't really discuss with anyone, even the people who are the closest to me, without having them rehash, over and over again, how it's all in my head, how I'll only be lonely forever if I let it happen, how there are more important things in life, how I should stay positive because of all the other good things in my life, on and on and on. And I know that what they're saying makes sense.

At the same time though, for reasons I can't even begin to comprehend, it seems like everyone else I know has their lives all put together. One of the reasons I honestly can't stand being in Newberg anymore is because of the whole climate of "oh, our families have known each other forever and we've been best friends since the day we were born and now let's get married less than a year out of high school and have adorable children and on and on and on." Because that's just the way it is. In the two and a half years since I graduated from Newberg High School, at least 10 percent of all the girls in my graduating class and the one after it are engaged. A lot of them are married. Some of them even have kids.

Meanwhile, I'm out in the middle of nowhere. I've dated and been dumped by a total of one person in my entire life, and I met him in college; he wasn't someone I've known since birth and dated since middle school. I've never known any sort of romantic love, and after a year and a half with no one even on the horizon, it's not looking like I will anytime soon. And I know a ton of people would argue with this if they even bothered to read my blog, but I constantly feel like my time is running out. I don't want to be one of those people who doesn't find love until they're too old. I know people would instantly point out that I'm "only 20" and I "have a lot of time left" and "one bad relationship shouldn't be the end of the world," but when pretty much everyone else I know is at least committed to someone, or was when they were my age, it feels like it's only a matter of time before it's automatically game over, sorry, you lose.

And I know this sounds ridiculous, and I've mentioned it before, but I'm starting to wonder whether I should just give up. Not necessarily just because I don't think I'm worth it, but because I'm not sure which of my options will get me in trouble and which will actually help. If I actively look for people, I look desperate. If I start making a bunch of friends with guys and then constantly monitor the friendship to see if there's any hint of anything more, I feel like a creeper, drive myself to insanity and ruin the friendship. If I just give up, people judge me for that too. There's absolutely no way to win here, and a variety of ways to lose.

At this point, I'm even going so far as to view any sort of attraction to anyone as a red flag, and then using all available energy and willpower to keep myself in as much of a neutral, apathetic state as possible. But then that has the potential of me looking like an asshole who doesn't care. And I'm friends with these people, so I need to care. And I want to care. And so I try to care. But at the same time I'm constantly trying to maintain a balance of caring but not to the point where I get too close.

And emotional distancing is such a hard thing when you're good friends with someone, to the point where you would go to the ends of the earth for them, not out of obsession, but simply because you care deeply about them. Especially when you know that even one misinterpreted action could ruin a friendship forever, because any sort of feeling other than platonic friendship is not ok and will never be ok.

I don't know what to do anymore. I feel completely hopeless and lost. But at the same time, I have to stay positive because that's what my friends and everyone else wants. Which means I have nowhere to vent, other than a crappy blog that no one reads. Which might be a good thing. Although it really doesn't help much.

I thought sleeping would help take my mind off the problem, at least for tonight. I guess that wasn't an options, seeing as it's 6 a.m., I have yet to sleep and I still feel miserable. Maybe I should just give up on that possibility for tonight and try again in vain in 18 hours...

Fun with my phone!

aka fighting boredom at Mac Court.