Another year, another kickass AtQ Spring Game tailgate party. Pretty great time had by all. I'm a little disappointed we didn't get the Dr. Delight ingredients together, but there was no shortage of bizarre spicy sausage combinations and toppings. It was really nice to see everyone having a good time in the sun. Red Vines are still the king of red licorice. Today's game ball goes to dvieira for navigating the bureaucracy to secure us such a premium spot, and for being Grillmaster-in-Chief. We salute you!

Now where did all those pictures get to...?

I am a Duck

I don't remember watching many games prior to 2003 but I do recall the feeling I got when my Dad told me how amazing the things the team under Harrington were doing.

I came to the origin of my fandom in 2005 while during the Fresno State game, Oregon faked a field goal to run an option which put the game away with a TD.

I knew at that point the Ducks would be a quasi-religious obsession for the rest of my life.

I became very frustrated when at the first game I ever went to, everyone decided to leave early because Adrian Peterson was running all over us and it was a two score game with 4 minutes to go. Good thing I stuck around

I lived through the late season collapse of 2006. I sat through the whole Vegas Bowl wondering, "what's next?"

I took the '07 season in stride. I relished in the moment of national spotlight. I rode out the low points (fumble, knee, over time).

I wondered if we were ever going to find a starting QB in 2008. I also wondered if we were ever going to beat those damn Golden Bears. We once again came out on top of a great season.

I knew 2009 was going to be special. After surviving the Punch, the team pulled together and made another amazing run. We beat the damn Golden Bears. Big. My friend and I had the road trip of a lifetime to the Rose Bowl. We came home changed.

I never thought I could make it through the turbulent off-season but 2010 finally made it. Simply put, it was a magical journey. I won't forget tonight because it was the pinnacle of everything I've hoped for my entire fandom. We made it to the top of the heap and were inches from claiming the ultimate prize. We have come so far and the future is so bright.

This fall, I will be a student. It's been a lifelong dream and all I have to do is fill out my LOI...on National Signing Day of course.

I am a Duck

I am a Duck

Like I said, white pants bad! We need to figure out what time the Ducks are going to fly in tonight for a welcoming committee at the Eugene airport. I've been waiting a long time to get my SI issue autographed! Anyone else in because I'm planning to go just chill there unless they're flying in tomorrow or not going through the front door. Know how I can find out? GO DUCKS!

College GameDay made another appearance at Autzen last Saturday morning and I was totally down for another mellow camping trip outside the set. Little did I know the hell that was to unfold during the wee hours of Halloween morning 2009...

My sign was all ready and my friend and I were all set to go. We parked in front of my chemistry teacher's house on Forrester off of Coburg and hiked about a mile to the stadium. We were in about the 15th spot in line around 10pm; a line that went from the the gate near the Casanova center and ended up at 5am behind the south side of the Moshofsky Center.

Our initial group was awesome. We were behind former QB walk-on Robbie Pestal and a few of his friends. In front of him was a group of students including that guy that kissed Kelly during GameDay with the red, white, and blue headband. They had our backs and assured us that no line cutters would be jumping to the front. We had a great time thowing a ball around and just chilling. It started to rain lightly around 2am.

As the line grew, we had to be more defensive about our position. It was a problem that people would walk through the gate, strike up a conversation with a friend in the front of the line, and just stay there. We had to squeeze the zit a few times. People like the Green Man and the yellow storm trooper guy figured they deserved a place in front because they had cool costumes on. 3am is when it really started to go downhill. At about this time, the line was to the Mo Center front door. It was impossible to make it to the Porta-Potties and back without getting pushed around by the back of the line. Things began to get out of hand.

Suddenly, at around 4am, the back of the line just collapsed. By this, I mean that from the locker room tunnel back, everyone bum rushed the now locked gate my friend and I were still 15 spots from. It was absolute pandemonium; pretty similar to being in the pit at a Metallica concert. You had no where no move and you couldn't get out if you wanted to. People were vomiting right next to me. I had to pee REALLY bad. Some dumbass in Daisy Duke jeans scaled the fence and did some inebriated acrobatics for us.  We stood like that for about an hour and a half before a cop showed up and said that if we tried to push our way through when they opened it, they were going to shut it again...didn't work.

As soon as that gate was opened just a trickle, the back of the line started to push. It felt like getting crushed into a wall by a slowly moving bulldozer. I seriously couldn't breathe...a guy next to me was screaming in agony because his arm was being torqued behind his back in an inhuman manner by the relentless crowd behind him.

The people that made it through the Autzen fence rushed to the orange home depot barriers. The top side was shaped like a trapezoid and only the people on the top side got to go into the pit of the set. I was lucky enough to get stuck on the left side right up against the fence. I still got to get my sign on the show but waited all night for nothing because people that showed up an hour before still managed to make it into the pit.

The lack of crowd control was almost the cause of the death of a couple people near the front of the line who were close to being trampled and suffocated, myself included. I urge the university to review the way they handle such events as GameDay for the safety of the spectators involved.

One of the best experiences I've had as a Duck fan was staying up all night outside the south gate of Autzen Stadium awaiting the start of College GameDay before the Cal game. I was able to get inside the stadium after an Order of the O function and check out the field at night. I had a great time with my friend just chilling with everyone who showed up. We should totally have a ATQ all-night function outside the south gate this Friday night culminating with getting a "WE ARE ADDICTED TO QUACK...www.addictedtoquack.com" sign on GameDay saturday morning. Interested?

I left the sanctity of home at around 11am today. After a quick stop at the good, old VRC Duck Store for a new car flag and poncho, I began my one man road trip to Seattle. In Vancouver when the rain stopped, I got out of the car and wrote "HUCK THE FUSKIES" on all of my windows.

At around 5pm, I roll on to the campus of the enemy. It is the ghetto. It becomes quickly apparant that I am going to shot if I don't pull over and clean my car. My cousin comes running out of her dorm, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Not good. I wipe down the windows but it can't hide the fact that I am dressed head to toe in Ducks gear and the only clothes I brought are blantant Oregon shirts.

Walking through the heart of campus with my cousin and her friend, it is easy to see that I am not welcome here. "DUCKS SUCK" being shouted out every dorm window. The walls are plastered with the usual anti-Oregon rhetoric "WE EAT DUCK", "DUCK SEASON" blah blah blah. Right now we are making to make preparations to attend the HOMECOMING festivites. My cousin is forced to disguise me in Husky gear, but again it can't hide my jacket and lanyard.

As I am typing this, she tells me that I should probably stay in her room and not her friend's cluster where the people across the hall are on the Fusky O-Line. I've got a feeling I'm not in Eugene anymore....more to come when we get back...if I make it...

Provided that my school's homecoming isn't that week, I'm planning getting a ticket and making the trip up to UW on Oct. 24th. My cousin is gonna be a freshman up there this fall so I'm probably crashing at her place. Anyone interested in meeting up? Is there a way to get tickets for the away team section through goducks.com or do I have to go through the Washington ticket office?

What do you think? MY pick would have to be the Cal game last year. It was just all so perfect. I camped outside the south gate with a friend and we got on CGD. All hell was about to break lose if we scored on that last drive....then Autzen went silent....one of the most sad things you will ever not hear....

The Arizona game was almost as equally gut-renching but nothing can ever come close to the pain I felt after seeing the ball roll out the back of the endzone.....

It's almost time.....kickoff to the 2008 Duck Football season is mere hours away. With a new season comes new problems and challenges for the team. Who will be the starting QB? How can we possibly replace Dixon and Stewart? Can we stand up to the onslaught of the toughest conference opponents on their turf? However, none of these questions even come close to the biggest riddle of all......"So what are we going to wear this game?"

Yes.....the Ducks are one of only the handfull of teams that will ask themselves this question. Any other school would just answer, "We're gonna wear our jerseys....what else would we wear?"HAH! Well, most likely, they don't have an EXCLUSIVE patnership with a sports apparel giant with a base in their back yard. *This is about the point where the Beavs out there start to envy us even know they don't want to admit it*. In recent years, the Ducks have shocked the world of college football with their outlandish uniforms.

So then, what fashion could the Ducks possibly display in their season debut this saturday against the dreaded Fuskies. Will it be the inclusion of yellow helmet? Maybe completely diamond-plated tops? Anything's possible with this crew. Now it's time for you to make your prediction. What ARE they going to be wearing?

My personal prediction is Yellow helmet with greeen O,  Black top with yellow lettering silver pinstriping, green sleeves, and black pants.

A while back on "Duck Feed," the goducks.com blog, Andy McNamara reported that Patrick Chung wanted a nickname the Ducks' secondary. He proceeded to request fan suggestions. Today, Chung, Byrd, and Thurmond narrowed the names down to four. The Flock, Autzen Air Patrol, The D-Boyz, and The Fog. Autzen Air Patrol is out in front with about 44% of the online vote of the four names.

I suggested the name "The PICK Crew." Any more good ideas from the people of ATQ?