Sports Editor:
Adam Jude
adamjude@dailyemerald.com
Assistant Sports Editor:
Jeff Smith
jeffsmith@dailyemerald.com
Thursday, November 29,2001
Best Bet
NFL: Philadelphia at Kansas City
5:30p.m., ESPN
Poking some
fun at our
neighbors
ack in January, it was announced that our
beloved Ducks and the hated Beavers would
be taking the field at Autzen Stadium two
weeks after the game was originally scheduled to be
played. Producers at ABC felt the game would be
important enough to show nationally, and well, so
did everyone else at the time.
Eleven months later, Oregon State is 5-5 and Ore
gon, at 9-1, has already locked up a Fiesta Bowl bid,
and is still in the running for the Rose Bowl. Doesn’t
look like such a good decision
for ABC anymore, does it?
You know what? Who cares?
Saturday will mark the
105th time the two teams will
take the field together, making
this the longest-running rivalry
on the West Coast. Even though
the Ducks and Beavers played
more like high school squads,
talent-wise, for much of that
time, it would be hard to find a
game with more bloodshed.
For those who are new to the
. ji .i game, new to the Oregon area,
Behind the Dish or just haven’t figured it out
yet, there are some defining
ways to tell a Duck fan from a Beaver fan. I’m from
California and have only been here for little more
than a year, but the signs are pretty obvious.
For example, if you’re a Beaver, those keggers you
attend every Saturday night probably represent the
cultural high point of your collegiate career. Oh,
sorry, that wasn’t just the OSU players I was talking
about.
Two days are left to tick away before the men in
green and yellow take the field against the Hal
loween boys. I thought orange and black went out
of style after Oct. 31.
OSU players are going to wish they were only
wearing masks and makeup after our Ducks are
done with them. Last year should be all the encour
agement Oregon fans need after seeing the dead
ducks lying on the Reser Stadium turf after the 23
13 debacle. Despicable is the only way to describe
that scene, and to see it on television, well, that
made it a lot worse.
Revenge is such sweet sorrow. Too bad most Ore
gon fans won’t be able to see it, because we’ll be
laughing on the way to Tempe, Ariz. Oregon State
made it there last season, but it was a fluke. Our
Ducks haven’t had a losing season since 1993, and
it doesn’t look like they’ll return to athletic purgato
ry for years to come.
Oh yeah, come to think about it, shouldn’t
Sports Illustrated be a little embarrassed for
picking the Beavers to win it all as well? At
least they got it right by putting Joey Har
rington on the cover with Oregon State’s
mighty mite, Ken Simonton.
What has happened to Simonton? In my
opinion, he probably realized what color uni
form he was really wearing. He probably also
realized the two running backs down in Eu
gene were better than him any day of the week,
which would have been enough to give him a
bout of depression. “Well, we might as well
just give in now because all we have from last
year is short-stuff, Jonathan Smith, who can
barely see above our offensive line,” he’s prob
ably been thinking.
But Simonton has done the Ducks a favor.
By playing so poorly this year, the votes that
would have gone to him from Oregon writers
for the Heisman Trophy will now go to Har
rington. Joey, a little suggestion: Send Kenny
a Christmas card. He did you one heck of a fa
vor.
Emerald sports reporter Hank Hager has yet to leam the meaning of
objectivity. He can be reached at hankhager@dailyemerald.com. His
opinions do not represent those of the Emerald.
UO filled with Civil War fever
■ The Ducks are eager to face
the Beavers, and those sentiments
are echoed by fans around town
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
Unmistakable college football noise
blared from inside the Moshofsky Cen
ter on Wednesday afternoon as the
Oregon Marching Band practiced its
routine.
As it did, members of the color guard
moved in rhythm with the sound, waving
yellow and red flags in synchronized mo
tions.
And over in the Duck Shop near
Autzen Stadium, sales were brisk with
Oregon fans buying plenty of Civil War
items to gear up for the big game.
“Our little ‘Beat the Beavers’ face tat
toos have been really popular this week,”
said Christy Cameron, a shop supervisor.
“People have been really pumped up, and
everyone’s been in a great mood. We start
ed with a really busy day after Thanksgiv
ing, and it’s just been picking up steam
from there.
“We can’t wait for Game Day,” she said.
That was also the theme for the Oregon
football team Wednesday as Civil War
week reached its midway point. The wait
ing began Nov. 11, the day after the Ducks
beat UCLA, and the anxiety to suit up and
battle the Beavers has about reached its
limit.
“Every morning I wake up and I’m like,
‘Damn, I’m one day closer,’” cornerback
Steve Smith said. “So let’s see, there’s
Thursday, Friday and then Saturday. We
Turn to Civil War, page 10
Adam Amato Emerald
Modest Mouse, Intense Beast
■ Senior defensive tackle Zack Freiter
doesn’t war with words—he’ll let his
play do the talking on the field Saturday
By Adam Jude
Oregon Daily Emerald
Zack Freiter doesn’t buy into all of the
hype.
“There’s no difference (this week),” the
senior defensive tackle said of the Civil
War. “It’s another game, and we have to
prepare like any other week to get a win if
we can.”
But it’s Civil War week. Feed the insani
ty. Say you hate the Beavers, Zack. You
know you want to. Teammate Steve Smith
is over there telling reporters that there’s no
way Ken Simonton will get his 113 yards
Saturday. He’s mashing on the Beavs.
Zack, you’re too nice. Are you really a
football player?
“You just want to go out and play your
best, that’s all that really matters,” said
the 6-foot-3, 280 pound Freiter.
Freiter said he didn’t have any alle
giances with the Ducks or Beavers grow
ing up.
“I wasn’t a big fan of football when I
was young. I liked baseball,” he said. “I
never really followed it until I got here.
But it’s a lot of fun. The game’s always
sold out.”
Fun? That’s not what the fans want to
hear.
Freiter is simply a soft-spoken and
humble giant away from the field. But on
the field, Freiter should almost be out
lawed.
“In my opinion, he’s the best defensive
player on the line,” freshman defensive
end Igor Olshansky said. “If you know
what you’re talking about in football, and
about the lines and about a D-lineman
getting cut off or double teamed and stay
ing in his gaps, Zack’s one of the best I’ve
ever seen.”
He’s the strongest, too.
In the weight room, Freiter, the lone
senior on the defensive line, can squat
631 pounds, the most of any defensive
lineman in program history.
“He’s a great player,” junior defensive
end Seth McEwen said. “Just his work
ethic and how hard he’s worked over the
offseason to get ready, and how he works
to get better every game is what has led to
his success.”
Freiter has recorded 21 tackles, in
cluding three for a loss, this season for
the No. 4 Ducks. More than statistics,
though, Freiter’s leadership on the field
has been key to Oregon’s effective run
defense, ranked third in the Pacific-10
Conference.
After suffering numerous injuries
throughout his career, the main obstacle
this season was to stay healthy, Freiter
said. And he has done that.
“It’s a lot of work in the offseason,” Fre
iter said. “Having the trainers work with
me and keeping me healthy, you know,
they’re the ones who keep me healthy.
And a little bit of luck. Things can go
wrong sometimes, but fortunately, it’s
been a good year. I’ve had a lot of fun.”
Staying injury free has enabled Freiter
to show “everybody how good of a player
he is,” McEwen said.
Playing in his last game at Autzen Sta
dium on Saturday, Freiter admitted that
he’ll be “a little sad after the game. I still
remember the first time I walked out of
the tunnel, and I’ll probably always re
member my last game, too.”
Just don’t expect him to talk trash —
about it.
Emerald sports editor Adam Jude can be reached at
adamjude@dailyeiperald.com.