From Train Wreck To Bobblehead

Yes, the game itself was an abomination to the core notion of competition. It was a train wreck that everyone saw coming, months in advance, yet 45,723 fans still paid money to bear witness. 81-7! That was the head-shaking final score of the University of Oregon’s season-opening football win over Portland State Sept. 2 at Autzen Stadium. Putting aside the fact that 81 points represents the most the UO has scored in the modern scoring era and an Autzen Stadium record, it was the Fighting Duck, Oregon’s mascot, who stole the show, doing push-ups to match Oregon’s point total after every score — 11 touchdowns and one field goal. That’s 546 push ups in a single afternoon, and we dare you to top that number. Now the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (there is such a thing), is commemorating the achievement with (and we’re not making this up) the official Oregon Ducks Push-Up Counter Bobblehead, available now for pre-order. The full unveiling of the bobblehead, complete with the Herculean number 546, will be Sept. 23, the same day Oregon takes on Colorado at Autzen Stadium in the Pac-12 Conference (soon to be Pac-2) opener for both teams. We hope that’s a more competitive game and that the Ducks mascot is ready for more work.

Find out more about Oregon Ducks Push-Up Counter Bobblehead online at BOBBLEHEADHALL.COM.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!