Category: OLD SPORT SHORTS (Page 52 of 68)

Baseball, Beavers, Brats, Bars, Beer, Bricks, Beefsteak, Burgers and Botany. These Nine B’s pretty much sum-up my trip to Omaha and our College World Series experience. I’m going home with a no-decision, but nearly left with the bitter taste of defeat. Thanks to 9th inning heroics, Oregon State will have one more game this season. It’s Hogs versus Beavers for all the marbles, while I navigate my way back to Portland and attempt to find a TV screen to catch-up on the action. I should get back for the final few innings. My friend decided to stay in Omaha, and fend for himself in that endless sea of Arkansas red. I probably shouldn’t say “Red Necks,” but many prefer that title. 

I cannot wipe the smile off my face after last night’s stunning victory. Razorback fans were ready to storm the field and join the dog-pile of team jubilation. We were once again surrounded by chants of “Pig Souie,” outstretched arms, and gyrating fingertips reminiscent of a Baptist Church congregation. They were loud & obnoxious, and had long before gotten on my nerves. There were only brief moments of silence, but you could have heard a pin drop in the outfield stands after the misplayed foul ball that would have won the Razorbacks their first CWS title. 

It was sweet revenge, after the previous night of multiple breaks for the Arkansas squad. The Beavs made some uncharacteristic errors and the umpires didn’t help matters. After the game, we went to a nearby bar packed with obnoxious Razorback boosters, celebrating our misfortune and their victory. I was annoyed with both their shenanigans and their accents. I even lost my fondness for bacon. Sooie!

If it weren’t for the stadium vendors dressed in the bright orange shirt colors of Oregon State, we would have been even more outnumbered in the stands. It was hard to spot anything but red shirts and hats in the crowd. Even the locals sported Nebraska red, a color that I’m used to wearing fondly in support of Indiana. I bought my first orange shirts in Omaha, forever cementing my devotion to Beaver baseball. However, I’m surprised that Hog fans weren’t asking me to vend them a beer.

I at least got to see the Beavers win twice in Omaha, along with “cultural” visits to the Botanical Gardens and Durham Museum. I think we stopped at least once in every bar, since there was little else to do but walk around aimlessly. The rain delay spoiled any chance to see tonight’s third and final game. However, I’m sure it was good for the local economy to stretch the event another day.

I sampled the local fare like Brickway Pilsner, Omaha Steak, Ricky’s Omelet, a Hangover Burger, and Ted & Wally’s ice cream. I also registered over 135,000 steps around town and even into the next state, while completing day 3,469 of my running streak. Finally, I’m taking home some College World Series souvenirs, including a Beaver team autographed baseball, and a lot of great memories. Give me a B…..

The wheels came off in Omaha yesterday, as the “Omahogs” took over the town. The restaurants and bars where we wanted to go were closed for “private” parties and there was Arkansas Red everywhere you looked. They acted like starved people who hadn’t won anything in a long time and yet felt a sense of entitlement. The school was once a football and track powerhouse, but they’ve had little to cheer for in many years, so the “Whooo! Pig Sooie!” chant was more obnoxious than ever, and the hex-like out-stretched arm gestures more pronounced. I couldn’t even imagine myself in their shoes, wallowing happily in muddy, pig slop. Only the Florida Gator Chomp and the Atlanta Braves’ Tomahawk Chop rival their silly, fourth-grade behavior. I’m sure they make fun of the name “Beavers” in a grade school mindset.

I got in nearly 35,000 steps yesterday, as we walked to the Lauritzen Botanical Gardens, in addition to my morning run. It is definitely one of Omaha’s best visitor attractions. They used a lot of limestone in its construction, as opposed to the brick structures in the downtown area. The day before we walked down to the Durham Museum, where I proved beyond a doubt that this “homebody” could survive in the wilderness, if I really wanted to go outside. I was particularly impressed with the Byron Reed coin collection and the manner that it was displayed in dark, wooden, cases from the 1880’s. The museum was formerly Omaha’s Union Station, along the Union Pacific railroad tracks, and decorated in an Art Deco style with massive chandeliers suspended from colorful ceiling murals. You can also walk through the dining, lounge, and sleeper train-cars with their original interiors from the 1940’s. Apparently, Union Pacific has also brought in modern trains to house their customers attending the College World Series. They, too, probably ended up being pig sties. 

In the five days that we’ve now been in the city, I think we’ve seen most all there is to see. There is a lot of open space with bridges, fountains, historical statues, and pathways that make it an ideal setting for active families. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge is a 3,000-foot long walkway over the Missouri River that connects Omaha with Council Bluffs, Iowa. You can actually walk, run, or bike over the state-line that is painted in the center of the cable-stayed bridge that curves over the water. There is also a Harrah’s Casino and Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, if you’re feeling lucky. I think I’ve already got enough money invested in baseball this week, so rolling the dice would not be a wise financial move, especially considering that I’m only 1-1 in games attended so far.  

Right now in Omaha, it’s impossible to avoid the Arkansas fans, who have the advantage of being able to easily drive to the games. Oregon State fans are strongly outnumbered for this reason. Our scattered cheers for “O…S….U” are drowned out by the pig snorts and squeals of “Sooui.” Also, our bright orange shirts of “OMADAMHA” or “Leave it to the Beavers” are part of a sad minority, especially after last night’s loss. This only fueled the “Omahogs” into that next stage of frenzied, obnoxious behavior. “The Greatest Show on Dirt” has turned into the “The Greatest Show in Mud,” as the hogs flex their muscles and wallow in victory, If they win again tonight, they will finally get their National Championship, on this their 9th appearance in the College World Series.