Hop on the emotional roller coaster

Last night provided yet another example of the EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER that occurs when following MY BELOVED OREGON DUCKS.
I was almost destined to become a fan of the school based in Eugene, Ore. My grandparents emigrated from Sweden to Oregon in the 1920s, and my late dad grew up a Ducks fan in MEDFORD, ORE.
Then, when my wife JILL and I set out West in 1992, after my dad's death, we settled in LAKEVIEW, ORE., where we welcomed daughter KERSTIN into the world -- a WORLD OF GREEN AND YELLOW.
If Providence made me an Oregon fan, then the topsy turvy fortunes of the school's football team keep me perpetually on the edge of my seat.
Last night, MY BELOVED OREGON DUCKS made a rare appearance on national TV, and the pets and I stayed up past midnight to witness the season's opening game.
With presumptive starter Nate Costa lost for the year, it was time for Justin Roper to take the quarterbacking reins for the Ducks.
When Roper suffered a concussion in the first half against THE DREADED WASHINGTON HUSKIES last night, I held my breath and began to worry that this season would include some of the bitter disappointment of last year, when Oregon's dreams faded with Dennis Dixon's injury.
Enter JEREMIAH MASOLI.
Masoli passed for 126 yards and two touchdowns, helping No. 21 Oregon to a 44-10 victory over bitter rivals Washington.
Masoli seems set to become a HOGSTROM FAMILY SPORTS LEGEND.
Masoli led City College of San Francisco to the junior college national championship last season while throwing for 3,592 yards and 30 touchdowns. He is a Bay Area kid, having attended Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., for three years before spending his senior year at St. Louis High School in Hawaii.
Roper will probably return to face Utah State next Saturday. If the injury bug strikes again (and these are MY BELOVED OREGON DUCKS, so the chances are probably rather high), it's good to know Masoli waits in the wings.
Start the roller coaster -- it's Duck season once again!