Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein star in Portlandia. Fridays at 10:30 on IFC.

Portland finally has a television show of its very own.

And thankfully, it’s not the next regurgitation of “CSI:” or “NCIS.”

Far from it.

Producers of the show told the Oregonian that episodes would not make Portland the butt of jokes.

After watching one episode, it’s hard to say they kept their promise. That said, Portland has a lot of hilarious material to work with.

“The strange thing we all noticed, is no matter how far out on a limb we went, we always ran into that person within two days,” Brownstien told The New York Times.

Portlandia filmed six episodes in Portland last summer.

Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of “Saturday Night Live,” who is also the executive producer of Portlandia, compared the show to the 1980′s sketch comedy “Kids in the Hall.”

“It’s light and it’s smart and it’s funny,” he told The New York Times. “It’s not going to be wildly popular, but I think it’ll find an audience.”

While the show lives in relative obscurity on IFC (Independent Film Channel), it has already become a viral success with the release of the “Dream of the 90′s” music video last month.

The music video, which also serves as the cold open for the series, tells us that Portland is “where young people go to retire,” and where people only work “a couple hours a week in a coffee shop.”

“Dream of the ’90′s,” creates a vision of the utopian Portland I both love and love to make fun of. Although, it’s not quite the utopia the song presents when claiming that it’s as if “Gore won and the Bush administration never happened.” Unfortunately, that happened here too.

Portlandia debuts on IFC this Friday at 10:30 p.m.

This show is for you if you like: The television show “Kids in the Hall”, the movie “Dodgeball” (see episode one hide-and-seek sketch), laughing at Portland hipster culture and/or yourself.

Watch the entire first episode here:

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

I think a lot of people would say New York. When the Knicks are rolling, Madison Square Garden is rocking. It is home to the perennial MLB favorite Yankees, occasional National League contenders in the Mets, and lets not forget the two NFL franchises. It hosts the U.S. Open in tennis, among many other big events.

Some might argue Philadelphia or Boston. Even if their teams are down, the fans remain passionate, loud and opinionated.

Fans of college sports may throw out Lincoln, Nebraska; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; or Durham, North Carolina.

But what about Portland?

Yes, Portland.

To an outsider, the city of Portland is home to flannel wearing hippies who work two hours a week while dreaming of becoming a clown.

But for those of us lucky to live here (or to claim it as our own, despite living 110 miles to the south), Portland is a city full of passionate people.

Photo by Michael Stringfield, courtesy of the Portland Timbers.

On Monday the Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in 2011, announced that they had surpassed 10,000 season ticket sales for their inaugural season.

That’s a one, followed by four zeros.

For soccer.

In the United States.

The Portland Trail Blazers at one-time rode the longest consecutive sell-out streak in NBA history. A streak that only came to an end when the fans began boycotting a team that had become known as the “Jail Blazers” for their off-court transgressions. The boycott and empty seats, which I would argue came from a place of  passion for the franchise, ultimately lead to a complete rebuilding of the roster. The team once again sells out regularly.

And while not exactly Portland, the University of Oregon and Oregon State University have both benefited greatly by drawing on fan support from the city. The lanes of Interstate 5, the state’s main traffic artery, become a parking lot for tens-of-miles on game days at the two schools to the south.

In Portland, such strong support may not be passion after all. It could be simple economics. The metro area is the largest in the country with only one professional franchise in the “big four” leagues, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL.

In fact, when cities are ranked based on population per sports franchise, Portland ranks as the most under-served metro area in the United States. (See data below)

Citizens of Portland are simply starved for sports options. So much so, a significant number of Oregonians make up Seattle Seahawks and Mariners ticket sales and television viewers.

A November 2007 press release from the Mariners stated that the team is “a strong product for FSN Northwest in Portland, averaging a 2.3 rating” from 2005-2007.

That rating actually ranks higher than five MLB franchises in their hometowns for the first half of the 2010 baseball season according to a Sports Business Journal report.

Maybe it’s the starvation that makes the city of Portland so passionate?

Is Portland the most passionate sports community? Maybe.

Regardless, the Timbers are cashing in on that passion in what is possibly the best economic situation an expansion franchise in any sport could face.

Population Base per Franchise

Population data from the U.S. Census using the Metropolitan Statistical Areas as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

McArthur Court's iconic three balconies gave fans some of the best cheap-seat views in sports.

Perhaps my most cherished childhood memory happened here.

In fact, it was probably the moment I was destined to become a University of Oregon student, a member of the student section known as The Pit Crew, a Duck.

I was 9.

McArthur Court was a magical place. Her three balconies rose straight up like a skyscraper. Her views for spectators at the top were among the rarest and best cheap seats in sports, but after 84 years and 1,116 men’s basketball games, it’s time for her to retire.

On New Years Day, 2011, she did. A less-than-capacity crowd came alive several times during the Ducks’ 60-55 loss to Arizona State, though not quite at the same intensity level as it had in years prior.

Throughout her life, Mac Court was home to some great basketball. Some pretty awful basketball, too. Sadly, in her later years, it’s been far more of the latter.

If the basketball has been bad, Mac Court’s deterioration has been worse, at no fault of those charged with maintaining her. If you sat in the third balcony, your senses would warn you of severe danger; the floor beneath you would shake at your slightest movement, and you’d become aware of the large cracks in the wooden rafters that support the balcony. Then there was just the extreme height over the arena floor. It wasn’t much better in the second balcony, where fear of the top balcony collapsing on you felt very real.

Cracks in the wood beam didn't lead to much confidence in McArthur Court's structural integrity

Maybe it’s a good thing Mac Court hasn’t sold out in years, because when the Ducks were playing well, the whole building would shake. As scary as it was, though, it was all part of her charm. At times, the backboard would shake so much, opposing players would miss free throws.

Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks play football, has become known as one of the best home-field advantages in sports. It doesn’t come close to Mac Court when the crowd was in the game.

Which brings us back to a 9-year-old kid.

The Pit Crew sends all their good will towards an Oregon player shooting a free-throw.

On March 12, 1994, Oregon was hosting UCLA. It was the final game of the season. The Bruins were one of the best teams in the country. The Ducks were 6-17 going into the game. Yet Oregon, led by my childhood heroes Kenya Wilkins and Orlando Williams, pulled off a spectacular one-point upset. The students rushed the court. From the first balcony, I attempted to jump the wall and join them, but my father reached out and grabbed the collar on the back of my neck.

For the first time, I was exposed to the magic of McArthur Court.

And on New Year’s Day, I experienced her magic for the final time.

Photos from McArthur Court’s final game

(Click to enlarge)

A cappella has long had a stigma.

While often impressive, the blending and harmonizing of voices with no instrumental support often features music only a Golden Oldies fan would love.

No more.

The University of Oregon’s all-male a cappella group, On the Rocks, has proven that the musical style has come a long way.

The nation has taken notice.

First, with millions of views on YouTube for their version of pop superstar Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” and beginning tonight, with an appearance on NBC’s reality singing competition, “The Sing-Off.”

On the Rocks was created in 1999 by two University of Oregon students looking for a musical outlet. The group’s popularity has been growing ever since, with new members auditioning each year and performing nearly every Friday during the school year at the Erb Memorial Union amphitheater on campus with their female counterparts Divisi and Mind the Gap, a co-ed a cappella group.

Entering its second season, “The Sing-Off” will showcase 10 musical groups in a competition hosted by Nick Lachey and judged by musicians Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men and Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls.

The winner of the competition, which culminates with a live finale on December 20 at 8 p.m., will receive $100,000 and a Sony Music recording contract.

The show premiers tonight on NBC from 8 to 10 p.m., and continues at the same start time on December 10, 13 and 15.

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

Team Splat films at dusk on the first evening of the Portland 48 Hour Film Project.

TIGARD — They started streaming into a small studio warehouse, some carrying closets full of clothes, some cases full of equipment, others with boxes of make-up. A group of 35 or so was gathering to write, film and produce a seven-minute movie in 48 hours.

Team Splat, in its second year of putting together a film for the Portland 48 Hour Film Project, was comprised of both professional and amateur cast and crew. Their 2009 film, “The Sample”, won best Cinematography and Best Directing from the festival judges.

At 6:45 on Friday evening, Kevin Curry, one of the writers for Team Splat, was showing his anxiousness in getting started.

“Come on Devon,” he said, as he anxiously awaited a text message from director Devon Lyon, who was meeting with representatives from the other 53 teams and project directors.

From that meeting, Team Splat would learn which genre they would be required to produce.

“As long as it’s not a western or musical, I’m fine with it,” Curry said.

The 48 Hour Film Project was created in 2001 by Mark Ruppert, who recruited several other filmmakers from the Washington, D.C., area to attempt to make short films under a tight deadline.

The films were, maybe surprisingly, watchable. So the event grew.

This year, 52 American cities, 27 international cities and even a community in the virtual world Second Life participated in the event, each with their own judges, production teams and gala events.

As the event kicks off in each city, production teams are given a genre and the name of a character that must be included in the film, as well as a prop and a line of dialogue.

Genres range from buddy film to fantasy, road movie, sci-fi and even film de femme, a genre invented by the project to feature strong female leads (such as “Juno,” “Frida” or “Erin Brockovich”).

“We got mockumentary,” Curry proclaimed to those who had gathered in the studio’s largest room.

“What’s that?” someone asked.

“The TV show ‘The Office’ is a mockumentary,” someone else replied from across the room.

“I’m really happy with it,” Curry said. “We can go in almost any direction.”

Shortly after, word came that every team in the Portland project would need to include a character named Pete or Pam Patterson, who was an artist, as well as some pistachio nuts as a prop and the line, “I have a surprise for you.”

With that, the clock had started ticking.

Scott Nelson (left) and Kevin Curry brainstorm a storyline for their 48 Hour Film Project.

At 7:08 p.m., Curry headed upstairs to the office with Scott Nelson, the other writer for Team Splat, to begin working on a storyline. The cast began dressing up in superhero costumes and getting make-up, while the crew began loading gear into vehicles.

Lyon had received permits to film that evening in a nearby park.

“We’re not sure what we’ll be able to do tonight,” Lyon said, “but, because of the tight deadline, we’ve got to get something on film. Something we get tonight will be usable.”

At 7:44 p.m., Nelson and Curry were struggling to get a scene written while there was still enough daylight to shoot at the park. They had decided that a simple mockumentary was too basic, there needed to be a twist. So, the writers decided to create a mockumentary of a mockumentary.

“When you have as a little time as this, structure is important,” Nelson said.

At 8:09 p.m., Lyon, the actors and crew had enough direction from the writers to begin filming at Tualatin Community Park. Most of the 45-minute filming session was improvised.

Ultimately, only a small portion was usable in the final film.

The cast and crew headed home, dreading a 6:30 a.m. casting call and the long day of filming ahead. For Nelson and Curry, their long day had already begun.

“Whose crazy idea was this?” Nelson asked. “It’s a lot like having a baby. It sucks. You’re sleep-deprived and stressed. But, a few months later you start thinking ‘that was fun. I have this little baby. Let’s do it again.’ ”

At 5:49 a.m. on Saturday, Lyon appeared at the top of the staircase leading into the office, where the writers were still working on a final script. They had been up all night, and the burnout is apparent on the face of both Nelson and Curry.

As the actors began showing up a few minutes later, getting into costume and make-up, the final script was handed off to Lyon, while Nelson and Curry discussed their plans for a nap.

The first scene of the day was filmed outdoors, with the actors wearing undergarments.

At 7:55 a.m., shooting for the first tangible scene of the film began outside of a comic book shop. The actors received direction and quickly learned their lines.

“Just our clothes? Seriously? I’d rather be vaporized,” Mercedes Rose said directly into the camera as she and the other actors headed down a sidewalk in their undergarments.

The script still didn’t make a lot of sense to most of the actors and crew. This first scene was being shot out of context, as part of the film’s second act. The cast speculated on how to develop a mind-set around characters they had only recently been introduced to for the first time.

And so it goes in the film industry, particularly with this condensed 48 Hour Project.

While the crew tore down equipment and moved into the comic book shop for the next scene, the actors gathered around a table of coffee and morning treats while memorizing the next set of lines.

Despite not knowing which genre Team Splat would be given, Lyon had gained permits and permission to shoot at three locations near the studio: the comic book store, a large warehouse and the city park.

“We weren’t sure how we would use the comic book shop and the warehouse,” Lyon said, “but we knew that we’d be able to build a script around those locations.”

As shooting was about to begin inside the store, a comic book shop patron, oblivious to the production going on around him, walked in the front door.

“You’ll need to come back later,” said Ryan Shurtleff, an employee of the shop who’d been cast as an extra. Out he walked, and filming resumed.

Director Devon Lyon gives instruction to one of his actors, Neil Wade Freer.

At 10:27 a.m., the production team arrived at the large warehouse, which was to be used as the evil lair for the story’s villain, and would be the location of the film’s most pivotal scenes.

As each scene wrapped, the storyline began to take shape, despite being produced out of order. By then, the actors felt fully confident in their characters.

At 2:41 p.m., nearly 20-hours after production began, shooting wrapped for most of the cast as the climactic battle scene was completed.

Two hours later, Lyon yelled, “That’s a wrap!” after the completion of a character’s solo scene.

The actors who remained until the end congratulated each other on a job well done, and, one by one, headed home. Many of the crew, however, headed inside the studio to get started on post-production, which included an original score and special effects that would go on to win that category at the festival a couple weeks later.

The cast and crew of Team Splat gather to watch the final product.

With 45 minutes to spare, the final product was sent off to 48 Hour Film Project headquarters.

Team Splat had done it.

The remaining crew, and some of the cast, assembled to watch the finished product they had created together over the previous 48 hours.

Everyone left the studio proud of what they had accomplished.

It was nothing short of a superhuman feat.

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

A casual conversation with several others in the hot tub circled around to Dancer and myself.

“What brings you to Mt. Hood?” a man in his late 30’s asked.

Kevin Curry (left) and Rick Dancer prepare the shot for interviews in the Senate Appropriations Committee room at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Dancer, a producer on the film, had been hired by Portland-based Lyon Films to interview family, friends and former colleagues of Senator Mark Hatfield for a feature-length documentary on the man who served Oregon as a member of the state legislature, as Secretary of State, Governor and, ultimately, 30 years as Senator. His name is on buildings at Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) and the Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland, among others. I was invited along to document the behind-the-scenes process and act as a research assistant.

“You’re kidding,” the man responded. “I’m Robert Hatfield. … Mark is my cousin.”

As you travel around the state of Oregon and talk to people, you’ll inevitably find someone who’s been touched by Mark Hatfield. That’s why Kevin Curry and Devon Lyon decided to create a film about the Senator, who is now 88.

“We want to make him more than a name on a building,” Dancer said. “We want people to hear the stories of those closest to him … the lives that he touched.”

The next morning we met up with Curry, Lyon and Ryan Walters, the cameraman for the documentary, at Portland International Airport. This would be the crew’s first trip outside the state.

“We’ve interviewed most of the people we’re going to get here in Oregon; those who worked with Hatfield at the state level,” Curry said while we waited to board the plane. “Now, we’ll be meeting with those who worked for him in the Senate.”

Rick Dancer (left) interviews Senator John Warner.

While traveling regularly from one end of the country to the other, it’s a wonder that Hatfield, in his time as Senator, was able to get any work done. It’s a near day-long process that Hatfield, by instruction of his long-time chief of staff, Gerry Frank, did every three weeks or so, to keep in touch with the people and issues of Oregon.

After a long day of travel and a late dinner in Georgetown, where a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was on the menu, we decided to go see the capitol at night.

“It’s pretty amazing, the five of us being here,” Lyon said to me while walking back to the car after we’d viewed the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Wall, World War II Memorial, Washington Memorial and the south lawn of the White House. “We’ve got a group of guys really committed to this project who can also take a step back and appreciate where we are.”

The Lincoln Memorial at night on the first day of the Hatfield Documentary Project trip to Washington, D.C.

For all the negative things that can be said about our country, and especially what specifically goes on in D.C., there’s something magical about our nation’s capitol. The bright white stone of the monuments against a black night sky are stunning. It is a place full of idealism, mixed with strong doses of realism. A memorial to Lincoln not only represents the ideals of a nation, but also, a nation divided.

Like the Lincoln Memorial, Hatfield represented contrasting ideas.

In World War II, Hatfield saw first-hand the tragedy of war. As a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, he was a landing craft officer during the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. And he was among the first to witness the effects, on the ground, of the atom bomb in Hiroshima.

“He was a pro-life Republican,” Dancer said, “but he took being pro-life all the way. He was also anti-war and against capital punishment.”

This mentality was in stark contrast to traditional Republican ideology, and could likely be traced back to the war.

Rick Dancer (foreground) interviews Jim Towey, former legal counsel to Sen. Hatfield.

“He was a man of such character and integrity,” said Jim Towey, who worked with Hatfield as a legislative aide and legal counsel, before going on to serve Mother Teresa of Calcutta as U.S. legal counsel.

“(Hatfield) wasn’t a conservative Republican. He wasn’t an ultra anything,” said Sen. Pete Domenici, who himself served as a Republican Senator from New Mexico for 36 years. “On the big issues of the day, he was a very independent Senator.”

“It’s hard for a U.S. Senator to go against the popular will, yet he was willing to do that, and often, was right,” Towey said.

As the first day of interviews was beginning to wrap up, the theme of the day — and ultimately the trip — was that Hatfield was an independent man who wasn’t interested in playing political games or partisanship. He sometimes took a stance against the agendas of those who voted him into office, but at the end of the day, they would vote him back in because he was a man with integrity.

“It was not the ballot box, but Judgment Day that guided Mark Hatfield’s life,” Towey said.

“Would a politician like Hatfield be voted into office today? Would they be able to keep their job?” Dancer asked interviewee after interviewee.

Probably not, most responded.

Account after account told of a Hatfield who was never interested in fundraising or campaigning. His only true campaign in 30 years as a Senator was in 1990, his final election, against Democrat challenger Harry Longsdale. Hatfield raised $1 million in a single month late in the campaign in order to sway the public in his favor, ultimately winning re-election with 53 percent of the vote.

Politics had changed, and several staffers acknowledged that they felt Hatfield had grown tired of it, and he knew an independent mind couldn’t survive a partisan congress.

“We were lucky Oregon sent him (to the Senate),” Domenici said.

As our week of interviews in D.C. continued, Hatfield’s legacy was confirmed again and again. By Senators Daniel Inouye and Thad Cochran from the Senate appropriations committee room at the Capitol building, the committee Hatfield chaired for eight years. By former staffers Jenna Dorn, Mark Van de Water, Martin B. Gold, Sen. John Warner, Sen. Gordon Smith and others.

“Mark Hatfield knew exactly who he was, and exactly what he needed to do for Oregon,” said Keith Kennedy, another former Hatfield staffer. “There’s a rich story here and it needs to be told.”

Thanks to Lyon, Curry, Dancer and Walters, it will be.

The Hatfield Documentary crew takes a quick lunch break in a car full of people and gear. (From front to back, left to right): Rick Dancer, Kevin Curry, Devon Lyon, Ryan Walters, Joshua Kagi.

Oregon Public Broadcasting has shown interest in broadcasting a version of the film. Upon its completion, the feature-length documentary will be placed in high schools and universities across the state.

When taking off from Reagan National Airport just across the Potomic River from D.C., our plane flew over the Lincoln Memorial, giving us a bird’s-eye view of the National Mall all the way to the Capitol. It was a sunny day, giving us a romanticized, postcard-like view of a city.

As our plane descended into Portland, flying low under the rain clouds during the first winter-like storm in the mountains, I thought, “our political climate is much more like these dark clouds, rain and turbulence than the sunshine and romantic views of D.C.”

Hatfield’s former colleagues and staffers were nearly unanimous in thinking a man like him could not succeed in today’s political climate.

They’re probably right.

But worry not — Oregon was lucky to have him once, and with this documentary film, maybe another man or woman will be inspired to be the next Mark Hatfield.

———
The Hatfield Film Project released this short series of interviews prior to the D.C. trip. For updates on the film’s progress, visit HatfieldFilm.com, follow them on twitter or visit their page on Facebook.

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

Financially, times are tough for nearly everyone in every industry. Films that are produced independently of a major studio are no exception. So when Portland’s own New York Times best-selling author, Donald Miller, announced that a highly anticipated independent film based on his memoir “Blue Like Jazz” wouldn’t get off the ground, it came as no surprise.

Nearly 4,500 people pledging $345,992 to ensure the film would be made came as a shock to everyone, particularly director Steve Taylor, co-writer Ben Pearson and Miller.

“You can’t possibly know how many people you’ve inspired, how many people you’ve made smile over the last month,” Miller said to those who rallied to support the film.

Shortly after Miller announced the film’s premature death, two self-proclaimed fanboys, Zach Prichard and Jonathan Frazier, created a page on Kickstarter.com — a fundraising site for creative projects — asking for other fans to help get the film made.

Supporters would need to contribute a total of $125,000 for the film to receive the green light for production.

Kickstarter requires that projects meet 100 percent of the requested target in order to receive funds. If a project does not meet its goal within a specified timeframe, pledges by supporters are voided.

All or nothing.

The “Save Blue Like Jazz” project met its goal in just 11 days, nearly three weeks before the due date, and ultimately raised 275 percent of it’s goal, shattering previous fundraising records on the website.

Four years ago, Taylor, Pearson and Miller began writing a screenplay based on the 2003 memoir. Subtitled “Nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality,” the book is the story of a college student from the Bible Belt transplanting himself to Reed College in Portland — often referred to as the most godless campus in America — to escape his religious upbringing.

“The theme of the movie is about a kid who is ashamed of his faith, both for selfish reasons and for very good reasons,” Miller writes on his website.

The memoir resonated with many Christians, and others who considered themselves spiritual but not religious.

“It was a book that dared to call the church out,” said Barbara Galbraith, a staff member at First Baptist Church in McMinnville. “He was living a story many of us can relate to … one the church wasn’t connecting with.”

“We decided to make a movie that obeyed a story rather than a message, and the story was about a kid transitioning out of a faith that had all the supposed right answers, to a faith that stayed with him through the confusion and the doubt,” Miller wrote in a blog post on his website. “This movie is a movie for people who identify with the faith of the church, but our questions and our journey doesn’t seem as clean or neat.”

Production of the movie began on October 27 in Nashville, will continue up until Thanksgiving and then resume in Portland in January. Hopes are high for a late 2011 release.

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

George Horton could only watch as his team fell one run short in a comeback bid against Pat Casey’s Oregon State Beavers.

Two days later, Horton and his 2007 Cal-State Fullerton baseball team were headed home from the College World Series in Omaha after going 0-2. The Beavers ultimately went on to win their second consecutive national title.

Soon after that, the University of Oregon announced it was reinstating its baseball program, which had been dormant since 1982, and Horton was later named the Ducks’ head coach.

A rivalry was renewed between two teams and two coaches.

Now in their second season of reinstatement, the Ducks (38-22, 13-14) finished tied for fifth in the Pac-10 Conference and earned a No. 3 seed in the Connecticut Region of the NCAA tournament.

The Ducks’ season was a tremendous success, with the postseason berth coming a year or two ahead of even the most optimistic of schedules.

Like many of Oregon’s athletic ventures in the past decade, the revival of the baseball program was backed by big donors. Horton’s hiring, and the plans for PK Park, signaled that from day one, the program was expected to compete with anyone in the nation … particularly with the Beavers, whose back-to-back national titles undoubtedly prodded the Ducks to bring back the sport.

In 2009, the first season for Horton’s Ducks, the team struggled to a 14-42 overall record, including 4-23 in conference play, but produced highlights that included a home-opening walk-off victory over 2008 national champion Fresno State and an extra-innings victory over the Beavers in front of a Pac-10-record crowd of 15,540 at PGE Park in Portland.

Still, the Beavers won five of six games against the Ducks in ’09.

Picked to repeat their last-place conference finish in 2010, Oregon surprised many on a season-opening road trip to Southern California, where the Ducks defeated fourth-ranked Cal-State Fullerton, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount. Over the next few weeks, the Ducks swept Fresno State in four games on the road, then came home to claim a series victory over Seattle and sweep Nevada in a four-game series. By March 20, before playing a single conference game, the Ducks eclipsed their previous-season win total.

Following two series losses to open the Pac-10 season, which included a victory over previously undefeated and top-ranked Arizona State, the Ducks won four consecutive conference series, including taking two of three games from No. 1 UCLA on the road. In the midst of that streak, Oregon defeat Oregon State in a dominating 9-4 nonconference game at PK Park.

There was magic happening in Eugene, and many wondered if the Ducks had already overtaken the Beavers.

The answer came soon enough.

Ten days after proclaiming to the state that the Ducks were for real against the Beavers, the teams met again, this time in Corvallis for a three-game conference series.

Friday: 2-1, 10-inning walk-off win for Oregon State.

Saturday: 4-3, 11-inning walk-off win for Oregon State.

Sunday: 6-5, walk-off win for Oregon State.

Three games, three walk-off, one-run victories for the Beavers over their upstart rivals.

The gap between the two clubs had narrowed, but it was the Beavers’ three-game sweep that reignited the OSU program, which had fallen on hard times, losing nine of 10 games prior to the Civil War series.

Oregon recovered from the sweep with victories over 19th-ranked San Diego, a sweep of East Tennessee State and a road-series win against the Washington Huskies.

The Beavers rode the wave of momentum created by the Civil War sweep to a strong finish with a season-ending series win against Arizona, and earned a No. 3 seed in the Florida Region of the NCAA tournament.

In a midweek contest in Portland, in the final week of the season, the Ducks and Beavers went at it one more time.

Beavers 2, Ducks 1.

Again, Horton watched as his team lost to Casey’s Beavers, in what is quickly becoming an expected result.

For all of Oregon’s success in 2010, and there has been a lot of it, the Ducks, and Horton, will always be measured directly against the Beavers. Despite finishing a game ahead of Oregon State in the final conference standings, the Beavers still hold the upperhand.

Until 2011, at least.

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.

Two reasons stand out above the others: we love our coffee and we love our beer.

It’s no secret that the northwest is known for great coffee. Much like England is known for tea to get them through a long grey winter, Oregonians enjoy a hot caffeinated drink. We’re not talking the Dunkin’ Donuts blend that is abundant on the east coast, either. This is the real stuff. Stumptown, Starbucks and countless other roasts and blends have turned Oregonians into snobs. We don’t just drink coffee for the caffeine boost; it’s a boost for our souls, something that gets us through months on end without seeing sun.

Less known, however, is just how much Oregonians depend on good beer, for many of the same reasons as coffee. In 2009, while other industries were struggling to adapt and survive during a severe recession, Oregon breweries surpassed the one million mark for barrels produced for the first time, a 15.2 percent increase over the previous year.

“The brewing industry is a major contributor to Oregon’s economy and a big supporter of our communities,” said Brian Butenschoen, executive director of the Oregon Brewers Guild.

Portland is home to 32 breweries within its city limits, more than any other city anywhere in the world, according to the OBG. Likewise, Eugene, Bend and several other Oregon cities have become home to several high-quality breweries each. In all, there are 74 brewing companies throughout the state with 102 brewing facilities.

Quantity doesn’t always mean quality, but when it comes to beer in Oregon, it does: 13 Oregon beers placed at the prestigious 2010 Beer World Cup. Winners of gold included: Shredders Wheat from Barley Brown’s Brew Pub of Baker City in the American-Style Wheat Beer category; Caldera Rauch Ur Bock from Caldera Brewing Company of Ashland for Smoked Beer; Session Black from Full Sail Brewing Company of Hood River for American-Style Dark Lager; Drop Top from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company of Portland for Ordinary Bitter; Bachelor Bitter from Deschutes Brewery of Bend for Special Bitter or Best Bitter; Outback X from Bend Brewing Company of Bend for Strong Ale.

Hop Valley of Springfield, Rogue Ales of Newport, Hopworks Urban Brewery of Portland, Pelican Pub & Brewery of Pacific City, Caldera Brewing Company of Ashland and Upright Brewing Company of Portland also had beers place in their respective categories. Widmer Brothers Brewing was a double winner, with their ALT taking bronze for German-Style Brown Ale.

Wired Oregon has picked a handful of the best around the state. You can find most of these beers at your local supermarket, including Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods and Market of Choice.

EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD:

Ninkasi Brewery
Founded: 2006
Beers: Three year-round brews, including Total Domination IPA, and several seasonals including Oatis Oatmeal Stout and Spring Reign.
Public Space: Tasting Room, Open every day noon to 9 p.m.
272 Van Buren St.,
Eugene, OR 97402
ninkasibrewing.com
541-344-2739

Hop Valley
Founded: 2008
Beers: Nine, including Double D Blonde, 541 Lager and Vanilla Porter.
Public Space: Restaurant at the brewery, Open Sun-Thurs 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
980 Kruse Way
Springfield, OR 97477
541-744-3330
hopvalleybrewing.com

Oakshire
Founded: 2006
Beers: Three year-round brews including Overcast Espresso Stout, several seasonals including O’Dark:30 Cascadian Dark Ale.
Public Space: Tasting Room, Open Saturday noon to 4 p.m.
1055 Madera St.
Eugene, OR 97402
541-688-4555
oakbrew.com

COAST:

Rogue
Founded: 1988
Beers: More than three-dozen brews, including Dead Guy Ale and Yellow Snow IPA.
Public Space: Restaurants and breweries in Newport, Portland, Independence, Astoria, Eugene, Issaquah, Washington and San Francisco.
rogue.com

Pelican
Founded: 1997
Beers: Five year-round brews, including MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale and Tsunami Stout.
Public Space: Restaurant at Pelican Pub & Brewery, Open Sun-Thurs 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri-Sat 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive
Pacific City, OR 97135
503-965-7007
pelicanbrewery.com

BEND:

Deschutes
Founded: 1988
Beers: Seven year-round brews, including Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale, and several seasonals and reserves, including Red Chair NWPA and The Abyss Imperial Stout.
Public Space: Restuarants and breweries in Bend and Portland.
deschutesbrewery.com

PORTLAND:

Laurelwood
Founded: 2001
Beers: Ten brews, including Tree Hugger Porter and Free Range Red.
Public Space: Four Portland locations.
laurelwoodbrewpub.com

Widmer Brothers
Founded: 1984
Beers: Eight brews, including Widmer Hefeweizen and Drop Top Amber Ale.
Public Space: Widmer Brothers Brewery tours, Fri 3 p.m., Sat 11 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
929 N. Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-2437
widmer.com

McMenamins
Founded: 1983
Beers: Five flagship brews, including Terminator Stout and Hammerhead NWPA.
Public Space: Pubs in Portland, Clackamas, Oregon City, Gresham, Troutdale, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Sherwood, West Linn, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Roseburg, Bend, Forest Grove, McMinville, Lincoln City and Gearhart.
mcmenamins.com

HOOD RIVER:

Full Sail
Founded: 1987
Beers: Three year-round brews, including Amber and IPA, several seasonals and reserves.
Public Space: Pubs in Hood River and Portland.
fullsailbrewing.com

BAKER CITY:

Barley Brown’s
Founded: 1998
Beers: Shredders Wheat
Public Space: Pub open daily 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
2190 Main St.
Baker City, OR 97814
541-523-4266

This story was originally written for Wired Oregon.