Steve Lundeberg

Unless you live on the moon, you’ve probably realized by now that this year’s Civil War winner goes to the Rose Bowl.

And unless you’ve never read this blog before, you’ve likely figured out that yours truly belongs to a family of Oregon State fans; my two brothers, my wife and I all graduated from OSU, my father-in-law taught there, and both my kids are students there.

Already in full swing in his gearing up for the Dec.  3 clash with the Ducks, Bob sent me a note Monday morning that read, “It’s not game week, but it is never to early to get mentally prepared for the war,” and the file contained the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgkHs3fohzA

The clip, if you don’t feel like watching it yourself, shows Ken Simonton’s winning touchdown run in the epic 1998 clash, in which OSU prevailed 44-41 in double overtime over the heavily favored Ducks.

I was covering the game, exulting silently to myself in the pressbox (where cheering is not allowed) as Simonton scored, and no joke, I remember thinking to myself: I have never been happier than I am at this moment.

Quickly, that reaction struck me as a bit over the top for a married, 35-year-old father of two who had enjoyed many happy episodes in parts of life that, most people would agree, are more important than football, even the Civil War.

But still, for sheer, intense, unadulterated joy … well, I still don’t know if I’ve ever been happier than I was on that rainy night back  in 1998, unless it was when the Beavers beat the Ducks in overtime at Autzen Stadium two years ago.

What about you: When were you happiest?

Tweet This Post