Adapt or die. Times change. If we do not change and innovate with them, we will fall by the wayside into a sea of mediocrity and insignificance that holds what is left of Sears, Kodak, and Blockbuster Video.
Oregon State is the Oakland Athletics. Oregon State has been the Oakland Athletics for the last 40 years. The Beavs to do more with less.
Oregon State must utilize all advantages. If the Beavs do not, they will fail.
And money is the lifeblood of everything. Like it or not, it must be that way.
You must create a product that people want, and you must sell that product. If you not, you will wind up in the dustbin of history.
Oregon State cannot fail to adapt. The Beavs simply cannot afford it. Oregon State must create a product that people want and sell it. Beaming the Civil War into households around the world is a great way to do that. Historically one of the nation's premier rivalry games. That is something obvious that Oregon State has that it can sell. And it must sell it. Because what else do we have?
Seriously, we have something valuable, and you would throw it away for arrogant pride? "The perfect is the enemy of the good."--Voltaire. The Civil War is only 99% as cool as it used to be. It is imperfect. Nuke it, and move on? C'mon, my friend. Get serious.
You make a false equivalence. Whores sell themselves on street corners, because they lack other things that are valuable. They lack options.
Here, Oregon State has options. Oregon State has things that are marketable, something that people want that holds a great intrinsic and extrinsic value. And you would have us throw it away, because it is less great than it used to be?
And what will Oregon State exactly have then? What else will the Beavs have that has value? Will we lack options? What exactly will Oregon State sell then. And will we be forced to sell it on street corners? Since we have absolutely nothing of any value, why don't you beat the rush brother and get out on that corner and start selling. The Beavs will need the money to offset the lack of a game against the Ducks.
You are a Child of Summer, my friend. But Winter is Coming.
Times are about to get tough. We must hold on to and market what is valuable and keep doing that, until things are less volatile.
Like it? Don't like it? The current reality sucks. There can still be better days ahead. But we need to weather this storm first. And the Civil War looks like a great life raft to me at the moment. If you want to forego the life raft for some magic beans, because you don't like the color of the life raft or something be my guest. I'm climbing in and invite everyone else to do likewise.
Besides, the Civil War might be coming to Corvallis for the last time in at least five years and maybe ever. Enjoy the great (or not quite so great, according to irimi) , while there is something great to enjoy.
If it is the last time, we had a great run, yeah? 130 years. Absolutely nothing to sneeze at. You always hope for a grand and glorious end to match the grandiosity and gloriousness of the previous 130 years, and there still may be amazing things this year and next. We will see.
Additionally, tuning out is the exact wrong response right now. Tune in for everything Oregon State. Always. Be a fan. Ignore everything not Oregon State. That is a great way of showing dissatisfaction. But always tune in for the Beavs. The team needs your eyeballs for a couple of years to try and find a soft spot to land. If you want to tune out, do it after the softest spot possible has been secured.
I watched 56-14 in 2005. I watched 69-10 in 2017. I watched 55-15 in 2018. I do not know why I would not watch 2024. I will undoubtedly have seen worse. And you probably have, as well. We are gluttons for punishment. That is why we cheer on Oregon State after all this time.
Finally, the 60th Civil War in Corvallis. Game 128 in the nation's fourth most-played rivalry. Something to cheer about, in spite of almost literally everything else going on around us.