Canzano: A parade in the Oregon Ducks hotel lobby
The scene in front of the Big Ten title game.
INDIANAPOLIS — Don Lanning met me at the downtown Marriott on Saturday morning. The father of Daniel Lanning, University of Oregon football coach, sat in a leather chair in the middle of the lobby, not far from a fireplace.
He looked — and sounded — like a kid on a field trip.
Lanning and I visited for 90 minutes. The elevator doors of the team hotel opened and closed behind him. The Ducks and Penn State will play for the Big Ten championship a few blocks away at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is 5 p.m. PT. But the pre-game parade started in the early morning in this spot.
Kenjon Barner stopped by to say hello. The former UO star running back shook Don’s hand and said: “Your son is a heck of a football coach.” Ashley Adamson and Yogi Roth, now with the Big Ten Network, dipped in, too.
When they walked away, Don said: “I’ve seen them on TV.”