Canzano: Oregon-Washington spat bubbles up
Bill Moos says Huskies were Oregon's obsession.
It was early 2004, and there was a fracture in the castle wall at the University of Oregon. Bill Moos, the athletic director in Eugene, had been mentioned as a possible candidate for another AD job — the one at the University of Washington.
Moos was asked about his interest in a radio interview.
He didn’t shut it down.
Phil Knight viewed that as an act of treason.
Moos was speaking at an event in Portland for boosters not long after. Knight was in the crowd. As Moos was introduced and made his way to the stage, Knight stood alongside his close friends, cupped his hands around his mouth, and let loose with a “BOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!!!”
That scene underscores Oregon’s obsession with beating Washington during that time. The Ducks were investing heavily, leaning on Knight’s support, and focused on being the premier brand in the region.
Moos told me this week: “We wanted to take over the Northwest.”