Bleacher report: A letter from an Oregon fan to Matt Barkley

From the Bleacher Report

Dear Matt,

Wow! What a year for you so far! Rarely do we see true freshman quarterbacks such as yourself play so majestically, especially under pressure.

We love the fact that you are a 19-year-old kid from California making national news on the gridiron. Way to represent the West Coast, kid!

We have been watching you for quite some time now. Your first performance (vs. San Jose State) didn’t particularly wow us, even though you went 15-of-19 with 233 yards and one touchdown. We all pointed out that it was against San Jose State, and that Pete Carroll himself could have put up those numbers.

The big thing we were all waiting for was your first away game, which was at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio, no less. We all wanted you to fail miserably and prove to the nation that you were just a fluke, and that the University of Southern California would be garbage in the Pac-10 this year. 

Boy, were we wrong!

Not only did you keep your poise, but you came out the victor over Ohio State and the hated Terrelle Pryor and really proved your worth nationally as well.

You wholeheartedly earned your respect and dismissed any notion of you being a 19-year-old media darling who was getting attention just because of the team you play for. Once again, congratulations.

As we monitored your progress (we know you would have beaten the Washington Huskies had you been healthy), the excitement started building within us, and we marked the date of your visit on our calendar.

We are so glad that you have continued to play at a stellar level, because we want your status as a top-tier quarterback to still be intact when you pay us a visit. We want you to believe that you are truly a great quarterback, and that nothing can stop you. We want this confidence.

Then, of course, we want to obliterate this aforementioned confidence on Halloween night.

Playing at home in Southern California is no doubt a comfortable, safe atmosphere. Playing at the Horseshoe might have gotten a little noisy, but you have proven that just a little noise won’t rattle you.

After you beat our neighbors last week, we just wanted to give you a little warning: When someone beats up on our little brother, then, as big brothers, we have no choice but to retaliate and show you that only we are allowed to pummel our lesser siblings.

Be warned.

Also, we would like to direct you to the words of Adrian Peterson. He has witnessed great success in the NFL; he survived his trip to visit us, and we wish you the same success in the future.

“It was like some sort of crazy torture in the movies. How do people do that so long without taking a breath? I think my ears are still ringing.”

Mr. Peterson lived to tell about his visit and is now the best running back in the NFL; we want you to survive your visit as well and become a good quarterback. After all, we don’t want to kill you.

We just want to make sure our team comes out on top this year. We believe that a small sacrifice will be needed. Your eardrums are what we are after—and we will stop at nothing to get them.

When you burn a timeout after your very first huddle, just remember that there is no shame in doing that. It happens to all first-time quarterbacks when they visit us; they just aren’t used to having to communicate with their motions.

After Oct. 31, we wish you the best of luck in the future. We know you can make it big, and we apologize in advance if your visit creates any chronic long-term health effects, mentally or physically.

Just wanted to say one final thing though: Whatever happens this Saturday, it’s nothing personal. If anything, take it all as a sign of respect.

We know you are just 19, and hey, if you really do want to get your revenge, you should still be around to visit again for your junior season. We’ll be waiting.

Once again, no hard feelings, Matt. We just really want that Rose Bowl this year.

Love,

The University of Oregon

P.S. Nice hair.

Comments

[pk-in-the-mesa]

Wow that is fantastic hope you pull it off,NNNNOOOOTTT

[Robert]

Memo to Heritage Hall: Please print a copy for the USC bulletin board, and one for each member of the Oline and Dline.

Fight ON! Roast the ducks.

[RichInSB]

This had to be written by Pete Carroll. Nice touch, coach!

[TWM]

I know the 50,000 in Eugene get pretty loud , but it can't be any worse than more than twice that number in the Horseshoe. I think the Trojans will be ready for y'all.

[CrazyJake]

So Barkley had no trouble at one of the loudest crowds ever in the Horseshoe, but he's going to start immediately burning timeouts at Oregon? He's not used to communicating with his motions? Is LeGarrette Blount going to come out and try to punch him?

[Mike Hickey]

cute and nice try...but one fatal flaw in the "letter"....no one @ Oregon thinks of Oregon State as anything!!...let alone a relative. They hate them....see "Civil War" every year in November.
This is one game that all the East Coast media will watch...who wants to win more and advance in the BCS ??
Fight On !!

Mike Hickey
New York, NY

[JR]

Nice piece of writing Coach Carroll, but two things give it away, one the term of endearment for the Beavers and two ducks quack.
Now here is what the Ducks would have written, if they could write.
Quack, quack quack. Quack quack quack quack quack.
Relax the rest is downhill, you just have to get past all the noise... Who are they? Nobody.
Who are you? USC! Number One!

[mayhem]

Why is this toad writing subtle threatening letters to a 19 year old kid anyway.
What is he? ... a coward. direct your letters to our coaches. In it, he refers to the beavers as their little brothers for whom 'they don't take lightly" that we beat.... Anyone aligning themselves to the beavers and the midgets are not talking to me without a spit in their face....... To hell with these guys.

[Brian Scott]

Fight On!

[yosoytudios]

we shall have some roasted duck for dinner on saturday. yummy. i think young barkley will be ok with all the quacking. the defense needs to come to play though.

[yosoytudios]

this letter was not written by pete caroll, it was written by joseph manuel. a contributor for the bleacher report.
Joseph's Bio

University of Oregon graduate.
English major.

Unbiased.
I'm one of the editors.
Word.

[bill gates]

totally fake. nice attempt at trying to drum up controversy. Blech.

[Linda]

So..now the Times are so desperate you're printing an article from the bleacher report? Give any moron a computer, he can submit an article to that site...yeah.

[killa kam]

for the record we, oregon, do look at osu as our little brother. we want them to succeed,just not as much as us and we dont want to lose to them.

[LightningYellow]

Autzen Stadium is the loudest stadium in the history of college sports. It's a fact that was recorded... Look it up.

This will easily be the loudest football game in history (shattering our old record.) It's 61,000, by the way.

Oregon by two touchdowns.

[Matt]

I wonder if Adrian Peterson wants to forget his trip to Oregon more than he want to forget 55-19...

[steven]

What are you smokin> Are You Martin Luther King
" I had a dream"? Oregonians are always insecure. Your players werent smart enough to
to matriculate at U.S.C. or get offered a full ride! When the lights go out night and you are sitting in bed you are dreaming about what it would be like to be big time and be a Trojan. You know, we know it. So dream on as Arrowsmith says and keep thinking of Matty B's hair. Sounds like your are lite in the loafers! Hope you have a nice costume for holoween as you will need it to complete your fantasy about beating USC!

[OCGREG]

My great-grandmother is 91 years old and Oregon has not won a Rose Bowl in her lifetime.

Fight On!

[SG in NM]

Not a lot of class, as usual.

[John]

Thank you for the welcome and the love,
now meet Mrs. Taylor Mays!

[Verballistic]

Memo to "Lightning Yellow":

So Autzen Stadium has been "scientifically proven" to be the "loudest stadium in the country"...does this mean that every other major college football stadium in the entire U.S. has been "similarly measured under identical, controlled conditions"?!?

Even if the answer to that question is yes, what exactly does that mean in light of the fact that U of Oregon quackers haven't won a single national title in football since the university's football program began in 1893?!?

[WcoastO]

What shallow and transparent attempt to stir up the Trojans......the letter is obviously fake.

[RAW]

It's ON!

[Pule Ngata]

It's good they wrote this letter to Matt Barkley. The men of Troy well be ready for the ducks this weekend at Eugene. Good luck to the mighty Trojans n always always FIGHT ON!

808 biggest USC fan

Mr. Ngata

[Ron]

So a PAC of Trojans is coming to Eugene for Halloween