Cris George paid the price Friday night for Oregon State University’s loss in the 113th Civil War.
George spent a very cold night in a tent in the parking lot at All-Star Auto Repair and Sales, at 18th Avenue and Main Street, beneath a “Go Ducks!” sign, after losing a bet with his boss, Curt Fry.
“We’re always doing bets,” Fry said. It started a few years ago when Fry’s brother, Brad Marx, stuck four Beavers stickers on Fry’s car. Fry bet him the Ducks would win. If he lost, he would keep the Beavers stickers. If he won the bet, his brother would have to put them on his car €“ upside down until the Beavers win again.
This year the competition spread throughout the auto shop.
“Down by nine for awhile, I was getting cold just thinking about it,” Fry said of the game. Then the Ducks got ahead and converted two fourth downs on the final drive to keep the ball out of Oregon State’s hands.
“It could’ve gone either way,” George said. “The whole game went that way.”
He may have had to spend the night in 20-degree weather, but he doesn’t have any hard feelings.
“I’m wishing them luck in the Rose Bowl,” he said. “They’re an Oregon team, you bet.”
“It was a good game,” Marx said after driving up with upside down stickers on each of his car’s four doors. “Either one of them could’ve won it. I’m glad that one of Oregon’s teams gets to go to the Rose Bowl.”