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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Thousands brave heat for Fourth of July parades ... Earthquake rumbles Eugene area ... J'ville planner at 'flash point' turns in resignation ... Thousands brave heat for Fourth of July parades ... Earthquake rumbles Eugene area ... J'ville planner at 'flash point' turns in resignation ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Oregon Ducks were originally the Webfoots Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 28, 2014 at 2:00 AM Posted Sep. 28, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Social News I know there has got to be a few sports buffs on your crew. I have only been in Medford for about five years, and there is a question I wondered if you could answer. We have two college football teams in Oregon, the Ducks and the Beavers. Which colleges are they from? In the sports section, it will say Oregon won, but they don't say the team name, which kind of leaves me wondering. — "Sports Dummy Carl," via fax Generally speaking, no question is too big or too small for us at Since You Asked Sports Center, but we'll admit that your query veers dreadfully close to the "too small" threshold. That said, we have a deadline, and you have an inquiring mind. Bear with us, dear readers, there's information in this here low-hanging fruit.  First of all Dummy ... ur ... Carl, Oregon has a lot more than two colleges with sports teams. Southern Oregon University is in Ashland, for instance, and Portland State University is up in, you guessed it, Portland, and in between are numerous other institutions of higher learning. For the purposes of your question, we will assume you knew that and meant college teams in the PAC 12 Conference. In that case, two is correct. The University of Oregon and Oregon State University are the only two teams from Oregon that play in the PAC 12. Most sports fans — or Oregonians who've had to listen to sports radio in the car — know that "Oregon" refers to the University of Oregon Ducks in Eugene. According to a Sept. 3, 1995, Register-Guard article, the team's name stems from an original moniker of "Webfoots," coined in the 1890s. The mascot at Oregon's (ahem, we're doing it already) early football games was a man so comfortable in the rain that he had webbed feet. The "Duck" mascot became interchangeable with "Webfoot" in 1947 when then-athletic director Leo Harris made a handshake deal with Walt Disney to use Donald Duck's likeness for the Oregon Duck. Another nail in the Webfoot coffin: a live mascot in the 1950s and '60s was named Puddles the Duck. "Oregon" is used as opposed to "Oregon State," which refers to the Oregon State University Beavers in Corvallis. The first mention of Oregon State's team as "Beavers" was in 1908, and by 1916 the school yearbook was called "The Beaver." The first "Benny Beaver" mascot costume was created by then-Oregon State College student Ken Austin in 1952, who draped the homemade costume in a shag rug, according to OSU's website. Today the mascot is a mainstay at Oregon State games. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 28, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501