EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — In the mass of tailgaters gathered outside Autzen Stadium before a recent Oregon game, two young men sported T-shirts with the bold words: “Stop Chip.”
A nod to coach Chip Kelly, the slogan was a clever play on shirts that were donned all over Eugene some four decades ago that proclaimed “Stop Pre.”
The story of Steve Prefontaine still resonates in Eugene and has become an inspiration for the No. 1 Ducks. Pre was a brash runner who trained in the early 1970s under Oregon’s renowned coach, Bill Bowerman, the co-founder of Nike.
His example of running full bore has struck a chord with Kelly, who often invokes Pre’s message as an example for his players.
