Inaugural O Show to Be Held Tonight At Matthew Knight Arena
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
What used to be a small, somewhat intimate process of handing out annual athletic department honors has been turned into a red carpet awards gala, the O Show, to be held tonight, May 11, in Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon fans are invited to attend the 7:30 p.m. show, with arena doors to open an hour earlier, or watch a free live stream. Donations to the O Heroes program are suggested for admission to the event, which will be hosted by ESPN anchor and UO alum Neil Everett, along with UO football player Tyler Johnstone.
The O Show is the brainchild of Oregon’s student-athlete advisory committee, a cross-section of Ducks from various sports who meet regularly to give voice to issues among each other and with the athletic department. The goal was to combine the pizzazz of the athletic department’s talent show, called “Showtime,” with an ESPYs type awards show format.
“We wanted to put on a big thing for all the athletes to come together,” said women’s basketball player Amanda Delgado, who has helped produce the O Show along with O Heroes coordinator Resa Lovelace. “And then to show the public we’re more than just sports. There’s a lot of sports awards in there, but there’s a lot of academic and other awards too. Showing the public we’re more than just athletes is one of the goals.”
Among the awards to be handed out are the female and male athletes of the year, and the freshman of the year. But there are also the Emerald and Jackson awards, given to a senior male and female, respectively, on the basis of academics, leadership and inspiration along with athletic achievements.
There’s an award honoring “Oregon Pride” named for longtime UO administrator Herb Yamanaka, and another for the O Heroes program. Nominations were made by student-athletes, and winners were selected by a vote of student-athletes and administrators.
Tonight’s event will include extensive multimedia elements, including highlight videos, a top-plays segment and a performance by On The Rocks, an a cappella group.
Given the red-carpet flavor, some attendees will treat the O Show as a black-tie affair.
“I think it’s going to be great,” Delgado said of what’s intended to be an annual event. “It’s the first one, and everybody’s really excited about it. People don’t know what to wear, so I think we’re going to see some great outfits. I think it’s going to turn out great.”
