Mailbag: On Dan Lanning and Phil Knight, most important wins and retired numbers
The man just wanted a Rose Bowl.
EUGENE — A failure of mine from Saturday night was securing a view to see Phil Knight’s reaction to Oregon’s win. I wasn’t seeking to interview the Nike co-founder, but I usually like to get an eye on him on the sideline during particularly big games in Oregon history. This was one, but once Will Howard slid, time ran out and fans cascaded down to the field, well, there wasn’t much use in trying to get anywhere.
Sometimes, you’re just at the mercy of where the crowd takes you.
Thankfully, the always excellent Ducks vs. Them produced by UO’s video team caught a moment between Knight and Oregon coach Dan Lanning in the postgame.
Here’s a still:
Knight is 86 years old. There aren’t many new experiences one can still provide the guy. But he’s never been in Autzen Stadium for a win like that one. And while the expectations for Lanning are to eventually win the mega-donor a national championship, I don’t think Knight is the type to take for granted someone who can still make him feel like a fan.
Back in July, I asked Lanning about his relationship with Knight.
“I’m still awestruck every time I get to sit down with him,” Lanning said. “Because you get to see what he created from really humble beginnings in a lot of ways, like building things from the ground up. I certainly consider him a great mentor and friend. He and his wife, Penny, want to see great things happen. The way he’s utilized his platform and poured into people is really something I admire.”
I then asked him how much pressure he felt to get Knight what he wanted.