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What the heck is Team83?
Team83 is a group of people who share a fondness for the University of Oregon (although one of us is a Florida fan and one of us likes Cal). We also enjoy social media (mainly Twitter), good food, good beer, tailgating and mimosas.
But what does the 83 stand for?
This is where it gets a little Fight Club-esque. While we all love Ed Dickson—seriously, how good was that guy?—it is not a tribute to arguably the best #83 in Oregon history. It also has nothing to do with how many members we have. Honestly, you could probably guess for a year and never figure it out.
What we can tell you is that the group was founded on Thanksgiving Night, 2011, and it happened entirely on Twitter. Those that witnessed its founding are scarred for life and sworn to secrecy. Or something.
Really? You’re not going to tell me the whole story?
Nah. First of all, it would be impossible to do it justice. And second, knowing the full story is a badge of honor for those who fought off the effects of tryptophan and watched the whole thing go down on their Twitter feed.
Who’s in charge of this operation?
In short, nobody. The first to use #Team83 on Twitter was @SportsBrewery, but @DuckInTheDesert and @JShulmire were instrumental in the group’s development, as well. You can find a list of members on @JonathanAdams’ Twitter account. But it’s not like any one person is driving this bus.
We have members from Oregon, Washington, California, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Nevada, Australia, and Chile among others. One current Oregon football player and one former Oregon football player are members, as well. It’s a diverse group and everything we do is driven by the members, not by any one person.
Why would I want to join Team83?
Do you like the Oregon Ducks, meeting new people and having fun? That’s pretty much what we’re all about.
How does a person join Team83?
Just ask a member. Most members have #Team83 somewhere in their profile. We only have four rules for membership, and two of those are optional.
1. Ask to join. Generally speaking, we don’t ask people to join. We’re all very busy, so if you want in, it’s on you to make the effort.
2. Don’t be a douchebag. If you’re abusive to other members you’re gonna be removed. Look, we’re not saying that we all agree on everything. But if your go-to response to arguments on Twitter is to insult those you’re interacting with, this group probably isn’t for you. I mean, we argue about EVERYTHING. Sports, politics, Eli vs. Peyton, music, Draw Something…we’re a very opinionated group. But just because you disagree with someone about the merits of, say, women’s basketball, doesn’t mean you don’t have ten other things in common. Don’t take things personally and try to have fun.
3. (Optional) Put #Team83 in your Twitter profile.
4. (Optional) Tailgate with the group. If you have the means to get to Autzen and you don’t have other plans, stop by. Our spot is at the Masonic Lodge.
Okay, so I’ve joined. Now what?
Start interacting with your fellow members. If you don’t make at least one friend, we’ll give you a full refund.