This is really interesting…

And hear is what Steph wore to Whrirly Ball – who would have thought that the mask I ordered for Joey’s Christmas masquerade party that was shipped to Seattle instead of Billings would ever come in handy? I know I didn’t, but I’m happy I have it.

Currently watching…

Saw a great Kansas win, followed by a good How I Met Your Mother, followed by….a HORRIBLE episode of the Bachelor – what on earth is Ali doing!? Couple things: A) Her job isn’t anywhere close to that important and B)She doesn’t love her job that much and would never leave the show for it. It was either her idea or the producers, but either way it’s ridiculous. It was pretty obvious it was all setup and that she wasn’t really that upset about it. They were just trying to have an “Ed” like scenario from last year. Anyways if she doesn’t come back and win i’m going to be livid, and i’m already pretty upset. By the way, does anyone else agree that Rick Barnes is the most overrated coach of a big name program? I mean they always have tons of good players and hence good teams, but i don’t even think they run an offense. Whoever brought the ball up the court either had the option of shooting with 25 seconds left on the shot clock or turning it over. When they had Durant 4 players just stood around while Rick Barnes drew up “pass the ball to durant and then let’s see if he scores” plays for 40 minutes.

Currently reading…

This article about adding a trophy for the Husky-duck football rivalry. Obviously oregon has been the better team the last few years, but I think UW will be closing the gap rather quickly and I like the idea. Do montana and Montana State have a trophy? It would be awesome if it was a live buffalo or a handle of Nikoli vodka something

This is really interesting…

Yesterday I saw a commercial for Dove body wash that had women compare the results of washing a mirror with soap compared to dove. The dove apparently left the mirror looking cleaner?? Let’s see, judging by that test I would rank body washes in this order: Spray Away Glass Cleaner, Windex, 409, Dove Body Wash, Bar Soap

The Soapbox:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDIE AND SHANA! Nebel is a sucker for living with people born on February 9th apparently. Oh, and maybe I’m just talking crazy today, but the idea of a family reunion in vegas doesn’t terrify me right now like it usually does.

Lately I’m thinking…

Following the breaking news that I won’t be running in the Snow Joke half-marathon this year, I would like to officially confirm Steph and I’s attendance. See you guys there?? The only thing I can think of that’s better than running in the Snow Joke, is not running the Snow Joke. This is the official sign to direct you to the race. I know it looks official enough, but keep in mind it’s resting against a 3 feet tall mini stop sign meant for snowmobiles or people walking i suppose, not cars. See the soapbox for a round of race day instructions from the website, just like last year.

This is really interesting…

So i’ve read and heard about how intense and fired up Nick Holt is (the UW defensive coordinator) but I had no idea until I saw him last night. Up for live auction was Nick joining you and a couple friends for beers at the Duchess (pretty cool item). The bidding was up to $1,000 (when you could go drink there by yourself for like 9 dollars) when Nick grabbed the Mic and yelled “We’re not going to be Nebraska’s ass for less than $1500″. He then intimated 3 different guys into bidding $4,000 each! Looks like Nick’s going on a bender, because they sold different nights to two different guys for 4,000, and to one guy for $4,250. Sounds like the last guy got screwed in the deal if you ask me

Lately I’m thinking…

Mikey, the signing day function was really fun. UW signed a top 20 class which included the 2 leading rushers in all of california and the “hardest hitting” safety in California, i.e. the exact opposite of me. On a side note, i think the CATS are going to beat the grazzlies next year

Lately I’m thinking…

“Ya, well it must be pretty easy to win, when you NEVER MOVE YOUR BACK ROW!”

The Soapbox:

“You may list your dog as a participant for $1.00 when you pay your fee. Do not fill out an application for your dog”. “Due to our race-day registration policy, we take reservations for T-shirts”. “We can’t eat unsold shirts”. “Duplicate reservations are discouraged”. “The entire course is open to vehicular traffic during the Event.”. “Do not cross the Finish Line twice” “E-mail is the preferred method of reserving shirts. You may leave a message on the Race Director’s phone – his answering machine might be working. Try him in the evening if you want to talk to him.” Snow Joke!

Good morning to all of the college football fans out there. Today is going to be an extremely busy day in the world of college football as National Signing Day is finally upon us.

Throughout today, I’ll be updating this blog with the newest signings to WAC schools so stay locked right here and if you have a hot rumor or news of a signing, leave me a comment and I’ll get it up on the site.

8:45am CST – Defensive End/Linebackacker Cooper Pelluer has decommitted from Hawaii and is now expected to sign with the Washington Huskies.

9:35am CST – Running back Leslie Rogers has signed with Fresno State. No surprise there.

Ok Ok, so we had an epic fail trying to keep this site updated during National Signing Day. I bit off more than I can chew there’s no question about that. However, if you want to read up on what Fresno State did earlier today or my report card on the 2010 WAC Recruiting Classes, you can click either link and check them out.

Enjoy!

Maybe my standards are too high.  After all, when a team has two of the top six recruits in the country and returns four of its top five starters from a year ago, they should be good.  Really good.  But Texas, has been anything but impressive lately after losing their third game in four tries.  In fact, the last time I was wowed by the Longhorns was 2009.  They’ve played poorly in all of their Big 12 games so far and still go to Norman, Stillwater, College Station, Waco and Columbia, along with a game against Kansas.

Of course, you can’t talk disappointment without bringing up the defending national champion Tar Heels.  Sure they lost everyone from the national championship team, but a great recruiting class and a talented group of players-in-waiting led by Deon Thompson should not have seven losses in January.

The Big East in general has been disappointing, thanks in large part to the poor performances of Louisville and Connecticut.  The Huskies have a healthy Jerome Dyson, as well as returners Kemba Walker and Stanley Robinson, but they have five Big East losses and haven’t played West Virginia, Syracuse or Villanova yet.  Meanwhile, Louisville, last year’s number one overall seed, has eight losses, including four of its past five in Big East play despite the expectation to contend for a Big East title with Samardo Samuels and Edgar Sosa.

Don’t forget about the Pac 10, namely Washington.  There are high school conferences in Ohio that could send more teams to the dance than the Pac 10, and the Huskies are under .500 in the league and in the bottom half of the conference.

I can keep going.  Oklahoma (12-9) was supposed to contend in the Big 12.  I guess that’s not likely after a 17 point blowout loss at previously winless Nebraska.  Michigan was supposed to do the same in the Big Ten, but the Wolverines have double-digit losses and a 4-5 conference record.

As the season progresses, so does the list of disappointments.  It’s a wide open race this year with no team truly establishing themselves as “dominant.”  It’s also good news for these disappointments that may still end up in the tournament.

Carroll's departure from USC is one of several high-profile coaching changes in college football this offseason.

Whew, and you thought Mike Shanahan was the biggest coaching news of this offseason? With an impending NCAA investigation, Pete Carroll has bolted the USC Trojans’ program to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, setting off a chain of events causing a huge coaching shake-up among the college ranks. As if this offseason wasn’t crazy enough, one of college football’s most successful coaches over the last decade is now gone to try his hand at the professional level.

So far this offseason, we have seen three coaches, Mark Mangino (Kansas), Mike Leach (Texas Tech) and Jim Leavitt (South Florida), fired for allegedly physically abusing their players. Now we are seeing a highly successful college coach take a huge risk by moving to the next level in hopes of being just as successful. History has shown that no matter how many national championships you have won, iconic college coaches do not usually have an easy time in the NFL, just ask Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban. Honestly, Carroll doesn’t need to ask anyone, he’s already been down this road…and failed. This will be Carroll’s third stint as a professional head coach, with losing efforts already recorded with the New York Jets and New England Patriots.

No matter what Carroll’s outcome is in Seattle, his departure left a huge wake felt across the country that has shuffled the deck in several conferences. With Carroll going pro, USC turned to the pro ranks for its next coach. After being rebuffed by Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, rumors began circulating that an offer was on the table for Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio to return to his alma mater to lead the Trojans. After he adamantly denied the reports, more rumors surfaced that USC had shifted its focus to University of Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian was the USC offensive coordinator  just two years ago with Carroll, and hey, if Carroll can go from Los Angeles to Seattle, why not try to get Sarkisian to go from Seattle back to Los Angeles? While Sarkisian did not deny having communication about the coaching vacancy, he did deny any sort of offer that came his way and is remaining with the Huskies.

After going down the pecking order of desirable candidates, USC found a familiar face who has been eager to get ahead in the business. Former Oakland Raiders head coach, and now former University of Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin agreed to a deal with the Trojans, leaving the Volunteers after just one season. Kiffin brings with him his father, Monte, one of the greatest defensive minds in history and recruiting extraordinaire Ed Orgeron. However, the offensive coordinator spot remains open, and reports are already linking former USC offensive coordinator, and current UCLA offensive coordinator, Norm Chow to possibly fill the vacancy. If not, expect to hear plenty more rumors and speculation about coaches switching allegiances and moving to new programs.

With Kiffin gone in Knoxville, Tennessee began its own search for a new coach, quickly landing on Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley. Dooley only had one winning season in three years at Louisiana Tech, but has served as an athletic director, and has come from the Nick Saban coaching tree with previous stops at LSU and the Miami Dolphins. Louisiana Tech turned around and hired University of Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes to take over their program.

It won’t be the last time we see offseason turmoil, but this year seems to be especially heated. It seems like the more the merrier on this merry-go-round.

Notable coaching changes:

USC

Out: Pete Carroll

In: Lane Kiffin

Notre Dame

Out: Charlie Weis

In: Brian Kelly

Florida State

Out: Bobby Bowden

In: Jimbo Fisher

Tennessee

Out: Lane Kiffin

In: Derek Dooley

Kansas

Out: Mark Mangino

In: Turner Gill

Texas Tech

Out: Mike Leach

In: Tommy Tuberville

South Florida

Out: Jim Leavitt

In: Skip Holtz

Kentucky

Out: Rich Brooks

In: Joker Phillips

Louisville

Out: Steve Kragthorpe

In: Charlie Strong

Virginia

Out: Al Groh

In: Mike London

1 – The Vikings are the better team than the Saints. To go into OT on the road after fumbling, bumbling, and throwing the ball away is incredible.  The defense was stellar in the second half against a great offensive team.  The reality is you can’t beat anyone with turnovers and mistakes.  My guess is the Vikings would have given the Colts a better game in the Super Bowl, but they couldn’t take care of business in the NFC Championship game.

2 – I think Brett Favre is finally done.  Looking at him at the end of the game, he looks it.  I can’t imagine a 41-year old body can endure the pounding and rigors of another NFL season.

3 – Pete Carroll continues to make smart moves on his coaching staff.  It’s sprinkled with diversity from his previous gig at USC and veteran NFL coaches like Alex Gibbs, Jerry Gray, and Sherman Smith. There’s a good mix of youth and “maturity.”  I am actually getting excited for mini-camp.

4 – After sweeping the Bay Area schools last weekend at home, I had high hopes for a Husky hoops resurgence.  The weekend in LA ended hopes of any repeat of last year.  The malaise has even hit the improving women’s program who have now lost 4 straight.  The loss of Jon Brockman as a player and leader has been real.

Dan

© 2010 Dan Weedin. All Rights Reserved

Shout out to…

The Reader of the Week…..Ladies and gentlemen….Tanner Keil! Nebel, Mikey or Demaris would announce that on the mic every time Tanner walked into the Legion – classic. It also happens to be Tanner’s bday tomorrow, so don’t forget to call him at midnight tonight just to say hello. Tanner rarely, if ever, makes good decisions, but I think he’s actually tricked himself into believing that he’s going to turn the corner any day now. I’ll give you your free cocktail after Snow Joke, courtesy of the Filling Station – that’s just a little more incentive for me to actually finish the race. Happy Bday!!

Currently watching…

This video a player (Sylvester) on the UW football team made in high school. A lot of you don’t know who he is, and it’s kind of hard to understand what he’s saying, but the hits are just hilarious. There’s no way that nobody got hurt making it.

This is really interesting…

Steph and I were going to go this Belgianfest beer tasting thing with our neighbors tomorrow, but the tickets are sold out! But since we were already planning on a few beers during the day, we just decided to do our own Georgetown pub crawl at 12:00 PM…why not? who’s coming with us?

This is really interesting…

I went to an exhibit at the Frye Art Museum last night for a Path with Art event and then heard a local artist (Faye Jones) give a lecture about her work and process. The moral of the story (besides me being educated, well cultured, and kind of a big deal) is Heather, I want you to draw me a lot more pictures. Thanks in advance!!

The Soapbox:

Have a fun and safe weekend everyone!! I’m going to try and run 5 miles tomorrow. I went to Piecoras last night and after I put parmesan on my slices the wait came over, starred at it, and then said “uhh was that intentional?”

On Tuesday, Tim Lincecum filed for arbitration, his perceived value? $13 million!  This from a back to back NL Cy Young Award winner who has never made more than $700,000 in his career.  The Giants have offered $8 million in arbitration.  This case is going to show us just how strong the MLB Players Association really is.  If there is anyone in baseball that deserves this kind of raise it’s Lincecum.  I can’t imagine the Giants are going to win this case given that two years ago Ryan Howard was awarded $10 million and he only won the MVP once.

What ever Lincecum walks away with from this arbitration will be a pittance to what he is going to get on the open market when he goes into free agency in 2011.  With two Cy Youngs in his first two full seasons, the open market value could reach the level of $20 million a year easy.  Who ever does get him will probably have to lock him up for 6 + years.  Considering how popular the young pitcher is, that might not be such a bad idea.

The question that comes up is, can he keep up this torrid pace?  He is such a slight guy that it seems nearly impossible that he would be able to stay clear of injuries given his monster velocity on his small frame.  There is no question that right now, he is the best pitcher in baseball.  As far as his place in baseball history, it can go two ways from here either the Doc Gooden way or the Randy Johnson way.  It’s impossible to speculate so early in a player’s career how he will project since there are so many stories in the history of the game of players who had amazing first three seasons, just watch as their career slides downhill.

This is going to be the make or break year for Lincecum.  If he can stay close to what he has done since being called up to the majors, he would have to really be considered one of the generation’s greatest talents.  If it goes south this season, then we might be looking at a long mediocre career.  If you are a baseball fan though, you have to be excited, after all you might be witnessing a once in a generation talent at the peak of his game.

He remains one of the most marketable players in baseball, and even was able to shake off a citation for marijuana as a blemish on his otherwise impeccable reputation.  In the hobby world, his cards rival the values of the Jeter, Pujols, and Rodriguez.  His top autographed cards go for hundreds of dollars (including the one below which sits at $999.99 on eBay).  Even his lower level autographed cards are hard to find for under $85.  His autograph has long been the but of many jokes and remains one of the easiest signatures to forge.  As his popularity grows the amount of fake signatures is going to go through the roof.  However, even at his current values, I would consider his cards a bargain right now because if he continues his torrid statistical pace, his cards will undoubtedly creep higher and higher.

1 – Rex Ryan is quite a salesman.  He came out at the beginning of the playoffs and said his New York Jets should be favored through the playoffs.  That drew chuckles and smirks from the pundits, realizing Ryan was trying to inspire confidence in his players.  It worked.  The Jets are playing spectacularly winning two road games with a rookie quarterback, the last being against the hottest team in the league who had just won 11 straight games.  They may not get past the Colts, but if you ask Rex Ryan, an Indy win would be an upset.

2 – I love the Minnesota – New Orleans match-up this weekend for the NFC Championship.  New Orleans has never gone the the Super Bowl and the Vikings haven’t been since they were led by Fran Tarkenton and the Purple People Eaters.  Both teams stomped their worthy opponents and are riding in high.  I think this is a tight game and just feel the home-field will give the Saints the edge.  My early line is New Orleans 31 – Minnesota 28.

3 – The Dawgs bark back.  After a woeful stretch of games, the Husky men’s hoops team climbed right back into the race by blistering the Bay Area schools.  Stanford may not be a huge threat, but Cal is the odds on favorite to win the conference.  Neither game was close.  Perhaps the silver lining of those three straight losses will be an inspired Husky team that carries this momentum through the rest of the season.

4 – Pete Carroll is making wise choices.  Yes, he’s brought in a few of his assistants from USC. However, his offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates has NFL experience with Mike Shanahan.  His new line coach, Alex Gibbs, is highly respected in the NFL and was just pried away from Houston.  And now it sounds like they are talking to former Redskins defensive backs coach, Jerry Gray.  He was the coach given the “interview” to satisfy the Rooney Rule by Washington prior to hiring Shanahan.  Bringing in savvy and seasoned coaches will make the transition that much quicker and smoother.

Dan

Bashing the Pac-10 has been a sport within a sport this season, but I’m here to tell you something that may surprise you: This is going to be the most fascinating race inside any of the big six conferences.

The first reason I say this is that this thing could not be more wide open. It appears that no fewer than six of the league’s 10 teams have a legitimate chance to win this thing — and I’m not even including UCLA, which may have a little life in them yet.

Then there are the intriguing storylines to tickle our fancy. Can USC still contend for a title even though it is not eligible for the postseason? Will Arizona, which is off to a 2-2 start in the league, keep its nation’s-best 25-year NCAA tournament streak alive? Inquiring minds want to know.

I realize calling a league race “wide open” is the same as calling it “mediocre,” but you have to admit, the early results have been pretty wacky. Based on the first week of action, the only thing you can predict is unpredictability. Struggling UCLA clipped California in Berkeley by one point on Michael Roll’s late jumper. Stanford got waxed on the road at Cal by 26 points and then swept the L.A. schools at home. Oregon, led by always-on-the-hot-seat coach Ernie Kent, sat atop the standings after the first week with a 2-0 record, but then the Ducks lost on Sunday night at home to Oregon State. That’s the same Oregon State team that last week lost to Seattle by 51 points.

You can’t make this stuff up.

But the main reason this league is going to be must-see TV is because everybody knows that NCAA tournament bids are going to be hard to come by. Personally, I think three bids (including the automatic) is the minimum, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Pac-10 only puts two teams into the tournament. That will put a much greater urgency on finishing in the top tier that you won’t find in any of the other power conferences. And there’s nothing more fun than watching teams play that are desperate.

So keep bashing the Pac-10 all you want. Skip their late-night games and get your sleep. I, for one, plan to drink lots of coffee and set my DVR to catch as much of the action as I can. Who would have guessed that a bunch of games between mediocre west coast teams could be so much fun to watch?

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by Mark Knight

Its not often that I get to talk about the Washington Huskies, the Tennessee Volunteers, and the Seattle Seahawks in one conversation but today the opportunity has presented itself.

I grew up just outside of Knoxville, home of the Vols, and grew up rooting for them in football and basketball. When I arrived in Seattle I immediately attached to the Washington Huskies and never looked back!

Today, Lane Kiffin announced he was leaving UT to go and coach at USC in replacement of Pete Carroll who is now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

In my humble opinion, Lane Kiffin was a terrible hire from the beginning at UT because we knew what a train-wreck of a media hog he was from his other coaching stints. He give plenty of bulletin-board material to everyone and thus his players beginning acting out too (thus the robbery a few months back).

Now with Lane Kiffin gone (1 bird) the Vols are ready to move on to better pastures and a brighter future. Lane Kiffin comes in and takes over the USC program which already has recruiting violations against them (1 bird). Tennessee is happy to be gone with Him and other teams in the Pac-10 are happy to see him. Now it looks as if the Huskies have many more chances of beating the powerhouse of USC.

2 birds–1 stone. Today, was a good day for me!

Minutes after enduring the harshest fan treatment of his basketball career, Abdul Gaddy walked out of the Washington Huskies locker room to talk to the coach for whom he always wanted to play.

Lute Olson chatted with the freshman guard for a few minutes, wishing him well after the 87-70 shellacking by the Wildcats.

“My favorite coach I ever watched in college basketball,” he said after walking away from the UA legend. “I was hoping to play for him, but I didn’t get the opportunity. It was great seeing him.”

It was Gaddy’s first positive interaction with an Arizona fan all day — although he did finish with a career-high 13 points.

The Tacoma, Wash., high schooler committed to play for the UA in August 2007, and stayed committed during the season, despite Olson’s taking a leave of absence and being replaced by Kevin O’Neill. He decommitted in May 2008 after Olson returned and changed assistants, but committed again in September 2008.

Five days after Olson’s retirement in October 2008, however, Gaddy announced he wouldn’t play for the Wildcats after all.

UA fans remembered Sunday.

When Gaddy was introduced before the game, he was greeted by a cacophony of boos.

“I think it put a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “I need to come out and play with my heart, really play hard.”

Every time he touched the ball the rest of the game, even late in the second half when the Wildcats were coasting to victory, Gaddy was booed. That never happened in high school, he said.

“I think the crowd respects me, and they’re trying to help the team out by trying to get in my head,” he said.

They didn’t. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, adding one rebound, one assist and three turnovers. UA coach Sean Miller said Gaddy “is going to be a terrific guard in our league,” and squirmed a bit when asked about the fan reaction.

“Our fans love the game, love the Wildcats and certainly appreciate what a good young player he is,” Miller said.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said the 6-foot-3-inch guard is improving after averaging 3.7 points per game this year.

“I thought that would have come a couple games ago,” he said. “That could have come at any point, and that’s why he’s a starter. We know what he’s capable of.”

Gaddy said it was surreal playing at McKale Center, where he once thought he would spend his college career.

“My teammates always say, ‘You coulda been playing here,’ ” he said. “It’s a fun environment, a great environment.

That’s part of the reason why I wanted to come here. I think about it a lot.”

1 – I keep hearing all about Pete Carroll’s mediocrity as an NFL coach 10 years ago.  I also keep hearing how a college coach can’t be successful in the NFL (in fact, I’ve even given precedence).  How about this to ponder this morning as we await the news of the impending hire?  Bill Belichek was considered a failure after stops in Cleveland and New York.  Mike Shanahan was a failure in Oakland. Tom Coughlin was a college coach at Boston College. Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl after his tenure at Oklahoma.  It’s way too early to make guesses on Carroll’s effectiveness as a coach.  Only time will tell.  This is just a complete and utter housecleaning of the mess that started on the day it was announced Mike Holmgren was stepping down after a year and Jim Mora would replace him.

2 – The Rooney Rule needs some revision. Believe me, I am all for hiring qualified minority candidates.  But the hiring process should be about quality, not quantity.  Leslie Frazier will make a fine head coach in the NFL someday.  He doesn’t need to go through a mock interview just so a team can hire the guy they targeted.  Same goes for Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic.  To me, this offensive to the minority applicants. And before you say I have no idea about this – let’s be clear that I am 50% Hispanic which would qualify me to be interviewed for the Seahawks job under the Rooney Rule (of course, I’m bitter Tod Leiweke didn’t call).  Guys should be hired for this job because they are qualified, not because they are a minority.

3 – Watch out for the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts are without momentum after a controversial loss against the Jets and a literal “whitewash” in the snow against the Bills.  After a week off, how ready will they be to play an ramped-up Ravens team?  Consider this my first upset of the week.

4 – What happened to the Huskies men’s hoops team?  I’ll tell you…the loss by graduation of Jon Brockman and his leadership and playing ability hasn’t been replaced.  This could get uglier before it gets better.

5 – Watch out for the Huskies women’s hoop team.  Congratulations to Tia Jackson and her players after winning 2 of the last 3 games. Slowly but surely, this program is getting back on track.

Of course, your comments are always welcome and encouraged…

Dan

First the Huskies hired their offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian. Then USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt jumped ship to join the fledgling football program as well. Now a year later the Seattle Seahawks are close to a deal that would bring current USC head coach Pete Carroll to the Hawks as their head coach. Throw in a monumental win over the Trojans in Husky Stadium and it looks like the city of Seattle has knocked out all four legs of the table.

After putting the first 2 points on the board in the game, baskets for the Huskies were scarce for the rest of the game. Arizona State didn’t let the two point deficit in the first 30 seconds of the game phase them at all. ASU kept scoring while the Huskies were forced to come back.

The Huskies’ only lead was after the 2 free-throws by sophomore guard Isaiah Thomas. The Huskies finally managed to make a field-goal 8 minutes into the game, after ASU F Rihards Kuksiks scored 6 of his 27 points on two three-point shots. It was a low scoring game at first but it seemed to be that ASU started to score while no shots were falling for the Huskies.

Isaiah Thomas lead the team with 20 points and star senior Quincy Pondexter lead the team with 8 rebounds, around their averages. However, Quincy Pondexter only managed to score 9 points, below his average of 21 PPG.

For Arizona State, Kuksiks lead the way with 27 points and 9 rebounds and Jamelle McMillan, son of Portland Trailblazers and former SuperSonics coach Nate McMillan, had 3 assists and 2 steals.

The Huskies 19 points in the first half set a season low for points in one half, beating  their previous low of 24 which came from a win over Montana. The Huskies seemed to be in over their heads going into halftime, but cut the lead to single digits until ASU put the game away with key baskets and making free-throws.

Washington only made 12 of their 21 (57%) free-throws while Arizona St. made 30 of 38 (79%). Making at least 85% of their free throws could have helped Washington win. Washington was also out-rebounded 39 to 29. Washington only had 7 offensive rebounds which did not always lead to points.

The Huskies fall to 10-4 on the season and 1-2 in the PAC-10. They will take on Arizona in Tucson tomorrow and then play Stanford and California in Seattle.

GO DAWGS!

The tant “oh and twelve” will continue to be uttered by Coug fans for years to come. If you feel the need to respond, don’t be afraid to shout back “oh and thirty”, the score of this year’s Apple Cup. And while you’re doing that, here are some other phrases you can use to puzzle WSU fans:

• “461 – 163” – The total number of yards the Huskies rolled up vs the Cougs offensive output.
• “6.6 – 1.7” – Washington’s yards per carry vs. Washington State’s.
• “1964” – The year of the last Apple Cup shutout.
• “3” – The number of QBs WSU had to rotate throughout the game due to the relentless attack of Washington’s defense.
• “0” – The number of times WSU has won three Apple Cups in a row.
• “65-31” – The current Apple Cup record (UW has 65 wins, WSU 31).
• “3-22” – The Cougars record the last two years.

And finally:

• “1916” – The last time WSU won the Rose Bowl.

Can’t wait ‘till next year!

Nate and I exchanged a lot of sports texts this weekend, and did some microblogging over on the Twitter , but it’s time for some quick hits here. Follow us, follow Gilbert Arenas, follow the usual spats between Bill Simmons and Marc Stein, and that’s all you need. Special treat of some Shaq tweets if you read all the way to the end!

Mike Leach – Who knows what happened, (and yes, Adam James did look like kind of a douchebag on the Texas Tech sideline) but the Twitter rumor that Leach is a Raiders coaching candidate will set up an unprecedented – and physical – struggle for power with Tom Cable. Leach’s torture games against Cable’s sheer power, with Art Shell apathetically officiating. Who wins? Probably Eric Mangini, who’ll swoop in to romance Al Davis and get the gig.

Rose Bowl – Yes, I did predict a 40-13 win for Oregon. Because the Big Ten sucks. But that was before they neglected to stop the same 9-11 yard running play from Terrelle Pryor on seemingly every third down. Within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage, he impressed me. Running, accuracy, everything. Further down the field he’s not much to look at. LaJeremiah Masoli finishes in between LaMichael James and LaGarrette Blount on the scale of successful “La’s.”

Adrian Beltre – I really like the call Geoff Baker makes, in terms of Beltre’s ultimate motivation for signing a one-year deal with the Red Sox. All about the stats and the money in fall 2010.

Chicago – I’m here for a month and want your suggestions on sporting events. Bulls or Blackhawks? Unfortunately, Disney on Ice occupies the United Center for the last two weeks of January, so that limits my choice of games. Any local college sports? Unfortunately, no more chances to see Northwestern football attempt 78 passes in a game. I may see a Valparaiso-UIC basketball game. (Also, who knew before Scoop Jackson wrote this column that Granderson went to UIC, a school almost right in downtown Chicago?)

UW Huskies Men’s Basketball – Not happy with my first in-person experience of the Huskies. Poor rebounding, terrible defense (surrendered 48 points to Oregon in the second half), everyone except for Pondexter and Thomas bricking one of two free throws, and outcoaching from Ernie Kent, of all people. Even the Dawg Pack really disappointed me. I expect more vulgarity and originality from the students.

As I mentioned, Lorenzo Romar was clearly outcoached by Ernie Kent, as much as I believe in Romar as the long-term answer for this program. Midway through the first half, with the Huskies up 29-21 and dominating both ends of the floor (Oregon was only in the game at that point due to hot three-point shooting), Kent figured out something. He figured how to run backdoor screens by the hoop, that neither Oregon guard was in much danger of getting pickpocketed by the Husky backcourt, and how to deny the ball in the post. Pondexter and Thomas got almost all of their second-half points from hard-earned free throws. Ultimately, the team didn’t show me an identity. Abdul Gaddy, their starting point guard, is still only 17 years old. And he plays like it. Academic, with some spot-on passes, but very timid. 6th man Venoy Overton simply cannot break a slow press. Oh well, at least Syracuse lost too.

Shaq Tweets
~8:00 p.m.: “Its so mother effn cold in cleveland i just drove by a grey hound bus and the greyhound was on the wit frozen ice cycle snot drippn.”
~A minute later: “I meant icicles wit my dumb ass lol”
~9:00 p.m.: “I feel like partying tonite meet me at liquids 1212 w 6th street. Party n da snow”

The Washington Huskies lost to Oregon 90-79. The loss ended the Huskies 18-home-game win streak.

“Oregon outplayed us,” Washington’s Quincy Pondexter said. “There’s not much you can say. We didn’t come with the same heart, desire and passion they had.”

Washington will look to bounce back and beat Arizona State in Tempe on Friday night and Arizona in Tucson on Sunday.

Go DAWGS!

Jeff Sagarin had the Pac 10 rated as the top conference in college football. The final BCS standings placed five programs, half the conference, among the nation’s top 25. Those representatives marked the most of any league, and the feeling was that long awaited respect had finally been earned. But after posting a dismal 2-5 postseason record, all is short-lived, and the league’s reputation must be rebuilt from scratch.

There were two big questions entering the bowl season, but there obviously should have been more. Forget the worry of USC not being motivated enough to play in a December bowl. Forget the embarrassment of bowl selection, when UCLA becomes a postseason choice after posting just three conference wins. The bigger questions should have surrounded Oregon State, Oregon, California and Arizona, who could not seize the opportunity to place the Trojans in the shadows of themselves.

Oregon won the Pac 10, and Arizona was in the hunt. Each was given the opportunity to announce their arrivals and repel speculation that they simply reaped the benefits of USC falling off. They failed. Regardless of a Pac 10 crown and victories over the conference’s longtime power, with the bowl season nearing its end, the Trojans are still viewed as the league’s premiere program. It’s still “USC and the 9 dwarfs”.

Oregon allowed Ohio State and the Big 10 to finally break through and capture the Rose Bowl, something USC has defended and denied for an entire decade. Arizona, clad in their white uniforms of surrender, were embarrassed by Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl, which was traditionally a competitive contest between the Pac 10 and Big 12, until this paddling occurred. The losses by both Cal and Stanford were foreseeable, with each playing without key roster participants. But for Oregon State, with a 5-game bowl win streak now snapped, there was no excuse for the collapse against BYU.

Seventy percentage of the conference went bowling, and fifty percent failed. This underachievement will be remembered and carried throughout the offseason, and reflect in the earliest polls. Don’t cry foul or “east coast bias”. Respect was in our grasp, and the Pac 10 allowed it to slip through its fingers.

New Year’s Day is right around the corner, which means we must all turn our calendars to 2010.

The 2009 sports year was an exciting one, full of surprises and intrigue.  Sports fans witnessed the dominance of traditional powers in the NBA and MLB, the true solidification of a NASCAR superstar, and the fall of the greatest athlete in the world, Tiger Woods.

While 2009 gave the fans numerous memories to hold on to for years to come, we at Section 26 Sports would like to take a look at the biggest events to come in 2010.  Here are five of the more exciting and captivating events to prepare yourselves for.

1. Tiger Woods’ Return – By now, everyone has heard the Tiger Woods story.  From the car accident to the affair, to the unbelievable amount of women coming out claiming an affair with the golfer.  We are only concerned with the action on the golf course, however.  These events originally forced Woods to cancel his participation in his own tournament.  He is now in the midst of an “indefinite break” from golf.  This can hurt his reputation, as well as that of the PGA Tour.  If Woods does not participate, the PGA would likely lose many viewers.  Golf will not be the same until he returns.  Look and hope for that day to be in 2010, my guess would be closer to the Summer.  Sports media will explode that day, so begin preparing now.
2. Urban Meyer and Florida Football – On December 26^th, Urban Meyer announced he has resigned as Florida’s head football coach due to health reasons.  On December 27^th, after a “spirited practice” he changed his resignation to an “indefinite leave of absence.”  The point is, at this point, he is expected to not be the head coach for the 2010 season.  Instead, current offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will take over as interim head coach.  From my personal opinion, expect to hear Urban Meyer’s input all season and an announcement of his return after the annual clash with Florida State.  But do not be surprised to hear something else happen, for example Meyer becoming the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they draft Tim Tebow in the 2010 NFL Draft.  Again, that is just a hunch.
3. The 2010 Heisman Race – What makes this race more intriguing than most years is that the 2009 winner, Alabama running back Mark Ingram will only be a junior.  He has the potential to not only repeat, but “three-peat.”  Fans saw this with Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in 2007, but he could not repeat in 2008 or 2009.  Ingram will be on an Alabama team that is not expected to drop far from their current status of SEC Champions.  The team success and personal achievement of Ingram could lead to a historical Heisman race in 2010.  Other names to watch for:  Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, Washington quarterback Jack Locker, Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, West Virginia running back Noel Devine.
4. The American League East Race – The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox seem to always come down to the wire in the race for the AL East Pennant.  This race epitomizes the excitement in Major League Baseball.  Both teams spend more money than many fans think was even possible to do what is necessary to win such a difficult division and league.  So far in the offseason, the Yankess have signed outfielder Curtis Granderson and first basemen Nick Johnson, and traded for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez.  In the midst of these moves, they will no longer have designated hitter Hideki Matsui or outfielder Melky Cabrera.  The Red Sox made big noise signing starting pitcher John Lackey and outfield Mike Cameron in mid-December.  And earlier in the month they signed shortstop Marco Scutaro.  Expect both of these teams to be two of the top teams in all of MLB and make the playoffs next season.  This hated rivalry should become a battle for the top seed in the playoffs and go to September before it is decided.
5. The World Cup – The World Cup begins play June 11^th as the host South Africa faces Mexico.  The big match for Americans will be the nation’s first as they play one of the world’s elite teams, England on June 12^th.  The good news for the USA is that even with a loss to England, the round of sixteen seems a likely achievement.  The group to keep your eye on however is Group G, which has been dubbed the “Group of Death” for 2010.  This group is headlined by another of the world’s elite, Brazil, and also fields two of the stronger teams, Portugal and North Korea.  As if that was not difficult enough, the World Cup sleeper team, the Ivory Coast also plays in this group.  Who escapes this group with hopes for the title is anyone’s guess.

The 2010 sports year looks promising for fans of all sports all over the world.  Keep your eyes out for these storylines, as well as the many others that are sure to pop up throughout the year.

All of Husky Nation today should be thanking Scott Woodward.  The University of Washington Athletic Director only a year ago made a semi-unpopular choice of hiring USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as head coach to replace Tyrone Willingham.  Most of the Nation (Husky that is) wanted Jim Mora to get out of his agreement with the Seahawks and coach his alma mater.  Woodward didn’t bite at that option.  The next “sexy” target was Mike Leach from Texas Tech.  Leach turned Tech into a national power and seemed like the high-profile, spread offense slinging, no-nonsense coach the Huskies needed.  Leach and his wife even flew up to Seattle, leaving fans and media speculating of an imminent announcement.  Leach ended up going back to Lubbock without a deal and people scratching their heads. Enter Sark and well…you know the rest of the story.

Jim Mora has had a nightmare season with the Hawks. They are 5-10 and getting worse each week. Seahawks Nation has him on a very short leash.  This isn’t to say he would not ne a fine coach at the college level, but he seems to be a pro guy and right now he still needs to prove he’s even that.

Mike Leach is another issue.  Leach seemed like the “splash” move.  When it didn’t happen, Texas Tech extended his contract. This week, they are regretting it.  Leach was just suspended from coaching his team in the Alamo Bowl. Seems he made a player who was suffering from a concussion stand in a dark room by himself, unable to sit or lean, for 3 hours. Head injury safety has been big news lately and this treatment is idiotic.  Add to it the player involved is the son of former NFL player and current ESPN college football analyst, Craig James, and it borders on lunacy.  Read the entire story on ESPN.

Bottom line – AD Woodward, thank you for doing your due diligence, removing yourself from the outcry of the fans, and giving Husky Nation the coach this school and community deserves!

Dan

© 2009 Dan Weedin – All Rights Reserved