Before going to WSU I was much more of a pro football fan, even of the USFL, than a college football fan. Huskies, Cougars, or others didn’t really matter that much, but I did root for the local teams first. I even still root for the Dawgs against the Ducks. But, once I went to WSU to visit, that started to change … now, I have to break it to dance partners that the Seahawks losing is not nearly as important to me as the Coug game was on Saturday.
These are the noteworthy Apple Cups I have attended, mostly anyways …
1985 – I had never been colder at a sporting event until Luge at the 02 Olympics, but Bob and I made it there, it was such a cold front that cars were abandoned on I5, students were paid to flush toilets the night before to keep the pipes from freezing, and James went for two instead of the tie at the end with Chandler tossing the ball out of the endzone for a Coug win … Rypien vs. Chandler, both became Super Bowl QBs
1986 – Front row center in Pullman, Rosie started, the Cougs were bad, the Dawgs won
1988 – Dennis Erickson’s Aloha Bowl team won in an amazing game with a huge blocked punt late
1990 – The first year of the three year Husky Rose Bowl cycle was a demolition of the Cougs, but in reality it was Bledsoe vs. Brunell I, Gary and I stayed to the final play just on general principle
1992 – Bledsoe vs. Brunell II, a four TD 3rd quarter for the Cougs, Richard and I in the snow rooting for different teams, and the end of the James Era looming due to rampant booster problems
1993 – backup QBs do not win Apple Cups, the Dawgs on probation, and I sat in the rich snooty alumni section with UW alums who did not approve of my presence, but since I worked at the WAC I got the seat and decided to sit there anyway, high up is far away at Husky Stadium
1994 – on staff at Wazzu myself, it was a sluggish game that an amazing Cougar D won
1995 – Actually had to watch this on closed circuit TV in the theatre at the CUB since the Dawgs decided not to have this be one of their TV games … Leaf’s first start almost led to an amazing win, but just a great game to watch any way
1996 – OT, a 4th Q 3 TD comeback made it possible, but the end zone pass to win in OT was just a smidge too far …
1997 – had to watch on TV in Pullman, but got to see the Cougs qualify for a Rose Bowl, so I list it here
1998 – it is never a good sign when the two best QBs were each team’s backup, two bad teams played a bad game that the Dawgs eventually won … and I have not made an Apple Cup in Pullman since
1999 – I still do not know why Gesser did not play more when that was the only time the Cougs moved the ball at all, and Tim got a miracle ticket
2001 – a very good Cougar team played like they had never met each other before
2004 – again, not actually in person, but watched the first half at Jillian’s and the 2nd at Cowgirls Inc … an eventful day for other reasons, but the first win of back to back wins for the Cougs with Brink behind center
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment