Oklahoma and Other Tantrums
Ya know, I get that getting a game taken away by bad officiating hurts. I understand that being an elite program means demanding standards. However, the folks out in Norman are losing their damn minds. After two heartbreakingly bad calls, Oklahoma lost a barnburner (Whoa, Nellie) to WhOregon on Saturday and they are taking the Terminator 2 approach to dealing with it.
Remember that scene, when cute little Eddie Furlong (My how times have changed) discovers Linda Hamilton's carving in the table at the Mexican Armory campsight? "No fate... There's no fate except what we make for ourselves.. SHE'S GONNA BLOW HIM AWAY!"
School President David Boren has demanded that the game's result be stricken from the record. Seriously, he wants the record books to show the game never happened. Look, the history of sports is riddled with obvious bad calls that changed the outcome of games and this has never happened. The two calls hurt, and hurt bad, but Oklahoma still had time to turn back the Ducks. However, they folded like a fortune cookie and WhOregon scored to win.
The Pac-10 has suspended the replay official and apologized, but that hasn't taken care of Oklahoma's rage and they have now moved to another tactic, threatening to cancel next year's game at Husky Stadium unless the Pac-10 allows a third conference's refs to officiate the game. Seriously, Colonial Kurtz's paranoia looks downright folksy compared to this.
Sooners, if you're that scared of officials sandbagging to reward the Huskies, remember this: The Huskies have long been the most punished and least liked team in the Pac-10. Meg Griffin is The Golden Child comparatively. Pac-10 officials will, if anything, err on the side of Oklahoma in next year's game. So, unless it's Husky Stadium and a revived program that you're scared of, shut up and stop the fire sale of your dignity.
Extraneous Thoughts:
-Washington Football received a major shot in the arm Saturday, beating a somewhat down Fresno State team. The game just felt better. It was a return to Husky Football in the pre-Weasel era. The teams just hit each other in the mouth for four quarters, athlete versus athlete, physical football. The crowd, 58,000 plus, was loud, real loud, all game. It was interesting to see that Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer seemed to employ something Madden 97 taught me: If you blitz and pressure the quarterback, he'll be less effective. Weird. The pass D still showed gaping holes at times, but they tackled well and because the quarterback had less time to throw, receivers couldn't get separation. 21-20, but a win is a win is a win.
-A couple of interesting subplots to the game this Saturday vs. UCLA.
#1. UCLA has a habit of winning games against UW, no matter how good or bad either team is. The Bruins flat have the Huskies number. The last four years in a row, the Dawgs have opened Pac-10 play against UCLA and have dropped all four.
#2. The Bruins are rebuilding this year and have a small, fast defense. Look for Stanback to be unable to run free and the Huskies commit to pounding the running game.
#3. Ben Olson, fallen Mormon hero and UCLA QB, is in his first year of on the field action in three years. The Bruins played home games against Utah and Rice to open the season. A riled Husky crowd and repeat of last week's defensive performance could make Olson look for a Coke, nay, a beer after the game.
#4. Motivation for the game will come from the opportunity to go 3-1 before heading to God's Waiting Room, Arizona. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but I can't help myself. Wins over the Bruins and Wildcats would put the Huskies at 4-1 and dare I say it, ranked(?) going into the matchup against the University of Spoiled Children.
Remember that scene, when cute little Eddie Furlong (My how times have changed) discovers Linda Hamilton's carving in the table at the Mexican Armory campsight? "No fate... There's no fate except what we make for ourselves.. SHE'S GONNA BLOW HIM AWAY!"
School President David Boren has demanded that the game's result be stricken from the record. Seriously, he wants the record books to show the game never happened. Look, the history of sports is riddled with obvious bad calls that changed the outcome of games and this has never happened. The two calls hurt, and hurt bad, but Oklahoma still had time to turn back the Ducks. However, they folded like a fortune cookie and WhOregon scored to win.
The Pac-10 has suspended the replay official and apologized, but that hasn't taken care of Oklahoma's rage and they have now moved to another tactic, threatening to cancel next year's game at Husky Stadium unless the Pac-10 allows a third conference's refs to officiate the game. Seriously, Colonial Kurtz's paranoia looks downright folksy compared to this.
Sooners, if you're that scared of officials sandbagging to reward the Huskies, remember this: The Huskies have long been the most punished and least liked team in the Pac-10. Meg Griffin is The Golden Child comparatively. Pac-10 officials will, if anything, err on the side of Oklahoma in next year's game. So, unless it's Husky Stadium and a revived program that you're scared of, shut up and stop the fire sale of your dignity.
Extraneous Thoughts:
-Washington Football received a major shot in the arm Saturday, beating a somewhat down Fresno State team. The game just felt better. It was a return to Husky Football in the pre-Weasel era. The teams just hit each other in the mouth for four quarters, athlete versus athlete, physical football. The crowd, 58,000 plus, was loud, real loud, all game. It was interesting to see that Defensive Coordinator Kent Baer seemed to employ something Madden 97 taught me: If you blitz and pressure the quarterback, he'll be less effective. Weird. The pass D still showed gaping holes at times, but they tackled well and because the quarterback had less time to throw, receivers couldn't get separation. 21-20, but a win is a win is a win.
-A couple of interesting subplots to the game this Saturday vs. UCLA.
#1. UCLA has a habit of winning games against UW, no matter how good or bad either team is. The Bruins flat have the Huskies number. The last four years in a row, the Dawgs have opened Pac-10 play against UCLA and have dropped all four.
#2. The Bruins are rebuilding this year and have a small, fast defense. Look for Stanback to be unable to run free and the Huskies commit to pounding the running game.
#3. Ben Olson, fallen Mormon hero and UCLA QB, is in his first year of on the field action in three years. The Bruins played home games against Utah and Rice to open the season. A riled Husky crowd and repeat of last week's defensive performance could make Olson look for a Coke, nay, a beer after the game.
#4. Motivation for the game will come from the opportunity to go 3-1 before heading to God's Waiting Room, Arizona. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but I can't help myself. Wins over the Bruins and Wildcats would put the Huskies at 4-1 and dare I say it, ranked(?) going into the matchup against the University of Spoiled Children.
posted by Justin Graden at 3:06 PM
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