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Articles
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That's how new stars are formed By: Malamute, 2 August 2004
In this vein, Bud Withers of the Seattle Times recently wrote, “Rarely has Washington entered a season bereft of star power like this one. Their player representative at past media days here was Marques Tuiasosopo or (Cody) Pickett; yesterday it was offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, only an honorable-mention pick on the All-Pac-10 team.” With all due respect to Mr. Withers, saying that this Husky team is lacking in star power is as ridiculous as it would be for Bill Moos to buy a billboard in New York City and champion Phil Knight for the Heisman Trophy. There are plenty of potential stars residing on the roster of the 2004 version of the Washington Huskies, as well as a couple of players who manifestly qualify as stars. Members of the media are as blind as Mr. Magoo would be when traversing a black hole, assuming he had not been crushed into a particle carrying the mass of a photon. They wouldn’t be able to see a solar eclipse if they were wearing glasses ground with the resolution of the Hubble telescope. (Whoops, I’ve been watching the Science Channel too much). The media couldn't uncover a recruiting violation at Oregon even if Myles Brand threw a bylaws manual at them and recited the offending chapter and verse. Charles “E.T.” Frederick qualifies as a star, perhaps, being an extra-terrestrial from the Crab Nebula, where new stars are born. (Actually, he's a Floridian). Against Oregon State last season, the mercurial Frederick broke the legendary Hugh McElhenny’s all-purpose yards record, amassing 371 yards. And I could care less about the data that Withers has dredged up on Barnes. Barnes (6-foot-5, 310), who will captain the Huskies this season and has 37 career starts, qualifies as a star. Not only is he an explosive blocker, but the personable Barnes is the go-to guy when the media want an interview. Appearing recently on Softy’s radio show, Barnes said, “You (the media) pick us seventh…that high, huh? We’re going back to the old Husky way; that is, winning games we should win. The old Husky way means that once you’re up, you go for the juggler. Last season, we’d be up in the first half and then lose the second half of the game.” So many Dawgs could be stars this upcoming season. TB Kenny James runs with a low center of gravity -- a bullish fireplug who will fight for those extra yards, the type of runner who makes an offensive lineman want to block all that harder when number 8 is called. When Shelton Sampson turns the corner with his blazing speed, he can bring a large crowd to its feet, on the road or at home. Fullback Zach Tuiasosopo carries 250 pounds of star stuff -- nascent matter that is ready to explode in the face of a would-be tackler. Several publications rank Tuiasosopo as the best fullback in the nation. Significantly, he stands the tallest on the front page of the 2004 UW media guide. But Withers blinks at Tuiasosopo when he writes, “Adorning the regional cover of The Sporting News' football issue is Zach Tuiasosopo, who must have made it for his blocking ability, not 121 career rushing yards.” A former linebacker, Tuiasosopo moved from defense to offense in 2002. When you’re throwing the ball fifty times a game, it’s kind of hard to run the fullback more. Look for a better balance of running and passing this upcoming season. On defense, the Huskies’ DT Donny “Duke” Mateaki, a member of the Polynesian pipeline, can unplug the middle like a rotor rooter, on his way to reaming out the "scum" in the opponent's backfield. Add DE Manase Hopoi, linebackers Scott White and Joe Lobendahn, and CB Derek Johnson to a list of potential stars. Barnes, Johnson, Tuiasosopo, Hopoi and Frederick, all seniors, could well be playing on Sundays in 2005. One never knows from where a new star will emerge, even after they matriculate. Think Herman Brix (Tarzan), Bruce Lee (martial arts), Don Coryell ("I" Formation), George Bayer (golf) and Bob Sapp ("the Beast"), all of them being UW alumni who went on to gain star power in later years. Even a punter can gain notoriety. Some USC fans, who are passionately wooing Heisman voters, have created a website singing the praises of punter Tom Malone (see Malone), and have raised $9.63 for the task, an economy version of Oregon's Joey Heisman campaign. However, the real star of this UW team could be the trainer, as one fan wrote. Keeping the Huskies healthy is the lynchpin of a successful season. If the Huskies stay healthy, a star will emerge as explosive as the super nova of which heavenly stars are made. There are plenty of players I haven’t mentioned who have the gravitational collapse necessary for forming a star, the Science Channel notwithstanding. Richard Linde (a.k.a., Malamute) can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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