Home Sweet Home
By: Casey Anderson

The kick is up…

 

That flushing sound you heard was the Huskies' chance at a second national title shooting down the proverbial tubes like so much Charmin 2-ply.

 

Or was it?

 

They say that if you’re going to lose a game in college football, lose early.  Uh, mission accomplished?  Now the Dawgs just have the simple task of running the table from here on out and hoping that every other team on the east coast loses.  Twice.  Seriously though, while a national championship was never a very realistic possibility for the 2002 version of your Washington Huskies, it is still not altogether out of the question.  Far-fetched, but not impossible.  With teams playing at least 12 games this year before the bowl season, it’s likely that no one will be able to go undefeated.  Keep hope alive.

 

In all actuality, that flushing sound you heard with :06 on the clock in Ann Arbor had nothing to do with “national championship implications” and everything to do with handing the home team a W on a platter.  At half time, I was confidently eating sausage, hash browns, and scrambled eggs, pleased with our comeback.  By the end of the third quarter I was grinning, capping breakfast off with a little champagne and OJ.  With :12 left, I was unwrapping a victory Dominican robusto.  When the clock hit double zeroes, I was sick to my stomach.  And it wasn’t the sausage and champagne.  Let the flushing commence.

 

The second the game ended I felt physically ill.  It took me two and a half days to recover.  I had to avoid Fox Sports Net like the plague on Sunday in order to make sure I didn’t catch even slightest glimpse of the replay.  Remember your 21^st birthday, when your “buddies” bought you so many tequila shots that you spent the night in a bathtub?  Now every time you even smell tequila or hear the word “Cuervo” your face turns green.  So it will be for Husky fans at the mention of August 31^st, 2002.  Ugh.  Just typing it makes me queasy.

But never fear!  It’s now time to go where everyone goes when they feel sick. Home.

 

Nothing cures a little headache or stomach bug from a tough loss quicker than a visit to the comfy confines of Husky Stadium.  Kick off your shoes and flop down on the couch with Don James while he reclines in a musty old robe, smoking a pipe and watching the Huskytron.  There’s no place like home.  Barbara Hedges is going to serve you up a nice bowl of chicken noodle soup.  That Charmin 2-ply I mentioned?  It’s not nearly as soft as the next month and a half is going to be.

 

The Huskies have already faced what may have been their toughest opponent of the year.  They will most likely find themselves into October with a 5-1 record after sitting at home getting fat on the likes of the Cowboys, Golden Bears, and Vandals.  By the time the meat of the Pac-10 schedule rolls around, they ought to be back in the top ten.  With Oregon, USC, and Wazzu all on the road, Husky Stadium will be our sanctuary in ’02.  The toughest home game will likely be versus UCLA.  Since the Bruins annually fold like origami in the month of November, the Dawgs are going to be staring another undefeated year at home full in the face.  And, regardless of the loss, they’ve proven already that they’re going to be much better on the road this year.  Just what the doctor ordered. 

 

Now I just need to figure out how I’m going to get tickets for Saturday so I can cure this little stomach bug.  Hopefully Barbara and Don left Rick and the boys a can of Rose Bowl in the cupboard.