The Grey Lady; Going Out in Style…

This is Officer Lee Groinman, That’s Right, Washington’s Most Anticipatory Cop…

Here it is. Seems I’ve been waiting for this game since High School. The end of Husky Stadium as we’ve known it. The track is history. The fate of the Helmet car remains unknown, maybe they can use it in the Zone, maybe a dial-a-ride type deal with a designated driver…

The track being ripped out is something that needs to happen, but something I’d rather not witness, like putting down a long lived special dog. That track has my best times on it, both high school and college. The site of the 1990 Goodwill Games. I’d like to have a chunk of it on my basement bunker wall. Wonder if that could happen? Midnight with the jack-hammer? The possibilities are endless…

Back in March we had to put in our vacation days. I had this weekend circled for a few years now as I work weekends, a rare Oregon game in Husky Stadium. Kinda’ like USC playing a November game in Seattle, you just don’t see these things all that much. So I put in for the entire weekend off, figured the game might be a night game, figured right, doin’ my own thinkin’ once again. Almost seems downright disrespectful to play this, the last game in Husky Stadium under the cover of darkness, but somehow I don’t think the TV boys are all that sentimental about the whole affair. But really fellas, this game should be a 3:30 start, give the lady some respect, a daylight start with dusk setting in around the start of the fourth and final, and last quarter of Husky Stadium. Almost sounds romantic.

Maybe were getting a little over the top here folks, next thing ya’ know I’ll be takin’ the wife Gloria to the game, and tailgating with some white linen and candles…

Good Dawg Almighty, this is daylight savings time too, a night game, the last game in old Husky Stadium, the ducks. And we get an extra hour to take it all in…

I’m thinkin’ I better have Monday off too…

Yup, this game is gonna be special. I remember the ’90 game against SC. The “All I Saw Was Purple” massacre. Before the game, the house was vibrating, there was a buzz in the air, you could smell it, you could taste it. This will be like that, only I don’t see it being a 92 degree day. Al Gore might disagree.

Some other ‘special’ games I remember is the opening of the new north deck in ‘87, I think it was against a tough ASU squad, a hard-fought Husky win, then the Bill Walsh led Stanford game in the early nineties, Bill’s ‘thug team’ comments. Coach Bill ‘Genius’ Walsh shows up gettin’ off the plane at Set-Tac wearin’ funny nose and eye glasses. Even funny nose and eye glasses couldn’t spare Bill from the wrath of Husky Stadium, Lordy those were fun games.

All wins too…

I’m sensing a trend here folks…

Yeah, this game is one special deal, it’ll be a part of Husky and Seattle history, like the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962, remember that too, got lost because I was staring up at the Space Needle too long, it mesmerized me from the bottom looking up.

This game is so special, why I do believe that the Pac 12 office will send one of their cracker-jack team of officials to call this game, why they might even have that same Arizona crew just spend the week in Seattle in anticipation of this main event.

It is an amazing sight to behold, the way officials just job the Huskies. It sounds like just so much sour grapes, but there it is. It is like I wouldn’t be so paranoid if all these people stopped following me.

And here I thought the Pac 12 had fired sixteen officials after last year, and they did. One of the few things that Larry Scott did that I approved of. The Arizona crew from last week was one that I assumed got the axe. This was the same bunch that called last year’s Apple Cup. Somehow these pillars of the community made the cut. That means that there were 16 officials worse than these guys.

Maybe we should just go ahead and hire women officiating crews, they would not be as football experienced, but I don’t think they’d come with all the excess baggage and bias that these guys relish and perpetuate. That’s a big word too…

I don’t really think that women should call football games, but that bunch shouldn’t either, I’d take the gals, I wonder if they’d cry if they got the boo-job that these clowns deservedly got in Husky Stadium.

That’s ‘boo-job’…

“We have an official’s 30 second time out, hanky break.”

Oh, well now I’m a sexist pig, well let’s just go ahead and take all the fun out of the game…

Holy crapes…

Yup, there’s two Pac 12 officiating crews with a guy named Jack acting as the head referee. And neither one knows Jack. I watched the Arizona game again last night with Kevin from Port Orchard. The opening kick-off, a short kick that bounced high and was downed inside the twenty. Arizona had already broke the huddle from the sideline and was ready to take the field when we finally see Jack call off-sides on the Huskies, meaning a do-over. Took these guys over a minute to figure out an off-sides call. Then they show the replay, the TV announcers; “Yeah, it looked like a couple of Huskies were close to the line.” Close? Being ‘close’ is now off-sides? An omen of things to come if I ever saw one…

Cost the Dawgs 17 yards in field position…but hey it was still early, not one play yet run from scrimmage…

The bone-head call on Michael Hartvigson’s catch has been beat to death. I’ll just say it was the worst single call I’ve ever seen, ranks right up there beyond the Seahawk/Steeler Super Bowl. The Nate Fellner ‘targeting’ call was just another run-of-the-mill pac-12 call. Seems the officials were the ones doing the ‘targeting’…

Good Dawg Almighty, Saturday night is gonna be one for the ages. I see Don James is gonna officiate the opening coin toss, well there’s one thing they might get right. Yeah and the entire 1991 National Champs are gonna be honored. That alone is worth the price of admission, yet 6,000 seats remain unsold, baffles my bean…

Yet the Zone will be packed…full of zonies…

While the historic 360 degree pre-game photo is being taken…

I see where one feller wondered out loud if Billy Joe Hobert would be in Husky Stadium with the rest of the ’91 crew. And why not? He did no wrong. It was a freakin’ loan with a repayment schedule. He played the rest of the year. I hope Billy Joe comes in driving his Camaro, maybe spin a few brodies on the track, challenge that Helmet car to a duel there Mr. Billy, put it on the Jumbo Tron, what the hell…Take a lap or two thru the zone, smoke them tires Billy Joe!

Lou Gellerman doing the PA, that’s Billy Joe, and the Camaro! At the East end of the Stadium, the lakeside! Lou always made sure we knew our East and West…

“HELLOOO DAWG FANS!!”

“HELLOOO LOU!!”

Dang, seems so many of us grew up with that, now we get;

“Hello Football Fans.”

“Football fans?

We’re gonna show up for a November night game in Seattle ‘cause we’re ‘football fans’?

No wonder kids are so screwed up today…

This game, it’s one for the ages fellas. We’ll never see another one like it, never. If you missed the ’90 SC game, here’s your make up. Rarely in life does a second chance come so cheaply, a do-over if you will. These games aren’t just games, they’re epic events.

The 1990 SC game was a statement.

Yup, this is the kinda’ event that a Seattle Youth soccer game could be canceled for. It’s really that big…

I cannot imagine being anywhere else than Husky Stadium this Saturday night. But I heard of a fan that gave up six tickets to this game, gave them to a duck, six of them. This should be banishment for life. What’s worse is that these ducks will probably be sitting right next to me…

Did you ever think of that bucko? And I was just recertified in defensive tactics this week, the State threw in a couple new wrinkles this time, just like Nick Holt, defensive coordinator. Timing is everything folks…

I hear other rumors of a family member missing this game, Elk season. What kinda’ Elk is worth missing this game for? Does it cook and clean? Divorce court comes to mind…

Husky Stadium is gonna be electric. Purple fog machines with Jimi’s “Purple Haze”, Memories of “All I Saw Was Purple” Maybe we should honor Todd Marinovich too. The ghosts of those who have passed on before us nod in approval…

Heck, if I were dead I’d want to be there…not chasing some four-legged elk to make it dead too…Holy Crapes…

This, a game not to be missed. And wsu plays Cal! We closed out Cal’s old Stadium in classic style last year, with Chris Polk’s last play of the game touch down. The play was called after a time out, a play that is known as “God’s Play.” Fitting…Yup, Yes sir!

God agreed…

Oregon Does Not Win in Husky Stadium This Year. Who Do You Think We Are, The Cal Bears?

Alameda Ta’amu, Semisi Tokolahi, Everrette Thompson, Larry Lagafuaina, Donny Shelton, and Josh Shirley have a little statement to make. Sione Potoa’e and Cort Dennison too. Andre Hudson has a comin’ out party, and Nick Holt has got out his nasty pencil…

Keith Price and Chris Polk put on a show. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, and Kasen Williams prove that youth will be served.

A special night, one for the ages, one with style, and one to remember…

That’s Right…

As DAVIDDAWG would say;

“GET THERE EARLY

BE LOUD, STAY LATE”

RIP DAVIDDAWG.

Oh, he’ll be there…

DO YOU HEAR ME!!

GO DAWGS!

GRUMBLINGS; Ya’ know I read where a lot of Dawg fans say we can’t win this game. I’m not the thought police, but do you really have to share your wet-blanket? And oh yeah, if I catch any ‘football’ fans dressed up as ducks, with any ‘duck calls’ or ‘clappers’ I’ll have a little surprise for them…

That’s Right…24 inches of heat-treated, laser beam-honed, Tennessee Hickory stick, right acrost their pointy little beaks!

Ahhh, Husky Stadium, think I’ll just go now, spend the night…