Recent Stories with tag university of washington football

A Husky fan demonstrates size of Sark's balls (via Facebook)

Your season's on the line. Two seconds left. Down by three points. Six inches from the goal line. You need a win to make the postseason. Do you kick a field goal and try to win in overtime? Or risk the whole #$!$@% thing on one play?

Husky football coach Steve Sarkisian chose the latter, the Huskies won, and now Sark's testicles--specifically, their size and constitution--are a matter for public comment.

"Retracting (happily) my previous comments re: Sark. Giant big massive balls." -- TBTL's Luke Burbank (@lukeburbank)

"Boulders on Sark right there. Wow." -- @warrencb11

"Sark will need wheelbarrel to carry his cajones after this week." -- @kingwabbit

"Sark tiene grande cajones." -- @_bmc123_

"HOLY FUCK!!! YESSSSSSS!!!!! #HUSKIES!!! ! Sark has HUGE stones" -- @Ryan_C_M

So, Sark, how much time did you take to decide whether to go for it? "None, really," he told reporters after the game. "We've been aggressive since day one since I got here, and we're not going to change."

After deciding to go for the win, Sark had two tasks. First, to decide what play to run. Second, to rally his troops.

He'd run a quarterback sneak to the left on the previous play, and saw that Cal would be looking for it again. "They were really piled in the A-gaps and the four-point stances," he said. So he threw the Bears a change up: a dive to running back Chris Polk to the right.... (more)

"Savior" Must Save Himself

Probably Joni Mitchell did not write "Big Yellow Taxi" with college football in mind, but really, don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?

In a previous lifetime, Husky fans didn't worry about whether their team would go to a bowl game. They worried about which one. Former head coach Jim Lambright, a defensive genius and heir to Don James, was fired after leading the 1998 Dawgs to the Oahu Bowl, partially because UW fans thought the Oahu Bowl was as beneath us as beating Oregon State by any less than three touchdowns.

Now, after seven seasons without a postseason appearance (despite the fact that the number of bowl games has grown 40 percent in that time), Husky fans would be thrilled with any bowl. Beef 'O Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl? Sign us up, and pass the Nachos 'O Brady (TM).

Teams need at least a .500 record to make a bowl game. The Huskies are 4-6. So they'll need a win Saturday at Cal to keep their hopes alive. The Dawgs are a 7-point underdog against a Cal program that's in disarray. A 48-14 blowout loss to Stanford in "The Big Game" has Cal fans disheartened. Their once potent passing attack was already bad with disappointing senior Kevin Riley behind center--then Riley got hurt. Replacement Brock Mansion, a junior, hasn't thrown a TD pass in any of his three starts, and has tossed 4 interceptions.... (more)

All you latte-sipping liberals who couldn't tell a screen pass from a deep slant may want to break out your purple and root hard for the University of Washington football team on Saturday.

According to a study from the National Academy of Sciences, (which I first read about in ESPN The Magazine), when a state's college football team wins near election day, its incumbent politicians get a boost at the polls.

For some voters, if the home team wins, all is right with the world. If not, it's "kick the bums out" time.

With the Murray/Rossi race a toss-up, seemingly inconsequential factors like a slight rise in gas prices, an layoff announcement, or, apparently, the score of Saturday's Washington/Stanford game, could mean the difference between six more years of the Mom in Tennis Shoes or a term of Rossinomics.

ESPN rightly points out that Husky QB Jake Locker is the central figure in this drama. The Washington quarterback, who before the season was considered among the top QBs in the country, isn't even the best QB in the state right now. Against #13 Stanford on Saturday, the Huskies can't win without a big game from Locker. And maybe Patty Murray can't either.... (more)

I’ve heard this sentiment from Laurelhurst to Leschi lately: “I just can’t figure the [Huskies/Seahawks] out! One week they beat a good team, the next week they lose to a bad one! What gives?”

What gives, friends, is that both the Huskies and Seahawks have emerged from the muck of terribleness. Joy! However, they have not stumbled very far. They now gambol in the slightly damp ground of mediocrity. The move will take some adjustment.

“Good enough to beat USC on the road. Bad enough to lose all momentum at home,” wrote the Seattle Times’ Jerry Brewer of the Huskies. “The only characteristic of this team is that it's indefinable.”

Not really, no. You can define them pretty easily with SAT math: (Good+Bad)/2 = Average.

The Seahawks are almost exactly comme çi, comme ça: They have scored one more point than they have allowed.... (more)

If your sports fan coworker came back beaming yesterday after a long lunch, he or she may have, like me, gotten twin text messages bearing tidings of great joy. 

First, at about 12:24 p.m., friend David: "Locker is coming back!"

Then, at 1:20 p.m., friend Clint: "Holy crap! Cliff Lee to the Mariners?"

True and (apparently) true. Husky star quarterback Jake Locker, on the morning that ESPN projected him as the first overall pick in the NFL draft, walked into the Husky football offices with his chocolate lab Ten and told coach Steve Sarkisian "I'm staying."

Locker's decision to forego the NFL draft and return for his senior season means that the Huskies will have a very potent offense next year. Between Locker, running back Chris Polk, and receiver Jermaine Kearse, the Dawgs could have the best combination of skill players in the league. Locker's decision will also give top QB recruit Nick Montana a year of seasoning before taking over the reigns in 2011.

The supposed acquisition of 2008 Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, is a little murkier. ESPN's Jayson Stark, who reported the trade in the first place, now writes that the deal is "close" but "not done." Didn't stop me from dreaming last night that the Mariners won the World Series.

(I was watching with friend David and Kyle MacLachlan's character from Twin Peaks. The Mariners won in the fifth game after a series of throwing errors got Matt Stairs--who apparently has signed with the M's in my subconscious--around with the series-winning run.)... (more)

After a C-17 flyover at Husky Stadium before the Washington/Cal game on Saturday, Fox Sports Northwest's Angie Mentink was moved to make a urine reference in an attempt to convey the intensity of the plane's sound. Probably more fun if you click through to the video, but I've transcribed it below.

Said Mentink: "If you're here at Husky Stadium you are not just cold anymore but you are now wet--as you probably just wet yourself...."

I walk into The Dutchess, for 80 years a Husky bar, and crane my head toward the screen to see the score.

"You sure you want to come in?" says the buzzed middle-aged man drunk at the door.

"Oh God, what's the score now," I ask.

He shakes his head. "Not good. It's not good."

And it wasn't. The Huskies had allowed a touchdown right before halftime, and a long kickoff return to open half 2. I'd been spared hearing this misery by my car radio's sudden decision to inexplicably conk out. The score, then, was 34-7. The Huskies didn't even compete.

Washington, now mathematically unable to reach the six wins they'd need to be eligible for a bowl game, get a week of rest before the Apple Cup on the 28th.

Someday, you will do it. You won't have a co-worker's birthday party, a seasonal gutter cleaning, or brunch with an ex. Someday, you will watch sports all weekend. If, perchance, this is the weekend, here's how it should go:

FRIDAY
5 p.m.: Leave work, drive towards Hec Ed for the Athletes in Action Classic. Stop at Bartells and buy some socks on the way.

Melvin Jones

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Watch the second half of Belmont/Portland St. Cheer on PSU's Melvin Jones, a Chief Sealth grad who got his life on track after a rough start to high school.

6:30 p.m.: Dinner at Hec Ed. Recommended--Porters Place BBQ. Not recommended--Everything else.

7-9 p.m.: Watch the Huskies avoid a letdown like in last year's opening-game loss to Portland, and lay an ass-whooping on outmanned Wright St. The Raiders may stay in this game early if their shooters are hot, but UW's depth will mean WSU will be run ragged by the second half.

9-10 p.m.: Sit in the traffic lineup to get out of the Hec Ed parking lot. While you're at it, check ESPN 710 to see how Seattle U did in their opening game, at Oklahoma State. 

10 p.m.: Drive home--you've got a big day tomorrow!

SATURDAY
7:30 a.m.: Drag yourself out of bed and drive to the George and Dragon for World Cup Qualifying soccer.

8 a.m.: Russia v. Slovenia begins. Here's the deal--eight European countries are getting their last shot at qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. They are paired into four groups of two, each pair plays a home-and-home with the winner going through to the Cup.

9 a.m.: England v. Brazil begins. This is just a friendly, with no World Cup qualifying implications, but c'mon. It's England/Brazil!

10 a.m.: Greece v. Ukraine! Ouzo v. Vodka! Who wins? Everyone!

Noon: Ireland v. France. Even more testy after an Irish diplomat gravely insulted French PM Sarkosky this week.

2 p.m.: Drive to The Dutchess and catch the second half of the Washington/Oregon St. football game. Will the Beavers knock Jake Locker senseless again?

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Probably some sort of silly play by the Husky special teams that costs us the game late, ending slight hopes of a Husky bowl appearance.

3:30-4:00 p.m.: Enjoy a chicken sandwich so you don't have to consume any Hec Ed food.

4 p.m.: Walk down to Hec Ed. Yeah, it's a trek, but do you really want to sit in that post-game parking lot traffic again? Not worth it. Plus, those fries you just ate have a ton of calories.

4:30-6:30 p.m.: Wright St. vs. Portland St. This will probably be the most competitive of the six games to be played this weekend.

6:30-7 p.m.: Check Facebook on your phone. Note how many "status updates" are actually just people whining about pointless shit.

7-9 p.m.: UW vs. Belmont, which I'm hoping will be very entertaining. Both the Huskies and Belmont were among the 50 fastest-tempo teams in the NCAA last year. If Belmont plays their style instead of trying to slow the game down, the Dawgs could hit 100.

9-9:30 p.m.: Healthful walk back up to The Dutchess.

9:30-Midnight: Buy repeated rounds for everyone at the bar (or just me).... (more)

Coach Sark's approval ratings are down this week

We knew what Husky football coach Steve Sarkisan and his staff's strengths were: Motivating players. Game planning. Firing up fans.

Now, after Washington's dreadful performance against Arizona State, a game lost on the most incompetent football play I have ever seen, we are beginning to see what Sark and his staff aren't so good at: Details. Flexibility. Keeping players under control.

Let's start with that incompetent football play. Arizona State has the ball at midfield with 13 seconds left in a tie game. I'm watching the game on FSN with childhood friend Jason. We see ASU QB Danny Sullivan loft a ball deep toward the goal line. As the camera tracks the ball, we expect to see a phalanx of Washington defensive backs there to knock away the Hail Mary attempt. Instead, we see two Arizona State players alone in the end zone. One, Chris McGaha, catches the ball in stride and scores the winning touchdown. No Huskies are in sight. (Watch it yourself on YouTube.)

The funny thing is, neither Jason or I really reacted. It was too shocking. If this had happened in a sixth-grade flag football game, you'd be a little annoyed at the kids for failing to be cognizant of the situation. But in Division I college football? Not credible. When one of us did speak it was Jason, appropriating a line from Anchorman: "Heck, I'm not even mad. That's amazing! Nick Holt just pooped a whole wheel of cheese all over the field."

Other reactions I read later on Twitter:

"Pardon me while I go put a fork in my eye."--The Times' Danny O'Neil

"That might have been the worst 1:30 I've ever seen."--KJR's ESPN 710's Mike Salk

And my favorite, from Husky hoopster Isaiah Thomas: "Daaaaaaaaaaaang."

Yup. That about captures it.

Defensive coordinator Nick Holt makes $600K/year

Holt, the assistant coach in charge of the defense, who earns a higher salary than Washington State's head coach, is most at fault for the play. His players should've had clear instructions not to let anyone behind them. Instead, two Sun Devil receivers were wide-open in the end zone. This lapse has caused message board denizens to call for his firing. (Jason emailed me last night: "Why is firenickholt.com still available? Just askin'.")

The excitable Holt is surely a master motivator, but he may be in need of adult supervision during game situations--as he was at USC, where Holt did the hands-on coaching but Pete Carroll called the defensive plays. After ASU's game-winning TD, FSN cameras caught Holt lighting into Husky linebacker E.J. Savannah. Holt screamed at the camera-person to back away. Holt also may have picked up his second 15-yard sideline interference penalty of the season--the Huskies were charged with one, but the refs didn't say who caused it. ESPN's Ted Miller has called Holt out for failing to appear at a post-game press conference, though it's unclear whether reporters requested him.

Sarkisian's weaknesses showed through as well. The fateful play shouldn't even have happened, as UW probably could've run the clock out when they had the ball seconds earlier on their own ten. Or, since they had more than a minute left, they could've tried to drive for the winning score. Instead, Sarkisian tried two running plays, then a long pass that fell incomplete, giving the Sun Devils one more chance on offense. Either run out the clock or don't.

Sark's play-calling lacked flexibility. Arizona State's fast, over-pursuing defense was ripe for some misdirection plays. Dennis Erickson called three reverses, one of which, a reverse pass, went for a touchdown. Sarkisian instead tried to exploit ASU's over pursuit with screen passes, none of which were effective despite repeated attempts.

And, perhaps most egregious, the Huskies played out of control. They committed 12 penalties, totaling 124 yards. Jake Locker threw two interceptions on the same drive, deep in ASU territory. The first was called back due to an ASU penalty. The second came at the goal line on a Tebow-esque run-forward-then-pass that went directly into the hands of a Sun Devils defender.

Next up: Oregon, a team Husky rooters desperately want to beat, a program the Huskies once dominated but haven't defeated (in fact, haven't come within 20 points of) for five years. Sarkisan and co. will earn an avalanche of brownie points with a win over the Ducks. But against Oregon's potent spread option attack, discipline is critical. If the Huskies don't have it again, another Willingham-era beatdown is inevitable. And the Willingham-era discontent will begin to bubble up once again.

Owen Schmitt, the 24-year-old starting fullback for the Seattle Seahawks, opened a gushing wound on his forehead during Sunday's pre-game introductions when he decided to repeatedly whack himself with his helmet as he ran onto the field. Video!

This is pretty awesome in a tribal way, and apparently psyched up Schmitt's teammates. "That got us going," linebacker Lofa Tatupu told the P-I's Greg Johns. "A man willing to bloody his own face, you know how much he's willing to put on the line."

Then again, as childhood friend David pointed out later that night, it also shows why football players struggle to adjust to the working world once their playing careers are over. A pre-event self-bloodying may inspire football teammates, but see how well it works before your next company-wide health coverage informational. 

Ex-Husky Bobby Jones: NCAA hoops "like slavery"

Halfway around the world, a 25-year-old former Husky is giving serious thought to how athletes fit into society. Bobby Jones, a defensive whiz for the... (more)

The main reason why you never leave a college football game early: College football is played by college students.

And college students, are, for the most part, idiots. (Moments from my freshman year: drinking a 40 oz. Budweiser and then singing "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story while pirouetting around my dorm room. This led to vomiting and enforced celibacy.)

So you'll get moments like we had Saturday night at Husky Stadium: Arizona QB Nick Foles, who should've been handing the ball off to run down the clock, winging an ill-advised pass to a covered receiver, and having it bounce off the receiver's foot into the waiting arms of UW linebacker Mason Foster -- himself in the area because he'd decided to ignore his coaches' orders and blitz on the play--who grabs the ball and runs it into the end zone for a go-ahead score. (Here's a great breakdown of the play by the P-I's Greg Johns.)

They're calling it "The Immaculate Interception." Here's incredible video from the field-level: Foster comes right at you.

...

(more)

We await this weekend's football games like we would a root canal. Anxious, terrified, and just wanting it to be over.

Boy-band 'do or no, Nick Foles scares me

Realpolitik talk: Both the Huskies and Seahawks must win this weekend if they have any hope of postseason play. I'm not going to get into the numbers, just accept this as fact and keep reading.

On Saturday night, the Huskies host the the Arizona Wildcats and their frightening passing attack. Given the Huskies' secondary issues, this would be awful enough, but it's even worse because the Dawgs won't have either of their starting safeties. Free safety Justin Glenn is out for the season after breaking his leg against Notre Dame, and strong safety Nate Williams won't play after suffering a concussion in the same game. Two backups and even a true frosh will mix in at safety.

This just as Arizona seems to have found a quarterback: Soph. Nick Foles, who was 25/34 with 3 TDs and 0 interceptions in the 'Cats win at OSU last weekend. That's a 165 quarterback rating. Yipes.

Meanwhile the Seahawks are responding to their must-win status by rushing injured QB Matt Hasselbeck into action. Hasselbeck says he can throw despite his broken rib, which would be fine if he were a baseball player. Unfortunately, football is a contact sport, and the man protecting Hass's blind side is a third-stringer who is also playing hurt.

The Jaguars, the Hawks' opponent on Sunday, will overwhelm the left side of the Seahawks line, they will hit Hasselbeck, and only then will we really see how well that rib is healed.... (more)

When I tell you that the highlight of the Seattle sports weekend was giving a standing ovation to a third-place team, you may think it wasn't much of a weekend. But it was epic, notably for our sports teams getting the worst Indiana lambasting since the Kerry campaign.

Notre Dame 37, Washington 30 (OT)

As I headed to Teddy's to watch Washington vs. Notre Dame (live from South Bend, Indiana), I wondered exactly how empty the bandwagon would be. Coming off the USC win, the bar was packed for Stanford. But after losing that game, how would it look? Let's let pictures tell the story:

Crowd at Teddy's for UW/Stanford

Crowd at Teddy's for UW/Notre Dame

So--yeah, Seattle sports fans, you are some fairweather sons of bitches. And you missed an amazing game, one that will always be remembered for the stunning inability of the Huskies to score one touchdown from twelve tries inside the one-yard-line. If you have a Husky fan at your office, I recommend putting his morning coffee three feet behind a white line and see... (more)

Last year we watched most University of Washington road games at Teddy's, a tavern near the intersection of Roosevelt and 65th. The scene during last year's games was this: A few scattered tables, each manned by a single grumpy middle-aged guy. And then the table at which the grumpy thirty-somethings, me and my friend David, sat.

Here's what Teddy's looked like for Saturday's UW/Stanford game:

People watching Husky football! On purpose! (Photo by David Swidler)

Back when I wrote for the Seattle P-I, I had a rollicking front-page-of-sports piece that established this rule: When it comes to sports fandom, women follow winners. Said guideline was in effect Saturday, as attractive female after attractive female filed in to watch the suddenly popular Huskies. I'm not complaining: Who among us doesn't like to see a pretty girl? (Certainly the new P-I does, even when they're covering Central American political crises.) The only time you'd see one at Teddy's last year is she happened to walk past.

Amazing what one big... (more)

Jake Locker. Along with Glee, the biggest national breakout of September 2009. With three terrific performances, Locker has rocketed up NFL scouts' charts, ESPN's Todd McShay now lists Locker as the #2 QB prospect in the 2010 draft, and #7 overall.

Oddly, Locker's ascension has come without using the tool he was best known for before this year--his legs. We may see them finally against Stanford.

Stanford's Thomas Keiser: Can He Catch Jake?

Stanford Pressures

Before we get to that, though--a quiz!

Q: What do Stanford DE Thomas Keiser and the entire Husky defense have in common?

A: They each have four sacks this season.

Keiser, a 6-5, 257 lb. sophomore from the Pittsburgh suburbs, made the Freshman All-American team last year and will make a bid for the national one if he keeps up his penetrating ways. Keiser is 7th in the nation in both tackles for loss and sacks.

Overall, the Stanford defense has nine sacks on the season. They are sacking opposing QBs on one out every twelve passing attempts. That will... (more)

Derek Johnson, author of Husky Football in the Don James Era, has produced another loving remembrance of Washington footballers past: The Dawgs of War. Johnson's subject: The 2000 Huskies, a team that endured the paralysis of teammate Curtis Williams--Johnson provides chilling, visceral details of the immediate aftermath of Williams' injury--to achieve UW's last Rose Bowl victory.

The team's on-field success has since been overshadowed as a result of the Seattle Times' 2008 "Victory and Ruins" series, detailing criminal behavior by some members of that team. Johnson's book puts the focus back on the field and, in some of the book's most revealing passages, on the sideline and in the locker room. We emailed Derek some questions, he emailed back.

Was there anything you learned in the course of writing the book that really surprised you?

I didn't have a deep affection for the team when I started, and I didn't foresee that changing. By the end of the project, I loved them. I loved what Marques stood for. I loved... (more)

After the win at USC, scads of positive reinforcement is coming the Huskies' way. You know they are ranked #25 in the AP Poll.

Donald Butler was named Walter Camp Foundation's Defensive Player of the Week. Butler is one of four nominees for the ESPN All-America Player of the Week, chosen by ESPN analysts. (See a special Butler highlight reel here.) And, Butler is Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week.

Kicker Eric Folk is Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week and one of three Lou Groza Stars of the Week.

And Jake Locker won the Johnny O'Brien Quarterback of the Week Award. Locker maybe got the best praise, though, from USC coach Pete Carroll: "That's the best quarterback we've played in nine years here. Jake Locker has ridiculous talent, and had he remained healthy last year, Tyrone [Willingham] would still be coaching there."

Well that's sort-of a scary thought, but we appreciate the sentiment.

With Washington football now holding a 27-49-4 all-time record against USC, it dawned on me that coaches who beat the Trojans in their debut season must be rare. I was right. There are only two: Steve Sarkisian and Don James.

YES THAT DON JAMES! (Sorry, people under 30, but we Gen Xers grew up worshiping James, who won 153 games in 18 years. Until we die out (appx. 2060) you young bloods will be hearing about him. Deal with it.)

James and Sark: Can We Hug?

Did Ty Willingham beat USC in his debut season? Don't be ridiculous. Gilby? Faugh. Lambo? Nuh-uh. Jim Owens may be immortalized with a statue outside Husky Stadium, but his '57 Dawgs took a 19-12 loss to the Trojans. Darrell Royal took a 35-7 beating the year before. John Cherberg's '53 Dawgs managed a tie, as did Ralph Welch's '42 squad. But Howard Odell's 1948 squad and James Phelan's 1930 Dawgs both absorbed blowout losses.

Other Husky coaches either never faced SC, or didn't face them in their first year, which is why we must mention Enoch Bagshaw, who... (more)

For 99.99999% of the world, "Niagara Falls" conjures up the mental image of one of the natural wonders of the world. For me it will always mean one thing: "Washington 16, USC 13." You see, my childhood friend Jason picked Saturday, September 19 for his wedding in Western New York. My season tickets for the game went to some random woman on StubHub. But I'm not bitter. After a win this wonderful, how could I be? Moments like this is why I bother to watch sports in the first place.

The father of the groom celebrates

I wasn't too worried about being at a wedding during this game. As I wrote on this site, I didn't like the Huskies' chances. ("Expecting a USC Blowout"--great work, Kolloen.) Then, Dawgs fell behind 10-0 early, confirming my fears. I stopped my obsessive Blackberry checking to focus on more wedding reception appropriate activities, like business networking and flirting.

Soon, though, the infreqent Blackberry checks began to show a different story. While I was talking up my writing to a guy who owns... (more)

Just wanted to post my thoughts about Saturday's UW/USC game. I know the Huskies have turned into a trendy upset pick; normally optimistic me would be right on this bandwagon. But I just don't see it. USC just won at Ohio State, the Huskies beat Idaho in what wasn't a particularly impressive performance. USC would beat Idaho by 70.

Lord knows I'd love the trendy upset pick to come through, but it looks to me like a USC romp. (Also, if the Huskies beat USC, I'm gonna be pissed as I had to give up my tickets to go to a wedding in upstate NY).

Awesome indeed. The quote comes from Husky defensive lineman Daniel Te'o Nesheim, who admitted that those who'd endured the 15-game losing streak weren't entirely sure how to behave upon finishing with more points than the other team. "A couple of us older guys were like, 'What should we do when the clock runs out? Should we go shake hands first? Or should we go sing the song?' It was kind of funny."

A good problem to have, right?

Washington's offense powered this Band Day victory. The Huskies scored touchdowns on six of their first seven offensive drives--three through the air, three on the ground. The Dawgs averaged 6.4 yards per offensive play, their most effective performance since '07 (7.5 ypp in a loss to Arizona).

The overall performance was less impressive, as Idaho gained even more yards than the Huskies did. Granted, Idaho rolled up some garbage time ground, but the Dawgs' major weakness--their pass defense--was apparent to all 58,980 fans.

The primary problem is that the Huskies' defensive line does not... (more)

Matt Barkley, who is perfect in every way

While I hope the Husky football team isn't looking past the Vandals to the next week's matchup against USC, we fans are under no such limitations. Thus, I point you to this fawning piece about USC true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who is apparently the greatest human being in world history.

According to Mandel, Barkley "reminds you of a young Joe Montana."

Barkley's private quarterback tutor (??!!!??) says: "Once every so many years, you find this one person that has something, you can't explain it, but you feel it."

Hmmm. I know that feeling, I think it's called love. 

Which is something Barkley wouldn't know anything about! He's more chaste than Tim Tebow. Actual quote from Barkley: "Girls? No, I don't associate with them."

More chaste than Jesus, actually, who was buddies with Mary Magdalene.

Moving on from personal magnetism and celibacy, Barkley is apparently a very advanced quarterback. He has the physical tools at 6-2, 230 lbs., but he also has the all-important... (more)

The University of Idaho has an awful football program. How could they not? Existing in the shadows of a far more successful in-state team is bad enough -- ask Auburn (Alabama), Iowa State (Iowa) or Vanderbilt (Tennessee). But at least those states have people in them. Relying on regional powerhouse Boise State's discards when your whole state has fewer residents than Greater Milwaukee is not a recipe for success.

Idaho coach Robb Akey will not let you leave this lot without the car of your dreams

Thus Idaho's coaches, headed by former Wazzu defensive coordinator Robb "Have I Got a Car for You" Akey, scour the other 49 states for talent. And they do a fine job: They found their starting quarterback in Nebraska. Their starting running back: Arkansas. Their top returning tackler: California.

Considering that Moscow, Idaho, is not exactly an air travel hub, Akey's staff must spend their lives on planes. (Can one even book a flight from Idaho to Arkansas? Wouldn't Orbitz just explode?) In fact, I guarantee that at... (more)

Topic A this weekend for Seattle sports watchers was Saturday's Husky game.

"Its so hype n this football stadium right now!! Let's go dawgs!!" tweeted UW hoops recruit Abdul Gaddy.

"Husky football is back! Not a win yet, but when the team plays all out w/ the Dawg fans screaming no place is like it!" This from Detlef Schrempf.

Cal Bear Justin Forsett was rooting for regional pride: "I need UW to pull out this win tonight for the Pac-10."

PHOTOS!!! Rob Sims tweeted this photo of his brunch at Jak's Grill, which he says is the best in Seattle. Nate Robinson shared a candid of his sleeping brother.

Robinson also has a movie review: "Just saw that movie GAMER, man what a disappointment weak movie."

Terrence Williams was caught in the rain, but that didn't stop him from going to hitting up one of his favorite eateries: Popeye's Chicken.

New to Twitter this week: Husky guard Isaiah Thomas, who you can follow @it_thomas. Thomas revealed that his XBox name is freakyzekey2--go best him in "Legend of Zelda" or whatever... (more)

Coach Sark told reporters Sunday that when he got home from Saturday's LSU game, the first thing he did was watch a replay of the game on television.

"I didn't want to go to sleep--I really wanted to get through the film and see it and enjoy time with the family. ... We'll catch up for sleep the next week or so."

This contrasts with Tyrone Willingham's post-game ritual of drinking a glass of warm milk and falling asleep to the sounds of The Purpose Driven Life on audiobook.