(1) Bill Moos vs. (8) Shawn Swartz: Coug of the Year 2011 Quarterfinal

by Grady Clapp on Aug 16, 2011 10:00 PM PDT in Coug of the Year

I dread this matchup.

See, Bill Moos was a perfect number one seed when I drafted up this bracket back in May. But how can you vote against Shawn Swartz? The WSU Track and Field star who is bravely fighting leukemia is about as inspirational as they come. We could be looking at the classic 8-1 tournament upset that causes you to trash your brackets.

I work with chemotherapy on a quasi-daily basis, and sometimes when I head up to the infusion suite I wonder what I feels like to be on the other end. To be fighting a disease that could realistically kill you... to have no idea what the future holds (positive or negative)... to take medicine that is basically going to trash any sense of normalcy in your body. The thing is: I can't even comprehend what it's like. The only thing I can really know is that I hope it's never me, and I really really hope it's never someone I love. All I can really do as I take medicine up the stairs is take some shred of solace in knowing that I'm a small part of the battle against it.

Before you vote, though, remember that Coug of the Year and being an exceptional individual aren't mutually exclusive. Shawn Swartz doesn't need to win Coug of the Year to be validated as a hero. Voting for Bill Moos doesn't mean you love cancer, nor should it make you feel guilty. It just means you think Bill Moos fits whatever set of metrics you prefer in determining the most important Cougar Athletic figure of the year. Moos has kept our football fanbase together through some of the worst seasons in program history, and has almost 100% of us in the Cougar Nation believing the future will be markedly better than the present. In all sports. That's not an accomplishment to take lightly. It's because of Bill Moos that more people like Shawn Swartz will get to carry out their dreams in a WSU uniform.

With that in mind, let's take it to the poll. May the best man win.

Poll

Who advances in Coug of the Year 2011?

(1) Bill Moos

125 votes

(8) Shawn Swartz

28 votes

153 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 3 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I voted for Moos

but I absolutely do not blame anyone for voting Swartz.

twitter | CougCenter

by Kyle Rancourt on Aug 16, 2011 10:57 PM PDT reply actions

Wow, I'm surprised this isn't closer.

But I voted for Moos, I just love the guy too much to vote against him.

Brett Gleason | Twitter | WSU Baseball Blog | Daily Evergreen

by Brett the 49er on Aug 17, 2011 12:09 PM PDT reply actions

I voted for Moos

I suppose my metric for choosing Coug of the Year is who has done the most to increase the visibility of the university and help the university the most. Moos has done more in just over a year on the job than I could’ve ever imagined.

My future brother in law is battling leukemia right now. It’s a horrific disease and his battle has been especially tough because he’s taking part in drug trials to help reduce his medical bills. Swartz should be lauded for his fight against a truly terrifying and debilitating disease. This was honestly a tougher vote than anything I’ve ever filled out on a ballot.

I guess this sentence from Grady is what tilted me towards Moos:

It’s because of Bill Moos that more people like Shawn Swartz will get to carry out their dreams in a WSU uniform.

This was beyond tough for me. But I had to go with Moos. Swartz’s story is an incredible one that should be shared with Cougars everywhere. You will always be a part of the Cougar family Shawn and I wished you absolutely nothing but the best and a full and happy future for decades to come.

Two in the cake, one in the puddin'! -Kevin Calabro, Twitter: MichaelPreston3

by Michael The Coug on Aug 17, 2011 12:34 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs