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From Qatar, where two trivial things happened this week that I thought I'd share. First, Armed Forces Radio decided to play the theme song from Miami Vice while I was driving back from work. I turned the volume above a reasonable level, and pondered asking the gate guard if she recognized the song. Realizing that she is likely about 22 years old, I decided against it, because she almost certainly would not have known the song, and I would have felt like a fossil. Second, I found a sun shade in the back seat of the car. This made me unreasonably happy, but I digress.
In front of a giant Mom's Weekend crowd of 3,362, the Cougar baseball team was unable to send the patrons home happy, losing 12-5 to the highly-ranked Beavers. That sets the stage for a crucial rubber match Sunday. A series victory over Oregon State would be a huge lift to WSU's flagging postseason aspirations.
I have only one semi-clear recollection of Mom's Weekend. When I was a senior, my two roommates were getting ready for their moms to visit. To say our place was a pig sty is an insult to swine everywhere. They decided to break out the vacuum which, honest to God, I didn't even know we had. There have been about 5,000 microbrews between then and now, but I'm certain the vacuum (which had likely been manufactured when "I Like Ike" buttons were all the rage) broke down, and the bag pretty much disintegrated. This left the apartment in an even worse condition than it had been five minutes earlier. Such was life in college. I don't remember if their moms slept there (the only thing I do remember is that I didn't have to buy dinner), but if they did, they probably bathed in Purell sanitizer as soon as they got home.
Over on the football practice fields, there were some live contact plays, which means there were a few inevitable fights. Coaches are usually tolerant of in-practice skirmishes so long as two things happen. First, nobody gets injured, and second, the hard feelings must be left on the field. There was also an experimental position change, as coveted receiver transfer Sebastian LaRue was moved to defense to shore up depth at cornerback. This could mean one of a couple things. Either he's having a tough time cracking the two-deep at receiver, or the depth at corner is such that the coaches are willing to try just about anything to help it. I think I know what the answer is, but I hope I'm wrong.
Baseball
Beavers Even Series with Cougars - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Gabe Clark collected four hits and four RBI to lead No. 5 Oregon State past Washington State 12-5 in Pac-12 baseball, Saturday.
Football
Spring Practice Report: Day 8 - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - April 12, 2014
There was no "scrimmage" but Washington State's football practice on Saturday had live tackling, fights, guests, a potential position switch and a lot of moms.
WSU spring football: Vince Mayle emerges sleeker and faster - Spokesman.com - April 12, 2014
We all saw just how good Vince Mayle could be last year, what with his Beasting of the poor Cal safety. This year will probably be even better.
Mike Leach after practice April 12 - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Coach Leach wrapped up the Saturday session by talking about the ups and downs of the day.
Pac-12 college football mailbag: Pick a coach, any coach - ESPN
It’s April, folks. Suppose Washington State goes 9-4 with a bowl in win in Las Vegas or San Diego? That would make a lot of QBs think twice about their commitments. Let’s not stress too much about commitments in the spring. As with most things in life, it matters how you finish.
Pac-12 football: Fewer night games, more regional broadcasts and the negotiations with ESPN and Fox Sports 1 | College Hotline
The league doesn’t describe negotiations with ESPN and Fox as dead, only stalled. And there could be a super-secret option under consideration that would both avoid more regional telecasts and reduce the number of night games.
The 2014 fall weddings guide: College football is better than weddings - SBNation.com
Why did you decide to have a fall wedding? On a Saturday? You had months to plan it. You knew your family cares more about college football than it does about your wedding. There were so many other days you could've chosen. Warmer ones!
Basketball
Ernie Kent in studio
Ernie Kent did two things during his interview with Furness and Puckett. He referred to himself in the third-person, and he refused to apologize to Kyle Sherwood for the New Year's Eve screw-job.
Non-Sports
The 20 photographs of the week | From the Observer | theguardian.com
Anja Niedringhaus, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, was killed last week covering the presidential election in Afghanistan. Picture #13 was my favorite, but every one is incredible, and very powerful.