:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/37378874/180010978.0.jpg)
Good morning, Cougar fans, and welcome to game week. I'm taking the liberty of writing that game week starts today, since the Gregorian calendar denotes that every week begins on Sunday. Also, like all of you, I'm ready to get the season going. To that end, I'm drinking my morning coffee from my College Gameday mug, making sure it gets a few good reps before the season starts. Thursday I will drink coffee from my WSU mug, because of course.
Also on Thursday, I will be hanging my Cougar flag from the front of my house, a tradition I began last season. That got me to wondering whether any of you folks have any rituals and/or superstitions when it comes to WSU. I don't call my routine a superstition, because I don't think that drinking from a certain mug helps my team win anything. Outside the flag and coffee mug, the only other ritual comes after a win, when I drink a "victory beer" from a WSU pint glass. Celebratory dips in the pool are reserved for significant wins.
Any doubt as to whether superstitions are viable came in 2011, and provided one of the greatest metaphors for the Paul Wulff era. It was roughly 30 minutes before the kick of the OSU-WSU game in Seattle, and we were getting our newborn son ready for a bath. I was wearing the same WSU shirt I'd tended to wear on game days that season, and I was holding him as we took his diaper off to put him in the water. As any parent of a newborn boy knows, you're flirting with disaster immediately upon diaper removal. Well, my boy proceeded to relieve himself all over my Cougar shirt. That was good preparation for what was about to take place on my TV, as the Beavers proceeded to boat race WSU, effectively ending Paul Wulff's stint at WSU.
So as the new football season is upon us, we'd love to hear what rituals or superstitions you folks have when it comes to Cougar Football, or even Cougar Athletics in-general.
Football
Cougars deepest at wide receiver - Spokesman.com - Aug. 22, 2014
WSU had the Fab Five back in 1997. If this year's receivers are as good as advertised, what should we call them? The Elite Eight? I'm open to suggestions.
Wholesale changes in Washington State running game - Spokesman.com - Aug. 23, 2014
It’s rare that a team considers the loss of the previous year’s top two running backs to be a good thing, but in Washington State’s case the predicament is voluntary.
A closer look at WSU's week one depth chart - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Aug. 23, 2014
I don't know about the rest of you, but Teondray Caldwell being listed as the second-team strong safety has alarm bells going off in my head.
Washington State to face Rutgers in final Seattle hurrah | Bud Withers | The Seattle Times
The first game was as good as it got for the Cougars in our backyard. They never drew that many people again, and, as for the program and its competitiveness, well, you know most of the back stories.
Countdown to 2014 opener: Rutgers concerned with Washington State's WR depth | NJ.com
"They have very good receivers,'' Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said. "When you talk about throwing the ball around and coach Leach -- no one does it better than him. It's going to be a tremendous challenge.''
Countdown to 2014 opener: A breakdown of Rutgers vs. Washington State matchup | NJ.com
Hopefully nobody makes a pasta statuette in the likeness of the Rutgers radio analyst, or it could be a painful night for someone.
Steve Gleason
Annual Gleason Fest adds ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - Spokesman.com - Aug. 24, 2014
The third annual Gleason Fest in downtown Spokane on Saturday may have been a block party with music, food and beer, but it was a block party with a purpose.
Beer
The author hit the nail on the head with Kona Big Wave. I was surprised at how much I liked it.
Non-Sports
The Countries Where You’re Surrounded By Tourists | FiveThirtyEight
Afghanistan gets 3,500 tourists per year? I'd love to hear some of these pre-vacation conversations. "Look kids, we know you wanted to go to Busch Gardens, but that's passe. Kandahar is lovely this time of year!"