Good morning, Cougar fans. Most of you probably have other things to do this Sunday morning, so we appreciate you taking a little time to visit our corner of the internet. As spring football begins throughout the country, many folks have finished looking back on 2015 and begun to set their sights on the fall of 2016 (which can't get here fast enough).
For the first time in a while, we Cougar fans have legitimate reason to be optimistic about the upcoming campaign. The biggest reason for that is that all-conference quarterback Luke Falk is back behind center. While the vast majority of the conference (all but WSU, UW, UCLA and Arizona) will be breaking in new starters, the Cougs are all set. It also doesn't hurt that Gabe Marks and River Cracraft, among others, will be on the other end of many Falk passes.
Another key to success is a solid left tackle to protect Luke Falk's blind side. Andre Dillard is hoping to fulfill the role that Joe Dahl solidified over the last couple seasons. Jacob Thorpe has a very good profile of Andre, primarily detailing the process by which Dillard tries to gain and keep weight. I feel like I need a Marco Candido in my life, except that the protein shake would be replaced by a beer. Dillard definitely has the tools to become the next standout left tackle at WSU, following the likes of Dahl, Calvin Armstrong, Scott Sanderson et al.
Dillard and the rest of his teammates took to the practice field again on Saturday for their second workout of the spring, and Thorpe wrote up a recap. Among the highlights, Jalen Thompson seems to be making quite the name for himself despite only having been on campus for a few months. Thompson is getting a chance to play because both Suli Hameed and Isaac Dotson have yet to practice, presumably due to injury. Hopefully those guys get back sooner than later. WSU needs them not only for depth in the secondary, but because guys like that are vital on special teams.
We'll wrap it up here so you folks can either go spend time with your families or think up ways to avoid doing so. Happy Easter.
Football
Pac-12 football: A momentous spring - College Hotline
The momentous Week 1 makes training camp the most important training camp in league history, and summer workouts the most important summer workouts in league history, and spring practice the most important spring practice in league history.
Ten issues for Pac-12 spring practices - Pac-12 Blog- ESPN
Washington State and Cal were the big climbers in the conference in 2015, adding six and three wins, respectively. So what team(s) makes a charge in 2016?
Baseball
Cougars Drop Rubber Game at Stanford - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State suffered a 5-0 defeat in the rubber game of the Pac-12 Conference series at Stanford University Saturday afternoon.
Beer
Best Beer I had this week: One of Cigar City's bedrock beers is Jai Alai IPA. About twice per year, Cigar City releases a version of Jai Alai that they've aged in white oak barrels. Well, they did that this past week, and let's just say I've begun to hoard it like a doomsday prepper collects cans of baked beans. My suitcase is gonna be pretty heavy for that plane ride to Spokane.
Finding the United States’ best craft beer: Round of 16 | For The Win
A craft beer tournament? WHO COULD IMAGINE SUCH A THING?
Craft-beer sales set new national mark in 2015 - Denver Business Journal
Craft-beer sales exceeded 20 percent of the American beer market in 2015 — a new record for the booming industry sub-sector, even as the pace of growth for small, locally owned breweries dropped to its lowest mark in four years.
Non-Sports
Selfies, Dating, and the American 14-Year-Old | Vanity Fair
I'm not the religious type, but if I were, I'd probably be thanking the good Lord pretty often for the fact that I have boys.