Cougar Football 2016 is underway

We made it, everyone. The 2016 version of Cougar Football is here. From now until (hopefully) January, we have actual football to break down. Sure, the first game is still just under four weeks away, but the team is on the field down in Lewiston. That is welcome news, especially considering the cloud that has been hanging over the team following the off-campus fight that took place a couple weeks ago. While that hasn't completely played out, at least it is no longer the focus.

The other disappointing piece of news was Kyrin Priester's transfer. If the first day of practice is any indication (which can be a very dicey proposition), we might have an idea why Priester first moved inside, and ultimately departed. Jacob Thorpe's first camp feature addressed the fresh talent on the outside, as he wrote about a senior and a group of freshmen who could make their presence known this season. One guy we have yet to see is C.J. Dimry.

The most impressive new pass catcher the Cougars debuted is actually a fifth-year senior, C.J. Dimry, but even he is practically a greenhorn. Dimry transferred to WSU from a junior college last season and was injured during WSU’s first fall practice. Then, he was injured again on WSU’s first spring practice.

Between Tavares Martin, Dimry and a group of talented freshmen, hopefully the loss of Dom Williams won't be an issue. This should be one of the more entertaining storylines to watch during fall camp.

Another will be the interior defensive line, where WSU really needs some new folks to step in. We won't get much of a feel for that until the team puts the pads on, which won't take place for another couple days. Missing from the first day was one defensive line prospect, Garrett McBroom. He and Charleston White were the lone absentees. Thorpe also spoke with a few players and coaches after practice. Here's what they had to say, starting with Mike Leach.

Luke Falk appears to be donning a cap that he wore during every offseason conditioning session.

The Cougs will be back on the practice field Sunday afternoon at 2:30.

Football

Highlights and observations from WSU’s first practice | The Spokesman-Review
With the exception of Gabe Marks, the Cougars are pretty young at outside receiver. They’re also very talented, and very, very tall.

Pac-12 preseason top 25 players: Nos. 10-6
There are those who will say Marks is simply a product of the Air Raid system. To which the Pac-12 blog says, "duh," of course he is.

2016 Pac-12 preseason top 25 football players: 5-1
All you need to know about Falk is that he’s cool in crunch time, leading Wazzu to last-second victories over Rutgers and UCLA -- plus an overtime win over Oregon in which he forced OT with a last-second touchdown pass and threw the winner in the second overtime. He’s nails when it counts.

AP All-Time College Football Rankings: Best Teams 2000 To 2009 | College Football News
That WSU finished where it did speaks tremendously to what Mike Price built, considering how the decade ended.

Beer

Best beer I had this week: This was supposed to be easy. I wandered into the new Total Wine near my house (that wasn't even really open yet), and stumbled upon Pseudo Sue. This beer is not widely available outside of Iowa, yet somehow it's down here. It's as good as I'd always heard. The gold standard for me, as far as pale ales, is Bale Breaker's Field 41. Pseudo Sue is at least on par, if not better.

So that was supposed to be the winner. Not so fast. Friday, I found some Two Henrys Roasted Jalapeño Blueberry Porter. That may not sound like a great combination in a beer, or anything else, but it is simply sensational. Not too sweet, and just a hint of the jalapeño heat at the end. We'll call this a tie.

American brewers hop into Europe's craft-beer heartland
Despite such resistance, America's craft-beer revolution is finding a growing number of converts in this heartland of idiosyncratic artisan brews.

Kind-of-sports-but-not-really

Rio Promised to Clean Up Guanabara Bay Before the Olympics
She rose to a level of remarkable accomplishment. Then, suddenly, she was gone.