:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/25461035/polekalafitoni092113-01.0.jpg)
Hopefully Toni Pole doesn't have a fear of flying. In case you missed it on Thursday, the defensive tackle rejoined the team in Albuquerque after resolving an academic issue.
All it took was a quick trip back to Pullman. I can't imagine it's very comfortable to fly when you're 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, so hopefully Pole is an easy sleeper. If he used a membership card, he's going to be at least a gold member by the time he gets back to Pullman for spring semester. Here's a look at his possible travel plans.
Tuesday: Fly from Spokane to Albuquerque ~ 1,300 miles, 3 hours
Wednesday: Fly from Albuquerque to Spokane ~ 1,300 miles, 3 hours
Thursday: Fly from Spokane to Albuquerque ~ 1,300 miles, 3 hours
Saturday: Fly from Albuquerque to Spokane ~ 1,300 miles, 3 hours
Pole will presumably head back home for the rest of holiday break
Sunday(ish): Fly from Spokane to Oakland ~ 900 miles, 2 hours
So in six days, Pole may end up flying more than 6,000 miles and spending an estimated 14 hours on a plane. Roughly the equivalent of flying from Seattle to Beijing.
In non flight news, WSU and CSU started the competition early, playing a game of Family Feud on Thursday. The players were very fired up for it, towel waiving and all.
Football:
WSU notes: Pole will play in New Mexico Bowl - Spokesman.com - Dec. 19, 2013
On Wednesday it was widely reported that Washington State defensive end Kalafitoni Pole would not play in the New Mexico Bowl and had been sent home.
Leach stands up for O-line | ABQJournal Online
Typically they get noticed for one of two reasons: Their man just blew by them to sack the quarterback, or they got flagged for a penalty.
For starters, it’s Washington St. | Boston Herald
At first glance, you might think a New Mexico Bowl matchup between 7-6 Colorado State and 6-6 Washington State would be a yawner, but this opener to the 2013-14 bowl season is a rather intriguing pairing. Both of these rebuilding schools appear headed in the right direction and the coaches, CSU’s Jim McElwain and WSU’s Mike Leach, are certain to take advantage of the extra practice time a bowl provides.
A day after reports that defensive end Toni Pole was sent home and will not play in the New Mexico Bowl because of academic ineligibility, Washington State football coach Mike Leach said Pole is here and will start in the game.
Cougars, Leach meeting Moos' time line - Spokesman.com - Dec. 19, 2013
When Washington State athletic director Bill Moos hired Mike Leach in November of 2011, he hoped that by 2014 the Cougars would be in a position to perennially play in bowl games while occasionally winning eight or nine games.
Attitude, as much as ability, defines WSU linebacker Sagote - Spokesman.com - Dec. 20, 2013
Early in Justin Sagote’s career as a football player at Washington State, coach Mike Leach ended practice by showing the team five clips of players who had given extraordinary effort. Sagote, an undersized linebacker who had transferred in from the College of San Mateo, showed up in two of them.
WSU bowl rewind: 2001 Sun Bowl - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Dec. 19, 2013
The 2001 Sun Bowl featured Mike Price's No. 13 Washington State against unranked Purdue, coached by Joe Tiller. The Cougars, 9-2, had already beaten No. 9 UCLA in Pullman and No. 23 Stanford in Palo Alto. Purdue began the season 4-0, but lost five of its final seven games to finish 6-5. The Boilermakers would send linebacker Akin Ayodele to the NFL, along with punter Travis Dorsch, who was drafted in the fourth round. Future NFL starting quarterback Kyle Orton was under center for Purdue.
Colorado State QB's uncle was a star at Washington State | The Coloradoan | coloradoan.com
Although his uncle, Dan, was an all-conference linebacker for at Washington State, CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson said he wasn't necessarily a fan of the Cougars while growing up on the other side of the state in Vancouver, Wash.
New Mexico Bowl Preview and Prediction: Colorado State vs. Washington State | AthlonSports.com
Think there are too many bowl games this year? Don’t tell that to Colorado State and Washington State. The Rams and Cougars are set to open the bowl season in Albuquerque, and even though the combined record of these two teams is 13-12, this game could be one of the better pre-Christmas bowl matchups.