WSU Rose bowl 2003.......
"Well
- that sucked" WSU 14, Oklahoma 34
Our fight song should have been:
"So Fight Fight Fight for Washington State with-out Mike Price!"
When we were at the Rose bowl Parade in Pasadena We ended up sitting amongst a group of OU (oh you what?) fans who were very nervous about the game, sure they were going to win but seemed almost embarrassed that they were there because they weren't Big 10 or Pac 10. They said they knew cougar fans wanted a Big Ten team. Funny, all that cougar fans had talked about since the middle of the month was Mike Price. Unlike 97 when everyone knew all about Michigan before the game, and what the key match ups were, there was a kind of awkwardness to this Rose Bowl, at least for me. I felt like I was going through the motions because I had to. Mike Price had stolen the Rose bowls thunder and the only way to get it back was a win. I think even a win would have felt strange. Mike Price holding up the Rose Bowl trophy would have been as awkward as a hobbled Gesser running from a blitz. What could he have said? (In hind sight he could have said "hey guys, I'm leaving because there aren't any strippers in Pullman" THAT, we could have understood).
Turns out it didn't matter, exactly what many of us had feared would happen, did. The defense fought hard for the new head coach, knowing the guy that they came to Wazzu for was staying, and the offense was confused and unorganized. They showed all of the signs of playing for a short term coach. They were unprepared and uninspired. All it took was one bad play (two really) at the end of the 2nd quarter and the already fragile psyche of the cougars was shattered. They looked and acted as if they had already lost the game when they went into the locker room at the half. What was needed was a brilliant second half coach that new how to make adjustments and a dramatic locker room appeal to get the players heads back into the game. Mike Price was able to offer neither. I can hear it now:
"Hey guys, I know that it looks like I was too busy flying back and forth from Alabama to do my homework for this game, and I know I've spent more time bragging about Bear Bryant's plane than preparing Jason for the OU defensive scheme. But hey, before I leave you and make a lie out of everything I said about the stability of the program, could you please throw your heart and soul into the second half? I've PERSONALLY always wanted to win this game, and besides, my new better players have to play these guys next year, and I could really use some good film". [PS, if we don't do better in the second half, they'll find a way to get rid of me before I ever sign a contract].
That may not have been what he said, but what ever he said had the same effect. The team came out and played just as flat in the second half as the first - and we all know that those last two late touchdowns were against the OU reserves, so don't even go there.
How could the players not hear his assessment of them in his damning statements about being able to get better players at Alabama than those he had at WSU? In two weeks Mike Price undid the work of ten years.
In the final analysis, Mike Price showed himself to be average. He acted exactly like an average guy would. We just thought he was better than that. We deceived ourselves.
His record over the years at WSU? Just a little over 50/50. His performance against lesser teams was strong but he consistently lost big games at the end of the year (as any Husky fan will tell you). After all, fading and disappointing at the end is something we've gotten used to with Mike Price, just check out his record in November - its his worse win percentage of any month (except January). As the season progresses coaches figure his teams out, and the trick plays that beat University of Idaho in September only look embarrassing, insecure, and afraid in January.
So here's to Coach Doba. We're sure you're no Jim Lambright. We hope you learn from Mikes mistakes. We have confidence you will beat the discipline into this team that will take us to the level of the teams that contend for titles every year, and give us teams worthy of our devotion to the Crimson and Grey. So march us into Husky stadium next year and serve notice that the days of cougars losing to Dawgs are over. And yes, if you leave us in the lurch the way Mike Price did, we'll boo you too!
GO COUGS!
By Mark Owen - you can copy an paste this anywhere, but please put a link on your site to my company or this website. (http://www.eventsandadventures.com/)
Single and live in Seattle? Check out Seattle club or Seattle singles clubs
