Monday, September 30, 2013

PAC-12 Opener: Arizona (3-0) at Washington (3-0)


Since the Newbury Park Panthers had a BYE week, our son Mike and I opted to take advantage of the situation and fly to Seattle to see our beloved Washington Huskies host the Arizona Wildcats in the PAC-12 opener for both squads in the completely renovated Husky Stadium complex.

THURSDAY

UW Hospital

We arrived in Seattle Thursday night and were picked up at SeaTac International Airport by our long time friend Mark Johnson. We spent the weekend at his house located just across the Montlake Cut from the UW Hospital seen here from Mark's back yard.

We spent the evening chatting up old times, visiting with Mark's three ladies, Susie, Sophie and Mallory, plus talking with a fellow weekend lodger in the Johnson home, Chris Curtis.

FRIDAY

Mark was able to use his considerable clout in the Husky Athletic Department to get us a private tour of the new American football complex.

It was incredible!

THE NEW HUSKY STADIUM

So True . . .

GO DAWGS!!!

 View from the Student Section

 1960 WE'RE #1!!!

Back in those days, the Helm's Poll was the only one that crowned a National Champion after the bowl games. 

Minnesota, the team that the Huskies beat in the January 2, 1961 Rose Bowl to finish the campaign, is still listed as the National Champions by both the final AP and UPI polls for 1960. These polls did not take the post-season into consideration in their final rankings.

I always remember this team as being dominant. Now I realize that it won four of its games by a mere five points.

A win is a win.

1991 WE'RE #1 AGAIN!!!

This undefeated team was dominant but still shared the title with an undefeated Miami team.

 The new American football ONLY
Weight Room

Our Weights

Crazy Anti-Gravity Machine
to help re-hab injured Huskies

Mike in the Husky Barbershop

No, the team does not have a battery of barbers on hand but they do have this cool two seat spot to cut each other's hair.

The Tunnel

For years, both the Huskies and their opponents would explode out of this dark tunnel into the light of Husky Stadium. No more now that the visitors enter the field from the opposite corner of the field from their new locker rooms under the stands.

 PAY DIRT!

Husky Recruits Lounge

It is from this End Zone, glassed in, warm and cozy area that Husky recruits get to watch a game while visiting the UW campus.

DAMN . . .

The Latest "Big Man"

Matte Black Helmet on
display in Sarkisian's Office

Coach Jim Owens
THE Big Man

UW's Hec Edmundson Pavilion

 Football Section of the
Husky Athletic Hall-of-Fame

 Now, THAT'S a helmet!!!

 #25 George Fleming
1960 Rose Bowl Co-Player-of-the-Game

He shared the award, after the Huskies demolished the heavily favored Wisconsin Badgers 44-8, with Husky QB Bob Schloredt.

 George Fleming in Action

#66 All-American LB Rick Redman

Tough Schedule
The year I was born

$15 for SEASON tickets???

The Huskies Indoor Practice Facility

The Connibear Crewhouse

I slept under a similar shell at about this spot all during two-a-days in 1966.

Fond memory.

After touring the Athletic Facilities, Mike and I opted to visit the campus and the U District on foot.

UW Campus in the Fall

Special place.

Miller Hall

Visiting Miller Hall to pick up Laurie who worked in the Educational Foundations Department was always a highlight of my day in 1967-69.

As Mike and I walked by this building, I was overcome by the feeling that those walks with her back then might have been the best moments ever.

Bench donated by the Class of 1915

Denny Hall
The Oldest Building on Campus

 The Pacific Apartments
Onetime Home of the
World Water Jai Alai Championships

Also my first off-campus living quarters in 1967.

Husky Football Lore is EVERYWHERE

House Boats are BIG in Seattle

Friday night Chris Curtis joined us for a night of Mariners baseball.

Oakland A's at Seattle Mariners

 Our $14 Bottom of the Price List
Seats were in DEEP Center Field

 OK view but we can do better

We moved here with no remorse

 Fireballing Mariner Lefty . . .

. . . gets taken deep on a three run HR

Good Times at the Old Ball Game
Myself, Mike and Chris

SATURDAY, GAME DAY

 David Lassen Recommended
that we start our long day here

DEE-licious

And oh so good for me too!!!

Good call David.

The Johnson home's backyard

 View from the same backyard

As always on a Husky Game Day, the Johnson's hosted a gigantic "tailgate" party at their home. The heavy rain that afternoon forced everyone inside but fun, food and friends still ruled the day.

It was great to see former Catania Elephants QB Jason Johnson, an Arizona QB in his day as well, at the Johnson's.

4:00 p.m. Kickoff

It was not too cold but it was definitely wet!

In a city known for its rainfall, this turned out to be a special day indeed as 1 3/4 inches of rain fell during the day.

That is the new all-time record for the largest one-day total amount of rainfall in the damp RECORDED HISTORY of Seattle.

History on Display

Captains Out

Read Option

 Trench Warfare

 You can see the iconic Space Needle
from our seats

Mark, myself and Mike
in a sea of Purple

Sitting in front of us was Dan Spreisterbach a former UW Purple Helmet DB, retired Pac-12 football official and St. Francis H.S. alum. I had not seen Dan for over 40 years. It was fun catching up.

QB Keith Price had a good day
as he threw 2 TD passes

FINAL SCORE: UW 31 - Arizona 13

UW RB Bishop Sankey would tote the ball a school record 40 times for 161 yards and a TD. The old record was 38 carries by Corey Dillon in 1996 against Washington State.

The Huskies are 4-0 for the first time since 2001 and play at #5 Stanford next Saturday.

SUNDAY

Need a Lawn Mower

Breakfast at Beth's Cafe

Elbows are indeed important!

Beth's is a gathering spot for aspiring artists as well as a fine dining establishment.

 Beth's Signature
Triple Bypass 12 Egg Omelette

Chris, Mark, Mike and I split it four ways.

And oh so good for me too!!!

One last walk before flying home

 Frosh Pond

The Final Score was still up
on Sunday

GREAT weekend thanks to the Johnson's hospitality and a good Husky effort.

Now it is time to get back to work as the NPHS Panthers travel to play 4-0 Royal H.S. this coming Friday.

BEAT THE HIGHLANDERS!!!