WSU Cougars News and Notes 5/29: WSU Football Schedule, Pac-12 Baseball Honors, and Leach Wearing Fur?

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We are not the only folks to lean toward optimism for the Cougs’ 2014 season.  ESPN sees the Cougs gathering eight wins.   Looking over the schedule eight is not a stretch.  In another scheduling note, the game in Reno has been announced as a 9:30 Pacific start on Friday night.  Those complaining about the prevalence of evening kick offs (myself included) should remember the amount of games we were relegated to being a radio audience.  Personally, every time I find myself lamenting games that end at 11 pm I remember sitting in our old Volvo, in the driveway (the only radio in the house that could catch the game), listening to the Cougs defeat Colorado in 2011.  We are dealing with rich school problems, Coug fans, let’s enjoy it.

Congratulations to Pitcher Ian Hamilton and 3B Nick Tinielu on first team Pac-12 honors.  These young men, along with two honorable mentions, will help the Cougs on the diamond for the foreseeable future. 

For the gamblers out there, the odds have been announced for a playoff appearance.  Frankly, if you were paying attention last season, and are still willing to put money down, I hope you have a strong nest egg.   Florida State was ranked #11 at seasons’s start, and Auburn, well, we all know about that one.

If you don’t read Ivan Maisel you are missing out.  He is one of the strongest sports writers in the business and I don’t remember ESPN.com without him.  This Stanford grad who grew up in Alabama is giving the Pac-12 way too much scheduling cred, while lambasting the ACC and SEC.  We’ll take the love, though, due to Maisel’s counter of East Coast bias.

Our Head Pirate is opening his mouth again.  Guys . . .  Coach Leach is so far beyond his colleagues it makes one shake their head.  He answers questions frankly, puts his players first, and abandons cliche.  He is being interviewed here by his writing partner, so this is not a hostile climate for CML, but prepare yourself for the possibility of our coach taking the sideline in a fur coat and cargo shorts (the former in the hopes of attracting nude PETA protesters, something that would be interesting at Martin Stadium).  This is an extended, 30 minute interview, so give it the time it is due.

Tweets:

As I type I am wearing the piece of clothing my wife loves the most, a mis-sized fleece that  purchased on College Hill for $12 when I underestimated the cold on game day.  3 Wazzu shirts for $10?  Sure, why not?  My favorites always lean toward the darkest crimson I can find, but most of us can identify with this tweet.