Jacob Thorpe: WSU fans need to answer Jake Dickert’s call – show up and deliver payback against UW
Washington State football coach Jake Dickert, understandably hoping to channel the rage of his put-upon fanbase into action, lest it linger into apathy, has told them to show up Saturday in Seattle.
It’s a smart play for the coach to call the week of the Apple Cup, if a somewhat surprising one. Surprising that he needs to. If I might offer some additional advice for WSU fans, it would be this: Show up even if you are not upset.
Seattle sports radio station KJR this week is reporting that about half of all the seats in Lumen Field remain available for Saturday’s game. Cougfan.com reported in June that the UW athletic department was selling 11 tickets for every ticket purchased through WSU.
This rivalry was saved when the Pac-12 split apart, and it’s drawing as much interest over here as a gubernatorial debate.
Show up if you like seeing the Cougars beat UW – they have a great chance to do it. Show up if you want to see your favorite team’s biggest game of the regular season.
If nothing else, show up because, for all the indignation over ticket prices, it is going to be much cheaper for many of you to go to this game than the ones in Pullman.
Go to this game if you are tired of WSU appearing tired in the Apple Cup, as if a year’s worth of injuries and exhaustion are heightened late in the season against UW’s superior depth
I understand the apathy and desire to tune out when times are tough. The last year has not been kind to WSU.
But say something for these Cougars, they don’t quit. The team is 2-0, including a 37-16 pasting of Texas Tech from the Big 12. The administration does not seem to be taking the injustices done by their Pac-12 upper-campus counterparts lying down, with reports Thursday that Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State are joining a rebuilt Pac-12.
A 3-0 start with a win in the Apple Cup, a rebuilt conference, and an easy schedule ahead? The party starts on Saturday in Seattle.
A September Apple Cup is much more favorable for the Cougars. The Huskies have only played two games with their coaching staff, quarterback, heck, most of their starters. An early game means weird things are more likely to happen. More mistakes will be made, something that obviously benefits the program that has only won once in the past 10 matchups.
The bookies only have the Huskies as slight favorites. In Seattle. Go because it will be close.
Go because WSU could beat a team that played for a national championship nine months ago.
The Cougars have new stars at quarterback and running back, and this is their first big test. Imagine it’s five years from now and the fans still talk about how John Mateer ran all over the Husky defense.
Imagine you missed it.
Go to the Apple Cup. Go because, while the ticket prices are exorbitant, you aren’t cheap. No, not this collection of thousands of fans who pay thousands of dollars to cross the state to see every home game.
Go because the ticket price gouging at this game has nothing on Pullman hotels.
Go because this is an era of supreme disloyalty in college sports, but your guys stuck around.
That team in purple’s last coach won 25 games in two years and didn’t think he was in a good enough spot.
But your coach keeps showing up. You should, too.