UW Football

[Spooky]

*sigh*

[Spooky]

Damn Oregon is good. I think they are better that Alabama. I guess we will find out if they both win out.

[TinkTanker]

Damn Oregon is good. I think they are better that Alabama. I guess we will find out if they both win out.

Oregon really is that good and Alabama is not. I don't see Bama beating LSU.

Tough loss, sorry Spooky.

[Spooky]

R.I.P. Don James (The Dawgfather)

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9856643/remembering-don-james-took-washington-huskies-six-rose-bowls

[TinkTanker]

R.I.P. Don James (The Dawgfather)

He was a mentor to Nick Saban and Saban played for him. Saban said at today's press conference that he spoke to Coach James a few weeks ago and told him that he (Saban) still uses what he learned from Coach James years and years ago. After saying that, Saban abruptly ended the press conference. Those in attendance said it wasn't like Saban had tears in his eyes and was choked up or anything like that, but he was clearly emotional over the loss and called the presser short over the question.

Saban's remarks:

    Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coach James' family. He was a special man and meant the world to me. There aren't enough words to describe not only the great coach he was, but how much he cared for people and the positive impact he made in the lives of everyone he came in contact with.

    Coach James was my mentor and probably did more than anybody to influence me in this profession. Like I've said before, I didn't plan on going into coaching. He saw something in me and asked me to stay on at Kent State as a graduate assistant after my playing career was over. I really enjoyed it, got hired full time and went on from there.

    From an organizational standpoint, our program today is run much like he ran his program. He was very organized, efficient, and did an outstanding job of defining expectations for players, coaches and everyone in the organization.

    He was always personal and inspirational to players and people around him. He wanted you to reach your full potential as a football player, but more importantly, he wanted you to do well in school and become the best person you could be so you would be successful in life. He was the same way when it came to assistant coaches or anyone who worked for him, you were a better person because of the time you spent with Coach James.

[Spooky]

He's legendary around these parts and it's not just because of the National Championship, he was very involved in the community and very kind to everyone he met. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who had something bad to say about the man.

Current Husky coach Steve Sarkisian calls him a mentor as well and he didn't even coach or play for him. His influence on Husky football and the Washington community will outlive us all.

I got to shake his hand before the LSU/Washington game in 2009. Meeting him was cooler than being on the sidelines shooting that game.

[TinkTanker]

He sounds like he was kind of like your Bear Bryant, long-time coach who put the program on the map. I'm sorry to hear of his passing, from what I read he was a great guy.

I didn't realize it until I was pulling the Saban quote but he also coached Gary Pinkell, who now coaches Missouri. 6-0 and #1 in the SEC East and #5 in the BCS rankings. It sounds like Coach James was a heck of a guy, on and off the field.

[TinkTanker]

Spooky, you hate Oregon, right? Of course you do.

[Spooky]

 

[Spooky]

My brother Jesse will love that!