The Buzz Board (Apple Cup style)

SAY THIS ABOUT OUR plan to get the Cougs over the hump last week by resurrecting the Buzz Board after its long hiatus: We came within four seconds of going into OT. That brush with near-success has only fueled the fire. As such, the arrows are flaming as we take aim at who's up and who's down on Planet Coug. Of note: There is no equal airtime here --- All the barbs are directed toward Montlake.

Cougfan.com Buzz Board (Apple Cup Edition) Who's up and who's down this week on Planet Coug?
The Texas schools		Word on the recruiting trail last year was that Texas, Texas A&M and others thought 5-10, 230-pound linebacker Greg Trent, from Keller, Texas, was a couple of inches short to make big hay in a big-time conference. A year later, Ol’ Wazzu is reaping the benefits. The kid has proved a scrappy successor to injured Will Derting and heads into his first Apple Cup as the Cougs’ No. 2 tackler. He’s also fresh off being nominated for Pac-10 defensive player of the week after posting 13 tackles (two for loss) and recovering a fumble in the Oregon game. Not bad for a true freshman, no matter how tall he is (or isn’t).
Penny pinchers		Let’s get this straight. The University of Washington is approximately twice the size of Washington State and, therefore, probably has twice the number of alums. Yet the Cougar faithful contributed 30 percent more to hurricane relief and earned the honor of having the top of the Space Needle painted crimson and gray. Now that’s what you call Cougar spirit and typical Husky intransigence.
Dick Baird		Downright embarrassing to think someone so inane could be paid to talk on the radio. Even more painful to think this one-time Husky assistant actually attended the same school that produced such broadcasting luminaries as Ed Murrow, Keith Jackson and local standouts Eric Johnson and Kathi Goertzen.
Head crackin’		Two bone-jarring impressions from the Duck game we’d love to see replayed in one former another in Seattle: Cougar tackle Norvell Holmes’ merciless pancaking of that Oregon DE on the Harrison TD run that was called back, and Cougar safety Eric Frampton’s brick wall impersonation on Oregon TE Tim Day (who outweighs Frampton by 80, yes, 80 pounds) in the red zone. Who says the skill position guys get to have all the fun?
Ty Willy		And we thought Keith Gilbertson was a media relations challenge. Mr. Spock, er, Tyrone, is in a category all to himself. Closed practices. No comments more than eight words. The Botox-affixed grimace. And of course, our personal favorite: No use of personal pronouns. Why is that coach? “Because Tyrone Willingham feels that the third person is better able to answer for Tyrone Willingham than Tyrone Willingham himself. Is that more than eight words? Shame on Tryone Willingham.”
Fred Biletnikoff		Any opportunity to utter the name of the great old Oakland Raider wideout adds a little luster to the day. And when it’s WSU’s own Jason Hill who’s doing the honors, well, it just doesn’t get much better. The Cougar junior has been named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to the nation's top receiver. Hill has grabbed 57 passes for 1,048 yards and a school-record 13 touchdowns this season.
Milli Vanilli		Old Buzz: Whatever happened to the spandex wearing, dreadlock-topped lip-synching kings of inauthentic pop? New Buzz: Just a coincidence that Isaiah Stanback can’t fully account for his whereabouts in the early 1990s, likes to talk with a German accent during music class and demands that Husky offensive coordinator Tim Lappano refer to him as “Fabrice” during film breakdowns?
Carl Bonnell		Old Buzz: With Hurd and Swogger ahead of him on the depth chart, Slick Rick convinced the lad he had no hope of ever playing at Ol’ Wazzu -- but by going Benedict Arnold he could surely beat out the Milli Vanilli-looking dude with the strange habit of asking to be called Fabrice during film breakdowns. New Buzz: Wasn’t there a walk-on linebacker named Bonnell at WSU a few years ago?
Jerome Harrison		What can you say that hasn’t already be said? This guy is as good as you’ll ever see. And it’s nice to see the national bandwagon finally catching up to his greatness. In the last week he’s been named one of 10 finalists for the Walter Camp Award as the nation’s finest player and inserted into the top 5 of ESPN’s Heisman watch list.
Bob Condotta		The Murrow School graduate and Seattle Times beat writer for the Dawgs produces mountains of interesting copy (to the degree, anyway, that Husky coverage can be interesting) but he’s let that UW win last week over the University of Southern Arizona at Tucson go to his head. Sure it’s hard covering a perennial doormat, but no matter how many times you cram the phrase “turning point” into one week’s worth of coverage, the simple fact, Bob, is that you’re not going to be covering a Rose Bowl anytime soon.
bestcougr		This consistent message board poster provides uncommon insights and humor on all things Cougars and ALWAYS serves as a thought-provoking voice of reason.