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!!!
