Coaching for Pizza: Huskies vs. Ducks and Random Thoughts of the Week

A great weekend in Seattle means a long blogpost today, so here we go . . .

Shelby Street in

Seattle's Montlake District

This tranquil lane is the home of our friends Mark and Susie Johnson as well as their two daughters Sophie and Mallory.

Their home backs up to the scenic Montlake Cut that links Portage Bay and Lake Washington. Their honme is also only a five minute walk from the University of Washington's Husky Stadium.

Portage Bay

This is the marvelous view to the West from the Johnson's back yard.

The Montlake Cut

This is their view to the East from their home's back yard.

What do you think?

One thing that I love about visiting the Johnson's is the ability to go for a walk through the nearby UW campus to rekindle old memories from my undergraduate days back in the late 1960s.

Indulge me in a walk down memory lane . . .

Near the UW's Main Entry Gate

Denny Hall

The Oldest Building on Campus

The Quad

Henry Suzzalo Library

The Old Administration Building

Frosh Pond

Crop Circles on Campus???

If there is a more beautiful college campus in America than the UW on a crisp Autumn Saturday afternoon?

Husky Stadium

The reasons for our trip to the Pacific Northwest were to visit friends, see the Huskies' game against Oregon and to say farewell to venerable Husky Stadium.

After 92 years of service, the bulk of the stadium, save the upper deck on the left, would be razed starting Monday. This to make way for a New Husky Stadium set to be ready for the 2013 season.

The Dawgs will play this season's Apple Cup Game against Washington State and all of their 2012 home games in downtown Seattle at Centurylink Field which is the home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.

HUSKY TAILGATING

Mark and Susie host upwards of 50 people before and after every Husky home game for a spectacular tailgating experience. The short walk to and from the stadium is a big plus!

Paparazzi at the Johnson's

Because it was the old stadium's last hurrah, a documentary was being made about this last game. Several independant two-man crews were roaming the area trying to capture interesting angles and story lines.

One of Mark and Susie's friends came across these two videographers and steered them to "The Best Tailgate in the Montlake District!"

Here they are interviewing Clyde Werner, Mark and Susie Johnson.

I hope their interview makes the final cut.

RIDICULOUS!!!

Here is Megan Werner with her friend Erin and Laurie. If you want to laugh for about an hour, hang out with these three at a tailgate!!!

Husky Tailgating Women

That's our hostess Susie Johnson next to Laurie holding the little white dog.

Nice sweater Laurie.

Lots of food and even more fun but finally it was GAME TIME!!!

#6 University of Oregon Ducks

7-1

University of Washington Huskies

6-2

7:30 p.m. Kickoff

The View from

Tunnel 43 Section 43

Row FF Seat 26

Lots of Dawgs Warming Up

I'm so old that I can still remember when our colors were PURPLE and GOLD!!!

Booing the Duck Mascot

It was a night to remember the Huskies' Roots

Don James, The Dawgfather

James was the Head Coach during the brightest years in Husky football history.

Augie Rios Tribute

Augie was a teammate back in the 1960s. He was the definition of a gentle giant who was loved by everyone who knew him.

He'll be missed.

Husky Stadium Opening Game 1920

Husky Stadium in the 1940s

Husky Stadium in the 1960s

What a Spectacular View

Husky Stadium 2011

The plan is to tear down the entire stadium except for the upper deck with the "W" on it to the right.

The new stadium will feature luxury boxes and a football operations facility that will house a new weight room, coaches offices, locker rooms, etc.

The track will be removed as the field is lowered four feet and moved seven feet to the North towards the upper deck with the "W."

This is what the architect's are hoping we will see in two years:

The New Husky Stadium

The Purple Line

This line is painted all around the track and denotes where the stadium seats will start in 2013.

Let's see some game action from our seats.

Husky Chris Polk on the run

The UW's 1991 National Championship Team

They were introduced during a time out and the crowd loved them. We'll see a close up of them later.

UW TD Pass

Pre-Snap Adjustments

Keith Price Throwing

Duck Defense

Thet run to the ball and are amazing, sure tacklers!

Oregon's Spread Offense

Instead of their Green and Gold school colors, the Ducks opted for gray tonight.

Husky Alumni Band

They do push-ups after every Husky score. The amazing thing about this is that one of the band members seen here is over NINETY YEARS OLD!!!

Rumor has it that the new stadium's configuration will bring this long standing Husky tradition to an end.

DAMN.

Now for a few close up shots from the Seattle Times.

Just short of a Husky TD

Two on Two

The UW's 1991 National Championship Team

TD Oregon

A Dropped UW Pass

It was not the only one.

An Oregon QB Sack

There were too many of these as well.

Ducks in a Row

Oregon is a very good team who's only loss was to #1 LSU in their season opener.

Mark Johnson

He has been a great friend for over 40 years!

It's Over

The Huskies played them tough for a half but eventually the Ducks just wear you out with the combination of speed, defensive toughness and their frenetic pace on offense.

Back at the Johnson's we rehashed the game until the wee hours of the morning. It was good to see my old college roommate Jon Kadletz and his bride Lee after the game.

On Sunday morning most people probably woke up to the Sun's rising, an alarm clock buzzing or the call of nature perhaps.

Not at Casa Johnson, no siree! We were awakened to the sounds of the Head of the Lake Regatta!!!

Single Sculls

This Regatta is for men and women from rowing clubs of adults, colleges and even high schools.

The course was three miles long starting in Lake Union, going through Portage Bay, into the Montlake Cut (a.k.a., the Johnson's back yard) and finishing at the University of Washington's Conibear Shellhouse on Lake Washington.

All of these shells are made to go in straight lines under normal conditions. This course featured some wicked turns, especially if you were in a single and inable to see where you were headed on a consistent basis.

FUN!

Sleek

A Colorful Eight with Coxswain

RAMMING SPEED!!!

SERENE EXERCISE

A Womens Eight

"2011 Bust a Nut in the Cut"

It was lots of fun watching all of these athletes row by the house and now it was time for . . .

Starbucks and Rainbows

With Jason and Christie Johnson

These Johnsons are no relation to Mark and Susie but are also great friends of ours from our days coaching the Catania Elephants in Sicily in 2008.

Jason is a very succesful photojournalist and coaches the QBs at nearby Pacific Lutheran University.

Christie is enjoying spectacular success as a member of Seattle's version of the Today Show.

It was so good to see them and relive those memories at breakfast at the Eastlake Bar and Grill.

Sophie Johnson's High School

WOW!!!

Young Chef Mallory Johnson

Mallory is enrolled in a cooking class on Sunday mornings but also shows promise as . . .

. . . Photographer

I let her use my camera for about an hour and she took several excellent photos including this one of the grapes growing in her back yard.

SEATLLE WAS GREAT!!!

Some random photos from last week.

Justin DeFratus

Justin is a Rio Mesa graduate who got called up at the end of the season by the Philadelphia Phillies as a relief pitcher. His major league record is a perfect 1-0!

He is seen here at Friday night's Rio Mesa-Channel Islands JV football game. One of his relatives plays for the Spartan JVs.