Friday, October 8, 2010
Pullman party this weekend
Homecoming. It's supposed to evoke nostalgic yearnings for the days of yore, remembrances of great times had with friends, classes you theoretically attended and coeds you undoubtedly ogled.
It's certainly not supposed to bring back memories of a 27-14 loss (against a team that went 4-8, no less), or 63-14 loss the year before. But when you're a Washington State fan, well, you don't get much choice in the matter. Oh, and the opponents for that 49-point drubbing in 2008? Why, the Oregon Ducks, of course, the very same No. 3-ranked team the Cougars are matching up against this year. This should be fun.
Some might say that just because the Ducks have outscored the Cougars by a combined score of 168-27 in the last three years — with the Ducks putting up 52-plus points each time — the Cougars don't stand a chance. I disagree. I think the fact that the Ducks have averaged 56 points per game this season while the Cougars put up 20.8 is a much better indicator of how much the Cougs going to get creamed by.
Yet, still we celebrate. Even Gov. Christine Gregoire is getting in on the fun, proclaiming — with a proclamation that couldn't look more fake if it tried — Oct. 9 as "Washington State University Homecoming Day." I mean, that's a pretty big deal, you guys. It's not like she goes around proclaiming official days for just anything*.
But all is not lost, Cougar fans! In addition to the now-legendary '80s night on Saturday (which this weekend will feature people who were actually alive for the entirety of the '80s), Valhalla will have Cody Beebee and the Crooks** playing at 8 pm tonight. For those who need to excuse their alcoholism*** with attempts at school spirit, there will be a bonfire/pep rally at the pit near Beasley at 6 pm. Then there's the game, of course, but I imagine you'll all be too busy … "celebrating" to know it's going on, anyway.
For more info on officially sanctioned events, visit the Homecoming Weekend page. Alternatively, you can just listen to "Pullman Song," a song that has little if anything to do with Pullman I just found after a 30-second Google search:
** Valhalla, sadly, has not yet figured out how to use Twitter properly, employing the hashtag "#cheap&funentertainment&drinkspecials" to denote this event.
*** People (i.e. WSU administrators) get mad when students and alumni refer to Pullman as possessing an alcohol-centric atmosphere. To which, as an alumnus, I respond: "It's Pullman. What else is there to do? And don't say 'bonfire.' This isn't high school, and we don't live in Texas."
