New Year Recap

I really want to look ahead to 2010, but I also really want to share with you about the way my New Year's Eve played out in an interesting combination of events.

On Wednesday, the 30th, I flew with the Oregon Ducks to Pullman, Washington for the Oregon/WSU men's basketball game. The Eugene airport was packed with people, but only a lucky few of us were heading north, instead of south to Pasadena.

I got to the airport ahead of the team and spent a few nervous moments until I saw them get off the bus. (I have a recurring nightmare where I am either a day early or a few hours late for trips like this.) The team travels in suits and ties and the players are not allowed to wear ipod earplugs or headphones in the airport.

After two hours at Sea-Tac, we landed at the Moscow-Pullman International Airstrip and Jiffy-Lube and got to the hotel in time for a quick clothing change and a trip to practice. I shared a room with Portland radio and TV veteran Scott Lynn. He is a very nice man with an amazing story to tell about the past year of his life.

Scott and I hung out at practice with Bob Clark from the Register-Guard.
We watched Coach Ernie Kent teach, teach and teach some more. Anyone who thinks college basketball coaches just roll the ball out on the floor and then rant and rave on the sideline during games doesn't understand how much work goes into a team. Especially a young one.

Coach Kent and I chatted a little bit about the situation with Florida football Coach Urban Meyer, who had been suffering chest pains for a few days before having a scare last week. He took a leave from the team to take care of his health concerns. Coach Kent said he and his staff work 15 or 16 hour days, too. He says he falls asleep with the DVD remote in his hand and wakes up with it, constantly reviewing game tape.

Imagine having your career in the hands of young men who sometimes have to be taught how to be coached, while maintaining good grades and staying out of trouble off the court, too. Thats a tough way to make a living. Coach Kent said the situation with Coach Meyer could happen to any coach anywhere.

After practice, Coach Kent told Scott and I that he thought the team was coming along and was growing in confidence. In the pre-game interview I asked Coach whether he thought his team's stock was rising. He said it would "if we win a couple of games". Little did we know what the weekend would hold...

I was able to get my dad, step-mom and aunt and uncle into the game. Mom and Uncle Wes grew up in Pullman and were very excited about being back at WSU. My uncle had his Cougar hat and sweatshirt on and Aunt Patti was also in crimson and gray to support the home team.
But my dad wore his Duck baseball hat and took the barbs that came with his bold fashion statement.

Just after I got on the air, I looked over at them sitting two rows behind the Oregon bench and made eye contact with my Dad. The look on his face was priceless. He and I shared the same thought. "Can you believe we're part of something this big and this much fun?"

Both of us were thinking of the number of people who would be willing to give alot to be in our shoes at that moment. I had to turn away and focus on the pre-game show to avoid the emotion that threatened to overwhelm me.

As you know, Oregon won the game in double overtime, triggering a violent and angry reaction from Cougar fans at the game. The team left for the airport after the win, but I took a scary ride in the snow with my family back to their place in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for most of the rest of the weekend.

We drove on ice and snow into Idaho, with a stop in beautiful downtown Plummer where I dodged fried chicken cordon bleu on a stick (not kidding) and settled on the relatively healthy cheesy popcorn and water. I figured if we crashed, we could ration the kernels until help arrived.

I spent my 16th wedding anniversary with my family in Cd'A while my wife celebrated with a group of Charlie Company soldiers and their families. I was jealous of her for a few moments at midnight.

Friday and Saturday were spent eating sandwiches and potato chips and watching football games (including the Rose Bawl) while playing Tripoly with my brothers, sister-in-law, aunt and uncle and parents.

Saturday afternoon we wheeled it back to the Pullman International Airstrip and Bait Shop where two fans challenged my take on the Oregon win two days earlier, claiming the referee called WSU Coach Ken Bone to apologize for the technical foul on the Cougar bench that led to the first overtime. Said it should have been a 'non-call'.

Whatever. Go get in line for the pat-down.

It took an extra hour to fly out of Pullman, which made me feel like I was in a cheap remake of the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back. At least planet Hoth had Princess Leah.

It wasn't until I made it back to Sea-Tac and ran into Bob Clark that I learned the Oregon basketball team didn't make it out of Hoth - uh Pullman - until Friday morning when they rode a bus six hours over the pass to Seattle and then won the game Saturday afternoon over the Huskies for a sweep!

I got home to an empty house Sunday morning at 2. My wife and kids got home Sunday afternoon and we had a nice evening together.

It was weird Sunday night when I tucked my youngest daughter in bed. It was almost like the entire adventure had never happened. In fact, Raegan thought I had just been at home the whole time she was in Portland after Christmas.

But I told her about seeing Grampa and Grandma Prawitz and how much they loved her and she turned over and went to sleep.

A perfect ending to a memorable weekend.