Listen now | Christian and Danny discuss Washington players who landed on a couple top-100 lists, and contemplate what kind of season Kalen DeBoer needs in order to best position UW for its Big Ten debut in 2024.
Christian - The discussion about the vibe around the Jimmy Lake program reminded me that ever since that whole thing unraveled, I’ve thought it would be fantastic if you did a deep dive on what happened that year. Maybe some kind of oral history type story. Something for next offseason? Or maybe it’s too early and people will be more willing to talk in a few more years.
Christian (or Danny if he’s active in these comments) - Danny said (paraphrasing) nobody had a problem with the Willingham hire at the time. That’s not how I remember it. There were plenty of other coaches people preferred, and there was definitely public concern about his record to date, but Willingham was sort of the only guy left available by the time UW made a hire.
I only skimmed, but I looked at the Seattle Times and Spokesman-Review archives and both paint a sense of, at best, rolling the dice.
How do you recall the public reaction to that hiring?
Just this last week I watched the documentary on Johnny Football. I found myself nodding in agreement at much of the takeaway each of you had and in particular, the sense that he’s still not right. I couldn’t agree more. If memory serves me correctly, either his sister or his mom made a comment to that effect. I also feel that the documentary left lots hanging, e.g., I’d like to know more about his bipolar diagnosis. And, nice job overall in talking about the Huskies. I’m an alumnus who has been following the program since the Jim Owens era (yes, I’m old, a grandfather in fact) and I’m as excited about this season as I’ve been for a while. Finally on DeBoer: culture matters. I hope he finds a way to be at UW for a good while, because the kids who are playing for him are benefitting from the tutelage of a real leader.
Christian - The discussion about the vibe around the Jimmy Lake program reminded me that ever since that whole thing unraveled, I’ve thought it would be fantastic if you did a deep dive on what happened that year. Maybe some kind of oral history type story. Something for next offseason? Or maybe it’s too early and people will be more willing to talk in a few more years.
Christian’s analysis on The Athletic stands as a terrific starting place for such a discussion. He really nailed it.
Christian (or Danny if he’s active in these comments) - Danny said (paraphrasing) nobody had a problem with the Willingham hire at the time. That’s not how I remember it. There were plenty of other coaches people preferred, and there was definitely public concern about his record to date, but Willingham was sort of the only guy left available by the time UW made a hire.
I only skimmed, but I looked at the Seattle Times and Spokesman-Review archives and both paint a sense of, at best, rolling the dice.
How do you recall the public reaction to that hiring?
Just this last week I watched the documentary on Johnny Football. I found myself nodding in agreement at much of the takeaway each of you had and in particular, the sense that he’s still not right. I couldn’t agree more. If memory serves me correctly, either his sister or his mom made a comment to that effect. I also feel that the documentary left lots hanging, e.g., I’d like to know more about his bipolar diagnosis. And, nice job overall in talking about the Huskies. I’m an alumnus who has been following the program since the Jim Owens era (yes, I’m old, a grandfather in fact) and I’m as excited about this season as I’ve been for a while. Finally on DeBoer: culture matters. I hope he finds a way to be at UW for a good while, because the kids who are playing for him are benefitting from the tutelage of a real leader.
Danny still needs more compression with his broadcast. Tough to always turn him up or down when he speaks.