Zags turn down Washington

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 3:43 PM PDT

It was reported by KJR's Dave Mahler Wednesday that the University of Washington has proposed renewing its annual series with Gonzaga. UW's proposal calls for a three-year contract stipulating that all the games would be played in Seattle's KeyArena.

It didn't take long for Gonzaga's Mark Few to reply through Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis.

"The chances of that happening are about the same as Big Foot having my baby," Few said. "That's like me saying, Gonzaga proposes a five-year deal at Spokane Arena. There, I just made a proposal. That's as logical as this deal would be."

"The series should start in Spokane because Washington canceled the series," Few said. "If they want to do a home-and-home, that's fine. If they don't, let's all move on. We have some incredible home-and-home deals right now with Wake [Forest], Michigan State and Xavier. We're doing a deal with Oklahoma. We have plenty of games, so it's not that important for us to play Washington."

"When they pulled out, I was totally, unequivocally cool with it. Scheduling is hard," Few said. "We've been down this road many times before. This decision will be made between myself, Lorenzo and the two athletic directors. It won't get done through the media."

I found this one amusing from the start. Washington fires a volley over the Gonzaga bow so they can look like they are appeasing the fans that would like to see the series resume. They make an offer that only Gonzaga can refuse and walk away looking like they are the good guys.

The point is there are really no good guys in this one. Washington cancelled the series for a number of reasons. First of all they kept losing to Gonzaga, second of all there was the long simmering feud between Romar and Few concerning the Cameron Dollar incident. We all know Cameron did wrong but we also know he was doing a lot of the same things other assistants including Gonzaga's were also doing. When Few filed a report with the NCAA the only name on it was Dollar who is now coach at Seattle University.

Don't expect Seattle University to get a game with their Jesuit rival either unless they end up joining the WCC again. Gonaga of course doesn't want Seattle U. in the WCC no matter who the coach is. The Zags weren't at all receptive to Seattle U's application.

Keep an eye on this one...these guys don't like each other and now it is 2-1 in state against Few...Oh I forgot to mention Ken Bone over at WSU...3-1.

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Few really comes off as an arrogant ass in that quote.

by thecassino on Oct 23, 2009 4:13 PM PDT reply actions

While the language Few used (specifically the big foot baby remark) was off target,

the message was squarely on target. He said we are not going to run to them for the sake of playing them. If both teams want a home and home, it would get done. But both teams don’t want that.

Vote for Butch!

by spencer peaty on Oct 23, 2009 10:21 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree Spencer...

It is a war…and Gonzaga is still the best BB program in the Northwest…they can cal their own shots…you have to admit the whole scenario is amusing and fun.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions

Only amusing and fun to a point. The bad part is we're not left with the ability to watch them settle their petty rivalry on the court

by Gihyou on Oct 23, 2009 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions

That was what Washington was attepting to accomplish

I really don’t blame him for turning his nose up at the series at Key Arena. I don’t blame UW for not wanting to go to Spokane.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 4:23 PM PDT reply actions

I don't blame him either.

It’s just the way that he did it. The whole first paragraph lacks any semblance of class.

by thecassino on Oct 23, 2009 4:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Inferior program and league

I don’t think any other big time Pac 10 basketball programs schedule an inferior program from an inferior league in home and home scheduling. To this fan it would be absurd to schedule Gonzaga with home and home.

Home game for us, if not neutral site. No freebies and major ticket sales cash for inferior programs. This is the Pac 10 and if they want us, they need to come to us. We don’t need them. We won the Pac 10 last season and didn’t need any help from them.

All I saw was purple

by crazidawg on Oct 23, 2009 5:17 PM PDT reply actions

There's no way that Gonzaga is an inferior program.

by thecassino on Oct 23, 2009 5:28 PM PDT up reply actions

What is so "absurd"

about scheduling a home-and-home with a perennial top 25 team that you once shared an amicable home-and-home series with? As cassino said, they are not inferior (nor superior). If there is one thing that nearly everybody who has had something to say about this situation was right about, it is this: Both of these teams don’t need each other. I just hope in the long run the series gets back on.

Vote for Butch!

by spencer peaty on Oct 23, 2009 10:27 PM PDT up reply actions

Have to agree with Spencer...

But…UW avoided SU for 30 years until they were sure things were on their own terms. I don’t have a single problem with what Few said…he isn’t backing down…just defending his own hard won turf.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 10:32 PM PDT up reply actions

UW refused to schedule for 30 years...

SU, USF, and UCLA used to rule the West Coast… . UW refused to pay against SU for thirty years…just wow!

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 9:34 PM PDT reply actions

I'm pretty sure there's no way a Gonzaga-UW series starts up again until Few and/or Romar are gone

Too much animosity building up among the programs now that started between these two.

Neither program, in fact, needs the other, and the only reason they would play each other is because the in-state fans would want to see it. Clearly, neither school cares one bit about what the fans want.

Finally, there is a difference between playing in Key and playing in Spokane Arena. There are a lot more Zags fans in Seattle than there are Huskies fans in Spokane. I think Few realizes this (they do play a yearly game in Key Arena as it is) and just wants to be a dick anyway. The school’s stance on Seattle U’s fledgling revival is another example of this arrogance, despite how obvious a fit the school would be in the WCC.

by Gihyou on Oct 23, 2009 10:30 PM PDT reply actions

Like the SU / UW standoff

Many of you are too young to remember this but the SU/UW NCAA playoff in the early 50’s was one of the biggest NW events of the last century in NW sports.

Gonzaga is the new SU….and now UW is fully supporting SU’s efforts to supplant Gonzaga….this is a real battle that will be fascinating…in the end NW basketball fans win.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 10:36 PM PDT up reply actions

I've heard of the SU/UW game, of course I was not born for until about 30 years later

I don’t know anything of the SU/UW standoff to comment, just saying that right now the UW/Gonzaga feud is not in the best interest of NW sports because they won’t play each other.

by Gihyou on Oct 23, 2009 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions

SU/UW

It added a lot of intrigue because it was two rival leagues that would rarely play each other. Not even once in a decade. Maybe it made each party stronger because when they started playing each other twice per year it wasn’t the same. Honestly I think UW and Gonzaga are better alone then they are apart.

I think Few is making the right call for his program.

You look back at history and it is the right call.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 23, 2009 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Home-Home-Key...

would make sense. Look for that to come up as a 3-yr deal idea next. But as is obvious, neither team needs this for themselves, other than the long-term benefits that would get from making their WA State fans/alums happy.

The fact is that the biggest issue is to get into the NCAA tourney as high as possible. Now if only football would do that!

Game day!! I’m so excited about being able to compete with, and beat, the quack-quack-Ducks, that I could not sleep in at all this morning. Go Dogs!

by Go Viks! on Oct 24, 2009 5:31 AM PDT up reply actions

if gonzaga actually had a final four appearance under mark few he could be a little arrogant

gonzaga can’t call any shots in my world. peace.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 24, 2009 8:09 AM PDT reply actions

That is your world and the University of Washington's

You do have to admire what they have built over there and the more in state schools in the big dance the better.

The Final Four is a pretty darn elusive target. We have had a few shots in recent times.

by John Berkowitz on Oct 24, 2009 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions

i don't dislike gonzaga. in fact it's the school my favorite nba player went to

John Stockton. played around16 seasons with the utah jazz. i always said if he were three inches taller the jazz would have one of those championship games vs the bulls. all-time assist leader,15.5 point scoring average throughout his career. good at stealing the ball. for his size he was a good rebounder but if he just another 2-3 inches taller he would have averaged a triple double over the course of his career. i don’t follow the nba anymore. too many ticky tack fouls, guys complaining so they would get there free throws so i moved to mma and college football as my fav sports. i love watching jake locker play. he has an offer to play baseball i believe. is he going to do that or return for his senior year at washington? peace.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Oct 24, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions