Monday Dots: Trophies for Dawgs

And it’s hard to say

Just how some things never change

And it’s hard to find

Any strength to draw the Dots

• The weekend was full of storybook sports moments, from Novak Djokovic’s relentlessness in Paris to Manchester City’s inevitability in Istanbul. Perhaps the most narrative-rich of all came from a UW alum. PGA golfer Nick Taylor became the first Canadian to ever win the Canadian open. Not only that, he did it on the fourth playoff hole by making a 72-foot eagle putt. Taylor, who grew up outside Vancouver, captained the Husky golf team in 2009-2010.

• UW took home first place at the men’s 1500 meters at last year’s NCAA championships. Joe Waskom won the race and had a chance to repeat this weekend. Unfortunately, he came up just short, finishing second. Fortunately, fellow Dawg Nathan Green was the one to overtake him for a 1-2 finish for UW.

• Mike Vorel took a close look at the UW Athletic Department budget and concluded that remaining in a challenging financial period. The combination of debt service on capital projects and reduced revenue have made it difficult to balance the budget. The program would’ve loved a big TV cash injection, but that bonus looks less and less likely.

• On a similar note, Christian Caple examines the likely next steps in a Pac-12 TV deal. WSU President Kirk Schulz estimated that the deal would get done before the end of June, but it seems like someone has said that every month since the last media rights deal was signed.

• Recruiting season is hitting full speed for UW football. Last year’s recruiting class started slow but accelerated after a cluster of official visits in June. The Dawgs will try to follow the same pattern between now and the end of June. The Dawgs will host 28 official visitors in the next few weeks and Dawgman has the full breakdown.

• UW also earned a mention in 247’s list of the football teams with the best winning percentages over the last decade. The Dawgs check in at #14 by virtue of winning exactly ²⁄₃ of their games in the last ten years. Only Oregon has a better winning percentage than UW over that stretch in the Pac at 70.1% (9th).