September 4, 2026 • 28 mins
In the second hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Chuck Powell about the Mariners dwindling hopes after a bad loss last night to the A’s, the Astros not falling, the missteps by Jerry Dipoto this year, the 2025 weight on the 2026 team and Dan Wilson’s managerial job, then they talks about their feelings with the Apple Cup rivalry right now.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Apple Cup on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame show, 1 o'clock
kickoff right here on 93.3.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
KJRFN. We've got some games tonight.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
UTEP Oklahoma at 5, Miami Stanford at 6, and Fresno
State USC also at 6 p.m. By the way, before
we get to Chuck Powell, the winners of our Apple
Cup tickets for Sunday, because they knew Lee Sterling's prediction
for the Apple Cup, and Dick, I've got to be
honest with you, I didn't even bother writing it down.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I just heard slaughter on Sunday. I think he said 51-16, right?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
51-16. Jordan Paul.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Patrick Williams and Keith Ames have all won a pair
of seats for the Apple Cup on Sunday because they
knew Lee Sterling's official prediction for the game. What do
you say we get the official prediction of the morning show?
Chuck Powell joining us right now on the radio program.
Before he kicks off the weekend, before he goes out
and tears it up over the weekend in Kirkland, we've
(00:56):
got to get his take on the Apple Cup on
Sunday and talk some baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Chuck, how are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'm great. How are you doing? I'm going to go–
let's go– 44-24.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That doesn't cover, by the way.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
44-24.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
How many times did we give up 24 or more
last year?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Once to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah. Would you like to revise your selection?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
44-4.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
That's more like it. A pair of safeties. I love it.
Two safeties. I love it. How about it's just 44-0
and Jed just says, you know what? Here's four points.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Just take four points just so it looks a little better. Well, Chuck, man,
the Mariners are on life support, pal. Last night, you know,
it was only one game. I mean, the Astros obviously
won as well, but for some reason, in my little brain,
you tell me if you had the same thought. Last
night felt like a bigger night than just one loss
(01:57):
for the Mariners.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
How about you?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, I mean, if you would have lost and the
Astros would have lost, but that number jumping from five
to six, And that number of games remaining, dropping by one, yeah,
I mean, it is not looking good. I mean, I
think we can clear away all the clutter and just
(02:22):
acknowledge that it's not looking good. For those that do
want to keep hope alive, sure. Mathematically, it can happen.
But to get this, I mean, to get through the gauntlet,
how long do we talk about a month-long gauntlet, toughest
schedule ever? And then if you can just get to
this date and circle it, and then if we can
(02:42):
just go on a heater, then by gum, you've got
a chance to track down those Houston Astros who aren't
that good. All that's true. And then you get through
the gauntlet. You get the home game against an A's
team that has played the worst since the all-star break
and you lose that game. It kind of set the
tone for the rest of this season for this heater
(03:05):
that you require and And to get off to that
kind of a clunker start and in the fashion they
got off to it where some of the same old
hitting woes popped up after that first inning. I mean,
18 strikeouts against a pitching staff that's not really featuring
a major league pitcher last night. Maybe Jack Perkins, the starter,
(03:25):
but he has a 70 RA for goodness sake. And
he's the one that you actually had the most success with.
But you got his pitch count to 50 by the
second inning. before he threw a pitch in the second inning,
I think, and scored three runs off of him. I mean,
you kind of put it in the win column at
that point. And they, again, the 2026 Mariners, they just
(03:49):
find different ways to lose. And last night was another stinker.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Do you anticipate the Astros slowing down? I mean, this
isn't chopped liver they're beating. Two of three against the Yankees,
two of three against the Mets, three of four against
the White Sox.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I mean, is this a team that just decided, you
know what?
Speaker 5 (04:07):
This division's really easy to grab, so let's just go
grab it.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Well, I don't think they're going to tumble down the stairs.
I don't think they're going to go you know, six
and 15 while we go, you know, 15 and six.
But I don't think they're going to finish much higher
than let's say 82 wins, 80 to 82. I think
that's kind of the team that they are. I think
(04:33):
that's what they are. I think that's what they were
when the season began. I don't think they were as
bad as they played at the beginning of the year.
And we shouldn't have expected them to just dissolve into
thin air and I mean, they're not a terrible team.
They just are a team that this team should have
beaten in the standings this year and rather comfortably. But
(04:55):
they've played better than us. I mean, it's not a mystery.
The Mariners just have not played well. I don't think
on paper that's a bad team, but on the field,
they've been a bad team this year. And our hope
was that at some point this season, they would get hot.
And they would remind us of their potential. And three
(05:17):
straight games in Boston of scoring eight runs or more
was something we have not seen this year. We have
not seen offensive output like that. And so you thought, okay,
maybe that's it. Maybe it has clicked in. Maybe they
did have that one big run left in them. And
maybe they still will. But they decided to remind us
last night that why we've been frustrated with the team
(05:40):
so much, so large a percentage of the time this
2026 season is they just don't routinely execute. This is
more what they are than eight runs per game in Boston,
just the bottom line.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Well, Chuck Powell's with us talking a little baseball. We've
got his official 44-4 prediction for the Apple Cup on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
You know what? I'm going to run with that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I mean, if you can bet, like, I don't know
if you can't even do calci, I guess, anymore around here.
But if you can bet on a specific outcome of
a game, what would the odds be on a 44-4 result?
I mean, we'd bet a dollar and make millions on that.
So if we can do that, that'd be great. But, Chuck,
we've been talking so much about the players and Dan Wilson.
(06:25):
I think identifying maybe some missteps by DePoto for this
year's roster would be fair. I mean, it just came
out today that Matt Brash is done. He's getting shut
down for eight weeks. after the MRI showed more inflammation
than maybe they were hoping for. So he's done for
the year. We've been sitting around all year long waiting
for Matt Brash to return, and now that's not going
(06:47):
to happen. I've got thoughts, but I want to give
you the floor. Have you identified any missteps that Jerry
DiPoto has made in either building or managing this roster
this year?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Well, I mean, clearly, Ref Snyder was a mistake. Right. Again,
I would argue that at the time, it did make sense.
But there's no getting around it. It didn't work, and
that's a fail. And that's the fourth time they've tried
(07:19):
something like this in a row. And I got to
believe at this point, we're done trying to find the
veteran who kills left-handers. Now, I don't think platoons are
as bad as what a lot of Mariner fans think.
because they are watching the Mariners try to put together platoons.
(07:39):
The Dodgers, Rays, Brewers, I mean, those are three of
the archetypes right now in Major League Baseball, and they
use platoons constantly. So I don't think the idea of
a platoon is such a bad idea, but as a
matter of fact, I think it's a good idea. But
I think that they've obviously tried this veteran who might
(08:02):
have one or two years left, And it turns out
he didn't have any years left. And so that obviously
is a mistake. I mean, we played this entire season,
let's face it, without Brendan Donovan. What a spark he
was supposed to provide. What a spark he did provide.
We were pretty good at the beginning of the year,
or better, with Brendan Donovan than we were without him.
(08:24):
And then when he came back for that brief period
of time, looks like he was starting... to remind us, oh,
that's why we got this guy. And then he gets
a concussion in the batting cage, for goodness sake, and
we can't get him back in the lineup. So it's
hard to judge that as a mistake because injuries are
part of the game, and who knew that Brendan Donovan
(08:45):
was Niederlander from Naked Gun? I mean, who knew that
every little bump and bruise was going to keep him
on the injury list? But that's the scenario that has
played out. I think the acquisition of Sir Anthony Dominguez
actually turned out to be a pretty clever one. He
had the bad first outing, but since that time he's
(09:09):
been really good. He's allowed one hit in eight innings,
but to swing it back to Dan, why is he
not being identified as one of the best three or
four relievers that we have? Why is Dan not using
him last night? instead of going to Vargas in the sixth,
then Bazzardo still bizarrely in the eighth inning. How is Dominguez?
(09:31):
I mean, I applaud that Dan finally is treating one
run losses like things we have to protect, you know,
but in doing that, he still makes the wrong choice.
He's still loyal to Bazzardo rather than going with the
more effective pitcher. So I think that one worked out right. Um,
I mean, if we evaluate them all, obviously there were
(09:53):
some missteps this year. I thought there was some good
reasoning into making some of the decisions that were made
this offseason. And I don't know if I found a
person that didn't like this team at the beginning of
the year on paper, either locally or nationally. So, yeah,
there's a full analysis of the entire organization after a
(10:14):
crap sandwich like we've had this year. And if Jerry
DiPoto's head's on the chopping block or his need of
an analysis as deep as dan wilson go for it
if he loses his job i'll lose no sleep i'm
just we've had this conversation before i just think there's
a lot more good to jerry and justin than bad
(10:35):
and i think there's a lot more bad to dan
wilson as a manager than good what'd you make.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Of the bryce miller audio you heard from our interview
yesterday i know you replayed it today on the uh
the morning show when bryce basically said hey we spent
too much time looking backward to last year than forward?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Well, I mean, if you're saying just now, you've made
that realization. Again, where is the leadership in all of that?
Where is a coach to, hey, I'm hearing way too
much about last year. Where is the captain? Hey, enough
about last year. Do you not see that we're failing
this year? How is that even possible? that Bryce Miller
(11:20):
made that realization here as of late. And I think
one of the things is, and there's just a group
of coaches on this team, very likable people. Nobody wants
to challenge anyone. It seems to me like it's all
about Tubby rubs and attaboys. That's what it seems like
to me with this coaching staff. Every single one of them.
(11:41):
I mean, I already know that Pete Woodworth handles his
pitching staff with positive reinforcement.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Don't be criticizing Tommy Rubs, man. Come on now.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I already knew that Pete Woodworth was a guy with
positive reinforcement. But if everybody's like that, to where you're
still talking about last season when you're 10 games under. 500?
Like you've accomplished something. Where's the leader to snap that
conversation out of the air? And I think one of
the problems this year was Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo, and J.P.
(12:17):
Crawford were your leaders a year ago. And they were
your leaders coming into this season. And J.P. got demoted.
Luis Castillo got piggybacked. And Cal Raleigh was hitting 160
after the All-Star break. They couldn't refocus on their leadership
issues because they were all trying to figure out their
(12:39):
own games. And I don't think that Dan Wilson or
any of the coaches knew what to do once their
leaders weren't leading anymore. And so I think that's how
that conversation is still being held in the clubhouse while
you're failing at baseball in 2026. I think that's why
you're still talking about 2025 and, in August when you
(13:02):
should damn well be aware that 2026 is slipping away.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah, I was shocked that he said it. I mean, look,
I'm glad he said it because I appreciate his candor.
I think any of us in the business appreciate a
guy's honesty. I was just surprised that that was still
the case, that they were still talking about last year
this late in the season.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I mean, I think they got a culture problem. I'm
with you, with the manager.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I wonder if you've thought at all, Chuck, about who
you want to see hired to take his spot. I mean,
there's some names available. Alex Cora obviously is available. Bruce Bochy,
not even sure if he wants to manage anymore. But
then I wonder out loud, guys, and, you know, Dick
will attest to this. I've asked Dick on the air,
does Jerry DiPoto want a strong personality in the dugout?
(13:51):
Or does he want more of what he had in
Dan Wilson and more of what he had in Scott Service,
who I thought was more of a partner than a
manager for him?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Have you thought about that next guy?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Well, I don't know what to make of that. If
Jerry's so insecure that he can't hire a manager, then
we need a new president. A manager with experience, then
we need a new president. I don't know what his
reasonings were. I know that a lot of narratives get
carried away. For example, the Dan Wilson is a puppet
(14:25):
narrative is a complete lie. It is a complete made
up fabrication by people that want to believe that. I've
talked all year long that he is in charge of
the end game decisions. He's in charge of the lineup.
And so he's not a puppet. And if he is
a puppet, shame on Dan. So I don't know how
(14:46):
much truth there is behind Jerry DePoto just wants a
manager that he can manipulate, one without experience, because I'm
not there behind the scenes, so I'm not going to
spread that. But if you want my opinion on the
type of manager we could use, yes. It's high time
we have a manager with experience at winning and making
(15:10):
it to the World Series. And I would give up
a player in a trade for Kevin Cash, a la
Randy Wynn, for Lou Piniella. I would do that. I
think that after this season, the, the product is good
enough and should be winning for years to come that
I would like to entrust a surefire, one of the
(15:33):
five best managers in the sport, or even a Steven
vote who we let get away. Cause we thought Dan
Wilson was the better option. Um, I, I, I might
give up something to bring him back here to Seattle.
Cause I think he's proven himself as a winner. And
then if he loses, yeah, then maybe you do have
a Jerry to Poto relationship with his manager problem. But
(15:56):
I don't know if that does exist. Um, and so
I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna continue that narrative, but
Kevin Cash is comes to mind is somebody that I'd
like to see them go after in the off season.
And I think another guy you ought to keep your
eye on is Terry Lavello, who's with the Arizona diamondbacks
and might guide them to the playoffs, despite not having
(16:18):
a very good roster this year. And it seems like
he's had enough in Arizona and his head seems to
be on the chopping block for whatever reason. And I
think Jerry's got a really good relationship with him. Maybe
that's somebody who doesn't have championship experience and But he
does have a wealth of major league experience, and he
wins more than he loses with less than what we
(16:40):
have here.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Chuck, I mean, I gave up hope after the Tampa
Bay series. And since then, I've been saying that, yeah, okay,
could they come back and make a miraculous run?
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Great. If they do, great. Best case scenario.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
But what I thought was the next best scenario is
exactly what we're seeing.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I want carnage.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
I want the train to go off the cliff because
the last thing I want to see is a Mariner
team rallying and winning 15 of their last 20 and
winning 80 games and losing the division by one game
because I thought that might convince Jerry that, hey, everything's okay.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Dan got it righted. Do you agree with that premise?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I mean, I'd like to make a run. I'd like
to see if we can pull it off and then
just trust that no one's going to be fooled by that.
I mean, even if you rallied with 15 in a
row and lost by a game, you still grossly underachieved.
And you would have to ask the question, why did
it take so long? I mean, this season last six
months and 162 games, I didn't hire somebody to get
(17:45):
hot in the last 15. So I don't, I honestly
short of a true rally into the playoffs. And as
deep as you went a year ago, if not deeper,
I think that's the only thing that saves Dan Wilson's job.
I do not think he's going to be back next year.
I think in some ways from what I've heard, They're
(18:07):
very frustrated with his managerial style. They're a little surprised
that it's as soft as it's been and that they're
not getting the results from it that they envisioned. The
players do love him, but they love him because he
always has their back and he always supports them like
(18:27):
a friend as opposed to a boss. So from what
I hear, he's not going to be back next year.
If he goes to two straight American League Championship Series
somehow or goes to the World Series, yeah, you change
your mind. But anything short of that, and I think
we're going to have a new manager next season. I'm
with you.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
All right, man. Great stuff. Enjoy the weekend. And I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Are we going to plan on seeing you on Sunday
at 1 o'clock at Husky Stadium?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Well, I mean... I don't have anybody to take my
44-4 bet, so I'll probably have to be there live. So,
you know, we'll see. I'll find some Coug sucker that
thinks that they're going to score four points or more.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Well, you know what?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
By the looks of it, there won't be a lot
of Coug suckers in the stands on Sunday because Wazoo
returned about 1,500 tickets of their allotment for the game
on Sunday, so it could be a fairly light representation.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
All right, enjoy the weekend. Great stuff, and we'll hear
you Monday morning. All right, man?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Thanks, Chuck. All right, man.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
All right, bud.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Chuck Powell with us on the radio show. Lots to
unpack there with the M's. We'll talk more about that.
Apple Cup on Sunday. Seahawks go on Wednesday. There's a
lot going on. Next on 93.3 KJRFM.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
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Speaker 1 (20:03):
Take a wild guess, boys, how much the get-in price
for the Apple Cup is on Sunday at VenueKings.com right now.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
$ 41.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
That would be incorrect, but that'd be funny.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
If it was $ 41. Jackson, any guess on how much
the get-in price is?
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Let's go $ 69. That would be that. $ 79 to.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Get the door. I'm actually surprised it's that high. I am, too.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I think we should check it on Saturday night, Sunday morning.
and see how much it is. You might be able
to get in for $ 4 on Sunday morning for the
Apple Cup. I was just thinking Pat Shun's going to
join us. Chris Peterson coming up in the 6 p.m.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Hour.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
We'll talk to both of them. I don't know how
you guys feel. This just feels like another game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It doesn't feel like a big deal, Dick.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Well, okay, but it doesn't, to me, feel like Utah
State or Portland State.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
It feels different.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
It feels closer to that game.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
For me than it does to like the 2016 Apple cup.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Fair enough.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Does it feel closer?
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Does it feel closer to like Ohio state coming in
or closer to Portland state coming.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
In Portland state?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Does it feel closer to Minnesota coming in or closer
to a Portland State coming in?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
I think we should just keep naming schools.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
I know.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I'm trying to get him. How about Clemson or Nebraska?
How about Florida or Oklahoma? It feels closer to me,
and Dick, I totally understand what you're doing. It feels
closer to me to a non-conference group of five game
than it does a Big Ten game or a rivalry game.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
I mean, I'm in the same boat there.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
I think we can really kind of judge this game
simply over the banter that we Husky fans have with
Cougar fans close to us. I mean, we talked all
week about the office banter just not being there. My
best friend, Josh, is a Cougar.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
We always, always, I mean, we've gone to Apple cups together.
We always banter. We always text back and forth. There's
been none of that this week.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
None of it.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
And like that to me says a lot of where
we're at mentally. Like this is just the rivalry aspect
of this is, is so dead.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
It's just another win on our calendar.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
I think if I were to rank the home schedule,
most excited, the least excited. I'd say Indiana 1, especially
if that's a game you're still playing for the playoffs, obviously.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Penn State 2.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Probably Wazoo 3 over Minnesota, Iowa, Eastern Washington, Utah State.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Right, but now do the overall schedule.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Oh, yeah, even lower because it's Oregon 1. If it's
still a meaningful game, it's USC.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Oh, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I mean, Wazoo is squarely in the middle of.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
My excitement level. At best. At best.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And it shouldn't be that way. And Jackson, you know,
what you talked about, your friend Josh is a cougar.
I didn't realize your friend was a 48-year-old woman. But
you're not seeing that juice back and forth. And I'm
the same way. I've mentioned this for the last couple weeks.
I'm the same way with my buddies. I'm the same
way with people in the office. There's just no anxiety.
(23:24):
There's no electricity. There's no juice. There's no nothing. You know,
it's just a big take your ball and go home
kind of thing. I mean, it's easy for people like
us to just share our stories, you know, but is that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
The way people are sensing things are really going?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Like you tell us at 49451 for textimonials coming up
next segment, you think about your week of the Apple
Cup for the last 25, 30, 40 years. and how
it compares to right now, are you telling me that
there's as much juice now as there normally is?
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Because for me, it's not even close.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
It makes me wonder, guys, what could, theoretically, what could.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Happen to reignite the rivalry? They beat us.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
They beat us. That's it. They beat us.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Because that's why we were fired up to go to
Pullman last year because they beat us two years ago.
So we wanted to do exact revenge and Jed Fish
was throwing with three minutes left to go in the game.
Speaker 7 (24:17):
I think let's go back to what we said, was
it yesterday or two days ago? That the reality of
this rivalry now, we will only get more towards blowouts.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
If you look at the next 20 years, the Cougars
win what? One, two major.
Speaker 7 (24:30):
maybe at the very most three in the next 20
years so like the reality of it is if they're
only winning one out of every eight to ten years
like it's it's that's not a thing that's gonna you
know really reignite the rivalry when they win that so
long so so what is at that point the question
what could theoretically ignite it on an every year basis
(24:53):
anymore i think i don't.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Know yeah I think outside of them beating us, I'm
not sure if there is anything. And I think two
years ago when Washington State came to Lumen to play UW,
they were fresh off, they thought, being screwed over by Washington, Oregon, UCLA,
and USC. They had a team that still included a
lot of guys that came to Wazoo when they were
a power four school, including John Mateer. And they were angry.
(25:16):
And they wanted to bury us. They wanted to beat us.
They wanted to show the world that UW made a
mistake leaving them behind. And they were playing with some
real emotion on that day. I mean, hell, I even
tweeted out. I remember after the game when we lost,
I did something I never do after a Cougar winning
an Apple Cup.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I congratulated them. I was like, hey, you earned it.
Enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
You know, go get it. But that's not the case anymore.
I mean, that team's gone forever. They're no longer a
power four team. That roster has been blown to bits.
They don't have anywhere near the talent that they had
two years ago, and Washington is on the way back
rebuilding their team after they got blown to bits. So, honestly,
to reignite this thing, I think Wazoo would have to
(25:58):
win a game or two and keep it going and
show that they can be in the same category, or
UW would have to find a way to be so bad,
like Rutgers bad in the Big Ten, where Wazoo can
meet them.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
And I don't think that's going to happen. And we
really don't have anything to compare it to other than
the Civil War, right? There's no other situation in college
football where two teams from the same conference are no
longer in the same conference.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Right? Right.
Speaker 5 (26:22):
And so it's just Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington, Washington State.
And I would assume that they're probably having the same
feelings in Corvallis as they are in Portland.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
100%.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
100%.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
So, yeah, well, I'm just, again— I think we've been
talking all week long about the way this game feels
this week, and I felt kind of bad, and I've
said this before, that I'd like to talk more about
the matchup on Sunday. I don't think there's really a
lot of controversy about the matchup. I mean, I think
this is a lopsided matchup on paper between UW and
Washington State.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
I mean, just look at the quarterback situation, guys. Come on.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Compare Caden Pinnock to DeMond Williams. It's just not even close.
It's a totally different animal. Quarter million versus four million.
You got a guy on the other side of the
ball that's making 16 times more money than the starting
quarterback for Washington State, who, by the way, came from
an FCS school on a team that UW just beat
by 60 points. I mean, if the quarterback is that important,
(27:18):
Washington's got a massive, massive advantage on that side. What
I do hope doesn't happen, honestly, Dick, is that UW
shows up cocky on Sunday and just tries to cakewalk
their way through this whole thing. I want them to
come to this game with the same attitude they had
in the second half of that game in Pullman a
year ago and blow them out from the start and
(27:38):
take away any hope of winning on the first drop.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
If they come out with a Mariner-like effort level, I'm going.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
To be pissed.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
If the Huskies win 31-20... Right.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
And it's just and we've got three turnovers and just
and it's clearly that Washington State is the more motivated
team and the Huskies only win because they're vastly more talented.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
That would be awful.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
I would be on Williams throwing the ball in the
stands while the game's still going on.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
You know, stuff like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Punt returners letting punts drop right in front of them
the way Randy Rosarino did, you know, whatever.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Quade Carr walking down the sidelines instead of running down
the sidelines for a first down.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Jed Fish is too good of a coach to let
that go more than a quarter, right?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
He's, unlike Dan Wilson, he's a good coach.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And I think Jed Fish has the ability to kind
of step in and say, hold on, are you mentally
in this game? Because if you're not mentally in this game,
get the heck.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Off the field.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
What did he say? Tough one tonight? If this one's loose?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Please, God, no.
Apple Cup on Sunday, 9 o'clock pregame show, 1 o'clock
kickoff right here on 93.3.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
KJRFN. We've got some games tonight.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
UTEP Oklahoma at 5, Miami Stanford at 6, and Fresno
State USC also at 6 p.m. By the way, before
we get to Chuck Powell, the winners of our Apple
Cup tickets for Sunday, because they knew Lee Sterling's prediction
for the Apple Cup, and Dick, I've got to be
honest with you, I didn't even bother writing it down.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I just heard slaughter on Sunday. I think he said 51-16, right?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
51-16. Jordan Paul.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Patrick Williams and Keith Ames have all won a pair
of seats for the Apple Cup on Sunday because they
knew Lee Sterling's official prediction for the game. What do
you say we get the official prediction of the morning show?
Chuck Powell joining us right now on the radio program.
Before he kicks off the weekend, before he goes out
and tears it up over the weekend in Kirkland, we've
(00:56):
got to get his take on the Apple Cup on
Sunday and talk some baseball.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Chuck, how are you, pal?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'm great. How are you doing? I'm going to go–
let's go– 44-24.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
That doesn't cover, by the way.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
44-24.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
How many times did we give up 24 or more
last year?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Once to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Yeah. Would you like to revise your selection?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
44-4.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
That's more like it. A pair of safeties. I love it.
Two safeties. I love it. How about it's just 44-0
and Jed just says, you know what? Here's four points.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Just take four points just so it looks a little better. Well, Chuck, man,
the Mariners are on life support, pal. Last night, you know,
it was only one game. I mean, the Astros obviously
won as well, but for some reason, in my little brain,
you tell me if you had the same thought. Last
night felt like a bigger night than just one loss
(01:57):
for the Mariners.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
How about you?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, I mean, if you would have lost and the
Astros would have lost, but that number jumping from five
to six, And that number of games remaining, dropping by one, yeah,
I mean, it is not looking good. I mean, I
think we can clear away all the clutter and just
(02:22):
acknowledge that it's not looking good. For those that do
want to keep hope alive, sure. Mathematically, it can happen.
But to get this, I mean, to get through the gauntlet,
how long do we talk about a month-long gauntlet, toughest
schedule ever? And then if you can just get to
this date and circle it, and then if we can
(02:42):
just go on a heater, then by gum, you've got
a chance to track down those Houston Astros who aren't
that good. All that's true. And then you get through
the gauntlet. You get the home game against an A's
team that has played the worst since the all-star break
and you lose that game. It kind of set the
tone for the rest of this season for this heater
(03:05):
that you require and And to get off to that
kind of a clunker start and in the fashion they
got off to it where some of the same old
hitting woes popped up after that first inning. I mean,
18 strikeouts against a pitching staff that's not really featuring
a major league pitcher last night. Maybe Jack Perkins, the starter,
(03:25):
but he has a 70 RA for goodness sake. And
he's the one that you actually had the most success with.
But you got his pitch count to 50 by the
second inning. before he threw a pitch in the second inning,
I think, and scored three runs off of him. I mean,
you kind of put it in the win column at
that point. And they, again, the 2026 Mariners, they just
(03:49):
find different ways to lose. And last night was another stinker.
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Do you anticipate the Astros slowing down? I mean, this
isn't chopped liver they're beating. Two of three against the Yankees,
two of three against the Mets, three of four against
the White Sox.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
I mean, is this a team that just decided, you
know what?
Speaker 5 (04:07):
This division's really easy to grab, so let's just go
grab it.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Well, I don't think they're going to tumble down the stairs.
I don't think they're going to go you know, six
and 15 while we go, you know, 15 and six.
But I don't think they're going to finish much higher
than let's say 82 wins, 80 to 82. I think
that's kind of the team that they are. I think
(04:33):
that's what they are. I think that's what they were
when the season began. I don't think they were as
bad as they played at the beginning of the year.
And we shouldn't have expected them to just dissolve into
thin air and I mean, they're not a terrible team.
They just are a team that this team should have
beaten in the standings this year and rather comfortably. But
(04:55):
they've played better than us. I mean, it's not a mystery.
The Mariners just have not played well. I don't think
on paper that's a bad team, but on the field,
they've been a bad team this year. And our hope
was that at some point this season, they would get hot.
And they would remind us of their potential. And three
(05:17):
straight games in Boston of scoring eight runs or more
was something we have not seen this year. We have
not seen offensive output like that. And so you thought, okay,
maybe that's it. Maybe it has clicked in. Maybe they
did have that one big run left in them. And
maybe they still will. But they decided to remind us
last night that why we've been frustrated with the team
(05:40):
so much, so large a percentage of the time this
2026 season is they just don't routinely execute. This is
more what they are than eight runs per game in Boston,
just the bottom line.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, no doubt.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Well, Chuck Powell's with us talking a little baseball. We've
got his official 44-4 prediction for the Apple Cup on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
You know what? I'm going to run with that.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
I mean, if you can bet, like, I don't know
if you can't even do calci, I guess, anymore around here.
But if you can bet on a specific outcome of
a game, what would the odds be on a 44-4 result?
I mean, we'd bet a dollar and make millions on that.
So if we can do that, that'd be great. But, Chuck,
we've been talking so much about the players and Dan Wilson.
(06:25):
I think identifying maybe some missteps by DePoto for this
year's roster would be fair. I mean, it just came
out today that Matt Brash is done. He's getting shut
down for eight weeks. after the MRI showed more inflammation
than maybe they were hoping for. So he's done for
the year. We've been sitting around all year long waiting
for Matt Brash to return, and now that's not going
(06:47):
to happen. I've got thoughts, but I want to give
you the floor. Have you identified any missteps that Jerry
DiPoto has made in either building or managing this roster
this year?
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Well, I mean, clearly, Ref Snyder was a mistake. Right. Again,
I would argue that at the time, it did make sense.
But there's no getting around it. It didn't work, and
that's a fail. And that's the fourth time they've tried
(07:19):
something like this in a row. And I got to
believe at this point, we're done trying to find the
veteran who kills left-handers. Now, I don't think platoons are
as bad as what a lot of Mariner fans think.
because they are watching the Mariners try to put together platoons.
(07:39):
The Dodgers, Rays, Brewers, I mean, those are three of
the archetypes right now in Major League Baseball, and they
use platoons constantly. So I don't think the idea of
a platoon is such a bad idea, but as a
matter of fact, I think it's a good idea. But
I think that they've obviously tried this veteran who might
(08:02):
have one or two years left, And it turns out
he didn't have any years left. And so that obviously
is a mistake. I mean, we played this entire season,
let's face it, without Brendan Donovan. What a spark he
was supposed to provide. What a spark he did provide.
We were pretty good at the beginning of the year,
or better, with Brendan Donovan than we were without him.
(08:24):
And then when he came back for that brief period
of time, looks like he was starting... to remind us, oh,
that's why we got this guy. And then he gets
a concussion in the batting cage, for goodness sake, and
we can't get him back in the lineup. So it's
hard to judge that as a mistake because injuries are
part of the game, and who knew that Brendan Donovan
(08:45):
was Niederlander from Naked Gun? I mean, who knew that
every little bump and bruise was going to keep him
on the injury list? But that's the scenario that has
played out. I think the acquisition of Sir Anthony Dominguez
actually turned out to be a pretty clever one. He
had the bad first outing, but since that time he's
(09:09):
been really good. He's allowed one hit in eight innings,
but to swing it back to Dan, why is he
not being identified as one of the best three or
four relievers that we have? Why is Dan not using
him last night? instead of going to Vargas in the sixth,
then Bazzardo still bizarrely in the eighth inning. How is Dominguez?
(09:31):
I mean, I applaud that Dan finally is treating one
run losses like things we have to protect, you know,
but in doing that, he still makes the wrong choice.
He's still loyal to Bazzardo rather than going with the
more effective pitcher. So I think that one worked out right. Um,
I mean, if we evaluate them all, obviously there were
(09:53):
some missteps this year. I thought there was some good
reasoning into making some of the decisions that were made
this offseason. And I don't know if I found a
person that didn't like this team at the beginning of
the year on paper, either locally or nationally. So, yeah,
there's a full analysis of the entire organization after a
(10:14):
crap sandwich like we've had this year. And if Jerry
DiPoto's head's on the chopping block or his need of
an analysis as deep as dan wilson go for it
if he loses his job i'll lose no sleep i'm
just we've had this conversation before i just think there's
a lot more good to jerry and justin than bad
(10:35):
and i think there's a lot more bad to dan
wilson as a manager than good what'd you make.
Speaker 5 (10:41):
Of the bryce miller audio you heard from our interview
yesterday i know you replayed it today on the uh
the morning show when bryce basically said hey we spent
too much time looking backward to last year than forward?
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Well, I mean, if you're saying just now, you've made
that realization. Again, where is the leadership in all of that?
Where is a coach to, hey, I'm hearing way too
much about last year. Where is the captain? Hey, enough
about last year. Do you not see that we're failing
this year? How is that even possible? that Bryce Miller
(11:20):
made that realization here as of late. And I think
one of the things is, and there's just a group
of coaches on this team, very likable people. Nobody wants
to challenge anyone. It seems to me like it's all
about Tubby rubs and attaboys. That's what it seems like
to me with this coaching staff. Every single one of them.
(11:41):
I mean, I already know that Pete Woodworth handles his
pitching staff with positive reinforcement.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Don't be criticizing Tommy Rubs, man. Come on now.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
I already knew that Pete Woodworth was a guy with
positive reinforcement. But if everybody's like that, to where you're
still talking about last season when you're 10 games under. 500?
Like you've accomplished something. Where's the leader to snap that
conversation out of the air? And I think one of
the problems this year was Cal Raleigh, Luis Castillo, and J.P.
(12:17):
Crawford were your leaders a year ago. And they were
your leaders coming into this season. And J.P. got demoted.
Luis Castillo got piggybacked. And Cal Raleigh was hitting 160
after the All-Star break. They couldn't refocus on their leadership
issues because they were all trying to figure out their
(12:39):
own games. And I don't think that Dan Wilson or
any of the coaches knew what to do once their
leaders weren't leading anymore. And so I think that's how
that conversation is still being held in the clubhouse while
you're failing at baseball in 2026. I think that's why
you're still talking about 2025 and, in August when you
(13:02):
should damn well be aware that 2026 is slipping away.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah, I was shocked that he said it. I mean, look,
I'm glad he said it because I appreciate his candor.
I think any of us in the business appreciate a
guy's honesty. I was just surprised that that was still
the case, that they were still talking about last year
this late in the season.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
I mean, I think they got a culture problem. I'm
with you, with the manager.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I wonder if you've thought at all, Chuck, about who
you want to see hired to take his spot. I mean,
there's some names available. Alex Cora obviously is available. Bruce Bochy,
not even sure if he wants to manage anymore. But
then I wonder out loud, guys, and, you know, Dick
will attest to this. I've asked Dick on the air,
does Jerry DiPoto want a strong personality in the dugout?
(13:51):
Or does he want more of what he had in
Dan Wilson and more of what he had in Scott Service,
who I thought was more of a partner than a
manager for him?
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Have you thought about that next guy?
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Well, I don't know what to make of that. If
Jerry's so insecure that he can't hire a manager, then
we need a new president. A manager with experience, then
we need a new president. I don't know what his
reasonings were. I know that a lot of narratives get
carried away. For example, the Dan Wilson is a puppet
(14:25):
narrative is a complete lie. It is a complete made
up fabrication by people that want to believe that. I've
talked all year long that he is in charge of
the end game decisions. He's in charge of the lineup.
And so he's not a puppet. And if he is
a puppet, shame on Dan. So I don't know how
(14:46):
much truth there is behind Jerry DePoto just wants a
manager that he can manipulate, one without experience, because I'm
not there behind the scenes, so I'm not going to
spread that. But if you want my opinion on the
type of manager we could use, yes. It's high time
we have a manager with experience at winning and making
(15:10):
it to the World Series. And I would give up
a player in a trade for Kevin Cash, a la
Randy Wynn, for Lou Piniella. I would do that. I
think that after this season, the, the product is good
enough and should be winning for years to come that
I would like to entrust a surefire, one of the
(15:33):
five best managers in the sport, or even a Steven
vote who we let get away. Cause we thought Dan
Wilson was the better option. Um, I, I, I might
give up something to bring him back here to Seattle.
Cause I think he's proven himself as a winner. And
then if he loses, yeah, then maybe you do have
a Jerry to Poto relationship with his manager problem. But
(15:56):
I don't know if that does exist. Um, and so
I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna continue that narrative, but
Kevin Cash is comes to mind is somebody that I'd
like to see them go after in the off season.
And I think another guy you ought to keep your
eye on is Terry Lavello, who's with the Arizona diamondbacks
and might guide them to the playoffs, despite not having
(16:18):
a very good roster this year. And it seems like
he's had enough in Arizona and his head seems to
be on the chopping block for whatever reason. And I
think Jerry's got a really good relationship with him. Maybe
that's somebody who doesn't have championship experience and But he
does have a wealth of major league experience, and he
wins more than he loses with less than what we
(16:40):
have here.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Chuck, I mean, I gave up hope after the Tampa
Bay series. And since then, I've been saying that, yeah, okay,
could they come back and make a miraculous run?
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Great. If they do, great. Best case scenario.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
But what I thought was the next best scenario is
exactly what we're seeing.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
I want carnage.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
I want the train to go off the cliff because
the last thing I want to see is a Mariner
team rallying and winning 15 of their last 20 and
winning 80 games and losing the division by one game
because I thought that might convince Jerry that, hey, everything's okay.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
Dan got it righted. Do you agree with that premise?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I mean, I'd like to make a run. I'd like
to see if we can pull it off and then
just trust that no one's going to be fooled by that.
I mean, even if you rallied with 15 in a
row and lost by a game, you still grossly underachieved.
And you would have to ask the question, why did
it take so long? I mean, this season last six
months and 162 games, I didn't hire somebody to get
(17:45):
hot in the last 15. So I don't, I honestly
short of a true rally into the playoffs. And as
deep as you went a year ago, if not deeper,
I think that's the only thing that saves Dan Wilson's job.
I do not think he's going to be back next year.
I think in some ways from what I've heard, They're
(18:07):
very frustrated with his managerial style. They're a little surprised
that it's as soft as it's been and that they're
not getting the results from it that they envisioned. The
players do love him, but they love him because he
always has their back and he always supports them like
(18:27):
a friend as opposed to a boss. So from what
I hear, he's not going to be back next year.
If he goes to two straight American League Championship Series
somehow or goes to the World Series, yeah, you change
your mind. But anything short of that, and I think
we're going to have a new manager next season. I'm
with you.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
All right, man. Great stuff. Enjoy the weekend. And I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Are we going to plan on seeing you on Sunday
at 1 o'clock at Husky Stadium?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Well, I mean... I don't have anybody to take my
44-4 bet, so I'll probably have to be there live. So,
you know, we'll see. I'll find some Coug sucker that
thinks that they're going to score four points or more.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Well, you know what?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
By the looks of it, there won't be a lot
of Coug suckers in the stands on Sunday because Wazoo
returned about 1,500 tickets of their allotment for the game
on Sunday, so it could be a fairly light representation.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
All right, enjoy the weekend. Great stuff, and we'll hear
you Monday morning. All right, man?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Thanks, Chuck. All right, man.
Speaker 2 (19:27):
All right, bud.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Chuck Powell with us on the radio show. Lots to
unpack there with the M's. We'll talk more about that.
Apple Cup on Sunday. Seahawks go on Wednesday. There's a
lot going on. Next on 93.3 KJRFM.
Speaker 6 (19:43):
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Speaker 1 (20:03):
Take a wild guess, boys, how much the get-in price
for the Apple Cup is on Sunday at VenueKings.com right now.
Speaker 6 (20:10):
$ 41.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
That would be incorrect, but that'd be funny.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
If it was $ 41. Jackson, any guess on how much
the get-in price is?
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Let's go $ 69. That would be that. $ 79 to.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Get the door. I'm actually surprised it's that high. I am, too.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
I think we should check it on Saturday night, Sunday morning.
and see how much it is. You might be able
to get in for $ 4 on Sunday morning for the
Apple Cup. I was just thinking Pat Shun's going to
join us. Chris Peterson coming up in the 6 p.m.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Hour.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
We'll talk to both of them. I don't know how
you guys feel. This just feels like another game on Sunday.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
It doesn't feel like a big deal, Dick.
Speaker 5 (20:48):
Well, okay, but it doesn't, to me, feel like Utah
State or Portland State.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
It feels different.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
It feels closer to that game.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
For me than it does to like the 2016 Apple cup.
Speaker 3 (21:05):
Fair enough.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Does it feel closer?
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Does it feel closer to like Ohio state coming in
or closer to Portland state coming.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
In Portland state?
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Okay.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Does it feel closer to Minnesota coming in or closer
to a Portland State coming in?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
I think we should just keep naming schools.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
I know.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
I'm trying to get him. How about Clemson or Nebraska?
How about Florida or Oklahoma? It feels closer to me,
and Dick, I totally understand what you're doing. It feels
closer to me to a non-conference group of five game
than it does a Big Ten game or a rivalry game.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
I mean, I'm in the same boat there.
Speaker 7 (21:49):
I think we can really kind of judge this game
simply over the banter that we Husky fans have with
Cougar fans close to us. I mean, we talked all
week about the office banter just not being there. My
best friend, Josh, is a Cougar.
Speaker 4 (22:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
We always, always, I mean, we've gone to Apple cups together.
We always banter. We always text back and forth. There's
been none of that this week.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
None of it.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
And like that to me says a lot of where
we're at mentally. Like this is just the rivalry aspect
of this is, is so dead.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
It's just another win on our calendar.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
I think if I were to rank the home schedule,
most excited, the least excited. I'd say Indiana 1, especially
if that's a game you're still playing for the playoffs, obviously.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
Penn State 2.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Probably Wazoo 3 over Minnesota, Iowa, Eastern Washington, Utah State.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Right, but now do the overall schedule.
Speaker 5 (22:48):
Oh, yeah, even lower because it's Oregon 1. If it's
still a meaningful game, it's USC.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Oh, yeah, you're right.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
I mean, Wazoo is squarely in the middle of.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
My excitement level. At best. At best.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
And it shouldn't be that way. And Jackson, you know,
what you talked about, your friend Josh is a cougar.
I didn't realize your friend was a 48-year-old woman. But
you're not seeing that juice back and forth. And I'm
the same way. I've mentioned this for the last couple weeks.
I'm the same way with my buddies. I'm the same
way with people in the office. There's just no anxiety.
(23:24):
There's no electricity. There's no juice. There's no nothing. You know,
it's just a big take your ball and go home
kind of thing. I mean, it's easy for people like
us to just share our stories, you know, but is that.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
The way people are sensing things are really going?
Speaker 1 (23:39):
Like you tell us at 49451 for textimonials coming up
next segment, you think about your week of the Apple
Cup for the last 25, 30, 40 years. and how
it compares to right now, are you telling me that
there's as much juice now as there normally is?
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Because for me, it's not even close.
Speaker 7 (23:55):
It makes me wonder, guys, what could, theoretically, what could.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Happen to reignite the rivalry? They beat us.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
They beat us. That's it. They beat us.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
Because that's why we were fired up to go to
Pullman last year because they beat us two years ago.
So we wanted to do exact revenge and Jed Fish
was throwing with three minutes left to go in the game.
Speaker 7 (24:17):
I think let's go back to what we said, was
it yesterday or two days ago? That the reality of
this rivalry now, we will only get more towards blowouts.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
If you look at the next 20 years, the Cougars
win what? One, two major.
Speaker 7 (24:30):
maybe at the very most three in the next 20
years so like the reality of it is if they're
only winning one out of every eight to ten years
like it's it's that's not a thing that's gonna you
know really reignite the rivalry when they win that so
long so so what is at that point the question
what could theoretically ignite it on an every year basis
(24:53):
anymore i think i don't.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Know yeah I think outside of them beating us, I'm
not sure if there is anything. And I think two
years ago when Washington State came to Lumen to play UW,
they were fresh off, they thought, being screwed over by Washington, Oregon, UCLA,
and USC. They had a team that still included a
lot of guys that came to Wazoo when they were
a power four school, including John Mateer. And they were angry.
(25:16):
And they wanted to bury us. They wanted to beat us.
They wanted to show the world that UW made a
mistake leaving them behind. And they were playing with some
real emotion on that day. I mean, hell, I even
tweeted out. I remember after the game when we lost,
I did something I never do after a Cougar winning
an Apple Cup.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
I congratulated them. I was like, hey, you earned it.
Enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
Whatever.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
You know, go get it. But that's not the case anymore.
I mean, that team's gone forever. They're no longer a
power four team. That roster has been blown to bits.
They don't have anywhere near the talent that they had
two years ago, and Washington is on the way back
rebuilding their team after they got blown to bits. So, honestly,
to reignite this thing, I think Wazoo would have to
(25:58):
win a game or two and keep it going and
show that they can be in the same category, or
UW would have to find a way to be so bad,
like Rutgers bad in the Big Ten, where Wazoo can
meet them.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
And I don't think that's going to happen. And we
really don't have anything to compare it to other than
the Civil War, right? There's no other situation in college
football where two teams from the same conference are no
longer in the same conference.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Right? Right.
Speaker 5 (26:22):
And so it's just Oregon, Oregon State, and Washington, Washington State.
And I would assume that they're probably having the same
feelings in Corvallis as they are in Portland.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
100%.
Speaker 6 (26:30):
100%.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Totally.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
So, yeah, well, I'm just, again— I think we've been
talking all week long about the way this game feels
this week, and I felt kind of bad, and I've
said this before, that I'd like to talk more about
the matchup on Sunday. I don't think there's really a
lot of controversy about the matchup. I mean, I think
this is a lopsided matchup on paper between UW and
Washington State.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
I mean, just look at the quarterback situation, guys. Come on.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
Compare Caden Pinnock to DeMond Williams. It's just not even close.
It's a totally different animal. Quarter million versus four million.
You got a guy on the other side of the
ball that's making 16 times more money than the starting
quarterback for Washington State, who, by the way, came from
an FCS school on a team that UW just beat
by 60 points. I mean, if the quarterback is that important,
(27:18):
Washington's got a massive, massive advantage on that side. What
I do hope doesn't happen, honestly, Dick, is that UW
shows up cocky on Sunday and just tries to cakewalk
their way through this whole thing. I want them to
come to this game with the same attitude they had
in the second half of that game in Pullman a
year ago and blow them out from the start and
(27:38):
take away any hope of winning on the first drop.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
If they come out with a Mariner-like effort level, I'm going.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
To be pissed.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
If the Huskies win 31-20... Right.
Speaker 5 (27:53):
And it's just and we've got three turnovers and just
and it's clearly that Washington State is the more motivated
team and the Huskies only win because they're vastly more talented.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
That would be awful.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
I would be on Williams throwing the ball in the
stands while the game's still going on.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
You know, stuff like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Punt returners letting punts drop right in front of them
the way Randy Rosarino did, you know, whatever.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Quade Carr walking down the sidelines instead of running down
the sidelines for a first down.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Jed Fish is too good of a coach to let
that go more than a quarter, right?
Speaker 2 (28:31):
I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
He's, unlike Dan Wilson, he's a good coach.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
And I think Jed Fish has the ability to kind
of step in and say, hold on, are you mentally
in this game? Because if you're not mentally in this game,
get the heck.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Off the field.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
What did he say? Tough one tonight? If this one's loose?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Please, God, no.
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
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