Can we talk about how FUN these 2018 Cougars are?
I don't just mean the winning. Don't get me wrong, that's fun too; and you could make the argument that some of the other stuff wouldn't be as endearing if we were 1-9, instead.
But watching this group on- and off-the-field has been an exercise in enjoyment. And it seems the players, too, are having more fun as a team than any Cougar team I can ever remember. From the way they embrace, and are embraced by, Cougar Nation at large, to watching how they interact on the sideline, there is true magic surrounding this group.
When was the last time that something as silly as a mustache became such an organic rallying cry that united the fans? Old Crimson, I suppose, but that was in support of WSU and the Cougs in general, not a specific team or player. And for it to celebrate a relative outsider, welcoming him in with open arms in such short time, is, in a word, beautiful.
Leach's post game interview was the perfect example of this. Minshew was loving it. I was unsuccessful at containing my laughter. I think even Leach was trying not to smile, in his own way. I dare to say that even he seems to be enjoying this team and season more than others.
A lot can still happen. We could, somehow, find ourselves among the final four teams. Or we could choke against Arizona, get boat-raced in the Apple Cup, and lose a lesser bowl game as well. Regardless of the final standings, I will have a hard time looking back at this season as anything less than quite possibly the most fun I've ever experienced.
I don't just mean the winning. Don't get me wrong, that's fun too; and you could make the argument that some of the other stuff wouldn't be as endearing if we were 1-9, instead.
But watching this group on- and off-the-field has been an exercise in enjoyment. And it seems the players, too, are having more fun as a team than any Cougar team I can ever remember. From the way they embrace, and are embraced by, Cougar Nation at large, to watching how they interact on the sideline, there is true magic surrounding this group.
When was the last time that something as silly as a mustache became such an organic rallying cry that united the fans? Old Crimson, I suppose, but that was in support of WSU and the Cougs in general, not a specific team or player. And for it to celebrate a relative outsider, welcoming him in with open arms in such short time, is, in a word, beautiful.
Leach's post game interview was the perfect example of this. Minshew was loving it. I was unsuccessful at containing my laughter. I think even Leach was trying not to smile, in his own way. I dare to say that even he seems to be enjoying this team and season more than others.
A lot can still happen. We could, somehow, find ourselves among the final four teams. Or we could choke against Arizona, get boat-raced in the Apple Cup, and lose a lesser bowl game as well. Regardless of the final standings, I will have a hard time looking back at this season as anything less than quite possibly the most fun I've ever experienced.
