At halftime yesterday Jimmy Lake stood up in the middle of the court and challenged Husky fans to show up to the Spring game hoping to have the highest Spring game attendance in the PAC12. He then went on to say the 2020 Husky recruiting class is ranked #1 in the PAC12 as they raised a banner with the image of the current CFP National championship trophy, a trophy they’ve never won. Under the image of the trophy “1960/1991”
This reeks of desperation. They hold on to the 91 shared championship that is weak in and of itself but have added a 1960 championship the NCAA record books fail to document. They fly a picture of a CFP championship trophy they’ve never won and their head coach stands in front of 1000’s of Husky fans and says UW has the #1 PAC12 recruiting class in 2020 and begs them to show up to a spring game. Keep in mind, Oregon has dominated Spring game attendance for quite some time, has the #1 ranked class in 2020 and has actually won a CFP semi-final game. In 2019, Washington didn’t even report their Spring game attendance and lost their CFP semi-final game in 2016.
That’s what makes Oregon’s comeback victory so sweet yesterday. At the time of Jimmy Lake’s desperate rant with the fraudulent CFP banner raised and highlighted, the claims of #1 recruiting class, Oregon was down 12. When the second half got going the Ducks fell down by 16. With about 5 minutes remaining, Oregon got it down to 10. Then 5. As the clock ran out the score knotted and the game went to overtime. I imagine Lake was in the crowd. If so, I can only imagine he experienced a little dejavu watching the Ducks fly out with another W, particularly after his desperate, somewhat delusional halftime rant.
The exclamation point of the whole night was watching Pritchard throw up a 30-foot, step-back, fade away jumper and BOOOOM, the hammer dropped on Husky hope. As Payton walked toward half court, away from the dagger he plunged in Husky hearts, he defiantly pointed down to the court and yelled to all in attendance, “THIS IS MY CITY!!! MY CITY!!!!” 3.2 seconds later, the silence was deafening as Husky fans turned toward the exits, shaking their heads, mumbling in disbelief.
In a night where Husky bravado reached a crescendo with Lake’s brazen halftime statements, Oregon down by 12, it was ironically symbolic that after the final buzzer Payton Pritchard and the Oregon Ducks stood victorious at center court with the keys to the city.
