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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Another Tuesday with WSU


COUGARS

Tuesdays are always busy, from the numerous media availability sessions to practice to the unexpected that always seems to come up. So far today is following that same path, with a couple of stories available with a subject matter that isn't all that usual here. They're about money. And that's a subject we're not real familiar with. Read on.
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• Washington State: Our Dave Trimmer posted the link below with the news on former Cougar Aaron Haskins' untimely death over the weekend and thanks to Dave for that. I never met Haskins face-to-face, but did talk with him a long time for a feature late last year. He seemed to be a jovial, relaxed man with your typical worries and hopes, the guy-next-door if you will, but also with a strong and abiding faith. Our prayers go out to his family and friends this morning. There's more on Haskins' life here in the News Tribune and on Cougfan. ... On the football front, we had our first look at Notre Dame. ... Speaking of the Irish, they landed a big recruit, though he's kind of small and has Oregon State connections. ... Receiver Golden Tate remains in the running for a big award.

• Around the Pac-10: There was some big news around the conference yesterday concerning officiating. ESPN.com's Ted Miller covers the Pac-10's reaction to what I understand was an egregiously missed call. I didn't see it myself, but talking with my sister yesterday before the Pac-10's decision, she described it, and the announcers reaction to it, pretty well. ... Saturday's USC at Oregon meeting is this year's game of the decade, that's for sure. ... Quarterback play just may be the No. 1 indicator of success in this conference. ... Money was a big topic yesterday, as the Knight Commission released a report on costs, specifically coaches' salaries. ... Professors at Cal want the university to quit subsidizing the athletic department (the athletic budget number is staggering). ... Even the Oregon schools don't break even under the NCAA's formula. ...Washington: The bye week is sorely needed by the Huskies, especially Jake Locker. ... Oregon State: Not much here. ... Oregon: It will be the classic battle Saturday: innovative offense vs. old-fashioned, hard-hitting defense. ... Cal: A day off for the Bears. ... Stanford: And the Cardinal as well. ... USC: Speaking of the uncalled facemask penalty, Taylor Mays is sorry. ...UCLA: The Bruins will use two quarterbacks against Oregon State. ... Arizona State: Stanford's power running game will be followed by Cal's speed. ... Arizona: Guess who controls their Rose Bowl destiny going into the bye week? Yes, the Wildcats, who have never been.

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• That's it for this Tuesday morning. As always, we'll be back after practice with more on the Pac-10. Until then …



Vince Grippi
Vince Grippi is a freelance local sports blogger for spokesman.com. He also contributes to the SportsLink Blog.

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