It's that time of the year that makes Eastern Washington University football head coach Beau Baldwin smile, like he did last Thursday while addressing the members of the West Plains Chamber of Commerce during their meeting at Roos Field.
One of the best football analogies I've ever heard came from Eastern Washington University head coach Beau Baldwin at last Thursday morning's West Plains Chamber of Commerce breakfast held outdoors next to the red rug at Roos Field.
Baldwin equated the pre-season practice grind to the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" in which actor Bill Murray keeps repeatedly waking up at 6 a.m. to find he's still in Punxsatawney, Penn. and it's still Feb. 2.
As someone who's experienced a small slice of this at the high school level, it's a pretty good description of the daily, sometimes twice daily routine of drills, instruction and hitting the same guys all the time. The only thing lacking is waking up every morning to Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe."
That pent up energy to hit somebody in a different school's colors will find release soon enough, and in a big way when Eastern hosts Sam Houston State University Aug. 23 in the Inferno. The entire country will get a chance to see the Eagles and their red home turf as the game will be the first of the 2014 college season, broadcast nationwide on ESPN.
Not ESPN2, or ESPN3, ESPN News or ESPNU but the "Mother Ship" station.
"No pressure to win, right?" Baldwin told those gathered at Roos.
The question at the end of that statement seems somewhat rhetorical. When it comes to making the FCS playoffs, the real pressure begins with league play at UC Davis, Sept. 27, and continues over the next two months and seven games.
But the non-league hookup with the Bearkats has a lot riding on it as well. Eastern has been getting a lot of love in the media nationally, receiving several pre-season No. 1 poll rankings and a No. 2 slot.
Baldwin and company view the accolades as a testament to their body of work up to this point, and that's a good, grounded way to deal with the good press. They deserve it. The players have been working hard - apparently "hopping fences" in the off-season to get on the field and workout - but then we fans have come to expect that.
It's exciting, not only having the national accolades but to know the players are every bit as excited to get things underway. Come kickoff in less than two weeks, I and other Eastern fans know the Eagles will be focused and ready to go.
A win Aug. 23, especially a solid, convincing win, over the No. 17 Bearkats would go a long way for this program. It would be validation of their national ranking and expectations.
It would further bolster recruiting, which already enjoys a solid reputation, especially in Washington as 22 of this year's 26 recruits are from this state. And it might even finally convince more of the locals that the best football being played east of the Cascades is taking place on a red field in Cheney.
While support for the Eagles is solid among the faithful, and attendance at Roos has been picking up the past few years, it's still not a normality to sell out games at the Inferno. It would be great to see the portable stands on a more permanent basis, instead of when the Grizzlies role into town. It would be satisfying to know that there are more people wanting tickets than tickets are available.
A win over Sam Houston might help Eastern make sizeable strides towards all that. It would be validation of all the hard work put in by the players, coaches and administrators up on the hill.
It would be a great way to break the cycle of Groundhog Day.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
Reader Comments(0)