Jim Walden: “This is a Junior College Team”

If anyone has listened to the radio broadcasts this year, you know that it’s been tough on the old guys. Bob-Rob plows through the excruciating play-by-play, and seems to manage pretty well. But Jim Walden, ah yes, the guy lives and dies with every play. I especially love the “OH NO!” or “Ahhhhh” when the other team breaks a big play or a penalty happens against our beloved Cougs. Walden also ripped Jeff Tedford on the air for Tedford throwing hail mary passes up 42-3 in the 2nd quarter, or throwing for the end-zone when winning 59-3 in the fourth quarter. Tell us how you really feel coach.

That is one of the best things about Walden, is that he doesn’t sugar coat things….at all. Last year, after Doba was let go, he was asked his opinion on Mike Price’s return, as well as who should be the next coach. Let there be no doubt, Jim Walden did NOT want Mike Price to return. Period. And Walden also stumped for Paul Wulff. The interview where Walden let loose is still online and available here, if you care to go back in time to December 2007.

Once you cut through the hee-haw, Walden is also pretty sharp when it comes to what he sees on the field. For example, I heard him after the Okie State game lament our lack of defensive line talent, especially at tackle, saying “this is the thinnest, least-talented group of defensive tackles I’ve ever seen at Washington State” and how that was “going to be a major problem this year”. He called that one didn’t he??

Now today, Walden has weighed in on where things are right now. And as always, Walden delivers:

“There’s less talent to work with here than at any time since Jim Sweeney was the coach. With so many freshmen and sophomores in the lineup, what you have, really, is a junior college team. That just isn’t going to do it at this level.”

There’s more. When asked about the job Wulff is doing, Walden broke it down in Pullman-speak:

“If you have nine guys plowing their fields with John Deere tractors and one guy is still using mules, the guys with tractors are going to do a better job and raise bigger crops. That doesn’t mean the guy with mules doesn’t know as much or isn’t working as hard or harder. The guys with tractors just have better equipment. That’s the way it is in the Pac-10. I don’t think Pete Carroll of USC could win more than two games with this bunch.”

Fair enough. Pretty clear picture isn’t it?

Thanks for keeping it real Walden. Not that the older players will really care what you say at this point, as from some of the comments and things we have heard recently paints a “who gives a $hit, who gives a f_ck” attitude by some of the supposed elders. Whatever. But Walden might be as homer-hackish sounding color guy as there is in the game, but he’s OUR homer-hack! And let’s hope he continues to call it as he sees it.

Enjoy your Tuesday, and Go Cougs.