Ready or not, Alex Brink is going to break Jason Gesser’s passing record, and there’s a real chance he’ll do it this weekend. He’s now a mere 276 yards away from Gesser. Talk about a surreal scene if, say, sometime in the 4th quarter when we’re down 42-16, an announcement comes over the PA that Alex Brink has now passed the Cougar legend. What do you think the crowd will do when that happens?
Personally, to save the embarrassment for Brink, I hope he doesn’t break it this weekend. I hope he does it the following week at Oregon, and it’s merely a footnote from the game story. For reasons that would take weeks to explain, Brink has been the whipping boy for the program, period. He’s been ripped to shreds since he became the starter over Swogger, and while it occasionally faded, it always comes back into the debate after yet another disappointing loss.
Here’s a kid that was recruited by Boise State and Eastern WA, and was ignored in his own backyard in Oregon and all other Pac-10 schools for that matter. He’s not a tools guy, never has been and never will be, but he’s tough, efficient and smart. But even as he’s set to break all the school records, he’s just not “big-time” enough. I think it’s as simple as that. And to be a winner in the Pac-10, eventually the rubber hits the road and the elite talent separates from the mediocre. While Brink’s tools have been closer to Jason Gesser than Leaf, Bledsoe or even Rosie, let’s be honest – our homecoming fans are fed-up, tired of losing and downright pissed at the current state of affairs of the football team. And yeah, what fans that actually go to the game this weekend will be pretty drunk on Saturday, as is typical for a homecoming crowd (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). What do YOU THINK they’ll do when that record falls?? It could be a very, very embarrassing moment for our program when about 3/4th’s of the crowd rains down boos when that record falls. Of course, they’ll probably just spin it and say they weren’t booing, they were chanting “Brink, Brink, Brink”. Well, ok, not Brink, maybe “Frank Madu, Frank Madu, Frank Madu…..”
Brink isn’t such a bad guy. I know I wrote earlier this year something about why he’s never endeared himself to our hearts, and that something was just missing. Whether it’s his personality, or the blandness of his quotes or the lack of the signature win, something has been missing. But the Arizona Star ran a story last week about Brink that’s interesting. Actually I always find it a good read when a reporter from another school provides an outside-looking-in story about a player like Brink, someone we think we know so well. You don’t always hear about the GPA, or the senior thesis on racism, or so much charity work that the school can’t even keep track of it all. Stuff like that helps you see the forest as well as the trees, and sometimes an outside perspective is important in the grand scheme.
Meanwhile, Doba and Sterk are quoted today as saying 1) yes, Doba’s on thin ice, and 2) No WAY will Doba quit. I’m just glad that Sterk came out and said publically that yes, we are concerned, and he’ll be evaluated after the season (translation – a 2 or 3-win season and he’s out of here). And how can anyone be surprised that Doba would say no way would he quit? What’s he going to say at this point? Yes, I’m sick of this too and I want to quit?? Not only not is it in his DNA to quit when the going gets tough, but if he said something to the effect that he is going to quit now, the lid is sealed on a 2-win season. Let’s face it, the damage is already done, he’s lost this team and they are likely going to lose out, but for him to actually admit he’s thinking about stepping aside would make this train wreck of a season even harder on the eyes.
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