Sidelines

Here is a press release I received about the renovation of Husky Stadium. The Washington football team will be playing the 2012 season at Qwest Field, along with next year’s Apple Cup. The Huskies will start playing in the New Husky Stadium in 2013:

SEATTLE – At its Thursday meeting, the University of Washington Board of Regents approved a $250 million renovation of Husky Stadium, to be completed by the start of the 2013 UW football season.  The renovation’s funding model includes no public, state or university contributions, and the UW department of Intercollegiate Athletics will be responsible for all funding.

“We are pleased that the Board of Regents has given us the approval to move forward with the renovation,” UW athletic director Scott Woodward said.  “The approval allows us to take the next steps in a project which is vital to the success of our football program and our department.”

The renovation will restore iconic Husky Stadium to one of the finest college football venues in the country.  Plans include the complete demolition and reconstruction of the lower bowl and southside upper stands.  The track will be removed, and the field lowered four feet to bring seating closer to the playing surface and improve sightlines.  A state-of-the-art football operations facility including team meeting rooms, recruiting facilities and coaches offices will be incorporated into the west side of the stadium.  Premium seating opportunities, including 25 suites, 25 loge boxes, and over 2,500 club seats, will be built into the facility.  Overall seating capacity is expected to remain similar to the current capacity.

“We are very excited about the renovation of Husky Stadium,” Steve Sarkisian, UW head football coach, said.  “An enhanced fan experience, while still embracing the great tradition it holds, will all be part of making our football program more competitive.”

UW ICA will use 30-year bonds to cover the project’s $250 million cost.  Under the funding model approved by the Board of Regents, UW ICA will raise $50 million through major gift donations and generate the remaining $200 million through new revenues associated with the stadium including naming rights, increased Tyee season ticket revenue, and premium seating opportunities.

During the renovation, UW will play its 2012 home football season, and the November 26, 2011, Apple Cup game against Washington State at Qwest Field.

First and Goal will serve as the host of the 2011 Apple Cup, pricing and consigning tickets to UW to sell with first priority to their season ticket holders.  Any unsold tickets will then be returned to First and Goal, who will open sales to the general public and assume any financial risk associated with hosting the game.  The other six UW home games in the 2011 season will be played at Husky Stadium.  UW’s 2012 home season in Qwest provides a different financial arrangement, with the university pricing, allocating and selling all season and single-game tickets and providing a fee to First and Goal for usage costs associated with the event.

Todd Beamer High School senior Broc Johnson is one shot off the lead at the Class 4A State Boys Golf Tournament in the Tri-Cities. Johnson, who finished second at the 2008 state tournament, fired an opening-round 70 at the Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick.

Woodinville’s Jarrett Foote and Bellarmine Prep’s James Feutz lead after the first day. Both shot matching 69s.

Jefferson’s Erik Jarvey is the only other Federal Way school district boy to make the cut after the opening round. Jarvey shot a 79 and sits in 38th place.

On the girls’ side, Decatur’s Amanda Beyke shot an opening-round 74 to sit six shots off the lead. Jefferson’s Alexus Song (77) and Decatur’s Stacy Blunt also made the cut in the Tri-Cities.

The second and final rounds will be played Wednesday, May 26.

They touch gloves and are ready to get it on for the WEC lightweight championship.

they start by felling each other out in the middle of the ring. A quick kick by Ceronne knocked Henderson to the ground, but he gets back up and traps Cerrone in the corner.

Henderson starts throwing a flurry of knees into Cerrone’s head and midsection. Henderson then takes Cerrone down and starts a little ground and pound. He then mounts Cerrone and puts on a hugely tight guillotine choke and he taps out early in the first round.

“As i said guys I can do all things through Christ, can I get an amen,” Henderson said.

The win erases all the controversy from the split decision in their first first in October. Henderson was definitely the better fighter tonight.

“Hats off to him,” Cerrone said. “He is a great, great fighter.”

Cerrone walks out to the ring with his trademark cowboy hat and Kid Rock’s “Cowboy” bumping on the PA system inside the Arco Arena.

On the other hand, Henderson comes out to his customary gospal hip-hop music. The devout Christian always comes out to gospal music. Henderson looks pumped, yelling at the crowd and pointing to the sky.

WEC 48 is currently taking a 15-minute break before the final two fights of the evening. Just walked into Henderson’s locker room and the Decatur grad looks as relaxed as a human being can be.

He was rolling around on a mat, getting ready for “The Cowboy.” Henderson says that he is ready for another war tonight with Cerrone. He said at yesterday’s weigh-in that he is ready to fight seven, five-minute rounds tonight.

As a championship bout, the Henderson-Cerrone match will only go five, five-minute rounds, if it goes the distance. So Henderson’s 10-extra minutes of cardio should treat him very well if the fight doesn’t end in a knockout or submission early.

So, if the bout goes to the judges after five rounds, I wuold give the edge to Henderson. But Cerrone is no slouch with his cardio either. He has went the distance in several matches during his career, including the five-rounder he lost by decision to Henderson in October.

We will see…They will settle it in the octagon and I will be here cage side with the results.

Everything about WEC 48 is loud and I mean everything.

The pre- and post-fight music is loud. The T-shirts that most of the 15,000 people in attendance are wearing are loud. The mohawks and hair color that a lot of people are sporting are loud. The bedazzled jean pockets rollnig around Arco Arena are loud.

But the loudest thing in the arena has to be the fans. The energy in the building is ridiculous.

This is my first-ever time covering a mixed martial arts event and the whole aura surrounding the festivities is ridiculous.

The music is blasting, the strobe and spot lights are rolling around the 15,000-seat arena like it’s a dance floor and the fans are cheering louder than any Seahawks game. They are literally going crazy with anticipation before, during and after each fight.

Now I know what the Colleseum in Rome was like during the time of the gladiators. I’m expecting the announcer to say, in this corner, Maximus, and then a lion to come out from underneath the ring.

But that just means that the UFC and WEC officials know how to give the fans what they want. It’s the WWE without the script. Every sense in your entire body is touched by the show’s production value.

It’s literally like a concert in between each fight. No down time for the fans at all. I’m having a hard time even finding time to hit the bathroom because the media room is filled with Amp Energy drinks.

Ben Henderson isn’t the only Western Washington fighter competing tonight at WEC 48 inside Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is fighting England’s Brad “One Punch” Pickett in one of the numerous undercard matches. Johnson is fighting out of Kirkland. The 5-foot-3, 135-pounder came int0 the night with a perfect 10-0 MMA record and has earned the reputation as one of the sport’s top prospects.

The Johnson and Pickett fight of the night, so far. But Pickett handed Johnson his first-ever defeat. The win moved Pickett to 20-4 and dropped Johnson to 10-1. The two fought a very high-intensity match, but the more experienced Pickett just had too much for Johnson.

Only five more preliminary fights until Ben Henderson defends his lightweight championship. Stay tuned.,.

The atmosphere inside Arco Arena is already electric. There are 11 total bouts scheduled in Sacramento, which should equal out to about six hours of total fighting.

Henderson and Cerrone will fight the second to last match of the night. The main event is scheduled to be Urijah Faber against Jose Aldo. Faber “The California Kid” is from Sacramento and is the main reason why the 15,000-seat arena is sold out.

But Aldo is the WEC’s 145-pound champion and one of the most dominant fighters currently in the world.

More to come…

Tyler Toner beat Brandon Visher in the opening match of the night with a TKO 2:36 into the first round. In the second match of the night Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki beat Brazil’s Rani Yahya by a unanimous decision.