Washington pride has a missing link

Online polls are supposed to be good for the soul when you hold home-court advantage.

However, when the University of Washington Alumni Assn. website posed the question “Who has more pride -- Huskies or Cougars?” the Huskies were thrown for a loss.

As of Friday, with more than 291,000 votes cast, Washington State was winning the survey with 58.1% of the vote.

“This is hilarious,” Washington State student body president Zach Wurtz told the Seattle Times. “They are getting beat on their own website.”

Rally cry needs some work

Perhaps fearing the worst, the Huskies’ site took a decidedly hangdog approach to the poll, saying by way of introduction: “We all know that UW alumni are proud of their education and their school.

“However, alumni of WSU can be more demonstrative than Huskies. During the 2005 Apple Cup week, WSU voters outpolled UW voters in a pride contest and the Space Needle was painted with the Cougar logo.

“WSU alumni have purchased more license plates with their school logo than all of the alumni of the state’s other four-year institutions combined.”

When you put it like that, what else can you say except: Go Huskies!

Trivia time

Washington State has had two quarterbacks taken in the top 10 of the NFL draft since 1990. Name them.

He’s always had a point on Lakers

Time can move slowly between Lakers defeats, so NBA TV analyst Gail Goodrich decided to fill some of it by picking a top-10 list of Lakers celebrity fans.

Joining Goodrich on NBA.com’s “blue ribbon panel” were NBA photographer Andrew Bernstein and Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer Bobby Colomby, a longtime Lakers fan. Their first two selections were predictable -- Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon -- followed by a third-place tie between Red Hot Chili Peppers teammates Anthony Kiedis and Flea.

Flea could have placed higher, but no doubt hurt his chances by writing on his NBA.com blog, “I was wrong about [the Lakers] this year.... I honestly believed, earlier in the season, that they were at the same level with Dallas and Phoenix. But I was wrong.”

Week 10 power rankings

This was the week the Pittsburgh Penguins mulled the slogan, “What happens in Pittsburgh moves to Vegas ... “

1. Dallas Mavericks: Who will eventually stop them? Tonight, they play the Lakers. Who will eventually stop them?

2. Bears: Cal has defeated UCLA in the Pacific Life Pac-10 tournament. Chicago has traded Thomas Jones to the New York Jets for two draft picks. That’s the advantage of a Berkeley education.

3. David Beckham: If nothing else this summer, he’ll lead the league in insurance policies.

4. Tom Brady: Brazilian website report claims Tomcat has found a way to remain one step ahead of Matt Leinart.

5. Kobe Bryant: Suspended for trying to create a foul. Oh, wait. That was Gary Matthews Jr.

6. Gary Matthews Jr.: Not the first Angels outfielder to remain silent when others wanted him to talk. And right now, George Hendrick is helping the team just as much as Matthews.

7. John Rocker: Rocker shocker! He knows how to spell “HGH.”

8. Avengers: They rank 14th in ESPN.com Arena Football power rankings.

Next, ESPN.com to debut inter-office Nerf basketball power rankings.

9. Buffalo Bills: They’ve already had Willis McGahee, London Fletcher and Nate Clements jump to other teams. Bills supporters blame human loss hormone.

10. Evans, Cook, Bynum, Vujacic, Parker: With Bryant, Odom, Walton, Radmanovic and Turiaf out, worst starting lineup in Lakers history loses big to Milwaukee. The dawn of Nobody Showed Time.

Trivia answer

Drew Bledsoe was drafted No. 1 overall by the New England Patriots in 1993 and Ryan Leaf No. 2 overall by the San Diego Chargers in 1998.

And finally

Two goals by Vancouver Canucks winger Jeff Cowan during a victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday prompted an unusual show of support by the home crowd. One fan celebrated Cowan’s second goal by throwing a bra onto the GM Place ice.

Once known as “Cowboy,” Cowan was immediately refitted with a new nickname: “Cowan the Bra-barian.”

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