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8 Wins has always been the Standard

 

This site is dedicated to the belief that a minimum of 8 wins a year should always be the goal for Husky Football.  Its an affirmation of our program’s rich history and tradition.  

Regardless of coach, conditions or schedule it is what we used to expect without fail.  From 1977-2003, Washington never had a losing season.  Then, after one disastrous 2004 campaign, we all somehow came to expect and demand less.   We shrugged off subsequent seasons of 2, 5 and 4 wins.  While all elite programs periodically struggle, they unabashedly demand a return to excellence.

I have been recently disappointed to hear many UW supporters and leaders say that “Six wins is good enough in 2008″ and other indications of lowered standards.  I find this unacceptable and want a simple way to show what I expect as a Husky Fan.  This is not about a coach, but about a football program that we all cherish.  I plan on wearing my button for this season and EVERY season. 

A little background

In 2007, when the Nebraska AD was fired, Tom Osbourne was hired as the interim director. He told then coach Bill Callahan that “8  wins was the standard’ and he would be fired if he did not win that many.  Nebraska won 5 games and Osbourne stayed true to his word. 

At the same time, UW’s AD Todd Turner was unwilling to state what the goal for Husky Football was.  In fact, even after Turner’s firing, neither the intermin AD Scott Woodward or President Mark Emmert will either.  As Emmert recently said, “You certainly don’t sit and say, `Well, you’ve got to have X number of wins.’  What I want to see is what every fan and coach Willingham want to see:  I want to see significant improvement in the way they play, along with improvement we’re seeing off the field.  We’re just going to let all this work out.”  

Since the University of Washington is unwilling to state what the goal for Husky football should be, we will.  

- Jeff Newell and Derek Johnson

For questions regarding the 8 Wins button, email Jeff at  8wins@live.com