Purple Reign Vs. Purple Haze -- '90 Huskies Revive Memories Of '84

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dan Eernissee, a center on the 1984 University of Washington Orange Bowl team, looks at the 1990 Husky team. Eernissee, 29, teaches part-time at Seattle Pacific University's School of Religion and is associate pastor at Sunrise Christian Fellowship at Northgate.

A friend came to me, attempting to dab a tear from the corner of his eye. His manner was serious as he leaned forward to speak.

``Dan,'' he almost whispered, ``I had a bad day at work recently, so I decided to sit down and watch my video of the '85 Orange Bowl again. By the end of the first quarter, I was a new man.''

His face blossomed into a smile as he added, ``We schoonered those Sooners, didn't we?''

Yep, we sure did.

Our oft-maligned offense ran over the best rush defense in the country; our Purple Reign defense stormed the Oklahoma offense. Coach Don James was crowned king of the coaches, as he guided his Huskies to their best season ever at 11-1, and a No. 2 national ranking.

I know. I was at the center of the action.

But that was six years ago. Now the apple of everyone's eye is the 1990 Husky team.

And it deserves to be.

Balanced, powerful, spectacular. One has to return to the days of the Pac-8 to recall similar domination of the league.

Aside from slipping against a surprising UCLA team, the Huskies have waltzed through the Pac-10 like no UW team before.

So here I sit, composing my definitive answer to the onslaught of questions I have attempted to field this year:

``Hey, Dan, they're even better than you, aren't they?''

``Think they'd beat the '84 team?''

``Is Purple Haze going to make us forget Purple ever reigned?''

I hate to compare the '90 Huskies with my '84 squad.

Granted, comparisons are all part of the competitive arena. But comparisons in college football never seem to satisfy.

I'd rather just watch. I mean that. The 1990 Huskies are beautiful.

Doctors of football enthusiasts around the country should be building a library of tapes showing the 1990 Huskies dismantling opponents: the perfect elixir for what ails you.

``Doc, it's my head! It feels like a hammer right here. What? UW vs. Arizona!? Sure, I guess, but I don't see how. . . .''

(Click . . . whirrrr . . .)

``Wow, would you look at that! Hey, the headache's gone! Thanks, Doc!''

Or maybe this, in the psychiatrist's office:

``I don't know what's gotten into me. I feel defeated. I feel lethargic. I can't get myself out of my chair. The rich get all the breaks! They get richer, I get poorer! I feel like . . . oh, I don't know. What's the use?''

The doctor sagely responds, ``Mr. Smith, I want you to imagine yourself in a UW football uniform, purple jersey, gold pants. Your number is 90, and your name is Emtman. Have you got that? Good. Now keep visualizing that as I turn on a video of you playing USC'' (click . . . whirrrr...)

``Now, isn't that lovely, Mr. Smith? . . . Mr. Smith! . . . Please, Mr. Smith . . . put the couch down, Mr. Smith!!! . . . shoot, where'd I put my whistle?''

From my vantage point in the Fun Zone, I watched as Washington ran over and around and through a talented Arizona team. I was awed, as I had been at the USC game earlier in the year. I almost started to cry.

More than once I've gotten tears in my eyes listening to Handel's Messiah or the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The Huskies are like that this year; it's a silly comparison, maybe, but I can't think of a better way to describe them.

Even the UCLA game was, in a sense, beautiful. It introduced a truly tragic element reminiscent of Greek theater.

As you wipe a tear from your eyes, consider this:

Don't the Huskies look like they're enjoying football this year? Doesn't it look like fun to play like they do? Don't you want to play, too?

Forget for a minute the one-sided scores, the records, the Pac-10 championship. This team is living life on the field like we want to live it. Isn't it glorious?

In 1984, we did that, too, on our way to a 11-1 and No. 2 national ranking. In a way, I was too close to see it at the time. But too many people remember the Orange Bowl champs for me to be wrong.

By the end of the year, we didn't care if our opponent was undefeated or 0-9. It was simply a privilege to play on that team.

I've sensed the same character in the 1990 team.

If you're listening, Huskies, thanks for a magnificent season.

Have the time of your life at the Rose Bowl. It will do us all good.