Apple of discord: WSU, UW not bickering over bottled emotions

Washington Coach Rick Neuheisel said yesterday he thinks there should be neither an overreaction nor an underreaction to the bottle-throwing incident that resulted in a near-melee after the conclusion of Saturday's Apple Cup.

And that appears so far to be the tack that administrators at both schools are taking. UW Athletic Director Barbara Hedges said she considers the incident a "dead issue" though she expects at some point to talk to Washington State AD Jim Sterk.

WSU officials, meanwhile, said no immediate meetings concerning the incident are planned, though the Cougars do have an annual review involving all game-management constituencies — including police and fire personnel — scheduled within two weeks.

"We've kind of told all the groups, 'Do some introspection, look at what you could have done better, review in your mind whatever happened,' " said John David Wicker, WSU's director of event and facility operations. "We'll talk about it at the postseason meeting."

When they do, they might want to discuss what Neuheisel called the "human nightmare" that he thinks helped lead to the incident.

"It really is a logistical problem there because of where you are trying to exit the stadium, and then trying to get to your locker room," Neuheisel said. He was referring to the fact that players leave through a tunnel that leads to an area where players run into contact with fans before reaching the locker room.

"There are just so many people who can get to you and give you what they are thinking that it just becomes a human nightmare from the standpoint that you just can't control it, because there's no way to keep people from getting there," Neuheisel said.

The Huskies were celebrating the win on the field, apparently peacefully, for about 15 to 20 minutes when bottles began flying out of the WSU student section. Eyewitnesses estimated 50 to 100 bottles were thrown. A number of people were hit, including fans, journalists and UW players.

One water bottle hit UW receiver Reggie Williams in the back of the head, causing Williams to turn toward the student section before being restrained by teammate Tim Galloway.

Williams said yesterday he wasn't hurt.

"Some people around me thought I could be in danger, but I didn't really feel I was," Williams said.

A photographer then caught Williams making an obscene gesture toward the WSU students. Williams said that was merely his attempt to let the bottle-throwers know what he thought of their actions.

"You can't do anything physically," Williams said. "That would be stupid."

There were several reports that some UW players and students threw bottles back into the stands. But Neuheisel said he did not feel his team was to blame for what happened.

"It wasn't our players," Neuheisel said. "They were out there playing and going through the tunnel, and stuff gets thrown. I don't know how you say that's on the players."

It is the second straight week a UW on-field celebration has turned controversial. Some Oregon fans took offense at how the Huskies celebrated on Autzen Stadium's field after beating the Ducks. But Neuheisel said he sees nothing wrong with the celebrations.

"After winning an emotional game like that, (the players) wanted to enjoy the moment," Neuheisel said. "There were a number of fans who raced onto the field to enjoy it with us. There were also some fans who were disappointed who were also on the field, and that always leads to conflict. When you've got people who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum emotionally in tight quarters, there is going to be conflict."

Wicker said the combination of students possibly sneaking in alcohol and bottles in cold-weather gear and the abrupt and controversial end to the game each played a part in the aftermath.

"I've been here two years and we really haven't had any problems whatsoever with any type of crowd control," Wicker said. "This was out of the ordinary for what we've seen the last couple of years."

Wicker described the scene as "maybe 100 to 150 students out of 8,000 (throwing objects). It's that very small minority that can make everyone else look really bad."

"Our students start throwing, the bottles land, and then a handful of Huskies throw them back. Then more come out of that crowd and more go back. It was definitely unfortunate."

Wicker says alcoholic beverages and glass and metal containers — except for Thermos containers that hold a liter or less — are not allowed into the stadium. Soda or water in plastic containers is allowed and sold at concession stands.

Bags are searched, although some journalists have been admitted this year without having their computer bags checked.

Wicker said the cold-weather clothing makes complete searches more difficult.

"You can't pat people down," he said. "Students are creative on how they get things in. We've seen taped Ziploc baggies to the inside of their pants."

After the bottles were thrown, Wicker said, officers moved into the student section.

With WSU students on Thanksgiving break this week and many staff people — including Sterk — also away, there are no meetings taking place as a direct result of the incidents.

The Cougars do, however, have an annual review involving all game-management constituencies — including police and fire personnel — scheduled within two weeks.

WSU has no more home games. Within the season, game-management personnel meet on Wednesdays before games to discuss problems.

Wicker and WSU assistant AD Rod Commons said security is increased routinely for the Apple Cup, both in police and crowd-management personnel.