Huskies vs. Cougars, Sixkiller vs. Thompson

New guy here. Let's be real: We all know I'm too green to reflect on the charm of the Apple Cup, since Saturday will be my first excursion into the great rivalry.

So I'm not here today to share any bold opinions. Two quarterbacking legends are, however. Sonny Sixkiller will represent Washington. Jack Thompson, the Throwin' Samoan, will represent Washington State. It's just a little friendly trash-talking from two men who respect each other despite their competitive fire.

Of course, I have to instigate a little with my questions.

Gentleman, shake hands. And, please, hit below the belt.

Multiple choice. Let's say you witnessed a robbery, would a true Husky/Cougar...

A) Call the police and report exactly what he saw

B) Blame the rival

C) Blame the rival and say the rival had a loaded firearm, ensuring the rival would do 15-20 in the slammer

Sixkiller: I'd say A.

Thompson: B. Hey, people can take a joke, right? That's not totally vindictive.

What's the best thing you can say about your rival?

Thompson: Sonny Sixkiller and Warren Moon. That's it.

Sixkiller: They're in Pullman. You know where that's at? You go east until you smell it and south until you step in it.

Show your school pride, either with a joke about the rival or a great statement about your program.

Thompson: Here's my all-time favorite Cougar line, by Dan Lynch, an All-American tackle in 1984: There are four important stages in your life. You were born, you play the Huskies, you get married, and you die.

Sixkiller: The best Cougar joke I've heard: May I take your order? That's clean, real simple.

What's the Apple Cup mean to you?

Sixkiller: First of all, I think it's a great competition. It's fun because I have Cougar friends, and we get to have fun with it. I have a couple of friendly bets. The most unique thing is, you never know who's going to win, no matter the point spread.

Thompson: Living here in Seattle, in the shadows of Husky Stadium, over the years I've taken a lot of grief. It's an opportunity for guys in crimson and gray to shut these guys in purple and gold up for a year. And when we win, it works.

Multiple choice. If you woke up to a closet with only crimson and gray (or purple and gold) clothes, a true Husky/Cougar would

A) Burn them.

B) Wear some of them and act crazy for a few days, just to make the enemy look foolish.

C) Sell them to unsuspecting rival fans and laugh all the way to the bank.

Sixkiller: C. Oh, definitely.

Thompson: A. With no hesitation.

Is Jack Thompson a legend?

Sixkiller: Yeah, I would say yes. I like Jack, No. 1. He's a great family guy. What he accomplished was great for his heritage. He grew up a Husky fan, you know.

Is Sonny Sixkiller a legend?

Thompson: Yes. People don't realize it, but Sonny was my idol. All kidding aside, he was it for me. He showed me, if he could do it, I could do it. He was one of the driving forces in my life.

Is Sonny Sixkiller a greater legend than you?

Thompson: I won't go that far.

Is Jack Thompson a greater legend than you?

Sixkiller: Hell no. Despite all those good things, I just can't agree with that.

Does a true Husky's/Cougar's greatest game imaginable involve the rival? Please explain.

Sixkiller: No. I think there are some games of more national prominence that, if we're successful in them, would take more precedence over the Cougar game. Like the national championship.

Thompson: Yep. I would have to say if I had the great fortune of beating the Huskies that would've ranked right up there. Unfortunately, I got tagged three times by those guys.

Give me a guilty pleasure involving your rival.

Thompson: My worshipping of Sonny and my friendship with Warren. I have been a fan of Lorenzo Romar's. I've been a friend of coach Don James for years. That would be sacrilegious in Cougar Nation, but you know what? It is what it is. And Jim Lambright. I hated how the Huskies treated him in the end. A Cougar would've never treated one of their own like that.

Sixkiller: Mike Price and Bill Doba. Good guys. Good coaches. I genuinely feel good things about those guys.

What is your fondest Apple Cup memory?

Sixkiller: Playing the game as a sophomore in Spokane. It was cold, minus-whatever degrees. And we won. When I think of the Apple Cup, I think of that game, when it was so freakin' cold in Spokane.

Thompson: Throwing for five touchdowns my sophomore year.

What is your worst Apple Cup memory?

Thompson: Throwing five picks my senior year.

Sixkiller: Three things. First, when Chuck Nelson missed a field goal in Pullman (in 1982) after not missing one all year. I couldn't believe it. And losing to them my senior year. And third, watching the Cougars run around Husky Stadium after qualifying for the Rose Bowl (in 1997).

What would be an appropriate epitaph for a fallen Husky?

Sixkiller: Once a Dawg, always a Dawg. Win, lose or draw.

Thompson: Here lies a man that wore butt-ugly colors. A guy with bad taste. He wore purple and gold.

What would be an appropriate epitaph for a fallen Cougar?

Thompson: Here lies a guy with great taste.

Sixkiller: They tried. They won. They lost. They tied. But they still got stuck in those ugly uniforms.

Any way you might change the rivalry for the better?

Sixkiller: Whoever wins the game, the losing fraternities and sororities have to wear the other school's colors the Monday after the game. It's just to get more student involvement. I guess we could also try to cage Butch the Cougar. He gets a little annoying.

Thompson: Yeah, the Huskies have this one guy, Captain Husky. He dresses up, wears a cape. He's the most obnoxious guy around. When they're on a roll, the arrogance flows. Kick him out of the rivalry. Either that, or let me hit him upside the head with a football. I'd let him try to catch the ball, but he's probably uncoordinated.

What's the scenario of your wildest dreams for Saturday?

Thompson: The Cougars shut out the Huskies and beat them so much so that my son (Tony, a WSU tight end and long snapper) could play. It would be nice for the offense to score enough points for my son to get on the field with the offense and have a chance to catch a ball. He's pretty good at it.

Sixkiller: First of all, I hope we can run the football. Second of all, I hope our quarterback is healthy the entire game. They're not real wild, but for us they are. I also hope it ends with Michael Braunstein kicking a field goal at the end.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com