When in Wazzu

Story and photos by Joe Connor, our eco-friendly road trip correspondent.

Where can you find some of the best game day sports bars in the Pac-10 to throw back a few before kickoff? How about Pullman, Wash. OK, OK, OK, now, I know what you're thinking, "Joe, stinking Washington State, are you kidding? Has the exhaust from the veggie mobile caused you to lose your sensibilities, dude?"

Well, yes, of course, only a freak of nature would drive a car running on cooking oil across the fruited plain to football games all season long. But, no, there truly are a couple of cool (well, there's only two really total) sports bars in Pullman. Yes, Pullman.

"This is Siberia, man," Oregon Ducks fan Jeff Betts exclaims. "We drove six hours to get here. Six hours. But this is one of the best places in the Pac-10 to come in and get a beer before the game."

Betts, and his Duck buddy, Dave Martin, should know. They've been to practically every Oregon away game in the Pac-10. And they also know that in Pullman it's best to tailgate inside – as opposed to among Cougars fans. Two years ago Betts and Martin were walking on campus in their ducky green and yellow when a female student drove up alongside them, rolled down the window of her car and proceeded to say three words to them…

"[Bleep] the Ducks," Betts recalls. "Then she just drove off."

Ah, yes, Pullman. Redneck country. Farm boys. Wheat fields. Where Cryin' Ryan Leaf had a spectacular collegiate career only to become the NFL's biggest flop. Pullman – home of the worst football stadium in the Pac-10 and an even worse football team in '08. And some really blunt fans of both sexes.

But there's "The Coug," a cool little bar on game day with plenty of talent inside and about as much legroom as the East L.A. interchange at rush hour. And then there's Stubblefield's, set in an old brick schoolhouse about 90 times bigger than "The Coug," but no less charming.

Stubblefield's isn't named after any player, but rather to the area surrounding Pullman. L.A. has Hollywood and the beaches, Stanford has a picture-postcard campus and Pullman has, well, wheat -- fields, that is. Every which way you turn: wheat, wheat -- and a whole lot more wheat. You see, after wheat is harvested, it's cut, resulting in "stubbles."

The Coug and Stubblefield's is where fans come before and after the game, including the players – and the major hotties. Some four former WSU beauties who graced Playboy once waited at Stubblefield's. Even the university president has stopped by. And they sure know how to party here at Washington State. After all, no Cougar alum had a more memorable stage dive than ex-WSU QB Drew Bledsoe when he did his best Jim Morrison imitation at the Commonwealth in Boston back in his Patriots days.

And I haven't ever mentioned Denny's – or the prices here.

Parking at a Cal frat house? $50. Parking near a WSU frat? $5.

WSU game program? $4.

"And here at Denny's you can get a pitcher of beer at 8 in the morning for three dollars," Betts adds. "Where else can get that except Vegas?"

Cougar fans had plenty of time to throw back a few at the neighborhood watering holes Saturday against the Ducks. At the end of the first quarter, WSU students were high-fiving in the west end zone. Never mind they were losing, 21-0, and would go to get blitzed, 67-14. I guess the high-fives were a realization that the Cougars may not win another game at home this season at Martin Stadium, so the students might as well amuse themselves. Or go to Denny's and buy a three-dollar pitcher.

-- Joe Connor

Comments

[Ruby Street Coug]

Pullman rocks, hey no drive by buys or crack dealers. WSU unlike most of the other schools have fans that went to college. UO and USC can't say that

[Kevin Patterson]

Hi Joe. Thanks for visiting Pullman and for your kind words about where to get a beer. While it is true that Coug fans enjoy pre-game beers as much as anyone, there are a few other things to do as well. For example, while you were wasting your time talking to Duck fans, I was on the new golf course, Palouse Ridge, enjoying another spectacular sunny September day. Afterwards, we parked on campus, walked up Terrell Mall to the newly remodeled Compton Union Building, bought a few souvenirs -- including some delicious Cougar Gold cheese made right on campus -- and then headed to Martin Stadium. A lot of other folks were tailgating or having a bite to eat and a couple of beers or soft drinks in the fieldhouse, adjacent to the stadium. It's a fun place! You are correct that Martin Stadium the smallest in the Pac-10 but it is also right in the heart of campus and is in the midst of a major remodeling and expansion. Guess you didn't hear about that because you were talking to Duck fans. Yes, this year's team is bad but Cougars are an optimistic lot and we look forward to getting back to the top tier of the Pac 10 in two or three years. In the meantime, we will continue to drive through the rich, rolling, golden hills of the Palouse to support our Cougs. We keep coming back because it is an outstanding university that is located in one of the great college towns in America. We hope you come back. And this time, how about talking to a few Cougs?

[Michelle]

Stubblefields is more commonly known as "Mike's" as that was the name of it before they changed ownership...for the next time you make the trek. There is one other campus bar you missed called Valhalla kind of a good mix of the coug and Mike's. And in a year, our student union building will have a full bar right in the middle of campus.

I was expecting worse than the typical wheat field references. Thanks for coming!

[Lee]

A couple of corrections for you...

1st, Martin Stadium isn't the 'worst' stadium in the conference, just the smallest. We don't have a track between the field and stands.

2nd, the high-fives were for keeping alive the 2nd longest scoring streak in the nation, behind Michigan. The Cougs haven't been shut out since Ohio State did that to us in '84. Our last conference shut-out was against the Beavs in '76. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_consecutive_games_scoring_(NCAA_football)

[Matt Hudson]

Great article on one of the most underrated college towns in America. Worth the roadtrip and definately go to the Coug, one of the best college bars around. They know their team sucks and they really don't seem to mind.