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On Friday, I witnessed the greatest display of wrestling I have seen to date.

No. 4 Oklahoma State came to Laramie to duel the Cowboys (who are ranked in the national top 25 in some polls) and shellacked them 31-3.

After tonight I doubt the Cowboys gained any ground in moving up in the polls.

Though it seems like a blowout looking at the final team scores, it was actually pretty close. Six of the 10 matches were decided by 4 points or less and one match that ended by a 5-point margin was actually a fluke win for OSU’s Clayton Foster.

In front of more than 2,500 fans (the largest UW wrestling crowd ever) OSU coach and wrestling legend John Smith took his former pupil and current UW head coach Mark Branch’s version of Cowboys wrestling to task.

The ferocity of the 4-6, 111-pound Smith was intimidating. Though his tie was longer than his torso, legs and ankles, he commanded a great deal of respect. And I assume if someone doesn’t offer respect, he will put his hand down their throat and take it.

As for Branch, he is young and has a pretty good road ahead.

It was a blast to see a dual of this magnitude for Wyoming. In just his second year, Branch has a group of young wrestlers squarely in position to continue their upward movement in the national rankings in the years to come. And any ranked UW sport is pretty cool just ask… well, none come to mind, but trust me, it is probably cool.

Even if the great display of wrestling on Friday was by the Stillwater-based Cowboys, it is a pretty safe bet to say that sooner rather than later, there will be a great display put on by the Laramie-based Cowboys.

Thanks for looking.

One of the best Wyoming games I’ve ever photographed. Entering this week in Albuquerque, I was pretty sure, as were most, that Fresno State would truck the Pokes en route to a New Mexico Bowl Title. Apparently, we were wrong.

The Cowboys won a 35-28 double-overtime thriller to capture their second bowl title this decade. In scoring 35 points, Wyoming racked up their second highest total this season — the highest, appropriately enough, came in their 37-13 win against New Mexico earlier this season.

With Dave Christensen at the helm of the Pokes, I hope we can make it an annual assignment to cover a bowl game.

Thanks for taking a look.

For a minute there, I wanted to brag about my degree from Wyoming. Sadly, the most important factor in earning a degree at a major university (a bad mother of a football team) eluded me and the ‘Pokes lost to super power Texas.

Much like earlier today when I pulled a move of uber machismo and tapped my brother out like an NES controller, Texas flexed their muscle and proved why they are in the national top 5. The Cowboys fought hard on pure adrenaline and kept a close score entering halftime — 13 Texas, 10 Wyoming. But in the second half, Heisman front runner Colt McCoy put on the big boy pants and proceeded to spank Wyoming for 28 second half points.

Not that Wyoming isn’t good (they are much improved), but Texas is a monster. It was a case of Goliath against David with the swine flu . On another, more complete day, the Cowboys might have pulled the improbable. Sadly, it was left to the Bible and not reality on this day.

Overall, my prediction of the ‘Pokes has changed. I’m not going back on my word, rather, I am editing in light of new information. I have the Cowboys slated for five wins. You heard it here months after someone else probably said it, five wins.

Hopefully, the ‘Pokes reverse their fortune and win some games down the road and my brother does not.

Thanks for looking.

In my 20-plus years of living in Wyoming, I cannot remember a more heralded coach to assume the reigns of the ‘Pokes than one Dave Christensen.

The boy wizard of offense from Missouri (aka Missoura in some regions) brought a bag of tricks unlike those of the up-the-middle-one-yard-at-a-time approach by his predecessor… old what’s his name? Not coming to me right now.

Anyway, Wyoming opened said bag of trickery against Division I-AA opponent Weber State on Saturday, though it was less than magical. The Cowboys won, mind you, but it was hard-fought for three quarters and even at the very end when the game looked to be out of reach.

After the game, coach Christensen told his players to sing “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” and to do it loud because, “wins aren’t easy.”

They certainly aren’t and Wyoming knows it.

They will face two Big 12 opponents, three in-conference top-25 teams and a couple solid mid-level programs including Colorado State. From what I saw Saturday, and for the past couple years out of these players, I don’t expect the Cowboys to upend anyone they shouldn’t beat (e.g. Texas, Utah, TCU or BYU), but they may have a shot to beat some others like Florida Atlantic or Big 12 small fry Colorado.

Overall, I predict a 4-7 season. This based solely on the Harry Potter factor(s), which are the tricks and magic contained within Christensen’s play calling.

So despite the fact that the first six letters of his name spell the name of another leader of men, and the fact that he will face great adversity, let’s hope that Christensen is not crucified for not remaining unbeaten in’09.

Thanks for looking.

People outside the Thomas & Mack Center (the building in the background).

so this is it, the big time? i’m on the road with fellow wte bad boy robert gagliardi blogging from within the confines of a very nice media room at the thomas & mack center in las vegas, nev.

ah, the allure of bright lights, sunny days, and an abundance of poolside aesthetics… who can complain? certainly not this photog.

last night we met some interesting people who were also taken in by sin city. one young lovely i met brought a tear to my eye. a working gal who hails from cheyenne. we talked for hours about the virtue of the taco john’s taco bravo in comparison to its taco bell counterpart, the double decker. truly, i was enlightened.

(continue reading…)