Will These Dogs Ever Bark Again

West Coast college basketball really needs the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Washington Huskies to start playing basketball games again.

For now it is not going to happen and maybe more telling, he might not happen for a long, long time.

The last meeting between the Bulldogs and Huskies was 2007. At that time, the Zags had won 8 of the last 10 meetings, but dominance did not end the series.

What did end the series is the still simmering feud between head coaches Lorenzo Romar and Mark Few. It all started with the recruiting of Josh Heytvelt, as everyone knows who wound up at Gonzaga. The Huskies got in trouble over the recruiting and all fingers were pointed at Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, for turning the Huskies in to the NCAA.

Feuds happen all the time in college basketball, especially with the ever intense recruiting battles that go on each and every day.

But continuing feuds are bad for everyone and in this case it is all of college basketball that loses out. Without question Gonzaga and Washington are two of the top five basketball programs on the west coast. They both have national prominence almost every year and they live in a state that has a city, Seattle, that produces and will continue to produce some of the best high school basketball talent in the United States.

A recent proposal by the Huskies was to play a three game series and each year play the games at Key Arena. Not even close to a fair proposal, but to get this feud ended, it has to start somewhere. I have an even better proposal, which would bring in plenty of money, get this rivalry going again and is fair to both schools.

How about one game in Spokane, one game in Seattle and one game in Vancouver B.C. Don't kid yourself, there are plenty of great basketball fans in Canada, they might not even riot after the game and Canada continues to produce some very good players, as both Washington and Gonzaga rosters in the past can attest too.

At some point this bitter feud has to end and someone has to budge. Some say both schools don't need each other as opponents to be a success. What I say to that is that no two schools are bigger than the game, the game of basketball needs Gonzaga and Washington to play again and it is time for differences to be set aside and make it happen.

Both sides can continue to be selfish, deprive lots of people of enjoyment and great basketball, but in the long run all that brings is for both sides to look totally foolish to anyone and everyone who cares and there are plenty that do care this rivalry starts again, heated or not.

I am always amazed how people in sports do not look at the big picture, in this case they don't even look out the window and across the great state of Washington. It is time to settle the differences and take the high road. Don't hold your breath.