I literally knew nobody when I drove into Moscow one August 2011 afternoon. I’d only scarcely visited and explored the town I’d call home for the next five years of my life.

The bar I was actually excited to go to all the time was CJ’s. I spent two nights there over Apple Cup 2010 weekend and fondly remember downing three Rolling Rocks in the last 10 minutes of the 7 to 11 deals.

I’d grow to love almost all the bars in Moscow, but one stuck out for me as it has for Vandals throughout the decades.

The Corner Club.

I have too many people and places in Moscow to thank for the amazing transformational time I spent there, but you don’t want to read that shit.

The Club, I have more to thank for than just keeping the river of Rainier flowing
out of the tap.

Thank you, Corner Club, for being the first place where I learned about the heritage of Vandal football, when I knew absolutely nothing about it when I first got here.

Thank you for being the first place where I bonded with my family at The Argonaut, who became the most important people in my life there.

Thank you for teaching me the words to the fight song.

Thank you for being a place to chill on Sunday afternoon and do homework, even though I never did homework.

Thanks for having free wifi so I could send all those Tweets I deeply regret sending.

Thank you for being the one place where people recognized me as the Vandal Nation guy.

Thank you for being a place where I could relate with the athletes I covered.

Thank you for being there for me the first night I came back from fucking North Dakota.

Thank you for being the first place, that very night, where I met the Brazilian exchange students in Moscow who would make my last two years in Idaho an incredible experience.

Thank you for being the place where Ivan Lewis bought me and my best friends Tubs the night before the 2012 Apple Cup.

Thank you for being there for me to drink away my sorrows after the 2012 Apple Cup.

Thank you for letting Mike Iupati buy me and everybody else tubs during his bye week.

Thank you for giving Cooper his job back after he came back from Seattle.

Thank you for having 2Chainz on your Jukebox.

Thank you for helping to get me laid.

Thank you for teaching me how to play shuffle board.

Thanks for getting me drunk enough to be able to survive our two miraculous NFC Championship Game wins.

Thank you for putting on all those soccer games during the Women’s World Cup and Champions League.

Did I thank you for all of the Rainier? Thanks for the Rainier.

Thanks, Club. I’ll be back soon.