There's no other way to look at it but as a success

It is being reported that the Hawks have signed Leroy Hill to a 6 year deal. Keeping the linebacking corp intact, with Tatupu and now Curry. I personally look at the offseason as a success. How cant you. Added 2 lineman, a hard hitting corner, top notch receiver, and drafted the best athelete in the draft. Not to mention gaining another first round pick next year. Kudos go out to the front office.

Nicely done Hawks. Now there's just one thing to do, go out and crack some heads

See boys and girls, this is what happens

When you have the world at your fingertips, decide that everything else is more important than your craft, and spend months destroying it.

Yes, he's back. Sponsorless, an frankly, it shows.

Good god someone get that man a tailor

If I had it my way (just some thoughts)..........

If I had the sports world my way:

The words "Mike Vick" would not be brought up in conversation or topics again

The NBA would go away. Ok, how bout they introduce the 2 minute penalty like in hockey instead of 5 fouls, and there is a 2 for sissy fouls. I want a MMA fight to break out between Yao Ming and Tim Duncan. That would be money.

Someone would shove Sean Avery's dome through the boards and he wouldn't be allowed to play anymore.

The Detroit Red Wings would suffer the same fate as the rest of the auto industry in Michigan and fold.

The NHL would introduce cheerleaders with NFL type uni's on the ice, if you catch my drift

Did I mention the NBA would go away?

Seattle would host a Superbowl, and it would rain like a mofo.

I wouldn't hear things like, a major league baseball player can't play a night/day game, or a double header. They need to rest. WTF.

MLB would have a salary cap, not this thing they call a salary cap. Forcing equality throughout the league and Alex Rodriguez would find himself in Kansas City.

ESPN the Magazine would concentrate on sports, not lame stories.

In fact

ESPN would stop showing the following (these are not sports):

Horseracing
Poker
Darts
Whatever basketball game is being played when the players have nicknames and there is an m.c. Bowling
Around the Horn (This is a stupid show)

When two drivers in Nascar feud, they get called to the trailer, but the trailers' a cage match

I dont know, maybe its the lack of sun, that's just what I was thinking this morning.

I'm just sayin

Weekend wrap up

So lets do a quick recap:

The AL West leading Mariners played a 3 game set at Anaheim. Surprisingly, the Mariners took 2 out of 3 and would you have believed it that Silva won and Washburn lost? That was exactly what happened. Washburn on Sunday struggled with control and only going 5 innings, giving up 6 runs.

Silva continued his confusing run Saturday with a 5 inning, 3 earned run outing, taking the win. The bullpen this weekend did not hold up that well. In Silva's game, the bullpen gave up 5 earned runs and almost the game, while on Sunday, they gave 3.

Most importantly however, the Mariners continued to stay in front and so far have a 12-7 record.

I do have to do this however. Hi Mr Griffey and Mr Beltre, I would like to introduce you both to this thing we call a Louisville Slugger. See ball, hit ball. In that order. $15.4 million dollars for 2 players hitting under .200. And trust me, Silva saved me from a rant.

The Seahawks had the NFL draft, and selected Aaron Curry. I love this pick, I wanted this pick, but to find out that it came with the expense of losing Hill by pulling the franchise tag, hurts. The drafting of Unger from Oregon was masterful. Unger is a lineman that can play any position, however, likely will be used as the next center for the team.

I do like the pick of the Penn State Deon Butler, and think that the drafting of Rutgers QB Mike Teel has some upside.

I think the greatest coup of the draft and something that is not talked about, is the highway robbery we committed on Denver by giving this years second round draft pick for Denver's first round next year. To those of you that might not like it, WHY NOT? Any time you can get a 2 for a 1, come on. And, most importantly, should be where your next QB should be coming from.

Overall, I give the Hawks, a "B" on the draft. All is not lost, heck, you could be a Raiders fan this morning waking up with a bad draft hangover asking, what just happened? The Oakland Raiders again showed why they are the most ass backwards franchise in the league.

My Flyers showed why you have to put all sharp objects away when it comes to April and being a Flyers fan. Again losing in the first round, this time to the Pens.

Nascar went to Talladega and the big one started early in the 8th lap. Kenseth and Gordon getting together ending the hopes of many. Only to be outdone by Keselowski dumping Edwards in the trioval. I didn't know horses could fly! What? I'm just sayin.

Welcome to the Hawks Mr Curry

Wow, this couldnt have played out any better to me than what happened this afternoon. I have written on earlier posts that I hoped that Curry would somehow slip, that we would not go after Sanchez, and to my delight it played out correctly.

Look, I am not saying that Sanchez isn't going to be, or isn't a great QB. What I am saying is our QB is healthy, they shut him down last year to do this. This pick is going to come in and make an immediate difference, make an impact on the field right now.

I love this.

Oh, and nicely done Raiders. No wonder they are in the toilet bowl, picking Bey? Are you serious?

Ummm, well, we all have one of those days/nights

After giving up 15 hits, 9 runs, 2 errors, the Mariners only scoring 3 runs, 4 total hits by only 3 batters and seeing the team batting average dip again to .246, lets just hope it was one of those days.

Area's of concern:

Mike Sweeney's back. Although reports today are it is not bad

Jr. Umm, love you, but, is it time to get out of the 3 hole? .171 as a 3 hole hitter isnt a recipe for offensive success.

Beltre batting .172, umm where's Tui? Let alone his back to back errors late in the game last night.

Only 4 batters hitting .300 or better on the team, and one of them is Balentien who has 13 AB's.

Again, let's just hope this was one of those nights. King Felix is on the mound tonight, hopefully he can go some innings and keep them in it while the Mariner's look for their offense.

Who in the world stole Jarrod Washburn and replaced him with this guy?

5-14. 4.69 ERA. 87 Strikeouts.

That was the totals from the 2008 season for Jarrod Washington.

3-0. 1.71 ERA. 17 Strikeouts.

So far, that is his line this season.

Jarrod has already thrown 20% of his strikeouts from 2008. He has already won 60% of his wins from last year.

I don't know who abducted him, don't care as of this morning, in fact, don't bring him back. I like this guy. Jarrod threw another gem last night giving the Mariner's a solid effort and pitching another 7 innings last night. The offense (OK, Sweeney and Bentancourt) came back last night scoring 4 and giving up only 2.

Now if someone could do something with Silva...............

Alrighty, here it is, the Seahawks draft question

So we are 4 days away from what could be a very interesting day for the Seahawks and the NFL draft. I've read the blogs, the "experts", and the mock drafts. A couple things are for sure as we get ready for the draft:

1. Detroit again has the #1 pick

2. Seattle is in a interesting predicament.

3. Nobody really knows what is going to happen.

In regards to Seattle, if for some reason Seattle finds itself in a position that Curry, Monroe, Crabtree, and Sanchez are available, I still think the answer is easy.

Curry is the fit for the Hawks. I don't expect that we will see Monroe, and as nice as having Crabtree as another option for Hasslebeck, I don't see them going for a wide receiver.

Curry can make a difference now. He can physically fit in with this core of linebackers and make immediate gains. I think that is what is most important to the Hawks.

Personally, I think the Hawks did the right thing last year in shutting down Matt. We were going nowhere, the offensive line was banged up something fierce, and allowing him to get healthy and come back this year ready to go was a bold, but right decision.

I know the offensive line is getting old, but they too were put on ice for the better part of the year, allowing to get healthy.

Further, if it does fail, and the Seahawks struggle, I personally think that next years crop of QB's far out way this years.

Another huge area of concern is getting a running back. This could be done in the second or third round, but I don't like the options at running back.

I just hope they don't go QB on the first pick. What do you think? What do you see the Hawks doing?

I'd like to address some of the other sports

First

Its playoff Hockey time. There is few better playoff's than the NHL. I am a Philly Flyer fan, and after almost jumping off the roof of my house due to a lackluster game 1, and then blowing it in game 2, the boys came out like someone peed in their cheerios and finally took it to the Pens. I cannot stand Sidney Crosby. And with that, every time he was on the ice, one of my Flyers were trying to put him on his butt. Game 3 started off as physical as any I have seen. The Flyers ultimately put a smile on my face, winning 6-3, getting back into the series and now only trail the hated Pens by one. Tonight, my pick to raise Lord Stanley's cup, the Bruins, look to go up 3-0 against the Habs. Boston just flat out looks better. If your a hockey fan, your thinking, what about the Detroit freaking Redwings. That team, in my house, is not allowed to be discussed. They are to me like the New York Yankees, Rangers, Michigan Wolverines and others. The mere thought of them makes me ill. Some that know me that after I was born in Philly, we moved to Chicago, and then finally the NW. So, naturally my second favorite team is the Blackhawks, and after a long drought, made it back with youth and hard work. Back to D'troit, the sight of Chris Chelios skating for them makes me contemplate eating peanuts right now. That move, granted years ago, would be like Luke Skywalker joining the dark side. Unthinkable. But he did, and quickly became part of public enemy number one.

Is there no bigger loser in hockey than Sean Avery? GOD I can't stand him. Let alone the putrid organization he plays for.

The Canucks are 3-0 over St Louis, and looking good. Those who are not:

Washington. Seriously, one time, just do something worthwhile

San Jose. Age, Age, Age. Man they look HORRIBLE.

Second NASCAR

Those that know me, know I am a die hard Stewart fan. Tony Stewart switched from JGR to a team he now partially owns. In the build up to this year, I didn't know what to expect. Granted he's running everything Hendrick (The Darkside of Nascar) ((shut up Dave)), few have been able to pull it off. Tony has never been a media darling, a buffet darling maybe, but no media. He is known to speak his mind, hit cameraman, talk smack about Goodyear, and win races. Although he has not won yet this year in 8 starts, Tony has 3 top 5's and 6 top 10's. As a 2 time Champ, he is the greatest driver in NASCAR (shut up Dave)

What in the world is going on with RCR? A 15th, 20th, 26th, and 30th place showing at Phoenix? Overall, Clint Bowyer is 6th, Jeff Burton is 11th, Kevin Harvick is 16th, and making another strong showing is Casey Mears. My friends have heard this before, I thought drivers like Casey, Kasey Kahne, Elliot Sadler, and Jamie McMurray were victims of bad teams. But Casey, and McMurray have proved me wrong. Strong teams, bad results. And don't even get me started about the most overrated driver in Nascar, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

What I am sad to see about Nascar is how vanilla this sport has become. Everyone drives around till the last couple, begging not to mix it up and keep the car clean, and just like the NBA and it only counting in the last 3 minutes, the drivers don't heat it up until the end. Being a long time fan, this is disappointing. I think it really came to a headway when Denny Hamlin was leading the race, only to give it up late at Martinsville and acting like it was no big deal. NO BIG DEAL? I thought the point in racing was to stand up there with that big cardboard check, the hottie Nextel girls standing around not knowing what sport they are even at, talking about I won. As much of a fan I became of the chase, this has also made the race boring to watch. Bristol and Martinsville used to be one of my favorite races. Grudges were held until then, and in payback fashion, taken out there. Kyle Busch should have derailed the 88. He should have made his car look like something that came out of a wrecking yard. But no. Some might say that if Sr.was still here, things would be different. Who knows, the France's have taken this sport to the ultimate in paydays and publicity, but have also to a degree made chess more combative.

Third and finally, it is clear that Chuck Lidell simply needs to retire. A poor outing, an old crusty vet who has seen his run in MMA pass him by. In his day, he was simply amazing, and now is becoming punch drunk and honestly boring.

Mariners update and a little something about my FAVORITE Mariner

All was good. It really was. A 2-2 won/loss record to start the season against Minnesota, went on the road to Oakland and swept them, only to come home and win 3 out of 4 against the perennial division winner Anaheim. We were rolling, the Detroit Tigers were coming in for some more of our crafty pitching, timely hitting. But on a Thursday night, the Angels stymied the offense for a win with a 5-1 outing. Ryan Rowland-Smith was hurt and Jakubauskas was called into duty. The offense was quite, but the Angels pitching was short of masterful.

Friday brought in the Tigers, and with a win of 6-3 all seemed to have been fixed. Another game with 5+ runs, the pitching holding the Tigers to 3 runs. Just what the doctor ordered. All wasn't perfect, Garcia did not look good, and if you recall Verlander had a no-no going into the 4th. But, as this short season has shown us, the Mariners didn't give up and battled hard. Saturday and Sunday, however, were welcomed with mixed results. Although on Saturday the Mariners lost, Bedard again pitched a brilliant game, commanding his pitches and not really getting into trouble, only to be out done by a rookie Edwin Jackson.

Sunday, my boy Silva was back on the mound. You see, the stock market is more stable than Carlos. Carlos put in a "solid" effort, going 5 innings, giving up 4 earned runs, one walk and unbelievably, no strike outs. So Carlos has started the year, 0-2, 6.35 era and 6 strikeouts. The fabulous one has run his brilliant Mariners career to a commanding 4-17 record. That's right boys and girls 4-17. If you want to look at it a different way, he wins on a clip of 24%.

24%.

Carlos Silva made $7,000,000.00. This year, boy wonder is slated to make a sickening $11,000,000.00.

So, by simple math, last year, Carlos pulled in $45,751.63 an INNING. What's worse, is if you project his outings vs salary this year, it balloons to $71,895,42. An increase of $26,143.79. This is highway robbery. Now I know some of you are saying, that is a product of the old regime, and you are correct, but what is the purpose of continuing to run out a stiff that produces mixed results at best and cant be counted on. Is our minor league system that thin that we cant do something else? Can we not package one of our 57 catchers (preferably Clement) and package Silva and some Little Debbie's Cosmic Brownies? Shoot, we're in Seattle, if needed to seal the deal, we could turn those suckers into Magical Cosmic Brownies without any trouble.

Its been determined that Clement is not the catcher of the future. It was said they need to find another position for him, since, one of the better snowjobs that has ever occurred in the Mariners organization, Kenji Johjima somehow was given a three year extension. Although Clement is off to a slow start this year, he was the AAA player of the year for the Rainiers, finishing the season with a .337 ba. He has solid power numbers, 17 doubles, 14 homers and 43 RBI in 47 games with Tacoma. I dont want to lose him, but, to get some youth, get rid of Carlos, I'm for it.

I'm not saying that all is wrong in MarinerLand. The season is long and there are bumps in the road. But the organization has said there is a retooling happening, I am just giving my Monday morning help. I'm just sayin

I am not drinking the kool aid, but, I am getting thirsty

So as the boys of summer take the field tonight for the second game against many who believe will be the ultimate winners of the AL West, I have some interesting points for you. Again, I understand its 8 games into a 162 game year. I understand that its just roughly 5% of the season. But last night, again, the Mariners fought. They fought for 10 innings. Carlos Silva looked like he actually wanted to pitch and was going to give some effort. The crowd packed the house, of course to see the return of the prodigal son Jr. +/- 49,ooo fans made Safeco look like Safeco of the good years.

Jr. was limited to the DH role due to a stiff back, but managed to come through with a 1-3 performance, and with the amount of pressure he was facing, I will take it. Endy Chavez continues his torid pace by going 2 for 4, hitting .394 so far for the season. Again, Carlos Silva pitched very well. He went 7 innings, allowing 2 earned runs, striking out 4. Aardsma, Morrow, and finally Corcoran coming in for the win. This by far was one of the best outings for Silva, and also was very timely.

Tonight, Jarrod Washburn will face Jered Weaver. Both are 1-0, both are sporting a 0.00 era, a below 1 WHIP. Let's hope the pitching can continue. Ichiro returns from his first stint on the DL as a MLB player. We will see where he is at. Does this drop Chavez to #2 in the offense?

The following are some stats that stick out to me:

Foxsports.com power rankings list the Mariners as #5

Seattle is #2 with a 2.76 team era

Seattle is tied for 2nd with LA Dodgers in Runs Scored against with 24, the leader Pittsburgh has only given up 23

Seattle is 19th with a .253 BA

Seattle has a .990 fielding percentage

Endy Chavez is tied for 8th in the American League for batting average, 6th in the American League for hits.

Russell Branyan is tied for 12th in the American League for Home Runs

Endy Chavez is tied for 3rd in the American League with 3 stolen bases, with 0 CS

Sounder Montero will not face charges

Freddy Montero hopefully has learned an important lesson in becoming a professional athlete. In this climate that we find ourselves, unlike the times of the past, professional athletes are not bulletproof. I have read the stories, I read the claim, and honestly I don't know everything. I can stipulate, boy meets girl, boy tells girl who he is, girl becomes enamored and who knows. It has happened, I am not saying the girl made it up, I'm simply stating Montero has a second chance. Hopefully the veterans of this team will surround him and show him the lessons that athlete's face. Hell, the NFL has education courses for these types of things for their rookies, I would bet MLB and the NHL does the same. The NBA, facing moral issues you know does this. Athlete's are not invincible. Look at the latest examples, Burress, Whitner from the Jets, Vick, hell the list could go on and on. They simply don't run the town, are above the law anymore. Is this wrong, heck no, is it correctable? Who knows. These kids that are groomed, coached, and shown that with hard work, the potential career at hand is full of dollars and glory. What little is done, is taking care of the same athlete when they are off the field, court wherever. Need an example?

How about Marcus Vick. His brother Mike was playing for the Falcons, making millions of millions of dollars, he was the heir apparent to the QB position in the same very place his brother made himself a star, and he simply could not figure it out. In 2004 he was suspended from Virginia Tech the entire year due to 2 criminal convictions. The next year, he was brought back with conditions, which was without incidents. In 2006, Vick was released from the school because of what the school said was "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play". Marcus was forced to go into the draft, ultimately going undrafted and lasting into 2007, finally being released and never to be picked up again. His brother, Mike, needs no introductions, or time spent on his story.

In these economic times, people are losing jobs, houses, sanity and everything else. Yet, the pro athlete still makes headlines with million dollar contracts, and endorsements. To some, they become targets. They go out on the town, flaunting their riches, getting in trouble with fighting etc, and some meet women that don't care about them, but their bank accounts.

I do not blame the athlete for making the money, hell, if I could I would too. I am not trying to make this a negative story, I am just hoping for Montero's sake, a kid with massive talent, he will adjust, if needed, his thinking. Montero's career is just beginning, if he performs the rest of the season like he has the beginning, he could very well be playing on a higher level in Europe. I just want to see the talent on the field, and not the police blotter.

This of course is not everyone. There are great examples, Manning, Hasselbeck, Jones, Keller, and Edgar. Maybe in college, ethics courses should be taught to the athletes. I don't know what the answer is. I don't believe I have it, other than surround yourselves with the right people, for parents to teach the athletes morals and give them the right upbringing.

What I do know is it's disappointing when young athletes throw everything away because they think they are above the law. They lose the opportunity to perform on the world's biggest stages with the talents that God graced them with.

Here's a question for you

So as my family gathered round for a great Easter dinner, one of the greatest Master's tournament played out in front of us. A little background, I do "play" golf, and I respect and admire what those that play on a professional level do. To handle the pressure, to handle the crowd, to control your swing, hell, I can't do that on a weekend at Hawke's Prarie with 3 of my friends. Shutup Dave. I am not in their stratosphere, heck, I'm not in the same solar system as them when it comes to golf. You see, I grew up and golf is what sissy's did. Golf was not cool, golf was never even brought up. As I grew, I played a couple rounds here and there, and then came a cat called "Tiger". I would contest that there has been fewer athletes other than Michael Jordan that came along and grew their sport as Tiger has done to the sport of golf. So I play, if you want to call it that, and have a great time doing it. I have a brother that earlier in life realized much more than I that the Mariner's were in fact not going to call and picked up his clubs and started playing. To go out and play with someone of his caliber is mesmerizing. He is not a pro, but he is amazing to watch. Many times I have watched the swing or play and thought, am I watching T.V.? Am I supposed to do that? See, I can bang it. I can drive it with the best of them, 5 out of 10 times. Watching golf on T.V. to some might not be the most thrilling couple of hours spent, to me, I enjoy it. Hell, I even watch when Tiger is not in contention. Somehow I became enough of a fan that I have become fans of the like of Tiger, Kim, Ogilvy, Harrington, Scott and yes even Boo Weekley. Along with favorites I even found golfers I don't like, Mickleson, Garcia, Westwood, and Colin Montgomerie.

My reason for saying that was at this get together, my other brother proposed a question. Kenny Perry was staring a +/- 150 yard shot onto the green, sink the put and get the tailor ready. Kenny was about to hit, my younger brother was discussing the pressure that Perry was under, and my older brother said, "What do you think is tougher, sinking a free throw, or making that shot?"

WHAT? I thought. Are you kidding me? A free throw or a shot to hold the green in front of the same amount of crowd. Seriously? Now, a quick background, my older brother has never I think played golf, although has shot many free throws on his sport court. My younger brother has done both, excelling more on the course than the court. Sorry little brother.

After my initial thought, which was that the golf shot is much more complicated than a free throw could ever be, I started thinking. What is harder? That got me thinking. On the car ride home, I was talking with my wife and she said, I think you have a great question to ask. In thinking about this question I thought I needed to add a sport. But Baseball is not the same, Hockey and Soccer is not the same. But wait, how about kicking a winning field goal in a football game like Super Bowl XXXVI similar to Adam Vinatieri did to beat the Rams.

So here is my question. What is tougher, taking a free throw, to win the NBA Championship, a field goal to win the Superbowl, or 150 yards out, not taking in consideration the putt, knocking onto the green on 18 at Augusta?

I must say, in thinking about it, there are more additional hazards in golf than the other two. Both basketball and football play on level surfaces, in golf with that shot, the ball could be above or below your feet. In basketball, your indoors and weather is controlled. In football, its either in a dome or scheduled for the best possible place to play a game. Golf, its what mother nature and the cruel and unusual punishment that the course designer concocted.

But what do you think? What is your opinion? For me, given all that comes into play, the weather, the course and the mechanics, it really goes to the golfer. And in conclusion, Mr Perry duffed the shot, sending it left and shooting for bogey. This pushed it to a 3 way sudden death playoff, which again he had a chance, but on the 2nd playoff hole hooked it left. He had an almost impossible putt to make to push it for a 3rd playoff hole, ultimately coming up second and missing the infamous green jacket.

Irregardless of the opinions, the Master's played out in what could only be described as a 12 round heavy weight bout. Tiger and Mickleson made late runs, only to come up short. Cabrera, Chambers and Perry were left to duke it out, and eventually the Cabrera that used to smoke on the track and the camera's hid it, powered through.

I have had many get together's with my family, and at one point, one of the wives thought, hmm who would have guessed they would all be around the T.V. watching golf. And if this was 15 years ago, I would have agreed.

Happy Easter to all

Wait a minute, maybe its not so bad afterall

Remember it was only a couple months ago that the nation was making fun of Seattle? The Sonics had moved to Oklahoma City and changed their name to the Thunder, the Mariners finished another stellar season with more than 100 losses, the Seahawks won just 3 games and lost their leader Mike Holmgren to greener pastures, the Huskies did the unthinkable with an 0'fer season in football, with the Cougs not doing much better? We were the laughing stock of the nation. In fact, ESPN even wrote a story about how dreadful it was to be a Seattle fan.

And then something happened, the proverbial switch was turned on, and no one is talking about it.

Lorenzo Romar had the boys of the hardwood playing hard and winning, and his counterpart east of the mountains was doing much of the same with lesser named players. A couple months into the season in the Pac 10 tourney, the Huskies did what some didn't think possible and won the whole thing. The Cougs did not qualify for the NCAA's, but played in the NIT. The Huskies made a run in the NCAA Tourney, eventually losing to Purdue by 2 in a much contested game.

Seattle gave birth to a new team in the Sounders, who to much avail ran the first three games without giving up a goal. The fans came out in droves, faces painted, scarves were waving, voices loud, and they sang proudly. New city hero's were found, Montero, Keller, Alonso, Ljundburg, and Sigi. The fans in this town created a fever, blue and green being worn, people talking, and most importantly pride. The face of the organization, Drew Carey, marched proudly with the fans on the streets of Seattle showing the city and the state the Sounders have arrived. And I haven't even talked about the on field product. This team, and I do mean team, played in sync like they have been together for years. The went to Argentina on a couple week trip, Sigi obviously used the time to bring this team together and show them his way. It stuck, they listened and it has shown. They play solid team soccer, even when losing their captain, their leader last night, only giving up one goal, the first goal of the season, the stuck together.

Who would have thought that the Mariners manager would be a guy named Wakamatsu? The boys of summer arrived, names missing like Putz and Ibanez, and so far the chemistry has taken shape. Clutch hitting, for the most part solid defense, and clutch bullpen work. Our boys in blue are projected to fill the bottom slot of the AL West, and maybe they might, but at least this product, given the fact that its the first week of the season, fight for 9 innings. Look at the stats, heck, look at last night, 5 runs in the 8th. I don't know if the Mariners of the past 5 years would stay in it, or even battle for it. I would be a liar if I didn't say that I too believe they will struggle, I think some names need to go, starting with Ichiro and rebuild, but I have watched, and even with a cynical eye, I must say, so far I am impressed.

So all is not dreary in the land of the rain. Much like spring, the sports teams in this town are starting to blossom, some for the first time, some possibly like the times of 1991. Unlike the economy, we have something to rejoice in, and even for just a couple hours, not having to worry about the economy, our jobs, our government, they give us hope. So rejoice Seattle fans, heads up, be proud, all is not gloom.

You cant win them all

The Sounders squared off tonight against Kansas City Wizards at Qwest this evening. The house was rocking with more than 28,000 fans making the home team feel welcome. The Sounders came into the match 3-0, riding a shutout streak, and all was going smoothly. The attacking was there, the two Freddy's were on the pitch for the first time together all year when the unthinkable happened. A breakaway by the Wizards happened in the 29th minute and Kasey came out to challenge, except Kasey was out of the box and hit the ball with his hands. Keller tried to play it off as the ball hit his body, but in review, it was obvious, he hit it with his left arm. The red card came out, Kasey went off, Dragavon in, and Le Toux out.

The Sounders were forced to play with 9 on the field the remaining 60 minutes. The game progressed with many fouls, and alot of cards, and the Sounders finally succombed to the pressure with a hard strike, 25+ yards out Arnaud struck a screamer that Dragavon got his hands on but it was too much and deflected into the net.

The problem with the red card is, Seattle doesnt have another goalie on staff. Dragavon is not under contract, so Seattle will have to sign a backup this week before they head to California to play Chivas. Keller will not be allowed in the game due to the red card. Dragavon looked like he was comfortable, he was controlling and talking to the defense, it was a screamer of a shot that unfortunately went in.

Montero had repeated opportunities in this match, with the best being a penalty shot just outside the box. Ljunberg set up to take the penalty, with a push he sent it foward opening the wall of the Wizards and Montero shot a knuckler that cleared the wall and hit the bar skipping off. It was a great shot.

Seattle in my opinion outplayed K.C. all match long. 4 good scoring chances, except luck tonight was not on the side of our Sounders.

Not taking anything away from Montero, or underwear boy Ljundberg, but Osvaldo Alonso again played another solid match. Stabilizing the middle, marking hard and giving the Wizards offense fits.

The game ended with 3 minutes in extra time, unfortunately with a 0-1 scoring result.

Overall, a great performance considering losing your #1 goalie, your captain early on and having to be select in making runs.

If you havent watched a game, you are really missing out. This is a solid team, they play solid together and personally love to watch it. So four weeks in, we're 3-1, 2nd in the Western conference. We are playing Chivas USA next week, who are 3-1-0, on top of the Western conference, that played to a 0-0 tie tonight against the Galaxy. Chivas will also not have a player, Paulo Nagamura, a midfielder with 2 goals due to a red card.

So bring it Chivas, we'll be ready, and we want our #1 ranking again.

Another win, thanks to the offense.

Seattle went out today in Oakland with their ace Felix Hernandez going to the mound, except Felix thought he was still pitching to the spring training squad. Felix's line was 5 IP, 7 hits, 5 er, with 8 k's. Yes that was 5 earned runs in 5 innings, that is not ace numbers, nor ace effort. The problem here is Felix saw that the starter from last night was pulled early, and needing some innings came up short. Fluke game? Lets hope so. The bullpen was called into duty early, pitching a combined 4 innings, 2 by Batista, 1 by Lowe and the close by Morrow. The bullpen shutout the A's, a solid performance.

The offense was alive, granted, better late then never.

Seattle went down 3 in the 3rd inning, and didnt respond until the 4th, with one and the 5th with 2 more. The breakout came in the in the 8th with 4 runs. They added another in the 9th, overall another solid effort. Branyan showed more power hitting his 2nd in the 4th inning.

Beltre struggled all game offensively until the 8th with a nock and finishing the game 1 for 5. Again I ask, what is Tui's role here? If you have a guy struggling, why not make a switch? Our #1 catcher had another stellar effort, 1-5. I think the line of #1 and #2 has to be very thin. He consistently mixes pitchers up, and his offense is non-existent.

Tomorrow, the get-a-way game, Bedard takes the hill. The bullpen needs a better effort out of the starters in order for some tired arms to get a rest. Seattle wraps up the series and heads for home for their home opener Tuesday against the Angels. Lets hope the outting proves better for Silva then his previous outing.

Don't look now, but the Mariner's are 4-2, on top of the AL West with the projected AL West champ coming to town. Will it last? Only time will tell, but big props go out to the Mariner's hitting coach, because early on, these boys are hitting.

Finally, it must be noted that the Sounders outdrew the A's, by more than 9000. Nice showing A's fans....

I'm just sayin

Hot start, scary middle, good result

The Mariners opened the weekend series with Oakland last night, taking a 5-4 win on a friday night. The Mariners starter, Ryan Rowland-Smith barely got out of the 4th inning having trouble locating pitches. Walking 4, trust me, the term locating pitches is being nice. His official line is 3 1/3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 strikeout. After taking all he could, Wak finally yanked the long last named pitcher for Jakubauskas. Yes Pat, I would like to buy a vowel. Jak came in and actually got the win. He pitched 2 innings, then being relieved for by Corcoran. Roy came in and pitched 2/3 of an inning, eventually giving way to Kelley then Aardsma.

The offense showed up early, taking a 5 -1 lead, but after the 2nd inning, it was as if we took our foot off the gas. Yuni in the second hit a bases clearing 2 rbi shot over the left fielder that eventually sealed the game. Endy Chavez had another productive 3-5 night, and Jr lead the walk parade with 5.

Endy looks like Adam Jones, or is it just me?

A couple of things that I noticed last night: why hasnt Tui gotten a crack at bat yet? Last night, Beltre struggling through an 0-4 night, I would have thought a late sub would have been in order. Tui in spring training hit over .400, and it would make little sense to me not to get him in there.

Griffey, in the second inning, took 5 minutes to get from second to third, but then again, it beats him tearing a hammy.

Ichiro, in Peoria for rehab, collected 5 hits, and was pulled each time reaching base. Although I laugh at the thought of pulling Ichiro once arriving at the bag, maybe our stolen base percentage will go up....

Im just sayin

Not to kick a brother while he's down, but....

John Daly, currently serving a 6 month ban

from the PGA, apparently is selling his clothing outside Augusta today.

Because nothing means more to me than to buy some clothes from a complete tool.

But, if you must, here's the description from the company regarding the quality:

Comfort is the key ingredient in John Daly Apparel. Most items carrying the "Daly Comfort Wear" tag are made from Technical Performance fabrics that are moisture wicking, deodorizing and provide SPF protection. There are also some very high-end cotton and extraordinary specialty lifestyle shirts.

Lets see here, moisture wicking, technical performance fabrics? Is that so when you are oozing alcohol on the course you wont need that towel?

Who was that masked man?

The mariners improved their record today bringing them back to .500 with a 2-0 win over the Minnesota Twins today in Minnesota. This was the final game of the 4 game set with the Twins, today is get-away day for the Mariners who are on the way for a weekend series with the Oakland A's.

The impressive stat of the day is the pitching line by Jarrod Washburn.

8 innings pitched, 5 hits, no earned runs. Thats right, I said that Jarrod made it to the 8th inning.

Brandon Morrow came in, walked one, struck out two for the save.

Very impressive pitching performance for Jarrod, I know I said that before, but lets see if this is something he can do again in a week.

The Mariners scored early in the first with a Beltre single scoring Gutierrez. That score stayed until the top of the 9th when Balentein doubled, and Rob Johnson singled into center.

Rob Johnson started today for Johjima and Jr had the day off also.

Finally, Ichiro, was cleared to begin practice, from that bleeding ulcer.

1-2.....uh oh

Carlos Silva and his $48 million dollar self went out and pitched lights out...er rather decided to throw batting practice to the Minnesota Twins. Going in the hole 2-0 in the first inning, only to double down in the second and give back the lead to 4-2.

Reliever Jakubauskas and Lowe came in for relief and both combined to throw 3 innings and 1 hit. A solid outting on their part.

The offense put up more good numbers, 10 hits 5 runs. Leading the charge was Betancourt and Lopez, combined going 5 for 8. Branyan also had a productive night going 1 for 3 with a homer.

5 runs has to be good. 5 runs in a game should be enough to win, but as the ugly head of 2008 rears its head like last night, its simply not enough for this team. Pitching, pitching, pitching. Again the achilles heel of the Mariners

Wow, just like I showed him

So its masters week, and they have many competitions, this was one
of them. Its a little grainy, but worth the viewing. Unreal







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GKSJOSsExE

I told you I still have a chance...........

The Mariners have another bullpen candidate in the pipeline. Right-hander Jeff Zimmerman, the former closer for the Texas Rangers, signed a minor-league deal with the team. Zimmerman is 36 and hasn't pitched in the majors since 2001. Top Mariners scout Carmen Fusco looked at him at the end of spring training and came away impressed. Zimmerman was throwing up to 90 mph, but what really impressed M's officials was how free and easy he was throwing.


Because our bullpen was hurting for righties right? Because Mr Zimmerman was throwing in the 90's right? What on gods green earth does our farm system look like for a move like this to be made, and look good?

Ugh

Umm. Ive seen this before

So there I was, watching a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the ninth. Morrow comes in, gets two outs, and the unexplained happens. He cant throw a strike. I mean, not a questionable strike, I mean a strike. So, bases loaded, 3 runs come across and a wasted win.

Morrow looked spooked. Morrow looked like he was trying too hard. I dont want to second guess the manager, but, for god sakes, we have been down this road too many times before. So this was tough to watch. Early offense, got on top of the starting pitcher, Bedard pitched great, and ugh.

I know its early. I know its 1 game. But Wak has got to know that this is what we have been subjected to for the last 3 years. And to watch it, brought back feelings of last year.

Well. there's always tomorrow, and atleast, for this team, we can say, hey we're .500

Ken Bone to take the reigns

PULLMAN, Wash. -- Portland State basketball coach Ken Bone will become the new coach at Washington State University, the Cougars said Monday.

Interesting. Ex-Husky coach, proven winner with a bad program. I like it. Not the youth movement that they took with Bennet and Wulff, Bone is 50, but, he's a proven winner. Utah State's Stew Morrill withdrew his name, I know they looked at A-B, but I like this hire.

Honestly, we recruit on the second tier, and this guy has connections. He can and has recruited in the northwest and I look forward to seeing what he brings. The question will be what happens to the recruits and young players. I hope he keeps the core, but only time will tell.

I dont blame TB. I dont agree with the faithful talking smack about him, he has an opportunity, you would take it, the man is making over a mil more. Before you get on here telling me you wouldnt or the committment he made, dollars is dollars.

I wish the best for TB, and I wish the best for Virginia. They got a steal. They got a great coach and a great coach that teaches team. I for one will root for Virginia. I dont understand the hate that people have now for TB. Its sports and its money.

Mariners 1-0, is this the best its gonna get?

Mariners beat the Twins in the opener today in Minnesota
Felix went a solid 8 innings, giving up one earned run and 6 strikeouts. An impressive start to the season

Definetly the news of the day was the impressive homer by Jr. Agree with the signing or not, how sweet was it it see that? Days of old, beautiful swing.
What a sight.

Well Mr Bedard, your up next....

Is this the only time we will be above .500? Time will tell, and so will we

Lets go ahead and add another one on the scoreboard

Former Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Reggie Williams was arrested Sunday night on a felony drug charge in Houston, FOXSports.com has learned.

Williams — a 2004 first-round draft choice who played the past five seasons in Jacksonville — was charged with possession of a controlled substance that police believe is cocaine following an altercation at a Houston nightclub.
Police spokesman Victor Senties said Williams was tasered during a confrontation with two off-duty officers working security at the Open City Bar and Lounge.
"Mr. Williams was at the front door area causing some sort of altercation," Senties said. "A witness alerted one of the officers to it. The officer went over and asked Mr. Williams several times to leave. He refused. At one point, the officer attempted to escort him out of club. Mr. Williams pushed the officer and almost knocked him down. At that point, the other officer came over to try and assist. Again, Mr. Williams was very combative. One (officer) had to deploy a (taser) to get into custody."

A couple of suprises

Matt Tuiasosopo, Shawn Kelley and Chris Jakubauskas made the team, and the Mariners choose Rob Johnnson as the Back up (Really should be starting) Catcher role, losing Jamie Burke in the process.

The only real suprise is Kelly to me. His ERA in spring training is 7+, but then again, Im not the manager. I did however sleep at a holiday inn last night and still think this is going to be a LONG season.

Opening night is one night away in Minnesota, and Im excited baseball is back

3-0, are you kidding me...come on, get on board

Freddie Ljungberg scored his first MLS goal, Kasey Keller recorded his third consecutive shutout and the expansion Seattle Sounders remained perfect with a 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday

Steve Zakuani also scored for Seattle (3-0-0), which has yet to allow a goal through the first three games of its debut season.
It was the first loss of the season for Toronto (1-1-1), which beat Kansas City two weeks ago before tying Columbus last Saturday.

Seattle, which opened the year with home victories over New York and Real Salt Lake, had expected a tougher test in its first road game. Toronto, however, did little to impress the sellout crowd of 20,658 that braved cold, windy conditions to attend the team's home opener

OH GIVE ME A BREAK....enough already, get rid of this tool

Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 31, and will miss the first week of the regular season, Mariners Executive Vice President Jack Zduriencik said Friday.Ichiro had been suffering severe fatigue, causing him to miss the Mariners' last three Cactus League games. Now he'll miss the first eight games of the season. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 31, and will miss the first week of the regular season, Mariners Executive Vice President Jack Zduriencik said Friday.Ichiro had been suffering severe fatigue, causing him to miss the Mariners' last three Cactus League games. Now he'll miss the first eight games of the season.

Freddy might not be sick after all.......uh oh

A woman called the King County Sheriff's office this week alleging that Seattle Sounders FC soccer star Fredy Montero was stalking her, two law enforcement sources said Thursday evening.
According to a law enforcement report about the incident, the 23-year-old woman told police on March 31 that she saw Montero in a car near her home in Sammamish. The report stated that she feared for her safety because Montero allegedly had sexually assaulted her in Bellevue the week before on March 22, which she had reported to the Bellevue Police Department.

Freddy Montero might be out against Toronto

Word out of camp is that Freddy missed the flight today to Toronto however it is not official yet that he will miss it. Big loss if its true, here's what Schmid said:

"We're hoping he's going to be all right," Schmid said of Montero. "There's been a flu that a couple of guys have had, so obviously we want to be sure that it's nothing more than the flu or flu-like symptoms."

How to lose millions of dollars by B.J. Raji

NEW YORK -- Former Boston College lineman B.J. Raji, who is considered the top defensive tackle eligible for this month's NFL draft, reportedly failed a drug test at the NFL combine.
The report, which did not identify the drug, was published on SI.com and attributed to unidentified NFL team sources. The Web site reported that Raji's name will be on a list of players who tested positive.
Raji, rated fourth on Todd McShay's projected list and No. 5 on Mel Kiper's most recent Big Board on ESPN.com, missed the 2007 college season with academic problems.
SI.com reported that NFL scouts had been told that Raji also tested positive for marijuana during his time at BC.

Jay Cutler is a Bear

Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear. He was traded to Chicago for Kyle Orton and 2 first round picks. Kudos to Chicago for finally figuring out their QB situation, even if it took 7 years. So that leaves Kyle Orton and Chris Simms as the dueling QB's in Denver. Of course there is the draft too. Heavy price, but, one that was definetly needed by the Bears

Quite possibly the ugliest second jersey ever made

I hope what is being leaked is not correct. This is the ugliest jersey ever created. This is not a good start to the Mora era to me....what do you think?

T Minus 4 days

Thats the days left till opening day for the Mariners where Felix will take the mound in Minnesota. Have they fixed their problems? Do they have a pitching staff let alone a bullpen? Who is going to close this mess, or better yet, will they ever get to use a closer? I dont know. For nostalgic purposes, I like the Griffey move. For competition sake, I do not. For the love of god, have the barn sale, get rid of the likes of Beltre, bring up Tui, get rid of Ichiro, for any stiff that can play right and try again the youth movement. Maybe with new leadership, it would turn out better than the Bavasi years.

T Minus four days and could anyone really not care? Hmm

I was all excited....and then

Brock Freaking Huard. Thud. Nothing like making a splash, or not.

On Monday, April 6th, the second sports radio station comes on air. AM 710 goes on air as a sports radio station mixing both local and national (espn) broadcasts. When I first heard of it, I was excited, giving us a new side, plus the national side rather than the ignorant "Softy" and the two blow hards Gas and Groz.

But then this morning I read that during the same time that the worst radio host Dave Mahler, they are going to add Brock Huard. Lets see, lets fight for the same customers, but we will give them the world famous Brock. Another reason to turn off the radio during the 11-1 session.

I do look forward to hearing Kevin Calabaro. His national contacts, his experience should bring a good show.

At 3 am, one of the best shows in the nation, "The Mike and Mike Show" will start the day, I wont be listening, but if you are up, give it a shot.