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July 2009
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| March 2008The NFL owners meeting is going on right now in Palm Beach, and one of the rule changes being discussed is, yes, long hair. Should players be able to wear their hair long, covering their names and maybe even their numbers? The current rule states that the hair is part of the jersey and players can thus be tackled by such. New rules could make longhaired players tuck their locks beneath their helmets. Other issues being discussed: getting rid of the force-out rule, which would make WRs get both feet in bounds no matter what. I kind of like that change. Also, changing playoff seeding, eliminating the incidental facemask penalty (to a 15-yarder), and instant replay for field-goals. ...Take a glance at all the Mariners' headlines today and you'll see plenty of usage of the word ready. At the TNT: Mariners 'ready to go'. At the Times: Are Mariners ready for next step? Is this year's squad playoff ready? For years in this region, there has been a media whipped-slash-false expectations heading into Opening Day. More so than the Seahawks, and waaaay more than the Wally Walker/Howard Shultz/Bennett-run Sonics. Is it love of baseball, of sitting at Safeco in the spring weather, eating garlic curly fries, maybe even some sushi, that outweighs true expectations for the franchise? Playoffs. Win the West. Ready to take the next step. The only certainty is that from now until the leaves are ready to be raked, each pitch counts. ...The Mariners held a light practice this afternoon at Safeco Field in preparation for tomorrow's home and season opener against the Texas Rangers. Manager John McLaren says "everything on paper you can throw it out the window, tomorrow's the real deal and were ready for it, the bar has been set higher for everybody and it should be." Plan on heading into downtown Seattle tomorrow? If you are and you're going to be around Safeco Field, you'd best plan ahead. Traffic before the Mariner's first game of the season is expected to be rough, starting as early as noon (the game starts at 3:40 p.m.) Metro will not send out any additional buses and there are no additional Sounder trains. ...The Spokesman Review's Vince Rippi reports that he talked to Cougars coach Tony Bennett about Indiana offer. He says that they had preliminary talks today (Sunday). But Bennett told them thanks, but no thanks. "I had an exploratory conversation with Indiana," said Bennett Sunday afternoon, "and I am not going to pursue the Indiana job." -- Spokesmanreview.com 3/30/08 So, for now, Cougar fans can take a collective sigh of relief. ...The Mariners made their final roster move. They placed pitcher Anderson Garcia on the 15-day DL. The official press release is after the jump. So they're set for Monday's season opener with Texas. By the way, KING 5's Chris Egan is down at Safeco Field for the M's last practice before tomorrow's game. He'll have a report for the 5, 10 & 11pm KING 5 newscasts (plus, he'll do something for Northwest Sports Tonight). ...Rumors are running rampant that Cougars basketball coach Tony Bennett is leaving Pullman. The San Francisco Chronicle calls Bennett the front runner for the Cal job. But I highly doubt Coach Tony would leave the Cougs for a Pac-10 Rival. Another "story" by FOXsports.com says he's been offered the Indiana job. But Bennett and Cougs AD Jim Sterk say not so fast. Both, as of this morning, tell ESPN that they haven't been contacted by Indiana. CBSsportline.com has the offer out to Bennett through 3rd party reps. According to sources, third-party representatives made Bennett aware late Friday through other third-party representatives that he can be Indiana's next coach if he wants to be Indiana's next coach. He is expected to decide in the next 24 hours and allow IU to move forward, one way or another. - cbssportsline.com
The Mariners made 6 roster moves today, a couple of them are surprising. It brings the team's roster down to 26. They'll need to make one more move. It's likely that pitcher Anderson Garcia will be the one cut. You can see the official release after the jump. The biggest surprise cut came when they sent pitcher R.A. Dickey down to AAA. Everyone thought he was penciled into the "long relief" spot. His last time out, Dickey threw five shutout innings, allowing only one hit (spring stats 2.25 ERA over 20 innings). Dickey was a Rule 5 pick, so the M's had to make a side deal with the Twins. They sent Minny a minor league catcher. The other surprise demotion comes in the form of pinch hit specialist Greg Norton. Apparently, Norton is on board with the reasoning. He's not headed to Seattle due to two unlikely guys who made the club. OF Charlton Jimerson made the squad. I believe it has to be due to M's manager John McLaren's desire to run more. Jimerson can steal bases. But the coolest move came when the M's decided to keep OF/INF Mike Morse. And how could they deny him? Entering today's final spring training game, Morse was batting .508, which would be an M's spring record if it holds. (Edgar Martinez holds the record at .491) It sounds like Morse, Jimerson and Brad Wilkerson will platoon in right. Plus, Morse will probably give other guys days off in the infield. He's very versatile and he's a good guy. All in all, I thought they were pretty bold moves. McLaren isn't playing too safe. He's keeping a couple of young guys over a couple of old guys. Anyways, check out the official press release to see all the moves and discuss. ...Just a reminder that voting is open until March 31st to help pick the name of MLS in Seattle. Three rather mundane choices are available for the new futbol team: Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic or Seattle FC. Or...utilize free choice and good taste and use the write in vote. Want Sounders? Head to mlsinseattle.com, click on vote, and follow the instructions. One vote per e-mail address. The word on the street has the name Emerald City FC gathering steam (in case you didn't know, FC stands for Football Club). ...The Mariners make a few more cuts. They're sending pitcher Brandon Morrow to AA West Tennessee. Plus, outfielder Jeremy Reed is heading to AAA Tacoma. The official release is after the jump. ...Seattle SuperSonics general manager Sam Presti announced that forward Chris Also of note, Portland's Brandon Roy may be done for the season, too. The former husky suffered a groin injury against the Wizards. You can read more here. ...I just heard on KJR that FA kicker Olindo Mare will sign with the Seahawks. The agreement is a two-year deal, worth somewhere around $3.5 million. The 34-year-old Mare was released by the Saints in February. Signing the kicker really frees up GM Ruskell to pick the best player available during the draft. The highest priority would be a TE, although the Seahawks have Will Heller and possible-starter Jeb Putzier already on the roster. ...Two days ago when gushing over the potential of Oklahoma for the NBA, commish David Stern said even a refurbished KeyArena was not big enough for the league. Yet as a column in the PI points out, only two years ago Stern lobbied for KeyArena funds for former owner, Howard Shultz. So what about the current offer from Ballmer and Co? "The comments from Mr. Stern haven't changed any of our action," Matt Griffin said. "I don't know if his comments were about the existing arena or a renovated arena. But clearly with renovation we'd expect to sit down with the NBA and make the changes necessary to make it successful. That's in everybody's best interest."According to Seattle Center director Robert Nellams, the current plan would move the walls of the arena to the roofline, expanding the concourse by 100,000 square feet. Also 250,000 square feet would be added for an underground parking garage, practice facility, and new retail space. For more on the proposed revamp, check out today's PI. ...The Mariners made a few moves on Wednesday. They told Arthur Rhodes and Chris Reitsma that they weren't gonna make the team this spring. Both were on minor league deals after coming off elbow surgeries. Rhodes accepted the demotion, Reitsma went home to think about it. M's Manager John McLaren hopes both stay because it's a long season and they'll probably need them. Seattle also assigned P Roy Corcoran and INF Tug Hulett to the team's minor league camp. Plus, the optioned P Ryan Feierabend down to AAA. I believe that brings their roster down to 32. They've got to get down to 25. Extra Innings: M's fans can earn a shot at singing "Take me out to the ballgame" during the 2008 All-Star game at Yankees Stadium. You can achieve your dream at Safeco Field. Here's the link to find out how you can win. ...Reports this morning have Marcus Trufant reaching an agreement with the Seahawks. According to the Seattle Times, it's a six-year deal worth $50.2 million, with some $20 million guaranteed. The Seahawks may announce the singing this afternoon. Stay tuned for news on any press conference. We may hold it live, here on KING5.com. Also of note, 35-year-old veteran FA kicker kicker Olindo Mare is in Kirkland today, visiting with the team. Any deal any kicker may get just got a little sweeter with Trufant's side coming down from their previously-asked-for $9 million/year. The CB's current deal averages about $8.3 million/year, according to the Tribnet.
Former Mariner Alex Rodriguez finally admits that he signed the Rangers 2000 contract offer because of the obscene amount of money on the table. A-Rod says he wanted to sign with the Mets, but his agent Scott Boras convinced him to sign the Rangers 252 million dollar deal. "If people want to question why I did it, I don't care because it made me happy. If I had gone to Team X, Y or Z, it wouldn't have made me happy. It would have been because Scott wanted me to go - it would have been for the most money. And then I'm always going to be known as a guy who always wanted the most money." --NY Daily News 3/25/08 More ARod news...Jose Canseco's new book is about to come out. According to a website called joelavin.com, the blogger writes that Canseco accuses Rodriguez, Roger Clemens and Magglio Ordonez of doing steroids. He also says the former A's slugger hates ARod because he tried to sleep with his wife. Hmmm...this could get interesting. ...It sounds like Chiefs coach Herm Edwards thinks the Rams cheated to sign former Hawks kicker Josh Brown. "There were probably some deals done before (the start of the league year)," Edwards said when asked why the Chiefs didn't get in the game with either player. "We didn't cheat. We abided by the rules. That's how you're supposed to do it, and that's what we did." Asked what happened with Brown and the Rams, he said, "I have no idea." - Kansascity.com Here's the whole article. Every year the NFL puts out a specific time when teams can contact other teams' free agents. But it sounds like it's a common practice for clubs to cheat a bit. As I'm sure you're all aware, the Niners just got tagged for tampering with 2007 Bears free agent Lance Briggs. The Chicago signed a one-year tender, then signed a long-term deal this season. ...Well, the Seattle MLS franchise must have heard the public outcry over the three chosen names fans could vote for: Seattle Republic (huh?), Seattle Alliance, (what?) and the Seattle FC (snooze), because now fans can write In their own vote. Fans of local soccer can vote for one of the above three, or write in their own team name (maybe...Sounders?) in online voting, which begins Thursday, March 27th at 12:01 a.m. and ends Monday, March 31st at 11:59 p.m. Fans can register their vote (one per e-mail address) at www.mlsinseattle.com. The winning name will be revealed live webcast on Monday, April 7th at 11:00 a.m. ...Plenty happening in Sonics Town today. From Oklahoma City approving a 15-year stadium lease deal to the team (which one city council member is already arguing will go over budget), to David Say-it-ain't-so Stern arriving in Soonerville, to word that Bennett and Co. may happily part ways with the Supersonics logo, colors and, well, leave everything except the players and coaches. So the question is: Does letting Bennett and Co. take the team away but leave the "Supersonics" brand in Seattle ease the pain? Although Stern has said he can't imagine the NBA in Seattle if the team leaves? Likely more posturing, sure. Yet if the Emerald City doesn't see the NBA in, say, ten years--is that okay? Or should the city keep fighting? Durant sure looks good in the green and gold. ...As if the fact that an NBA relocation committee is arriving in Oklahoma City tomorrow to tour the Ford Center facility and Soonerville ain't bad enough, it seems a busload of Sonics may not play tonight. While I'd never say some players may be tanking the season (yet who'd blame them), this is the situation going into tonight's game with Portland:
Just got this release from the MLS Seattle guys:
As a Dawg and then a Trojan, it takes a lot to pay to get me to pay attention to the Cougars. Even more to root for any team from over the mountains and through the plains. But when I see a headline like "Washington State keeps opponents to 81 total points, lowest since 1949" -- consider my eyebrows raised. But are these Cougs for real? I know, be careful Dawg -- treading on Coug territory is serious business. And trust me, I've seen ticked off Coug fans (I won't name the photographer. He's a Coug, but a nice guy), whose shackles raise at the merest dissing of WSU sports. Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing better in my eyes than smothering team-defense. Still, I need to ask: Are these Cougs for real? I mean, after dumping Notre Dame 61-41 can the fourth-seeded Cougars truly slow down No. 1 North Carolina? Then again, I'm still trying to figure out if Tennessee if for real, too. Yet I know, somewhere, Tommy Trojan is hoping the Cougs get a chance to put the clamps on the Bruins. ...A 3:00 look at the Holmgren/Mora dynamic, the running game, and the draft, discussed by ESPN's crew. Big sigh of relief for Hawks fans. The team announced today that it has successfully signed Pro Bowl linebacker Lofa Tatupu through 2015. "I don't want to be anywhere else," Tatupu said. ...After careful consideration, the new MLS Seattle soccer franchise will...not be named the Sounders. It's too bad. Naming the team the Sounders would have been a Seattle thing to do. But maybe I'm too old school. What are the choices? They're pretty original. Seattle Alliance, Seattle Republic, or (drum roll)...Seattle FC. Snooze. What do you think? Supposedly, the names were chosen through focus groups, internal committees and fan suggestions. We just have to wonder if the focus groups were in Los Angeles, the internal committee had no Seattle native on it, and if the fans only made .05% of the decision. My vote? Go back to the drawing board. ...Bad News for Sonics guard Mickael Gelabale...he tore his ACL two days ago in practice. Too bad, because the Sonics were trying to give an opportunity to prove himself after his stint in the D-League. He averaged 17.8 rebounds, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Idaho Stampede. The official press release is after the jump ...Here's the release from MLS Seattle, on the online voting which begins on the 27th.
When asked last night by the PI's Jim Moore what he thinks of the Sonics apparent move to Soonerville, the Diesel said: "It's dumb, it's stupid. Seattle has tradition...Oklahoma City's a college town. You're not going to have the TV market there. When I think of Seattle, I think of G.P., the Reign Man, Sikma, Lenny Wilkens. The Oklahoma City Sonics? When my son asks me about that, I'll say there's no such thing." Have to dig Shaq, eh? The Big Aristotle goes on to say: "If you don't have the players, people aren't going to pay. If LeBron was here, you wouldn't have these issues. When I came into the league, it was rockin'." The article is worth a read. Eddie Johnson, Grant Hill, Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni all side with Shaq. The Sonics, they say, should stay in Seattle. Take that, Oklahoma City. By now I'm sure you've heard that the Raiders are nearly ready to trade a 2nd round pick and 6th round pick to Atlanta for CB DeAngelo Hall. The Raiders also apparently have a contract ready for Hall. It's believed to be a seven year $70 million deal. I'm sure the Seahawks are cringing at that number. Combine that with last season's Nate Clements 8-year $80 mil deal with the 49ers, and maybe there's a quasi-benchmark set for top CB's. It'll be interesting to see if Tru takes a lower number or signs the one-year offer. Extra Points: Former Seahawk center Kevin Mawae is the new NFL Players Association president. He played four seasons with Seattle before flying the coup. Former TNT Hawks beat reporter Mike Sando writes about the Seahawks' top free agent acquisition...and it's not a football player. Finally, former Hawks DT Chuck Darby talks about eating hearts for his new team, the Lions.
The Mariners beat the Diamondbacks, 7-4 on Wednesday. It's their first night game of the spring. Jarrod Washburn goes three and a third, giving up four on six hits. Washburn threw 87 pitches and says he's ready for the season to start. Closer J.J. Putz talks about his arm strength and if it's where he wants it to be. First baseman and outfielder Greg Norton is looking to make the squad. He compares this spring with past ones. The 35-year old is trying to make the club. The M's website has an article on his pinch-hitting abilities. Outfielder Brad Wilkerson will probably start the season as the M's everyday right fielder. He talks about finally facing some of the main line starters. M's reliever Arthur Rhodes is trying to comeback from Tommy John surgery a month earlier than normal. P-I writer John Hickey writes that Rhodes is happy with his progress, despite giving up five runs over two innings in a minor league game. Times writer Geoff Baker writes that pitcher Brandon Morrow is throwing without pain. Morrow had a little bit of a "dead arm" for about two weeks. ESPN's Jim Caple tries to learn M's pitcher R.A. Dickey's knuckleball. He tries to catch it, as well. Both came with very limited success. Extra Innings: Remember when Travis Blakely was one of the M's top young pitchers? He's a Rule 5 kid for the Phillies. The Cubs pranked their strength coach. They wrecked his car, but gave him a nice present after much pouting. Former Cougar basketball star and Mt. Vernon native Mark Hendrickson could be the opening day starter for the Marlins. The 6'9" lefty has a 1.69 ERA in four spring starts. I know it's a stretch, but hopefully that's a good omen for the his old college team. ...The M's just sent two more to the minors. Infielder Matt Tuiasosopo and pitcher Phillip Barzilla. That puts the Mariners roster at 38. Only 13 more cuts to go. The press release is after the jump. ...The M's drop four more players from its roster. Pitchers Jon Huber, Sean White and Cesar Jimenez are headed to the Rainiers roster. All three will benefit from a little more seasoning. The Mariners sent catcher Jeff Clement down to T-town as well. Clement wasn't going to see every day action, so it made sense to send him down. Which is good news for catcher Jamie Burke. The 37-year-old is likely to make it to his 2nd straight opening day. Last season was Burke's first season to make the opening day roster. The four moves bring the M's roster down to 40 players. MLB says "the Club roster limit is 25, provided that the minimum number of active players maintained by each Club be 24." So about 15 more cuts to go. Opening day is March 31st. Hey, whose side is he on? (Just kidding) NBA Commish and city of Seattle lover David Stern is calling Ballmer and crew's offer to fix up KeyArena and buy the Sonics a bunch of PR nonsense. According to the PI, Stern told ESPN radio that the current proposal is too late and if the mayor had "done this a year ago, we wouldn't be having the conversation." Yet city leaders are still slaving away trying to find a way to fix the Seattle Center and keep the team (who, mind you, should still be reeling from a horrible loss to the Nuggets). How is it a buncha PR? Said Stern: "(the mayor) spearheaded a referendum that made it virtually impossible for there to be Seattle public money...then in what I would call sort of a late PR stunt, he suddenly announces that despite the legislation, he's found $75 million and therefore the state should allocate another $75 million. And the state said, Hey, it's too late." Hm. Touché. And the city says... ...Well, another strike on the Chinese attempt to change the world's view. Today, France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says the European Union should boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics if the violence continues in Tibet. The head of the European parliament and media watchdog Reporters Without Borders are also calling for the boycott. Kouchner wants the idea to be considered by EU foreign ministers this month, although he insists France has no plans to boycott the entire Olympic Games. What do you think? Should the US be considering the same thing? ...A couple of websites are reporting that the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a free agent deal with DT Ellis Wyms. Wyms is entering his 8th season in the NFL. He was a rotational D-lineman for the Hawks. He played the prior six seasons in Tampa. Wyms is the 6th free agent to leave the Seahawks. Here's the list (and counting): Wyms, Josh Brown (Rams), Kevin Bentley (Texans), Chuck Darby (Lions), DJ Hackett (Panthers), and Niko Koutouvides (Broncos). I guess long snapper Jeff Robinson could technically be the 7th. But he says he's going back into retirement, he's not signing with another team. ...I know losing DJ Hackett qualifies in the 'what me worry?' category, but this team certainly feels suddenly thin at the wide-out position. I know, they have the bodies. But Branch has been as healthy as Shaun Alexander the last two seasons, Burleson still messes up routes, and Bobby Engram is, well, not getting any younger. Can Ben Obomanu or Courtney Taylor step up with more practice time? Let's hope so. Obomanu sure showed flashes of escapability last season. As good as Bobby was last season, he's also 35. And the only WR with any real chemistry with Matt. At least chemistry that translates to game-day. ...Here's what one Nuggets player said about yesterday's spanking of Seattle in Denver, the worst margin of defeat ever for the Sonics franchise (168-116): "That's what happens when you quit in the NBA. If you quit in the NBA, you're lucky that a team doesn't score 2000 points on you." Get this straight: last night's loss was the most points ever scored against the Sonics. Ever. And we ain't done yet. Denver's 168 points? Fourth-most in NBA history since the invention of the shot clock. 84 points by the half. 48 in the first quarter. What do the players or coaches say? Who cares. The Nuggets pwned the Sonics by 40-plus points, twice this season. Nuff said. But remember, part of the way to undermine the fanbase is to stink it up on the playing field (see: Expos tank-and-move from Montreal to D.C.). Anyone think Kurt Thomas or Wally Szczerbiak would have allowed that kind of demolition? ...In the remaking of the 49ers, another ex-Seahawk was let go by Mike Martz and crew. First Dilfer, now D-Jack was cut from the team. Crazy, huh? Remember all the hullabaloo when Ruskell traded Jackson to a division foe? The Niners traded a fourth rounder for Jackson, with which the Seahawks drafted DE Baraka Atkins. The team signed another division foe, ex-Ram Isaac Bruce, last month. This move feels like a mistake, given their atrocious offense last season. But Jackson would have counted $4-million against the cap. ...Fan favorite & former Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez showed up in Peoria yesterday (actually appearing in the press box). And while there is no word if Gar will coach, he refutes claims that steriods were used in the M's locker room while he played. When asked about comments made in December by ex-Mariner outfielder Shane Monahan that steroids were all-over the M's clubhouse, Gar responded: "I don't know why he said that...I was there for a long time, and I didn't see what he saw. I don't know why he made those comments." Jamie Moyer and Raul Ibanez have contested Monahan's accusations. You can read more, including Edgar's take on Clemens, in today's Seattle Times. ...After Sonics owner Clay Bennett agreed to an arena deal in OKC, I've gotta bring some decent Supes news today. Seattle has called up Mo Sene. The former 1st round pick has been playing for the Idaho Stampede in the D-League. Sene has registered 9 double-doubles in his last 19 D-League games. Just four games ago, he piled up career highs of 30 points & 18 rebounds. Maybe, like Mikael Gelabale, Sene will get a chance to prove his D-League stats weren't a fluke. ...The WA Times is reporting that Zorn's Redskins have made an offer at FA WR DJ Hackett. We'll have to wait and see what the Seahawks do, if anything. The coaches were enamoured with their younger wideouts last season, Taylor and Obomanu. Also, the TNT is reporting that Marcus Trufant has received an counter-offer from the Seahawks. We'll see how this goes for Ruskell. Remember, Tatupu becomes a free agent next year, so signing Trufant remains a priority for the Hawks defense. ...The Mariners and Giants battle to 3-3 tie after 10 innings on Thursday. Don't they say that a tie is like kissing your sister? Blech! Here are the highlights. But at least Ichiro got his first of the spring. Ichiro wants to send the ball to Cooperstown. Now he's hitting a robust .040 in spring ball. M's manager John McLaren is happy everyone can sleep now that Ichiro collected his first hit. Four guys (actually 3) are battling for a final roster spot. Mike Morse appears to be leading the pack hitting .581 in Cactus League play. The Seattle Times' Larry Stone has a nice article on Morse. Jeremy Reed is nipping on his heels hitting .462. And Wladimir Balentien is cruising with a .324 average and team leading 6 doubles. Charlton Jimerson is the 4th guy, but he's a longshot at best. Here's more on the battle. The P-I's Jim Moore does a piece on M's GM Bill Bavasi. Bavasi explains his love for basketball. The M's also made a few cuts today...12 roster moves to be exact. Phillipe Aumont is probably the biggest name in the group. Extra Innings: 60-year old Billy Crystal nearly walked in his Yankees debut. The comedian signed a one-day contract. Former M's manager and current Cubs skipper Lou Piniella talks about setting a winning tone. As we all know, Sweet Lou doesn't like to lose.
The San Francisco 49ers have dropped QB Trent Dilfer. I guess he's not a Mike Martz-type of QB. Martz is the new Niners Offensive Coordinator. An Associated Press article speculates that he could be done. He's played 14 seasons. ...Just got a note that the governor is calling for a special press conference one or two hours after the end of the session (4 p.m.). Sounds like it could be about the Sonics. Maybe not. It could be about I-5. Stay tuned, we should know more soon. ...The Washington Times reports that the Washington Redskins have offered Hawks free agent WR DJ Hackett a contract. According to Skins head coach Jim Zorn, they want him, but they're not gonna risk it all (meaning overpay DJ) to bring him in. Zorn also says two other teams (the Bucs & Panthers) and the Seahawks are interested in Hackett. I kind of wonder if it would be better for Hackett to ask for a one-year deal from Seattle, build up his stats, then try free agency again in 2009. With Deion Branch currently out rehabbing his knee (surgically repaired ACL), Hackett would see a lot of playing, if he can keep healthy himself. ...The session is set to end in Olympia this afternoon, and still no word about the Sonics. Gregiore gave the PI some hints last night, "I don't have anything more to report but I don't think you should ever think conversations are dead." What now? The latest offering comes from House Finance Chairman Ross Hunter. Hunter's latest idea: Give Olympia some needed time, by Seattle using its real estate excise tax/square footage tax to generate the needed $75-million asked for by Ballmer and crew -- until the State can find the money from King County. Sounds like the State is really pressuring the city to foot the bill, for now. Question is, can they convince the city they'll eventually find the dough, and pay Seattle back. ...No, he's not complaining about anything. Ken Griffey Junior is selling a limited edition run of wine. The company making the wine is only different varieties. One line is celebrating his time in Seattle. Another for his time in Cincinnati. And the last will be made up of 600 bottles in honor of his 600+ home runs. You can find more information at the Charity Wines website. According to the press release, 100% of the proceeds goes the Ken Griffey, Jr. Family Foundation. The Foundation helps several charities including the Boys and Girls clubs, various children's hospitals, and more. The official press release is after the jump. ...After just one year in the rotation, the Mariners cut Horacio Ramirez. Bill Bavasi says the club asked waivers for the purpose of granting the lefty an unconditional release. This gives Ramirez the chance to catch on with another club immediately. Ramirez posted an 8-7 record last season with a 7.16 ERA in 20 starts. He spent nearly two months on the disabled list (Mary 25-July 16) with left shoulder tendinitis and never made the impact the M's had hoped for when they traded Rafael Soriano to Atlanta and picked up Ramirez. When I was at Spring Training in Peoria last month, I was struck by how invisible the lefty seemingly was. No one talked about the former starter or asked about his status. Ramirez worked quietly and, naturally, the hype surrounded the new acquisitions made in the offseason (Erik Bedard, Carlos Silva).
Can't wait for the MLS? Well, tickets go on sale this Saturday for a soccer match between the Mexican National Team and the national team of China, here at the Qwest on April 16th. The game starts at eight p.m., gates open at six.
With still no movement from Olympia concerning Ballmer and crew's $350,000,000 offer, word today that the city of Seattle is not giving up -- and is looking at ways to keep the idea afloat. It's hard to imagine the city footing the bill solo, but Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis is doing just that, according to the Seattle Times. Steve Kelley writes that Ceis is meeting with the investors' group again, to try and rework the deal. But can it be done without the State? "It's really difficult for the city to go this alone, without a partnership here," Ceis told the Times. "And $150 million is a big bite and that puts us into the city's general fund, which then has the KeyArena competing with things like parks, police, fire, human services. That's what we were hoping to avoid." I'm not sure I like Seattle footing the bill, with the viaduct looming. But I just don't get why aren't Gregoire and Chopp aren't seriously considering this $$$. An offer, which according to Ceis, is motivated by civil responsibility. "These guys aren't motivated by being sports fans...they really, truly did this out of a sense of civic investment and wanting to do what's right for the community." ...The M's lost to the Rockies, 4-1 on Tuesday. Not a big deal. Afterall, it's spring training. Here's the important stuff. Pitcher Felix Hernandez threw 5 shuout innings and gave up on three hits (all singles). King Felix says he's ready for the regular season to start. Richie Sexson slugged his first homer of the season. Unfortunately, something went wrong tonight with our ability to post video or you'd be able to watch the home run. Hopefully, we'll have it fixed tomorrow. Ichiro's swing seems broken or something, too. He's oh-fer this spring. But 21 at-bats does not define one of the M's best hitters in Seattle history. Guaranteed, when the season starts Ichi will be back to hittin' .350. The P-I's Jim Moore talks about the M's other pitching acquisition, Carlos Silva, and his weight. Former M's manager Mike Hargrove was in Arizona. The P-I's David Andriesen has an article on Grover's special instructor assignment with the M's. Extra Innings: Former M's Jeff Weaver may be back in baseball soon. The 31-year-old could sign with the Nats or his old club, the Cards. His bro, Jered says Jeff is not retiring. Another former M's pitcher Joel Pineiro is having his shoulder looked at.
I just received an e-mail from another group who wants to help keep the Sonics in Seattle. They're going to fly an airplane banner around the Capitol Building in Olympia on Wednesday (tomorrow) between 12:00pm-1:00pm. The release claims the costs to fly the banner were funded 100% through fan donations. The banner will say "Save Our Sonics: Next Year Is Too Late!" ...You may have seen the multiple online reports, but in case not -- Shaun met with Tim Ruskell and Mike Holmgren today in Kirkland. Some new information coming out of these notes: Despite a radio report that Shaun is about to be released, because Alexander is technically still injured (the TNT is reporting that Shaun is wearing in a cast, following surgery on the wrist) he can not be released by the team, or an injury settlement would have to be reached. Also, Maurice Morris also met with Holmgren. Nothing else to report, maybe Joel will have more info later. ...The Seahawks have filled their Running Backs coach vacancy with a local product. They've hired North Kitsap grad Kasey Dunn. The name may be familiar to Cougars fans. He was an assistant for Wazzu from 1998-2002. The official press release is after the jump. ...The Sonics have extended Mike Wilks stay. He's signed to another 10-day contract. It's his second with the Supes this season. The official one sentence press release is after the jump. By the way, the game with the Pacers is underway. ...Please. Save the Sonics. Or, if that is too daunting a task, just check this deal out. Talk about it amongst yourselves. A group of zillionaires say they'll fork out $150-million (plus $350 million to buy the team back) of reconstruction costs for a failing facility. Shouldn't you burn the midnight oil? Sure, it's work. And no one likes to work OT. But at least say "We tried," and, maybe, "It ain't worth it". At least we'd know. As Art Theil wrote in today's PI article, Washington State has "...a sudden opportunity to take advantage of a half-billion dollars in private money that would not otherwise have developed except by calendar crisis. The Legislature has the calendar capacity to respond; it currently lacks the will." This deal asks for an extension of the exisiting stadium tax -- ONLY if Ballmer and crew land an NBA team. Half a billion dollars, here. Risk free. No added taxes. Want to at least talk about it? No? Sadly, the State can't pawn this one off on Seattle. Stern is so ticked off at the city he's ready to let the Sonics go to Soonerville. So here's that number again, the one that Save Our Sonics want you to call, to remind our legislators that sometimes, we all have to work overtime. (800) 562-6000 ...The Mariners lost, 9-8 to the White Sox on Monday. Here are the highlights, sans announcer/anchor. Pitcher R.A. Dickey went two innings only giving up a hit. You canlisten to him talk about his spring by clicking here. New ace Erik Bedard got shelled today. He gave up four runs on eight hits over four innings. But he seems cool with it. I'm not exactly sure what Mike Morse is (maybe utilityman???), but he's fighting for a job in the outfield, yet he can play anywhere except pitcher and catcher (to my knowledge). He talks about his favorite position to play right here. It sounds like he's in a 3-way battle for the final spot on the bench. Seattle Times reporter Jose Miguel Romero is more generous and calls it a 5 man race. The M's haven't made the playoffs since 2001, yet they made a profit last season. Pretty cool since they had the 6th highest payroll last season. Extra Innings: Former M's Jose Guillen made his Royals debut Sunday. He played like junk, but he has reason to be happy. The commish may pardon him for his substance abuse. Phillies pitcher Scott Mathieson is my new favorite National Leaguer and it's not because he's from Vancouver, BC. It's the company he keeps. ...The Seahawks sent out an official press release concerning the signing of RB Julius Jones. You can read it after the jump. ...I saw this in the Kitsap Sun, where Brian Robinson and Steven Pyeatt (the co-founders of Save Our Sonics) are urging Sonics fans to call (800) 562-6000 before the legislative sessions ends. SOS wants fans to leave this message: "Legislators must approve the Seattle Center and KeyArena legislation during this legislative session. Action after this session could be too late." Don't know if it'll help keep the Sonics in town -- but neither will doing nothing. You can also download a poster from Save our Sonics, to post as a reminder about the next, count 'em, four days of the current session. The $150-million offer by Ballmer and crew to save the Sonics (and the Seattle Center) has a deadline, as outlined in a letter sent to the governor. Get the deal done in this or a special session -- before the NBA meets next month to decide the Sonics' fate -- or the money is gone, baby gone. The Seattle Times broke the story, and has a copy of the letter in a pdf file -- it's short, fiery, and worth reading. The letter states: "If no arena plan is passed by April 10...our offer will expire." It's signed by Ballmer, Griffen, John Stanton, and Jim Sinegal. Finally, someone is lighting a fire under the legislators. But will it make any difference? ...As the 12th Man knows, something has to happen in the Seahawks backfield -- likely with the former MVP Shaun Alexander being cut or traded. While today's Steve Kelley article in the Times mentions the Lions, ESPN's John Clayton thinks the Bengals are the most likely team to land (a cut or traded) Shaun. Alexander grew up in Florence, Ky, just across the river from Cincinnati and has long spoke of the region with fondness. As Clayton points out, "For years, there were plenty of rumors that the Bengals might try to acquire (Alexander) in a trade. Rudi Johnson didn't have his best season last year and backup Chris Perry has been hurt for years." Lending to the notion that Alexander will soon be let go, is the math. As the TNT notes: With Julius Jones getting $5.5 million and Shaun's salary over $4-million (add in Maurice Morris, Weaver and T.J. Duckett), the Seahawks has over $13-million tied up in running back salaries for 2008. ...Another reason why Seattle Sonics fans have to hope that Olympia's legislators take a good, long look at the current deal from Ballmer, Griffen and crew? The Tribnet is reporting that the New Orleans Hornet's owner is seeking a new deal that would keep the franchise in New Orleans for the next ten years. What about the lowly Memphis Grizzlies? Nope. The team is locked into FedEx Arena for a decade. So what can the fan do? You could always head over to SaveourSonics.org and use the template to send an e-mail to your elected official. Before time, very likely, runs out. ...As anyone who watches Seahawks news knows, the singing of Julius Jones signals something about Shaun Alexander's future -- but no one knows what. Will Ruskell cut No. 37? He could. Or will the Seahawks let Shaun battle for the starting job with Jones, who is considered an underachiever by many NFL followers? If the Seahawks cut Shaun before June 1, they save his $4-million salary. But the former MVP still counts for $6-million against the cap because of his prorated signing bonus. So what do fans want? Many would probably just like to see duck-and-cover Shaun go. If the teams doesn't keep him, my dream would be to see the Seahawks trade Shaun, for, say Giants TE Jeremy Shockey, fulfill the team's need at TE, and then maybe find a RB in the draft. ...Is this the end of Shaun Alexander? NFL.com reports that the Seahawks have signed RB Julius Jones. No details are provided at this point. Jones played the last 4 seasons with Dallas. His carries dropped last season. The Cowboys went with Marion Barber III as their feature back instead of splitting carries with Jones. The new Seahawks best season came in 2006. He rushed for 1,084. I gotta believe that this is the end of the road for Shaun Alexander in Seattle. Unless, Shaun decides to take a pay cut. But the Hawks have now signed 2 backs in less than a week. Who knows if Mo Morris will even survive. With all that money spent recently on RB's, something has to happen cap-wise. Update: ESPN's John Clayton reports it's a 4-year deal worth nearly $3 mil per season. Clayton calls it very similar to the T.J. Duckett deal with the Hawks. ...The folks from Save Our Sonics just sent out a press release. They want all Sonics fans to head to Olympia and gather for a rally at the State Capital. It's this Saturday March 8th from 10am-11am. Oohhh! How about this for a bonus. It looks like they're giving out "Save Our Sonics" t-shirts, too. ...That's what the Chinese government is accusing, according to the Associated Press. Chinese officials say they're preparted to take "harsh measures" to stop Tibet's exiled spiritual leader from sabotaging this summer's Beijing Olympics...althought they wouldn't give any details on how the Lama was set to do so (other than pushing for independence for Tibet). Tibet is part of the Olympic torch relay, which includes a stop at the top of Mount Everest on the border between Tibet and Nepal. Activists have previously said they may use the Olympics to air grievances against the Chinese government. You can read more at ESPN.com. The Dalai Lama plans to visit Seattle in April. ...There are numerous reports that Seahawks free agent DT Chuck Darby has signed with the Detroit Lions -- although the PI is reporting that the deal isn't yet done. Also, the Dallas Morning News' Cowboy blog is reporting that DJ Hackett is 50/50 between the Titans and the Seahawks (thanks goes to the Seahawks Huddle for that news). Man, the Titans sure love ex-Seahawks, don't they? ...I recently came across an article that compared Kevin Durant's 1st season (so far) with the likes of Cavs guard LeBron James' 1st season in the league. I thought that would be a good comparision and hoped some would do the work for me. I don't have to hope no more. 40 Acre Sports did the work. Here's the site with the comparison. Well played 40 Acre Sports. Their stats show Bron-Bron and KD are very similar, especially in an "averager per 48 minutes" look. 40 Acre Sports also makes a good point. King James didn't have to put up stats under such stress caused by Clay Bennett's penchant to move the Sonics. Plus, LeBron had a better supporting cast. Check it. It's pretty interesting. ...The Mariners beat the Brewers Thursday, 5-2. Here are the highlights. Pitcher Felix Hernandez pitched four innings, struck out five, and allowed two hits. Both hits were home runs. King Felix talks about his performance after the game. One of my favorite websites to keep track of, deadspin.com, previews the M's season. Be careful, there may be a swear word or two in the article. On the M's website, Manager John McLaren talks batting lineup strategy. Over at the Times, Jose Miguel Romero ponders Matt Tuiasosopo's chances of making the AAA ballclub. In the article, McLaren says he loves Tui. The P-I's Art Thiel can't speak french, but he knows a couple of pitchers who can, Erik Bedard & Phillipe Aumont. Thiel also writes how scouts you to deal with Dominicans, now it's worldwide and the stakes are a lot higher. ...The Storm have resigned forward Shyra Ely to a contract. She averaged 2.2 points & 1.3 boards per game for the Storm last season. You can read the complete Storm press release after the jump. ...You may have already seen this, but if not Dallas Cowboy free agent running back Julius Jones is in Kirkland today visiting with the Seahawks brass. Why is an interesting question, with Alexander, Morris, Duckett and Weaver... I'll delay any speculation. ...Is it just me, or haven't most fans been thinking that Bennett and Co. (insert boo or hiss here) have planning on moving the SEATTLE Supersonics to Oklahoma the entire time? Don't get me wrong, as a longtime Sonics fan I'm overjoyed about the recent flurry of activity, in Olympia, in revealing to the PI and the Times that we have local investors ready to dish out a few million (in what looks like a pretty darn good deal for the city), in trying to clean up the Seattle Center -- which, really, hasn't drawn my attention for about a decade or two. But when I picked up the paper this a.m. and saw Ballmer's name, I thought...why so late? Does anyone out there really think that when KeyArena is made into the best basketball facility in the NBA, Bennett and Co. (boo-hiss) will keep the Sonics in Seattle? Or is this just part of Stern's wild plan, to get KeyArena rebuilt so local investors have to steal another team from a different city? Maybe I'm just a greedy pessimist holding onto my $12 KeyArena half-full beer, watching King James throw down fitty on Spike Lee, and thinking Durant may one day actually be better. ...I must admit, I'm an optimistic person when it comes to the teams that I follow. I'm a Coug. I have to always have hope that my team can turn it around. But this whole Sonics thing to OKC finally wore me down in the past week. NBA commish David Stern made veiled threats that Seattle would never see the light of another franchise, if we "bleeded" the Sonics ownership until 2010. Combine that with OKC passing their penny sales tax proposal to renovate the Ford Center, I thought Seattle would be Sonic-less. It brought up bad memories of one my favorite teams leaving Minnesota. I grew up a huge North Stars fan. Back in 1992, a suspect person, Norm Green, bought the team. Everyone thought the North Stars were going to saved. Except Green wanted a new stadium. Sounds familar? ...The Mariners beat the Angels, 6-5 Wednesday in the Cactus League play. Here are the highlights. Sorry, there are no anchor or reporter's track on the highlights. New ace Erik Bedard looked good on the mound, but was a little short in the locker room. If you want a play by play, instead of the video, go to Times reporter Jose Romero's blog. The part you're looking for is called "Being Erik Bedard." Don't expect many quotes from him this season. From what I understand, he's not unruly, he's just not a talker. Oh, if you want a good interview, check out Lisa Gangel's 1-on-1 with M's general manager Bill Bavasi. He talks about the Bedard trade, breaks down Brad Wilkerson's offense and defense, competing in the AL West, and more. Keep an eye on Phillippe Aumont. The former number one pick has been impressing people in Peoria, Arizona. Aumont pitched his first game of the spring on Wednesday. It was a "B" game, but manager John McLaren liked what he saw in Aumont. Apparently, pitcher Horacio Ramirez looked good as well. But after last season, it'll probably take more than one spring training game to win anyone over, much less the fans. Speaking of the pitching staff, the Arizona Republic writes about the M's upgrade at the position. The P-I's John Hickey writes we may be seeing the last of Cha Seung Baek. ...The Storm just sent out a press release. The owners have promoted Karen Bryant from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer. Bryant has been with the Storm since 11 days after its birth into the WNBA. You can read the official press release after the jump. ...What a week for Sonics fans (in Seattle and Oklahoma). Now, Seattle developer Matt Griffin confirmed to the PI Tuesday that a group of local investors are ready to remodel KeyArena to keep the Sonics in Seattle. With private funding in place, Griffin told the PI legislators need to get the tax-subsidized part of the KeyArena rebuild done soon. "I would doubt this (plan) will exist a year from now," Griffin said. But is there enough time for Olympia to move on this? The Legislature plans to adjourn March 13th. Griffin -- the developer behind Pacific Place, Wells Fargo Center and the Washington Mutual Tower -- declined to reveal the other investors. He also compared an empty KeyArena to an empty Frederick & Nelson. And we all should remember what a Ghost Town downtown Seattle felt like, before Nordstrom made the right move and saved the day. ...NBA commissioner David Stern spent Tuesday night in Portland. He spoke with our sister station KGW before a Blazers game. Stern continued his harsh talk towards the city of Seattle, the state of Washington, and Sonics fans (more collateral damage than anything). Stern says if Seattle is going to bleed the Sonics ownership for 3 more years (actual it's more like 2 years Mr. Stern), then the chances of Seattle getting a new franchise are not good. But he says never say never. Here's his "bleeding" interview. Oklahoma City passed a new penny sales tax 61% to 39% (though the count isn't final at the time of this blog). Stern talks about that vote in another part of his interview. He also talked to the print journalists as well. He answers six questions regarding the Sonics. ...The Mariners continued Cactus League play. They lost to the A's. Here are the highlights. Pitcher Miguel Batista's back stiffened up after the 1st inning. Here's Batista's post game presser. Tuesday on KING5, Chris Egan did a story on Batista's endeavors off the field. He feels obligated to help people while he's in a position to do so. So far, catcher Kenji Johjima is having trouble catching knuckle balls from pitcher R.A. Dickey. IF/OF Mike Morse has been on fire this spring. He's 7-11 at the plate. Raul Ibanez is giving him advice. Meanwhile, Ibanez talks about how spring ball is going for him. ...A rather bold idea for Sonics fans to show the rest of the NBA how much the team means to Seattle is gathering moss on the internet. The idea was first brought up by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons and got traction today by Dave Boling down at the TNT. Simmons idea is for fans to "raise national awareness" by peacefully walking onto the court between the third and fourth quarters while chanting, "Save our Sonics!" Simmons goes on to say, "Assuming you had 3,000-4,000 people stroll onto the court, there's no possible way they could arrest everyone, and if they called the game, who cares? You were probably losing the game, anyway." He points out it would take a nonviolent protest to make TV replays around the country. "If you could pull this stunt off in a dignified way, it could be incredibly effective and raise the right amount of national awareness for this issue." Whew. Well, at least someone on the national stage is in the Seattle fan's corner -- even of the idea is, uh, radical. And as Dave Boling says, it would certainly give the NBA something to remember. ...The Seahawks have signed TE Jed Putzier. He's a Northwest native. Putzier was born in Eagle, Idaho and went to school at Boise State. He's 29. Putzier had two productive seasons in 2004 & 2005 for Denver, but has done little since. Plus, the Hawks announced they've also hired Mike DeBord as an offensive assistant. You can find the official releases in the jump. ...This just crossed the AP wires. The Seahawks and running back T.J. Duckett have agreed to a five-year deal. Duckett recently played with the Lions. He's a big dude to play running back. He's 6'0" and 254 pounds. The 27-year-old's biggest season came in 2003. He ran for 779 yards. Other than that, he's never surpassed 509 yards in his five other seasons. ...I just saw this on ESPN's TrueHoop. One thing missing from the Seattle Supersonics new website? The word Seattle. Ouch. The word just isn't there. Try and find it. The logo they use even has a paired down version -- lacking the Emerald City's name. Double-ouch. How does that make you feel? As ESPN.com's Henry Abbott points out, "...it sure feels funny to see a moving strategy play out before your eyes. If you want to take the Sonics out Seattle, apparently step one is to take Seattle out of the Sonics." If not, Brett Favre was darn close. In the current era, who was better? Montana? Elway? Favre holds the record for most career touchdown passes (422), most passing yards (61,655), most wins by a QB (160) and interceptions (288). And talk about an Iron Man at the one position that everyone on defense wants to smush into little pieces -- yet Favre finishes his career with 253 consecutive regular season starts. Take that, Cal Ripken Jr. Best ever QB? One could argue. One could also argue that we'll have to wait and see if he remains retired. ...The Seahawks are staying busy in the free agent hunt. The Times is reporting that the Seahawks are showing interest in free agent running back TJ Duckett. The 26-year-old 250-lb journyman and former first-round pick was in Detroit last season. Also, the Seahawks are reportedly looking at 6'1" 245-lb FA linebacker Nick Greisen, who played for the Ravens last season. If signed, Greisen would be a back-up LB. ...Following the Seahawks losing on Alge Crumpler, today linebacker and special teams captain Niko Koutouvides is leaving the team to join the Broncos. ESPN is reporting the deal to be three years. Since Friday's start of free agency, the Seahawks have lost Brown, Bentley, Koutouvides, and whiffed on the much-needed best tight end available, Crumpler (assuming his health would last a season). Anyone still think Shaun Alexander should have been asked to restructure his contract, so the Hawks could've sweetened the deal to Alge or Josh? Unless free agency fufllls, draft picks may get eaten up by a kicker, a linebacker, and a tight end. ...There are multiple reports tonight (including the NFL Network) that say free agent tight end Alge Crumpler has signed a two year deal with the Tennessee Titans -- although the TNT says Crumpler's agent, James Williams, is denying a deal is in place. According to Titan's Radio, Williams responding Sunday night by saying: ''Where did you see that report? ... He (Alge) has not signed a contract nor agreed to anything.'' Reports have the contract around $5.25 million, with a $1-million signing bonus. Crumpler was set to meet with the Bills before announcing his decision on Monday. ...The Seahawks have lost another player to free agency. The PI is reporting that backup linebacker Kevin Bentley has signed with the Houston Texans. No surprise, as last week Bentley made it known he wanted the chance to start. Also of note, the Buffalo Bills Insider is reporting that TE Alge Crumpler is visiting with the Bills today. Crumpler's agent said an announcement about which team Alge will join could come on Monday. There's plenty of speculation that the Seahawks are the team of choice for Alge, having played for Mora and Ruskell before, but that the amount of money offered was below the $3.4 million he would have made if not cut by Atlanta. ...What a first day of free agency, eh? Bye-bye, Brownie. Keeping up with the rest of the Seahawks free agents, Niko Koutouvides met with the Bucs Friday. Reports have the Broncos expressing interest in the LB, too. Kevin Bentley will meet the Texans Sunday. In other news, the team parted ways with Tom Ashworth, releasing the tackle yesterday. The TNT is reporting that the Seahawks contacted New England defensive DB's Eugene Wilson and Randall Gay to set up visits, and Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Seahawks free agent DTs Ellis Wyms and Chuck Darby will visit with the Lions next week. ... |