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July 2009
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| July 2008Uni Watch and espn.com did a contest for the team formerly known as the Sonics. I like the one pictured below. It incorporates the Space Needle and a guy, whom I'm assuming, is a robber of some sort. You can find the rest here. Something else I found very funny was an article by The Stranger's Sherman Alexie. It's titled "61 things I Learned During the Sonics Trial." It's pretty darn funny. Especially #13 & 14...it mentions Howard Schultz and Jewel in the same sentence.
Head Official Pete Morelli and three members of his crew got a chance to get reacquainted with the Seahawks today as they took in the morning practice. Coach Homgren said of the crew being at camp, "it's one of the best programs the NFL has." He also added that the players get to see the referees in a more relaxed environment where it's not so competitive. This was evident when linebacker Julian Peterson playfully pleaded with Morelli to make a call by pretending to toss a flag. Tight End John Carlson said, "the officials don't change a whole lot, you just have to be a little sharper on your technique." The referees will be around Saturday for the Seahawks scrimmage at Qwest Field. ...Well the non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone. The M's only traded one guy, that we know of. Reliever Arthur Rhodes is headed to the Florida Marlins. The TNT's Larry LaRue gives multiple reason why Rhodes will be missed. The M's get 22-year old Gaby Hernandez. The official press release is after the jump. Not a bad deal for the M's. They at least get a young arm and Rhodes moves to a contender. Here are the other deals or no deals of note:
Yes, Shawn Kemp may be making a comeback to play pro hoops. According to a couple of websites, an Italian league has offered the Reignman a contract. Hey, former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress and a few other NBA ball players are heading overseas to play hoops, why not the Reignman. thesportcount.com has more on the story including a top 10 Shawn Kemp dunk-a-thon. Kemp didn't really participate in the Battle at the Lake a few weeks ago due to an injury, but by all accounts, he looked like he was close to being back in basketball shape. ...No, it's not a trade...yet. The M's claimed pitcher Luis Munoz off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Seattle sent him down to AA right away. You can read the official press release after the jump. ...It's always a treat for those of us watching from the sidelines when the first units get to go up against each other during scrimmage. For me the best action has been between staring wide receiver Nate Burleson and cornerback Marcus Trufant. For the past six days it has been common to see the defense move Trufant over to cover Nate one-on-one, making for some exciting play. ...From the Seahawks: Single game tickets for the Seattle Seahawks 2008 season will go on sale Monday, August 4 at 10 a.m. Fans will be able to purchase a maximum six (6) tickets per game.
From the Seahawks:
Dig this, online believers: all 17 Sunday Night Football games will be streamed live on NFL.com (and NBCSports.com). It'll be the first time complete NFL games will be available, live, online. Pretty cool, eh? There will be extras, too. More camera angles, live statistics and more. SNF Extra, as they are dubbing it, will also include in-game studio updates from the NBC Football Night in America team and NFL Network talent. So what do you think? Will you watch these games online, or via cable or satellite? Day five of the Northwest Cable News Seahawks Training Camp is in the books and already the Seahawks are asking for your help. I had the chance to chat with Seahawks safeties, Brian Russell and Deon Grant. First off, thankfully these guys are in Seattle -- class acts, who are so talented, on and off the field. Now, to their plea for help. During the interview, I asked them if they had a nickname. Grant said, "Last year someone called us, Salt and Peppa, but thats a girl's nickname, we want something new and something fresh." Russell then said, "ya, we'd like a nickname, but that's your job to come up with one for us." So with that in mind, get blogging Seahawk fans, we need a cool new nickname for Brian Russell and Deon Grant! ...This morning's practice was highlighted by the first major hitting of training camp. Perhaps it was the rainy gloomy football weather normally associated with the fall, or maybe the two plus hours of morning practice aggravated the players? Regardless every player came into today's rainy practice looking to hit. ...Patrick Kerney is officially out with a strained calf. The doctors decided they'd rather have the All-Pro defensive end rest it instead of risk further injury. No timeline on when Kerney will be back. ...The first thing Mike Holmgren talked about today was his concerns with the offensive line. With new coaches (Mike Solari, O-line; Kasey Dunn, RB) and players sitting out with injuries, there is no clear idea of exactly who he has on the line. Guards are filling in at center and that created a disaster today in snapping the ball. Three separate times, the snap was dropped. Holmgren made fun of the re-occuring mistake when talking to the media saying, "That makes it tough to run plays."
The conclusion of today's morning practice left Coach Mike Holmgren uneasy about the state of his offensive line. Both center Chris Spencer and guard Chris Gray remained out of action. The injury to Spencer creates even bigger issues due to the lack of depth at the center position: who will snap the ball for the Seahawks?
The biggest event over the weekend seemed to be Matt Hasselbeck tweaking his foot. On Sunday morrning, Matt was dropping back to pass when he pulled up, barking in pain. He limped off the field. Thankfully, Matt came back later in the day, with a wrap about his left ankle.
Just a quick note from Seahawks camp: The team signed their seventh and final draft pick this afternoon, inking tight end John Carlson to a multi-year deal. Carlson was drafted in the second round (38th overall) in this year's NFL Draft out of Notre Dame. The press release added that to make room on the roster, the team released tight end Zac Alcorn. So far, so good, from the NWCN Seahawks Training Camp. After missing out on spring mini-camps because of a dispute with his contract, Bobby Engram walked onto the practice field at 9:00 am ready to begin the new season. Engram has yet to sign a new deal with the Seahawks, but said he wanted to be back on the field for the team and wanted to get things off to a great start, because the regular season will be upon the team very fast. Holmgren credits Engram for being the ultimate team player for putting his personal issues on the side for the team.
Here's the press release:
Can you believe we're only 10 hours away from the first practice of Hawks training camp? Apparently, receiver Bobby Engram has reported and won't be a holdout. Somewhere Matt Hasselbeck is breathing a heavy sigh of relief. The Hawks top two picks, Lawrence Jackson and John Carlson, will officially be holdouts. Both are unsigned as of tonight. Keep watching NWCN and KING5 news all day Friday for the latest. I've heard Chris Egan and Brock Huard will be bringing reports early and often on Northwest Cable News. Top 5 Questions: 1. Will the running game come around without Shaun Alexander? Seattle picked up TJ Duckett and Julius Jones in the off-season. Plus, Mo Morris should get some carries. 2. Maybe this should be 1A. Can the offensive line learn to run block? They had their troubles last season. Don't say 4th and 1 too close to head coach Mike Holmgren. They enter camp with a new line coach, Mike Solari. He should help...as will free agent signee Mike Wahle. 3. Who'll emerge as the 3rd receiver? With Deion Branch likely out for the first few games of the season, someone needs to backup Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson. Will it be Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor, or Logan Payne? 4. Who's gonna replace Josh Brown? The Hawks brought in veteran Olindo Mare and drafted Brandon Coutu. It's rare that you draft a kicker and he doesn't make the team...but on the other hand, Mare can kick. 5. How will every react to Holmgren's last season? The coach has already said that won't be a problem. But will his heir apparent be a distraction? Am I missing anything? This is a veteran group, so there shouldn't be too many problems barring injuries. Sometime in December, we should be talkin' playoffs (my apologies to the elder Jim Mora). ...I guess it's en vogue to leave the NBA for overseas hoops. Bostjan Nachbar, Josh Childress, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Delfino, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Jorge Garbajosa, even high schooler Brandon Jennings have left to play overseas. Now former Sonics Delonte West is being courted by a Russian team. According to Yahoo.com, Moscow Dynamo is talking about a 2-year deal worth $10 million. David Stern's posse keeps losing players because of their CBA. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Sorry, that was the bitter Sonics fan in me. But I do find it interesting that players have more options other than the NBA. ...The media PAC-10 football poll is out. Now I don't remember voting, but they've got the Huskies predicted to finish 8th, the Cougars in last place. The Cougars sent out a press release...it's after the jump. Do you think it's fair? Are the Huskies the 8th best team in the conference? Are the Cougars going to be the worst team in the PAC-10? ...This Sunday in Cooperstown, Dave Niehaus will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the 32nd receipient of the Ford Frick award. He will join legendary broadcasters like Vin Scully, Harry Caray, Mel Allen and Red Barber. This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Niehaus to get his thoughts on his 32 years of service with the Mariners Organization. It's tough to argue against that call, but if there's a Dave Niehaus moment you'd like to share, start blogging away! ...The Seahawks open training camp tomorrow. The NFC West champs will begin preseason workouts at Northwest University. But it's the last month for the Seahawks at the club's old headquarters in Kirkland. On August 18th, the team plans to relocate to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, in Renton. In fact, the Seahawks are starting to move furniture, etc, on August first. This from vice president of business development Lance Lopes: "Because it was just me and the Vulcan group managing projects and budgets, we were able to fast-track everything. We weren't bogged down by meetings and 14 people weighing in on every move we made. We didn't have any luxury of time, so we had the architects designing just in front of the construction process. To do a construction project of this magnitude in 18 months required a lot of things to work in our favor - one of which was the cooperation of Renton. Their ability to respond quickly to our permit applications and things like that was exceptional. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish this in many other municipalities in our region."
Eating roasted peanuts and watching baseball go hand and hand like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Unfortunately for some, those same peanuts make it difficult for some fans to watch a baseball game live due to allergies. Well the M's are going to help out. The Seattle Mariners have designated two seating sections on August 5, and September 9, peanut-controlled zones for individuals and families of those who live with severe peanut allergies.
The Storm sign former Husky Kristen O'Neill to her 4th seven-day contract. Too bad there isn't a point, like the NBA, where you either have to sign the player for the rest of the season or let them go. Either way, I think O'Neill will probably finish the season with the team, unless there's a trade. The official press release is after the jump. ...While deals are in place for Seahawks rookies FB Owen Schmitt, LS Tyler Schmitt and DT Red Bryant, rookies DT Lawrence Jackson and TE John Carlson have not yet agreed to contracts. Rookies are to report to training camp in Kirkland this Friday.
Mariners pitcher Erik Bedard got an MRI on his pitching shoulder today. The results aren't back yet. Bedard last pitched on July 4th. Manager Jim Riggleman says after his last outing, the left-hander didn't feel very good. No doubt, if the M's had thoughts of trading him, the MRI, no matter the outcome, will put a damper on that. In the end, it'll be better for the team to keep Bedard and work on his health. Then maybe by the off-season, Bedard's value will rise enough, if they're intent on moving him. ...The Mariners are moving down the radio dial, from KOMO 1000 to KIRO 710, for the 2009 season. According to the PI, it's a three-year deal worth $5.5 million per season. Before switching to KOMO in 2003, the M's broadcast games on KIRO for 18 years. All of the on-air talent, including Hall of Famer Dave Niehaus, are supposed to make the move. ...In case you missed on Sunday, former Husky Nate Robinson had his Las Vegas Summer League jersey retired yesterday. I'm not exactly sure what qualifies Nate the Great to have his jersey retired, but I think it's a first. As far as I know, no one else has had their LV jersey retired. Anyways, click on this link to see the retired jersey. ...A couple of quick notes in the NFC: First, TE Jeremy Shockey is now a Saint. The Giants will reportedly get a second and fifth-round draft pick in 2009 for Shockey. More news in the conference today, as Jason Taylor is moving to the Washington Redskins. The Dolphins will receive a second-round pick in '09 and a sixth in 2010. The Seahawks don't play the Saints this upcoming season, but the team takes on the Dolphins in Miami on November 9th and will welcome back Jim Zorn and his Redskins in Seattle on November 23rd. ...According to a tv station in OKC, Clay Bennett has a new name for the team formerly known as the Sonics. Drum roll please...the new name is...the "Thunder". What, didn't Clay like our suggestion of the Robber Barons? Here's the website with the story. According to the report, Bennett and the Boys haven't given comment on the story. Apparently, the name "Thunder" was the winning name from an OKC newspaper contest. But Clay may get the last word. Oklahoma City owner Clay Bennett has said privately he prefers a nickname that ends with the letter "s" instead of a singular name nickname, but Bennett added that he and his partners would consider several options. - newsok.com 7/20/08
The M's made a couple of moves before today's game. They activated closer J.J. Putz. He threw down in Tacoma on Friday. Apparently, he looked and felt good enough after pitching an inning and two-thirds for the Rainiers. Seattle also sent Ryan Rowland-Smith down to Tacoma. It's not really a demotion. They want him to "stretch out" his arm and convert the reliever into a starting pitcher. I guess they have too many starters in Seattle right now. So they can't keep him in the "Bigs" to make the transition ala Joba Chamberlain with the Yankees. The official press release is after the jump. ...The Mariners held a practice today at Safeco field. M's manager Jim Riggleman talked to reporters a wide variety of things.
Tug Hulett we hardly knew ye. The M's sent the infielder down to Tacoma today. He went 1-3 and only appeared in one game. The official release is after the jump. UPDATE: According to the Seattle Times, the M's have called up 1B Bryan LaHair. Hmm, we'll see if he can produce in the bigs. ...According to ESPN.com, Richie Sexson will soon be a Yankee. They've got a tentative deal and Big Richie could be in pinstripes by Saturday. I'm sure the Yankees will only have to pay Sexson the veteran minimum...because the M's are on the hook for his $15-plus salary for 2008. But good for Sexson, he goes from a team struggling to find their way, to a team who's competing for a penant. ...Want to get your Seahawks fix? Tomorrow morning at 10am tickets go on sale for the Hawks training camp scrimmage. You can buy them on ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for kids. They'll hold the annual scrimmage August 2nd at 11am at Qwest Field. The official release is after the jump. ...Next Monday, the Mariners and Verizon are teaming up to help victims of domestic abuse. During Monday's game with the Red Sox, you can drop off you're old cell phones. You read more about this worthy cause after the jump. ...I've been asked more than once now, so to pass on the info: Seahawks tickets go on sale August 4th at 10 a.m., available at Ticketmaster or by phoning (206) 622-4295. According to the Seahawks website, tickets will not be sold in person.
The Storm have announced that former Husky Kristen O'Neill has signed another 7-day contract with the team. Talk about living week to week and paycheck to paycheck.
Not that it's too surprising, but a Harris Poll claims the Mariners popularity is declining. They've dropped from eighth most popular in 2007 to 17th in 2008. According to the website, it's the lowest the M's have been ranked since 2004. The team's highest ranking came in 1999. Seattle was the sixth most popular team. The Yankees have been the top ranked team six years running. The online poll was conducted June 9th-16th. ...Talk about a tough break. Arguably one of the best starting pitcher in the National League, Giants starter Tim Lincecum will miss the All-Star game with the flu. The 24-year old is leading the NL in strikeouts. It's too bad the former Husky will have to miss the final All-Star game in Yankee Stadium. Here's more on Lincecum's condition. ...Former Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin just got paid by the Cowboys. He's gonna get about $15 million guaranteed on a six-year deal worth $39 million. By the way, the Seahawks are only a week away from rookies reporting to training camp.
Yesterday the Seattle city council voted to end the KeyArena lease with the Sonics, which takes their attention to the Seattle Storm. Losing the Sonics does more than hurt the fans, it means the city needs to strike up a new agreement with the WNBA team. This is from councilwoman Jan Drago: "It's a sad day to lose the Sonics. Now we need to do what we can to support the Storm, keep them vital and keep them in Seattle."And it may not be a cake walk. The departure of the Sonics actually hurts the Storm, as the PI points out: the two teams used to share operating costs. The current deal between the Storm and the city goes until 2010, with an out clause each September. ...Profootballtalk.com via Scout.com is reporting that Seahawks 5th round pick and fullback Owen Schmitt has signed a contract. The man they call the "Runaway Beer Truck" will get a 4-year deal with $158,000 signing bonus. Not bad for a 5th round pick. Btw, here's Schmitt bashing himself in the head after a bad punt. ...Bobby Engram will be at Seahawks camp at the end of the month, without the raise the WR sought, according to Steve Kelley at the Seattle Times. Bobby will earn $1.7 million for this next year. Here is what Engram told Kelley: "I'll be ready to go. I'm going to be me. I'm going to be ready to work hard, because I don't hold any bitterness. I'm not going to be upset about something that didn't happen. Everybody has to handle his business individually, but I realize nobody is bigger than the team." A class move by the 35-year-old wideout, who caught 94 catches for 1,147 yards in '07. The team certainly wouldn't be the same without him. Ah, this all brings back days of Joe Montana in a Chiefs uniform. You've likely heard that Brett Favre is asking out from his contract with the Packers so he can stage a comeback from retirement. First, do the Packers let him go? I think so. While the Packers are a publicly owned team, the Packers need to forge on. So where will Brett land? A team that runs the West Coast offense, you'd think, with a chance to make the playoffs. And Brett will want to play on grass, or at least outside. The Bucs? Carolina? What about....the Bears? ...I know I shouldn't be piling on, but when I came across a website that delves deeper in the enigma of Richmond Lockwood Sexson, I couldn't help myself This has got to be the most depressing, yet interesting list of "stats" for former M's "slugger" Richie Sexson. Here's a snippet. Now, onto the numbers relating to his entire tenure in Seattle. Sexson played 509 games in four years with the Mariners. He made $98,232 per game. Sexson smacked just 105 home runs. Each round-tripper paid him $476,190. To see all of the mind-boggling stats, click here. The name of the blog/website is Rumors & Rants. You'll want to strangle someone when you see how much he made per home run this season. One hint, Who wants to be a Millionaire. ...Now that the Sonics are gone, there are few choices for NBA fans as we all wait for the Schutlz lawsuit to play out. TNT? Or the Trailblazers. Ugh. As a longtime Sonics fan, I don't know if I can jump ship to the Blazers, as indicated by SeatownSports.net.
Well, the Mariners finally pulled the trigger in releasing Richie Sexson (final year of his four-year $50-million deal, hitting .218 with 11 HR and 30 RBI). Was it the right move by the Mariners? And who should be next on the chopping block? ...He helped Matt get through the tough years, and now free agent QB Trent Dilfer is set to make his retirement annoucement, according to the Associated Press. A 13 year veteran, Dilfer won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and spent the last few seasons with the 49ers, after playing four seasons with the Seahawks. The 36-year-old made the mention at the 19th annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe. "I think everybody I've talked to says (camaraderie is) the hardest thing to get away from, just the locker room, just being around the guys each day, the routine of the season. But I knew this time was coming, and here it is."For his career, Dilfer completed 55.5 percent of his passes for 20,518 yards, throwing 113 touchdowns and 129 interceptions. ...Here's another pompous move by David Stern and the NBA. The league wants former Sonics owner Howard Schultz to end his lawsuit to regain the club. The NBA filed a motion in federal court on Tuesday. The motion claims Shultz's lawsuit would cause the team formerly known as the Sonics a bunch instability. Hmmm, I'm sure that wasn't happening at all since Clay Bennett bought the club. Anyways, here's the story on the Seattle Times. The first hearing for the Schultz case is Friday. It'll be interesting to see if the NBA is allowed to butt in. Hopefully, for Sonics fans, Schultz stays the course.
For those who don't have the Golf Channel or don't watch it much, a former Cougar golfer has won the The Golf Channel's reality show "Big Break: Ka'anapali". Apparently, the final was last night. Here's the winning video. Welch wins a bunch of prizes. Her prizes include an exemption into the Sept. 25-28 Navistar LPGA Classic, her entry fees into 2009 Futures Tour events waived, a BMW Z4 Coupe and an Adams Golf endorsement contract that includes $10,000 in cash. - sacbee.comWSU put out a press release about Welch's win. It's after the jump.... Since the settlement, covering the Team Formerly Known as the Sonics has been like running into a brick wall at forty paces. Does anyone out there care? Do Sonics fans want to know OKC summer league scores, how Durant is doing, or what the new jerseys look like? Sure, there is a chance that Schutlz's suit may bring the team back -- after next season is played. Sure, there are reasons to keep watching. To keep an eye on the boxscore, to watch the OKC NBA keep losing. But every story, like today's PI article on Kevin Calabro being unemployed, just wrings the knot in my gut a little harder. ...Clay Bennett and the Robber Barons have changed the Sonics website to the Oklahoma City website. Here's the link. Or you can just hit your old Sonics link...it'll take you there. ...The Storm signed former Husky Kristen O'Neill to a second 7-day contract. The Storm's official release is after the jump. By the way, next storm home game is Thursday at noon versus the Phoenix Mercury. It's should be a high scoring game and lots o' fun to watch. ...If you get a chance, USA Today is running a catch-up piece with the Seahawks. One of the interesting notes is the fact the team's WR issues may place Nate Burleson as the starter at split-end, taking the energized returner off of special teams and replacing him with someone like CB Josh Wilson. Says Holmgren: "I would say that we are going to have to see how that goes. He's a valuable special-teams player, and he's good for us. But if he is our starting split end, I might have to re-evaluate that...Then I have to see if someone can do what he did. We are working on that."It's a tough argument to take Nate off special teams. But with Hackett gone, Branch healing and Bobby holding out, Holmgren may have little other choice but try and keep Burleson as healthy as can be. ...Did you want to know what former Seahawks linebacker Brian Bosworth is doing? Apparently, he's a lifesaver. The "Boz" was fishing up in the Winnipeg area with his son, then headed to the airport when a car rolled a couple of times right in front of him. The "Boz" pulled over and helped the paramedics and rescue crews get the driver out of the car. ...About three weeks ago, Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu pled not guilty to driving under the influence. Today, he changes that plea to guilty. A Kirkland Municipal Court judge sentenced Tatupu to a day in jail and $1,255 in fines. Kirkland police arrested Tatupu on May 10th for speeding and driving erratically. The Hawks LB blew nearly twice the legal limit into a breathalyzer. The legal limit for blood alcohol in the state of Washington is .08. Tatupu blew a .155 & a .158. The deal between the city and Bennett isn't finalized yet, but get this: it allows Bennett to use the Sonics banners, memorabilia (six retired jerseys) and even the 1979 championship trophy. Say what? Bennett even keeps ownership of the Sonics name, although while he has "agreed" not to use it -- and will "return" it if a team ever returns to Seattle. Hm. When not using the items in Oklahoma City, they'll be kept in Seattle at the Museum of History and Industry. The deal will be finalized on August 1st.
Storm forward Swin Cash spills the beans during KING5-TV's 5pm newscast. She's received word that she won't be on the 2008 Olympic basketball team. The official roster isn't due to go public for a few more days. Cash has already won a gold medal. She handled the news with grace on the show. She says she'll shoot for 2012. ...Do you think the NBA will ever come back to the city of Seattle? Or was the Mayor and the city council caught with $ in their eyes, hosing the fans? Who is to most blame for losing the Sonics? Schultz? Nickels? Gregoire and the legislature? Wally Walker? How hard are Bennett and Stern laughing now? Really, how likely is Seattle to see the NBA again? A 50-50 shot? A 5% chance? Or are the Sonics gone forever? ...So what does David Stern, commish of the NBA think of today's deal? Here is the press release: NEW YORK, July 2, 2008 - NBA Commissioner David Stern has issued the following statement: "We are pleased that the Sonics and the City of Seattle have settled their litigation. While the decision has been made to relocate the Sonics to Oklahoma City, the NBA continues to regard Seattle as a first-class NBA city that is capable of serving as home for another NBA team. In order for this to occur, a state-of-the-art NBA arena must be funded and constructed in the Seattle area, a subject that has been extensively debated -- but not ultimately acted upon -- by local political and business leaders over the past four years. We are pleased that the City remains committed to addressing this fundamental requirement for the return of NBA basketball to Seattle and we hope that other elected officials critical to a solution will support the City's efforts. "We understand that City, County, and State officials are currently discussing a plan to substantially re-build KeyArena for the sum of $300 million. If this funding were authorized, we believe KeyArena could properly be renovated into a facility that meets NBA standards relating to revenue generation, fan amenities, team facilities, and the like. Assuming the funding can be committed, the league is willing to work with the City on the design and construction of the re-build to facilitate this result. Under these circumstances, if an opportunity arose in the future for an NBA team to be located in Seattle, we would support that team playing its home games in a re-built KeyArena, if it wished. However, given the lead times associated with any franchise acquisition or relocation and with a construction project as complex as a KeyArena renovation, authorization of the public funding needs to occur by the end of 2009 in order for there to be any chance for the NBA to return to Seattle within the next five years. "We are pleased that Steve Ballmer has expressed the continuing willingness of his group, Seattle Center Investors, managed by Seattle developer Matt Griffin, to be a part of the solution for returning NBA basketball to Seattle. The NBA will keep SCI and the City informed if opportunities arise in the next five years for franchise sale, relocation and/or expansion. Under the circumstances outlined above, the NBA would be happy to return to the City of Seattle."...Well, we'll know more about the deal as we get closer to Pechman, Nickels and Bennett's press conferences. But what do you think? Should Seattle have settled with the Sonics? Leave your comments below.
Well, it's beginning to look like the city of Seattle and the Sonics have settled the lawsuit. According to some reports, the deal was hinged on Howard Schultz's part of the agreement. While Pechman's ruling is set for 4 p.m., an announcement should come before then.
It sounds slightly fishy, but according to the Oklahoman Newspaper the city of Seattle and the Sonics are negotiating a settlement in the case, pending approval of the Seattle City Council. You can read the report here. The report's source is councilman Richard McIver. The article says the settlement is being held up by the Sonics' desire to include Howard Schultz's lawsuit within the deal. Maybe somebody out there can help read between the lines. Stay tuned for more details. Judge to rule today on Seattle v. Sonics ...Will they stay or will they go? U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman is expected to post her ruling online, in the city of Seattle vs. Bennett's PBC LLC ownership group at 4 p.m. today. If Pechman rules as scheduled, you can find that link at the US District Court website for Western Washington.
Judge to rule today on Seattle v. Sonics ...Well we're less than 24 hours from Judgement Day. Tomorrow (Wednesday) Judge Marsha Pechman will post her decision online on the Sonics KeyArena lease lawsuit.
The Sonics just sent over a press release. Apparently, point guard Earl Watson broke his thumb while preparing for the upcoming season. He'll have surgery to fix his thumb on Thursday. He could miss a little bit of the start of the season. The official release is after the jump. ...The Seattle (hopefully, they'll still be in Seattle) Supersonics announced their Orlando Pro Summer League roster today. First round picks Russell Westbrook & D.J. White will be there...along with second round pick DeVon Hardin. Suprisingly, second-year player Jeff Green will hit the hardwood in O-Town, too...but no Kevin Durant. I guess when you're the Rookie of the Year, you really don't need to prove yourself in the summer leagues. Anyways, here's the roster. You can also read the Sonics press release after the jump. ...M's pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith makes his first career start tonight. When Felix Hernandez went on the disabled list Monday night, the M's needed a spot starter. Rowland-Smith seemed like the logical choice. The M's sent him and Brandon Morrow to winter ball over the past off-season to stretch out their arms. But when the club traded for Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva, Rowland-Smith & Morrow stayed in the bullpen. M's manager Jim Riggleman explains Felix's stint on the 15-day DL after Monday's game. His thoughts on King Felix comes around the 1:00 mark. Back Rowland-Smith, don't expect a complete game out of him. His longest outing came June 13th. He pitched three and a third innings. So it'll be the Rowland-Smith and the bullpen tonight against the Blue Jays. Here's more on the tonight's matchup. ...They told her to stay close and today Kristen O'Neill finds out why. The Storm have signed the former Husky guard to a seven-day contract. The Storm just cut Kimberly Beck a few days ago. O'Neill isn't a point guard like Beck, but the girl from Meadowdale High School should provide some offense off the bench. O'Neill is 5th all-time at the UW in 3-pointers made. The official press release is after the jump.
Or should I ask: Can the Seahawks third-year WR Ben Obomanu (12 passes, 180 yards and one touchdown) step it up? Because if he can't, who will Matt (BleacherReport.com's most underrated QB) be tossing the pigskin to? Courtney Taylor and his five career catches? Logan Payne? Jordan Kent? Sure, it's possible any one of these guys could emerge. Burleson, who is obviously blessed with talent, has had problems finishing his routes. Deion Branch, while superb, is coming off ACL surgery -- and could easily be at 50% all season. So the question remains: should Bobby Engram continue to hold out when training camp begins on July 25th?
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