 |  |
|
| |
 |
July 2009
Categories
| December 2008By Su Ring/Hockey Editor
Next season the Seahawks will be different in many ways, a new coach not the least of the changes. Many free agents loom and GM Tim Ruskell will be plenty busy. I'll keep updating the free agent swaps over the course of the off-season. Here are the players who could jump ship this summer:
This season Lori Matsukawa won the KING/5 Seahawks Anchor Picks, claiming the trophy from last season's winner, Dennis Bounds. Lori won easily this year, with little competition from Dennis or Jean Enersen (although if there was a loyalty trophy, it would go to Jean). In the end Lori had nine correct picks, Dennis three, and Jean one. Congrats to Matsukawa. I'll see if I can get the show producers to do an on-air presentation of the trophy (I think it's still on Dennis' desk) when everyone is back from vacation. ...By Su Ring/Hockey Editor
By Joanne Giuliano
By Mitch Love Good afternoon, hockey fans and friends, I hope you all had a great Christmas, and are looking forward to the New Year.
After yesterday's loss, the Seahawks will begin the Jim Mora era with the fourth pick in the 2009 draft. While the Seahawks and Browns both ended 4-12, the Seahawks will get the pick because of a lower 2008 opponent's winning percentage.
It's the last regular season Mike Holmgren Show, so if you have a question for the Seahawks head coach, leave it in the comments section before the end of Sunday's Cardinals game. Then watch The Mike Holmgren Show on KING 5, following NBC's Sunday Night Football -- and see if Paul Silvi asks your question. And as always, don't forget to leave your first name and the city where you live.
Matt Leinart is now in for the Cardinals. I'm going to move the Ask Mike Holmgren post up to the top of the blog, in case anyone has something they want to ask the coach for tonight's show. If you have any more comments about the game itself, leave them in the comments section below.
A pass interference call keeps the Seahawks play alive (this as Matt Leinart is warming up on the sidelines). Then a facemask on Morris moves the Seahawks to the Cards 45 yard line. Another personal foul facemask against the Cards moves the Seahawks to the 32 yard line, and...the third quarter ends.
The Cardinals go for it with six seconds left, and Tatupu intercepts Warner to end the half. Halftime, Seahawks 14, Cardinals 14.
After the Seahawks punt, the Cardinals get one first down and then have to punt on the final play of the quarter. The boo birds are out once more. While the Cards are hosting Atlanta in a playoff game next week, the Seahawks certainly look like a better coached team. First quarter ends, Seahawks 7, Cardinals 0. ...It is an hour before gametime, a 2:15 start here in Arizona. The team bus carrying Mike Holmgren arrived at noon...the coach walking into University of Phoenix Stadium dressed in a sportscoat and tie, with a smile on his face. Despite the finality of this game, it's still being treated as just a game. Last night, the meetings did not break early. I saw Gil Haskell checking out the gym with the gameplans still in his hand at 10:30 pm. Here are the inactive lists for both teams.
It's time for our last KING/5 Anchor Picks of the season. Dennis won the Jets pick and moves to three correct picks. This year's champ, Lori Matsukawa, has nine and Jean, still pushing for the loyalty trophy, has one. This Sunday the Seahawks head to Arizona. The Cards are six and a half point favorites against Holmgren's last hoorah as the head coach.
A day after Christmas and two days before his last game, the players gave Mike Holmgren a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Here's Clare Farnsworth's blog from the Seattle P.I. about his gift. That's back to back weeks where the players have surprised Holmgren. Last week, the head coach was given the Steve Largent Award by the players. Sunday is Holmgren's last game with the Seahawks. ...
CANADA'S NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAM TO HONOUR LUC BOURDON
By Su Ring
In lieu of a recent article by ESPN's Jim Caple about the worst sports year in Seattle's history, I thought I'd share a few things I'm thankful for.
UPDATE: 5a. I need to add Tony Bennett and the Cougars men's basketball team. Wazzu made it all the way to a the Sweet 16. Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, and Robbie Cowgill gave every Coug a little joy after many miserable seasons.
No this isn't a search for a second shooter ala the JFK assassination, but I noticed a youtube video that had a better and closer look to the snow chunk toss heard around the world, or at least the NFL. And there was a second snowballer from the Jets or so it appears. If you look around the :06 mark, it looks like defensive end Calvin Pace threw something as well. I wonder if he'll face a fine too. DE Shaun Ellis received a $10,000 fine from the league. If nothing else, it gives you a view of how bad the fans were pelting the everyone with snowballs. Also, it looked the target of Ellis' snow had a good time with it after he caught it. By the way, as of this blog, the first youtube.com video we showed has been viewed over 600,000 times. ...Former M's pitcher R.A. Dickey returned to the Minnesota Twins. The knuckleballer signed a minor-league deal with them. Seattle picked Dickey in the Rule 5 Draft last year out of the Twins organization. Here's more on the move from MLB.com. ...It's the main story right now on ESPN.com: 2008: The Worst Year Ever for Seattle sports. I can't argue that writer Jim Caple is wrong. It's tough, sometimes even impossible, for me to even watch the NBA. The Seahawks, UW and WSU stunk up the football field. And then there's the Sonics. Here's a touch of what Caple has to say: Has any city ever endured a year in sports like the one the Emerald City is just completing? A 101-loss, last-place baseball season, despite a payroll of $117 million; a 62-loss, last-place NBA season; a 12-loss, last-place college football season (the first 0-12 season in the history of the Pac-10); an 11-loss (and counting) NFL season; four coaching/managerial changes; one general manager dismissal; and, of course, the hijacking of its basketball team to Oklahoma @$&%ing City. Sure, other cities have lost their teams or endured epic losing seasons, but for it all to happen in one calendar year? To end December without a single head coach or manager who was employed in January returning for the next year? It's enough to make Seattle fans feel as if Cleveland fans have had it good. As bad as it was for Cleveland when it lost the Browns in 1995, at least the Indians reached the World Series that year.2009 has got to better. Right? As hopeful as any, to be sure. Here's to a great New Year for Seattle sports fans. You can read the rest of the ESPN.com column here. ...It's a question that is being tossed around like a chunk of snow at fans: Did the staff at Qwest Field do enough to prevent the snowballs at Sunday's game? Mike Holmgren, in a class act, went around the stadium after the game to personally thank the fans. In doing so, he almost got nailed in the noggin by an ice ball.
Yes, no one got hurt. And who knows if it was the 12th Men or surly Jets fans hucking the well-packed chunks of ice. Either way, fans were bothered. Here is a comment from Rob in an earlier post on the matter: "I have been a season ticket holder for 10 years, and will say it was the most embarassed I have been at a game. I am all for having a great time at the games. I have been to an away game each year over the past 6 and know the grief an opposing fan can get. It's football and I understand that. However, it crosses the line when snowballs are being thrown at camera crews, players, coaches, Cheerleaders, other fans, etc. during the TV timeouts. At one point I watched a Jets player get hit in the facemask and it was obvious there was a chance of someone getting hurt. So, loud, intimidating, vocal, etc. is GREAT. Throwing things down on the field however is embarassing.In the NFL, the show must go on. Let's just hope there were lessons learned for the next Snow Bowl so what happened in NY in 1995 doesn't happen in Seattle. Because it felt like what was happening on Sunday was awfully close.
Not sure what to make of this, but the Mariners have re-signed Jamie Burke to a minor league deal. I guess Burke, who's from the Northwest, wanted to stay or felt he still has a good chance to make the team. About a week and a half ago, the M's decided not to re-up Burke to a major league deal. It appeared they were going forward with Kenji Johjima and their young catchers, 25-year-olds Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson and 24-year-old Adam Moore. But the Seattle P-I reported Don Wakamatsu wasn't fully commited to that plan. "We're talking about it," Wakamatsu said. "And as we go down the road, Jamie Burke isn't out of the question. Rob Johnson is a possibility, too." - Seattle P.I. 12/21/08 I guess they're going to cover their bases, no pun intended, in case injuries hit them like the Hawks offensive line or wide receivers. At any rate, the M's official press release is after the jump. Toss snow and you pay! New York Jets DE Shaun Ellis was fined $10,000 for tossing a chunk of snow at fans at the Qwest on Sunday (in fairness, fans were throwing snowballs at Jets, Seahawks, and even Mike Holmgren after the Seahawks 13-3 victory). Ellis' response? "It was all in fun." If you haven't seen the flying chunk of snow, click here. There was no reports of any fan being injured. ...By Su Ring I was watching a Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Islanders game recently when a name caught my attention. "Richard Park," the announcer said, referring to an Islander player. Immediately, my interest was piqued. "Park" is commonly a Korean surname. I am half-Korean and spent my formative years in South Korea with my mother while my dad did his duty for Uncle Sam in Vietnam for 6 years. My mother was keen on making sure I kept up with my Korean heritage. Hence, even now, decades later, I still speak the language and know and respect the culture. And I cook a mean bulgogi. ...The Sounders FC announced Brian Schmetzer will be the MLS club's top assistant coach. Schmetzer was the head coach of Seattle's USL team the Sounders for seven years. The Sounders FC official press release is after the jump. ...By Mitch Love
Good Morning hockey fans and friends,
The Huskies game against Lehigh, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, has been postponed due to weather. According to the team's website, they're hoping to reschedule it. The Dawgs face Montana on Sunday. As of right now, that game is still on schedule. ...I caught this clip on the New York Times while perusing the NY media's response to yesterday's collapse by the Jets. What a game. Not only did the Jets come out flat and maintain flatness, Mangini came across like a coach about to get canned for not caring -- more than a coach fighting for the playoffs.
-- Still Jets ball. Four plays into the quarter, the Jets try for a 45-yard field goal, but they get called for delay of game. The kick was good, too. Jets punt the ball instead. -- Hawks ball. On one play, Seneca seems to have all day to find Bobby Engram. You gotta give credit to the Hawks patch work line. Not a single one of them is a starter. The drive stalls and the Hawks punt. -- Jets ball. A six play drive ends in a sack by Josh Wilson. New York punts the ball. -- Hawks ball. Time is running out for the Jets to comeback. Two false starts kill the Hawks. Engram catches a 10-yard pass, but it's 3 yards short of a first down. Seattle takes a timeout with 3:18 left in the game. Jon Ryan punts the ball and the Hawks down it on the Jets 12-yard line. -- Jets ball with 3:06 left in the game. New York goes for it on 4th and 4 deep in their territory. Kelly Jennings makes an incredible play. He knocks the ball out of Coles hand on a deep ball. Seahawks take over on downs. -- Hawks ball. They start on the Jets 20. They don't do much, but Mare kicks a field goal. Seattle leads, 13-3. -- Jets ball. Second play and Josh Wilson intercepts his second pass of the game. He then goes to the snow piles and tosses snow up in the air. That's followed by a leap into the crowd by Wilson. This game is about to end. -- Hawks ball. Seneca takes a knee a couple of times. Seahawks win, 13-3. The one thing that's bad of a national broadcast versus local broadcast, you got nothing after the game. CBS briefly showed Mike Holmgren's last victory lap at Qwest Field. Nor did you see any of the pre-game festivities. But I guarantee you, you'll see it on the Mike Holmgren Show on KING5 after the NBC football game between the Panthers and Giants. So tune in for all of the festivities. ...-- Hawks ball. Seattle puts on a mini-drive before having to punt the ball. I just looked at the stats on NFL.com, both Favre & Seneca are 10-16 passing. That's pretty incredible considering the conditions. Plus, the announcers just said Seneca passed Matt Hasselbeck's record for consecutive passes without an interception. That's usually the kiss of death. -- Jets ball. SIx plays into their drive and the Jets stall. They punt. Justin Forsett calls for a fair catch at the 13 yard line. -- Hawks ball. They move the ball at will. Koren Robinson made two great catches on the drive. Mo Morris went over hundred yards rushing during the drive. Seattle stalls at the Jets 13. So after going 74 yards, Seattle settles for a 31-yard field goal by Mare. Hawks lead, 10-3. -- Jets ball. The one thing I like about this broadcast, CBS is using a graphic to show the yard-lines, because you can't see a 20, 30, 40 or any kind of number. The game started with a clear field, but now it's covered except for where it's been shovelled off. New York is driving the ball without much of a fight by the Hawks. They're on the Hawks 40 as the quarter ends. Seahawks lead, 10-3 after three quarters of play. ...-- Still Hawks ball. Koren Robinson juggles the catch, but he brings it in for a 16 yard gain. three plays later, the Hawks punt the ball. -- Jets ball. After a 23-yard great catch by Laveranues Coles, the Hawks defense gets tough. Brandon Mebane sacks Favre. Jets have to punt. -- Hawks ball. Three plays into the drive, Will Heller catches the ball and fumbles. Jets recover. -- Jets ball. Three plays into their drive and Favre throws an interception to Josh Wilson. -- Hawks ball. Seattle drives it down to the 10 thanks to Mo Morris and Courtney Taylor. On third and goal, Leonard Weaver runs it up the gut, but fumbles around the five. Jets recover the ball. That's three straight drives ending in a turnover. -- Jets ball. The Hawks defense stops them after a five plays. Darryl Tapp made a big stop on a Thomas Jones run. Next play, Lofa Tatupu nearly had a pick six on his hands. Jets punt. -- Hawks ball. A facemask penalty against the Jets gives the Hawks great field position. At the two minute warning, the Hawks are down to the 13. T.J. Duckett gains two yards on a 3rd and 1. Next play, Courtney Taylor makes a great catch down to the two. Next play, John Carlson makes a great catch going backwards for a 2-yard touchdown. Hawks lead, 7-3. -- Jets ball. After the Hawks chased him around the backfield, Craig Terrill sacks Brett Favre. That's the end of the first half, Hawks lead, 7-3.
If you have a question for Coach Holmgren, leave it in the comments section before the end of Sunday's Jets game. Then watch The Mike Holmgren Show on KING/5, following NBC's Sunday Night Football -- and see if Paul Silvi asks your question. And as always, don't forget to leave your first name and the city where you live. ...Kathy Holmgren raised the 12th Man Flag to a loud roar. Plus, head coach Mike Holmgren ran out of the tunnel after they announced his name. Plenty of camera flashes were going off in pre-game. -- Jets ball. Seahawks couldn't stop their running game. They march down and Deon Grant makes a big stop on 3rd and 6. Grant stops Jericho Cotchery a yard shy of the first down. Jets settle for a 20-yard field goal. Jets lead, 3-0. -- Hawks ball. They get one first down, then stall. The offensive line failed to pass protect much. Ryan punts. It is dumping snow. So much you can see footprints on the field. -- Jets ball. A couple of penalties force New York into 2nd & 3rd and long. They punt. -- Hawks ball. The guys with shovels in their hands will have a tough day. Seahawks run the ball on the first play. Mo Morris makes the corner and lowers his head for 13 yards. John Carlson makes his first catch of the day. End of the 1st qtr. Jets lead, 3-0. ...We're an hour before gametime, and the snow has started to fall. It quickly went from a slow drizzle to big flakes blowing hard sideways. The word is Kathy Holmgren will raise the 12th man flag. Here are the inactive lists for both teams.
The Seahawks just sent over a press release for Sunday's game. They give suggestions for travel to and from Qwest Field. The game begins at 1pm. Also, remember the Hawks are going to do something special for head coach Mike Holmgren at 12:30pm. So plan to be there earlier than normal. The Hawks travel suggestions are after the jump. ...Lori won the Rams pick and continues her stellar prognasticating. The new champ, Matsukawa has nine picks, last year's champ Dennis has two and Jean, who continues to push for the loyalty trophy, has one. This week, the Jets come to town as five point favorites.
Seahawks Insider Mike Kahn died on Wednesday, after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was 54. Mike had many jobs covering sports, working for the Colts before coming to Seattle with ESPN's John Clayton -- and working at the News Tribune. Mike had been writing for Seahawks.com since 2004. The Seahawks.com article about Mike is here. I'll post a little bit of Clayton's memories about Mike below. "As it turned out, I ended up with the Seahawks beat. Mike loved the situation at the paper so much he was willing to either cover the University of Washington or the Sonics. Despite years of great football coverage, Kahn chose the NBA and covered the sport like Gary Payton stayed with defenders. Payton was ''The Glove.'' Kahn covered his beat tighter than any glove. For years, we felt like the Three Musketeers. It was Kahn, Wright and Clayton competing against the world and feeling as though the world was ours. Our sword was information. Our passion was delivering it in print. The paper supported us with great reporting talents such as Don Borst, Larry LaRue and so many others. We tried to make the TNT the place for sports fans to turn to for current information."Memorial contributions can be made in Mike's name at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: 1 (800) 279-1618. . ...The Storm announce they'll kick off the regular season June 6th at Sacramento. Their first home game is the following day, June 7th, at KeyArena versus the same team, the Sacramento Monarchs. The Storm's press release is after the jump. It contains the complete season schedule. ...Won't a snowy game vs Brett at the Qwest cap a great coaching run at home as Seahawks head coach? It's just too bad Matt can't play. Since I'm snowed-in, I though I'd throw out a few links to recent stories about Mike, Favre and the game. Who knows what Mora and the future will bring, but I'd like to thank Mike for taking the 12th Man on one heck of a ride.
The Seattle P-I reports Tony Wroten, Junior can return to Garfield High School immediately. A judge granted the family a temporary injunction to allow Wroten to return to Garfield as the legal case continues. During a hearing in King County Superior Court, Judge Eric Watness said he was granting the injunction because "it would do irreparable harm to Tony Wroten's education if he stayed out of school." -- Seattle P-I's website 12/17/08 According to the article, Wroten can return to school once his family posts a $25,000 civil bond. Generally, you don't have to pay the full amount of bond required by a judge. It's usually a smaller amount, like 10%. As of this posting, we were unable to find out the actual costs. The judge has set January 21st as the next hearing in the case.
A KING5 exclusive out of Garfield high school. Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman and his family tells KING 5 tonight that Deandre is verbally commiting to Cal. Coleman is the top football prospect in the Northwest. He will play in January's U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Coleman credits Cal's D-line coach Tosh Lupoi for talking him into attending the Berkeley school. Here's rivals.com's bio on Coleman.
After a decade of excellence (minus this season's injury-filled disappointment), Sunday is Mike Holmgren's final home game as the Seahawks head honcho. So who should raise the 12th man flag? The P-I's Jim Moore suggested Mike should do so himself. Man, the crowd would be whipped into a frenzy if that happened. But a Seahawk PR person quickly shot that down. Today, Chris Egan asked who Holmgren who he would like see raise the flag. Coach Holmgren thought about it and said couldn't say right then who should do it. I say his wife, Kathy, and their daughters should raise the flag. They're gonna be there raising money for a medical trip to the Congo. Brett Favre could do it, if they delayed the game a bit. But I think that would be a conflict of interest for Favre. Maybe Hawks owner Paul Allen? But is there anyone else that's deserving? ...I don't know if they're serious or not, but a 52-year-old magazine called "Oklahoma Today" is calling Clay Bennett "2008 Oklahoman of the Year". What was Chuck Norris unavailable? Did Brad Pitt's philanthropic works with Angelina Jolie failed to get their attention? Heck, I'm sure Dr. Phil's has helped more people in Oklahoma or nation-wide than Bennett. Here's the article on Deadspin. I'm wondering if they know they're sending the wrong message. Afterall, do what you Man/Woman of the Year to be a dishonest, conniving, and fabricator? What kind of standards are Oklahomans setting for their children? At any rate, if you want to see the press release from Oklahoma Today, it's after the jump. It might be worth a chuckle or two, especially after they imply that the NBA is happy it's in OKC...just days after NBA commish David Stern seemed remorseful about what happened to Seattle. ...In case some of you haven't been reading these releases, they come from the Seahawks staff. Writers and reporters covering the Seahawks beat pick these up at team headquarters. The leaflets are put out by both teams (in this case the Jets and the Seahawks), to help in the coverage of the upcoming game. I only copy a few pages of the Seahawks release. In truth, these things are mini-booklets, covering team and game stats. Some teams do a better job than others. Let me know if in the future, you'd like to see more information than what I currently post. The Seahawks host the New York Jets in Mike Holmgren's final game at Qwest Field as head coach of the Seahawks. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. (PT) and the game will be televised on CBS (channel 7 in Seattle) and broadcast on 97.3 FM in Seattle. It will be the 17th regular season meeting between the two clubs since 1977 and the series is tied at eight games apiece. The Jets have won eight of the last nine meetings and are in the midst of a five-game winning streak since 1995. Holmgren, who has compiled an 89-79 career record in his 10 years in Seattle, is 51-28 at Qwest Field, including two undefeated home records in 2003 and 2005. His clubs have posted seven winning seasons, six playoff appearances and five division titles. His 2005 squad posted a franchise-record 13 wins and a trip to Super Bowl XL. Tight end John Carlson, already Seattle's single-season tight end record holder in catches and yards, is one score away from tying the touchdown mark (5, Jerramy Stevens in 2005). Kickoff returner Josh Wilson is in range of setting Seattle single-season records of his own in returns (66, Charlie Rogers in 2000) and yards (1,629, Rogers in 2000). He leads the league with 62 returns, 1,565 yards and eight returns of 40+ yards this season. Quarterback Seneca Wallace, who has compiled a 110.4 passer rating over the last two games, has thrown 158 consecutive passes without an interception, just one behind Matt Hasselbeck's franchise mark of 159 set in 2005....From the Seahawks: Seattle Seahawks tackle Walter Jones was selected to represent the club in the 2009 Pro Bowl, it was announced by the NFL on December 16. Linebacker Julian Peterson and fullback Leonard Weaver were named alternates.
You can watch the Sounders FC 11 a.m. press conference streaming here on KING5.com, or catch coverage from Qwest Field as the team announces Sigi Schmid as their new coach on TV at NWCN. I don't have a direct link, but this link right here takes you back to the main KING5.com page, where you can find the presser. Or check out the main K5 sports page. ...I wanted to add one thing to Joel's posts about Mike Holmgren's press conference. This Sunday, against the Jets (and Brett Favre), will be Mike's last game as head coach of the Seahawks at home. Mike told reporters that he's planning something special for fans who want to stick around after the game. He's going to go around the field and thank all the 12th Men and Women, and say goodbye in person. ...Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren talked about tackle Sean Locklear's dislocated toe during today's presser. Locklear dislocated it during Sunday's final play, the game wining field goal. It's popped back into the joint and they'll have to wait and see how it responds. Holmgren thinks it's unlikely that Locklear will practice this week. He'll make a decision on Saturday to see if he'll start. If not, practice roster turned active roster turned backup tackle Kyle Williams will probably start at left tackle. When asked about all the injuries to the line, Holmgren said he's kind of numb to it. Four of the o-line's starters are on the injured reserve list. You could even include Chris Gray who didn't make it to the season opener. Here's that list :
Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren just finished up his weekly Monday presser a few minutes ago. Holmgren thinks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will likely stay as the team's emergency QB Sunday versus the Jets. He says doctors haven't cleared to resume his starting duties. Hasselbeck has said he hopes to play one of the last games of the season. I'm assuming to play one more for Holmgren. As of right now, it looks doubtful that Matt will return this season. ...The Seahawks and head coach Mike Holmgren and his family are teaming up with Medical Teams International to help raise awareness and money for the people of Democratci Republic of Congo. You can donate money Sunday during the Hawks home finale against the Jets. The money will be used to buy medical supplies. There will be multiple places around Qwest Field for you to donate. You can see the official press release after the jump. It has all the particulars of why you should donate and how it'll help. ...The rumors are true: KING/5 has learned that Sigi Schmid will be named the Sounders FC first head coach. The announcement will happen tomorrow at Qwest Field. The 55-year-old Schmid is the winningest collegiate soccer coach, coaching at UCLA before moving to the LA Galaxy and most recently the Columbus Crew, where his team won the MLS cup against New York last month. ...Last week, I asked former Everett Silvertips favorite Mitch Love to write a weekly blog about growing up playing hockey, memories of his time as a Silvertip and about life in the AHL. Here is his first installment. We welcome your comments and questions to be addressed in future blogs. Enjoy. By Mitch Love
If you have read the article posted by Su Ring of KING 5 News last week, you may know that she has asked me to start a weekly blog about life in professional hockey and beyond.
You either get this sport or you don't. Either way, the recession is taking another victim. Today the owners of the Arena Football League voted to cancel the 2009 season. What's up with the 22-year-old league that spawned Kurt Warner? This from commish Ed Policy: "...in light of the current unprecedented economic climate, the AFL, as a business enterprise, needs to be restructured if it is to continue to provide its unique brand of this affordable, fan-friendly sport." The recession is hitting pro-sports and is bound to keep swinging. The NFL is cutting 150 jobs, the NBA and NASCAR are in the midst of layoffs and the NHL is in a hiring freeze. (Meanwhile, the Yankees are throwing down $161-million for CC Sabathia and $82-million for AJ Burnett). Will the AFL continue beyond 2009? This from rocker/co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul, Jon Bon Jovi: "These are trying economic times The revamping will ensure that the AFL continues to provide value to its fans and not only survives but thrives in the years to come." And from John Elway, co-owner of the Colorado Crush: "Although it is disappointing to suspend the 2009 season, the Arena Football League and its owners feel it is essential to reevaluate the current business model to ensure the livelihood of the AFL in the future." Not all owners voted to stop the season, and the players association still has to approve the vote. To save itself, the league will likely cut players' and executives' salaries. ...The fourth quarter begins with the Rams going for it on fourth and sixth. Holt makes the catch, gets eight yards and the first down.
Okay, getting ice off the car led to helping a neighbor put chains on his car. In the meantime, the Seahawks kicked a field goal. Seahawks 10, Rams 17.
The fans (those who came) are booing the Rams, Bulger, even Richie Incognito. Not much else happening in the second quarter. Until on fourth and one, Steven Jackson runs for a first down to continue the drive. Then Rams WR Looker throws a short pass to...yes, QB Marc Bulger.
First quarter: On their first drive, the Rams draw first blood, scoring on a Holt 31-yard TD. Seahawks 0, Rams 7.
We're a half-hour from gametime and there are a whole lot of empty seats at the Edwards Jones Dome. The game is not a sellout, and is not on local TV here in St. Louis. Here are the inactive lists for both teams.
You know the drill (and there's only three shows left, so get in while the getting's good): If you have a question for Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren, leave it in the comments section before the end of Sunday's Rams game. Then watch The Mike Holmgren Show on KING/5, following NBC's Sunday Night Football -- and see if Paul Silvi asks your question. And as always, don't forget to leave your first name and the city where you live. ...Just a quick update on yesterday's story, from the Seattle Times. Looks like the Sounders were cleared of the earlier charges of tampering with the Crew's ex-coach. I'll post the official MLS statement below:
According to the Columbia Dispatch, the payment was made in exchange for the Crew's agreement to not enforce a noncompete clause in the coach's contract. Two Mariners from the 2008 squad are no longer on the team. Free agent left fielder Raul Ibanez signed a 3-year deal with Philadelphia for $31.5 million. The writing must have been on the wall when the M's made that 3-team 12-player deal on Wednesday. They got 2 faster and cheaper outfielders in the deal. Seattle will get Philly's first round pick in the 2009 draft and a compensatory pick in between the first and second round.
Mike Holmgren told KIRO radio today that Walter Jones had knee surgery and is out for the season. Jones should, however, be back in time for next season's training camp. Also, Hasselbeck and Leroy Hill will not play Sunday against the Rams. ...According to the Seattle Times, Seattle's new MLS team the Sounders FC is starting off with their boot in their mouth. The team is being accused of tampering during dealings with former Columbus Crew head coach Sigi Schmid. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Sounders FC contacted Schmid back when the coach was denied permission to speak with other clubs. It's believed that Schmid has already been offered the job by Seattle. Before an announcement can be made this matter must be dealt with, likely by a financial settlement between the clubs. ...Well, Lori Matsukawa won the Patriots pick and establishes herself as champion of this years KING/5 Anchor Picks. A difficult year for the Seahawks and the team's fans, but congratulations to Lori nonetheless. Not only did she win, she trounced the competition, having eight picks to Dennis Bounds two and Jean Enersen's one. This year she's wrested the trophy away from last season's winnner, Mr. Bounds. And although Matsukawa won, we're going to finish the year out. This week, the Seahawks head to St. Louis. Oddsmakers have the game at even.
The Mariners changing their roster today. They selected two players during the Rule 5 draft. The M's plucked pitcher Reegie Corona from the Yankees roster. He played in AAA Scranton last season. In the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft, M's GM Jack Zduriencik grabbed pitcher Patrick Ryan from his old club, the Brewers. Seattle also acquired pitcher Jose Lugo from the Royals. Kansas City drafted him the ML portion of the Rule 5 Draft from the Twins. Both Corona and Lugo have to stay on the major league roster for the whole season or they can be returned to their former team for half of their drafting price. A ML Rule 5 guy costs a club $50,000. All 3 are likely to get a shot at sticking in the bullpen. The M's official press release is after the jump. ...From Seahawks staff:
Thunderbirds Press Release The numbers are skyhigh: CC Sabathia's new deal with the Yankees is the largest ever for a pitcher in the MLB: seven-years at $161 million, with a no-trade clause. Sure, he's arguably one of the best pitcher in the league. But he's also the heaviest, coming in over 300 lbs. Given the economy the question arises: how can any team spend so much for such a long contract, during a recession? I know, the Yanks have their new $1.3 billion ballpark and beacoup money to spend -- but at a time when all of pro sports is worrying over these big-money deals... . ...New Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik makes his first major trade for Seattle. He trades closer J.J. Putz to the Mets. According to MLB.com, it's a 3-team 12-player deal. Here's how the deal breaks down: M's get: Mets get: Indians get:
The official press release is after the jump.
In case you missed the 630pm sportscast on KING 5 News, NBA commissioner David Stern talked to ESPN's Bill Simmons on his podcast "The BS Report". Stern says he didn't think Clay Bennett had always intended of moving the team to OKC. He also talks about the potential of a team returning to Seattle. Here's the link to the podcast. The talk about Seattle/Sonics start around 17:30 mark. I'm not sure if anyone should get their hopes up that the Sonics will be resurrected. The way Stern treated the fans of Seattle, I won't believe a team is coming until I see the moving vans. ...Everett Silvertips Press Release The MLS champions Columbus Crew and head coach Sigi Schmid have parted ways. Here's an article on Schmid's departure. Not really sure if this story has any effect on him coming to Seattle. Schmid's contract ran out a week ago Sunday. And by all accounts, it didn't sound like he was returning. At any rate, sorry for my slackness. We had this on last night's 10 & 11pm news. Now that it's posted, you can discuss. ...The Seahawks announced this afternoon that DE Patrick Kerney and G Mike Wahle both had successful shoulder surgeries yesterday. Kerney had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and is expected to be sidelined until training camp. Wahle had the same procedure done on his right shoulder. His recovery time is eight to 12 weeks. Both surgeries were performed by team doctors at the Seattle Surgery Center.
Redskins RB Clinton Portis went off on coach Jim Zorn yesterday, criticizing the coach and sarcastically dubbing Zorn a "genius." Portis did it on his weekly radio show, smarting for a lack of playing time in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Ravens. Want some cheese with that whine? Here's what Portis said:
I don't know if you care, but the team formerly known as the Sonics is on pace for the worst record ever in the history of the NBA. Last night the 6-15 Golden State Warriors survived Durant throwing down 41 to beat the 2-20 Thunder, without Warriors starters Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette.
The OKC Thunder are a serious threat to challenge the 1972-73 Sixers for the worst record in NBA history (9-73). But what if the Thunder get rid of their veterans who still have some value -- Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox, Damien Wilkins -- and stock their squad with young, promising players? If they're going to lose anyway, why not make a full commitment to the future? (Joe Smith should be kept around so that his wisdom and professionalism might shorten the young players' learning curves.) The grateful, enthusiastic OKC fans will certainly support their own NBA team no matter what the record might be. For as hard as Nick Collison worked for the Sonics, it's sad that he has to play for such loser owners. On Wednesday the Thunder will try to avoid a 10th consecutive home loss when they face the Grizzlies, the only team they have defeated in five weeks. OKC's only other victory came over Minnesota, on Nov. 2. That idea came out of Renton this afternoon as Matt Hasselbeck told reporters that the team's doctors have considered shutting No.8 down for the rest of the season, to help heal the bulging disk in his back -- an injury that normally takes longer than a NFL season to get better. Matt, of course, wants to play this next Sunday against the Rams. No matter what the doctors think. "I'll be 100 percent by Valentine's Day, if nothing changes," Matt said. "That's been discussed, but that's not really my job. My job is just try to get better for this week, and that's what I'm trying to do." What does Mike Holmgren think of sitting down Matt, or Walter Jones (knee) for the rest of the season? One of the issues with Matt is the amount of hits he took in the Cowboy's game (8 sacks). Here's what the coach had to say: "If a player is healthy he should play. In fairness to his teammates, first of all. It's a team sport...The really great players, the good players, the players that I've had that love this game, want to play. They want to play." The final word, however, will come from the team's medical staff. We'll know more on Wednesday, when the players take the practice field. Also, LB Leroy Hill may also not be able to play this week. Man, what a year for injuries. ...By Su Ring Last weekend, I was treated to an unusual phenomenon at Comcast Arena in Everett. I had been asked to sing the national anthem before the Silvertips took on Kootenay. As I warmed up in the women's dressing room, Rob Ramsburgh, the team's Director of Game Operations, popped in. After telling me the schedule of events, he offered up an unusual warning. ...What a difference a new day makes, eh? If you didn't get a chance to see Sarkisan's first high energy press conference as the new Husky head football coach, here's the link.
The Mariners make their final assistant coaching hire. They've hired Alan Cockrell as the hitting coach. The M's official press release is after the jump. ...I know, the Seahawks have lost six straight. But still, Branch, Seneca and Carlson shined and the rest of the Seahawks proved they're men of character. That across the board the team left everything on the field for Mike Holmgren was pretty impressive. Questions: Will Branch stay healthy enough for next season and have more games like tonight? And while I hate the say it, by losing the team puts itself in the position to get a better shot at drafting impact players. Highest need? A shutdown CB, the QB of the future, or an OL? You pick. ...-- Still Patriots ball. They drive, but settle for a field goal. Hawks lead, 21-16. -- Hawks ball. They fail to do much and punt. -- Patriots ball. Baraka Atkins starts out the drive with a sack. But the Hawks can't stop New England's flat pass play. They've done it multiple times today and usually have gained 10 plus yards everytime. They score on a 4th and 1 from the one. Pats score on the 2 point conversion. New England leads, 24-21. -- Hawks ball. Seneca scrambles for a 23 yard run. Hawks try to get off one last play before the 2 minute warning and run a sloppy play. Mo Morris loses a yard on the play. The next play after the 2 minute warning, Brandon Merriweather blitzes perfectly and forces Seneca to fumble. Richard Seymour recovers. Seattle is out of timeouts, so this game will be over shortly. -- Patriots take a knee 3 times. Game over. Patriots win, 24-21. ...During halftime, the announcers talk about that catch by Gaffney right before the half. One thinks it could have been a fumble. Who knows, if they would have reviewed it, Seattle might have had a shot at a field goal. A long shot, but none the less a shot at 3 points. -- Patriots ball. They start at their 18 yard line. New England goes three and out. -- Hawks ball. Seattle goes 3 and out, too. They had to use a timeout during the possession. Hopefully, that doesn't come back to haunt them. -- Patriots ball. They drive the ball, but have to settle for a field goal. Hawks lead, 14-13. -- Hawks ball. Second play of the drive, Deion Branch goes 63 yards, 50 plus after the catch, down to the Pats 9. Mo Morris leveled some guy on the run after the catch. Two plays later, Branch makes an incredible catch for a touchdown. Hawks lead, 21-13. -- Patriots ball. Seattle had them on a 3rd and 10, but Cassel gets as he throws and gets lucky as Gaffney catches a 28 yard wounded duck. End of the 3rd quarter, Hawks lead 21-13. ...-- Still Hawks ball. Seattle keeps running the ball. Mo Morris makes a nice little play. He noticed the middle was closed, so he bounced it outside and gained 8 yards. Two plays later, Pats LB Teddy Bruschi goes down after his own player ran into his knee. He's going into the locker room. John Carlson makes a 25 yard catch. The Hawks are picking on safety Brandon Merriweather. Next play, Seneca escapes the pressure up the middle, spins away and runs away for an 11 yard gain. Next play, Carlson 10 yard TD catch. Hawks lead, 14-3. -- Patriots ball. Ellis Hobbs returns the kickoff 55 yards giving the Pats great field position. A few plays into the drive, Cassel tries to hit Moss in the end zone. It's incomplete, but the refs call pass interference on Trufant. The replay shows Moss was pushing too. The announcers even say they shouldn't have called that one. Next play, Ben Watson catches a 2-yard TD. Hawks lead, 14-10. -- Hawks ball. Pats LB Mike Vrabel goes down with an injury. No word on his status yet. Hawks have to punt for the first time. -- Patriots ball. New England starts marching downfield. It's starting to rain at Qwest Field. Brian Russell comes up the gut on a safety blitz. He nearly gets Cassel, but Baracka Atkins cleans up for Russell. Pats punt and it's a bad one, 22 yards. -- Hawks ball. They can't do much and go 3 and out. -- Patriots ball with less than a minute to go. On the third play, it looks like Jabar Gaffney may have caught the ball and fumbled. The refs don't go to the booth to review, like they should in the final two minutes of a half. Seahawks lead, 14-10 at halftime. ...Get ready for the Hawks makeshift offensive line. Former Seahawk Sam Adkins raises the 12th man flag. -- Hawks ball. Seattle marches down the field by running the ball. They have three running plays of 13 yards or more. Deion Branch makes a great catch on a 13-yard TD grab. As soon as he turned the ball was there and he had to drag his feet to stay in bounds. The sad part about it, the TD is his first of the season. Hawks lead, 7-0. -- Patriots ball. It looked like the Hawks had them stopped when DD Lewis made a great tackle on Sammy Morris on a 3rd and 1, but the refs called Craig Terrill for defensive holding. That doesn't make sense on a running play. Two plays later, Julian Peterson blows Kevin Faulk on a screen pass. Next play, Rocky Bernard nearly sacks Matt Cassel as JPete jumps in front so Cassel can't complete the pass before he goes down. Cassel still nearly got it to Wes Welker. New England kicks a 50-yard FG. Hawks lead, 7-3. -- Hawks ball. They run two plays and it's the end of the first quarter. Hawks lead, 7-3 after one quarter of play. ...If you have a question for Mike Holmgren, leave it in the comments section before the end of this Sunday's Patriots game. Then watch The Mike Holmgren Show on KING/5 following NBC's Sunday Night Football -- and see if Paul Silvi asks your question. And don't forget to leave your first name and the city where you live. ...Pain is the name of the game for the Seahawks. 4 more starters are out today. As expected, Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Jones are out, as well as Mike Wahle and Leroy Hill. Here are the inactive lists for both teams.
The Seattle Thunderbirds have added a fun way for fans to follow the action on the ice. T-Birds play-by-play announcer Thom Beuning is blogging about the season, adding his insight into the game and the players who make it so exciting. It's called "In the Corners" and it takes you in the corners, and anywhere else on the ice where the action is heating up. Fans: bookmark Thom's blog and visit often! ...Want to see a recipe for a surly Mike Holmgren? Try putting Matt Hasselbeck (back) as doubtful for Sunday's game and Walter Jones (knee) and Leroy Hill (stinger) as questionable. Yeesh, what a season. None of the above practiced on Friday, and I doubt they'll play on Sunday. Get ready for the Seneca Wallace and D.D. Lewis show and, well, your pick of an O-line. Sean Locker could start at left tackle, and with Wahle on IR, Pork Chop would start at left guard. Vallos will play at C, Wrotto at RG and Willis at RT. I've been watching the Seahawks for a long time, and I don't remember ever seeing such a season of injuries. Curse of the VMAC, anyone? Maybe the Seahawks should have waited to move until next year. The Mariners keep making off-season moves. They've outrighted pitchers R.A. Dickey and Sean White to AAA Tacoma. Both were Rule 5 picks at one point in their careers. Dickey came from the Twins last year. Seattle made a deal to keep him at the beginning of the season. White, a former Huskies pitcher, came from the Pirates for cash in 2007. The M's official press release is after the jump. ...From the Seahawks:
Well the Seahawks aren't the only ones playing for pride, as Lori won yet again last week with the Cowboys game and moves ahead of the pack with seven correct selections. Dennis Bounds, winner of last season's K5 Anchor Picks, has two and Jean Enersen has one. Here are this week's picks:
From the Boston Globe, former Sonics Ray Allen helps his long-time friend, Daryl Jones, survive a terrorist attack in India. Ray's assist came when he talked him through it on the phone. Allen learned of the attack during a phone call from his wife, Shannon, after a win over Golden State that night. Upon arriving home, Allen gave a whispering Jones an updated television news report for about 20 minutes. Worried that Jones could be targeted because he was an American, Allen also told his friend that if a terrorist asked for his passport to say he didn't have it and that he was Jamaican. - Boston Globe 12/4/08
ESPN's Joe Schad is reporting that USC's offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is the next head coach for the Huskies. Here's his Wikipedia site. If I remember correctly, Raiders owner Al Davis wanted Sarkisian before giving the job to Lane Kiffin a few years ago. Here's his USC bio. He's the Trojans Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, and Quarterbacks coach. ...Is there something wrong on Montlake? Is there an odor emanating from Husky Stadium? What's going on with the search for a new Dawgs head football coach? Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is out. Fresno State's Pat Hill went from a front-runner to a guy doesn't want the job anymore. Hawks head coach Jim Mora really never was a candidate, despite the UW's all-out-blitz. Boise State's Chris Peterson will likely stay in Boise. Mizzou's Gary Pinkel got an extension from the Tigers. Cincinnati's Brian Kelly said thanks but no thanks. Now it sounds like Utah's Kyle Whittingham is more than likely out, too.
The wide-ranging committee discussion developed five themes that the committee believes should inform the search for a new football coach. These are: 1) Integrity; 2) Passionate Commitment; 3) Accountability; 4) High level of knowledge of football and a history of success at rebuilding excellent programs; 5) Adaptability to work with multiple constituencies. - Seattle P-I 12-4-08
The Huskies will retire Brandon Roy's jersey January 22 before the USC game at Hec Ed. He'll be the 2nd Huskies basketball player to have his jersey retired. Bob Houbregs had the honor back in 1953. You can see the official press release after the jump. ...First Pat Hill, now Mike Leach. Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Washington job. That's from a source close to the Red Raiders coach. ...Fresno State football coach Pat Hill has released a statement on the school's athletic website announcing he is no longer a candidate for the UW football job. Here are a few comments from Hill.
Tonight NFL execs are going to don 3-D glasses in IMAX theaters in Boston, LA and NY and watch the Chargers take on the Raiders as the league tests 3-D HD broadcast capability. Making the TV experience more like being at the game sounds compelling, but the last 3-D movie I remember watching was the 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' back in 1980-something.
Seattle Times Bob Condotta reports that he thinks Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is coming back to Seattle for another interview with the Huskies. Some sources have said Leach didn't have a great first interview and that UW AD Scott Woodward had some initial reservations about Leach's reputed "quirkiness'' which would have helped create a reason for a second interview. - Times Bob Condotta's UW Blog At any rate, we're hearing that this head coaching search could wrap up either Sunday or Monday. Lisa Gangel gives the low down on each candidate. You can see Lisa's take right here. ...From the Seahawks:
The Mariners have announced two more hirings. They've signed Rick Adair as pitching coach and John Wetteland as bullpen coach. Both have history with manager Don Wakamatsu in the Texas Rangers organization. You can read the official press release and more on Adair and Wetteland after the jump. ...Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren says center Chris Spencer is placed on the injured reserve list. He thinks guard Mike Wahle could join him soon. Wahle has been battling a shoulder injury and it hasn't bounced back. The Hawks have signed tackle Na'Shan Goddard from the NY Giants practice squad to take Spencer's spot on the roster. The official press release is after the jump. ...A couple of days ago, M's general manager Jack Zduriencik said he had an offer out to a free agent. Today, that free agent signs. They've signed Russell Branyan to a one-year deal. Zduriencik says the Branyan can look impressive in spans, but he's never had consistant at-bats. He thinks other clubs have looked and waited on Branyan to put up a big year. Zduriencik also like the slugger's versatility in the field. Here is a link for Branyan's career stats. You can read the M's official press release after the jump. One reporter made reference to all the other veteran sluggers that haven't worked out in Seattle like Brad Wilkerson last season. He asked Zduriencik during a phone press conference if thinks about the Seattle's history with those types of free agents. The M's GM says he can't really comment on what happened in the past because he wasn't here. But he thinks Branyan has something the M's lack, power. Zduriencik says ask him in October in Branyan worked out. ...As I'm sure you've already heard, the Houston Comets are folding. So the remaining players under contract will be available through a dispersal draft. The Storm have the 12th pick. It's unlikely that there will be a player available when they pick. The Atlanta Dream have the first pick. They sent out a press release. You can read it after the jump. Oh, by the way, Michelle Snow & Tina Thompson are free agents, so they can't be drafted. ...O'BRIEN NAMED TO TEAM USA WORLD JUNIOR TEAM T-Birds Press Release From Seahawks staff: The Seahawks enter the final month of the season with four games remaining; two at home and two on the road and host the New England Patriots this Sunday at Qwest Field. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. (PT) and the game will be televised on CBS (channel 7 in Seattle) and broadcast on 97.3 FM in Seattle. It will be New England's first trip to the Pacific Northwest since the 1993 season and will be the 15th meeting between the two teams in the regular season. Each team has won seven games apiece with Seattle winning five of the last six games. The series began in 1977, with the teams playing 13 times in 17 years, including two matchups in 1993 and six straight road games with Seattle heading to Massachusetts from 1986-93. Since 1993, the teams have only played once, on October 17, 2004, at New England. In that game against the defending Super Bowl champions, winners of 19 straight and 13 in a row at home, Seattle turned the ball over early leading to a Patriots 10-0 lead and could not come back from that defecit and lost, 30-20. Head Coach Mike Holmgren is 1-2 facing New England in the regular season and is 1-0 in the postseason against the Patriots. His 1996 Green Bay Packers squad defeated New England, 35-21, in Super Bowl XXXI in New Orleans. Tight end John Carlson is in range to eclipse Seattle's single-season receiving records for tight ends in catches (46, Itula Mili in 2003), yards (554, Jerramy Stevens in 2005) and touchdowns (5, Stevens in 2005). Carlson leads the team with 38 catches for 456 yards and three touchdowns....Rivals.com reports that USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has interviewed for the Huskies head coaching job. Here's the link. ...The Houston Comets will fold later this week. Former Comets guard/forward and current Storm player Sheryl Swoopes commented on the unfortunate ending by one the league's original eight. Below is a press release from Swoopes via the Storm.
Sheryl Swoopes: I am saddened by today's news regarding the Houston Comets. Having been a part of the team, one of the WNBA's first, for the majority of my career I can't help but think of the rich basketball history created there with the first four championships. I will always feel a deep connection with the city of Houston and Comets fans and would like to thank them for their support and passion over the years. While this situation is unfortunate, I am focused on and excited about the 2009 WNBA season. ...Too many times this season I've sat at the Qwest and watched Julian Peterson or Rocky Bernard or another Seahawks defender be blatantly held on their way to the opposing quarterback and wondered...is the NFL becoming the NBA? Where calls are determined not on the rules, but on improving scores? Watch any game this season and study the offensive line and you'll see holding go unpunished again, and again, and again.
. ...The rumors that swirled over the weekend that Jim Mora is still in the running for the UW job just won't go away. Now the TNT is reporting that an alleged meeting took place between UW athletic director Scott Woodward and Paul Allen. Someone even tweaked the Jim Mora wiki page, saying Mora would be named head coach of the Huskies by Dec. 3rd. You can see a copy of the wiki page at this Seattle Times blog post (it's since been fixed). The Examiner.com thinks the job is still Mora's if he wants to take it.
The first WNBA champions are no longer. WNBA President Donna Orender says the Houston Comets will shut down operations. The league took the team over earlier this year and tried to find a new owner. After they failed to secure one, the league decided to shut it down. Here's a more in-depth article from a Houston TV station. It's shocking that a team with that kind of history (the first 4 WNBA titles) can go by the way side. ...During an afternoon teleconference, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik confirms he's had talks with Ken Griffey, Junior's agent. The M's GM says he has no concrete offer for Junior, but he thinks more things will unfold with the team, Griffey, and potential free agents in the next few days. Zduriencik confirms he's got an offer out to a position player and hopes to know more in the next 24-48 hours. Another good note for the M's, the new GM believe pitcher Erik Bedard looks good, feels good, and should roll into spring training 100% healthy. He says Bedard wasn't healthy at all last season, even before he shut it down. ...The M's coaching staff is taking shape. They've hired A's hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo as the team's bench coach. They've also hired Arizona D'Backs 1st base coach Lee Tinsley as the team's 1st base coach. For you long time Mariners fans, you may remember Tinsley's name. He played for the M's in 1993 & 1997. Back in the '90's, the M's were in the midst of trying to find a left-fielder to be paired with Ken Griffey Jr in center. He was one of many who failed to stick in left. In case you were wondering, here's the list of the opening day starters in left-field in the 90's:
Coach Mike Hollmgren announced today that C Chris Spencer could be headed to the IR, ending his season. Spencer has a back injury that has not responded to treatment. We'll hear more about Spencer's status later this week. Also mentioned in this week's press conference, G Mike Wahle is likely out for this week's game versus the Pats. Losing two starters to the offensive line certainly doesn't help Matt Hasselbeck's own chances of dealing with his own lingering back problem. ...With Dabo Swinney announcing that he's staying at Clemson, and Lane Kiffin going to Tennessee and Missouri offensive coordinator Dave Christensen heading to Wyoming, the UW's list for head coach is quickly growing shorter. Also this last weekend, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel signed a contract extension, and Texas offensive coordinator Will Muschamp agreed to stay at Texas.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
