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July 2009
Categories
| January 2009The Seattle Times is reporting that Condoleezza Rice is in the running to be the next Pac-10 commisioner. In fact two sources have confirmed that the former U.S. secretary of state's hat is in the pool to replace current commish Tom Hansen.
Well, at the very least Condi will bring attention to the Pac 10. Hansen is retiring on July 1st. ...ESPN's Mike Sando has the numbers for the NFL's 2009 Franchise & Transition tag amounts. The Seahawks have openly said they considering tagging Leroy Hill. The Franchise number for Hill would be $8,304,000 as a linebacker. Here's Sando's article. You can the numbers for every position in his piece.
The Mariners have agreed to a minor league contract with five-time All-Star Mike Sweeney. The singing includes an invite to Seattle's spring training. Rumors have it that the 35-year-old could become Seattle's designated hitter.
NBC is pulling a PETA Super Bowl commercial because, as NBC says, "It depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards." Shucks. No equipment malfunction this year?
The NBA released it's list of most popular jerseys sold. And a Husky makes the list at #10. You would guess Brandon Roy (sorry Spencer Hawes), but it's not. It's his former teammate Nate Robinson. Pretty cool, yet unbelievable considering Nate isn't even a starter with the Knicks. I guess it's just that aura about him. Plus, the fact he plays in New York. Here's the site where you can see the list. The top 10 list is based on sales from the beginning of the season through January 2009. ...Mariners have traded pitcher Aaron Heilman to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Garrett Olson and infielder Ronny Cedeno. Heilman was acquired from the Mets in the JJ Putz trade. It's probably better that Heilman was dealt. He wanted to be a starter. If you look at the M's roster right now, there 8 guys who have started for them in the past. Add Heilman and any other free agent and you're making an already difficult decision even more difficult. You can read the news release after the jump.
Well, here you go Sounders FC fans. Mark down those calenders. The 2009 inaugural schedule for MLS soccer in Seattle. Finally. The season kicks off on Thursday, March 19th at the Qwest against the NY Red Bulls. Sigi's former team and MLS Champion Columbus Crew come to the Qwest on May 30th. When not on ESPN or nationally televised, Sounders games can be seen on KING or KONG.
2009 Sounders FC Schedule
You can see the entire MLS schedule at www.mlsnet.com. And buy tickets here. ...John Marshall, the Seahawks ex-defensive coordinator, will interview for the same gig at the Oakland Raiders. That's according to multiple Bay Area reports. Marshall was with the Seahawks since 2003, becoming the defensive coordinator in 2006. Before that, he was defensive coordinator with the Falcons, 49ers and Panthers.
Seattle Thunderbirds Press Release
By Mitch Love
Sadly, none of the Sounders FC preseason open games are local. Tune in tomorrow for the 2009 regular season schedule. It'll be released by the MLS in the morning.
Also today, the Sounders signed Osvaldo Alonso. He was USL Rookie of the Year in 2008. The Sounders acquired him from the Charleston Battery. You can find out more about the 23-year-old here. ...The Sounders FC new Western Division rival, LA Galaxy, may be down one famous player -- David Beckham -- if AC Milan has its way. The Italian team is offering 4.5 million pounds for the star midfielder's contract. LA Galaxy has yet to accept the offer. Here's the deal, described by ESPN.com: Beckham's five-year deal with the MLS club has a break clause inserted that means he can leave California for free in October. Milan aim to offer cash to tempt Galaxy to allow the 33-year-old to stay in Italy. Reports in England suggest that Milan, having held discussions with his American club believe that £4.5m will be enough to get that clause activated. Beckham has been living in Milan on a recent loan to AC Milan. He scored his first goal over the weekend in a 4-1 victory over Bologna. Apparently wife Victoria (Posh) is less than happy about the idea, not wanting to move their three sons to another non-English speaking country. ...I just got these two statements in an e-mail from the Seahawks concerning this weekend's arrest of LB Leroy Hill for possession of pot. I'll post below.
"I want to apologize to my family, my teammates, the Seahawks organization and fans. I am embarrassed by the incident Saturday morning and the poor judgment I showed. Please understand my actions were not consistent with the type of person I hope to become."-- Leroy Hill. "Any time anybody in our family gets in trouble or gets arrested, it feels like a punch in the gut. We are a team always striving for good, consistent character, so it is disappointing when something like this happens. However, we will never stop trying to be better."-- Tim Ruskell Update: Jim Moore at the PI put together a column with more details on the pot arrest, including an interview with the driver who called 911. It's worth a read. Moore believes the arrest shouldn't carry more than a one game suspension. Without a DUI charge, it's hard to argue against the idea. But his biggest question posed: "What the heck was Hill doing in a '75 Electra?" ...Profootballweekly.com reports a rumor that Koren Robinson is probably done with the Seahawks. It wouldn't surprise me. They qoute a source that K-Rob's knee may not let him even play much anymore. I just started having flashbacks of the last time he was with the Hawks. He dropped the ball quite a bit again.
The Sounders FC have released four former USL Sounders. Defender Nik Besagno, forward Jason Cascio, forwards Andre Schmid and Craig Tomlinson have all been let go by the team. Also today, the Sounders made a deal for Patrick Ianni of the Houston Dynamo. Ianni was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. "Ianni gives us a young, experienced central defender with a big upside," said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid. "He's very strong in the air, which is something we need to add to our team right now." From UCLA, Ianni played for Schmid on the U.S. U-20 National Team at the 2005 World Youth Championships. To get him, the team traded a 2010 SuperDraft conditional draft pick. You can find more about the Ianni at the Sounders website. ...When I first heard the news of Leroy Hill's arrest, I wondered if the LB's career in Seattle was over. Usually the Seahawks wait until after charges are filed, or the case is tried, before making a statement. But Hill's arrest, coupled with the LB being the team's top FA and Ruskell's good-character-first mantra, leaves me wondering if letting Hill go isn't the good character statement that needs to be made.
A Seahawks fan is selling a letter from Pittsburgh owner Dan Rooney. You can buy it on eBay. This story comes via the Seattle Times and Danny O'Neil's blog. The fan wrote then NFL commish Paul Tagliabue, Rooney, and Hawks owner Paul Allen about the poorly refereed Super Bowl between the Hawks & Steelers. Well Rooney wrote back a rather sarcastic response. Lo and behold just a couple weeks later I received a personal reply from Dan Rooney himself, which was copied to Commissioner Tagliabue, attempting to refute my concerns about the officiating. Mr. Rooney wrote, in part: "You are something special -- you watch a TV broadcast of Super Bowl XL with all the interruptions, camera locations, replays, and now know more than anyone else in America on what was wrong with the officiating." Well that fan is now selling that wonderful letter to the highest bidder. Right now, at 8:30pm Sunday, it's going for $13.00. You can read more about it right here. The site even shows actual pictures of what you're buying. Anyways, I thought it was kind of funny. ESPN.com reports that Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill was arrested for allegedly having two bags of marijuana in his car. Seattle Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill faces a misdemeanor charge for marijuana possession after authorities found him passed out behind the wheel at an intersection in suburban Atlanta, according to authorities. "He was at an intersection passed out behind the wheel," Taylor said. "The deputies conducted an investigation and found two bags of marijuana in the car." - espn.com 1/24/09 Hill will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of February. The Hawks have talked about possibly placing the franchise tag on him. Who knows where this will leave him and the Hawks if this holds up in court. Fans got in a fight after Novak Djokovic and Amer Delic's third-round match today at the Australian Open. A woman was knocked unconscious during the bout, a few people were arrested, and 30 people were ejected from Melbourne Park. Most of the fighting involved chairs being thrown. The Serbian Djokovic won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) against the Bosnian-born Delic. Some of the fighting was caught on camera, and was broadcast live. You can see the action below:
Mike Holmgren is getting back to the Super Bowl -- but this time from the broadcast booth. Holmgren will join Tony Dungy -- both recently retired head coaches -- for NBC's Super Bowl pregame coverage, starting at 9 a.m PST, Dick Ebersol announced Thursday. "What I learned is that in addition to their obvious Super Bowl credentials, Mike and Tony share extraordinary storytelling ability," Ebersol said. "We're excited to have them make their broadcast debuts with us." Holmgren led the Seahawks to the 2005 Super Bowl after winning in '97 with the Packers. Dungy was the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, with the Colts in 2007.
The Seahawks just sent out a press release saying they've hired Tim Lewis as the new DB coach, filling the coaching ranks. Lewis has been the Panther's secondary coach for the last two seasons, and has been coaching in the NFL for 14 years. At one point, Lewis was the defensive coordinator of the Steelers. His crew lead the league in total defense in 2001. After that, he had the same role with the NY Giants. You can read the official release at the jump. ...Rumors are flying that a friendly match has been scheduled for July between the Sounders FC and English Premiere League's Chelsea. The game will allegedly be played at the Qwest. A British soccer blog -- EPL Talk -- is reporting news of the match, also saying they've confirmed the rumor through a Sounders FC spokesman. No official word from the team.
The Sounders FC signed defender Taylor Graham today. He played for the Sounders USL team for a couple of seasons. The Sounders FC also held their first practice in franchise history today. I've linked the interivews below:
Maybe it's a slight crack of the window, but a website called ihateclay.com (via supersonicsoul.com) claims the NBA will realign next season. It'll put OKC in the Southwest division and Memphis in the Northwest Division. Now that doesn't really make sense to take a team farther east than the other and put them in the Northwest division. But then again, the commish and Clay Bennett are BFF's. Although, if you would want to read into it, you could make a leap of faith and suggest it's a precursor to Memphis moving to a Northwest city without an NBA team...hmmmm. You can find the blog on the website linked here.
Only six weeks into Steve Sarkisian's tenure as head coach and the Huskies are already looking into recruiting violation. It's centered around Wilson High recruit Desmond Trufant. Seattle P-I's Molly Yanity has the story. Trufant described a simulated game-day entrance to the field at Husky Stadium through the tunnel, complete with smoke and noise. In the story published Monday, Trufant said, "I was shocked by what they did. They acted like it was a real game and they had smoke (in the tunnel) and we ran out of the tunnel. It was nice." seattle p.i. 1/21/09 Apparently, that goes against by-law 13.6.7.9. It sounds like it's right out of the movie "He Got Game" when Jesus Shuttlesworth (aka Ray Allen) was introduced to an empty arena during a recruiting visit. You can read the rest of Molly's story right here. ...I just caught these 2010 Super Bowl odds on Bloomberg.com and found them interesting (and a little funny). According to Las Vegas Sports Consultants (the company advises casinos on betting lines) Jim Mora's Seahawks have 60-1 odds in winning next year's Super Bowl.
The Mariners avoided arbitration with pitchers Erik Bedard and Aaron Heilman. It's easy to forget Bedard was one of the top pitchers in baseball, especially when 2008 was a lost year to him due to injury. From '06-'08 he's 7th in ERA and 8th in double digit strikeout games. Again more impressive when you know he really couldn't add to his total due to a bum shoulder. Anyway, you read both news releases after the jump. ...The Mariners made a trade today. They've acquired relief pitcher David Aardsma for a minor league pitcher. I guess they made the trade to bolster the bullpen. The official news release, including Aardsma's stats, is after the jump. ...Tonight the PI will hold it's annual (and maybe the last) Sports Star of the Year banquet at the Westin in Seattle. It'll be the 74th time the newspaper will host the event. Tonight the PI also plans to play tribute to the Mariners HOF announcer Dave Niehaus, and Boston Red Sox (and Tacoma native) Jon Lester (the 2008 Hutch Award winner). Up for this year's SSOY awards are:
By Mitch Love
Mutliple online sources are reporting that Wilson High School's Desmond Trufant (young brother of Seahawk Marcus Trufant), has given an oral commitment to the University of Washington. Trufant, a 5-11, 170-pound cornerback, reportedly commited to new coach Sark over a game of pool. You can read more at Realdawg.com.
An ESPN.com report says Sounders FC star Freddie Ljungberg is ahead of schedule after hip surgery. The surgery was expected to take 10-12 weeks of recovery time. Yet a club spokesman said the former Arsenal and West Ham star was progressing better than expected with his rehabilitation, which he is continuing at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Vail under the supervision of his surgeon Dr Marc Philippon. "He's actually ahead of schedule right now,'' the Sounders' Zac Kaplan told PA Sport. - espn.com 1/16/09 So who knows, maybe Ljungberg will be ready to go for the first game in franchise history. Oh, if you want to read the whole story, click here. ...In keeping an eye on the Seahawks draft, and more specifically the number four pick (assuming, of course that Ruskell stays his hand and keeps the pick), there were two items of worth this week.
Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid and general manager Adrian Hanauer did a teleconference after the Superdraft. You can read the transcript after the jump. ...Washington Post beat writer Steven Goff reports Seattle is a finalist for the 2009 MLS Cup. According to the report, we're one of two or three cities attempting to acquire the game. Here's the story. I doubt the Sounders FC would make the Cup, but you never know. How would that be for home field advantage. ...The Huskies were suppose to face Lehigh December 23rd, but there was a snowstorm that week. Lehigh couldn't make it into Seattle. So the Dawgs are rescheduling and replacing that game with Seattle University. The game will be held March 3rd at Hec Ed Pavilion. Seattle U sent over a news release. You can read it after the jump. ...Woody Woodard is returning to the Mariners as a scout. Woodward was the M's general manager from 1989-99. The M's press release is after the jump. ...The Seattle Times reports Garfield basketball player Tony Wroten junior and the Seattle School District came to an agreement to keep him in school. District spokesman David Tucker said the Wrotens acknowledged they had not been in full compliance with the district residency rules, but the family had provided evidence since that demonstrates the family -- and most important, Wroten himself -- now resides in the district. -- Seattle Times 1/15/09 Here's the rest of the Times report. It's good both are making some sort of compromise. Especially to give the kid some continuity. ...New Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian today announced he'd hired four assistant coaches and a new staff member. Mike Cox has been hired to coach the linebackers, Jeff Mills the safeties, Doug Nussmeier the QBs and Joel Thomas the running backs. Also, Dennis Slutak was hired as an assistant athletic director. This from Sark: "I'm really excited about this latest group of coaches we've hired. They're all great coaches, great recruiters and great people. They're all excited to be a part of this program and each of them understands the great, rich tradition that UW football has." Slutak spent the last four years at USC as the football operations director. As far as the coaches, Cox spent the last two seasons on the St. Louis Rams' staff and three of the four played football at the University of Idaho. You can read more about the new coaches at Gohuskies.com.
Seattle Thunderbirds Teddy Bear Toss
The money raised will go to Children's Hospital. The economic and housing downturn is making matters tough for the Olympics in Vancouver. Most specifically, the city is having a tough time getting the Vancouver athletes village completed in time for the Games. At risk? Housing for most of the 2,800 athletes. And while Vancouver is trying to regoitate a current loan, the city may have to take out a massive new loan to get the village done in time. Here's the rub, as told by Reuters: Provincial officials are waiting for a request from the city of Vancouver for help refinancing the C$1 billion ($820 million) housing project, which saw its private funding dry up as the Canadian city's real estate market slowed.The city may be forced to borrow hundreds of millions to get the village ready when the Olympics begin in February 2010. The problem centers around the fact the village was being built by a private investor, who was planning on turning around and selling the 1,100 waterfront apartments as high-priced condos after the Games. Except now the real estate market has tanked and the investor, Fortress Investment Inc, doesn't believe Vancouver can afford to pay the bill.
Eek. And Vancouver was already worried about being in the shadow of Beijing. You can read more about the problem at the Seattle Times. ...Apparently the fans in Oklahoma City aren't that fanatical about the NBA. The good people at "Bend it like Bennett" posted a nice blog comparing the ratings from OKC to Seattle. Let me give you a hint, it's not good. OKC is down compared to Seattle during this basketball season. A season after the Sonics disappeared.
The Mariners just sent out a news release about the team inviting 17 non-roster players to spring training camp. You can see the list and news release after the jump. ...Silvertips Mourn Loss of Jordan Mistelbacher
With the tanking economy, frugality is the name of the day. Problem is, Seattle sports fans are starting to see the writing on the wall. State and city budget woes, school cutbacks, Husky Stadium falling apart -- all told, the feeling that the Sonics will ever return to Seattle in our lifetime just feels more and more grim.
The rub? Seattle Mayor Nickels is not only seeking Seattle money to replace the viaduct with a tunnel, he wants $75 million for the KeyArena's makeover, asking for 14.3 percent of Seattle's hotel tax, money earmarked for the Convention Center. This at a time when the UW wants to use King County's hotel/motel/rental car/restaurant tax to use for a Husky Stadium renovation. Too much need, too little public money.
Private investment
As time goes on the likelihood that the NBA will come back to Seattle feels more like a full-court heave than a half-court volley. Either way, the city has until 2013 to make Key Arena NBA fit. Or $30 million stays in Bennett and crew's OKC pockets. ...Former Everett Silvertip Jordan Mistelbacher has been found dead in his hometown of Winnipeg, Canada.
The Sounders FC have the 1st pick in the Superdraft on Thursday. It's the team's first draft, but there are rumors they might consider trading the top pick.
Cougars receiver Brandon Gibson is headed to the Senior Bowl January 24th. It's gonna be televised on the NFL Network. A good showing by the Cougs all-time leading receiver could go a long way on draft day. Wazzu's press release is after the jump. ...The Mariners announced their roster of manager on the minor league levels today. Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren Brown returns for his 3rd season with the club. It's his 9th with the M's organization. The rest of the managers and coaches are after the jump. ...Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson has been named to the 2009 Pro Bowl. He'll replace injured 'backer Derrick Brooks out of Tampa Bay. The Pro Bowl is being held in Hawaii. By the way, next season it moves to Miami, maybe for a season, maybe for good. ...Seattle Thunderbirds Captain Thomas Hickey and four other members of the gold medal-winning Team Canada junior hockey team will be honored tonight at the game between the St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames. Hickey, Dana Tyrell (Prince George Cougars), Keith Aulie (Brandon Wheat Kings), Brett Sonne (Calgary Hitmen) and Zack Boychuk (Lethbridge Hurricanes) have ties to Calgary or the Flames (Hickey was born and raised in Calgary).
I'll post some quick highlights of Jim Mora's first press conference. The coach came out dressed in a suit, flanked by CEO Tod Leiweke and GM Tim Ruskell. Mora kicked things off by saying he was going to get the Seahawks back to getting it right, and regain the team's "winning ways." Obviously, in Mora's view, defense is going to play a huge part in attempting to do so.
Well, the Jim Mora era for the Seahawks kicks off (again) with his first press conference at 11. Like Joel said, you can catch the interview live on NWCN. But you can also watch it streaming over the internet from the Seattle Seahawks, right here.
By Su Ring/Hockey Editor
Tomorrow, Jim Mora will hold his first press conference as the Seahawks new head coach. You can watch it live on Northwest Cable News. It's scheduled to begin at 11am. Who knows if he'll talk about the team's chances for the playoffs. It might be a little early for that. The Storm had an offer sheet out to former Lake Washington standout Catherine Kraayeveld. But the New York Liberty matched it and retains her. Plus, the Chicago Sky signed Storm free agent Shyra Ely to a deal. Still the big name free agent is still out there. Hopefully, she re-signs with the Storm. (obviously, I'm talking about LJ) ...It's time to check in with former Everett Silvertip and current Houston Aero Mitch Love, who's coming off what sounds like a brutal road trip to the northeast and mid Atlantic. For those of you keeping tabs on the schedule, the Aeros have a bit of a well-deserved home stand. Their next game is January 16th against the Toronto Marlies. Houston has also chosen that game to celebrate "Canada Night" (click for more info). But, until then, it looks like practice and rest for Mitch and the Aeros. Here, he catches us all up on what he's been up to in the last week.
Here's the Seahawks official press release concerning their new defensive coordinator, Casey "Gus" Bradley and assistant head coach/defensive line coach, Dan Quinn:
I thought I'd take some time off from imagining the road to the Super Bowl going through Glendale, Arizona and take a gander at the Seahawks draft. Last week, Tim Ruskell admitted he'd rather take a lower pick than fourth in the draft so the Seahawks may trade this pick away. Still, with Texas Tech's WR Michael Crabtree headed to the NFL and a couple of interesting QB prospects, maybe Ruskell will stay his hand.
This year's Winter Classic match up between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks was an amazing show of skill and passion. As partial as I am to last year's Classic, whic pit my Pittsburgh Penguins against the Buffalo Sabres, this game is definitely one for the history books. Two rabid Detroit fans made the trek to a very chilly Chicago for the game. One drove from Michigan. The other flew from Los Angeles. Here, Justine Sliwka offers her unique take on the Classic. Sit back and enjoy. ...Well, Ruskell and Mora have their man. The Buc's Casey Bradley will be the Seahawks new defensive coordinator. Bradley had been the Bucs linebackers coach since 2006. Reports also have Seahawks hiring Dan Quinn to be the new defensive line coach/assistant head coach. Quinn, who worked with Mora at the 49ers, coached the last two years with the Jets. No official announcement had been made by the Seahawks on either hire. ...A group of Western Washington University alumni are banding together to try to save the program's football team. On Thursday, the school announced it was cancelling the football program after 98 seasons of action. I guess a few people don't want to accept the decision and want to change it. Here's the alumni's website savewwufootball.com. I'm not sure how realistic it is to save it. By the way, it looks like the website just went up. In other words, it's still under construction. WWU's Athletic Director Lynda Goodrich told KING5 Thursday that it's unlikely the program will comeback for some time. ...Below is the AP column on the Redskins layoffs. Sadly, I think we're going to see these stories more and more in the coming months, across all pro sports. Like the article says, the Redskins have sold out every home game since the 1960's.
I didn't have a chance yesterday to compile some of the better quotes from Tim Ruskell's press conference, where he spoke of last season and next. The entire presser ran about 44 minutes. You can watch it at Seahawks.com.
On 2009 "They (Mora and Knapp) were together in Atlanta, with Jim as the head coach. Greg will call the plays, but Jim will have a lot of influence.. What they're going to do a really good job of is based on the personnel....Obviously, with some of the things that we've done with the people we've brought in with the run game, with the addition of Mike Solari and Greg Knapp -- those two guys worked together in San Francisco -- I think we continue to improve our run game. I'm very much a believer in the run game, as is Jim, and if you get the run game going, and the defense, you look at a lot of these playoff teams -- that's a formula that works." "Matt's our quarterback. We're very happy that he is." "We like what we're seeing in the draft. There's really no position that's out or in yet. You always have to look at that group and say, Where are we at? Are we getting too old? Same with the defensive line. You don't want to let those slip because they drive the train behind it...(of the No. 4 pick)...I'd still rather pick 32nd."...The Seahawks sign 8 players to the roster. Some of them were on the practice roster. Plus, they've also brought back wideout Billy McMullen. Here's the list: defensive tackle Kevin Brown, receiver Michael Bumpus, cornerback Marquis Floyd, receiver Mike Hass, receiver Billy McMullen, tight end Joe Newton, long snapper Ryan Senser and tight end John Tereshinski.
Western Washington University football players and fans are getting some tough news today, the football program will be no more. Western Washington University officials announced today that its football program is ending, following a careful evaluation to determine how best to ensure the excellence of all University intercollegiate sports. "I have made this decision with a heavy heart as I am well aware of the profound consequences it has on the student-athletes on the football team, their dedicated and hard-working coaches, and on our passionate supporters on campus, in the community and region and on our alumni," said Western President Bruce Shepard. "I feel strongly that we need to offer a high-quality program of intercollegiate athletics that is commensurate with our status as a premier university. It is the focus on maintaining overall intercollegiate program quality and doing so at a time when we and all universities are being challenged financially that drives the recommendation of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and my decision to accept that recommendation," Shepard said. The coaches and players were notified by University officials that the football program had ended. All current student-athletes will be allowed to retain their scholarships if they remain in school and those transferring to other schools will be eligible to play immediately. Former Vikings Receiver Mario Casello told me, this is a very sad day. A lot of hard work and dedication will be lost. ...Add another team into the Marinelli mix, as FOX 26 in Houston is reporting that the Houston Texans are interviewing the former Detroit Lions head coach for a position on their defensive staff.
Sonics legend Lenny Wilkens will be enshrined into the Washington Sports Hall of Fame. The announcement was made today. Wilkens will be honored/inducted during Saturday's Huskies game against Cal at Hec Ed Pavilion. Another sad reminder that the Sonics are gone, temporary or not. Wilkens should be inducted during a Sonics game. ...The PI is reporting (via the NFL Network) that Gregg Knapp is the Seahawks new offensive coordinator. Knapp was the O-coordinator when he worked under Mora at the Falcons and had the same position with the 49ers (2001-03). According to the PI, current Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell is retiring. Knapp had most recently been doing the same gig with the 5-11 Raiders. In his second year with Oakland, his offense was ranked sixth in the NFL in rushing. ...From the Crazy Files: St. Paul Pioneer Press writer Charley Walters suggests the Minnesota Vikings should solve their quaterback problems by getting Pats QB Matt Cassel. Failing that, they should acquire Hawks QB Matt Hasselbeck for, wait for it, a second round pick. A more realistic and practical objective, though, might be to trade with Seattle for Matt Hasselbeck, 33, who probably would be available for a second-round draft pick. The Seahawks, 4-12 this season, need to rebuild. - Pioneer Press 1/7/09 First off, Waters claims the Hawks need to rebuild. Maybe if the Vikings lost their entire offensive line and the strength of their offense, the running backs (for the Hawks), was hit with injury after injury they would talk about rebuilding from a 1-15 Vikes team. Secondly, a 2nd round pick for Hasselbeck? A 3-time Pro-Bowler who former head coach Mike Holmgren claims should be entering the prime of his quarterback years?
The Storm announce they've resigned guard Tanisha Wright today. The Storm also added guards Kimberly Beck and former Husky Kristen O'Neill to the roster. The official press release is after the jump. ...If you followed yesterday's buzz about the Seahawks possible interest with Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski as a offensive coordinator candidate, things got more interesting this a.m. as the Boston Herald is reporting that BC has fired the coach. The firing comes after Jagodzinski interviewed for the Jets head coaching position, an interview not sanctioned by Boston College. Jagodzinski, not widely considered the top candidate for the Jets gig, went against a BC order not to do the interview.
As I'm sure you've heard, the Huskies hired Nick Holt away from USC to become the next defensive coordinator. Holt will make $600,000 his first year and $650,000 in each of the following two seasons. Plus, the Huskies will pay him a $200,000 retention bonus up front, but he will have to pay it back if he leaves early. So Holt gets $800,000 right off the bat.
The Mariners signed reliever Tyler Walker today. Walker played for the Giants last season. He had elbow surgery in July 2006. Walker also recorded 23 saves for San Francisco in 2005. Because it's a one-year deal, he could be a cheap gamble as a short-term replacement for closer J.J. Putz. ...Two former Seahawks have made the final cut of 17 players considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Long time Hawk Cortez Kennedy and short time Hawk John Randle made the list. The vote will come down to four to seven players who will be inducted. That vote comes January 31st. Both, in my opinion, should be in the Hall. Tez and Randle were the top players at their positions for some time. The problem, there are a bunch of guys on the list that should be in the Hall. The voters will have a tough time figuring it out. ...Everett Silvertips Press Release Everett, WA - January 6th, 2009
By Mitch Love Good morning hockey fans and friends,
In case you missed this Sunday's 60 Minutes profile of Texas Tech's head coach Mike Leach, I thought I'd embed the piece below. I found it especially interesting, given the UW's attempts to land the coach. Football's Mad Genius is right.
updated: The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Bears have offered Rod Marinelli the defensive line coach job. Marinelli left Renton yesterday without a deal after speaking with Mora and Ruskell. Marinelli's agent was unavailable for comment. Like Joel mentioned in the last post, today the Seahawks will reportedly interview Bucs linebackers coach Casey Bradley for the gig. Bradley, another Monte Kiffin disciple, certainly carries less baggage than the 0-16 Marinelli. Bradley has been with the Bucs since 2006. Before that, he coached at North Dakota State.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, Bucs linebacker coach Gus Bradley is expected to be in Seattle to interview for a job. Apparently, it's for the defensive coordinator job. So Rod Marinelli isn't the only guy gunning for John Marshall's job, even though Marshall, at this time, still holds the position. If Bradley or Marinelli are a Monte Kiffin (Bucs last d-coordinator) clone/disciple, either one would be a great hire. ...Eastern Washington University will retire Rodney Stuckey's jersey Sunday at the Weber State game. Stuckey went to high school at Kentwood. He's currently playing with the Pistons. He's had 38 and 40 point performances already this season. ...Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian has hired a new defensive coordinator. USC's Nick Holt accepted the position. He was the Trojans' D-coordinator. He was also Idaho's head coach for two seasons in '04 & '05. Strangely enough, Tyrone Willingham got his first win against Holt and the Vandals. I'm not sure if that's a ringing endorsement for Holt. But then again, maybe he's improved since then. The Dawgs will have a presser tomorrow to introduce the new D.C. ...Jim Mora (and Tim Ruskell) are wasting no time shaking up the shack at Seahawks HQ. Numerous sources are reporting that ex-Lions coach Rod Marinelli is in town and speaking to the Seahawks. Although Marinelli -- a defensive minded coach -- was fired this season by the winless Lions, he could end up being the next Seahawks defensive coordinator. I don't think anyone would be shocked if the current D-coordinator, John Marshall, was let go following a letdown defensive season for the team. Either way, Jim Mora is scheduled to meet with the coaching staff today.
By Su Ring/Hockey Editor
Update from yesterday's post: The Cardinals game did sellout, barely meeting Friday's deadline. I didn't blog this yesterday, but the Vikings were similarly facing a local blackout for Sunday's game, got an extention from the NFL, and made the second deadline. Following Travis' comment about the blackout policy, what do you think? Should the NFL dump its blackout policy if a game doesn't meet the sellout mark?
The blog above lead to another discussion about the policy, that you can find here. ...How lame is this: The NFL has been forced to grant a second (and final) 24-hour television blackout deadline for the Wild Card game against Atlanta on Saturday, because the NFC West Champs can't sellout their game. Guess fans either don't care, can't make it off the golf course, or know the Cards aren't as good as their record. The team has until 2:30 p.m. today to sell the tickets. 3,700 remain.
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