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August 2009
Categories
| April 2009Silvertips Select Two Defensemen In First Round Everett, WA - The Everett Silvertips bolstered their talent and depth Thursday at Edmonton's Sutton Place Hotel, home of the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft. With two picks among the top eleven and three among the top 29, the Silvertips were able to select a diverse array of skilled hockey players. ...T-BIRDS TAKE RIGHT WING WITH FIRST PICK IN 2009 BANTAM DRAFT
KENT -- The Seattle Thunderbirds selected right wing Brandon Troock from Edmonton, Alberta, with their first selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.
The Seahawks have announced that Linebacker Leroy Hill has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract. It is reportedly a six-year contract with $15.5 million guaranteed and a total value of up to $38 million. Hill became an unrestricted free agent Saturday when the Seahawks rescinded the franchise tag that had been placed on him. With Leroy Hill now officially signed and sealed, the Seahawks will more than likely start Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry and Hill as their three linebackers. Does this give Seattle the best linebacking corps in the NFL and if so, does it really matter? Time to share your thoughts Seahawk fans. ...It's official, the Seattle Seahawks and linebacker Leroy Hill have agreed to terms to a multi-year deal, the team announced this evening. Will he be a Seahawk or will linebacker Leroy Hill take his talents elsewhere? If you've always wanted to ask a pro athlete a question, but never could? Well now is your chance to do it. We call it "Ask the Sounders". It's your opportunity to ask the coaches or players a question about the game or anything else. We will take the top 3 questions. So put your questions in the "Comments" section. We'll "Ask the Sounders" your questions sometime this week.
Seattle Thunderbirds News Release:
The NFL has give the Seahawks a salary cap number to sign their draft picks. The Hawks get $5,192,801 in cap space. I'm sure LB Aaron Curry will use a lot of that. Here's the link to see what each team is given. ...If you're not familiar with Paul Brogan, go to his myspace account and check out his videos. They're pretty funny. The latest probably holds the sentiment of most Sonics fans right on his jersey. Former Seattle Thunderbird Ladislav Scurko has admitted to murdering a referee and burying the body, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The body was found 11 months after it happened in Slovakia. Scurko has played the past few years in a Slovakian hockey league. The 23-year old played for the T-Birds from 2004-06. ...For eight teams, the quest for the Stanley Cup continues. But for 22 others, the season is over, leaving players and fans to spend a long off-season wondering just what went wrong and what next year will bring.
Congratulations are in order for Houston Aeros forward (and KING 5 Hockey blogger) Mitch Love and his team. They advanced to the second round of the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs last night with a decisive Game 7 win over the Peoria Rivermen.
The WHL holds its annual Bantam Draft this Thursday, April 30 in Edmonton and you can bet that the Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds will be front and center, looking to beef up the talent in their ranks. Everett has two picks high in the first round. Seattle has the 12th pick.
Former Storm coach Anne Donovan has finally returned to the WNBA. The New York Liberty hired Donovan as an assistant coach. What a catch for the Liberty. Her pedigree includes a WNBA championship and an Olympic gold medal from 2008. Would you be worried if you were the Liberty's head coach? Here's the article. Donovan left the Storm after the 2007 season for personal reasons. Plus, she was helping to prepare for the '08 Olympics. ...Besides introducing top pick Aaron Curry today, the Seahawks also made a few moves by adding a fullback and a familiar face.
The Seahawks have pulled their Franchise Tag from LB Leroy Hill. I'm sure drafting LB Aaron Curry didn't help, but this just seems strange. So Hill is now an unrestricted free agent. According to Saturday's presser, GM Tim Ruskell still wants to negotiate a long term deal with Hill. I guess, right now, I don't see the benefit of pulling the Franchise Tag from him unless they're all right with Hill leaving Seattle. It could be financial. He reportedly turned down a 6-year $36 million deal. Maybe it has to do with his history of injuries. OK, he really hasn't had much of a history of injuries. Maybe his arrest had something to do with it. It was pot and he only faces a misdemeanor charge. I guess, for now, we won't know until Ruskell explains what happened. Hopefully, this doesn't turn into a Steve Hutchinson situation. If Hill leaves via free agency, the Hawks get zilch, nada, nothing.
"The tag just wasn't working. The tag was put on originally to try to get a long-term deal done. And that didn't happen. We got to the point that Leroy wasn't showing up to offseason camps and what have you." - Tim Ruskell Hawks G.M. Maybe they'll be some news soon. It's kind of bad timing for Hill. Most teams have already signed their big name free agents. Plus, they've also budgeted to pay the rookies. It'll be interesting to see if another team is willing to spend money on Hill after his off-season actions. Of course, I'm talking about his arrest and sitting out Seattle's mini-camp. That mini-camp wasn't like most NFL teams. It was an extra one given to a team when a club switches coaches. It helps to install new defensinve or offesive schemes. At any rate, Hill's $8.3 million cap space comes off the books. Again, Hill could still sign a long-term deal with Seattle. It'll be worthwhile to see what happens over the next few days.
Toronto FC manager John Carver has resigned for personal reasons. Word has it that Carver may have an offer from Newcastle United. A new head coach will be named next week. ...The Hawks traded their 3rd & 4th round pick to acquire a 2nd rounder, 49th overall, from the Bears. Seattle picked center Max Unger out of Oregon. It's a great pick. Unger can play anywhere on the line, but he also adds insurance for the seemingly injury prone Chris Spencer. Unger had 27 starts at left tackle and 24 starts at center. He's an All-American that finished his career with 51 straight starts. Not bad. Plus, it's great value at #49. Unger could have gone late in the first round or early in the second round. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in the mix for a starting job or top backup by the start of the season. ...The Seahawks have traded their 2nd round pick, 37th overall, to Denver. The Hawks get the Broncos 1st round pick in 2010. That was a little surprising considering the talent that has slipped into the second round. I thought they could have addressed some needs in depth at RB, CB, or OL. But I guess getting a 1st round pick is pretty good.
Hawks top draft pick LB Aaron Curry just got off the phone with reporters. Here are the highlights:
Former Seahawk and current ESPN Trent Dilfer and company talk about the Hawks drafting Aaron Curry. They break down his abilities and more. ...Yes, the NFL Draft is here. I just spoke with Chris Egan. He's at Seahawks headquarters all day for the draft. He tells me that Trent Dilfer, friend of Northwest Sports Tonight and the Hawks Fone Zone, says the Hawks were just posturing all week with the Mark Sanchez talks. They were hoping someone would trade up for the #4 pick.
We're less than two hours from the start of the draft and about two and half hours away from Seattle's pick. The Seahawks are looking to add depth more than starters, at least for 2009. So what are their needs?
UPDATE: KING 5's Chris Daniels is in Olympia. While he did ask the question that prompted Senator Kohl-Wells response yesterday, Daniels is told today by a member on the Democratic side the bill is dead. We'll have to wait until the end of the session Sunday to see how it comes out.
Here's your chance to be Tim Ruskell or coach Jim Mora. We've listed the top 12 players in the 2009 NFL Draft as chosen by Scouts, Inc. Pick which one you think the Seahawks should draft, assuming that player is still on the board when the 4th pick comes around. You can also choose to trade down. During Jim and Shannon Mora's foundation event at Lucky Strike Bowl in Bellevue I had the chance to chat with several players and Coach Mora about the upcoming draft.
The Sounders were off today. They'll play a reserve game Tuesday vs. the University of Washington.
I know it's somewhat of a long shot that the Seahawks will have a chance to draft Linebacker Aaron Curry from Wake Forest with the 4th pick, but the more I read and hear about this kid, the more his stock continues to rise with me. With Julian Peterson off in Detroit, I think Curry would be the one player in this draft who could provide the Hawks with an immediate impact on the field. I chatted this morning with some reporters who covered Curry at Wake Forest and they all say the same thing, he's explosive, versatile, he's an all-around athlete and he is ready for the NFL. The 2008 Butkus Award winner is slated by many so-called draft experts to go to Kansas City with the third pick, but if he drops to #4 or if the Hawks can trade up, I think it's a no-brainer, find a way to get Aaron Curry on this Seahawks team. Michael Crabtree and Mark Sanchez are the sexy picks, but I think Curry is the right pick. ...The rumors and smoke screens will really start cranking up. The NFL Draft begins on Saturday. The Lions had Matthew Stafford in for a private work out. It sounds like things went well. It's going to take something out of the blue for Detroit to pass on Stafford, no matter what comes out of their camp. Still, the Lions are talking to Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry and Baylor OT Jason Smith. Again, it's probably a smoke screen and a way to get Stafford to sign before the draft.
Don't forget to watch Sounders FC Weekly tonight at 10:35 on KONG 6/16. It's a good show, despite Saturday's loss. Defender Taylor Graham is worth the price of admission alone. He's the focus of our The Shootout. He is just plain funny. Plus, there's also our Ask the Sounders segment where you the fans get to ask the questions. So watch Sounders FC Weekly tonight 10:35pm on KONG 6/16. ...On the same day the Mariners were at home hosting the Tigers, the Huskies were busy with a spring scrimmage and the Sounders were on the road taking on Chivas USA, it's the boys from Supercross who were the hottest ticket in town. Over 50,000 fans packed into Qwest Field Saturday night for the 2009 Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Not only were those fans treated to a great show, but they also got the chance to see hometown rider Ryan Villopoto from Poulsbo take home the championship. "It's awesome," said Villopoto, who missed the last three races with a virus. "I can't thank my team enough and everybody that put effort into it. It hasn't been the year we wanted but they never gave up. The track was super tricky and there were some slick spots so you really had to ride smart." Congrats to Ryan Villopoto and congrats to you the fans, who made it a night to remember at Qwest Field. ...Many of the Everett Silvertips' players are home with their families right now, relaxing a little and doing light conditioning; in short, taking a break from a pretty hectic season that ended in the first round of the WHL playoffs with some heartbreaking losses to the Tri City Americans. ...In case you missed it, Huskies forward Jon Brockman threw out the first pitch tonight at the Mariners game. He told KJR-am, and repeated it on the Mariners game, that the Tampa Bay Bucs are interested in him, if basketball doesn't work out for him. Brockman says he told them he still wants to hoop it up. But if he didn't, Brockman says he would play either tight end or defensive end. The Hawks could always use another defensive end. Maybe they should sign him to their practice squad and groom him. If you were Brockman, what would you do? Play hoops or football? ...Tuesday April 14, 2009
A stunner to see John Madden leave the NFL broadcast booth. Cris Collinsworth will get the gig with Al Michaels and he's a good one, bringing his own sense of humor, personality and football knowledge to the telecasts. But he will be compared to the big guy for a long, long white. Madden won't be easy to forget. I thought as a fan, his performance during last season's Super Bowl was among his best, as if somehow down deep he knew this might be the last show he would do. Now, I can't say that I have always enjoyed his usual bluster....and the overuse of the phrases "You know" and "I mean" during his commentary. But he deserves all the accolades for being the face of the NFL no matter which network he was with or what games he worked. Anybody out there have any Madden memories? His NBC boss said, "He is the absolute best sports broadcaster that ever lived." Do we all agree? ...The Seattle Times reports that Huskies assistant coach Cameron Dollar will be the next Seattle U head basketball coach. Dollar would replace Joe Collero who left to become Cal Poly San Luis-Obispo's head coach. This would be Dollar's first head coaching job. He's 33 years old. ...According the Spokesman Review, that's a good posibility. That newspaper reports a deal is close to moving it to Qwest Field sometime after the 2009 season. Both teams would make $2 million each. "Nothing is signed and there are no agreements, but they are talking and there are some negotiations going on." - Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson from Spokesman Review Financially, it's a great idea for both schools. They would make a lot more money off the game. But wouldn't the Apple Cup lose some luster? ...Forbes is calling Seattle the "Most Miserable Sports City" in 2009. Wow, I guess if we're going to suck, why not be the best at it. But I don't think we need Forbes to tell us that, we lived through it. I mean that's just rubbing salt on the wound. The Sonics leaving Seattle gave us the title, according to Forbes. Here are some stats to backup the magazine's claim. So do you think Seattle deserves that title? I guess it's only for one year, but I think things are turning around. Look at the Mariners. The Sounders look legit. The Huskies got some mojo going on Montlake with the basketball team and football team. Plus, the Seahawks can't have another injury-riddled season like last year. And if Lauren Jackson returns, Seattle has to be a contender for the WNBA title. So hopefully, last year's woes was just an anomaly.
The Mariners updated the health of top prospect Carlos Triunfel today. He's got ligament damage in his left ankle and broke his left fibula. Doctors performed surgery today to fix his left ankle. The M's official news release is after the jump. ...The Mariners, as expected, activated Ichiro off the 15-day disabled list. The M's then announced pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith was put on the 15-day D.L. retroactive to April 11th. RRS has triceps tendonitis. You can read the M's official news release after the jump. ...Gonzaga forward Austin Daye is putting his name into the NBA draft. Daye will not hire an agent, in case he decides to pull his name out. He has until June 15th to do so. "Basically I want to test the waters to see what my future might entail. I definitely had to sit down and talk to my family about my decision. If a great opportunity presents itself I might have to lead that path. A lot depends on these workouts." -- Austin Daye from KREM.com I guess this is a two-fold process. Daye will find out approximately where he'll be drafted, if he comes out. If he goes back to Gonzaga, the NBA scouts and higher ups will give him advice on how to improve for his stock for the future. Just on potential alone, Daye should be listed as a lottery pick. If that happens, the Zags will probably be looking for his replacement. ...In the days leading up to the NHL All Star Weekend, rumors began flying that the Tampa Bay Lightning would trade its number one star Vincent Lecavalier. After several vehement denials, things simmered down a little (just a litte), but now they're heating up again. Tampa Bay Lightning blogger (and WWU alum) Cassie McClellan knows this team and its workings inside-out. Here, she takes a long, hard look at the rumors that would have Lecavalier leave the Bolts for greener (or icier) pastures. You can find more of her expert writings at "Raw Charge", an excellent Tampa Bay blog. ...When Jack Zduriencik took over as the Mariners new General Manager, alot of sports fans across the NorthWest said, WHO? Not longer after Jack Z's arrival, he would hire a Manager by the name of Don Wakamatsu, and yes, sports fans across the NorthWest once again said, WHO? Eight games into the season and not too many people are asking who anymore, they're too busy cheering on their Mariners or jumping on the bandwagon. First off, I know it's very early into the season, but as a reporter who has covered the team for the past 8 years, this is one of the most enjoyable clubhouses i've had the pleasure working with. And yes, winning makes for easy clubhouses, but I picked up on this positive vibe from the first day of spring training and it has carried well into the beginning of the season. After today's 3-2 thrilling win over the Angels I asked Ken Griffey about his return, he talked about the team. I asked David Aardsma about not allowing a run yet this season and he referred to the team. Adrian Beltre said, "We have something special here, everybody is really coming together," WOW, What a welcome sight from a year ago. So, I I say thanks to Jack Z for bringing us a Manager that has his team playing disciplined ball. Thanks to Jack Z for bringing us veteran leaders like Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Sweeney, Thanks to Jack Z for bringing in new faces like Endy Chavez and Frankling Gutierrez. YES, I know it's still April, but so far so good! ...Former Silvertip Riley Armstrong faces former T-Bird Thomas Hickey in AHL action
Former Storm guard Betty Lennox signed with the Los Angeles Sparks today. Betty was the WNBA Finals MVP when Seattle won the title in 2004. Lennox last played for the Atlanta Dream. The Sparks will be Betty's 5th team in her 9-year career. ...The Seahawks released its 2009 schedule today. They open the season at home against the Rams September 13th. They end the season against the Titans January 3rd in Seattle. The complete schedule is after the jump. Sounders forward Fredy Montero was in a little hot water a few weeks ago with a woman. Today, the King County Prosecutor's office decided not to file charges. If you want to read more about the initial incident, click on this link. ...Ken Griffey Junior was scheduled to play right field in the M's season opener and in his first game back in Seattle as a Mariner. But a sore back spoiled that. Instead, Junior will DH today. By the way, they just did introductions. Junior got a rather loud and long applause when they called his name. There are plenty of signs in the stands for Jr., too. ...Tuesday is the Home Opener for the Mariners. It marks the first time we'll see Ken Griffey Junior in Seattle with a Mariner uniform since 1999. Ask most people who grew up or followed the M's in the 90's and they'll give stories upon stories about Junior. He changed fashion wearing his cap backwards. Junior was known as "The Kid". (maybe not so much anymore...he is 39) Now he returns to Seattle and it's been Ichiro's city since 2001. So here's my question, are you more of a Junior fan or an Ichiro fan? Or do you even pick? If you had to chose, would you wear a #24 jersery or #51? ...The Seahawks are allegedly given a peek at what will be left when they draft 4th overall in the NFL Draft. Georgia QB Matthew Stafford says he's a Lion, calling it a "done deal". Profootballtalk.com reports that Stafford is telling his Bulldog teammates he'll get over $40 million guaranteed. That's more than $10 million more than last season's top pick, Miami OT Jake Long. Number three pick QB Matt Ryan got $34 mil. Number four overall RB Darren McFadden received $26 million guaranteed.
Really sorry that Kenny Perry did a number on himself down the stretch at the Masters. It was his to win, just like Phil at the Open (but Phil just played a dumb shot!). Not quite Jean Van de Velde meltdown material from the British Open a long way back in time, but you hate to see one of the "nice guys" like Perry come up short when he doesn't have too many opportunities left at 48. Cabrera scrambled and stayed in it. Campbell just doesn't show any passion out there. But, just watching Phil and Tiger shoot it out was SOME fun. I hear the ratings were good. I don't play golf but love to watch the majors unfold. Who do you like at the U.S. Open? It's at Bethpage and that's a course Tiger likes a lot. In fact, in 2002 when he won it there, he was the only golfer that finished under par. It's a public course which makes it such a unique venue. Incidentally, Van De Velde had his colossal collapse at Carnoustie in 1999, and guess where the claret jug will be presented this year? Yep....Carnoustie again. ...Don't forget to watch Sounders FC Weekly tonight at 10:35 on KONG 6/16. You can hear head coach Sigi Schmid talk about the red card and what they'll do in goal next week. Plus, highlights from the MLS and Champions League. And we also Ask the Sounders your questions from our blog. Remember to watch tonight at 10:35 on KONG 6/16. ...I went to Los Angeles over the weekend to catch the Kings' final home game of the season, but received an extra treat: a trip to Ontario, California to see LA's ECHL affiliate Ontario Reign in playoff action in the run for the Kelly Cup. ... When Ichiro returns to the team on Monday and possibly plays on Wednesday, should he resume his leadoff duties? No one would disagree that he's earned to stay there. But what about Endy Chavez's case? He's batting .370. Unfortunately, he hasn't drawn a walk yet. Althought Chavez has two stolen bases. He's younger than Ichiro (31 vs. 35) and will have fresher legs than Ichi as the season goes on. Plus, then you can bat Ichi lower in the lineup to utilize his ability to make contact. For what it's worth, last season #51 hit .336 with runners on base. He hit .267 with runners in scoring position. But you could definitely use Ichi's experience lower in the lineup. Who do you think should bat leadoff when Area 51 returns? ...The NCAA is telling fans Facebook recruiting is illegal in their eyes. The Associated Press reports and cites a situation with big-time basketball recruit John Wall. A North Carolina State freshman and fan set up a Facebook account to campaign for Wall to go to play for the Wolfpack. Over 700 people signed up on the Facebook page to help encourage Wall. The fan calls it a first amendment right, but the NCAA calls it a recruiting issue.
The Anaheim Ducks' shootout win over the Dallas Stars last night spurred contributor Justine Sliwka into action. This Detroit Red Wings fan has come up with her own, unique look at the playoff picture, which includes an early start to Duck hunting season. Sit back and let her crunch some numbers for you as only she can: with style. ...
Rockford Ice Hogs news release:
There is pretty good news coming out of Pullman today. The Cougars kept one of the team's top assistants, Ben Johnson. You may remember former head coach Tony Bennett gave Johnson a vote of confidence to replace him.
The Storm selected Ashley Walker from Cal with the 12th pick and Mara Freshour from Florida State with the 38th pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft.
"I've seen her play numerous times and I really like her energy and versatility as a player; she scores, she rebounds. Ashley is the type of person that we like to have as a member of our team and I think she has a chance to be a very good player in the WNBA. She's a tough guard with the ability to post up and score and she can score from the three-point line."
I am writing a story on the benefits of playing ice hockey starting at a young age and featuring youth hockey organizations in the Western Washington area. I am looking for anyone who played hockey as a child (whether they continue to play now or not), to share their experiences.
If you haven't seen one of the newest Hawks on defense, then you haven't been to the Hawks mini-camp this week. Defensive Tackle Colin Cole is a beast, 6'1" and 330 pounds. Don't let the weight fool ya, this guy can bring it. I watched him closely at practice today and he knows how to turn on the jets for a big man. With Cole, Brandon Mebane, Cory Redding, Red Bryant and Craig Terrill all at D-tackle, I think the Hawks finally have the cupboard's full at that position. "I'm here to help wherever I can", says Cole. "I'll work hard, learn the schemes and do what I can to get this team back to the top." The former Green Bay Packer is excited to be in Seattle and I'm excited to get the chance to cover this guy.
You hear a lot of crazy things this time of the year. Both Detroit and St. Louis say they're willing to part with the 1st or 2nd overall pick. Now, profootballtalk.com is reporting that the Seahawks are leaning towards picking a QB with the #4 pick. When you have a good 3-4 years left with Matt Hasselbeck and a window of opportunity still open to go to the Super Bowl, why would you waste the 4th overall pick on a position that's already solid? Plus, he probably wouldn't play for a few seasons. It's not like the Hawks are rebuilding. The Hawks need to shore up other positions or draft depth at others. Even Hasselbeck said on 710 ESPN Seattle on Monday that he doesn't think the Hawks should waste the pick on a QB. He thinks you can always find a good one to groom later in the draft, like Tom Brady, Matt Cassels, Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger, and more.
Yes, the Mariners must be collecting former closers or potential closers. Today, they announce they've signed Jeff Zimmerman. He closed for Texas back in 2001, his last season in the majors. He pitched two more season in minor league ball, but has been out of baseball since. "Jeff threw for us last week in Arizona and we were impressed. The ball came out of his hand nice and easy. Our doctors have checked him out and we've determined he's a guy worth taking a chance on." -- Jack Zduriencik - M's GM It's only a minor league deal, so Jack is right. It won't cost much to see if he'll pan out. At least the M's aren't wasting money on big name busts like Bill Bavasi use to do. You can read the M's official news release after the break. ...
The Seahawks kicked off the first day of their voluntary veteran minicamp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck tells me, he feels great and says he hasn't had any pain in his back since December. Hasselbeck, who played just seven games last year because of back problems says the toughest thing right now is learning a new play book, "It's like learning a whole new language".
If you've always wanted to ask a pro athlete a question, but never could? Well now is your chance to do it. We call it "Ask the Sounders". It's your opportunity to ask the coaches or players a question about the game or anything else. We will take the top 3 questions. So put your questions in the "Comments" section. We'll "Ask the Sounders" your questions sometime this week. This round of "Ask the Sounders" is for our fourth show. Sounders FC Weekly airs Sundays at 10:35 p.m. on KONG-TV. ...UPDATE: The Cougars have just confirmed that Ken Bone indeed will be the next head basketball coach. They'll introduce him tomorrow in Pullman. The official news release is after the jump.
Good morning hockey fans and friends, Well it was another tough stretch for the Houston Aeros. We entered the week holding onto 2nd place in the AHL's West Divison and we now sit in the 4th and final playoff spot. ...Regular contributor Joanne Giuliano casts her keen eye on the playoff race that's heating up in the NHL. In this entry, she goes straight to the top, to show us just what keeps the San Jose Sharks swimming around in first place.
It's debut day around noon for the new all-sports radio station in Seattle. My buddy Brock Huard is front and center with his debut of the "Brock and Salk" show. Their gig leads up to the Mariners opener on the road against Minnesota. Try to catch it and offer some comments here. ...Yes, gullible me, I bought the Wrestlemania 25 PPV (don't ask me how much it cost). Had a pretty good night of predictions with "Santina" taking the Diva mess, Cena, Taker, Mysterio winning and Austin making a big appearance though not during the Legends match. Missed on the Hardy Match, Legends (thought Steamboat would win with Mickey Rourke's help) and the Money in the Bank Ladder Match (still can't figure out why Punk won. There were some great ladder spots in here, although a couple were muffed). Also shaking my head as to why the McMahons didn't show during the HHH-Orton tilt, especially Stephanie! They might surface again tonight on Raw if the angle is to be continued. I hope NOT. The Cougars have interviewed University of Alabama Birmingham head coach Mike Davis, according to the Spokesman Review. Athletic Director Jim Sterk interviewed Davis over the Final Four weekend. Apparently, Davis joins Portland State coach Ken Bone and, surprisingly, former Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter as candidates for Tony Bennett's old job. You may remember, Davis was Indiana's head coach after Bobby Knight left the school. ...Former Seattle Thunderbird Thomas Hickey continues his amazing play since being called up to the Los Angeles Kings' AHL affiliate Manchester Monarchs. Hickey scored his first AHL goal during tonight's matchup against the Worcester Sharks (San Jose affiliate).
Regular contributor Joanne Giuliano turns her hockey eye on a team that's flown under the radar, with flashes of brilliance. Read on to see why she thinks the New York Islanders are worth more than just a passing glance.
When one becomes a fan of a good team, a team which can provide the entertainment that said fan paid decent money to see, that team's job is done. When one becomes a fan of a great team, there's a little more involved...there are expectations to be met. ...Seattle Thunderbirds news release
Update: Here is more information about the firing of Silvertips Head Coach John Becanic, from Nick Patterson's column in the Everett Herald. Click here to read.
Everett, WA - Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Friday that John Becanic has been dismissed from his position as Head Coach of the Everett Silvertips.
Well, isn't this just too bad. Michael Vick's bankruptcy plan to pay back his creditors was rejected by the judge because it was predicated on using future NFL football salaries to make it work. Cue the violin music. Why would anyone consider letting this guy back onto a field after he knowingly allowed innocent animals to be killed and maimed, and did so himself? The NFL Commish has said Vick needs to show true remorse before he gets back in. Why should anyone ever believe he is sorry? He may be paying his debt to society, but let him work his way back without a fat cat football deal. The judge wants him to liquidate one of the two homes and the three cars he wanted to keep. That's a lot of personal property but not much remorse. Needless to say I am not a fan. Here's more ...The Mariners have been forced to put Ichiro Suzuki on the 15-day disabled list because of a bleeding ulcer. Doctors diagnosed him in Arizona after he sat out three straight games in spring training with symptoms of extreme fatigue. The Ichiro went to the doctor today to see what's been causing the fatigue that's caused him to miss the last three days. Here's the update from the Mariners.
Seattle University men's basketball coach Joe Callero is leaving the school to become the coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Last year, Callero coached the Redhawks to a 13-8 record in their return to Division I. His eight year record is 117-105. ...There are several things you can count on happening at a hockey game: the referees will get booed; someone will go to the penalty box; and there will be some rockin' music driving the players and the fans.
Portland T-Blazers assistant coach Maurice Lucas will not finish out the year on the bench next to head man Nate McMillen. The team announced today that Lucas has successful surgery for bladder cancer and will need 6-8 weeks of recovery time. Lucas said, "I am so proud of how our guys have played and I'm confident that I will spend a good deal of my recovery time watching us win games." Lucas, of course, was part of that Blazers '77 title team that beat Dr. J. and 76ers. Plus, he was born in my old hometown of Pittsburgh.
Manchester Monarchs News Release MANCHESTER, NH - In his professional debut, defenseman Thomas Hickey assisted on both regulation goals as the Manchester Monarchs edged the Lowell Devils, 3-2, in a shootout in front of 3,951 at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night. ...All day long, you've seen April Fools jokes everywhere. ESPN's PTI did one with Barry Bonds signing with the Dodgers. Of course, no one in their right mind would sign Bonds, but you never know with Joe Torre. He can work with anyone.
Then a site called greenglare.com came out with another one. Even Sports by Brooks ran a blurb and link. Green Glare claimed the Hawks were going to unveil a third uniform, to use during the season, right before the draft. Of course, it's reasonable to think this could happen. You've got a younger head coach that loves the players and the excitement they bring. Like Deion Branch's lime green(?) shoes and gloves. The uni's would have matched it. It just seemed like a player's coach kind of thing to do. But I spoke with the Seahawks today, just to make sure that Green Glare wasn't dead on. A Hawks spokesman says it looks like their "fashion jersey". You might remember the black Lofa Tatupu jerseys from a few years ago. He compared it to that. So well played Green Glare, well played. It was a good April Fools joke that seemed possible. ...About half of the Seahawks front office is down in Los Angeles today, according to the LA Times. They're there to watch and talk to USC quarterback Mark Sanchez during his Pro Day. Apparently, the Hawks also talked to Sanchez last night over dinner. NFL.com writes about his Pro Day: "He's not [Georgia's Matt} Stafford, he's not [Kansas State's Josh] Freeman; but his arm is every bit as good as Matt Ryan's. And as Matt Ryan showed this year, when you're accurate and you show good anticipation, a good arm is good enough. That's what Matt is, and that's what Mark Sanchez is. What he showed is consistency." -- Mike Mayock - NFL Network Sounds like Sanchez is the real deal. It's kind of hard to believe that Seattle would consider him with the 4th pick. But maybe this is a "just in case" scenario if the Hawks trade down. ...Sure, it's only 2 weeks in to the season, but you gotta be impressed with the Sounders FC so far. Today, Fredy Montero takes the MLS Player of the Month award and Goal of the Week award. That's a clean sweep of the big awards. They've won both Goals of the Week (Montero both times), both Players of the Week (Montero then Keller), and now Player of the Month. ...More predictions and updates here It was much to my surprise last week when I saw NWCN News Director Wayne Lynch post his thoughts about the upcoming 25th Anniversary of Wrestlemania. I knew there was a handful of us in the mighty KING building that watch the WWE (and yes, we know it's fake), but never did I expect one of our fine newsroom leaders to be a fan. So, Wayne and I have gotten together to give our final predictions for this Sunday. We disagree on some of these matches, but the one thing we do agree on is that the overall card is weak. Neither one of us is shelling out the $50 for the pay-per-view. For those of you who pay little or no attention to the WWE, thanks for still reading. We'll provide you a brief synopsis of the storyline before our predictions. |
