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.
1. Witnessing Mike Holmgren's final season in Seattle. Sure, the easy thing to say is they suck. But despite all the injuries, Holmgren has handled the mess with class and dignity. He's a great coach (and person) who'll sorely be missed once he's gone. Think about what happened to the M's once they lost Lou Piniella. No offense M's, but you just haven't been the same since Sweet Lou, on and off the field. Thanks Mike for a decade of great football and changing the football scene in Seattle.
2. Having Save Our Sonics being one of the biggest advocates for Sonics fans. Yes, the Sonics left. Yes, I'd much rather have that crappy team than watch them struggle from a far in OKC. S.O.S. and people like them came to the forefront to fight for the common man/fan and made everyone feel like they had a voice. Brian Robinson & Steven Pyeatt (and everyone associated with them) put in countless hours and "blood, sweat and tears" for the cause. During the KeyArena lease trial, S.O.S. helped organize a rally that brought in Gary Payton, Xavier McDaniel, and hundreds of fans in support. Plus, I don't know if they are directly involved with the recent talks of a team relocating to Seattle or pushing for a KeyArena remodel, but without S.O.S. helping to lead the charge we wouldn't even be in the conversation.
2a. All the Sonics related blogs. Sonicscentral.com, Supersonicsoul.com, and Benditlikebennett.com all gave us all a laugh or smile when we remembered the worst travesty suffered culturally by Seattle since Kurt Cobain's death. Just check out Benditlikebennett's halloween cheer or its homage to South Park and Sonics fans.
3. The Mariners for bringing in new GM Jack Zduriencik and new manager Don Wakamatsu. Hope always springs eternal and these guys have it in spades. Both have a huge task at hand. Both know it's about the journey not an immediate quick fix. Both want to bring the M's back to respectability. Here's hoping both can do it.
4. The Huskies football team turning the page. As a Cougar, this could be my spot to take a shot at the Huskies, but I won't. I'm hopeful Steve Sarkisian can rebuild them to a respectable team, just not as respectable as the Cougs. By the way, as long as we're talking Cougs, I'm thankful for Paul Wulff's recruiting class that appears to be coming in. GO COUGS!
5. I'm thankful June Daugherty is in Pullman. OK, I know this is a year late, but she's a comeback story you can cheer for. Not only did she bounce back from being fired at the UW and a heart attack, Coach Daugherty is turning around the WSU women's baskteball program. She's done it with hard work, patience, and back-to-back great recruiting classes. And it's happening in Pullman.
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.
6. The Storm stayed in Seattle. If Bubba Bennett did anything right, it was selling the Storm to a local ownership group. Thanks to Anne Levinson, Ginny Gilder, Lisa Brummel and Dawn Trudeau for keeping Pro Hoops in Seattle. If you've never seen a game, check your negativity at the door. The Storm are one of the most refreshing pro teams in town. They put on a great show, have approachable stars, and give you the most bang for your buck.
7. Ken Griffey Junior's return to Seattle. If you were one of the lucky ones to catch Junior and the Reds at Safeco, you know what I mean. He provided some electricity that a 101-loss team couldn't. Although I conflicted on whether Junior should return to the M's, there's no doubt the man formerly known as "The Kid" should do so if he wants to. He's earned that right.
8. Remebering the joy and peace Tuba Man gave Seattle sports fans. While people may still be mourning our loss, I'm thankful Tuba Man gave us nearly 20 years of musical stylings. Ed McMichael was part of Seattle as any team in town. As dependable as a Josh Brown game winning field goal (when he was a Seahawk). As part of the Seattle scene as the Space Needle or Mt. Rainier. The Tuba Man will be missed.
9. A healthier Big Lo. Going back to Jim Caple's article, I loved that he told the story through Big Lo's eyes. He's gone through some tough times in 2008. And I'm not talking about his fandom. Big Lo had a few health scares and he's taking care of it. He's doing so well that Big Lo actually played in our Turkey Bowl this year (my co-worker Chris Egan's annual game in Puyallup). It definitely gave our team a lift on our way to KING5's first Turkey Bowl Championship.
10. My family. I know this is a sports column, but I am thankful for my two moms (birth and adopted), meeting or talking to more of my birth cousins (Keralee & Boo), and my nephew Hayden. This year, Hayden is playing football for the first time(see it's kind of sports related). I can't really explain it, but knowing he's playing football, and soon basketball, makes me feel closer to him and my family even though they are 1,200 miles away in Big Stone City, South Dakota.
There's my Top 10. Just remember, the sports scene can't get any worse. It can only go up. Tell us what your sports blessings or if I've missed anything.
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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.
Wroten can resume basketball activities once he resumes classes at Garfield. For more on the Wroten case, you can read the P-I's article here.
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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.
The 6'4" 285-pounder initially committed to the Huskies. But when the Dawgs struggled this season and Tyrone Willigham's future at Montlake looked dim, Coleman decided to look at other schools. He feels Cal is the right choice for him. Coleman likes that the Bears are a winning program with seniors to help guide him. Cal will make the announcement tomorrow.
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