Seth Kolloen
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Where does David Beckham, in town to play in Sunday's MLS Cup, ranks on the list of world celebrities? Top 20, at least, right? Maybe top 10? I mean, I'm talking about people who are household names all over the world, not just on one continent. It's not a big list. (Off the top of my head: Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Madonna, Michael Jordan, Bono). But Beckham's definitely on it. And he's here, in our crappy little port! Above, it's Becks at the Metropolitan Grill, where sources tell the Times' Jose Miguel Romero he ate "onion soup (without cheese), a petit filet and scampi, asparagus (sauce on the side) and cranberry juice."
I was all set to sell my Cup tickets, until a friend reminded me that Beckham was playing. He came here once before, in an 2006 exhibition while a member of Real Madrid. But this is a championship game, I'll get to see Becks at his most competitive. Fun!
The MLS Cup is Beckham's L.A. Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake. It's at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday at Qwest Field. You can watch on ESPN or head down there and try to score tickets.
Storm mascot Doppler hands Simmons swag
ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, a.k.a. "The Sports Guy," was in Seattle on Tuesday to sign copes of his new bestseller, The Book of Basketball.
Kevin Pelton, who writes for the Seattle Storm (where he explained Doppler's appearance at the signing) and Basketball Prospectus (where he reviewed TBOB last week) was in attendance and shares this report.
Sport Restaurant was a great venue for Bill Simmons' book signing in all respects but one: It turned out to be far too small to hold the masses of Simmons' faithful readers who descended on Sport to get an autograph and share a brief moment with their favorite writer. By the time I arrived, at 5:30 p.m., a line was already forming an hour and a half before Simmons was scheduled to begin. By the time he arrived, people snaked through the lobby of the Fisher Pavilion and the line continued out the door and outside around Sport despite the persistent rain.
Of course, short of KeyArena, I'm not sure where that many people could comfortably fit. By the time I left, around 10, the line was still going strong, though no longer outdoors. I'm told by others who lingered longer that it took nearly four hours before the last book was signed.
The response was fueled in part by the fact that Simmons, as Steve Kelley wrote about for The Seattle Times, has been the major media figure most supportive of Seattle in the wake of the Sonics' departure. In his brief remarks to the lucky handful of people who got spots inside Sport before the signing, Simmons declared that Seattle was a natural stop for his tour because he still considers it an NBA town. Fans demonstrated that by pulling their Sonics jerseys and other memorabilia out of their closets, and Simmons happily took shots at the former ownership group in the books he signed.
With any tour, there's a natural tendency for each stop to become "the favorite one," but Simmons' fondness for Seattle and empathy for Sonics fans is legit. He even talked up Seattle during a video interview he taped at last night's Portland appearance with The Oregonian. (http://bit.ly/1I0SxF) Now, if only Simmons would have ranked Gary Payton a little higher in his Hall of Fame pyramid ...
[ED NOTE: Simmons may be thinking a little less fondly of Seattle after being pulled over for speeding on his way to Portland.]
I have two new rules in the wake of Seattle U's high-five-inducing upset win over Fresno State at KeyArena last night.
1) Never Doubt Elgin Baylor
Before the game, NBA Hall-of-Famer and Seattle Uer Baylor, standing next to his stunning wife on the court now named for him, addressed the crowd. He urged the fans to cheer boisterously for the Redhawks. Baylor said that players perform better when they hear the fans' support.
Baylor was right, because I'm at a loss to explain how a short SU backcourt rotation could've kept up a full-court trap for the final eight minutes of the game, hassling Fresno State into just enough turnovers to give the Redhawks a chance for the winning basket.
2) Never Doubt Cameron Dollar
Fresno State is stronger, faster, taller, and more athletic than Seattle U. So you'd think the last thing you'd do is try to run with them. Last year's Seattle U team, under departed coach Joe Callero, would've tried to slow down the game with deliberate possessions, and attempted to confuse Fresno State with trick defenses.
But under new coach Dollar, a former assistant to UW's Lorenzo Romar, the Redhawks were the aggressors. On SU's second possession of the game, Dollar was barking at his point guard to bring the ball up faster. The Redhawks trapped early and often, and played aggressive man-to-man defense against FSU's NBA-quality athletes.
And when Dollar's players got in foul trouble, got tired, and squandered a double-digit lead? Dollar responded by being more aggressive.
For the final 8:30 of the game, Dollar had the Redhawks run a trapping full-court press. And, to me, the outcome seemed preordained. The short-handed Redhawks would tire, Fresno State would score easy buckets in bunches, foul out SU's best players, and coast to a double-digit win.
Instead, the press paid off right away. Mike Boxley and Cervante Burrell trapped a FSU dribbler and caused a steal that led to an Aaron Broussard three-point play. Then, off a bad pass by the Bulldogs, Boxley hit a three-pointer.
The Redhawks stayed within striking distance from that point on, helped by some extremely generous officiating. And with 1:21 left, the Redhawks struck.
Boxley fired a three-point shot that scooped the rim, bounced off the backboard, and slid down off the lip of the front rim into the basket. That put SU down one. They took the lead back less than a minute later, when an Aaron Broussard steal led to a Garrett Lever lay-in. Fresno State scored, putting SU down one.
On the next possession, Chris Gweth drove the lane and found Burrell on the baseline. Burrell slid under the basket, getting just far enough away from Fresno State's shotblockers to convert the hoop. From his courtside seat, Elgin Baylor applauded the play. In my section, strangers exchanged high-fives.
Fresno State had one final chance, but they never got a shot up. Burrell and Lever stripped a Fresno State guard, and Burrell tossed the ball in the air as we all resumed high-fiving.
The crowd for SU's home opener wasn't a big one--eyeballing it, I'd say it was about half the size of your average Storm crowd. But it was influential. Two of the NBA's 50 greatest players with Baylor sitting courtside for his first SU game since leaving for the pros in 1958, and Lenny Wilkens doing color for FSN. A passel of Seattle U legends, including former NBAers Tom Workman and Jawann Oldham, and the famed O'Brien twins . And three-fifths of the University of Washington starting lineup, as Venoy Overton, Isaiah Thomas, and Matthew Bryan-Amaning all plopped into the row in front of me just after tip-off.
The Redhawks play all their home games at KeyArena this year. Some fantastic seats are available, I walked up and got a seat in the fifth row at center court. Their next home game is Sunday vs. Weber St., the favorites to win the Big Sky conference. After that you'll have to wait until 12/15. Here's the full schedule.
Previous
In Year 2 A.S. (After Sonics), Key Arena has a new hoops tenant: Seattle University. The school's athletic program is transitioning into Division One, the top level of U.S. college sports. And they've scheduled a team that brings NBA-level talent back to the Key for the first time since the Sonics left.
Fresno State comes to town Thursday, along with their star sophomore forward Paul George. At 6'7", 210 lbs., George has an NBA body. And he for sure has NBA athleticism. Check out these dunks:
George will be the #7 pick in next year's draft, according to NBADraft.net,. After that if you want to see George dunking on people, you'll have to drive to Portland (or, as I now call it after coining this phrase last night, "Disneyland for guys with beards"), the nearest town with an NBA team.
Seattle U has a future NBAer of their own, to hear coach Cameron Dollar tell it. Dollar says his 6'10" JC transfer forward Charles Garcia is "the best pro prospect in the state." High praise, given that this state includes Abdul Gaddy, the UW freshman projected as the #3 pick in the 2011 draft, and likely NBA draft picks Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas.
Garcia certainly has the versatility that NBA scouts like. In a 30-point performance against U of Portland last night, Garcia had eight boards, three assists, and a three-pointer. (He also had 9 turnovers.)
I should mention that the Redhawks lost that game. They are now 0-2 on the year, with a loss at Oklahoma State in their first game. No one wants to lose two games, but it's encouraging that the Redhawks have been competitive both times. They were down just two points at half to Portland, considered one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference.
Fresno State is the best opponent the Redhawks host this year; if you're going to go to one of their games, make it this one. (Also a draw: It's homecoming for former Rainier Beach star Mychal Ladd, now a starting guard for FSU.) SU is helping out with discounted tickets: for this game only, single-game seats can be had for just $5. Or "splurge" on center court tickets for $10. Buy here or at the door.
I'll be there in the season tickets of a friend, an SU alum who rarely attended games as a student, but now that their going big-time has pitched in to support the team. If you are an SU alum, you should do the same--a successful D1 hoops program will raise the reputation of the school, and make your degree more valuable. Hey, I'm not going to twist your arm, but just sayin'.
Game time is 7:10 p.m. Thursday. You can also listen to the game on 710 ESPN, or watch on FSN Northwest.
Could Washington morph from a football-crazy school into a basketball mecca? Certainly there's no contest performance-wise. Now, media coverage is beginning to turn basketball's way.
For the first time, the Seattle Times has a reporter dedicated solely to Washington basketball: Percy Allen, who formerly was the Sonics' beat writer. Previously Bob Condotta covered both basketball and football, meaning that hoops coverage suffered in the early months of the season, while football was a going concern.
Allen has followed the Dawgs from practice one, is filing a story most every day, and has created a must-read blog.
Husky basketball also finally has a dedicated fan blog, Montlake Madness. Founder Josh Anderson is covering every game, doing interviews with players and opposing coaches, basically owning it. Like every good fan blog, it covers the team in-depth and is recommended for diehards.
If you're looking for a smart, Hoops 201 perspective on Husky hoops, check out Todd Dybas' writing in the Seattlepi.com. Dybas brings more advanced strategic insight than the average beat writer, going in-depth about offensive sets, defensive styles, and players' specific moves. Good stuff.
Moving more toward the advanced hoops end of the spectrum, Kevin Pelton of BasketballProspectus.com will be sharing his thoughts about Husky hoops from time to time. Here's his "Five Thoughts: Washington-Portland State" from Sunday. Good stuff. (The College Basketball Prospectus came out last week, if you want a bookful of advanced college hoops talk.)
Football still seems to dominate conversation here. At the Times, Allen's assumption of hoops duties frees up Condotta to write full-time about football. And paid sites like Dawgman, UDubSports.com, and RealDawg all focus primarily on the gridiron. Mainly because most media consumers grew up in the football glory days. As football flounders, and basketball...uh...blasts off (?), the landscape is changing.
Five committed Seahawks rooters gathered in a friend's new "man cave" and watched the last, gasping breaths of the 2009 'Hawks.
We saw a familiar sight--the undersized Seahawks' utter inability to stop Arizona's big, talented receivers. Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston combined for 19 catches, 257 yards, and two touchdowns. The Cardinals scored 31 points in the last 36 minutes of the game after the Seahawks had jumped to a 14-point lead.
The Seahawks have now lost four consecutive times to Arizona, by a combined 118-64 score. We knew in the offseason that the 'Hawks secondary couldn't cover the Cards receivers, and yet the front office's only move was to bring in free agent Ken Lucas. Fitzgerald beat Lucas badly on the Cardinals' final touchdown.
The 2009-10 offseason, which, with the Hawks at 3-6, essentially begins today, must focus on answering a single question: HOW DO WE BEAT ARIZONA?
Until the Seahawks figure out a solution, they're likely doomed to also-ran status in the NFC West.
One answer we saw today--Justin Forsett. The quick but patient back displayed terrific vision on several carries, finishing with 123 yards on 17 carries--a 7.2 average. Former Husky Louis Rankin also flashed some nice runs, taking the carries of Julius Jones, who left the game with a chest injury before getting a carry.
The Seahawks play at Minnesota next week--you'll hear a lot of blubbering about Brett Favre, but true football fans are excited (and a little horrified) to watch Vikings' back Adrian Peterson, one of the best players in the NFL right now.
I walk into The Dutchess, for 80 years a Husky bar, and crane my head toward the screen to see the score.
"You sure you want to come in?" says the buzzed middle-aged man drunk at the door.
"Oh God, what's the score now," I ask.
He shakes his head. "Not good. It's not good."
And it wasn't. The Huskies had allowed a touchdown right before halftime, and a long kickoff return to open half 2. I'd been spared hearing this misery by my car radio's sudden decision to inexplicably conk out. The score, then, was 34-7. The Huskies didn't even compete.
Washington, now mathematically unable to reach the six wins they'd need to be eligible for a bowl game, get a week of rest before the Apple Cup on the 28th.
Someday, you will do it. You won't have a co-worker's birthday party, a seasonal gutter cleaning, or brunch with an ex. Someday, you will watch sports all weekend. If, perchance, this is the weekend, here's how it should go:
FRIDAY
5 p.m.: Leave work, drive towards Hec Ed for the Athletes in Action Classic. Stop at Bartells and buy some socks on the way.
5:30-6:30 p.m.: Watch the second half of Belmont/Portland St. Cheer on PSU's Melvin Jones, a Chief Sealth grad who got his life on track after a rough start to high school.
6:30 p.m.: Dinner at Hec Ed. Recommended--Porters Place BBQ. Not recommended--Everything else.
7-9 p.m.: Watch the Huskies avoid a letdown like in last year's opening-game loss to Portland, and lay an ass-whooping on outmanned Wright St. The Raiders may stay in this game early if their shooters are hot, but UW's depth will mean WSU will be run ragged by the second half.
9-10 p.m.: Sit in the traffic lineup to get out of the Hec Ed parking lot. While you're at it, check ESPN 710 to see how Seattle U did in their opening game, at Oklahoma State.
10 p.m.: Drive home--you've got a big day tomorrow!
SATURDAY
7:30 a.m.: Drag yourself out of bed and drive to the George and Dragon for World Cup Qualifying soccer.
8 a.m.: Russia v. Slovenia begins. Here's the deal--eight European countries are getting their last shot at qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. They are paired into four groups of two, each pair plays a home-and-home with the winner going through to the Cup.
9 a.m.: England v. Brazil begins. This is just a friendly, with no World Cup qualifying implications, but c'mon. It's England/Brazil!
10 a.m.: Greece v. Ukraine! Ouzo v. Vodka! Who wins? Everyone!
Noon: Ireland v. France. Even more testy after an Irish diplomat gravely insulted French PM Sarkosky this week.
2 p.m.: Drive to The Dutchess and catch the second half of the Washington/Oregon St. football game. Will the Beavers knock Jake Locker senseless again?
2:30-3:30 p.m.: Probably some sort of silly play by the Husky special teams that costs us the game late, ending slight hopes of a Husky bowl appearance.
3:30-4:00 p.m.: Enjoy a chicken sandwich so you don't have to consume any Hec Ed food.
4 p.m.: Walk down to Hec Ed. Yeah, it's a trek, but do you really want to sit in that post-game parking lot traffic again? Not worth it. Plus, those fries you just ate have a ton of calories.
4:30-6:30 p.m.: Wright St. vs. Portland St. This will probably be the most competitive of the six games to be played this weekend.
6:30-7 p.m.: Check Facebook on your phone. Note how many "status updates" are actually just people whining about pointless shit.
7-9 p.m.: UW vs. Belmont, which I'm hoping will be very entertaining. Both the Huskies and Belmont were among the 50 fastest-tempo teams in the NCAA last year. If Belmont plays their style instead of trying to slow the game down, the Dawgs could hit 100.
9-9:30 p.m.: Healthful walk back up to The Dutchess.
9:30-Midnight: Buy repeated rounds for everyone at the bar (or just me).
SUNDAY
10 a.m.-1 p.m.: We've been running around a bunch, so let's just take it easy with 12 hours of NFL football on the couch, shall we? First up--Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh on CBS. Both teams are 6-2, tied for first in the AFC North.
1 - 4:30 p.m.: Seahawks @ Arizona on FOX. Okay, this is really a must-win game, this time. Once again, your announcers are Dick Stockton and Charles Davis...honestly, I'd rather have the Navajo-language feed Raiders fans get.
4:30-5:20 p.m.: Are you in any sort of relationship? This might be the time to call that person.
5:20-9 p.m.: Terrific Sunday Night Football matchup -- Patriots vs. Colts. Brady vs. Manning. Belichick vs. ... well, Manning.
9-Midnight: You are awesome. Have a private dance party!
The 1996 Sonics have spawned a new generation of college basketball players who are selfishly making me feel old.
We already knew about Jamelle "Son of Nate" McMillan, who is a junior guard at Arizona State. Joining McMillan at ASU next year will be the son of dad's former teammate on the '96 Sonics: Corey "Son of Hersey" Hawkins signed a letter of intent to play for the Sun Devils yesterday. Also in the Pac-10: Alex "Son of Detlef" Schrempf, a walk-on at UCLA.
And another '96 Sonics' son--perhaps the best of this bunch--will play down south next season. Shawn Kemp, Jr., ranked the 35th-best center in his high school class, has signed to play with Auburn. Shawn Sr. was the best of the '96 Sonics, stands to reason that Junior would be the best of the sons. Mendel was right!
Looking to the future, Eric Snow's three sons haven't yet reached teenagehood yet (which you'd know if you watched Real Housewives of Atlanta, in which the Snow family was featured).
Frank Brickowski's son Jack--who I'm sure will someday enjoy reading that he was conceived on a one-night-stand after his parents were separated--has yet to reach double-digits in age.
Gary Payton's son Gary Jr. was playing at Spring Valley High in Las Vegas in 2008, but I can't find any information about him.
Steve Scheffler was a super Christian dude (he frequently argued with liberal George Karl about politics and listed Burl Ives as his favorite musical artist) so I'd imagine he has an enormous family--but wasn't able to find out anything about them.
Coach's son spearheads the '96 Sonics son invasion at the next level--Coby Karl is a benchwarmer for the Cleveland Cavs.
While the music of one Franklin grad only inspires the need for more Valium, another has inspired a dance song. Dallas rapper Trilli Trill invites you to do the Jason Terry:
Terry, who led Franklin to back-to-back state hoops championships in 1994 and '95, was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year winner last year as a Dallas Maverick.
