Recent Stories in Sports

Didn't take Cliff Mass to predict this: A football game played in Pullman, Washington, on December 4, will not be played in ideal conditions.

We can argue which Apple Cup participant will have an advantage in the 25 degree F temps and possible snow showers. But one group is a sure loser: Football fans, some of whom may make it to the pearly gates instead of Pullman.

Pullman is 75 miles south of Spokane, along meandering, two-lane Highway 195. So it's a pain to get to on sunny days. Add blowing snow and freezing fog to the equation and you're going from painful to treacherous.

Freezing fog? That's what I said 45 minutes ago, when my Coug fan co-worker, who had a hotel room and an SUV booked for the weekend, told me she'd canceled both because of it. Evidently it's condensation that freezes to the road, turning into black ice.

With icy conditions from North Bend eastward, drivers will be crawling along--it could take 8-10 hours to reach Pullman from Seattle. Inevitably, some cars will hit black ice. Hopefully, their human cargo will emerge from the subsequent wreck safely. My friend isn't taking the risk; her seats will be empty.

So you may ask: Why the hell are they playing a football game on December 4 in Pullman, Washington? To win more.... (more)

Husky fans that lapsed into a coma shortly after the 2002 Sun Bowl may awaken to find that they didn’t miss anything.

The team has not been close to a bowl game since, and need three wins in their final three games in order to become bowl eligible in this, Jake Locker's final season. The first of these three games is tonight vs. UCLA, and you're likely currently stuck in traffic as a result.

Since getting to a bowl will take wins, we asked a group of award-winning Husky fans to discuss how they think the season will play out:

Do you think the Huskies will win their final three games and become bowl eligible?

Frank (Mr. Anderson News Quiz Champion, 5/23/1995): Ehh, maybe if we didn't have to play Cal at Berkeley--the Bears have been sick at home.

Drew (Parking Spot Award Runner-Up the Last Four Months*): No, primarily because the week-on, week-off inconsistency of this team will mean likely one or two losses in these last three games. Even if the bye week helps them rest and prepare for UCLA this week, and UW gets a win, you have two tough road games against Cal, who plays really well at home and almost upset Oregon, and WSU where it'll probably be snowing and bitch-ass-cold. The Cougs are probably the most improved team in the Pac-10 this season, or at least the past 3-5 games.

Ansley (Funplex Pop-a-Shot Champion): I don't think they are going to get the three wins they need, but it hurts me so much to type it that I might just take it back.

Dusty (2002 Nobel Prize in Physics): Yes, they will become bowl eligible because there are now 60 bowl games, so every FBS school is required to play in the post-season.  That said, we will finish 3-9, so pack your bags for the Poodle Dog "Good Food" Bowl in beautiful Fife, WA!... (more)

All you latte-sipping liberals who couldn't tell a screen pass from a deep slant may want to break out your purple and root hard for the University of Washington football team on Saturday.

According to a study from the National Academy of Sciences, (which I first read about in ESPN The Magazine), when a state's college football team wins near election day, its incumbent politicians get a boost at the polls.

For some voters, if the home team wins, all is right with the world. If not, it's "kick the bums out" time.

With the Murray/Rossi race a toss-up, seemingly inconsequential factors like a slight rise in gas prices, an layoff announcement, or, apparently, the score of Saturday's Washington/Stanford game, could mean the difference between six more years of the Mom in Tennis Shoes or a term of Rossinomics.

ESPN rightly points out that Husky QB Jake Locker is the central figure in this drama. The Washington quarterback, who before the season was considered among the top QBs in the country, isn't even the best QB in the state right now. Against #13 Stanford on Saturday, the Huskies can't win without a big game from Locker. And maybe Patty Murray can't either.... (more)

70,000 football fans. 1,000 random Seattle-area Facebook users. Eleven songs. Six and a half minutes.

If you happen to be watching the Seahawks half-time show (which should be right about when this post goes live, say 3:30 p.m.-ish, Sunday, Sept. 12th., I hope), you might notice a slightly unusual performance. Something like the bastard child of '80s guerrilla theater and musicals from Hollywood's Golden Age, the event has, over the past few weeks, become a local open secret. It is, after all, incredibly difficult to hide hundreds of people gathering at venues across the city to dance in unison. (The big honkin' speakers are also a little conspicuous.)

As Goldfinger so pithily stated: Once is coincidence; twice is happenstance; three times is enemy action. A dozen or so occurrences is a flash mob in training.

The Stadium Flash Mob is the brain-child of mob producer Egan Orion, with the help of choreographer Bobby Bonsey. The two are also responsible for Seattle's Glee Flash Mob, and Beat It, a Michael Jackson tribute flash mob. Flash mobs can range from highly choreographed versions, such as the Sound of Music mob performed in an Antwerp train station or the Sydney Harbour Dance-Off flash mob, to the more spontaneous and free-form mobs in which people gather in a public area to suddenly "freeze" or laugh.... (more)

Is Rhubarb ready for the big show?

The division-leading Tacoma Rainiers minor league baseball team will contest any 2010 playoff games at Safeco Field. Their home, Cheney Stadium, gets a major renovation at season's end.

In light of this exciting news, which would end a 3,000-day pro baseball playoffs drought at Safeco, I have a few suggestions for the Mariners:

1) Demote Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, and Russell Branyan to Tacoma immediately.

Give the only three Mariners who I'm sure are better than the AAA guys a chance at postseason. And us a chance at cheering on a winner. Sure, the season-ending road trip to Fresno doesn't sound enticing, but can it be any worse than Cleveland?

2) Announce that Rainiers playoff games are free, as a service to long-suffering fans.

Remember when the Sounders gave their fans a refund? This is the Mariners' chance to make amends for a season that did not live up to their hype. The current plan is to charge $20 for the cheapest seats--that's ludicrous. Open it up to the people as a form of penance. It would be fun. And you'll make the money back on concessions.

3) Induct Lou Piniella into the Mariners Hall of Fame

This doesn't have anything to do with Tacoma, I just think it would be a nice gesture.... (more)

No room on the bandwagon!

With the Storm in the playoffs (Game 1 is Wednesday), it's time for the annual "You should watch the Storm" columns in local sports media. I don't need the sports section to tell me what to think--I have Drudge Report for that--so I've always found these articles less than compelling.

I have a different message for you. If you are some sort of flaccid bandwagon jumper who makes your sports entertainment choices based on what a newspaper columnist tells you, please stay away from the Storm's postseason run. If you are going to the Storm just to see what it's like, or because it's suddenly trendy, don't bother.

Doesn't worry me: The fewer people who go, the better seats I'll get.

On the other hand, if you want to join a few thousand rowdy, passionate fans in screaming your head off in support of skillful Sue Bird, talented Lauren Jackson, energetic Swin Cash--and against The Hated Los Angeles Sparks--come on along.... (more)

I have this common experience every time I go to a Seattle Storm game. At some point, I think, "Well, they are going to lose. There's just no reason for them to win this game."

Like last night. The Storm--who have nothing tangible to play for, having clinched home-court advantage through the playoffs--were trailing by 16 to Minnesota, a team needing a win to remain in the playoff race. The refs were taking the night off. Storm point guard Sue Bird was having one of the worst games of her career.

And yet the Storm came back for another victory. Lauren Jackson's three-point shooting kept the team close, and Camille Little and Swin Cash kept the team's spirits up with feisty defense. Strategically, the Storm were able to finally exploit Minnesota's aggressive offensive rebounding by pushing the ball in transition and getting open shots for Jackson.

The Storm clawed back into the game with a 24-point third quarter, then tightened up on defense, holding Minnesota to just two points in the final 4:37. Lauren Jackson found Swin Cash cutting to the basket for the go-ahead basket with just under a minute to go, and the Storm defense held on from there. 68-64 Storm, who move to 26-6 on the year, 16-0 at KeyArena.

It's been 15 years since the '95 Seattle Mariners inspired the motto "Refuse to Lose," winning 24 of their final 35 games. The Storm have refused to lose for the entire season--they have now won 13 times when trailing after three quarters.

The Storm have two regular season games left: Friday at Phoenix and Saturday, back at KeyArena, against Los Angeles, where they can break the WNBA record for home wins. After that, the playoffs commence.

Meanwhile, the 2010 Mariners also deserve the motto of "refuse to lose"--if you mean "refuse" in this sense.

Submitted to FailBlog

Chone Figgins seems intent on making Mariner fans hate him. First there was the little matter of batting .211 during the team's disastrous first 50 games. Then there was his dugout tantrum, which contributed to Don Wakamatsu's firing. Now he's started off the week by committing a disastrous error Sunday, and going 0-6 in an 11-inning loss Monday.

Setting Sunday's scene: King Felix Hernandez was pitching another magnificent game. He hadn't allowed a runner past second base. He'd recorded two quick outs in the seventh inning. Then, Indians third baseman Luis Valbuena hit first-pitch fastball on the ground, right at Figgins. The ball bounded right into Figgins' mitt, and then, somehow, bounced away.

Instead of going into the dugout with the game still all zeroes, having thrown just 89 pitches, Hernandez now had to get another seventh-inning out. He couldn't. The next five Indians hitters reached, concluded by a Travis Hafner grand slam. Though Hernandez' ERA won't suffer--all the runs were unearned--he will absorb his tenth loss of the season. Double-digit losses! For one of the best pitchers in baseball!

The King looked more than a little pissed after Figgins' error and the resulting Tribe runs parade, shouting angrily from the mound. After the game, Hernandez was "visibly peeved," according to the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker, and was heard "rattling off a series of words in Spanish" to teammates. But, publicly, he said nothing.

Figgins contributed further magic on Monday, flubbing two ground balls (neither was recorded as an error; both could've been) and going hitless in six at bats, including striking out swinging with the bases loaded in the sixth.

Trading Figgins now is the M's best move, according to the logic and facts corralled by U.S.S. Mariner. It is also the best move to eliminated the possibility of certain Mariner season ticket holders charging Figgins from my first-base seats in a fit of insane rage. Ha! I mean from "their" first-base seats.

Baseball managers tend to fall into two categories. You have your nice guys, and you have your a**holes. Just-fired Mariner manager Don Wakamatsu is one of the former. As was M's manager John McLaren before him. And Mike Hargrove before him. And Bob Melvin before him.

You have to go back to 2002 to find an a**hole Mariner manager: Lou Piniella. Who, coincidentally or not, was also the only manager in Mariner history who won a g*ddam*ed thing. [Ed: I'm just going to let Seth do this asterisk thing, since he seems to be enjoying himself, even though the TSB style guide doesn't flinch at "asshole."]

Baseball teams prefer to hire nice guys. Who doesn't? A**holes like Piniella can be counted on to berate their subordinates, have public tirades, and openly question their bosses' competence. Would you hire such a person? Not unless you were desperate. Which is what the Mariners were in 1993, when they hired Piniella.

The circumstances were similar to what the franchise faces now. In 1991, the Mariners had an incredibly encouraging year. The team won more games than it lost for the first season ever, which, sadly, then counted as a reason to celebrate. In 1992, the team was supposed to Make The Leap. They did--right off of a cliff, back to the bottom of the American League. Needing a manager with credibility, no matter how much of an a**hole he was, the Mariners went with Piniella.... (more)

Wakamatsu: On Notice

I'm no public relations expert, but I feel confident in asserting the following: If you are drawing up the PR plan for a baseball team, you do not pencil in, for the first day of a long August homestand, that the lead stories in your local newspaper be about how pissed off your second baseman is and that your team is the worst in the city's history.

Sadly this is the state of your Seattle Mariners, coming off of a 6-22 July, the worst month in franchise history. Here are the M's awful hitting stats for July--viewer discretion is advised, as some stats may not be appropriate for sensitive fans.

Local and national media speculate that manager Don Wakamatsu may get fired. The logic for firing Wakamatsu goes like this: By benching Ken Griffey Jr. and hastening The Kid's retirement, Wakamatsu angered Mariner vets. Said vets have publicly questioned Wakamatsu's leadership, torpedoing team confidence and morale. Hence, a six-win July. 

What do you think? Personally, I think it's a load of crap, and Wakamatsu should be lauded for having the courage to bench Griffey. Good managers ought to put results above feelings, in my view.

As it happens, my view and $3.95 will get you a single-brewed cup of artistan Joe at a fake Starbucks. Mariner poobahs will decide Wakamatsu's fate. And, no doubt feeling embarrassed by headed toward a second-100-loss season in two years, they may decide that change is required. Keep your ears perked: If Wakamatsu gets the boot, it will probably happen in the next week or two--any later and it's really too late to have any impact whatsoever on the season (though it could still happen).

Q: The Sounders are playing some team from El Salvador tonight? What's that about?

A: Tonight's game against Metapan F.C. is the first leg of the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Q: What the poo is CONCACAF Champions League?

A: Well, first off, CONCACAF is the governing body of all the soccer leagues in countries in North and Central America. Most countries have their own league. The best teams in each countries' league qualify for the Champions League. (It's a much bigger deal in Europe, where you're talking about the top teams in the world.)

Q: So the Sounders are the best team in the U.S.? Horse hockey! Last I checked they were getting waxed.

A: Qualification is based on 2009 results. The Sounders are in because they won the 2009 U.S. Open Cup. Three other MLS teams also make the tourney.

Q: Ah. And tonight's game is what?

A: Part of a two-game preliminary round. The Sounders play Metapan here tonight, and will play at Metapan on Tuesday. The combined score of the two games will decide who advances.

Q: Where the heck is Metapan?

A: It's a town of less than 20,000 people in northwest El Salvador that has a really pretty church. Their team has won a share of their league title each of the past four years. ... (more)

You aren't supposed to win when you're down 18 points at halftime. "I don't know how we did it," Lauren Jackson told an overjoyed KeyArena crowd after the game. Here's how, Lauren: Your offense was your best defense.

In the first half, the Storm couldn't hit a shot. The errant attempts, many by the team's lesser players, resulted in multiple Phoenix fast breaks, letting the Mercury drop 56 points in the first half. In half two, Storm stars got greedy, and their shots began to find the basket. Forced to inbound from the baseline, Phoenix couldn't streak down the court. They went ice cold.

At one point, the Mercury missed 17 consecutive shots. The Storm increased their on-ball pressure and held Phoenix to just eight points in the third quarter, an amazing defensive effort against a team that had broken the league scoring record twice in the past week.

Lauren Jackson finished with a season-high 33 points, on just 23 shots. Sue Bird added 16, including several key fourth-quarter buckets.... (more)

Your local hoops team is off to a 20-2 start and play tonight against Phoenix at Seattle Center. It could be today, or it could be December 23, 1993. Then, the team was the Sonics, the opponent was the Phoenix Suns. Tonight it's the Storm facing the Phoenix Mercury.

The Sonics lost game #23 (Thunder Dan Majerle went off for seven threes). So with a win against Phoenix tonight, the Storm can claim the best start in Seattle pro hoops history. 

Won't be easy. The Mercury come into the game scorching hot on offense. You think I exaggerate? I do not. As Kevin Pelton reports on StormBasketball.com, the Mercury have set the WNBA record for points in a game twice in the last week. The last game between these teams, less than two weeks ago, went to triple-overtime.

Other fun Seattle/Phoenix stuff: The Storm's Sue Bird and the Mercury's Diana Taurasi are close friends and teammates in the Russian SuperLeague.

Storm Lauren Jackson and Mercury Penny Taylor, Aussies born 13 days apart, have played against each other since age 11 and will be teammates at this fall's FIBA World Championships. To me, the most interesting Mercury player is DeWanna Bonner, a bean-pole forward (listed at 6'4", 136 lbs.) (!!!) who is a tough matchup for the Storm. Bonner has 54 points on just 33 shots against Seattle this year.

At worst, this will be a high-scoring game. Stands a chance of being one of the most memorable basketball games in Seattle hoops history.

Bad: The Mariners have the league's poorest offense. Worse: They're fouling the legacy of the franchise's greatest homegrown pitcher. Happened again last night. "King" Felix Hernandez pitching well but absorbing a loss because of the toothless Mariners offense. Actually, that's a metaphor fail. The toothless can at least gum oatmeal.

The Mariner offense feeds more like ocean-borne protozoa, relying on the odd morsel of sustenance floated toward them by a chaotic universe. Last night, the butterfly flapping in China provided a waist-high fastball to Jack Wilson, who drove in the M's only run. Also in that inning? Two pop-outs on bunts. Single-celled organisms couldn't do any worse.

Hernandez meanwhile tossed seven innings and allowed four runs. He was not his usual stellar self, striking out just three White Sox. This was not a "quality start," (of which King Felix has a league-leading 18) but certainly worth at least a sniff of a win. Instead the feeble M's bowed 6-1, leaving them with just 39 wins in their first 100 games.

King Felix has seven of those wins, but also seven of the losses. Yup, despite holding opposing hitters to a Jack-Wilson-esque .621 OPS, Hernandez has lost as many as he's won. No AL pitcher has finished with a .500 record while stifling hitters so well since the epically underrated knuckleballer Charlie Hough in 1985.... (more)

Freddie Ljungberg, the most famous player ever to suit up for a Seattle soccer team, likely won't wear the rave green again. With the Sounders unwilling to commit to a 2011 contract for the former Arsenal star, Ljungberg is looking elsewhere, likely to hook up with a team in Europe, where the season starts next month.

Ljungberg's signing five months before the Sounders' inaugural season gave the team instant credibility with local soccer fans. His pedigree was unmatched in local soccer history: nine years at one of the world's top club teams, a Premier League player of the year award, participant in two World Cups. Short of David Beckham, he was the most accomplished player in all of U.S. pro soccer.

During season one Ljungberg's reported $2.5M contact appeared to be worth the investment. He made the MLS "Best XI," confounded opposing defenders with his skill, speed, and strength, and helped the Sounders to the best expansion season of any Seattle franchise.

Season two started off poorly, with Ljungberg skipping preseason training and pissing off teammate Kasey Keller. Didn't get better once the games started. The Sounders have flopped, as key players like midfielder Osvaldo Alonso, defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, and striker Nate Jaqua have missed most of the season with injuries. Ljungberg's presence hasn't done anything to make up for their loss. If anything, his presence through the Sounders' slow start suggests that he may have been less valuable than his far-less-heralded teammates.

Normally an offensive center midfielder, Ljungberg played a few games at forward this year as coach Sigi Schmid tried to squeeze more offense out of the team. Didn't work. Ljungberg will finish with as many goals this season as Ken Griffey Jr. had home runs. (Zippo.)

Taken as a whole, the Ljungberg signing was a success. His fame was a key ingredient of the hype soup that turned Seattle on to the Sounders. The franchise may never get a player of his caliber again.

(Photo: Alley Art)

The International Sustainability Institute, the people who brought you World Cup Alley, return with their back-of-a-truck projection TV for the alpine segments of the Tour de France. Viewings are July 19, July 20, and July 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Nord Alley (behind 314 First Avenue South). It's free and part of the Alley Art series of events.

Here's a Seattle Times tease of the Tour and what's at stake: "Tour de France leader Andy Schleck and defending champion Alberto Contador called a truce on the race's first day in the Pyrenees, but each declared that Monday's second day of mountain racing would be very different."

Photo via Wikipedia/Creative Commons

Roger "The 'Stache" Levesque did it again. The MLS washout and holdover from the minor-league Sounders scored yet another game-winning goal last night, diving to head a last-minute Fredy Montero cross just inside the near post to beat DC United 1-0.

In the 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers had a fiery second baseman named Eddie "The Brat" Stanky. An opposing manager said of Stanky: "He can't hit, he can't field, he can't run—all the SOB can do is beat you."

Translate into soccer terms, and that's Levesque. I recall seeing him first in '05 with the old Sounders, and immediately falling in hate. Even a soccer neophyte could recognize how slow Levesque was, that he often lost the ball under pressure, that his passes rarely hit their mark, and that he didn't have the skill to beat defenders one-on-one. Yet who scored the game's only goal? Levesque did.

Don't take my word for it, read what Coach Sigi says about Levesque: "Roger’s a hard working player who can play a number of positions and always gives you his best." You may notice certain words missing from that summation. Talent. Skill. Ability.

For this reason, Levesque was a long shot to make the MLS Sounders, and didn't start an MLS game until late in the season. The team has brought in several younger or more accomplished contenders to take Levesque's roster spot. But Levesque continues to produce, in a big way.

Levesque scored the game-winner in the Sounders US Open Cup win at DC United last year, and his game-winner at Kansas City clinched the Sounders a playoff berth. Now he's notched another goal for the Sounders, themselves now long shots to make the MLS playoffs.

Roger Levesque can't run, he can't dribble, he has limited skills, and he can't pass. All Roger Levesque can do is beat you.

The bar at Gordon Biersch, Pacific Place

Even my schwarzbier looked three-dimensional. I was down at Gordon Biersch, on the fourth floor of the Pacific Place shopping center, following up on a story about the World Cup in 3D. How good could it be? Would it be annoying or jaw-dropping? Neither, it turns out. It's just better, more immersive. You look into the game, not at it.

Two HD 1080p 46-in. JVC flat panels (not sold on the consumer market yet) flanked each side of the bar, carrying a Direct TV transmission of ESPN's 3D World Cup coverage. RealD 3D glasses (the polarized "sunglasses" style you get at the movie theater) were handed out. If anything, the results were almost too crisp and defined, giving me the impression I was watching someone else play an EA FIFA 10 game.

ESPN's 3D cameras gave an enormous depth to the pitch, and the sheer size of the crowd was visceral. Early on, the 2D ESPN transmission was showing replays the 3D transmission was missing, but eventually the 3D crew seemed to catch up. There were the same multiple angles, and the back-of-the-net cam paid real dividends in 3D.

In general, the 3D is not obtrusive--it emphasizes depth-of-field rather than coming-right-at-you! I noticed it more the times it helped make sense of a previously flat view. For instance, corner kicks, with a multitude of players clustered in front of the goal, made much more visual sense. Even in a tight space, I could "place" the players in relation to the goal. It was also easier to tell when shots on goal were curving wide.

The weirdest moments came when a fan's flag intruded suddenly into the foreground--it's a little alarming when things poke suddenly into view "near" your eye. And when it began to rain in South Africa--yes, "I bless the rains down in Africa"--the drops resolving near the lens had the feel of special effects magic.... (more)

The legal wrangling over the relocation of the Seattle Sonics to Oklahoma City is finally coming to an end.

This week, 2007-08 Sonic season ticketholders--those enrolled in a marketing program called the Emerald Club--started to receive settlement checks as a result of their participation in a successful class action lawsuit against the Professional Basketball Club LLC, the former owners of the Sonics and the current owners of the OKC Thunder.

To date, and likely forever, these checks are the only direct payment to former fans for the loss of a beloved sports franchise that had been in Seattle for 40 years. (Disclaimer: I was a former Sonics season ticketholder, a member of the Emerald Club, and a member of the class in the lawsuit. My wife and I received our check yesterday.)

When former Seattle Sonics owner Clay Bennett announced that he intended to move the team to his home state of Oklahoma, he and his co-owners were challenged with lawsuits. The City of Seattle sued to enforce a lease that would have held the team here until this year. Howard Schultz claimed that the new owners he'd sold to had lied about their desire to keep the team in Seattle.

The City's case, which seemed like a slam dunk, fell apart at trial when former Mayor Greg Nickels was dismantled on the witness stand. (Sherman Alexie's testimonial that the NBA players were "Greek gods" was of limited legal utility.) The City’s case turned what should have been a perfunctory contract enforcement proceeding into a circus and the city, probably wisely, folded the tent and settled without ever learning the court's decision. Schultz quietly canceled his lawsuit shortly afterward.

That left only a strange little case that resulted in this week's delivery of checks to former ticketholders. Robert Brotherson, Patrick Sheehy, and Carolyn Bechtel, the three Sonics ticketholders named in the suit, had, as it turned out, a legitimate case.... (more)

Gordon Biersch in Seattle's Pacific Place is adding a third dimension to sports bar offerings--something called RealD 3D TV. They believe they're the only restaurant in Seattle that's gone 3D--with two new 46" HD-3D TVs installed in the bar area. (They're supplying the 3D glasses, but if you have your own special pair, by all means.)

That means this weekend, it's time for a RealD 3D World Cup: They'll be showing both the Saturday, July 10th match at 11:30 a.m., between Uruguay and Germany for third place, and the final on Sunday, July 11th, again 11:30 a.m., between Netherlands and Spain. (That's gonna be a lot of 3D orange to take in.)

Realizing not everyone is into "football," Gordon Biersch is also showing the Mariners v. New York Yankees on Saturday at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, at 1 p.m. You can catch the All-Star Game in 3D on Tuesday, July 13th, at 5 p.m.

They're hoping you'll try out their new SommerBrau beer and Caribbean-style summer menu: Shrimp & Lobster Spring Rolls, Island Steak Tacos, and a Montego Bay Banana Split. These are also in 3D, but no special eyewear is necessary.

Former Sonic Nate McMillan was a lock-down defender and capable backup point guard. Overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammate Gary Payton, "Mac-10" nonetheless won the affection of Seattle fans and earned the name "Mr. Sonic."

Tanisha Wright

Current Storm Tanisha Wright is a lock-down defender and capable back-up point guard. Overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammate Sue Bird, "T-Wright" has been the target of Storm fan emnity since her first year with the team. I hear her called many names by Storm fans, few of them affectionate.

Wright is unpopular because she isn't Sue Bird. When Wright has played the point in previous years, she's struggled to get the offense set up in a timely fashion and made poor decisions. The contrast to Bird, one of the best point guards in league history, is obvious enough to rile up fans.

McMillan suffered in comparison to Payton as well, but only because he didn't possess GP's offensive talents. If you were just looking for a distributor and someone to run your offense, McMillan may have been the better choice.

Wright won't ever match Bird in that department, but she's shown dramatic improvement this season. With Bird out with back spasms for the June 29th game against San Antonio, Wright assumed the point guard duties and had a career-high 12 assists in a Storm win.

McMillan and Wright share a commitment to defense that makes them both coach favorites. Wright is tall for a WNBA guard (5'11") just as McMillan was tall for an NBA one (6'5"). Both Wright (165 lbs.) and McMillan (played at 195 lbs.) have strong frames that allow them to body up defenders, but aren't so bulky that they sacrifice speed.... (more)

The Storm are 14-2. Let's get to know a little more about them, shall we?

I thought about titling this "Sue Bird is the Gary Payton of the Storm," in trying to keep with a Sonics theme, but Sue Bird really isn't like Gary Payton. She doesn't post up as much as Payton and she doesn't trash talk. Then I thought about Steve Nash, but Bird isn't quite as improvisational as the Suns star.

What Bird is is this--among the best point guards in the history of her league. Like Jason Kidd. Like Kidd, Bird is unflappable dribbling one-on-one against defenders. Once she gets up court, like Kidd, she looks to distribute before she looks to score. Bird is second all-time in WNBA career assists; Kidd is second all-time in NBA career assists.

But, like Kidd, Bird will punish you if you sag off of her by making jumpers. And if you press her too tightly, she'll take advantage by driving past you for easy baskets. And, when the situation calls for it, usually late in games, Bird can create her own shot. All facets of Kidd's game. For her career, Bird has averaged 13.5 points per 36 minutes; Kidd 13.2.

Where Bird gets the jump on Kidd is in rings. Both have won two Olympic gold medals, but Bird won two NCAA championships at UConn, her one WNBA title with the '04 Storm, and a Russian SuperLeague championship. Kidd's Olympic golds are his only team championship.

Kidd does have a slight edge on Bird in rapping ability; or maybe not--judge for yourself below via a YouTube (blessed YouTube) video of the 1994 classic "What the Kidd Did."... (more)

The Seattle Storm are a WNBA-best 14-2, and have won all ten games at KeyArena. Let's learn a little more about them, shall we?

Lauren Jackson

As a Sonics fan, your pleasures come from the past. Like checking out Shawn Kemp's 1995-96 game log. Kemp dominated opposition that year, scoring 20 points or more in 41 games and leading the Sonics to a franchise-high 64 wins.

Lauren Jackson is replicating Kemp's best season with the Storm this year. Like Kemp, Jackson easily posts up slower or smaller defenders. Or she steps back and shoots from outside. Jackson can dominate the boards, as she did last night against San Antonio when she grabbed as many offensive boards as the entire Silver Stars team.

Jackson's game has a facet that Kemp's never did--three-point shooting. Left alone 22 feet from the basket against San Antonio, L.J. didn't hesitate to fire in a three-pointer. She has 29 for the season, tops on the Storm.

In truth, Jackson is more dominating than Kemp ever was. Jackson has won two MVP awards, and looks headed for another this season. She won WNBA player of the week last week for the 17th time in her career, most in WNBA history.

Jackson's sporting a new look this season. Red hair, for one thing. But she also seems a step faster. Storm broadcaster Dick Fain speculated on last night's broadcast that this could be because Jackson played in her native Australia during the WNBA offseason, a much less strenuous task than her usual offseason stop, Russia. Hope is that the reduced wear and tear will allow Jackson to play a full season, something she hasn't been able to do the past two years. Injuries kept Jackson from playing in the playoffs since '07. Not coincidentally, the Storm have lost in the first round of the playoffs each year.

Jackson finished with 31 points and 15 boards in the Storm's 86-72 win over San Antonio. The Storm have won five games in a row. They next play Saturday at Los Angeles, a game to be televised on ESPN2.

Russell Branyan, A Mariner Again

Saturday night, your last-place Seattle Mariners traded two young players for one old one. Media reaction was swift and negative.

"I thought it was a hoax," sniffed the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker. "I'm trying to see all the angles with the Branyan trade, but I'm not sure I see the one where it makes sense," wrote ESPN710's Mike Salk. USSMariner's Dave Cameron titled his reaction post "I Don't Get It." Wrote he: "Yeah, the team needed power, but they needed power when it mattered. It doesn’t matter anymore."

It may not matter to Cameron, who lives in North Carolina and follows the M's on TV, or to Baker and Salk, who cover the team for a living. But it matters a great deal for those of us who are season-ticket holders. And by "us" I mean "me."

I've paid for 20 Mariner games this year, at $40 a pop. I think I'm entitled to a little bit of value for those seats. And by "value" I mean "a first baseman who can hit."

Welcome back, Russell Branyan, who led the Mariners in home runs last season with 31. The M's as a team have hit just 44 so far this year. They simply cannot compete on a game-to-game basis with their current powerless offense. Branyan gives them a fighting chance at scoring runs, and us fans a fighting chance at leaving Safeco with a smile.

I know where Baker, Salk, and Cameron are coming from. If the question is, "What move is most likely to get the Mariners to a World Series in the future?" the answer is not, "Trade two prospects for an aging slugger." But I'm not sure that is the question.

What if the question is: "How do we put the best product on the field for our fans?" In that case, yes, trading for Branyan makes sense. At $40 per game, plus paying for parking, and time away from surfing the online air sickness bags museum, we fans deserve better than "Now batting: First Baseman Jack Wilson." And by "Jack Wilson," I mean "Josh Wilson."... (more)

Seth prepared all of us for this week's managerial match-up of "Sweet" Lou Piniella and "Dynamic" Don Wakamatsu, and I am happy to report that Lou did not disappoint at today's Mariners game. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Chone Figgins stole third (and Mike Sweeney stole second). I thought Figgins might have been out, but the umpire called him safe. Faster than my eyes could register, a blur of Piniella erupted out of the dugout to discuss--calmly, rationally--the pros and cons of the call.