Seattle Sports Blog

The Griffey Conundrum

Many Mariner fans seem to have a poignant response when the topic of Ken Griffey Jr. is brought up these days. I am one of those. While I have heard people’s opinions on the matter, I agree with some of what is being said and disagree with much of it.

Ken Griffey Jr. is a Seattle Icon. There is no stepping around the fact that his history here deserves an approach that is unconventional and may be looked down upon by SOME people who simply want results now. While those people’s viewpoint deserves some merit, it should be noted that you cannot simply kick the man off your team. His value and worth exceeds his batting average, and even, his nap schedule.

So what to do? I believe the answer is complex, yet simple. While you have to treat it delicately, there is a precedent set around Major Leage Baseball, and every player knows it. Veterans all around the league get traded year in and year out and a popular part of their response to such an action is, “Its a business and I understand that.” Griffey, being the consumate professional that he is, is likely to fall in this category. The man knows he is not helping the club, batting in a position where the only real requirement is to bring some offense to the table. He cannot possibly be happy or content to be batting .184 through 41 games. But you’re talking about a player with a lot of pride. He believes he can turn it around. How long before he sees what we see?

Consider this, and this is something that I have not heard any sports commentator on KJR or ESPN radio mention. What message do we send potential free agents looking for suitors when we cut Griffey, the city’s most revered legend from the team for under-production? Who will want to come here and see their careers come to a halt while enmired in a slump? I’m not simply saying Griffey is in a slump, because I believe it goes beyond that.

Griffey knows he is not pulling his weight. Heck, he’s not even hitting his weight. So, while the situation is delicate, he must be afforded, for the time being, the opportunity to continue trying. We owe him that. And should things not turn around, well there’s his good ol’ buddy Chuck Armstrong to pull him aside and have the delicate talk that we all know will probably come. None of us possess the tact or the know how to know what do really do with this. We can conjecture as much as we want to, but the reality is that He will bow out on his terms, or he will get the oh-so-gentle nudge that says, “Do you want to go out like this? Or walk away dignified on your terms?” Given those choices, I know what I’d choose.

Should Jake Locker Go to the NFL?

This year has seen the Husky football team experience dramatic highs, crushing lows, and a mixed bag of other emotions to go along with both of those. My hope is that over the winter, we don’t experience what may be a major blow to the program; Loss.

With Jake Locker’s ascension from a football prodigy to a legitimate top pick in the NFL draft, the growing question and issue is whether he will leave early for the draft after what has been a coming-out year for him in his junior season.

Most NFL scouts seem to agree that Locker’s stock would only improve from its current state with more time to develop under Steve Sarkisian’s tutelage. While his play this year has dramatically increased, with more familiarity with Sarkisian’s pro-style offense Locker is sure to increase even more aspects of his game. His accuracy, route reading speed, and diagnosing of defenses stand to see the most improvement. While having developed a calm pocket presence, look for him to also improve upon a pocket awareness that see him become more evasive and have a better sense for rushing pressure.

Its all contingent, however, on him coming back. While the Husky program would surely benefit, would Locker? Developmentally, yes. In terms of draft stock, that is debatable. He is already projected in mock drafts to be picked somewhere between fifth and tenth. However, with further improvement, I foresee his worth increasing even further.

My take on the situation is this. I believe that what we have seen of Locker is that he is a balanced, intelligent, talented young man. Upon evaluation of his options, I believe he will see that his time would be best served under Sarkisian for one more year. While the prospects of being drafted high can be enticing, the idea of entering the NFL as a more completely trained quarterback and thus more likely to see significant playing time early in his career would be the bigger draw. My hat is off to him either way, however. He has certainly earned the accolades that have come his way.

Seahawks lose to Cardinals; Forsett Shines

In what amounts to a must win game for the Seahawks (how many times has that been said this year?), Seattle came out swinging today in the first half. After my concerns about a running game were increasing, we were fortunate enough to have Julius Jones knocked out of the game. Bring on Justin Forsett!

Forsett had 10 runs for 77 yards, averaging 7.7 a carry (all career highs). In the first half! Jones, who hasn’t rushed for a hundred yards since the first game of the year, has almost been eclipsed by Forsett in his first half of play, which was incomplete due to Jones starting.

Hasselbeck looked sharp throughout the first half of play as he went 14/24 for 173 yards with 1 td. John Carlson had a touchdown reception of 31 yards and Olindo Mare had a field goal of 32 yards to close out the first half of scoring.

The second half however is when things started to turn. Outscored in the second half 21-3, the Seahawks lost their swagger. The defense more closely resembled swiss cheese, as the holes through which Kurt Warner threaded his passes were gaping, in most circumstances. What started out as a promising game turned into yet another disappointment.

For future consideration; Julius Jones is out and should make a swift recovery. Do we want his production? My inclination is that Forsett is the answer to our running game problem. While the offensive line has been a revolving door this year, none of it mattered to Forsett, who carved up the Cards for 123 yards. Given the chance, I feel that he has the skill set to be a very productive runner in this league. If I were Jim Mora, I would give Jones a rest and see what Forsett is made of. And prepare to be surprised.

Huskies Lose Close One to Arizona State, 17-24

This has been quite a year for Husky Football. As fans, we have been teased by glimpses of what could be greatness, with the improbable wins over USC and Arizona. There have also been the near misses that were Notre Dame and this week, Arizona State. For a game that many expected the Dawgs to win, this was a bit of a shocker, especially given how things ended.

I’ll admit, while watching the game, I had as much optimism as anyone that Montlake Jake would be able to pull out the game winning drive in the final moments. But on that fateful third and one play, on a deep pass to James Johnson, the ball and the win dropped to the turf, much as the hearts of the faithful witnessing events. But hope was not extinguished.

Not yet.

Not until a final pass was lofted up by Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan to Chris McGaha, that was caught in the back of the end zone, did the final nail get pounded into this coffin of a game. I felt that the Husky players positioned themselves for a win. But the questionable call by Steve Sarkisian on that third and one may have cost them more than they expected.

As it now stands, the Dawgs are at 3-4, and need to win three of the next five to be bowl eligible. Last week, Arizona State was counted among the games that we would be able to win to make it to that bowl game. I will be the last to take anything away from Steve Sarkisian and what he has done this year with this team. But we have reached a point where now, if we allow the results to be exactly as they should, we can win against Cal, UCLA, and Washington State, lose against Oregon and Oregon State, and still make a bowl game. But the room for error has been removed.

Which brings me to my final point. What are our expectations at this point of the season? Have we allowed those to change as surprises have greeted us throughout this season? I think, inevitably, there has been a change in our view point. To get to this point and say this is where we expected to be is crazy. But temper our hopes with this fact. A five game improvement would tie for the second best in PAC-10 history. If we win two, we can join that rarified ground. And what ultimately satisfies? A good year now? Or the promise of many good years to come?

I’ll take the future any day, while being content to revel in the fact that this year’s resurgence has been a blessing. Our future is in good hands.

Seahawks Reduce Jaguars to Kittens

After last weeks dismal showing versus the Indianapolis Colts, Hawks fans were left to do some soul searching this past week. Would the Seahawks find themselves amidst a rash of injuries to reclaim their spot at the top of the NFC West, or would we have to settle for a second straight season of mediocrity and watch our hopes dwindle?

Towards the end of the week, we got our first bit of good news. Matt Hasselbeck was practicing again and feeling okay; He would start on Sunday. Turns out that was all we needed!

First off, I don’t want to be misunderstood. I like Seneca Wallace. But the track record seems to be pretty consistent. When he is playing, the Seahawks are losing. Not that Hasselbeck is perfect, but I heard an interesting statistic this week. Seneca’s average points scored per drive was an anemic .7. Hasselbeck’s was above 2.1, three times better. Which would you rather take?

There was so much right going on with this game. The defense swarmed. The offense roared. The twelfth man stymied the Jaguars into being a joke. A game that had many fans worried turned into a rout.

Can we base our hopes for the rest of the season on this game? No. Can we be encouraged by what we saw? Absolutely.

For the first time all year, the offense looked in sync. Hasselbeck was sharp, completing 60% of thirty passes for four touchdowns. He had his third best QB rating in a game ever. His growth and trust of T.J. Houshmandzadeh was evident as he caught two touchdown passes.

For a team desperately in need of a win to bolster lagging spirits and keep the season alive, the Hawks put on a show. Welcome back to the field, Matt. It sure is good to see you again.

Huskies Win Thriller over Arizona 36-33

In the waning moments of this game, there was the distinct feeling that we were watching the Huskies lose another close one. A sinking feeling rested in my gut watching the seconds tick away towards the latest Husky loss. Somebody just forgot to let the Huskies know.

Just as hope seemed to finally extinguish, Jake Locker brought the offense down the field, finding Kavario Middleton in the corner of the end zone to pull within six at 27-33. The ensuing PAT drew them even closer.

Less than a minute later, on Arizona’s first play after receiving the kickoff, Mason Foster caught the most improbable interception off an Arizona receiver’s foot and returned it 37 yards for the touchdown to pull the score to 27-33. The ensuing PAT drew them to within 5. When they scored the final touchdown to pull ahead 34-33, I jumped out of my chair screaming! I knew the corner had been turned. Following it up with a two point conversion to Jemaine Kearse was the confirmation I needed. We as Husky fans have been looking for a sign that the USC win was not a fluke and this game finally proved that.

So what exactly is my prognosis for the rest of the season? Well of the six games remaining in their schedule, the two most diffucult tests look to be Oregon and Oregon State. Cal has proven themselves to be a floundering team in need of some good direction. UCLA is largely unproven. Washington State is a joke. They shouldn’t hold a candle to Washington. And Arizona State seems to be a team trying to find their identity right now.

Do we dare start thinking about bowl games? I am here to say this; It is time to consider ourselves contenders for a bowl game. We should be (with good play) able to win at least half of these next six games. Should we win four of six, we can then claim the best first year turnaround in PAC-10 History. Jeff Tedford of Cal was the previous best with a five game turn in his first year of head coach of the Golden Bears.

We already know that Sarkisian’s first year has been a success. For the first time in a long time, allow yourselves to dream of success. Of bowl games for years to come. Of incoming quarterback Nick Montana’s growing under Sark’s seemingly expert tutelage. Dream of seeing NFL great Joe Montana on the sidelines, watching the Dawgs become excellent again. And know it will be a reality. Sark promised his revival would not take long. If only we had known how true that would be.

Huskies Beat USC! 16-13!

The Washington Huskies officially announced their arrival today. Yes, the very same team that lost every single game last year and 15 in a row at one point shouted its presence in the Pac – 10 football conference.

I Bark for Sark! This man has revitalized a program and finally given Husky football fans something to cheer about. Everything was right about this win. They won the turnover battle, kept USC ineffective on third downs all game long, and stuffed the run at the goal line repeatedly.

Jake Locker looked like a man possessed on the final drive of the game, getting Washington to the goal line before Erik Folk kicked the winning field goal with three seconds left. I jumped out of my seat and started screaming. Indeed, the whole game long I was screaming. I now find myself having dreams of a bowl game. A BOWL GAME!?!? Who’d have thunk?

GO DAWGS!

Weekend Sports Preview

Thats right! And with the new weekend here, we are treated to Mariners, Sounders, Huskies, Cougars, and Seahawks games to enjoy. No matter where your passion lies, there are plenty of opportunities to watch and enjoy yourself.

First off (and maybe the one I’m looking forward to the most), the Huskies host USC for the PAC-10 opener. This should be a good game, pitting new Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian and defensive coordinator Nick Holt against their former mentor and still USC head coach Pete Carroll. The Dawgs are three touchdown underdogs, but I still expect a good fight.

Next up, the Mariners play host to the New York Yankees. This series figures to see the Mariners thoroughly beat, but Yankee fans everywhere will be out to enjoy this one. Watch Ken Griffey Jr. in what may be his twilight ride into the sunset. Watch Ichiro try to extend his lead in hits and see if he can overcome Joe Mauer of the Twins for the AL batting title. Watch for Felix Hernandez to come out motivated against the Yanks in Friday’s opener. See if he can turn in the caliber of performance needed to turn up the heat on Zach Greinke in the AL Cy Young race.

The Seattle Sounders play Chivas USA in a match that could end up deciding whether they are able to seperate themselves from their tie for second with the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference run to the playoffs. Sounders futbol has been invigorating and at times frustrating during their inaugural season. Local fans getting introduced to soccer have had to get acquainted with the concept of a TIE. Very acquainted indeed. But it has nonetheless been a success, with them actually winning the US Open Cup.

And to cap it all off, the Seahawks visit the 49ers in the second consecutive matchup of division foes. While not being official, the work is that Walter Jones had his best day of practice on Friday and could be playing in the game on Sunday. Look for the Hawks defense to step it up again versus a San Fran team that figures to do a lot of running.

There you go, Seattle sports fans! Whatever you indulge in this weekend, be safe and remember; Seattle Sports Guy has you covered.

HUSKIES WIN! HUSKIES WIN!

At long last, the streak is over! The Huskies beat the Idaho Vandals today by a score of 42-23. Jake locker went 17-23 for 253 yards and continued his evolution into a composed passer and efficient captain of the Husky offense.

James Johnson became the first freshman receiver to catch a touchdown pass in each of his first two games. This time he caught a seventeen yard strike from Locker. He leads all Husky receivers with nine receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Chris Polk was a forceful runner, pounding the ball between the tackles for consistent gains

As with any game, you can pick things out about this one that you would like to see improvement on.

The defense appeared porous, allowing a high amount of passing yards to Idaho. But they still got the stops they needed. Can’t wait to see our showing against USC next!

Lingerie Football League; A Lot of Fun, but Boyfriends Beware

I had the pleasure last night of observing the season opener of the Seattle Mist, our LFL team. While i enjoyed it, I offer this word of advice. If you care about the state of your relationship with your significant other, then be warned. This sparked quite the point of contention between my girlfriend and I.

But all in all, I will give it a decent review. Yes, there are plenty of visual stimuli at the game. That is to be expected. The teams were decked out in shoulder pads, elbow and knee pads, and they hit with a good amount of force. This ain’t no powder puff game at your local high school. These girls have come to play, and win.

We happened to be sitting in front of a girl whose boyfriend was a coach of the team, which provided some unique insight. She at one point rolled her eyes and begged the question; “Why couldn’t he just coach pee-wee?”

Beers were eight bucks, same price as at a baseball or football game, and the close atmosphere of the Showare Center made for a good environment to hold the game in.

I would really recommend you check this out. It is a lot of fun, and something about seeing a bunch of gorgeous women smashing into each other makes it a very fun thing to cheer. Just keep the girlfriends in mind.