What a Difference 12 Months Makes For Seattle Sports Fans

Last year ranked as the most miserable in the history of Seattle sports.  Indeed, it would be tough to find any city in North America that endured a year as depressing as Seattle’s 12 months of sports hell.

The Seahawks said goodbye to Mike Holmgren and gave him the worst possible send-off, by registering only four wins, their fewest since 1992.  The 4-12 finish wasn’t helped by a ridiculously long injury list, especially at the wide receiver position.

In hindsight, the mood for the season was set with the release of the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, Shaun Alexander.  No matter what people thought of his toughness (and opinion was divided), the team was still losing a player who had given the offense terrific balance during his tenure, including five-straight 1,000 yard rushing seasons.

The Mariners made history, but not quite in the same way as their record-equalling 116 wins in 2001.  They had the dubious honour of becoming the first team in MLB history to have a payroll of $100 million and lose 100 games (61-101.)

Talk of a divided locker room didn’t help, with people such as J.J Putz alluding to Ichiro as the prime culprit.

The Sonics suffered a nightmare season, going 20-62 against the back-drop of constant rumors surrounding the team’s future.  Unfortunately, the stories turned out to be true and the franchise was relocated to Oklahoma, taking with it, one of the city’s only two professional championships.

And the Huskies football team endured a 0-12 campaign, becoming the first team in Pac-10 history to go winless through an entire year.   The loss of star quarterback Jake Locker four games into the season, summed up Washington’s season.

Now fast forward a year, as we approach the end of 2009; what a difference 12 months make. 

The Mariners are coming off a season in which they recorded baseball’s biggest improvement from 2008, finishing 85-77. As for the divided locker-room, the return of ‘the kid’, Ken Griffey Jr, had a positive impact.

Griffey helped improve the spirit within the club-house to such an extent, that Ichiro was embraced by everyone.  Given that Putz and certain individuals are no longer on the team, you wonder who really did cause the unrest within the locker room.

Jack Zduriencik and Don Wakamastsu have been a breath of fresh air for the organization and with the recent signings of Chone Figgins and Cliff Lee, it keeps getting better.  This team is now primed to make its first run at a playoff spot in nine seasons, save for a bit more power in the batting line-up.

The Huskies improved dramatically under first-year head coach Steve Sarkisian. While the 5-7 record may not look too impressive, it represented a major jump from 2008. The change in attitude and productivity was clear for everyone to see.

And Locker’s recent decision to return for his senior year, means UW fans finish 2009 on a high. Look for the team to contend for one of the more prestigious bowl games in 2010, with Locker competing for the Heisman Trophy.

The shock felt from losing the Sonics may never be totally forgotten. However, the Sounders helped to at least partially ease the pain, as the Northwest emphatically embraced "the beautiful game."

Every match was a sell-out, as the team set the MLS record for attendances during a season and the Sounders responded on the pitch, as they made the playoffs in their first season in the league; something that hadn’t been done by an expansion team since 1998.

With the likes of Freddie Ljungberg, Fredy Montero, and Kasey Keller, all set to return next season, the Sounders will be expected to take the next step and challenge for the MLS cup.

Even the Seahawks situation may not be as bad as it currently appears. The team has managed to win more games than last season (okay that one’s a bit of a stretch), they’ve finally sacked Tim Ruskell and there’s a possibility that Mike Holmgren might return.

Despite a disappointing season, at least the team has hit rock bottom and can begin the process of returning to playoff contention. Three picks in the first two rounds of the 2010 draft should help.

Overall, no matter how you look at it, 2009 has been a vast improvement from the previous year with every team looking forward to 2010. Finally, there is hope in the city of Seattle.