Bleacher Report - Seattle

Seattle Mariners Leading the Chone Figgins Derby

Hayato Uwai — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:41:37 -0500

According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the Seattle Mariners are "clear front-runners" to sign free agent third baseman Chone Figgins . The Mariners did offer Adrian Beltre , their starting third baseman for last several years, arbitration but he will likely sign elsewhere as he is only a Type-B free agent and his Gold Glove defence should be enough for him to get a contract he wants.

Figgins, who will turn 32 in January, posted line of .298 BA/.395 OBP/.394 SLG/.789 OPS in 2009, along with five homers and 54 RBI. He also swapped 42 bases this year.

Figgins is a guy who can draw walks, a type of player the Mariners don't have. He can also run, as 42 stolen bases shows that. He and Ichiro Suzuki can team up to create strong one-two punch in the lineup.

Figgins is a versatile player so even if Beltre accepts arbitration, Figgins can move over to second or outfield. In that case, Jose Lopez will likely move to second or Michael Saunders becoming their fourth outfielder. Figgins posted 16.7 UZR this year at third, so he is better at third defensively.

In any case, adding a player like Figgins is a great move for the Mariners. They need a guy who can consistently get on base and can play solid defence at third to fill a hole made by Beltre's departure. Do you think adding Figgins will help the Mariners get closer to winning AL West?

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Washington 2010 WR Outlook: Jermaine Kearse Leads Talented Young Group

Todd Williams — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:56:35 -0500

Over the years the Washington Huskies have had their share of playmakers at the wide receiver position.

From Spider Gaines to Reggie Williams, the Huskies have had several notable wide receivers throughout the years.

This current group of young Husky wideouts, led by Jermaine Kearse, is trying to resurrect the reputation of Husky Legends from the past.

Any discussion of pass catchers in regards to Washington needs to also include the tight end position. Although at one time tight ends were only known for blocking, nowadays they have to catch the ball too, and the Huskies have had a long list of NFL-quality tight ends, earning the school a reputation as "Tight End U" as recently as the '90s.

While there hasn’t been a notable tight end since 2002, UW had six tight ends drafted in the NFL between 1992 and 1998.

Sophomore tight end Kavario Middleton is trying to bring back the proud tradition of tight ends at Washington. Youth is a common theme when looking at the receiving corps for Washington and gives much hope towards the future as we take a look at the current group.

Only one receiver that has any pass catches is older than a sophomore, junior D’Andre Goodwin. The group is rounded off by three sophomores and a freshman when looking at those that have caught a pass, but in total there are 11 receivers currently on the roster. All are freshman or sophomores except for two juniors, the aforementioned Goodwin and seldom-used Tony Chidiac.

Here is a quick look at the returning impact receivers and how they performed thus far in the 2009 season.

The leading receiver for this group in 2009 is sophomore Jermaine Kearse. Kearse has grabbed 43 catches for 719 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the highest rated of the WR recruits coming out of high school and has lived up to expectations. He is a steady performer that has led this young group.

Second in receptions is another sophomore, Devin Aguilar, who has provided 521 yards through 37 catches. He has also hauled in three touchdown passes. Aguilar is another steady performer who has shown decent hands and good elusiveness in the open field

Third in receptions is the true freshman James Johnson. Johnson has shown big play ability with his 37 catches for 406 yards. Reaching the end zone three times on the year, Johnson looks to have a bright future for Washington.

Coming in fourth for receptions for receivers is Junior D’Andre Goodwin. D’Andre has proved 227 yards on 14 catches. Not as frequently used as a target, he is still a good option to throw the ball to and as a junior has some experience at the college level.

The last receiver to register any catches this year is sophomore Jordan Polk. He has caught five balls for 42 yards on the year.

Although he has not caught a pass this season, look for sophomore Cody Bruns to make an impact in the coming seasons.

The top two out of three on the tight end depth chart have also registered catches. Sophomore Kavario Middleton is the fifth leading receiver on the team with 23 catches for 215 yards, punching it in the end zone three times for the season.

The other frequently used tight end, sophomore Chris Izbicki, has also contributed two catches for eight yards and a touchdown.

This is a talented, but young, group of pass catchers for Washington that gives much hope for the future. With Steve Sarkisian’s offense being one that seems to prefer the pass, it is important to have a quality group of wide receivers. Even with all the young talent, UW is still bringing in more options in the 2010 class.

Here is a look at who has verbally committed to the Dawgs thus far.

The headliner for the incoming group will be the highly regarded local recruit Jamaal Kearse, brother of current Husky WR Jermaine Kearse, who is a four-star wide receiver recruit from Lakes, Washington.

While he is listed as a three-star athlete by the Rivals.com recruiting service, he is expected to play receiver for the Huskies. He has good size at 6'2" and good hands, and he looks to make an immediate impact on the team next year.

A second receiver recruit for the 2010 class is Taz Stevenson of Mililani, Hawaii. He is a regarded as a three-star recruit by Scout.com. Like Kearse, he provides decent size at 6'2". He is listed as a defensive back recruit for Rivals.com, so it will be interesting to see which side of the ball he ends up on. He should make an impact no matter where he ends up.

The third recruit to look at is John Timu from Long Beach, California. Timu is a three-star athlete by both recruiting services. He has decent size at 6'0" and speed at a 4.5 40-yard dash. He is an exceptional athlete, playing quarterback and safety at his high school, but projects as a wide receiver for the Huskies.

The last wide receiver recruit for the 2010 class is DiAndre Campbell from Oakland, California. Another 6'2" wide receiver with 4.5 speed, Campbell looks to add depth and talent to Washington’s already talented group of receivers.

Washington also has a verbal commitment from one tight end, three-star Michael Hartvigson. Hartvigson is from Bothell, Washington. At 6'6", 235, he has good size and athletic ability.

The Huskies look to build off a solid effort in 2009 for their young stable of pass catchers. Adding more talent in depth in the 2010 recruiting class, Washington looks to be well stocked for the immediate future at this position.

With an increased focus on the passing game, it is going to be important to have a deep stable of receivers to go to. Especially when you consider the uncertainty of Jake Locker returning for his senior season, the new starter would benefit from the experience this young group gained this year. This unit looks to have an exceptional year in 2010.

Other Unit Outlooks

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Top 11: Unheralded Northwest Sports Rivalries

Alex Akita — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:25:02 -0500

*This article, in its original entirety with pictures, can be found here .

Credit Ian Furness with providing the inspiration for this article. The afternoon radio host on Seattle's 950 KJR wanted to know what the best rivalry in the Northwest was. There are any number of answers to this question, none right, none wrong. But undoubtedly, there are clashes that are often overlooked.

For you fans in the upper left-hand corner of the country, we bring you 11 of the greatest sports rivalries you may not have heard of.

Because there’s more to life than just Huskies versus Cougars.

11. Ichiro Suzuki vs. The English Language

Like a coy zen master, Ichiro manipulates the English language with the calculated finesse of a rock gardener over his rock garden. Sometimes he speaks it, sometimes he doesn’t. Just depends on the chi of Ichiro at that precise moment.

One thing that remains true is that for eight years now, the Mariners have employed a translator at Ichiro’s behest. The rumor is that the M’s right fielder chooses to utilize his English-speaking mouthpiece so as not to look foolish in the public eye or be misquoted. Okay.

Anyways, in this battle of nature versus culture, we have but two words for No. 51: Rosetta Stone.

10. Kevin Lopina vs. Life

Ah, Kevin Lopina. Like a house made of straw, it takes barely a huff or a puff to impair the Washington State quarterback. Dude goes down more than Jenna Jameson.

A senior who played his last collegiate football game on Saturday, the 23-year-old Lopina has endured a career ravaged by injury.

After transferring from Kansas State in 2006, the De La Salle High School product suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for most of his sophomore season in Pullman.

A year later, as a junior, Lopina appeared in just nine of the team’s 12 games with shoulder and spinal injuries.

Finally, in his senior year of 2009, Lopina made it through an entire season without an injury. That is, until last week’s Apple Cup, when he nicked up his shoulder and tore his oblique all before halftime. Yikes.

Fortunately for Kevin, his playing days are behind him now, and he can move on to more important things. Like surviving.

9. Jarrod Washburn vs. Kenji Johjima

In the midst of their 101-lost season of 2008, an intriguing soap opera played out in the Seattle Mariners’ clubhouse involving starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn and catcher Kenji Johjima.

Washburn, a Wisconsin native, expressed frustration with Johjima, a Japanese transplant, after finding little success pitching to the team’s primary backstop. With regards to miscommunication and alluding to the fact that Johjima was simply a poor defensive catcher, Washburn unleashed his emotions to the media and became Public Enemy No. 1 in the eyes of the fans. Not that Johjima was a hero, or anything.

A year later, Washburn enjoyed his best season as a Mariner pitcher, working almost exclusively with…backup catcher Rob Johnson. Sidelined by injury and inconsistency, Johjima watched most of Washburn’s outings from the comfort of the dugout bench. By the time he had nursed himself back to health, Washburn was on his way to Detroit, a casualty of the trade deadline.

Only months removed from their veritable falling out, a Washburn-Johjima cage match to settle the score would sell out Key Arena in minutes. I mean, what else are they gonna have at the Sonics’ old home? A Miley Cyrus concert? Give me Wash and Joh in the octagon and call it good.

8. Howard Schultz vs. The Public

I have to imagine that if Howard Schultz was strolling down the street and saw a person in Sonics apparel walking towards him, he would turn around and run for his life.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Schultz hasn’t already been taken out by an angry green-and-gold mob. I mean, think about it. Has anyone seen the rat since he pawned the team off on the Oklahoma City Bandits? The guy is basically the Osama bin Laden of Seattle. We’re looking for him, and he could be hiding in a foxhole somewhere in the mountains, but he might also be dead. We’re not sure.

Either way, many denizens of the Greater Seattle area would relish the opportunity to take a crack at the owner of Starbucks. Five minutes in a locked room with the Benedict Arnold who gave away our NBA franchise would make any Seattle sports fan happy.

7. Mark Few vs. Jeff Spicoli

“Aloha. My name is Mr. Hand.”

I imagine this is how the head coach of the Gonzaga basketball team addresses his troops at the beginning of each season. Immediately thereafter, he walks to the chalk board and writes “I DON’T KNOW” in big letters for all his players to see.

Here’s a visual aid. First, we have Mr. Hand:

Now here’s Few:

Don’t see the resemblance? What are you people? On dope?

6. T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Reality

How can I put this nicely? Maybe in a formal letter. Let’s give it a shot.

Dear T.J.,

Hey, we haven’t met but on behalf of a large contingent of Seattle sports fans, I have to tell you something important. You’re not the best wide receiver in the NFL. In fact, you’re not even the best wide receiver in the conference. Actually, you might not even be the best wide receiver on your own team. I know, right? That’s hard to stomach.

You led everyone to believe that you were a gift from God from the moment your plane touched down at Sea-Tac airport and for a minute, we actually bought your line of reasoning. But a few games of limited production, a handful of dropped passes, and a consistent desire to brag about the things you have yet to accomplish have endeared you to very few people (except maybe those fans that bought your jersey in neon green…they’re basically diehards to the bitter end).

You need to put your ego aside and try your best to be the receiver we think you can be. Not the receiver you think you can be, because that’s unrealistic at this point. But the receiver we think you can be. A productive pass-catcher in the mold of Bobby Engram. A guy who dominates in the slot and turns it up a notch on third down. That’s all we ask. You don’t have to front with us, T.J. We accept you for everything you are, and everything you are not. It’s as simple as that.

Sincerely,

Seattle Sportsnet

Yeah, that’s nice. I like that.

5. Matthew Bryan-Amaning vs. Britishness

I once read the perfect analysis of Huskies forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning and his frustrating inconsistencies: “He’s too British.”

Well said. And we’ll leave it at that.

4. Nick Holt vs. The Sideline

The Sideline. Enemy to wide receivers. Friend to slow-footed defensive backs. Arch-rival of Nick Holt.

The Huskies’ first-year defensive coordinator has waged a season-long war with The Sideline, often coming out on top, but occasionally falling victim to its chalky whiteness. On more than one instance this year, Holt has let The Sideline get the best of him. As a result, referees have doled out sideline interference penalties to the Washington football team along their path to greatness.

It’s not entirely Holt’s fault, however. The Sideline is a beast of an opponent, stoic in nature, and crumbling to no one. Kind of like Tim Duncan. Only with more personality.

Though I think we can all agree that witnessing two sideline interference penalties in the same season is new. Not horrible. Not egregious. Just new.

3. Steven Gray vs. The Razor

You have to applaud Steven Gray for trying. While most basketball players prefer to go shaven, he’s doing his best to bring back the full bush.

At one time in his life, the Gonzaga shooting guard resembled everyone else. Close-cropped head of hair, clean-cut around the grill. Not so, these days.

In case you haven’t caught a glimpse of the 6′5″ Bainbridge native this year, allow us the pleasure of bringing you a before-and-after photo montage. Here’s Gray just one season ago:

Pretty normal looking, right? Exactly as we described, I’d say.

Well erase that image from your mind, because here’s Gray now:

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! What the hell happened?! It looks like he went on Oprah and got the opposite of a makeover. I’ve seen his type before. And they usually ask me for spare change.

If I had to wager a guess, I’d bet that somewhere down the line The Razor ends up winning this battle. The hair can only keep growing for so long before it becomes impractical.

However, if this were a video game, Gray and his bushy new appearance would have a blistering red momentum meter right about now. So at this point, it’s anyone’s ballgame.

2. Klay Thompson vs. The Law of Averages

Let’s give credit where credit is due. Entering Wednesday night’s matchup with Gonzaga, Thompson was leading the nation in scoring at 28.3 PPG. That’s an impressive feat for a Coug.

But you have to figure that in due time, that number will diminish considerably.

Take, for instance, Washington State’s, first six opponents: Mississippi Valley State, Eastern Washington, Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (Huh? Better known—kind of—as IPFW), Alaska-Anchorage, Nicholls State, and San Diego. With apologies to former Nicholls State legend Adonis Gray, there are no good teams in that grouping. You could maybe make a slight case for San Diego, but that would be like Boise State fans whining like broken records for a national championship bid every year (But we beat Hawaii? Doesn’t that count? Aww, come on…dang it).

In any event, Thompson was shut down (for him) by the Zags defense, scoring just 15 points in 39 minutes. Get used to it, Klay. Sadly, there are no Sisters of the Blind State U.’s in the Pac-10. Best of luck.

1. Boise State Football Fans vs. Gonzaga Basketball Fans

Two fan bases with serious Napoleon complexes battling for supremacy in their own minds, but no one else’s (except maybe ESPN2’s).

Put one fan base on one hill, the other fan base on an opposing hill. Let them charge at each other and meet in what would amount to a valley of death. Let them destroy each other. Send in a cleanup crew when they're done, and put that garbage on FSN so it can be replayed again and again for everyone to see.

This will accomplish two things. One, it will give FSN something worthwhile to broadcast. Two, it will eliminate both fan bases so no fans of any other school in the country have to endure their smug senses of entitlement that comes with winning…well, nothing.

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Jake Locker and the 2010 NFL Draft: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Todd Williams — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:41:28 -0500

Jake Locker has faced this decision before, but never with the amount of money, or the sport of football involved.

A young man of exceptional talent, Locker has been drafted twice by the Angels, signing a contract the second time, but one that did not limit him from football.

This year he is eligible for the 2010 NFL draft , and is projected as a high first round pick.

Despite the interest from the professional leagues, his football career at the University of Washington that has led to an 8-20 record, with one game remaining in the 2009 season.

There are many factors in that win-loss record, but aren’t there always? Locker has had to deal with injuries, change in offensive philosophies, and change in overall coaching staffs during his three-year career.

Some blame it on the turnover of talent.

It is said the ultimate judge of a quarterback is his record as a starter. Is Locker an exception to the rule?

Jake is a natural athlete who can astound you with runs. If you missed the 2007 season, go to Youtube and check out the highlights, they are impressive. His throwing has been suspect, and the coaching staff of Tyrone Willingham looked to take advantage of his speed, reportedly in the 4.4 range, to turn around a struggling Washington program.

The problem with this strategy was it led to Locker going down with a season ending injury four games into the 2008 season. This resulted in Washington having a historically bad 0-12 season. The season he did play the majority of the games, 2007, only resulted in four wins.

His stats, however, were impressive for a redshirt freshman on the ground. He ran for nearly 1000 yards at 986 while missing two games, and ran at a 5.7 yards a carry pace.

His stats through the air, however, not so impressive, completing only 47 percent of his passes and had 14 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

New Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, a well-respected quarterbacks coach in his own right, wanted turn Locker into a more prototypical pocket-passer, one the NFL would be more interested in.

The results on the field for the Huskies have been mixed.

The up and down 2009 season has resulted in another four wins to Locker’s record. There is no denying his vast improvement as a passer, he is completing 56 percent of his passes and has 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

His improvements through the air have come at the price of his abilities on the ground. Whether through increased focus on finding the open receiver, or being banged up with various injuries, Locker has not been near the threat on the ground that he was in the past. Locker has rushed for a total of 311 yards at 3.2 yards per carry average.

It was to be expected his numbers would be down, Sarkisian is not sending him on designed running plays. It is Jake’s hesitancy to run that has made fans wonder if he is over thinking the situation, and the coaching staff should work on letting him use his naturally abilities more.

It is a difficult balance to find, that is to be sure.

As far as Locker’s NFL potential, Sarkisan’s tutelage has paid dividends. Some draft boards have Locker going in the top 10, and he is generally regarded as one of the top quarterback prospects if he were to come out.

Apparently he doesn’t have to win games to be picked as a franchise quarterback. The scouts see enough in his improvement under Sarkisian, and his natural athletic ability, to think "we can build a team around this guy."

The decision Jake has to make comes down to obviously money, but also what he feels is the best way to develop. If he is thrown out as a starter next year in the NFL, he will likely get eaten alive. If he is given a chance to sit behind a proven starter, however, how does that coaching compare to what he is receiving now?

Is playing time in college more useful than sitting and learning from a NFL coaching staff?

That is the question Jake Locker will have to answer, himself.

The Husky fans would love to see him come back, but we certainly understand if he decides to go.

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Washington State Basketball: Cougars To Face No. 16 Gonzaga

Lew Wright — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:03:06 -0500

Washington State men's basketball team has played six decent teams in this young season. The Cougars have looked good, winning all six games and a tournament championship.

"It's time to step forward and face some good competition," said Coach Ken Bone on Tuesday morning during his news conference.

The very young Cougars have played very good basketball to begin the new season. With a new coach, a new system, and only one upper classman, few would have projected WSU to completely dominate a good San Diego Torero club in the Great Alaska Shootout Championship Game.

Wednesday night, Coach Bone and the Cougars will travel 73 miles north to Spokane to take on the No. 16 Gonzaga Bulldogs on their home court.

Wednesday night, the schedule gets very tough and won't get much easier until November of 2010.

Listening to Coach Bone talk Cougar basketball, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Make no mistake, Coach Bone is quietly confident his team will be prepared to take a step up in the quality of their opponents.

In his words, "I’m excited for our guys. I think it’s good. I think it’s exactly what we need. We’ve played some decent teams, but it’s time to take a step forward and face some good competition. Unfortunately we’re playing great competition. You know, that’s one of the reasons these guys go on to play college basketball. To play in venues like what Gonzaga has. There will be a great crowd. They’ll be hostile. That’s fun for guys. I’m excited they’re going to get a chance to play in front of a good crowd and find out what we’re made of at this point."

After the first six games, Washington State's play barely resembles the style of play fans have been accustomed to over the past few seasons. Sure, they still play tough defense, but the new version of crimson and gray are playing a different brand of offense. Coach Bone has his team looking to push the ball up court whenever possible and if players have an open look early in the shot clock, they take it.

No question the new brand of Cougar basketball will be put to the test in The Kennel facing an outstanding Gonzaga Bulldog club.

Regarding the competition, Coach Bone said, "They’re really good. There’s a reason why they are ranked sixteenth. Those big guys, (Robert Sacre and Elias Harris) that’s a huge reason why they are so good...because of their presence on both ends of the court. They will present some problems for us just like they do for everyone else. They just keep coming at you with their ‘bigs’ and their guards, but their ‘bigs’ are good."

When asked if there were lessons learned from playing San Diego who is coached by Bill Greer, a long time assistant for Coach Mark Few of Gonzaga, Coach Bone responded with, "I thought about that before playing (San Diego). It’s a chance to play against Bill (Greer) and knowing that he was at Gonzaga all those years. But there’s a little difference between Gonzaga and San Diego right now.

"There might be some similar stats. Some tendencies are the same. All in all, I don’t think we get a whole lot accomplished from thinking we’re playing a little better team than San Diego. (Gonzaga's) a lot better team. San Diego is good and Bill does a great job. And that night we played well and they didn’t. Gonzaga is a whole different monster."

Though the respect Coach Bone holds for the 'Zags is serious, he managed to lighten things up when responding to the cliché question about his freshmen point guards Reggie Moore and Xavier Thames feeling pressure from the intense atmosphere The Kennel will present Wednesday evening.

Coach Bone's thoughts are, "I’ll be disappointed if the crowd gets us to turn it over. That could happen. They don’t step out on the court, do they? They’re just loud. I hope they don’t get out there… If they’re loud and that bothers our players then that’s an even better learning experience. We’ll go into some other places that are loud this year and the guys are going to need to handle it.

"It’s all part of the learning process for the young guys. I know their crowd gets into it and that’s good for Gonzaga and that’s good for us. We’re trying to prepare ourselves for the Pac-10 season. Games against teams like Gonzaga and Kansas State do exactly that."

Just like Washington State, Gonzaga has a different look this season. The names have changed, but the team play remains. Coach Few has four players to lead a balanced scoring attack.

Matt Bouldin is back playing solid defense and scoring from everywhere on the court. He leads the 'Zags in scoring averaging 18.2 points, five rebounds, 4.2 assists per game, and he has the potential to go off for 30 points any night.

His mate in the back court, Steven Gray, is right there with Bouldin, scoring 16.4 points, pulling down 4.2 rebounds, and dishing off three assists per game. Robert Sacre and are a force in the front court scoring, 14.4 points and 12.6 points respectively per game.Elias Harris

According to Coach Bone, "They have a different team but following Gonzaga basketball for however many years, Mark’s been there eleven years now, it really doesn’t matter if they tweak this and tweak that. At the end of the day they’re really, really good.

"They have a great staff. Jerry Krause has been coaching for like 85 years now. If they get some big kids, and they have a better presence in the post, then they’re going to go to them. If they’re guard oriented, they’re going to go to their guards. If they have an Adam Morrison, they’re going to go to him."

For fans hoping to see the game Wednesday at 6:00 pm in Spokane, you better already have your tickets. Mentioning that the Bulldogs have sold out their home game is as obvious as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. The game will be broadcast on FSN Northwest . If you want to hear the game called right, tune your radio to the Cougar Radio Network with Bud Nameck calling the play-by-play.

Originally published on Lew Wright's column on Examiner.com

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Who Should Be the Canucks Sixth Defenseman, S. O'Brien Or M. Schneider?

Larry Johnson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:39:49 -0500

Written by: Larry "The Nucks IceMan" Johnson

I am puzzled by the fact that Shane O’Brien has been sat out for seven straight games, at the time of this writing. We all know that Mathieu Schneider was brought in to quarterback the power play and not for his defensive play nor toughness.

Sure Schneider has four points on two goals (one power play) and two assists but he is also a minus two , while O’Brien is a plus three with no points. Let’s not forget that O’Brien does not play on the power play and was also providing steady play from his position, before Schneider was inserted into the lineup

Also, O’Brien was brought onto the Nucks to provide tough defensive play and there was no offensive expectation.

Hey Mr. Vigneault, how come the two are not rotated, depending on the style of play they face from the opposition?

Schneider is one dimensional, which is his point shot and his first pass out of the Canucks zone, and the first pass is no better than O’Brien’s. Schneider’s quickness is not what it used to be, but then again he’s 40 years of age. The slimmed down O’Brien did not appear any slower to me.

Schneider’s slowness seems to be evident in the back to back games, where he is even more prone to giveaways.

Speaking of the giveaways/takeaways ratio, it is pretty close with Schneider at six and five and O’Brien at seven and four. The hits department is very one sided, with O’Brien at 26 and Schneider at eight.

The physical side was never Schneider’s forte and at 5’11" and 192 lbs, is really undersized to handle the likes of the bigger teams forwards, like the Sharks or Blackhawks. Wait till he meets up with Philadelphia!

So Coach, why wasn’t O’Brien playing against the Sharks the other night?

The surprising play of Christian Ehrhoff has made him the number one power play guy that the Canucks were looking for, and with Alex Edler, Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo, is there really a need for Schneider except as a seventh defenseman?

In closing, does it make sense for the Canucks to keep Mathieu Schneider and his $2.75 million dollar cap hit, as a specialist?

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Do The Washington Huskies Have a Chance Against Best-Less Cal?

Ian Peterson — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:24:40 -0500

Make no mistake about it, the Washington Huskies' run defense has been atrocious over the last couple years. Statistically, they rank in the cellar of the Pac-10 in almost all defensive categories, but especially the run defense.

Conventional wisdom would have suggested that Cal running back would put up gaudy numbers against the Huskies on the final game of the season. However, Best is ruled out of play by head coach Jeff Tedford.

What happens to the Huskies' chances now?

First an foremost, there is a greater chance that the Huskies can force the game more onto the shoulders of Kevin Riley, who has been inconsistent. If you can force mistakes out of Riley you can increase your chance of beating Cal.

Unfortunately, Shane Vereen has proven to be a reliable backup, and could potentially put up gaudy numbers himself. He has rushed for almost 350 yards in the two games he has been the starter.

Expect that to continue with the Washington game. While many people out there are really down on the Husky run defense, there has been a lot of improvement in my eyes. Not enough, to be sure, as they still lack a lot of discipline, but progress all the same.

The Husky defense pitched a shutout against the Washington State Cougars, something they haven't done in 12 years, and that will energize the team.

Statistically they haven't performed well this season, but looking at games like USC and WSU, there is potential there. The biggest thing the defense needs to worry about is overconfidence after the shutout.

With it being senior day in Husky stadium, meaning the final game for defensive stalwart Daniel T'eo-nesheim (and potentially a last game for Jake Locker too, depending on his NFL future), look for the Huskies to play up for pride.

Offensively the Huskies have done a decent enough job scoring points throughout the season. There have been some pitiful games by the offense (Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State), but also some really good offensive games (LSU, Idaho, Washington State).

The team did an excellent job in the USC game of coming up with the right combination of scoring the winning points and bleeding all the time off the clock so USC couldn't score.

Worry about the Husky defense more in this contest than the offense. There are good skill players, and Locker's legs makes up for a shoddy offensive line at times.

It really depends on which Husky offense decides to show up on Saturday.

Look for this game to be a shootout, maybe not a high scoring one if the offense's stutter, but a game that will be decided in the fourth quarter.

Also, remember that the Huskies upset Cal the last time the Bears came to Seattle.

Food for thought.

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Lost at Sea: Whether To Cheer for a Good Record or a Good Draft Pick

Scotty Kimberly — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:10:04 -0500

For every team that misses the NFL Playoffs, there are two miserable points during the season.

The second, and most depressing, is when the team is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. For most teams, this occurs down the stretch run of the regular season, as the team ahead of them pulls away or their own play degenerates into a Lions-esque decline.

The first, however, is the controversial rejection point during the season. It’s the point in a season, prior to being mathematically eliminated, where the team (and its fans) realizes that the season is lost.

This epiphany could come in Week 14, as your team falls to 7-6 while the division leader is at 9-4. Sure, it's only a two-game gap, but it is virtually insurmountable if win percentages maintain themselves.

Conversely, this realization could come in Week Three, as your team drops its third straight, only to have the division leader sitting there at 3-0, and you realize it would take the Hand of God to put your team in the playoffs.

No matter when the realization strikes, it is never a concrete determination.

One part of the fan fights it, clutching to the slimmest of hopes that the team could turn it all around. Jake Delhomme will stop throwing picks, Brady Quinn will surely learn to throw like a man, and Matt Hasselbeck will return to his Pro Bowl form, right? Right?

The internal conflict begins when another part of a fan accepts the realization that the season is lost. Delhomme is going to keep throwing to the other team, Quinn’s NFL prospects are as bright as Charlie Weis’ coaching career, and Hasselbeck has to wait for another year and another offensive line for a chance to return to form.

So what is a fan to do when he realizes the season is lost?

If there is still a glimmer of hope (meaning they are not mathematically eliminated), part of the fan will cheer for his team to complete an improbable playoff run.

But if the team is eliminated, either mathematically or near-certainly, fans face the ultimate dilemma: cheer for a win, or cheer for a draft pick?

Reasons To Cheer for the Win

Because you're proud.

Because your team is better than that.

Because, if it weren't for injuries, or a certain player doing his best impersonation as a bum, your team would be 11-0 on the way to the Super Bowl.

I mean, come on, it's your team. They're virtually the best team in football.

Because the players didn't lose the game, the play call or the coaches did. Your players are better than that, so any given Sunday they can beat anyone!

Reasons To Cheer for the Draft Pick

Because you're smart.

Because your team can only get better with a better draft pick.

Because, as soon as that bum player is out the door, your new top-five draft pick is going to carry the franchise to glory. I mean, come on, he’s top-five! That's virtually a guaranteed championship for anyone not named Joey or JaMarcus.

Because no matter how much sugar you coat on top of that blowout, it was your players on the field that got demolished.

Because those players who got blown out will play better with more talent around them. How can your team get more talent? A higher draft pick.

The Conflict

The conflict is great, especially here in Seattle.

Talent remains throughout the Seahawks roster, but that talent is aging.

Some fans want the Seahawks to win at all costs because they are better than a 4-12 record.

Other fans want the Seahawks to play hard and gain experience, but lose, thereby improving their draft status.

I am doing a little bit of each as the Seahawks season winds to a close.

If the Seahawks win, I will be proud of their performance. If they lose, at least there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Sure, a blowout loss is embarrassing, but each loss vaults the Seahawks a few more pegs up the draft board.

To all Seahawks fans: What do you think? Are you cheering for the team to win, or are you alright with getting beat every Sunday? Post your thoughts in the comments.

sk.

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Seattle Mariners Seriously Considering Gregg Zaun

Hayato Uwai — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:20:25 -0500

According to MLBTradeRumors.com , the Mariners are seriously considering free agent catcher Gregg Zaun . The Tampa Bay Rays, his previous team, offered Zaun arbitration but he is a Type-B free agent so even if he declines arbitration and signs with the Mariners, the Mariners don't need to give up a draft pick. Zaun said he expects to sign by the end of the week so that might be the Mariners.

Currently, the Mariners' catchers are Adam Moore and Rob Johnson, both right handed hitter. Johnson recently had surgeries to both hips and may not be ready for spring training. Zaun is a switch-hitter so adding left-handed catcher to platoon with Moore and Johnson makes sense. Zaun hit .260 BA/.345 OBP/.416 SLG/.761 OPS for the Orioles and the Rays.

Zaun is a veteran catcher, so he should help Moore adjust at big league level. Do you think this is good move for the Mariners or not? Let's hear it.

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Washington-California Preview: UW Looks To End Season On Winning Note

Todd Williams — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:02:05 -0500

Saturday marks the end of the first season of the Steve Sarkisian Era. It has been a roller coaster season that had Washington fans feeling like they could beat anyone, following the USC win, and felt the team was just like last year after a disappointing loss to Arizona State at the last second.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. While the strong beginning may have raised expectations for the rebuilding effort, made us feel like we were ready to be back, the long season proved there is still much growing to be done for this young team.

There have been a lot of positives for the season; Jake Locker's increased throwing accuracy, Chris Polk breaking the 1000-yard mark, and the defense playing well in the red zone. The negatives are obvious too; trouble converting touchdowns in the red zone, and obviously the seven losses were more than Husky Fans had hoped for.

The difference between a win and a loss has been much closer this year than in the past few years. It shows a young team, with a young coaching staff, going through growing pains. While the Huskies had a chance to make a bowl this year, as was their goal, they fell short.

It would only be one win, but there is a world of difference between 4-8 and 5-7 in my opinion.

Four and eight would be an improvement, no doubt, but it would also put us right back to where we were when Ty was starting out as the coach, at four wins. Sarkisian needs to be an improvement to Ty, and I already feel he is, but he could make a big statement by rallying this team together for one last win.

At five wins there is more optimism in the offseason, heck only one win away from bowl eligibility. It slipped away, but it was within reach. At four wins it still feels so far away. This year there hasn’t been a major injury to Locker or Polk to blame either.

The 19th ranked California Golden Bears, however, are not just going to lie down and give the Huskies a feel good story for the offseason. At 8-3, a bowl game is assured. After a win over Stanford, Cal is still striving for a ten-win season. Let’s take a look at how the two teams match up.

Washington enters this game with the 3rd best passing offense in the conference at 232 yards a game. They are led by junior quarterback Jake Locker, who has 2552 yards through the air at a 56.7 percent completion rate. Locker has tossed 18 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He has shown flashes of brilliance in his first year in a pro-style offense, as well as inexperience.

Jake looked good against WSU, but Cal’s defense is stronger. He will need his young wide receiving core led by Jermaine Kearse, Devin Aguilar, and James Johnson to step up. Tight end Kavario Middleton and running back Chris Polk also are productive in the passing offense.

The Husky passing attack will be going up against one of the worst pass defenses in the Pac-10. At number nine in the conference, Cal has struggled to stop the pass all year, giving up 258 yards a game through the air.

That is more than the Huskies average through the air a game. The issue isn't so much talent in the defensive backfield, but rather the tendancy to play zone coverage that gives up large numbers.This will be a key match up if the Huskies want to pull off the upset, as Locker and the Husky offense need to find soft spots in that zone.

California brings the 4th best passing offense in the conference to Seattle. Led by quarterback Kevin Riley, the Bears put up 224 yards a game through the air. Riley has thrown 16 touchdowns to six interceptions, for a total of 2421 yards.

The Bears spread the ball around a bit with Marvin Jones, Verran, Tucker, Jeremy Ross, Anthony Miller, and Jahvid Best all having over 20 catches on the year, with Jones leading with 32 catches and six touchdowns. With Best being out until the bowl game, back up running back Shane Vereen has taken over Best’s role in the run game as well as the passing game, catching 19 passes for two touchdowns.

Washington comes into this game with a porous pass defense as well, at 7th in the conference, giving up 243 yards a game on the ground. The Huskies have an incredibly young secondary, and have had trouble getting any pressure on the run all season. Look for Cal to try to take advantage of this, even though they are a run-first team.

Chris Polk is the first freshman to rush for over 1000 yards in Washington’s history, and he powers the 7th best rushing attack in the conference for the Dawgs. While that does not sound impressive, Polk has been a strong force on the ground, averaging 92 yards a game. Washington is a pass-first team this year, but given the opportunity Polk has provided balance to the offense, and is a tough physical runner who takes more than one tackler to take down.

California brings to Seattle the 4th best rushing defense in the conference, giving up only 111 yards a game on the ground. Cal knows that Washington is going to be looking for the pass first, but also is aware of Polk's ability to break runs on the ground. While they are more successful defending the run than the pass, they will need to provide enough pressure on the run game to make Washington one dimensional, so they can focus on getting to Locker and forcing him into bad decisions.

The Golden Bears are a run-first team, and it is reflected in the stats. They are the third-ranked team in the conference at 184 yards a ground on the game. For most of the season they were lead by dynamic back Jahvid Best, but he is still healing from a horrific fall in a game.

Best will be able to play by a bowl, but is officially out for this game. Sophomore Shane Vereen has stepped in and performed well in Best’s absence. In the last two games with increased carries Vereen has 352 yards. He had 738 rushing yards on the season and averages 5.0 yards a carry.

Matching up against Vereen and the powerful Bears running attack is Washington and its 9th, in conference, ranked rush defense. Washington has not looked great statistically on the ground, giving up 155 yards a game, but like the pass defense has been stronger in the red zones than in years past.

The Bears are a run first team so this will be a huge match up in the game. The Huskies need to be able to contain Vereen if they want a shot at pulling off the upset. They need to watch for Vereen's ability to run out of the Wildcat formation, as well as out of traditional running formations.

On special teams California ranks highly in punt returns at 3rd in the conference with 12 yards an attempt, but poorly on kickoff returns, coming in only 7th in the Pac-10 at 20 yards a try. The Bears are also a solid punting team ranking 3rd in the conference at 37 yards a punt.

Washington comes into the final contest fairly average at punt returns, at 6th in the conference at eight yards a return. The Huskies, however, come in dead last in the conference at kickoff returns with only 18 yards per return. As far as punting goes Washington does average at 6th in the conference at 36 yards a punt.

California has a distinct advantage in the turnover margin at .73 to Washington’s .18.

Washington wins the game if they are able to attack with a balanced offense. Polk needs to be used as a constant threat, and it would not hurt to have Locker at least show he is a threat on a roll out or two, just to make the defense think about him if nothing else. UW has a strong passing attack as well, but the key will be for them to have balance and not put the game entirely on Locker.

On the defensive side of the ball they need to keep Cal out of the end zone. This does not look to be a defensive battle, so if Washington wants to win this game they just need to put themselves in position to strike last. That means holding Cal to a field goal or two instead of touchdowns when they get in the red zone.

California wins the game if establish a strong running game on offense, and use the pass to keep the defense from stacking the box. Riley can have a field day against the UW secondary if given time, and Vereen has proven to be a solid fill in for Best. On defense Cal needs to get pressure on Locker and force him into bad throws. Washington should look to establish the run, but it will live and die by the pass late in the game. California needs to rattle Locker.

If Washington manages to win the game it will be an upset, but it is one Washington is capable of pulling off. California knows they are playing in a bowl already, and are out of the Pac-10 title hunt. Will they overlook Washington?

Washington 28, California 24

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The Almost All-Time Seattle Seahawks Defense

JW Nix — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:20:42 -0500

When the Seattle Seahawks were born into the NFL in 1976, they won just two games and their first draft pick ever was out of the league in a few years. But, what they did was get lucky on a few free agents, most notably Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent and quarterback Jim Zorn. Seattle was finishing seasons with a winning record by their third year, and have stayed consistently competitive throughout most of their history. The pinnacle for the franchise, so far, was appearing in Super Bowl XL, and their fans want more. It is easy to see why, as the franchise heads towards the 15th losing season in their 34th year of existence. Here is a list of some of the greats to don the teams jersey. REMEMBER: This is a continuing series paying tribute to NFL legends who are not, and perhaps never will be, members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To see the offense, go here : http://bleacherreport.com/articles/299759-the-almost-all-time-seattle-seahawks-offense

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WSU Football: Another Look at Apple Cup 2009

Lew Wright — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:48:10 -0500

Sunday afternoon Washington State football coach Paul Wulff paused to reflect on the outcome of the Apple Cup and the performance of the Cougs.

Listening to coach Wulff respond to media questions, one didn't need the skills of a psychic to either read his mind or peer into the future of Cougar football. This has been a dreadful season for the Cougs. Mercifully, the final curtain has come down on a tragedy seemingly penned by Sophocles.

Greek tragedy? No, the 2009 football season for WSU was all too real.

Before heading forward to continue rebuilding the football program at Washington State, coach Wulff talked about the 30-0 loss to the Huskies last Saturday.

Wulff confirmed he had 14 defensive scholarship players suited up for the game. To say defensive coordinators Jody Sears and Chris Ball were limited in personnel would be a monumental understatement.

You may recall last week coach Wulff asked a wide receiver to take some reps during practice with the defensive backs. Not only did he accept the challenge, saw significant playing time against Oregon State making 10 tackles. Johnson remained on defense against Washington and turned in another good performance. He played so well, one had to ask if his future next season might be on the defensive side of the ball.

(Easton Johnson) sure played well and played physical. That was the thing that was encouraging, he played physical. If he’s comfortable with (defense), he definitely shows more promise there than he did at receiver. He played safety for us when he first got into the program, but he just wanted to change. We gave him that opportunity, to move to receiver and I think he felt a little out of place there and he was (injured) for a while. He was the only guy who had any experience on defense whatsoever, which is why we moved him (to safety) a week ago last Thursday. All of the sudden, he’s stepped up and done some really good things. Let’s hope it’s one of those ‘coming out’ stories and he takes a big step.—WSU coach Paul Wulff

Setting aside the virtually non-existent depth chart, the intensity of the Cougar defense was exceptional. coach Wulff began his review of the Apple Cup with his assessment of the Cougs on "D."

Our defense played pretty darn good. We had some guys out of position, which happens at times, obviously because of the changes we’ve had. I thought our defensive front played very well. They did a week ago (against Oregon State). Looking at who we had out there playing, I’m very proud of Travis Long , (Anthony ) Laurenzi and Casey Hamlett . These guys are all first year guys playing in the program. They did some wonderful things. We did some great things on defense. Got a little worn down in the fourth quarter a lot like we did the week before.—Coach Wulff

For the observer obsessed with the scoreboard, losing any game 30-0 might seem to be a complete breakdown. In the case of last Saturday, there were numerous chances within reach of the Cougs to make a close game of it. Breakdown? No. Growing pains? Big time.

Offensively, we had a very good game plan. We had a lot of receivers open. We dropped nine balls that were huge in the ball game. It didn’t allow us to score points. It didn’t allow us to get first downs and keep the chains moving. Blocking wasn’t as good as it needed to be consistently.—Coach Wulff

Plan or no plan, coach Wulff had to use three different quarterbacks in the first half while the No. 1 QB, freshman Jeff Tuel, was reduced to signaling plays in from the sidelines because of a knee injury. That's been the storyline the entire season for Washington State.

We intentionally tried to slow the game down. When you only have three D-linemen who can truly function and are healthy, we had to shorten the game or else we would have been in a situation where they would have been gassed out by the second quarter or early in the third. It could have been a lot, lot worse. We had to manage the clock. It’s not what we wanted to do ideally but it gave us the best chance to keep our defense fresh. If we would have converted on offense the plan would have worked very well. We just didn’t convert with all the opportunities that were there.—Coach Wulff

No doubt scoreboard watchers don't want to be bothered with a "big picture" view of either the Apple Cup or this past season. Perhaps such a perspective shouldn't matter, but in the context of rebuilding a football program, the fact of the matter is ignoring coach Wulff's plan leads to unnecessary disappointment.

The Cougar game plan included throwing a few trick plays at the Husky defense. There is no question the trick plays were ineffective. When asked if the special plays were a new wrinkle just for this game, which might have explained why they didn't work, coach said:

We’ve had (trick plays) in our game plan a lot. For weeks we’ve been practicing those things. We just never were in a position to use them. We weren’t even able to use a couple more we had. They pretty much were all there and had the opportunity to be successful. We just didn’t execute them completely.—Coach Wulff

Offering perspective to scoreboard watchers, coach Steve Sarkisian has some very good football players sprinkled throughout the Washington roster. His quarterback, Jake Locker, is the best at the position in the nation this year, which is well documented. When Locker handed the ball off, it was to a very talented freshman, Chris Polk, who has improved as a player week after week.

Coach Wulff pointed out a couple of other players for the Huskies who are big-time contributors.

Donald Butler is definitely one of the best linebackers in the Pac-10. And Mason Foster , those guys right there are as good as any in the Pac-10. Those two guys in particular have been healthy all year. They’re good football players. One’s a senior and one’s a junior so they’ve got lots of seasoned experience and they’re good players. They know what they’re doing out there. The game is going to come a lot more natural to those guys because they’ve played and have a lot of experience.—Coach Wulff

Washington State has some up-and-coming linebackers of their own who are growing into the role of big-time contributors. The difference today is quite simple: Both are developing and maturing as players who haven't come close to reaching their potential as football players.

I'm very happy with the performance of (Mike Ledgerwood and Alex Hoffman-Ellis ) the last few weeks. Those guys have stepped up and played well which is very encouraging since Louis Bland has been out. It’s been good to see those guys take a big step. Both those guys are just sophomores. They played well in this game. They flew around and made plays. I was very proud of their effort and ability to tackle. They made some good, physical tackles. Very clean tackles. That’s what we haven’t had a lot of so that’s very encouraging.—Coach Wulff

In terms of the linebacker position for Washington State, coach Wulff was excited about the number of freshmen redshirts who will be vying for playing time next season. Myron Beck will be a junior next season that has played well the past two years. What's the big deal about these linebackers? All of them bring good speed to the position. That's the big deal.

Looking back at the Apple Cup, couldn't help but wonder if some of the issues with the offense executing plays was linked to the WSU quarterback situation.

I’ve never been through anything like this (with the injuries) in my first two years. On offense, it’s just so hard to have anything look really good when you have so much change rolling in and out. I’ve been around it. I’ve seen (offense) be able to perform at a certain level. You start missing a few parts here and there and you drastically change your ability to function. When you can stay healthy, a lot of times you can maintain a high level of excellence on offense or defense. But when you start losing certain parts, it’s really tough. We’ve just lost too many parts to keep the consistency or even grow to the level we want to. With Jeff Tuel being out, we stopped growing with him being in there and with the young receivers. Against Cal, he threw for 350 yards. Then we just struggled after that to build the consistency around him to help him keep growing. Then he got nicked up after the Notre Dame game and moving in to Arizona. It slowed up our growth. To wrap up the quarterback change, it does effect everything we try to do.—Coach Wulff

Will have news to pass along this week about the offseason for the Washington State football season.

PLAYER NOTES:

Both DT Toby Turpin and WR Kevin Norrell are expected to be fully reinstated to the team the first week of the year when everyone returns.

No additional news on the severity of the oblique muscle injury QB Kevin Lopina sustained late in the first half of the Apple Cup. Lopina had to be helped from the field.

Originally published in Lew Wright's column on Examiner.com

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Washington State Cougars-Gonzaga Bulldogs: Men's Basketball Preview

Jeff Smith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:17:36 -0500

Washington State Cougars (6-0) v. 17 Gonzaga Bulldogs (5-1)

The No. 17 Gonzaga Bulldogs will host rival the Washington State Cougars at The Kennel in Spokane on Wednesday night.

The teams met last on Dec. 10, 2008 as the Bulldogs beat the Cougars 74-52. The two schools are located just 70 miles apart in eastern Washington. The Cougars lead the all-time series 97-46, but has won just two of the last 10 meetings.

Winning the Maui Invitational has put Gonzaga back in The Associated Press college basketball poll. The AP poll has the Bulldogs ranked 17.

Gonzaga has defeated Colorado, Wisconsin, and Cincinnati. Senior guard Matt Bouldin leads the team with 16.2 points per game, while junior guard Steven Gray is second with 15.8 points per game.

The Bulldogs began the season with only five players with college basketball experience, raising questions about their ability to win big games. But Gonzaga has silenced all doubters by winning five of their first six contests.

Washington State won the Great Alaska Shootout last week. While they don't appear in the Top 25, the Cougars did receive four votes.

Sophomore forward Klay Thompson, the nation’s leading scorer, leads the team with 28.3 points per game, adding 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game. He scored scored 43 points in their most recent victory over USD.

Freshman point guard Reggie Moore leads the team with 3.8 assists a game and is second with 13.5 points a game. DeAngelo Casto follows him with 5.7 rebounds and 12.8 points per game.

Both teams are surging at the moment and defiantly have momentum coming into Wednesday’s contest. Can Thompson carry his Cougars, or will the Bulldogs’ big men wear down Washington State?

The odds makers currently have the Bulldogs as –16 -point favorites.

I think the odds gods have been generous here. A 16-point margin seems a little more than what I think WSU is going to allow. The Bulldogs will be challenged and will have to fight their way to a narrow margin victory.

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Trip City: What is Wrong with Brandon Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers?

Drew Barton — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:02:00 -0500

Prior to the season there was a lot of optimism in Rip City. It made a lot of sense because the team, at least on paper, had clearly improved.

Backup point guard, the most glaring problem spot, had seen a major upgrade with near-All Star Andre Miller coming in at the addition-by-subtraction cost of turnover-machine Sergio Rodriguez.

The second most glaring problem was resolved with the return of Martell Webster. While Nicolas Batum was clearly the best Blazer defender, Webster presented them with an offensively dangerous option.

Furthermore, team strengths were also improving. Greg Oden looked to have regained his speed and agility and was looking so improved that a guy who should have gotten some consideration for team MVP last year, Joel Przybilla, became a reserve.

Yet 20 games into the season Portland has already lost four home games, including a blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, has trailed for 11 consecutive quarters, and worse yet, looks like they are a team that does not care.

What happened?

In some ways, it is a team effort. The players who have improved this year from last can be limited to two: Greg Oden and Martell Webster.

Oden is doing more than asked. He controls the boards, blocks shots, stays within himself offensively, and shoots at a high clip. He plays hard and has a huge impact at the defensive end of the floor.

Webster had a shaky start but has come on to look like the Blazers best player much of the time. He has taken on Batum's role as defensive stopper and does a creditable job. He is not a premier defender yet, but there have been moments and stretches where he has been.

So if those two are improved, who has gotten worse?

Naturally, since credit starts at the top, so does blame. And Brandon Roy unfortunately deserves much of that blame.

Unlike past seasons where he has been an efficient scorer, this year his offense has been disruptive and low percentage.

Part of that is due to the officiating. My bias is obviously pro-Blazer, but I genuinely believe he is poorly officiated. It is very frustrating to see him drive the lane, bounce off of three defenders, and still not get the call, while at the other end a Blazer picks up a hand-check foul on players like Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, or even Rudy Gay.

Roy should be going to the line more than 10 times a game with the way he plays, but he is not officiated the same way other slashers are and regularly takes a great deal of contact without drawing the foul.

As a result, he becomes frustrated, knowing no foul will be called, and overcompensates with some wild drives that result in ugly shots and, even worse, turnovers that lead to fastbreaks the other way. This does not excuse his play, but certainly makes it understandable.

Nor is he playing well defensively. He gets torched repeatedly on the occasions he makes it down the floor at all.

But his disappearance pales in comparison to that of Steve Blake. Blake somehow forgot who he was.

Gone is the steady point guard who hits the three and doesn't turn the ball over. In his place is a guy who makes unbelievably bad turnovers, makes them at the worst time possible, plays worse defense than Jeff Pendergraph is playing* to the point where I have labeled it Blake-fense.

Even my favorite player, LaMarcus Aldridge, must share some of the blame. He has lost a lot of the aggression he showed in the past two seasons. He does not demand the ball on the block, does not dominate defensively the way he should, and has looked lost and out of place all too often.

He is far more talented than he has shown.

Przybilla has seemed disinterested, no longer the defensive force he used to be. He is not moving his feet, not blocking out, not blocking shots, and not bringing the attitude he used to.

To be fair, the Blazers miss Travis Outlaw a great deal and probably more than many fans realized they would. His explosive scoring potential and game-changing athleticism, along with his clutch fourth quarter play, are being missed game after game

Yes, Portland lost two key rotation players in Outlaw and Batum. Yes, they have played a hectic schedule.

These are not valid excuses.

They have also played a cupcake schedule and there are several inexcusable losses on it. If they want to be a playoff team, much less a contender, then they need to show the heart it takes to be one and win the games they should without making excuses.

For example, they choked away home games to the Nuggets and Hawks. They lost to a Warriors team playing seven guys. They lost at home to Memphis, giving up a 31-4 run on their own floor. They did not even try against the Heat.

The amazing thing in that game was that the Heat shot 53.3 percent. What is amazing about it is that the number was so low. All night, every shot was wide open with no Blazer in the picture.

Nor has that been a one-game phenomenon.

The Blazers are out of sync right now. When there is a pick and roll, often the Blazers elect to defend neither player. Nor do they defend well one-on-one, and when the big men provide help defense, no Blazer provides rebounding coverage.

Defensively, they are discombobulated and lack any sense of cohesion. Offensively, they are only marginally better.

Yet for all that, I think there is one more huge element that deserves some blame for the question, "What is wrong with the Blazers?"

That is people like me. Fans. Fans who love this team. Fans with expectations for this team.

When the team was built around Zach Randolph, we expected to lose. We knew we would lose to the Clevelands of the league, struggle against the Utahs, and try to eke out wins against the weak sisters like the Warriors, Clippers, and other NBDL teams masquerading as NBA teams.

We knew who those teams were because we were one of them.

But we got spoiled. We got used to seeing Super-Trout (Travis Outlaw in super-stud mode) and B- Roy dominate games, in seeing Portland win every possession, even if the other team scored, by putting out superior effort, functioning as a cohesive unit, and winning virtually every home game.

We got spoiled by watching Roy and Aldridge go from good draft day picks to cornerstones of the franchise. We got spoiled by a meteoric rise from irrelevance to 54-win team.

And we got used to it.

Instead of coming to the game planning to enjoy the action and have a win be icing on the cake, we now show up expecting a win and being upset if the Blazers struggle. Sure, not all of us do that, but we fans are a team just as the Blazers are and must all take responsibility for what we do.

That includes the poor taste in booing the home team in each of the last two home games. It includes the raucous booing whenever a Beaver or Duck shirt is shown.

Yeah, I know, Beaver fans hate the snobbish, arrogant Duck fans. And Duck fans hate their also-ran little cousins and make a point of booing loudly...and often.

So often they have made little kids cry when the kids were shown on the big screen wearing Beavers gear and been booed mercilessly. The obnoxious Duck fans drowned out the music when the OSU dance team on the floor, a favor the Beaver fans did not reciprocate when the Duck dancers hit the floor.

The point is the fans are more frequently found silent or booing or complaining than cheering the team on, possibly because we became complacent before we won anything.

Now, it is much too early to panic. This is a very talented basketball team with a lot of good wins in front of it. Roy will get it figured out. Blake and Miller will get past their little unspoken feud. Aldridge will find his place on this team. And they will win plenty of games by the end of the year.

The question is whether Blazer fans will be patient while that happens.

So buck up Blazer fans. You are still winning at a .600 clip. You are still fine. The team will find itself. You just need to go back to being optimistic team supporters, stop ripping them at every opportunity, and enjoy the trip.

And yes, I realize the irony of saying that after writing this. But thanks for noticing.

* For those unaware of Pendergraph, he is currently on the injury list and hasn't played all season. Hopefully now that joke (?) makes sense.

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Miami 107, Portland 100: Trail Blazers Continue Slide

Busta Bucket — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:10:34 -0500

BOX SCORE

Don't let the final score fool you, the Blazers got crushed again. By the Heat. In Portland. Let's just get through this recap the best we can.

LaMarcus Aldridge sat out nursing a banged knee. On the positive side he looked very debonair in his suit. In his place the Blazers started rookie Dante Cunningham, who provided some much needed hustle.

Energy like Cunningham’s is something I am craving more and more as we sit and wait for the team’s bigger personalities to sort out their issues. I want a hyperactive role player power forward to just go nuts out there and provide me with some sort of vicarious catharsis. So thanks for giving me a little of that, Dante.

When young Cunningham went to the bench, the slightly less young (I’m using deep time as my scale here) Juwan Howard came in and provided instant offense, even beating the buzzer in the first quarter with the same non-jumping turnaround banker that the older guy at the gym kills with during pick-up games. He finished the half with 12 points (5-5 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, and 2 assists. I love Juwan Howard.

Also of note from the first half was the play of Brandon Roy. In the first quarter he scored 14 points on nine field goal attempts with zero assists. He nearly outscored and out shot the rest of his teammates combined; they managed 14 points on eleven attempts.

In the second quarter Roy shifted to the other extreme, scoring no points and taking only three shots. He finished the night with 25 points on 25 shot attempts. I am now in waiting; waiting for Roy to show that great leadership and make the declarative “buck stops here” stand that rallies the team and turns things around. Would be wise for me to hold my breath?

Portland’s defense was terrible. Miami shot 53 percent from the field for the game. When a Heat player would beat his defender on the perimeter, which was very normal, the scorekeeper might as well have automatically put two points up. Beasley had more free throw attempts in the first half (8) than he has had in any game this season.

The Heat had 60 points at half. What was that thing we used to have all the time back in the day? Oh yeah, defensive intensity . Being interested in helping each other might work too (I refuse to be sorry for that Half Baked reference. When the team plays this bad I get to trot out any reference I please. It's in my Bust a Bucket contract).

Greg Oden was a bright spot tonight. His career high 20 rebounds featured eleven off the offensive glass. He also had 13 points (albeit on 4-13 shooting) and 4 blocks. He was a force even beyond his impressive numbers. He altered shots that he didn’t block, some all the way out on the perimeter.

Even when he wasn’t scoring he was a factor offensively, Miami even sent some double teams his way. And of course Greg was a constant threat to nab an offensive rebound. Jermaine O’Neal got into foul trouble trying to keep Oden off the glass and once O’Neal went out and the (allegedly) 6’9" Joel Anthony came in Oden made Miami pay even more.

After watching Greg struggle with foul trouble so much it was beautiful to see him inflict some whistle-pain on his opponent. Imagine a world where Oden is consistently getting other teams into foul trouble. It may be closer to reality than you think.

Tonight was Andre Miller’s 550th consecutive game, which is an active player record. He contributed 18 points and 6 assists. Blake had 9 and 3. Just so you know.

The video stream I watched had the Heat announcers and Australian commercials, which was novel enough to add a little entertainment to my evening. It also meant that I had to watch a replay of Quentin Richardson breaking Roy’s ankles 337 times.

It was easily worth it when they ran a game show segment at half-time where they ask Udonis Haslem weird questions and add a laugh track and canned applause. I was impressed enough to take a screen grab:

I would also like to note that Sheed warned you all that “Civil War Night ” was a bad idea. Clearly all that UO and OSU clothing in the crowd confused the Blazers into thinking that they were at an event where they would be watching somebody else play a game. I hope we all learned a valuable lesson.

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Mariners say, Nah, We'll Keep Our Enigma

Elliott Smith — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:43:39 -0500

According to SI baseball writer Jon Heyman, the Mariners reportedly quashed a deal that would have sent Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley to the Tigers for right-handed starter Edwin Jackson.

Now, I’ve made my feelings about Morrow known before—I thought it was a questionable choice to draft Morrow over Lincecum then, and, obviously, how it’s played out has done nothing to dissuade my opinion—so I think this is a curious move by Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik, who I think has done an otherwise fantastic job in the role.

I just don’t think Morrow is ever going to have success with the Mariners. The expectations coming in were probably too high, and the waffling between starter and reliever, and Seattle and Tacoma has turned Morrow into a cipher—a tantalizing possibility, yes, but in reality, a pitcher that has been a disappointment.

On the other hand, Jackson has actually done something at the major league level, although it took him playing for his third team to make it stick. The hard-throwing righty went 13-9 last year with a 3.62 ERA, and would have been a nice fit in the Mariners rotation, especially since the verdict is out on what Morrow’s role is going to be next year.

The Times’ Geoff Baker argues that giving up Morrow and Kelley for Jackson would have been too much, but then he makes the point that Seattle has a wealth of live bullpen arms. So why not take a chance on a guy like Jackson if you’ve got the people to step in?

I remain heartened by the fact that at least the Mariners are considering dealing Morrow—he hasn’t been labeled untouchable like Ryan Anderson. Zduriencik has shown that he has no problem swapping some of Seattle’s sacred cows, i.e., Jeff Clement, so a Morrow trade may still be in the works.

Personally, I would have made this deal. But I guess that’s why I’m not a GM.

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Is Forsett The Future in Seattle?

Chad Klassen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:05:53 -0500

The Seahawks have primarily been a pass-first team over the last decade, but they may have found their secret ingredient in the backfield with second-year tailback Justin Forsett, who’s well exceeded his season total in two games against NFC West rivals.

Not only can the sophomore shine as a return specialist, but he’s been handed a bigger role in the running game after Edgerrin James’ release and made a smooth transition with his dynamic speed.

A dazzling 123-yard performance in a 31-20 loss to the Cardinals—following by 130 yards rushing in a victory over the lowly Rams on Sunday—has shown off the kind of impact the California product can make in Seattle’s struggling offense that could use any boost it can get at this point.

The 28th-ranked run offense hasn’t been productive at all amidst a disappointing 4-7 season with only 92 yards per game on the ground through 11 games in 2009. The emergence of Forsett as a reliable running back could help the Seahawks compliment their 15th-best passing attack, not only for the rest of this year, but also for the foreseeable future.

Julius Jones, the Seattle’s feature rusher, was limited to only 10 yards on two carries before being forced to sit out with a bruised lung two weeks ago in Arizona. It handed Forsett an opportunity to show off his talent, and the 233rd overall pick from the 2008 NFL Draft impressed on his 17 carries—one of which went for a touchdown on an 11-yard run to open the scoring.

The Seahawks jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but they could only muster two more field goals and failed to preserve the win in a key divisional game they desperately needed.

Forsett, however, willed his team to victory as the starting tailback in St. Louis and has been a shining star with the pair of 100-plus yard games, which have made an impression on the team that drafted him in the seventh round nearly two years ago.

Seahawks head coach Jim Mora has made it a point that he’ll get touches in the backfield and be involved in the offense, even when Jones makes his return, foreshadowing quite the bright future for the 24-year-old who’s proven a lot of people wrong so early in his career.

And while the team might continue to struggle down the stretch in their last five games with a make-shift offensive line, injecting Forsett’s speed into the offense will certainly help diversify a pretty one-dimensional offense.

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What if Seahawks Fans Stop Thinking "What If?"

Paul Taylor — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:02:49 -0500

Seahawks fans will be in a good mood this week for a change, something that hasn’t happened nearly enough this season.

With a road win at the sixth attempt, supporters are still holding out hope of a run at a .500 record with five games to go.

Combined with the last-second loss by the Arizona Cardinals, people have even started to play that well known game of "what if?"

What if Olindo Mare hadn’t missed his only two field goals of the season against Chicago?

What if Seattle hadn’t continually stalled once they got to the Bears 30-yard line?

What if the team hadn’t gone flat after building a 14-0 lead against the Cardinals in Arizona?

What if they hadn’t had to settle for a field goal after a first down at the Cardinals one-yard line in the fourth quarter?

(We could go on all day with the "what if's." What if Matt Hasselbeck hadn’t been injured during these last two seasons? What if Walter Jones was fit? What if Tim Ruskell had left instead of Mike Holmgren? What if Steve Hutchinson hadn’t accepted the "poison pill?" You get the idea.)

Suddenly, the team from the Emerald City could potentially be level with Arizona at 6-5, heading into the home stretch.

Don’t get me wrong, this would be a welcome scenario in most cases. However, on this occasion it would have masked the problems within the Seahawks organization and given a false impression of how far along the team was in their attempt to return to the Super Bowl.

This could have resulted in the team sitting back and not attempting to make the necessary moves to improve the franchise. Look no further than the rest of this season as evidence.

First, three of the four wins in 2009 have come against two of the worst teams in the NFL (Lions and Rams.) The only victory that carries any weight is the 41-0 beat down of a Jacksonville Jaguars team (6-5) in the middle of the playoff hunt.

Second, and more importantly, look to the losses, especially those against teams in the upper echelon of the league. The results against Indianapolis, Dallas, and Minnesota were particularly disturbing.

Anyone thinking "come on, they’re three of the best teams in the entire NFL," that is exactly the point. The fact that they got severely embarrassed in each of these three games shows how much work still has to be done before Seattle can be in a position to challenge the top teams in the league.

In fact, the final scores would have been even worse if the opposing teams hadn’t taken their foot off the pedal and put their back-ups into the game, allowing Seattle to add points in garbage time.

Although we want the Seahawks to win, in a bizarre kind of way, it might be better if they don’t win too many more games.

As we all know, the team needs strengthening in certain areas (offensive line, running back, secondary, etc.) and one thing that would help is a high draft pick. Combine this with the hope of a dramatic collapse by the Denver Broncos, and the Seahawks could have two picks in the top half of the first round.

It may take more than a couple of high draft picks to turn this thing around (a healthy roster for a whole season would be nice), but at least it would be a good start.

Rest assured though, the team will get this thing turned around. It's just a question of when.

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Edgar Martinez as Hero: Shining Moments on a Hall of Fame Résumé

Arne Christensen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:08:55 -0500

From what I’ve seen, the case that Edgar Martinez’s fans have cumulatively assembled to argue for him as Hall of Famer almost exclusively mentions only his statistical accomplishments as a hitter, gauged by both the traditional metrics and the advanced, sabermetric kind.

But of course it is people, not assemblages of statistics, who stand as candidates for the Hall of Fame, and that seems to be part of Edgar’s problem.

As an unassuming, unquotable Latino who never reached the World Series and played far from any media hothouse, in the most remote big league city in the sport, Edgar’s a deep underdog in the charisma category of Hall of Fame qualifications.

(I think it’s obvious that personality and a résumé of myth-making material help any player make it to Cooperstown: See Dizzy Dean, Enos Slaughter, Bobby Grich, and Bob Johnson for four examples on both sides.)

Even in the Seattle area, he didn't attain the heights of fame (or notoriety) that Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Jay Buhner, and Ichiro did.

Mario Lanza, a friend who’s written a long story about being a Mariners fan in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, said:

"Even in Seattle people didn't really know who he was. I saw him in Crossroads Mall [in Bellevue] with his family, just sitting there eating dinner outside of the food court. Here he was, one of the greatest players in Mariners history, and people just walked by him like he was nobody special.

"He used to go there with his family, and I'd see him reading newspapers right outside the Daily Planet newsstand. I must have seen him five times there and nobody ever recognized him. Even in Seattle he was anonymous. How are the writers in Boston or New York supposed to feel any differently about him?"

Presented here are two post-1995 instances of Edgar's heroic actions on the field. They should help erase the idea of Edgar as a routinely productive hitter who, outside of 1995, didn't do much in the way of generating intense memories for fans.

These events didn't happen in October or get immortalized in the video vault, but as pure heroism they're certainly equal to Curt Schilling's bloody sock, Bucky Dent's homer in 1978, and Bo Jackson's various feats as a Royal.

In September 1997, Edgar had to get stitches twice within five days. The first time was on Sept. 8 in Kansas City, when the Royals' Chili Davis swung his bat in the sixth and it landed on Edgar’s head in the dugout for a five-stitch cut. Edgar stayed in the game and went 2-for-4 with two singles, getting his 100th RBI along the way.

A quote from Edgar: "I lost sight of it in the lights. I knew it was coming, and I ducked to the left. I must have ducked right into it. It was scary, lots worse than having a pitch come at your head."

Then, on Sept. 12, came the coup de grace: Playing Toronto at the Kingdome, Edgar slid into home and into catcher Charlie O'Brien's mask while trying to score in the sixth inning. He got eight more stitches on his chin.

Of course he stayed in the game again, and of course he hit the game-winning three-run homer in the eighth, breaking up a 3-3 tie. Edgar hit it off Roger Clemens, who was 21-5 at the time and on his way to the ’97 Cy Young and a 2.05 ERA. Clemens allowed just nine homers in all of 1997.

Edgar’s quote: "I never have been to a hockey game. But I've watched and seen the fights and the cuts. I guess you could say my week has been like a hockey game." Lou Piniella called Martinez "a tough kid, a professional. It was his night."

Over the seven games that began with getting five stitches on Sept. 8, Edgar hit .400, 10-for-25, with four walks and a .483 OBP.

Then, on July 29, 2000, Edgar was scheduled to be grand marshal of Seattle’s Seafair Torchlight Parade in the evening, but first there was a game to play. It ran late: 13 innings and five hours, four minutes long.

But Edgar had a parade to catch. So he hit a walk-off single for a 6-5 win over the Blue Jays, showered, dressed, didn’t say a word to the press—too busy—and went off to the day’s second job.

The Torchlight Parade’s theme: “Heroes of Our Hearts.”

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2009 NFC West Featured Columnist Competition: Week 12 Results

Scotty Kimberly — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:49:23 -0500

This just in: Drew Brees in on fi-yah!

Unfortunately, three contestants (including the man writing this) chose the Pats in Monday night's game...(insert sad face here).

Week 12 is in the books of the 2009 NFC West Featured-Columnist Competition.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the competition, click here for details, and please keep checking back for updates throughout the year!

The NFC West went 2-2 in Week 12, once again securing a victory against one of their own (Seattle topping St. Louis). San Francisco had a stellar outing against the playoff-caliber Jacksonville Jaguars, while Arizona succumbed to a comeback by the Fighting Vince Youngs out of Tennessee.

Here are the results and honors from Week 12.

Week 12 Individual Standings (16 Games)

Ron 14, Chris 12, Dray 12, Rob 12, Andrew 11, Scotty 11, Seth 11, Steven 11

Week 12 Team Standings

St. Louis 25, Arizona 23, San Francisco 23, Seattle 23

Season Individual Standings

Andrew 131, Rob 130, Scotty 130, Seth 124, Chris 123, Ron 121, Steven 121, Dray 118

Season Team Standings

Seattle 260, San Francisco 249, St. Louis 245. Arizona 244

Monday Night Football Team Tiebreaker

San Francisco 23, Arizona 22, St. Louis 22, Seattle 20

Pick of the Week - Chris (Houston over Indianapolis)

Yet another Pick of the Week features a losing effort, but I just can't help it, this pick came so close to a longshot upset pick!

Houston dominated the first half of Sunday's matchup with Indianapolis, at which point Chris was most likely preparing his Underdog Victory speech.

Indianapolis dominated the second half of Sunday's matchup, however, netting 21 in the fourth quarter and relegating Chris to the oh-so-familiar Underdog miss...

Almost a hero, Chris...

Fail of the Week - Seth (Kansas City over San Diego)

This should be re-titled "Epic Fail of the Week." There were a few swings and misses in Week 12 (a few guys taking Jax over SF, a few guys taking NE over NO), but none rose to the level of choosing the Fighting Matt Cassels to prevail on Sunday.

I don't hate the pick. In fact, my disdain for the Chargers almost took me to the same place. However, this pick ended in disaster.

Hey, at least Jamaal Charles had a good day in fantasy football, right?

The Underdog Remains Dead! - Zero Underdog Bonus Points

Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Houston are all on the hook for leaving the Underdog Bonus on life support in Week 12.

None of these three teams pulled off the upset for Andrew, Seth, and Chris, respectively.

The Underdog lives to fight another day, but could the Underdog Bonus have been a one or two week wonder?...

Hot Streak - Ron (14/16 in Week 12)

The raw score for Ron was outstanding in Week 12. Ron only missed two games (Miami over Buffalo, which all eight contestants missed, and St. Louis over Seattle) in Week 12, leading him to a first-place finish.

In even better news, Ron's performance this week vaulted the St. Louis FCs from fourth place into third at week's end.

Good work, Ron.

Struck Out Swinging - None

Just like Week 11, this was a very level week, so there wasn't a contestant who really screwed the pooch.

Last place in Week 12 comprised of four contestants, all of which had similar ups and downs across the board.

Once again, congratulations to the group for this accomplishment!

What Might Have Been - Had Pittsburgh topped Baltimore in OT

If Pittsburgh had seized one of the many chances they had to win on Sunday night, this competition would have had drastically different results for Week 12.

For starters, Andrew would have landed the Underdog choice, putting him at 13 points for the week, while every other contestant would have dropped back two points.

Additionally, San Francisco as a team would have reached 25 points, while Seattle, who it is chasing for first place, would have fallen to 21. Instead of trailing by 11 points in the season standings, San Francisco would only trail by seven.

All of it can change, just like that...

Good week, guys.

That's it for Week 12. Chip in on what you think.

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Game 20: Blazers vs. Heat, 7:00 p.m. KGW

Busta Bucket — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:09:11 -0500

Thanksgiving weekend wasn't exactly the relaxing and happy time it should have been in Portland. For fans, players and everyone else involved, it became a subtle finger-pointing session, following back-to-back losses against Memphis and Utah.

I missed the Memphis game due to social obligations at the Oregon coast. But from what I heard it was a complete nightmare. 18-0 runs, 34-2 runs, Memphis rolling, I'm kind of glad I missed it.

Regarding the Utah game, I was thankful it was on KGW, until I actually started watching. The Jazz came right out and punched the Blazers in the mouth. It was over within 10 minutes. Utah shot lights out, moved the ball well, rebounded better, and the Blazers just looked discombobulated.

Portland needs to stop the bleeding tonight. A win against the Heat would be a step in the right direction. There are two long road trips looming this month, winning games at home is key. Let's take down Dwayne Wade and the Heat!

Miami Heat coverage at the Heat Blog .

Click over for the breakdowns:

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Portland Trail Blazers Host Civil War Night: Is That Really a Good Idea?

Busta Bucket — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:54:23 -0500

I just got a heads up that the Portland Trail Blazers are hosting a Civil War Night tomorrow at the Rose Garden. Highlights include Beaver on Duck crime during time-outs, people wearing orange and yellow to a Blazer game, and ticket prices being cut to where they were last year. Hooray!

Not really. I am not a big fan of the promotional events and am especially irritated when people wear non-Blazer colors to games at the Rose Garden. I would rather fans were focused on cheering for the Blazers tomorrow instead of fighting over the Civil War. Especially considering the teams recent struggles.

Don't get me wrong, I am heavily invested emotionally in a certain University, but I will be at the game tomorrow decked out in red and black! Here's the release, get tickets and go to the game:

TRAIL BLAZERS TO HOST CIVIL WAR NIGHT TOMORROW

Rose Bowl on the line between the Ducks and Beavers

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Trail Blazers are supporting Oregon's biggest in-state rivalry, college football's Civil War, Tuesday, December 1st vs. the Miami Heat.

Fans of the Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers are eligible to receive discounted tickets. In-game activities will pit Ducks and Beavers fans together in contests and on big screen features. Following the game, all participating fans will be led down to the court to shoot a free throw. Fans are encouraged to wear their team's school colors to the game.

With much more than bragging rights on the line, this year's Civil War marks the first time in the game's 113-year history that the winner is guaranteed a Rose Bowl berth.

Tickets for Civil War Night can be purchased by calling 503.963.3963 or going online at http://tickets.trailblazers.com/deals/ (promotion code: Civilwar).

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Turn Around Or Go Down: The Hawks' 2010 Draft

Josh Hileman — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:44:58 -0500

The Seattle Seahawks next few years comes down to one thing: the 2010 NFL Draft. Will the Seahawks finally start drafting for the positions they need and not for what they evaluate as "talent"? Or will the team continue its recent downward spiral?

Hopefully, if the incompetent GM can take care of business while he still has a job, then this team will be right back in the playoff hunt in 2010 or 2011.

Obviously, all the mock drafts are just predictions and opinions by so-called "experts" about why this team should choose this guy and why he fits here and so forth.

In the same spirit, I'll throw my two cents out there for the only team that matters to me—the Hawks. I used to bleed nothing but blue, but there is definitely a lot of green in there, too.

I'll go round by round and "draft a player" who I feel will help the Hawks, maybe not immediately, but someone who will be a solid player on and off the field. In addition, I will explain why I feel each player fits into the scheme and rebuilding of the great Seattle Seahawks.

I will proceed as if the Hawks have the ninth pick overall and Denver gives them the 20th pick, as well as Seattle receives the ninth pick in every other round, as well.

It should be noted that the Seahawks do not have a third-round pick, as it was traded last year for Deon Butler.

Don't look now, but with the ninth pick overall in the 2010 NFL draft the Seattle Seahawks select...

Bryan Bulaga OT (6'6" 312 lbs.) from Iowa.

Not really a big name pick, especially in the top 10 of the draft, but that is not what the Hawks need. Yes, other tackles should be available, such as Trent Williams from Oklahoma and Ciron Black from LSU, but the logic here is that Bulaga is young.

He is only a junior, while the other two are seniors. Bulaga also plays at Iowa, which uses a similar zone blocking scheme like the Hawks. This pick was made more out of need and longevity for the ailing and struggling OL.

Bulaga be able to step in and play either tackle position, which would allow Walter Jones to retire or give the Hawks reason to move Locklear to the right tackle position.

Bulaga started every game his sophomore year, and, besides missing three games this year with the flu, he has started every game this year, too.

In short, he is a possible future Pro Bowler and a cornerstone of an OL to replace one of the all-time greats.

With the 20th overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks select...

George Selvie DE (6'4" 250 lbs.) from South Florida.

This was a difficult pick. Yes, the Hawks have a lot of DE, but pressure on the QB has been an issue all year (except when they play the Rams). That said, Selvie is a monster from the end position.

He started every game in college after he received a redshirt year. Every year, he posted double-digit tackles for loss. Often double-teamed during his junior and senior seasons, Selvie's stats took a hit from the 31.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks his sophomore year, which ranked first and second in the nation, respectively.

For his junior season, Selvie recorded 15 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. They are lower numbers, but how often do rookie DEs get double-teamed? He can come in and automatically make a difference for this Hawks team, who is struggling this year to make plays before the line of scrimmage.

My other choices would be C.J. Spiller from Clemson or Terrence Cody from Alabama, but I feel they will be gone before this pick.

With the 41st pick in the 2010 draft the Seahawks select...

Ras-I Dowling CB/FS (6'2" 200 lbs.) from Virginia.

Though he is an unknown unless you study college football, Dowling is definitely what the Seahawks need—a big, physical cover corner who could also play free safety in the NFL.

He has the speed and the size to cover big receivers, which is Seattle's CBs have struggled with this year. Seattle's "No. 1" CB leads the league in pass interference calls, making this a must-pick, especially with Boldin, Fitzgerald, and now the emergence of Crabtree.

Dowling, also just a junior, still has time to learn and grow into possibly a Charles Woodson type of player. I could also see the Hawks go for a DT, RB, or QB here, but those issues will be addressed later in the draft.

This just in. The Seahawks trade Deion Branch in a crowded WR corps to the San Diego Chargers for the Chargers' third-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Pure hope on my part, but it could happen since San Diego will likely have both their WRs hitting the free agent market at the end of the year.

Branch was traded to the Hawks for a first-round pick, and now I am happy getting a third for him. Wow, what a great trade for the first year he was here, and then a bust due to injury. Anyway, with the Chargers' pick in the third round, the Seattle Seahawks select...

Ryan Mallett (6'6" 250 lbs.) from Arkansas.

He probably won't be available in the third round, but there is always a chance, as you can tell with the Branch trade. Mallett has a cannon for an arm but has limited mobility.

He reminds me a little of Matt Hasselbeck in how he uses his accuracy and smarts to deliver the ball where he wants it, but Mallett has a much stronger arm than Hasselbeck.

Mallett is also only a redshirt sophomore this year, which is the reason I like the thought of the Hawks picking him. He can sit behind Matt for a few years and learn the NFL game, while improving his skills daily.

Another thing Mallett has is height. He can easily see over the top of his OL and even over some of the coverage to look down field. He plays on a team that is not great, but he continues to put up big numbers because of his skill.

Realistically, he will be picked in the second or first round, which would make Case Keenum from Houston a more logical pick, since he has the same skill set except he is more mobile and a few inches shorter.

In the fourth round Seattle selects...

Nate Collins DT (6'3" 295 lbs.) from Virginia.

Though not too well-known, Collins should be for the year he is having. He is getting all the attention from the opposing team and still stepped up with a big season with 76 tackles, 11.5 TFL, and six sacks.

Collins could make a huge difference right away, and he has the talent to be the run stopper the Hawks are lacking right now.

Two other DTs who I could see going are Jay Ross from East Carolina or Corey Peters from Kentucky. But I'm going with two defensive players from Virginia, Dowling and Collins. These players just fit in with what the Hawks need.

In the fifth round, the Seahawks select...

Barry Church S (6'2" 219 lbs.) from Toledo.

This guy is a tackling machine, and he has the size to play in the NFL. The only question is what position does he play? Most "experts" are labeling him as a safety-linebacker tweener.

I don't care what they say he is; I'm saying this guy started every game and ended his college career with 354 tackles, five forced fumbles, nine interceptions, and two sacks.

Church is a finalist for the Thorpe Award (the best DB in the nation). Overall, this pick is made because the Hawks have trouble wrapping up on tackles, and the safeties are getting older.

Church is a solid pick and possibly a steal in the later rounds.

The Seahawks select in the sixth round...

Keith Toston RB (6'1" 205 lbs) from Oklahoma State.

For some reason, Toston is slipping down draft boards because he didn't have a good showing against Oklahoma in the Bedlam game on Saturday, but I have a different view.

Oklahoma came out possessed on defense, and, though Toston only had 10 attempts, he ended with 47 yards. Oklahoma State was trailing the entire game, and the offense was horrible, but 4.7 yards a carry against the eighth-ranked rush defense is not a bad game at all.

Toston finished the regular season with 1,177 rushing yds and 11 TDs, as well as 256 receiving yards and one TD. Toston may be the most complete RB in the Big 12.

He doesn't get near as much publicity as DeMarco Murray from Oklahoma, or any other RB for that matter, mostly because he wasn't a featured back until this year and Oklahoma State is a pass-first offense.

He is a pretty good-sized back who isn't afraid to hit someone, and he has good to average speed. The Hawks don't necessarily need a RB with the emergence of Justin Forsett the last few weeks and Julius Jones being the starter, but Jones is not a starting RB who can handle the whole workload.

Jones will not last in Seattle much longer, and Toston would be another steal, especially for such a complete offensive player in the sixth round.

In the seventh round, the Seahawks select...

Brandon Carter OG (6'7" 350 lbs.) from Texas Tech.

Brandon Carter is a mountain of a man, and, obviously after this year, the Seahawks can't have enough OL players.

If you've ever seen any Texas Tech games, Carter is the huge man who wears paint all over his face. He is not one of the top OL in this draft nor will he be the next Hutch. But he does have a lot of talent, and, after playing at Texas Tech, he definitely knows how to protect the pass.

The Seahawks are talking about not re-signing Chris Spencer, which would have to move Max Unger over to his natural position of center, creating an opening at guard. He might struggle for a little while with the scheme blocking the Seahawks use, but his upside is huge, and so is he.

The draft is over and the Seahawks filled a lot of holes in their team and drafted some great talent at those spots. I would just like to note that I see the Seahawks getting a QB—obviously the trade for a third-rounder probably won't happen, but I think the Hawks might trade up to draft a QB. If not, then I think they will sign a young free agent QB or wait another year to see how Hasselbeck does with some protection.

Hopefully, this draft will make Seattle a contender again, while also bringing in the youth needed to succeed in the long term.

Please, Tim Ruskell, don't ruin the Seahawks any more than you already have. Just step down, and allow someone with a brain make the decisions.

The 12th Man will forever be in your debt if you do.

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Steve Sarkisian's First Season Validated by Victory in the Apple Cup

Ian Peterson — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:59:37 -0500

Many of the more rabid Washington Huskies fans were upset with the losing streak going into the 102nd Apple Cup on Saturday.

In many ways there was a little too much optimistic feeling around the program after the win over USC. The core of the team was the same as the winless 2008 squad.

The 30-0 victory over the Cougars righted the ship, and will help the Huskies transition into the offseason.

It was the first shutout since 1964 in the series, and the first time that the Huskies shut out an opponent in 12 years. It also stopped the Cougars from achieving a third straight victory over the Huskies, something they've never done.

The Huskies can feel really good about this win, even in spite of the fact that the win is mitigated by how bad the Cougars look this season.

The Huskies are on the rise; the Cougars are sliding down. Sarkisian has already achieved more than Paul Wulff in half as much time. The situations may be different, but Husky fans have to be happy while Cougar fans may start to simmer.

In any case, with a potential top-25 recruiting class coming in, there is a lot to look forward to for Husky fans.

While the Huskies still have one more game to play, with no bowl hopes it is merely for pride.

Sarkisian has already achieved the second best Husky turnaround in the programs history, slightly short of 1970, when the team went from 1-9 to 6-4.

Don't expect the Huskies to just take what they can get against Cal, and move on to the offseason. The players want to win that game, and the doubtfulness of Jahvid Best plays into the Huskies hopes.

For now, the Huskies can enjoy a fantastic win over their cross-state rivals.

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The Blazers: Veteran Leadership Must Start With Roy, Aldridge, and Oden

Brian D. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:27:02 -0500

After a 4-1 road trip and a stretch of dominance against weak teams which saw them run their record to 12-5, the Blazers are suddenly in danger of getting Nate McMillan fired, missing the playoffs, and being moved to another city.

Well, maybe the sky is not falling quite that dramatically. They are, after all, 12-7, which isn't horrible. However, their last two losses, to Memphis and Utah, have been inexcusably bad.

Fingers are pointing everywhere. It's the offense that is sputtering because Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge can't adjust to Greg Oden's presence. It's Brandon's fault for not adjusting to Andre Miller. It's Miller's fault for adjusting to his new role by pouting and being lazy. It's Nate's fault for making too many adjustments and throwing his team off-balance. It's the injuries to Nicholas Batum and Travis Outlaw, which have caused everyone to have to adjust.

About the only guy who can't be blamed is Greg Oden, which must be refreshing for him. Well, Joel Przybilla's played pretty well, too.

The truth of the matter is: the entire team, with the exception of Oden, seems to have taken being good for granted. It's a typical sophomore jinx, and it's almost unavoidable.

It's one of the reasons the Blazers and their fans knew they needed more veteran leadership if they were going to take the next step. Veterans know things young players don't, at least, those that have been successful do.

If you watch the Blazers, you see a team that probably thinks they are playing hard, when in reality they are not. You see a team that somewhere, in the back of their minds, decided that they are good enough to coast in the early season and save themselves for the playoffs. Clearly, Brandon Roy has taken this approach, going so far as to avoid playing basketball in the off-season.

While Nate McMillan is not happy about his team's effort, there is probably very little he has been able to do about it. After all, as easy as the opponents have been, the team's schedule has been grueling. It's difficult to try to coax more effort out of a team that is short-handed and has played more games than any other NBA team, especially when they already think they are playing hard.

Moreover, the Blazers have had scant opportunity to practice, so it's no wonder the offense has been out of sync.

To Roy's credit, he sounded the alarm about the team's offensive problems earlier than anyone else. For his trouble, he was accused of being the source of the problem, and his pronouncements were seen as self-serving.

However, if Roy was thinking like a veteran, he would understand that the offense is not the real problem. It's all about the effort. Specifically, it's about the effort on the defensive end.

When a team in any sport is struggling offensively, it's up to the defense to make up the ground. In baseball, teams with Cy Young caliber pitchers can win games even when their offense is slumping. In football, teams like the Ravens and Steelers of recent years have won Super Bowls without great quarterbacks, because the defense covers a multitude of sins.

In basketball, this is a fact that veteran players learn over time. The offense may be hit and miss, but the defensive effort is something you can always control.

The Blazers are a group that has played great defense against poor teams. That's typical of a young team: when things are clicking and the game is fun, everybody gets in on the act. You start chasing loose balls, going for steals, rotating more quickly, moving your feet, etc.

Against good teams, the defense has struggled at times, especially when the team is tired. And that means that there is no cushion for the sloppy offense.

Ideally, Portland would have a veteran leader on this team who would be talking about defense all the time. More importantly, they would have a player who would be leading by example on the court by always giving great defensive effort.

On the Blazers, the four players who consistently give good effort on defense are Joel Przybilla, Steve Blake, Greg Oden, and Nicholas Batum. Unfortunately, Joel doesn't play enough minutes and isn't really a vocal kind of guy; Blake gives great effort but not great results; Oden is not a veteran and sits on the bench a lot with fouls, and Batum is injured.

Now, the Blazers did bring in two veterans this year, supposedly to provide leadership: Andre Miller and Juwon Howard. Howard has been a great influence, but doesn't play enough to make a difference. Miller simply doesn't play defense, so he's no help at all in this regard. Moreover, he seems to endorse the idea of coasting early in the season, having come into camp out of shape.

Ultimately, of course, this team belongs to Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden. These are the big three, like Bird, Parish, and McHale. All the others are all supplemental players. The fate of this team rests on the shoulders of those three, and they will have to figure things out, offensively and defensively.

Blazer fans have to hope they figure out how to be veterans in a hurry.

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What Would Mike Holmgren's Return Mean For the Seattle Seahawks?

Chris Cluff — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:12:58 -0500

If the Pro Football Weekly report regarding Tim Ruskell is correct, could Mike Holmgren really be on his way back to Seattle after just one year away?

And, if Holmgren is indeed coming back, what then of coach Jim Mora? What would Holmgren’s return mean for the franchise?

It would certainly be another odd turn of events in a front office that has been full of turmoil this decade, going from Holmgren to Bob Whitsitt/Bob Ferguson to Ruskell and now possibly back to Holmgren.

As we have pointed out before, Holmgren was no better than Ruskell as a personnel guy. But he also certainly learned from his mistakes, and he has indicated that he would do things differently if given another chance to build a team.

In a weekend interview with Steve Kelley, Holmgren did not address his potential return to Seattle, but he previously has said he would love to come back someday if circumstances permitted. If he weren’t interested, he would have told Kelley. So his silence says he is interested.

Certainly, Holmgren knows the Seahawks’ personnel and knows as well as anyone what the team is lacking. He could come in as the general manager and, considering the Seahawks need a new offensive line and possibly a running back, the old offensive coach would certainly be the man to get those players.

But, what about the safety and pass rusher? Has he learned the importance of a decent defense?

As for the coaching position, it really would be bad form to come in and fire Mora after one injury-bothered season.

Under most circumstances, a new GM and holdover coach would be a bad marriage (see Holmgren/Ruskell). But in this case, Holmgren and Mora already have a previous superior-subordinate relationship upon which this new arrangement could be based, considering that Mora was Holmgren’s assistant head coach in 2007 and 2008.

In this scenario, Holmgren would be Mora’s boss again, just with each guy one step up the ladder from where he was before. And if Mora failed in 2010, Holmgren would have the power to reclaim the coaching job in 2011.

One good thing that would come from Holmgren returning is that the quarterback position would be taken care of. Holmgren definitely would extend Matt Hasselbeck’s contract, which expires after 2010.

Hasselbeck was his hand-picked franchise quarterback, and, after a rough start, Holmgren turned out to be right about him. Holmgren also has said he thinks Hasselbeck has a handful of very good years left.

So, it’s a sure thing that Hasselbeck would remain the Hawks’ quarterback for the next few years, and that would be a very good thing.

Holmgren would not be so foolish as to dump a franchise quarterback. And when the Hawks’ O-line is revamped in the offseason, Hasselbeck will get the extra couple of seconds per play that have been missing all season.

For those who think Holmgren would decide to use one of the team’s first-round picks on a quarterback, it’s possible but not likely considering (1) he thinks Hasselbeck has several good years left and (2) the Seahawks have more pressing needs.

That said, Holmgren was at the Apple Cup last weekend, and he surely was scouting Washington quarterback Jake Locker, whose stock has skyrocketed this season under first-year UW coach Steve Sarkisian. Holmgren will end up somewhere in the NFL next year, and maybe he thinks Locker has a little Favre in him.

If Seahawks owner Paul Allen and CEO Tod Leiweke do not plan to bring back Holmgren, here’s a list of potential candidates we listed last week at the end of a piece that talked about how Ruskell should stay.

Others have thrown out the idea of Randy Mueller returning, but if the Hawks are going to go back to the past they’ll probably stay a little more recent and get the guy who helped build a Super Bowl team.

And how weird would that be?

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Sources: Seattle Seahawks Fire Tim Ruskell

Jesse Cahill — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:23:00 -0500

According to Pro Football Weekly sources familiar with the situation have said Tim Ruskell will not be re-signed as Seattle Seahawks General Manager when his five-year contract runs out at seasons end.

Since inheriting a loaded roster in 2005 and spicing up the defense with then rookie LB's Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, and Free Agents DE Bryce Fisher, CB Andre Dyson, and WR Joe Jurevicius, the Seahawks have been in a steady decline.

Ruskell has missed on many of his first-round picks: C Chris Spencer is a total bust, and seeing All-Pro G Logan Mankins plucked five picks after at No. 32 by the Patriots makes it sting even more.

Cornerback Kelly Jennings has been a total bust. Without the injury-riddled roster the Seahawks have endured, Jennings would have been nothing more then a dime back this season.

In four years the Seahawks have gotten an average of 36 tackles, eight pass deflections, and one total Interception from Jennings.

It hurts to see a guy like Marcus McNeil, an All Pro Tackle, grabbed all the way down at No. 50 by the Chargers. It's not like the need was not there for an offensive lineman, they chose to ignore the need, and we have seen the end result of that negligence with the team posting their two worst rushing outputs in franchise history. In fact since drafting Chris Spencer, the highest picked lineman in the draft has been fourth-rounder Ray Willis, currently a backup.

Third time's a charm, because in his third draft with the team Ruskell made one of the franchises worst moves in trading a first-round pick (later used on current starting Patriots S Brandon Meriweather) to acquire wide reciever Deion Branch.

This trade led to the departure of Pro Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck's favorite target, WR Darrell Jackson. The Seahawks essentially traded their best WR at the time and a first round pick for now third WR Deion Branch and now reserve G Mansfield Wrotto.

They have also coughed up an average of $6.5 every season for Branch to average 40 catches, 509 yards, and four TD's a season, pathetic for the amount of money he is making.

Even the high-profile pick of Linebacker Aaron Curry, considered to be the draft's top prospect, has had a shaky start, averaging only five tackles a game even with his expanded role when both Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu were sidelined.

The trade of Julian Peterson to Detroit was awful, as Cory Redding has been a total bust even in a rotational role. He is sadly not even on pace to surpass his pathetic 2.3 career sack average. I get why the Seahawks traded Peterson, but couldn't they have gotten back something better?

Overall, since Ruskell inherited the team in 2005, the records have declined from 13-3, to 9-7, up to 10-6, then hitting rock bottom at 4-12, and currently sitting at 4-7.

Some will say you can't point the finger at Ruskell for the Seahawks horrible injury plague the last two seasons. Keep in mind he is the one who assembled the roster, so that makes him directly responsible, no matter what angle you try and take.

He is also the man responsible for running MVP Running Back Shaun Alexander out of town. People say he was washed up, but from what I remember he was superior to his eventual replacement Julius Jones in his last two years here playing with a broken foot.

Shaun Alexander 2006-2007

20 games 1,616 yards, 3.55 average, 12 TD's

Julius Jones 2008-2009

24 games 1,090 yards, 4.0 average, four TD's

And don't even get me started on Poison Pill Hutchinson. Not only did Ruskell botch that, but he has failed to draft an adequate replacement, and he signed a washed up Mike Wahle to try and cover his huge blunder. Since the Vikings pounced on the chance to sign football's best guard, the Seahawks have never been the same.

Bottom line, Ruskell made some good moves, grabbing Lofa Tatupu, Leroy Hill, Julian Peterson, Brandon Mebane, Josh Wilson, Patrick Kerney, but the roster he has assembled over his five years here has largely crumbled and failed.

Contrast this to Mike Holmgren, who laid the foundation for the 2005 Super Bowl team with key starters QB Matt Haselbeck, RB Shaun Alexander, G Steve Hutchinson, WR Darrell Jackson, C Robbie Tobeck, T Sean Locklear, S Ken Hamlin, DT Rocky Bernard, and DE Grant Wistrom. It is safe to say that Holmgren's moves turned out better in the end and that Ruskell has wrecked the loaded roster Mike Holmgren left him.

The news Ruskell is likely out as GM at season's end would not surprise many Seahawks fans, and the replacement already resides in Seattle and needs a job.

Make the transition seamless: fire Ruskell, hire Holmgren, and let's get back to perennial playoff status.

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The Almost All-Time Seattle Seahawks Offense

JW Nix — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:54:31 -0500

When the Seattle Seahawks were born into the NFL in 1976, they won just two games and their first draft pick ever was out of the league in a few years. But what they did do was get lucky on a few free agents, most notably Hall Of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent and quarterback Jim Zorn. Seattle was finishing seasons with a winning record by their third year, and have stayed consistently competitive throughout most of their history. The pinnacle for the franchise, so far, was appearing in Super Bowl XL, and their fans want more. It is easy to see why, as the franchise heads towards the 15th losing season in their 34th year of existence. Here is a list of some of the greats to don the teams jersey. REMEMBER : This is a continuing series paying tribute to NFL legends who are not, and perhaps never will be, members of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.

Begin Slideshow

Edgar Martinez Deserves Hall of Fame Vote

Ryan Gamble — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:01:31 -0500

Edgar Martinez has made the final list of eligibility for the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame, and it’s a deserving achievement.

Martinez is deserving to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and when the voters sit down to decide if he should have their vote, they should make the correct decision and induct him.

During the 1990s, Martinez was one of the two most feared right-handed hitters in the game, and it’s debatable that he could have been considered the best. Frank Thomas is the other player that put up superstar numbers from the right side of the plate, and he too deserves his spot in the baseball HOF.

During the decade of the 1990s, Martinez averaged a .322 average and .420 on-base percentage every year. His on-base percentage consistently ranked near the top of baseball, and in 1995, 1998, and 1999, he led the American League in on-base percentage.

In 1995 Martinez hit for .356 with a .479 on-base percentage and a combined OPS of 1.107 that led the American League. It was an amazing season for Martinez, who also led the league in runs and doubles for the year. The MVP that year went to Mo Vaughn instead, but Edgar finished a very strong third.

During his career, Martinez posted 2,247 hits, 514 doubles, a career batting average of .312, and an on-base percentage of .418. That is extremely impressive. Martinez was an All-Star seven times during his career and a five-time Silver Slugger winner.

When he retired, Major League Baseball named the DH award after him. Now the best DH in baseball is given the Edgar Martinez Award each season. When Martinez retired, he left the game as one of the most successful hitters in Seattle Mariners history.

There are a few things that might cause people to not vote for Edgar, and the first one that is brought up the most is that he was a DH. Well, why can't a DH make the Hall of Fame if a closer can? Don't closers pitch one inning of a game, roughly three times a week? The DH may not play the field, but they are in the games all week long and playing all the innings.

Edgar also came into the majors late, and that caused his career statistics to take a hit. The Mariners had a third baseman when Edgar was coming up through the minors, and he wasn't allowed to start games until he was 27, cutting some key years from his statistics overall.

What Martinez meant to the Seattle Mariners and what he meant to the game of baseball is immeasurable, but what can be measured is his place in the baseball Hall of Fame.

Regardless of whether he played the field or not, Martinez was one of the best hitters in baseball when he was active. He wracked up seven consecutive seasons where he was walked 90 or more times, and teams were always pitching around him. In 1995 he was intentionally walked 19 times, and during his career he was put on base intentionally a total of 113 times.

One of the greatest right-handed hitters I saw play in person, Edgar Martinez deserves to be in the baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

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Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers, and Struggle

Busta Bucket — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:56:52 -0500

These are interesting times in Rip City.

The Blazers, still young, have all the talent to become an elite team. We all see that. The enormity of this team's potential is a major reason for our instant frustration when they struggle. After all, success is not guaranteed.

To have a team so young and loaded never amount to much would be heartbreaking. Maybe the anxiety resulting from this uncertainty is responsible for us forgetting that the way to the top is rarely a straight path.

If championship success ever happens, it often arrives only after some significant obstacles are overcome: playoff heartbreak, team chemistry issues, injuries, or whatever.

"These setbacks are normal, perhaps even helpful," is a belief that I'm clinging to as I watch Portland struggle. It was never realistic to expect smooth sailing. But when the losses come the finger pointing starts, even when the losses are few.

So far, I’ve heard or read from different sources that this is Nate’s fault, Miller’s fault, Kevin Pritchard's fault, Roy’s fault, Aldridge’s fault, “injurie’s fault”, and nobody’s fault. If things continue none of us are safe from blame. Not me. Not my imaginary goldfish. Nobody.

The criticism that has stuck with me the most is Dwight Jaynes' recent post . Not so much the exploration of who threw whom under the bus, it was his point that Brandon Roy needs to learn how to become a real shooting-guard that became lodged into my mind. The claim was that both Roy and the team would be better off in the long run as a result. If only Nate would take a stand with Roy and make it happen.

“Roy seems like he’s being kind of a diva,” my Dad e-mailed me.

It was shocking to read something like that given the golden status of Roy in my family. It was even more shocking that such a statement actually resonated with me. Roy wants to win, but right now he seems to think that it can only happen his way. That his way is the best way.

If that means ignoring Oden in the post or failing to embrace Andre Miller, so be it. His way has worked before, and it will keep working if people would just stop messing with it.

Ultimately, Roy needs to realize that this team is too talented to run so much through one player. Roy has a selfless game in many ways, which makes me uneasy about going so far as to label him as selfish. But maybe he does need to get out of his comfort zone. All would benefit from his learning to be effective while playing a traditional two-guard role.

This thought doesn't diminish Brandon in any way. When the game is on the line, we know who the ball goes to. We know he's the alpha. We also know that there is talent on this team that is being underutilized, and that it is hurting. Portland can never fully upgrade their back court if Roy refuses to grant autonomy to the point guard.

What Roy is going through isn’t so unusual. Multiple young, talented ball-dominating 2 guards have been slow to truly embrace the team concept. Weary of trusting anyone else to help shoulder the load, they seize control and are slow to relinquish it. It took Jordan years (and Phil Jackson) to learn that he would win more if he bought into the team.

It took Kobe years (and Phil Jackson) as well. If Brandon has yet to internalize such principles completely, just remember that he still has time and that other players have overcome similar issues.

In a convoluted way, what I’m trying to say is that patience is in order. This team will have setbacks. Setbacks are normal. As mature as Brandon Roy is he is still a young player learning to trust his team.

He may need to grow his game in different ways and adopt a different mentality, but knowing what we do about Roy I'm choosing not to worry yet. Also, I think I implied that Portland should try to hire Phil Jackson. That was unintentional and completely subconscious. I hate my subconscious.

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