Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

This past week in Seattle sports a ton of stuff has gone down. Due to work and other obligations I haven't had the time to sit down and discuss each item. As you guys know by now I have strong opinions on various topics. In this post this is more or less going to be a rant about various topics. I'm not going to pretend I'm reporting anything just rant how I feel about various subjects. I must admit with opening day happening this week due to the Mariners playing in Japan, sucking for a decade straight and trying to prevent the NBA/NHL to return to Seattle it has been pretty hard to get up for this baseball season.  Throw in the fact that the Washington Huskies basketball team has lost two underclassmen who happen to be the two best players and this week has been tough. The Seahawks debut their new uniforms which most of the fan base simply didn't like. Then you have news from the Washington Huskies football that they don't even have enough lineman to possibly run a spring game. Throw in another five star recruit leaving this state to play in conference and Seattle sports in general just seems pretty bad right now. I'm going to rant on each topic and I'm sure not everyone will agree with my rants. Then again I don't really care if anyone cares for my rants as long as they are heard that is all I truly care about.

Okay first rant which I'm already getting annoyed of. Can we stop with this ridiculous lazy ass analysis that the Huskies will be better off without Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten? I mean come on people! They were our two best players both were named first team all pac-12 and both were up for player of the year. You don't get better losing two NBA players especially when you are an NIT. The Huskies missed the tournament because they still have no low post scoring options which they won't have next year. The Huskies had no leadership which they won't have next year either as Abdul Gaddy and Scott Suggs aren't vocal in your face leaders like Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson, Jon Brockman and Brandon Roy were. The Huskies free throw shooting cost them as well which has been a problem for Lorenzo Romar teams the past five seasons now. Next year the Huskies will have streaky shooters in C.J. Wilcox and hopefully Scott Suggs can emerge as well as Abdul Gaddy. The thing is everything has to fall into place just right for the Huskies to make the big dance and I mean get hot in the only games that count apparently(since the regular season means dick). Will fans stop bashing Wroten already unless they like playing in the CBI then go ahead and bash away please.

You see that guys? That is me standing next to a Washington Huskies national championship trophy. You wouldn't know that the Huskies once won a national title 20 years ago according to the Dawgman, Seattle Times and Softy's page crowd. Expectations are such an all-time low right now for Husky football it's embarassing. Steve Sarkisian is heading into year four and yet I'm still hearing about freaking 0-12!! Shoot guys 0-12 is about as relevant as 12-0 back in 1991.  Facts are Sarkisian is entering year four as is 19-19 as a head coach and more importantly he's 4-12 on the road. Last years collapse shouldn't just be on Nick Holt's shoulders when Sarkisian begged Holt to come to UW and bosted how he hired the top defensive coordinator in the nation. Now with Chris Polk leaving to the NFL you see Scott Eklund posting how you make an excuse for a losing season in 2012. I find that talk to be insulting considering most teams would kill to have  junior quarterback as good as Keith Price. Besides I was told the last three years how Sarkisian is this great recruiter so although the seniors might not be good there should be more than enough talent to produce a winning season. This culture of low expectations around Montlake has really worried me. You add in the fact they created the zone and going to Husky games is turning more and more into that crap feeling I get when I go to Mariners games.

Speaking of the Mariners what is this bullshit about the biggest complaint fans give to Chuck Armstrong is the traffic?!!! Are you kidding me Chuck?!! You don't think fans are more upset with you putting a constant loser out there that has finished last place six of the last eight seasons?!! How some are defending Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln trying to sabotage the potential return of the Sonics and NHL to Seattle is beyond me. First of all this gameday traffic myth is just that. From 2000-2003 the Mariners averaged nearly 40,000 fans a game. Now that number is around 23,000 so adding the NBA/NHL's 17,000 that is the same number as back then. When the Sonics were in town back in 2008 they shared just TWO home dates that was it. If the Mariners had a winning product people would go to their games the fact they expect me to pay to see them lose constantly is a joke. A ticket at a baseball game may be cheap but the concession stands alone will cost you over $50. That money is going towards what again?!! Payroll keeps trimming down, they claim they are doing a youth movement yet I see Ichiro, Chone Figgins, Kevin Millwood, George Sherrill and Miguel Olivo out there. Last I saw those guys aren't young. I wish Clay Bennett had been a baseball fan and not an NBA fan. I'd glady sell the Mariners and let them keep mayor Greg Nickels plus they can have Starbucks for the Sonics. We get Kevin Durant you can keep those other morons.

I understand why baseball has the opening series in Japan. I also thought it was very cool for Ichiro to play in Japan in a Mariners uniform. Having said that I think opening the season in Japan is the dumbest thing baseball can do. Due to the season opening in Japan I along with many other fans were robbed of an opening day experience. Due to living a normal life back then meaning I had to get up in the morning I was unable to watch the games so I missed out. So when the Mariners play the Oakland A's this weekend it won't be the same as they have already played. The whole series was ticky tack anyways with Root sports having Dave Sims and Mike Blowers announce the game from Bellevue instead of actually in Japan was dumb as well. Plus the Mariners played two real games then came back for spring training breaking up the season. The Mariners already travel more than any other team by a large margain and Bud Selig asked them to travel some more. I understand why they did the trip but in the future if the Mariners actually cared about winning which they obviously don't they'll say no to this.

The NFL debut the new Nike uniforms this week with the Seahawks being the only team to truly change their uniforms. Now most fans are already bitching about the uniforms and how ugly they are blah blah blah. The important thing is the uniforms were a smash hit as most current NFL players raved about them on twitter. The Seahawks stole the headlines on the new uniforms as they were the talk of the NFL. Now as you guys know I hate the Oregon Ducks but all those wacky uniform combo's makes them the "it" team of college football and definately of the west coast. Notice even our very own Washington Huskies have different uniform combo's now? There is a reason you don't want to be left behind on the times. Recruits also noticed Oregon's uniforms and with the Seahawks having nine different uniform combinations they'll be luring key free agents. So yes these uniforms may ruffle the feathers of some fans but in reality I'd rather they do that than piss off the players. If the Seahawks land good players then the fans will come. Fans don't go to games to see the uniforms they go to see good play a concept the Mariners still haven't figured out yet.

Well I hoped you guys liked my rant. From here on out I'm going to do a weekly rant every Friday morning to catch you up on what is bugging me concerning Seattle sports. A lot of stuff went down this week for our teams and I'll be there to give my two cents on the situation. I like what the Seahawks are doing in general while I continue to hate what the Mariners are doing. I'm just puzzled with UW sports in a nutshell as they have good teams but accept being average so damn much it pisses me off. If the NBA/NHL doesn't come to Seattle look for a lot of fans including myself to never step foot at Safeco Field again. The Mariners ownership continues to alienate their fan base with crappy play and now this nonsense. Well guys I'm out until next week hope you enjoyed the SSB weekly rants!