Friday, February 16, 2007
NEW BEGINNINGS
Well, for completely single guys, the time of the year around Valentine's Day means something other than buying that gift for a special someone. It means pitchers and catchers report to spring training around that time as well.
Right now, though, I'm just riffing with the keyboard. It's been so long since I've done anything blog-related, as I'm sure you can see by the post date of the post below this one, which was the day of the Seahawks' last playoff game. I was working 12-hour shifts at the time, and I got that particular one off right before I had to go to work. Still, I really haven't posted here in a while and had it actually feel like I was posting vintage David material.
I'd always wanted to get back to this here blog, I just didn't know how. It's not like I ran away from sports or anything, because I'd never get by without sports.
For instance, I know the Sonics pounded a Steve Nash-less Phoenix team to send themselves into the break, and I know Nick Collison has had a string of double-doubles lately, something I'm glad to see out of him. I knew he was capable of that kind of play, and it just makes me want to buy a Collison jersey that much more since I've wanted one pretty much since the Sonics drafted him. Also, Ray Allen is incredibly good, so nothing's changed. I still maintain that the 2004-05 team beats the Spurs if Vladimir Radmanovic doesn't get injured in Game 1 of that second-round series. Other than that, Ray Allen's been on some crappy teams, and that's too bad.
As for the Seahawks, I hope the salary cap management doesn't go down the tubes now that cap guru Mike Reinfeldt left to take the Titans' GM post, but good for him. As for their playoff performance, it's kind of eerie that (based on what happened on the field) they won the game they probably should have lost and they lost the game they should have won. That's a bit frustrating. Losing to a Rex Grossman-quarterbacked team is brutal. It might not be as bad as losing to the Rams three times in the same season, but it's still bad. Rex Grossman.
I remember watching the Husky men's basketball team beating LSU, and I thought they might be bound for big things. Granted, the Spencer Hawes illness didn't help, but it turns out they couldn't defend. I won't go as far to say they took defensive lessons from the Sonics or anything, but sheesh... The disappointment is tempered somewhat by the fact that they're still a very young team, but I'd think they kind of want to make the most out of the single year they'll have Hawes. The odd thing about all this isn't necessarily how bad the Huskies have been, but how great the Cougars have been. I knew they were on the up-and-up, I just didn't think it'd happen this quickly. Derrick Low gets his local blurbs over here in Hawaii since he's from here.
Lastly, I'm fully aware that the Canucks are leading their division and have been 16-3-3 since Christmas. I still listen to all their games and pray like hell Roberto Luongo doesn't get injured. I also listen to these guys before I leave for work because it's not like KJR would ever talk Canucks unless they were forced to do so, i.e., if Vancouver won the Cup or something. Still, I remember Dave Grosby and Mike Gastineau talking hockey on the odd occasion, but they'd be the only ones to do it. Clay Bennett getting an arena built and attracting an NHL team to come to town would be the only remedy for that. Hockey's more on my radar than most in the Puget Sound region, but I just seek it out. Remember, I'm a guy that has goal horn sound files on my computer. Granted, those were mainly for when I did the arena in-game sound for these guys, but I've still got the files.
Speaking of the basketball/hockey coexistence, this Dan Wetzel article was the best piece I'd read in a while. I'd never put one and one together until I read this. It's a completely evil theory that Wetzel relays, but if it's true, then David Stern made a genius move.
Okay, that felt great. I usually have a prediction for Mariner regular-season wins for the upcoming season by this point, but I'm not really sure of one yet. I guess I'll say 81. I don't think it should be a stretch for this team to get to .500. I don't think it'll be playoffs because for the infinitieth year in a row, they'd have to have the whole team playing out of their minds for that to happen, but .500 shouldn't be out of the question. Of course, that more than likely will punch the tickets for Bill Bavasi and Mike Hargrove to leave town, but whatever. If team is below .500 or on their way there, then Bavasi and Hargrove won't last through to the season's end.
It's good to be back. Did I mention I hadn't checked the blog itself in weeks? If any of you had nasty comments, I haven't read them yet. Heehee. I'm thinking more about the weblog now, wondering what I'll do for the Mariner season. I say it every year, but I'm going to find some way to scale back the content of the game posts a bit because they're just insane and I don't know if I can put that much energy and time into them again. I don't think I'll compromise the posts more than I'll cut the fat.
Anyway, consider it a hiatus or a rest I just took. As for Jeremy, trust me, he's got something very good going for himself. I'm typing here for free, but he'll be legitimately cranking out articles for a career soon. He's got drive, that guy.
Labels: canucks, mariners, predictions, seahawks, sonics, valentine's day