Two ways to look at the University of Washington's first appearance in the NCAA men's basketball tournament since the simpler days, back when the FBI wasn't the the principal force in college basketball.

From 30,000 feet: Sunday's selection marks an astonishing accomplishment, given that two years ago, following a 9-22 season and the firing of coach Lorenzo Romar, the program looked as bleak as Australia's Outback in The Road Warrior.

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The Seahawks' latest free-agent signings include a couple of relative old-schoolers who combined to play only 15 games last season. Brought back was LB K.J. Wright and brought in was LG Mike Iupati, both of whom had injuries sufficient to have their hires bear question marks.

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Good thing Earl Thomas didn't retire when he first thought about it.

After breaking his leg in a December 2016 home game against Carolina, the Seahawks' all-world free safety startle-tweeted from the halftime locker room:

"This game has been so good to me no regrets. A lot is running through my mind including retirement thanks for all the prayers."

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The Seahawks' personnel plan for 2019 took an early hit Tuesday with word from NFL.com that LG J.R. Sweezy has agreed to a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, making him the second starter lost before NFL free agency begins officially at 1 p.m. Wednesday. Over the weekend, nickel CB Justin Coleman was reported to have agreed to sign a four-year deal worth up to $36 million with the Detroit Lions.

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Big awards day for University of Washington men's hoops.

The Pac-12 Conference announced Monday that sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell was player of the year and coach Mike Hopkins repeated as coach of the year, as did senior Matisse Thybulle for defensive player of the year.

Since the inception of the defensive award 16 years ago, it's the first time all three awards have gone to the same school in the same season.

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For those who look upon on the NCAA men's basketball industry as only slightly less corrupt than the Pentagon, more eyebrows broke the arch limit Friday. Louisiana State coach Will Wade was suspended after a report that he was recorded on an FBI wiretap talking to convicted fraudster Christian Dawkins about making payments to a recruit who became his starting point guard.

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In several ways, Earl Thomas is a unique player -- the best combination of speed and strength at the free safety position, enhanced by a commitment to study that makes him even more formidable on the field. His nine seasons of intense achievement as a Seahawk have made him, when the day comes, a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Also: He has no filter.

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When last we saw the Seahawks, the defense had just given up to the Dallas Cowboys 380 yards and 24 points, including 130 yards in two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. So no, DE Frank Clark -- who along with LB Bobby Wagner, were Seattle's only game-changing defenders -- was not going anywhere this off-season.

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The annual trip to the Bay Area brought the Huskies men's basketball team back to earth. But at least they are not beneath it.

Three days after a grim loss to a Cal team that had been winless in Pac-12 Conference play, Washington rediscovered its defense just enough to hang on, 62-61 against Stanford Sunday afternoon in Palo Alto.

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Celebrating their 10th anniversary MLS season, the Sounders Saturday night got the band back together. Kasey Keller, Roger Levesque, Lamar Neagle, Steve Zakuani and Brad Evans drew the biggest hoo-rahs from those in the crowd of 39,011 who went back to the 2009 launch of the most successful expansion franchise in league history.

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One of the more dubious customs of Major League Soccer has been the length of the season, roughly the equivalent of three Russian winters. Moments after the final goal is scored in the MLS Cup, teams load equipment trucks and head south for next season's training.

The Sounders in November devised a workaround: Lose in the conference semifinals. Yes, a bit of a bad look. But after a pair of maximum seasons that reached consecutive MLS Cups, getting a few days away is working out OK.

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The single biggest asset for the Seahawks over the past 20 years was not Pete Carroll. Nor Mike Holmgren. Nor Tod Leiweke. Nor the 12s. Nor John Schneider. Nor Russell Wilson. Nor the Clink.

The biggest asset was franchise ownership by Paul Allen, whose stability, wealth and wisdom to know what he didn't know, was the most important element in the Seahawks' success and prosperity.

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As Gonzaga rose to No. 1 Monday, the Washington Huskies for the first time this season made the Associated Press's weekly top 25 college basketball poll, ranked 25th with 92 points, two ahead of Louisville.

While the ranking in February is amusing but nearly meaningless, it does prompt a couple of valid questions:

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News Friday of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's imminent arrest for misdeeds in a sleazy Florida strip mall massage parlor inspired a predictable social media firestorm of mockery. For those who have yet to recover from the Pats' sixth Super Bowl triumph three weeks ago, the episode was a delicious continuation of the tawdriness that is stuck in the franchise's flesh like a porcupine quill.

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As long as Seattle-area college sports fans keep eyes on the Huskies' success this season in football and men's basketball, there's not much urgency to ask about that smoke rising on the Pac-12 Conference horizon. Then again, the University of Washington is perhaps only a Jaylen Nowell ankle sprain or a torn labrum for Jacob Eason from feeling the heat like everyone else.

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The settlement between the NFL and its player-antagonists Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid was remarkable on several counts, not the least of which was the underappreciated fact that it was tie. As we all know, Americans don't do anti-climaxes well; our lives are pathetically full of them, so please don't inject them into sports or the conclusion of The Sopranos.

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Tall, skinny and straw-hair blond, Jack Sikma was fresh off his family's gladiola farm in Kankakee, Ill., and thrust into the NBA's summer league in Los Angeles. On the other team was Moses Malone, a human whirlwind who would become one of the most unstoppable forces in pro ball's history.

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The Mariners' self-described theme for this season is "a step back." Not that they plan to use it as a marketing slogan. While the move wouldn't be as embarrassing as, say, former Sonics owner Howard Schultz threatening to run for president, there's only so many tinfoil hats that can be tolerated in a single sports market.

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It is popular these days to bash the Pac-12 Conference for its competitive lameness in football and men's basketball. Relative to other Power 5 conferences in the big revenue sports, the Pac-12 is doing a masterful Jar-Jar Binks impression.

No one is quite sure of the source of the malaise, so the designated target of scorn is Commissioner Larry Scott, who has yet to brick a free throw or drop a touchdown pass.

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If you thought the 2018 Apple Cup was enhanced because the teams were good and the outcome was nationally relevant -- and hugely entertaining because of snow --  you might want get on your giddy early for the 2019 chapter.

Former Eastern Washington University star QB Gage Gubrud won his NCAA appeal Saturday for an additional year of eligibility and will spend his final season as a graduate transfer at Washington State.

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