Decenber 6-12, 2010
- Good Week — The Mariners had their best day of 2010 on Saturday, when they staged a wonderful memorial for their late, legendary broadcaster Dave Niehaus at Safeco Field. When emcee Rick Rizzs choked up at the podium to the point that he could not speak, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez and Dan Wilson and Ron Fairly came to his aid, reminding us once again why you gotta love those guys.
- Bad Week — Normally unflappable UW volleyball coach Jim McLaughlin had to be restrained (by UW staffers and a cop) from going after Nebraska head coach John Cook after a round of jawing following UW’s 3-1 win over the Cornhuskers in an NCAA regional semifinal on Friday at Hec Ed. A day later, with a berth in the Final Four on the line, McLaughlin’s Huskies were a flat tire, losing to California 3-0.
- Sunday, Dec. 12 — Matt Hasselbeck (four interceptions and two fumbles, one lost) leads the Seahawks to a 40-21 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Questions about Hasselbeck’s future with the team are no longer “quarterback-controversy” driven, given that he has thrown 24 interceptions in his past 15 starts. As for Charlie Whitehurst being the answer, we don’t even think he’s the question yet.
- Saturday, Dec. 11— During a memorial celebration of Dave Niehaus’s life at Safeco Field, attended by 3,500 (how many people will attend your funeral?), Mariner President Chuck Armstrong announces that a statue of the lgifted Hall of Fame broadcaster will be erected at Safeco Field. No one in Seattle sports history deserves a statue more than Niehaus, the franchise’s all-time MVP, at least in our book.
- Friday, Dec. 10 — Former Seattle SuperSonics coach George Karl earns his 1,000th win as an NBA head coach when his Denver Nuggets defeat the Toronto Raptors 123-116. Karl went 384-150 during his tenure in Seattle. He also survived prostate cancer in 2005 and underwent treatment for neck and throat cancer earlier this year. 1,000 wins and he beat cancer twice. Kudos to him.
- Thursday, Dec. 9 — Miguel Olivo, who previously played for the Mariners from 2004-05, is anointed the club’s starting catcher for 2011 when the Mariners lavish him with a two-year, $7 million contract. It speaks volumes about Adam Moore, who was Seattle’s starting catch for much of the last half of 2010, that the Mariners would sign Olivo, who had trouble hitting at Safeco Field during his first tenure with the club. And the other question is, are the Mariners scrapping the 24-year-old Moore too soon?
- Wednesday, Dec. 8 — The Mariners add potential pop to their lineup by inking former Oakland designated hitter Jack Cust, who becomes, as Exit 164 columnist Seth Kolloen pointed out earlier this week, the 40th DH the Mariners have employed since Edgar Martinez retired in 2004.
- Tuesday, Dec. 7 — Word comes from baseball’s Winter Meetings that the Mariners are strongly considering re-acquiring catcher Miguel Olivo, who spent parts of the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the club. Enduring memory of Mr. Olivo: On July 29, 2004, in a game against the Angels, became the first player in franchise history to whiff five times in a game as part of an 0-for-6 effort.
- Monday, Dec. 6 — The University of Washington basketball team fails to break 100 for the first time in a week, but throttles the University of Portland 94-72 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. At this point, the Huskies look like a Sweet Sixteen team to us — and maybe more.