A big international soccer match and a small domestic baseball game will happen simultaneously in SoDo Tuesday. Thank — or blame — the Mariners.
Author: Art Thiel
Art Thiel
Never having met a metaphor he could not twist beyond recognition, Art has been illuminating, agitating, amusing and annoying Puget Sound sports readers for a long time. Along with Steve Rudman, he co-founded Sports Press Northwest because it didnt seem right that the Google monster should aggregate daily journalism into oblivion without at least a flesh wound from somebody. Thiel and Rudman labored under the Seattle Post-Intelligencer globe until the print edition died an undeserved death in March, 2009. Art continued on at its online successor seattlepi.com while working on SPNWs creation. His radio commentaries can be heard Friday and Saturday mornings and Friday afternoon on KPLU-FM 88.9. In 2003 he wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, Out of Left Field, which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists, a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University as well as two dead papers and a live one, the News Tribune of Tacoma, he has become a fan of entrepreneurial online journalism because it allows him to continue a lifelong passion to take the English language to places it rarely visits willingly, and does not involve the cleaning of kennels or stables.
A 10-hour flight from Jamaica delivered Brad Evans and his weary U.S. Men’s National Team mates to Seattle in time to see the 3-2 victory over Vancouver.
Mariners fans gave a warm welcome to rookie catcher Brandon Bantz, but the Yankees, behind Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, weren’t big on warm and fuzzy.
Jeremy Bonderman had a breakthrough game to beat the Yankees 4-1, but the Seattle lineup again was loaded with backups and replacements.
Thrilling as was Seager’s grand slam, the 7-5 loss was as exhausting as it was agonizing, because so much effort was spent on so negligible a result.
The need for Bonderman in the rotation again exposes the Mariners’ dearth of capable, competitive talent, the legacy of perpetual misfire.
Another HR for Kendrys Morales makes him Mariners’ early MVP. But he’s on a one-year deal, and his agent is Scott Boras. Anything to worry about here, Mariners fans?
By Feb. 1, Stern will be gone and NBA will be near new TV riches. Pending an EIS battle, that improves Chris Hansen’s chances for an expansion team. Forget relocation. Please.
Chris Hansen said he won’t be a predator again, but will continue to pursue and NBA franchise for Seattle. He said fans need to get the “bad taste” out and move on.
Fun broke through in the 13th inning Sunday for the Mariners, but the 4-3 win seems only a respite in the slog to get the young guys to be cool like the old guys.