An amazing day in local and national sports — Mariners win for first time since three-fingered gloves — bu fun is tempered by the death of “The Peanut Man”
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.
Tarvaris Jackson’s undistinguished five years in Minnesota suggest that the new Seahawks QB is a temp in the pursuit of a replacement for Matt Hasselbeck.
Last time the Mariners lost so many in a row, there was a good team in the making, crippled by injuries. But the 2011 team has far less hope — unless the trade deadline brings help.
After a commendable first half in which the Sounders trailed 1-0, coach Sigi Schmid apologized for going too deep into his bench. Few besides him seemed to care.
Greatness a decade gone was celebrated Saturday night as the Mariners welcomed back the heroes of the 116-win season. The fun mostly ended with the pre-game salutes.
Saturday will be fun, but ex-M’s reliever Norm Charlton knows the hard truth about coming away from 116 wins with only admiration.
The overwhelming mediocrity throughout MLB presents a great opportunity for the M’s to get well at several positions. All it takes is guts.
Chicago businessman, and minor league hockey owner, kindles arena hopes. But do sports fans here want to hijack teams from two cities to make it work?
Rookie Blake Beavan made the Mariners feel better Sunday after a ghastly 1-0 loss Saturday wasted a great game from pitcher Doug Fister.
If Seattle had the Sonics under Ballmer’s ownership, he would be trying to get out of KeyArena, but unable to get a new building partly because he’s locking out players. Yeesh.