>HUSKIES HIRE RODERICK TO COACH RECEIVERS | 1/20 The Washington football team finished off its staff Tuesday, when head coach Steve Sarkisian hired Aaron Roderick as receivers coach. Roderick was the receivers coach the last four seasons at Utah, and a teammate of Sarkisian's at BYU. Roderick, 36, completes the staff overhaul. Here's who is taking over the 0-12 Huskies:
2009 Washington Football Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian Asst. Head Coach/Defensive Coord.: Nick Holt Offensive Coord./Offensive Line: Jim Michalczik Linebackers: Mike Cox Secondary/Cornerbacks: Demetrice Martin Secondary/Safeties: Jeff Mills Defensive Line/Special Teams: Johnny Nansen Quarterbacks/Passing Game Coord.: Doug Nussmeier Wide Receivers: Aaron Roderick Running Backs: Joel Thomas
>SOUNDERS ADD A SECOND ASSISTANT | 1/20 Ezra Hendrickson will be the second assistant for Sounders FC, the club announced Tuesday. Hendrickson's hiring completes the Sounders coaching staff.
The staff is head coach Sigi Schmid; Brian Schmetzer as the top assistant; Tom Dutra is the goalkeeper coach; David Tenney is the fitness coach. It's a mix of Seattle guys, like Schmetzer and Dutra, and Columbus Crew guys like Hendrickon and Schmid.
Hendrickson played the last three seasons under Schmid in Columbus. Hendrickson played professionally for 14 years, 12 in the MLS.
“In the latter years of his career, Ezra was like a coach on the field for me,” Schmid said.
More from the team's release: A native of the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean , Hendrickson began his career in 1997 with the New York MetroStars, before joining the Galaxy later that season. He totaled six seasons in Los Angeles , where he also won the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup and the 2001 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He was also named Galaxy’s Most Valuable Player for the 2001 season.
Hendrickson went to Dallas in 2003 and began the next season with the A-League’s Charleston Battery before joining D.C. United for its run to the 2004 MLS Cup. After starting all 31 appearances in 2005 for the expansion Chivas USA , Hendrickson was acquired by Columbus in early 2006.
An All-American and business administration major at Drake University , Hendrickson first played professionally with New Orleans of the USISL Select League (1995-96). After earning his first international cap in 1995, he served 12 years as captain of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team.
>TALENT ON DISPLAY AT KING HOLIDAY HOOPFEST | 1/20 All the expected participants showed up at Monday's display of local basketball talent.
There were scouts from out of area schools like Nevada. Washington's Lorenzo Romar sat in the cat bird seat. There were people who looked like scouts, agents, runners, Nike employees. Often it was difficult to tell one from the other, as is the case in high school basketball recruiting.
On the floor, Bellarmine Prep guard, and University of Washington commit, Abdul Gaddy showed patience with his teammates who are about three levels behind his passing ability. Garfield's Tony Wroten Jr. forced things. Franklin's Peyton Siva was smooth, though hampered by fouls.
The prevailing point Monday was Seattle may be sitting on its biggest crop of local talent in the last decade, which is saying something considering that includes Brandon Roy and his pals. Here's our photo gallery from the night games.
>WILL THE YOUNGER MORA GIVE US A RANT? | 1/14 He was passionate, enthusiastic, forthcoming. These are the words describing Jim Mora from Tuesday's press conference introducing him as the new head coach of the Seahawks. We can only hope he puts out a postgame effort like his father did from time to time. The elder Jim Mora has been immortalized for his "playoffs?!?!" rant, though, for our money, the postgame eruption while he was with the Saints is superior. It's tough to defeat any rant that contains multiple use of the phrase, "diddly poo." Mora the Elder presented all the qualities necessary for explosive, prolific postgame assessment. In no particular order, here are the keys:
Set the tempo early. A brisk walk by the coach to their designated place in the press conference accompanied by a scowl and a forehead still covered in sweat are necessary. This doesn't only happen at major sports events. We recall covering an Iona/Siena men's basketball game when former NBA player Jeff Ruland was the Iona coach. Ruland, 6-foot-10, bearded and mean, stomped into the small press conference, sat down, then looked at the stat sheet. While looking over the numbers, Ruland banged his fist on the table, crumpled up the stat sheet and threw it off the wall. Then he looked up and said, "Questions." Despite the definition of the word, this was a rhetorical statement. It was also a brief press conference.
Get right into it. As Mora the Elder displays below, there is no need to hesitate or be prompted. An opening statement is expected, providing a perfect launching point. A ferocious opening statement catches most off guard. It's anticipated the coach is going to be upset, but really belting it out from the start is key. Within the first five words, the coach wants to have reporters rethinking their line of questioning, wondering if asking what they want to ask is really going to be worth it.
Get bleeped. Every quality rant includes some form of censorship. Getting bleeped is important because it allows others reporting on the rant to use the word bleep. "We had to bleep out part of this ..." "Then he said bleep, bleep, bleep or whatever." At times the bleep also offers a quick mental game, forcing people to decide which bleeped out word was actually used. They usually settle on a phrase from their own vernacular, allowing them to relate to the rant, thus providing longevity.
Have a reporter hit a nerve. If it wasn't for the question, we would never have been graced with Mora the Elder's voice-cracking "Playoffs?!?!?" Who was that masked man who asked the question? Anyone? Anyone?
Hyperbole. As Mora the Elder shows, you need to go big picture, presenting the simplest tasks as if they were as difficult as removing snow from downtown Seattle. Playoffs? Oh, no, no, no. Let's just win one game, that in itself would be a miracle.
Leave on your own terms. Don't wait for the media relations person to cut things short. Launch into the rant unprompted, as previously mentioned, but be sure to wrap the press conference by walking out at the end of an answer. No need to verbally relay your departure, just finish the statement with an irritated Forrest Gump quote of, "That's all I have to say about that," and head out.
Those are the keys. Hopefully Mora the Younger can give us some fireworks in 2009. The following is a visual how-to guide (caution, bad words in here):
>KEN BONE GETS CONTRACT EXTENSION | 1/14 Former Washington assistant Ken Bone received a five-year contract extension from Portland State, making Bone the coach through the 2012-13 season. Portland State is 13-5 overall and 4-1 in the Big Sky. The Huskies beat Portland State, 84-83 Dec. 17.
>MAYS RETURNING TO USC | 1/13 Seems Taylor Mays has changed his mind. The Los Angeles Daily News is reporting the former O'Dea star will return for his senior year. Mays said after the Rose Bowl he was likely to go into the NFL draft. But USC coach Pete Carroll said yesterday Mays would return to the Trojans. Some projections had Mays as high as the No. 12 pick in the 2009 draft, should he come out.
>CALABRO SIGNS ON WITH KIRO SPORTS RADIO | 1/06 The only thing for locals to be thankful for following the Sonics' extraction is that Kevin Calabro, though offered a chance, did not go to Oklahoma City. It was announced Tuesday Calabro will be part of ESPN Radio 710, hosting his own three-hour show when the station moves its AM side to all sports April 1. KIRO will be offering KJR/AM its first taste of competition in the local sports radio scene. Should be an interesting showdown.
>EX-SEAHAWK KENNEDY AMONG HOF FINALISTS | 1/06 Former Seahawks Cortez Kennedy and John Randle were named finalists to be considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Kennedy was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and named the league's defensive player of the year in 1992 when he had a career-high 14 sacks. Here's a look at Kennedy's numbers if you want to reminisce. Also in the mix is sack artist Randle, who will be remembered by everyone other than Seahawks fans as a Viking with face paint. The hall's Board of Selectors will meet Jan. 31 to determine the inductees. Players need 80 percent of the vote for induction.
>FORREST APOLOGETIC FOR STRIKING GANT | 1/05 The oddest thing at the end of Saturday's Washington/Washington State game was the technical on Huskies' redshirt freshman Darnell Gant. Gant is seemingly one of the happiest people on the planet, polite and well-mannered. When watching the game, we missed the circumstances that led to Gant's technical. Of course, YouTube users have not. Turns out Gant was punched in the back of the head by the Coug's Caleb Forrest, also a player with a reputation as a good guy. Gant turned and said something to Forrest afterward. That earned each a technical, and Gant a seat on the bench. Jon Brockman said on KJR this morning that Forrest was apologetic, and had let the game emotions get the better of him. Brockman said Forrest has apologized to Gant. Tale of the tape:
>HUSKIES RECEIVE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE | 1/05 The Washington men's basketball team received one vote in the new coaches' poll, but none in the Associated Press poll. UW is on an eight-game winning streak, cresting in Pullman Saturday with a 20-point dismissal of Washington State. Here's the poll.
>LEACH TALKS IT OVER WITH 60 MINUTES | 1/05 When Texas Tech coach Mike Leach headed the rumored UW coaching list, it had to make people giggle. The primp and proper University of Washington teamed with a zany native Californian would have been the type of sports personality stimulus this town needs, but never seemed a match. If you're not familiar with Leach, 60 Minutes had a piece on him Sunday night. On display is the zig-zagging through topics and mumbling his conversation is built on. Also on display are his well-trained recruits. It's a good piece save the fact 60 Minutes brought in Mike Lewis of Moneyball fame as the sports writer expert to comment on Leach. Lewis wrote a long, skillful story on Leach in 2005 for the New York Times' now (sadly) defunct Sunday sports magazine, Play. Lewis gets credit for saying therein Leach had the chance to be a star. But would it have killed 60 Minutes to talk with a beat writer who has been around the program every day for the last three years? This happens all the time. Beat writers, the backbone of any media outlet, are often over-looked when the big whigs come calling. That provides less specific and realistic information to the public. Anyway ... here's the video:
>MACCULLOCH PLAYING (PIN)BALL | 12/25 The Washington Post ran a lengthy story about former Husky and NBA player Todd MacCulloch who had to leave the NBA early because of foot problems. Now MacCulloch is a pinball junkie, his Bainbridge Island home filled with the machines. MacCulloch is playing on the competitive circuit. The author is yet another former Seattle writer, Les Carpenter. Between Carpenter, Caple and the New York Times' Greg Bishop (formerly of the Seattle Times) you can get as many Seattle-based stories as anywhere else, and luckily they all do a good job. But considering the general economy, and financial issues with newspapers in particular, it's amazing papers like the Post and NYT pay for any of their writers to come all the way to Seattle for a feature.
>WORST. YEAR. EVER. | 12/25 So says former P-I writer Jim Caple in this extended piece about all the sports misery that took place in Seattle during 2008. Lots of this is a rehash, but some interesting recounts are involved. Caple hangs the piece around Big Lo's own trials and tribulations this year, as well as the super fan's everlasting optimism. Here's a video satire put together by Caple and ESPN to go with the stroy:
>STORM NAME COVERED FOR BATTLE IN SEATTLE | 12/20 Anyone else see that baseline discoloration during the "Battle in Seattle" between Gonzaga and UConn? The college squads played on what is painted as the Storm's floor, with the word "Storm" covered. The 3-point line was this odd discoloration. The event managers must have ran out of cash painting the enormous Battle in Seattle logo on the middle of the floor.
>SEATTLE U POSTPONES SATURDAY'S GAME | 12/20 A release about tonight's postponement from Seattle University: "Due to the impending weather predicted to hit the Puget Sound area, the men's basketball game between Seattle University and Linfield College scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Connolly Center has been postponed. The coaches for both teams have tentatively rescheduled the game for the second week of January. The exact date and time of the rescheduled contest will be announced as soon as it is agreed to."
>ROY PLAYS 52 PICKUP AGAINST SUNS | 12/18 Former Washington star Brandon Roy scored a career-high 52 points Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns. Despite the gaudy total, Roy was his efficient self. His 52 points were scored on only 27 field-goal attempts. Roy went 19-for-21 at the free-throw line (he went to Washington, right?) and canned 5-of-7 three-pointers. No wonder Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar references Roy almost every meeting with the press.
>3 UW VOLLEYBALLERS NAMED ALL-AMERICANS | 12/17 Washington senior middle blocker Jessica Swarbrick and libero Tamari Miyashiro were named second-team All-Americans Wednesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Sophomore setter Jenna Hagglund was named to the third team. Swarbrick leaves the program as its all-time leader in hitting percentage at .406. Miyashiro led the Pac-10 in digs this season, and was the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year. Despite games becoming shorter this season, Miyashiro is 174 digs shy of Candace Lee's school record of 2,038. Hagglund is now fourth all-time on the Washington assist list.
>CREW ACCUSES SOUNDERS OF TAMPERING | 12/12 Seattle Sounders FC has been accused of tampering by the Columbus Crew according to a report in the Columbus Post-Dispatch. The report also says former Columbus coach Sigi Schmid was offered a contract by the Sounders last week. MLS is looking into the allegations, and, if found true, the Sounders could be forced to pay Columbus a penalty. An announcement from MLS of the findings of their investigation is expected today.
>APPLEBY TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO PLAY | 12/11 We all know former UW gunner Ryan Appleby can shoot, but he promises to show you all aspects of the game. Here's a Craigslist ad for one-on-one lessons from Appleby who was recently waived by the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League. As always, buyer beware on Craigslist.
>VALVANO'S VOICE STILL RESONATES | 12/8 We know ESPN has pounded and pounded this, but for good reason. It's Jimmy V week on the network, the media beast trying to raise money for cancer research. Here's Jim Valvano's speech from the ESPY's in 1993. He gave the speech Feb. 21, saying he wanted to be back the following year. He died two months later. His foundation has raised more than $80 million for cancer research since. To donate, go here. If you're not sure if you want to donate, watch the video then think about it again. Thanks.
>PUTZ TO DETROIT? | 12/10 According to the Detroit Free-Press, the imminent signing of Kerry Wood by the Cleveland Indians has heated up trade talks for closer J.J. Putz between the Mariners and Tigers. The rumored deal would include Jeff Larish and Matt Joyce, two young, powerful, left-handed bats, and another minor leaguer for Seattle's 31-year-old closer.
>PORTLAND STATE MOVES TO 7-1 | 12/10 The Vikings downed Lewis & Clark 77-66 Tuesday night, staying undefeated at home. Former Washington player Phil Nelson had a poor night, going 1-for-5 for four points. The Vikings face Washington at Bank of America Arena Sunday at 5 p.m. The game will be on FSN.
>WITHEY GETS RELEASE FROM ARIZONA | 12/10 Freshman Jeff Withey finally received his release from the University of Arizona. Following the departure of men's basketball coach Lute Olson, the freshman applied for his release from the school, but was denied. He told ESPN.com he was "shocked" when he learned Monday he could move on. The 6-foot-10 Withey says Kansas and Texas are the schools he is considering next.
>ROY'S JERSEY TO BE RETIRED JAN. 22 | 12/4 The University of Washington will retire Brandon Roy's jersey Jan. 22 versus USC. Roy, a 2002 graduate of Garfield High School and a 2006 graduate from UW, is currently averaging 21.1 points per game for the Portland Trail Blazers. "It was always my dream to go to school at UW and play basketball for the Huskies," Roy said. "I cherish the time I spent at UW as it allowed me to develop as a basketball player and grow as a person. I was truly blessed to have amazing teammates, a great coaching staff and an unbelievable athletic department who supported me every step of the way. January 22nd will be a very special day for me and my family and I look forward to sharing it with all of the great UW fans."
>ESPN: LEACH WITHDRAWS NAME | 12/4 Appearing to finally be over Jim Mora, Husky fans seemed desperate for Texas Tech coach Mike Leach to take over the program. Looks like that's not going to happen either. ESPN is reporting that Leach has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Washington job. With Leach and Fresno State's Pat Hill both out of the mix, it would appear USC's Steve Sarkisian would be the new front-runner for the position, though Washington officials have done a good job keeping the interviews under wraps. Hill made his withdrawal official this morning in a statement. "I had a great visit with the leadership at the University of Washington and I have a great deal of respect for them and their vision. Because of the time frame we discussed, which is that I needed an answer by Wednesday, it's apparent that I'm not their top candidate. I felt it was in my best interest and the best interest of our team to make this decision at this time. I wish them the best of luck in their search."
>WEIS STAYING AT NOTRE DAME | 12/2 Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is staying with the Irish, a move that could have a domino effect on Washington's plans.
>KELLY STAYING IN CINCINNATI | 12/2 Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said today he is staying at the school. Kelly told the Cincinnati Enquirer he was contacted by the University of Washington among other schools. Along with Kelly, Cincinnati athletic director Mike Thomas commented. Thomas said the school will renovate Nippert Stadium, expanding and upgrading the facility, a topic that had been brought up in the past by Kelly.
>BOISE STATE'S PETERSEN SAYS HE'S STAYING PUT | 12/1 The Idaho Statesman says Boise State head coach Chris Petersen is staying at the school. Petersen's comments came when a reporter from Mississippi contacted the coach because of his connection to Mississippi State athletic director Greg Byrne. Petersen worked with Byrne when both were at Oregon.
>UW'S METCALF NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR | 12/1 University of Washington women's cross country coach Greg Metcalf was named the Div. I women's cross country Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Huskies women were undefeated and won the NCAA Championship.
>OWNERS FOR COMETS CAN'T BE FOUND | 12/1 The Houston Comets, one of the original WNBA teams which won four championships in the first four years of the league's existence, will fold immediately. A dispersal draft, in which players like Tina Thompson and Michelle Snow will be available, will take place Dec. 8 according to the Associated Press. At the start of last season, WNBA President Donna Orender talked at KeyArena about the strength of the league and its likely expansion within the next two years. The folding of the Comets obviously is counter to that assessment. The Houston franchise was owned by the WNBA, a situation that is never good, and was unable to find independent owners, hence the end of the WNBA's first dynasty. No word yet on when the Storm might pick in the dispersal draft.
>UW CLOSES REGULAR SEASON, AWAITS TOURNEY | 11/29 At least someone in this town is winning games. The University of Washington volleyball team closed the regular season with a sweep of Arizona (25-12, 25-21, 25-18) to finish 24-4 overall, 15-3 in the Pac-10, a record good enough for second place in the conference. Washington setter Jenna Hagglund move into fourth place on the school's all-time assist list. Washington is hosting the first, second and regional rounds of a portion of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies will learn their seed and opponent Sunday night at 7 p.m. The live selection show will be shown on ESPNU.
>SOUNDERS ADD 10 MORE ROSTER CANDIDATES | 11/26 Sounders FC's roster took several more steps forward Wednesday morning when it participated in the expansion draft. The club selected 10 players from the list of players left unprotected by other MLS teams. These are the 10 players selected:
1. Nate Jaqua (Houston Dynamo)
2. Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake)
3. Jeff Parke (New York Red Bulls)
4. Jarrod Smith (Toronto FC)
5. Khano Smith (New England Revolution)
6. Peter Vagenas (Los Angeles Galaxy)
7. Tyson Wahl (Kansas City Wizards)
8. James Riley (San Jose Earthquakes)
9. Stephen King (Chicago Fire)
10. Brad Evans (Columbus Crew)
Typically, the majority of players selected in the expansion draft do not end up on the opening day roster. Sounders General Manager Adrian Hanauer said the players will be reporting in the first week in January, when camp opens.
>PINKEL MAKES EXTENSION OFFICIAL | 11/24 Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel officially agreed to his contract extension Monday. Pinkel said the new contract will be signed in the next few days. Missouri is 9-2 this season. Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said, "I know it wasn't an easy decision for him because of the Don James connection and the Washington connection." Seems Pinkel was in the mix more than thought.
>UW CROSS COUNTRY WINS NATIONAL TITLE | 11/24 The Washington women's cross country team finished the fall with a national title. The national championship is the first for the UW women's cross country program. Washington received a big lift this season from freshmen Kendra Schaaf and Christine Babcock. Babcock finished seventh overall and Schaaf finished 12th overall. The Huskies won the Pac-10 title and finished with five All-Americans.
>YAHOO!: OKC FIRES CARLESIMO | 11/22 Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! sports is reporting Oklahoma City Thunder coach P.J. Carlesimo has been fired after the team's 1-12 start. Carlesimo was caught in what has to be one of the most dreadful scenarios a coach has ever been presented. Trying to guide a young team through all of last year's relocation drama while the front office dispatched numerous capable players in order to rebuild, Carlesimo was presented with a no-win scenario, and that's exactly what he did. Carlesimo is renowned for continued screaming at players, not a style of teacher that would be needed to uplift the fourth-youngest team in the NBA. Once the team finally relocated, it appeared to have improved with the offseason acquisitions of role players Desmond Mason and Joe Smith. But the Thunder has been dismal, going through the same issues of a year ago, unable to score or defend. Other than Kevin Durant, there has been little visible growth for the team over the past two years. It is difficult to attribute any of Durant's success to Carlesimo. Assistant coach and former NBA player Scott Brooks will take over on an interim basis. This is the worst-case scenario for the new organization and ownership group. Seems unlikely they will get any sympathy from the Seattle area. Friday night was the Thunder's second and likely last nationally televised game of the season, both ironically worked by the longtime voice of the Sonics, Kevin Calabro. At one point last night Calabro threw it to the sideline reporter, Nancy Lieberman, and said, "Nancy is with a very special guest." The special guest was the ever-robotic Clay Bennett. No word on whether or not Calabro was able to keep his pregame meal down after the interview setup.
>PAC-10 PICKS: WASHINGTON IN APPLE CUP | 11/22 Last week: 5-0 overall, 2-3 against spread Season: 28-8 overall, 17-19 against spread
Washington (0-10, 0-7) at Washington State (1-10, 0-8),
noon, FSN
USA Today line: Washington -8.5 Prediction: Hide the women and children should they be tarnished for the rest of their lives. Could this be remembered as one of the most exciting Apple Cups ever? Washington 24-21.
Stanford (5-6, 4-4) at California (6-4, 4-3), 12:30 p.m.
USA Today line: Cal -9 Prediction: Harbaugh's crew gets a Big Game from Toby Gerhart, puts Tedford on the hot seat. Stanford 27, Cal 21.
No. 21 Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) at Arizona (6-4, 4-3),
4 p.m., Versus
USA Today line: Arizona -3 Prediction: Arizona has a lot of flaws despite that record. Beavers take another step toward Rose Bowl. Oregon State 37-27.
>CRAWFORD TRADED TO GOLDEN STATE | 11/22 The Knicks traded former Rainier Beach star Jamal Crawford to the Golden State Warriors for Al Harrington Friday. Crawford should be a good fit for the Warriors wide-open, defense-optional system, not to mention he gets to leave the New York Knicks parked at dysfunction junction. Crawford is a fleet scoring guard, one who should compliment point guard Monta Ellis, helping to form a formidable trio with Eliis and Stephen Jackson, assuming Ellis returns from an ankle sprain. Ellis should be ready in the next two weeks after missing the first two months. Crawford enables intriguing options for coach Don Nelson. It's feasible Nelson could put Ellis, Crawford, Jackson and Corey Maggette on the floor together with Andris Biedrins as the lone big man. That would make one of the swiftest crews in recent NBA memory. In keeping with their recent bizarro tradition, the Knicks traded Crawford and Zach Randolph, their two leading scorers, in the same day, yet part of the headline had to do with Stephon Marbury. Marbury has been benched all season by coach Mike D'Antoni. Told Friday minutes were available, Marbury reportedly chose not to play and sat out the game. The Knicks were drubbed by Milwaukee.
>ESPN.COM TOUTS UW 2009 RECRUITING CLASS | 11/20 The Huskies four-player recruiting class for the 2009 men's basketball season was ranked 13th in the country by ESPN. Only UCLA (No. 9) was ranked higher in the Pac-10. ESPN ranks Bellarmine Prep's Abdul Gaddy as the No. 2 point guard in the country.
>USC UPSET BY SETON HALL | 11/20 USC was in foul trouble all night, and fell to Seton Hall 65-63. Touted freshman DeMar DeRozan had only three points and turned it over two times. DeRozan has 10 turnovers in three games for the Trojans (2-1).
>UCLA MEN UPSET BY MICHIGAN | 11/20 Michigan used a 1-3-1 defense to confuse and slow UCLA Thursday night, handing the Bruins a 55-52 loss in Madison Square Garden, spoiling a matchup between UCLA and Duke.
>UW FORMS FOOTBALL SEARCH COMMMITTEE | 11/19 Washington has formed a search advisory committee to help determine the next head football coach at the school. The committee was assembled by school President Mark Emmert. The committee is chaired by Pat Dobel, who is a professor of public affairs. Among the dozen members of the committee is Jake Locker, who said in the past he hoped the players were asked about who the next coach should be.
>HARBAUGH CLOSE TO EXTENSION | 11/18 After saying he was close to an extension with Stanford on Monday, Jim Harbaugh will be receiving a three-extension according to ESPN. Harbaugh was brought up lightly when Tyrone Willingham's replacement has been discusses. His extension is another sign schools are wasting no time in locking up their guys with the opening at Washington and Tennessee looming.
>PAC-10 PICKS WEEK 10 | 11/15 Taj Gibson led the way with 17 points as USC, picked by many to be the second-best team in the Pac-10 this season, downed UC Irvine Saturday, 78-55, in the opener for both schools. Trojans freshman DeMar DeRozan had 14 points in his college debut. If you are unfamiliar with DeRozan, take a look at this then get your tickets for Jan. 22, when USC comes to Bank of America Arena, because he won't be back nest year:
>PAC-10 PICKS WEEK 10 | 11/15 Last week: 4-1 overall, 2-3 against spread Overall: 23-8 overall, 15-16 against spread
Cal (6-3, 4-2) at No. 23 Oregon State (6-3, 5-1), 12:30 p.m., ABC
USA Today line: Oregon State -3 Prediction: The Beavers at home knowing what's on the line, they win it and it's off to the Rose Bowl, makes this the easiest pick of the week. Oregon State, 34-17.
Washington St. (1-9, 0-7) at Arizona State (3-6, 2-4), 2:30 p.m.
USA Today line: Arizona State -36 Prediction: Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Carpenter, that is. Arizona State 44-20.
Arizona (4-2, 6-3) at Oregon (5-2, 7-3), 3:30 p.m.
USA Today line: Oregon -3.5 Prediction: It continues to be difficult to gauge both of these teams. Oregon, 31-27.
No. 6 USC (6-1, 8-1) at Stanford (4-3, 5-5), 4 p.m., Versus
USA Today line: USC -22 Prediction: The real play here might be the under (49). USC, 17-10.
UCLA (2-4, 3-6) at Washington (0-6, 0-9), 7:15 p.m., FSN
USA Today line: UCLA -7.5 Prediction: We've picked the Huskies twice this season and look where it got us. UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft could be on a short leash as he continues to regress. This game will be decided by special teams. UCLA 20-14.
>SOUNDERS REASSEMBLE FOR THE KIDS | 11/14 Many former members of the USL Sounders will reassemble tonight at Starfire Sport Complex to play a match against All Nations Cup 2008 champions Bosnia in an effort to raise funds for the non-profit Sister Communities. The match is to support Sisters Communities' new project, "All Nations Cup School of Soccer for Underserved Children." The intent is to help children get schooling and social indoctrination via soccer. Tickets are $10 at the door.
>UW'S LINCECUM WINS NL CY YOUNG |11/11 Former University of Washington right-hander Tim Lincecum took his unorthodox delivery taught to him by his father, and turned it into the National League Cy Young Award Tuesday. Lincecum led the Major Leagues in strike outs with 265. He finished 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA for a woeful San Francisco team. The Mariners had a chance to draft Lincecum in the 2006 draft, but they opted to select Brandon Morrow fifth. Lincecum was the 10th selection that year. The Bellevue native's mechanics concerned coaches at all levels. He twists his body violently which enables him to create a high amount of torque when delivering the ball. The delivery resulted in a CY Young this year. Lincecum finished with 137 points in the voting. Arizona's Brandon Webb was second with 73 points, New York's Johan Santana third with 55 points. Here is the Sports Illustrated article from earlier in the year breaking down "The Freak."
Here's a video that attempts to breakdown Lincecum's mechanics:
>HAGGLUNG HELPS NO. 5 UW BEAT NO. 9 UCLA |11/10 Setter Jenna Hagglund had 44 assists in Washington's win over UCLA Sunday, 17-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22. Washington is now 19-4 overall, 10-3 in the Pac-10. The Huskies used a power-serving performance Sunday, an approach head coach Jim McLaughlin has tried to use more of this season. At the beginning of the year, McLaughlin said the Huskies were going to jump serve much more. They have done that, with no better success than they had Sunday after a dismal first set. Airial Salvo served four aces, and Jill Collymore had two. Both are hard-hitting jump servers. The Huskies missed only two serves the entire match.
>UW WOMEN'S SOCCER DOWNS ARIZONA |11/10 Veronica Perez and Issaquah's Kate Deines scored for the Huskies, helping them hold off Arizona 2-1 in Washington's final regular-season match of the year. Washington had to play with 10 players for 50 minutes after Alex Webber received a red card for sliding into the Arizona goalkeeper. Washington was already without head coach Lesle Gallimore. Gallimore received a red card of her own Friday and had to sit out this game. Washington is 14-5-1 overall, and 5-3-1 in Pac-10 play. The Huskies will find out if they made the NCAA Tournament today at 5 p.m. when the selection show airs on ESPNNEWS. Thanks to a brutal schedule, Washington played five teams currently in the top 10, and being ranked just outside the top 25, the Huskies should return to the tournament for the first time since 2004.
>JON BROCKMAN APPROVED THIS MESSAGE |11/9 Washington has put out a propaganda video touting Jon Brockman's candidacy as an All-American. Brockman is the nation's leading returning rebounder, and, perhaps, the nicest person to inflict a multitude of pain, mostly inadvertently on teammates in practice. Here's the video:
>RIVALS.COM SAYS ROMAR ON HOT SEAT |11/8 Rivals.com national writer Andrew Skwara claims Washington coach Lorenzo Romar is on the hot seat. Skwara points out the Huskies went from back-to-back Sweet 16 runs to not making the NIT. Inexplicably, he also references free-throw shooting under his hot-seat explanation. He predicts Washington will finish sixth in the conference and not make the NCAA Tournament in his Pac-10 preview.
>PEREZ STRIKES AGAIN FOR UW |11/8 Veronica Perez scored in overtime Friday helping the Huskies beat Arizona State 2-1. Perez followed her own penalty kick for the game-winner. Washington is now 13-5-1, 4-3-1, and poised to make the NCAA Tournament. We caught up with Perez a couple weeks back. You can learn more about her here.
>HUSKIES VOLLEYBALL TAKES DOWN USC |11/8 Washington swept No. 10 USC Friday night at Bank of America Arena. Becky Perry led the Huskies with 18 kills and hit .517. The fifth-ranked Huskies are now 18-4 overall, with a big match looming Sunday against No. 9 UCLA.
>ROY BEATS THE BUZZER |11/7 Brandon Roy's success is a constant comparison point for measuring what the huskies could be this year, individually or collectively. Washington coach Lorenzo Romar has brought up Roy's name often in the preseason, citing him as an example of this or that. Roy's biggest NBA moment may have came Thursday night, a bit after the Huskies trounced Western Washington in UW's exhibition opener. If you missed it, take a look. If you've seen it, it's worth watching again.
>PAC-10 PICKS | 11/7 Obama taught us anything is possible, so we're going with Washington this week. It could happen, right? Right?
Last week: 3-1 overall, 2-2 against spread Season: 19-7 overall, 13-13 against spread
Stanford (4-2, 5-4) at Oregon (4-2, 6-3), 12:30 p.m., FSN
USA Today line: Oregon -13 Prediction: Oregon too fast for gritty Stanford at this point. Oregon, 28-21.
Arizona (3-2, 5-3) at Washington State (0-6, 1-8), 2 p.m.
USA Today line: Arizona -39 Prediction: Lots of weapons for Arizona on offense, especially when it doesn't have to worry about anything on defense. Arizona, 58-7.
Oregon State (4-1, 5-3) at UCLA (2-3, 3-5), 3 p.m.
USA Today line: Oregon State -7 Prediction: UCLA's rushing defense is ranked just ahead of Washington in the conference. That should tell you all you need to know. Oregon State, 44-27.
Arizona State (1-4, 2-6) at Washington (0-5, 0-8), 4 p.m., FSN
USA Today line: Arizona State -14 Prediction: The resistible force versus the movable object. The question is how much pride do the Huskies have left? Washington, 21-17.
No. 21 Cal (4-1, 6-2) at USC (5-1, 7-1), 5 p.m., ABC
USA Today line: USC -17 Prediction: Cal continues to confuse, but the picture is clear here. USC, 42-10.
>BROCKMAN NAMED TO WOODEN WATCH LIST | 11/7 Washington senior forward Jon Brockman was among the 50 players named as preseason candidates for the Wooden Award All-American team and Player of the Year trophy. The Snohomish native is one of five Pac-10 players on the list. The others were Chase Budinger of Arizona; Darren Collison of UCLA; Taj Gibson of USC and James Harden of Arizona State.
>ESPN'S MILLER THINKS LEACH WOULD WORK AT UW | 11/7 Inquiring minds want to know if ESPN's Ted Miller thinks Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach would be a good fit for the Huskies. Miller says yes, and says Boise State's Chris Petersen would be a good choice, as well.
>HUSKIES MEN'S HOOPS OPENS TONIGHT | 11/7 The Huskies men's basketball team plays its lone exhibition of the season tonight, hosting Western Washington at Bank of America Arena at 7 p.m. The Huskies have exceed11/7ed that normal preseason optimism level, appearing very confident, though they have not reached Jim McLaren "We have five No. 1s" level yet. Freshman Isaiah Thomas will give them a jolt offensively, but it will be interesting to see how well he defends bigger guards in the conference. Jon Brockman appears more determined and is more muscularly defined than a year ago. With the loss of Ryan Appleby, the Huskies should see quite a bit of zone from opposing defenses this season. Quincy Pondexter and Justin Dentmon said they have worked on their jumpshot over the summer, hoping to make it more consistent. For now, the purest shooter on the team is freshman Elston Turner. UPDATE: Washington 105, Western 85
>START TIME FOR SEATTLE U CHANGED |11/7 The tip-off for the Seattle University men's basketball Div. I home opener has been changed from 7:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., on Jan. 1, 2009, at KeyArena. This will be the Redhawks' first Div. I home game in almost 29 years.
>UW GOLF'S TAYLOR TAKES TOURNAMENT |11/7 Junior Nick Taylor continued his strong fall, taking the CordeValle Collegiate in San Martin, Calif., with a four-under par 212. Taylor and USC's Tim Sluiter were medalists.
>RAY ALLEN MEETS OLD TEAM, SORT OF |11/7 The NBA champion Boston Celtics were in Oklahoma City last night to thump the Thunder, 96-83. It was the first time Ray Allen faced the Thunder, and he commented on basketball in Seattle prior to the game. “If you throw out the disagreements that the city had with the ownership group, and it was just this past ownership group that sold to the Clay Bennett group that the city was somewhat disgruntled with, it definitely worked," Allen told the Associated Press. "I think just to have basketball not only in Portland but in Seattle, it only does better for the league.”
>KATZ PROFILES UCLA'S ABOYA |11/7 Alfred Aboya is trying to make his fourth consecutive Final Four with the Bruins while pounding a large course load that includes Principles of Microeconomic Theory and Statistical Method for Policy Analysis. Aboya wants to be president of his native Cameroon one day.
>HUSKIES WOMEN TAKE EXHIBITION IN OVERTIME | 11/5 Senior Heidi McNeill scored four of the Huskies' nine points in overtime, helping Washington hold off Love & Basketball 77-73 in an exhibition at Bank or America Arena Tuesday night.
>UCLA OPENS WITH EXHIBITION WIN | 11/4 Josh Shipp scored 20 points in No. 4 UCLA's 86-58 win over Cal Baptist in an exhibition game Monday night at Pauley Pavilion. Touted freshman Jrue Holiday had an outstanding all-around game, scoring 12 points to go with seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals.
>USC ROLLS IN EXHIBITION OPENER | 11/4 Freshman DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points for USC which handled Azusa Pacific 85-64 Monday night. The 18th-ranked Trojans never trailed and led by as many as 22 points.
>TEXAS TECH'S LEACH A HOT NAME | 11/4 Following the best game of the year Saturday, undefeated Texas Tech has vaulted to No. 2 in the AP poll. The team's success has provided their eccentric coach Mike Leach with surging notoriety. This is a good look at Leach, who quotes Winston Churchill and is mentioned in this New York Times article as a candidate for the Washington job.
>WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN PROCESS | 11/4 Tennessee announced Monday that head coach Phillip Fulmer will be stepping down after 17 seasons in charge of the Volunteers. The difference in press conferences between the dismissal of Tyrone Willingham and the dismissal of Fulmer is stunning. Even considering the legacy Fulmer had at Tennessee, something Willingham certainly does not at Washington, the differences are unbelievable. First, Fulmer told his players prior to the press conference. That enabled the players to attend the press conference which started with a standing ovation for Fulmer by the players. Fulmer was emotional throughout, fighting back tears at the end when talking about what it meant to him that the players were there. The press conference concluded with another ovation for Fulmer from his players. You can watch the press conference here, the video link is on the right side. Fulmer decides to depart early, leaving Tennessee's athletic director, Mike Hamilton, alone at the table. As questions began for the AD, the players all got up and left. Fulmer's dismissal means Washington just picked up a big competitor in the new coach sweepstakes, and the media gets to speculate who will succeed Fulmer. Among those mentioned are Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Lane Kiffin, Boise State's Chris Petersen and Texas Tech's Mike Leach. Where have we seen that list before?
>SPU HEADS TO CAL TO OPEN EXHIBITION SEASON | 11/4 Seattle Pacific men's basketball opens its exhibition season Thursday at Cal as part of a three-game swing through California. The Falcons play exhibitions at Stanford Saturday and at Saint Mary's Nov. 14. Remember last year when SPU put a scare into Washington, losing 86-77 in an exhibition? Shorewood grad Rob Diederichs lit up the Huskies, scoring 36 points.
>HUSKIES WOMEN GET UNDER WAY TONIGHT | 11/4 Washington will host an exhibition tonight against Love & Basketball, a traveling team made up of mostly former college players. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Bank of America Arena. Year two for coach Tia Jackson should be interesting. Half of the roster is new, allowing Jackson to fully put her imprint on the program this season.
>UW VOLLEYBALL RIGHTS SHIP | 11/3 After being swept by Stanford Friday night, the Washington volleyball team rebounded to sweep Cal, handing the fourth-ranked Golden Bears their first home loss of the season. Washington moves to 17-4 overall, 8-3 in Pac-10 play.
>READ IT AND WEEP | 11/2 A look around the Web at Washington postmortems and other college football news. ESPN's Ted Miller says just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the Huskies, it does. The L.A. Times' Trojans blog has some happy-happy, joy-joy quotes from the USC staff. Rudy Carpenter led a late Arizona State touchdown drive, but the Sun Devils had the 2-point conversion intercepted with 21 seconds left, falling 27-25 to Oregon State. Wonder if those guys will be desperate for a win this Saturday at Husky Stadium? The Times' T.J. Simers calls the game a "pig roast" before moving into his column about former USC tailback Anthony Davis who set up an autograph table in the tailgate area and charges $10 a pop. A kid with an autograph book is denied by Davis because the youngster doesn't have any money. Davis claims the money is going to the Anthony Davis Foundation, which Simers has a hard time believing, let alone finding. Alabama is the new No. 1 in the human polls, while USC is No. 7 in the AP poll, and No. 6 in the USA Today poll. USC is once again the lone Pac-10 team in the rankings. This is from the other day, but nerve-stabbing columnist Jason Whitlock says the failures of Tyrone Willingham do not make Charlie Weis look good.
>ARIZONA STOPS BASKETBALL SCRIMMAGE | 11/2 New Wildcats coach Russ Pennell stopped the scrimmage for fear of additional injury after two players cramped up. Guard Nic Wise injured his ankle Saturday morning and two other players had problems with cramps.
>PAC-10 PICKS | 11/1 The Huskies step to the guillotine in L.A.; Oregon and Cal play to challenge USC; Cougs in trouble again. All the favorites covered last week.
Last week: 4-0 overall, 3-1 against spread Season: 16-6 overall 11-11 against spread
No. 23 Oregon (4-1, 6-2) at Cal (3-1, 5-2), 12:30 p.m., ABC
USA Today line: Cal -3 Prediction: The marquee game of the day in the conference, this is a monster for Cal. If it can beat Oregon, then it gets USC next week with the Rose Bowl basically on the line. The Golden Bears won't have the ball thrown right to them like last week, as Oregon will run, run, run. Oregon has the No. 1 rushing offense in the conference, Cal counters with the No.2 rushing defense. Which gives? Oregon, 24-21.
Washington St. (0-5, 1-7) at Stanford (3-2, 4-4), 2 p.m., no TV
USA Today line: Stanford -28 Prediction: Wonder when a Coug fan thought they would be 28-point underdogs to Stanford. Yikes. Stanford, 44-10.
Washington (0-4, 0-7) at No. 7 USC (4-1, 6-1), 3:30 p.m., FSN
USA Today line: USC -43 Prediction: Wonder when a Husky fan thought they would be 43-point underdogs to USC. Double yikes. USC, 55-3.
Arizona St. (1-3, 2-5) at Oregon St. (3-1, 4-3), 7:15 p.m., FSN
USA Today line: Oregon State -12 Prediction: More of the same for Oregon State as Rodgers brothers zig, zag, score. Oregon State, 42-17.
>ESPN CHECKS IN WITH FRANKLIN'S SIVA | 11/1 Franklin guard Peyton Siva, who will play for Louisville next year, talks about going through an NBA-style workout with Franklin legend Jason Terry. Siva says he wants his jersey to be retired at Franklin, right next to Terry's.
>SCHAAF, WASHINGTON TAKE PAC-10 TITLE | 11/1 The Washington women's cross country team put together a dominating performance at the Pac-10 championships, taking the top six spots. Freshman Kendra Schaaf set a Pac-10 and course record, finishing the 6,000-meter run in 19:24. The previous record was 19:40. Schaaf was one of four Washington runners to break the course record Friday.
>RICK REILLY TALKS WITH JOHN WOODEN | 11/1 Wooden's great-grandson, Tyler Trapani, is a freshman walk-on this season at UCLA. Wooden is now 98, and Reilly tells of two separate occasion when Wooden avoided what would have been sure death. We're not much for Reilly, but this is an interesting read.
>STANFORD SWEEPS UW IN VOLLEYBALL | 11/1 Washington lost at Palo Alto, Calif., Friday night, getting swept by No. 5 Stanford, 25-22, 25-23, 25-18. That gives Stanford a sweep of the season series. The Cardinal have taken six consecutive sets from Washington.
>WHO WILL COACH THE SOUNDERS? | 11/1 It's not just the University of Washington searching for a new coach. The Sounders FC is still attempting to figure out who will head its club when play starts in the spring. Kyle McCarthy of goal.com looks at candidates.
>HUSKIES RECEIVE 19 VOTES IN AP POLL | 10/31 Washington is ranked 35th in the country according to the preseason AP men's basketball poll. UCLA is the top Pac-10 team, ranked fourth. Arizona State is 15th, USC 18th, Washington State 41st, Arizona 44th, and Stanford 51st. So much for the down year in the Pac-10.
>UCLA BIG FAVORITE IN A PAC-10 MEDIA POLL | 10/30 It's Pac-10 Media Day down in L.A., and the preseason media poll has been released. UCLA received 37 of 38 first-place votes. The Huskies were picked to finish fifth.
Here's the poll:
1. UCLA (37) 379
2. Arizona State (1) 325
3. USC 292
4. Arizona 241
5. Washington 217
6. Washington State 188
7. Oregon 147
8. California
9. Stanford
10. Oregon State
>3-POINT LINE PAINTED TOO CLOSE IN OKC | 10/29 Maybe it's bad karma or just amateur hour. But the new court for the Ford Center's newest resident, the Oklahoma City Thunder, arrived with the 3-point line painted to college standards, 22 feet, nine inches away. Like many Earl Watson jumpers, it was short. After working all night Tuesday and into today, the floor is ready to go for tonight's opener.
>COULD SOUNDERS NEW STAR TAKE OVER? | 10/29 He's been a model, a national team captain, and is rich. Combine those three things and soon-to-be huge name Freddie Ljungberg might be bigger than Beckham according to Si.com's Arash Markazi.
>ACCORDING TO SEATTLE TIMES, GADDY TO UW | 10/28 According to a report in the Seattle Times, Bellarmine Prep star Abdul Gaddy will sign an early letter of intent to play at the University of Washington.
Gaddy, a 6-foot-3 guard ranked as one of the best in his position in the country, officially decommited from the University of Arizona earlier this week following the news longtime Arizona coach Lute Olson will no longer head the team.
Gaddy said he reduced his options to UCLA and Washington when he decided not to go to Arizona. Now he will be joining an already deep guard rotation at the University of Washington.
Joining Gaddy in the 2009 backcourt will be Isaiah Thomas, Venoy Overton and Quincy Pondexter. Gaddy become the fourth commitment to Washington for the 2009 season, joining guard C.J. Wilcox of Provo, Utah; center Charles Garcia Jr. of Riverside (Calif.) CC; and forward Clarence Trent, formerly of Gig Harbor but is now playing for a prep school in North Carolina.
Here's a Gaddy highlight reel from YouTube:
>JACKSON MAKES DEBUT FOR SPARTAK MOSCOW |10/28 The Seattle Storm was left to wonder what might be different had star Lauren Jackson not been injured during the playoffs. Now they can start to see, since Jackson's played her first organized game since having post-Olympic right ankle surgery. Jackson debuted with her winter team, Spartak Moscow, which Sue Bird also plays for, in the Superleague play. Jackson came off the bench to play 12 minutes Sunday, scoring 10 points, grabbing six rebounds and committing three fouls. Spartak plays a Euroleague game next.
>ROMAR ON WILLINGHAM, COACHING MORTALITY |10/28 Men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar visited with the media types today, decked out in a suit and tie. He commented on coach Tyrone Willingham's dismissal, and the Arizona situation. Romar did not know coming into the session that Arizona coach Lute Olson had a stroke in past year, and learned that information when a reporter brought it up to him.
On coach Willingham's dismissal: "It's something that is very unfortunate. Coach is someone that from day one I had a lot of respect for and just immediately, just trusted him. He's just done so many things right for this program, so many things. It's unfortunate in this profession sometimes these decisions have to be made. If there's anyone I know who is going to do just fine after this, it is Tyrone Willingham. He is one incredible person, one incredible person. I hope no one will lose site of what his intentions have always been and how much he's done for this program and university since he's been here.
The nature of sports is we as fans very unforgiving. I don't think we ever look at sports and say, 'We'll give him a pass because this happened or that happened.' Bottom line, it doesn't matter. Coach has done so many things right here. The wins didn't come as anyone would like and this is the result.
Anytime you work closely with someone ... we play games and over there to the right is coach Willingham at our games; couple of our guys are out messing around shooting free throws, here comes coach Willingham challenging them and beating them sometimes in a free-throw contest.
Sometimes we come out before the game, there's coach Willingham, the support there. If anyone here at this university goes elsewhere, you hate to see it.
If this was a reminder of his own coaching mortality:Absolutely. No question. You're judged on your wins and losses. Period. If you go too long with out many wins, then people start looking at you cross-eyed.You go too long without many losses and you don't win by too many points, they start looking at you cross-eyed. It's win, win, win, win, win. I understand that. I totally understand that.
When I played in the NBA I always said to myself, "Man, one day I'm gonna get cut. One day I'm going to be playing in the CBA or something. I always said, 'How long can I go, how long can I go?' One day I was warming up in two-line layups and I looked around and nobody is in the stands. I said 'Doggit! I'm here! I'm in the CBA.' It happened. It happens to a lot of coaches. (The men's basketball coaches) have been fortunate to be here going into seven years and I think we've been fairly successful. That's not something I'm waking up every morning thinking, 'Uh-oh, am I going to have my job today?' I don't look at it like that at all. I feel pretty confident we've been doing OK and we'll continue to be OK.
On coach Olson: I think we have a lost a superstar in coach Olson. With the controversy centering around the program, with the pride he has and how hard he's worked to get that program where it is, I'm sure it wouldn't be his choice for it to end like this, but you can't I don't look at it as he had a very unsuccessful career because of what has happened recently.
>A QUICK LOOK AT LAST 10 MARINERS NO. 1 PICKS 10/26 With new general manager Jack Zduriencik renowned as a draft guru, a quick review of the Mariners last 10 No. 1 picks proves how desperate they are for that type of GM. In the last 10 years, only two of the Mariners' No. 1 picks have made it to the big leagues, Brandon Morrow and Jeff Clement. Four of the last 10 years, the Mariners didn't even have a No. 1 pick. For comparison sake, seven of Tampa Bay's 10 selections made it to the Majors, four of which are playing in the World Series as we speak. The Phillies have three of their top picks from the last 10 years, Pat Burrell, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels as crucial postseason pieces.
