Where’s the Apple Cup Trash Talk? Steve Sarkisian has “so much respect” for Paul Wulff. His players “are very respectful of Washington State.” Oh come on! Is this the Northwest Association of Insurance Adjusters Annual Meeting and Cribbage Tournament or a friggin’ football game?
Shell-Shocked Mariner Fans Can’t Handle Another Trade: Baseball pundits Geoff Baker, Shannon Dreyer, and Dave Cameron all tried to talk Mariner fans off the ledge today. Read away, but the jist is this: If you have a chance to get a young, established major league player like Justin Upton, yeah, you trade prospects. No, it doesn’t necessarily mean a return to Bavasi-era awfulness.
Don’t Count on Having Mike Williams Back Next Week (a.k.a. Don’t Count on Scoring): Williams is still questionable for Sunday’s Carolina game, with a strained left foot. “Without him in there, it changes who we are a little bit, Hasselbeck says. Sure, if by “a little bit” you mean the difference between bacon-wrapped meatloaf and popchips.
What They’re Saying
“Just because we ranked #1 in the state don’t mean NOTHING. Me and my boys still got something to prove.” — Tony Wroten, via Twitter
“I have so much respect for Paul (Wulff) and his staff because when you look at the film, his kids play hard.” — Steve Sarkisian
“Carroll’s Win Forever strategy is at odds with Seattle developing future talent.” — John Morgan, Field Gulls
In Other News
Hey Pat Riley–if you and the Heat decide to fire Erik Spoelstra, former Husky coach Andy Russo is nearby in Boca Raton! You’ll just have to pry him away from his job as varsity girls’ basketball coach at Saint Andrews K-12 Boarding School.
Dan Monson, in town with his Long Beach St. 49ers to face the Huskies today, sounds like he wishes he’d taken the UW job when it was offered to him in 2002. Lorenzo Romar, on the other hand, is pretty happy with his choice.
One forgets that what you and I may think makes a good bowl game is not the criteria of bowl executives. Huskies “showed all the things you want to see from a bowl team,” against Cal, Holiday Bowl poobah Scott Alevy told Bob Condotta. Like what? Surely not competent football playing. “They had a strong showing of alumni and support even though it was a rainy, cold holiday weekend.” Ah.
Seahawks injury report: Michael Robinson will be back, presumably ending John Carlson’s brief career as a fullback, and Chris Spencer should be good to go after suffering an ankle injury near the end of the Chiefs “game.”
Husky football injury report: Punter Kiel Rasp is ok, but OT Senio Kelemete has a sprained ankle and may not play in the Apple Cup.
Husky basketball injury report: Scott Suggs will miss tonight’s Long Beach State game with an MCL sprain. Venoy Overton still hasn’t fully recovered from the bruised tailbone he suffered two weeks ago against Eastern Washington.
The Huskies dropped in the human polls; down to 23rd in the AP hoops poll, 22nd in the coaches poll. However, take heart: Ken Pomeroy’s computer poll has the Dawgs 7th in the nation.
Thinking about a Holiday Bowl trip? (Knock on wood.) Airfare would run you about $500.
Daren Brown will be back managing at Tacoma next year, after going 19-31 as the M’s 17th manager.
If you had a Hall-of-Fame ballot, you could rep for ex-Mariners Edgar Martinez (he got 36.2% of the vote last year, he needs 75%), Tino Martinez, Bret Boone, and John Olerud. Rafael Palmiero’s also on the ballot, so prepare to hide your ears from the onslaught of what-about-the-children moralizing.
See that Niners/Cards game? Yikes. After winning 27-6, the Niners are just 1 game back in the NFC West at 4-7.
The Times’ Mason Kelley came out with his preseason boys high-school hoops rankings.
After yesterday’s belated semifinals, the state high school football championships are set.
1B–Lummi vs. Cusick (Friday, 7:30 p.m.)
2B–South Bend vs. Colfax (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)
1A–Cascade Christian vs. Connell (Saturday, 10 a.m.)
2A–Tumwater vs. Archbishop Murphy (Saturday, 1 p.m.)
3A–Bellevue vs. Kamiakin (Friday, 4 p.m.)
4A–Skyline vs. Ferris (Saturday, 4 p.m.)
Today’s Action
Husky hoops vs. Long Beach St., 8 p.m., BOA Arena (FSN)
