The Mariners lost two of three to the Yankees, but enjoyed a winning week overall; a dozen athletes with state connections earned Olympic medals; the Sounders won a Champions League match and romped over the L.A. Galaxy; the Seahawks confirmed they will bring WR Terrell Owens into camp for a Monday tryout; UW and WSU football geared up, and Brandon Roy made his NBA comeback official. This Was The Week That Was.
JULY 30-AUGUST 5, 2012
- GOOD WEEK — Swimmer Nathan Adrian of Bremerton and coxswain Mary Whipple fom the University of Washington combined for three gold medals in London, Adrian in the 100 freestyle and 4×100 medley relay and Whipple in women’s eight. Adrian became the state’s career Summer Olympics medals leader with four, and Whipple became the first rower (man or woman) to win three medals, and the second with two golds (also Richard Wailes, 1956, 1960).
- BAD WEEK — Search as we might, we couldn’t find any athlete or any team with connections to Washington that had anything remotely close to a bad week, making July 30-Aug. 5 the first good bad week of 2012.
- PLAYS OF THE WEEK — Monday, Oak Harbor’s Marti Malloy won a bronze in judo (57 kg) with a match-ending throw against 2008 Olympic champion Giulia Quintavalle of Italy; Wednesday, Adrian touched the pool back one-hundredth of a second faster than Australia’s James “The Missile” Magnussen to take gold in the 100 freestyle.
- STAT OF THE WEEK — Nathan Adrian and ex-UW rower Mary Whipple joined Helene Madison (1932), Jack Medica (1936), Mary Wayte (1984, 1988), Trazie Ruiz (1984, 1988), Meagan Quann Jendrick (2000) and Margaret Hoelser (2008) as the only athletes with state connections to win as many as three career summer medals. Adrian’s pair pushed his career total to four.
- EX-SEATTLE JOCKS OF THE WEEK — Former Seahawk Cortez Kennedy, eight times a Pro Bowler for Seattle, enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame during ceremonies at Canton, OH, becoming the second Seahawks player enshrined, following WR Steve Largent (1995) . . . Former UW star Nate Robinson (2003-05), who spent the 2011-12 season averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 assists for the Golden State Warriors, agrees to a contract with the Chicago Bulls that will pay him a reported $1.2 million in 2012-13.
- SUNDAY, Aug. 5 — Facing a full-strength Galaxy squad, the Sounders rise to the occasion by obliterating the chic stars from L.A. 4-0 in the biggest match of the MSL season played in front of 60,908 at CenturyLink Field Four Sounders — Eddie Johnson, Fredy Montero, Alex Caskey and Andy Rose, tally, Caskey and Rose for the first time in their MLS careers . . . Mariners done in by ex-Mariners: Raul Ibanez homers and drives in three runs and Freddy Garcia collects his 150th career win as the Yankees undress Seattle 6-2. Ichiro extends his hitting streak to 12 games, all since his trade from Seattle . . . Steve David goes wire-to-wire in the Oh Boy! Oberto to win his third consecutive Albert Lee unlimited hydroplane race on Lake Washington. David wins for the fourth time in six tries and Dave Willwock, a 10-time winner of the Seafair race, comes in fourth . . . Seattle’s Queen Underwood, the first American woman to box in the Olympics, predicted before the Games she would bring home the gold, but loses in a preliminary 21-13 to Great Britain’s Natasha Jones.
- SATURDAY, Aug. 4 — Felix Hernandez hurls another gem, a 1-0, complete-game shutout over the Yankees in New York. It’s his sixth straight win and third shutout in eight starts. Hernandez allows two hits, one to former Mariner Ichiro . . . Adrian wins his second gold of the Olympics as part of the USA medley relay team, swimming the anchor leg after Michael Phelps ends his spectacular career in the the third leg . . . Kirkland cyclist Jennie Reed, in her third Olympics, finally wins her first medal, a silver in women’s team pursuit . . . Former Husky rower Scott Gault (2003-05), earns a bronze medal as part of the USA four.
- FRIDAY, Aug. 3. — C.C. Sabathia pitches a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and ends the Mariners’ bid to win eight games in a row for the first time in more than five years. Until the ninth inning, Sabathia didn’t even get to a three-ball count. “CC had everything working,” says Mariners manager Eric Wedge. “Our guys played good baseball, but CC was just real good” . . . Ex-UW discus thrower Aretha Hill Thurmond, appearing in her fourth Olympics, fails to qualify for event final with a besy of 194-8.
- THURSDAY, Aug. 2— Whipple leads the USA to a gold medal in women’s eight, becoming the first rower with state ties to medal in three consecutive Olympics (silver in Athens in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008) . . . The American League names Jason Vargas as its Pitcher of the Month for July after Vargas posts a 5-0 record with a 1.64 ERA with one complete game and 26 strikeouts. Vargas becomes the first Mariner to win the award since Cliff Lee in June, 2010 . . . Andy Rose scores a goal and adds two assists, leading the Sounders to a 3-1 victory over Caledonia in a group-stage CONCACAF Champions League match at CenturyLink Field.
- WEDNESDAY, Aug. 1 — Adrian wins the 100-meter freestyle and five former University of Washington rowers collect medals. Adrian wins by a hundredth of a second. UW rowers Megan Kalmoe and Adrienne Martelli win bronze medals in quadruple sculls, while Conlin McCabe, Will Crothers and Rob Gibson, representing Canada, take silver in men’s eight . . . Eric Thames homers in his first game as a Mariner as Seattle stretches its winning streak to six with a 5-3 win over Toronto. Starter Blake Beavan improves to 4-0 since his July 17 recall from Tacoma.
- TUESDAY, July 31 — Jason Vargas celebrates not getting traded by winning his fifth consecutive start, a 7-2 decision over the Toronto Blue Jays, which gives Seattle its sixth straight win . . . Federal Way’s Ariana Kukors, the world record holder, finishes fifth in her specialty, the 200-meter individual medley. With a clocking of 2:09.83, Kukors was less than a second out of a medal spot . . . The Seahawks sign veteran WR Braylon Edwards, but Coach Pete Carroll says its too soon to say how, or even if, Edwards will fit in with the club.
- MONDAY, July 30 — Oak Harbor native Marti Malloy wins a bronze medal (57 kg) in judo at the London Olympics with a match-ending throw. Malloy earns her medal by ippon, judo’s equivalent of a walk-off homer, with 2:34 elapsed in the five-minute match . . . Hisashi Iwakuma fans a club rookie-record 13 batters as the Mariners win their fifth in a row, a 4-1 decision over the Toronto Blue Jays. “He was fantastic tonight and we really needed him to step up,” says manager Eric Wedge, missing key bullpen operatives after a pair of trades. The Mariners sent former closer Brandon League to the Dodgers for two minor leaguers and dispatched Steve Delabar to the Blue Jays for OF Eric Thames.
TOP 5 NUMBERS
- 5
2: Judo medals won by American women after Oak Harbor’s Marti Malloy won a bronze in London Monday.
- 4
5: Rowing medals won by ex-UW athletes at the Olympic Games Tuesday, including bronze by quad scullers Megan Kalmoe and Adrienne Martinelli. - 3
0.1: Margin, in seconds, by which Adrian won Olympic gold in 100-meter freestyle Wednesday. - 2
In Cortez Kennedy’s tenure with the Seahawks (1990-2000), the Hall of Famer inducted Saturday played with 11 starting quarterbacks. - 1
4: Career Olympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver) won by Adrian, most by any athlete with connections to the state.
READS OF THE WEEK
Thiel: Galaxy Stars Dim In 4-0 Loss To Sounders: If Seattle had known David Beckham fancied powerboating, as he demonstrated during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, we could have moved him one sport to the east Sunday . . . MORE
Thiel: What Else? Seahawks’ Tez Leaves ‘Em Laughing: To the surprise of no one, Cortez Kennedy Saturday night thanked nearly everyone who offered him a hand along the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But in a speech that that was funny, poignant and warm, the Seahawks defensive tackle also playfully called out his dad, Joe Harris, who made little Tez re-cut the lawn in the darkness of 5 a.m. when he didnt do the job right the first time . . . MORE
Thiel: Deals Leave Mariners ‘Hoping’ Again: Now that the non-waiver trade deadline has passed, here are the two most important quotes from Mariners executives regarding the next six months or so of the clubs future. Can you identify the speaker and the context? . . . MORE
Wayback Machine: 10 Intriguing Olympians: Beginning with University of Washington discus thrower Gus Pope at Antwerp in 1920, athletes with ties to the state of Washington have collaborated to win 74 gold, 33 silver and 29 bronze medals in the Summer Games. Rowers affiliated with the UWs outstanding crew program claimed the majority, but swimmers, shooters, and track and field athletes have also stood on podiums. Ten of our more interesting Olympians . . . MORE
Thiel: County, City Buy More Time For More Arena Work: The end of the beginning of the arena project was reached Monday when Seattle took the hot potato and flipped it to King County, which fired it right back to the city. And it was good. But somewhere, Chris Hansen is thinking to himself, Jeezus H., I could have just given $290 million to the Boys and Girls Clubs, and yelled, Go Sonics. . . . MORE
Thiel: City Fires First In Asking For Arena-Deal Changes: Chris Hansens offer for a new sports arena is not good enough, said a letter signed Monday by eight of the nine members of the Seattle City Council. But that doesnt mean no more like whoa . . . MORE
Thiel: County’s Arena Vote Won’t Solve Much: One of the most compelling virtues of sports is resolution. A fan studies information before the event to create expectations, spends two or three hours (except in cricket) spectating, then always gets a win or a loss (except in soccer and hockey) against which to judge ones expectations. Almost nothing else in life, at least fully clothed, can provide such definitive satisfaction . . . MORE
That Was The Week That Was (July 23-29): The Mariners bid adieu to franchise legend Ichiro, dispatching him to the New York Yankees, and then feasted on an inept Kansas City pitching staff in a rare, four-game sweep; Eddie Johnson scored the game-winning goal in the MLS All-Star Game and added another as the Sounders extended their unbeaten streak to five, and the Seahawks opened their third training camp under Pete Carroll with everyone speculating on the identity of the starting quarterback . . . MORE
SAID
“When I ended up catching her with a full score at the end, the shock of it, it still gives me goose bumps. I peaked for this tournament. It’s my first Olympics, and I feel fantastic leaving with the bronze” — Marti Malloy, Oak Harbor judoka, after winning a bronze medal in London by scoring a decisive ippon — judo’s equivalent of a knockout — against Italy’s Giulia Quintavalle, 2008 Olympic champion
“We’d really like to thank the two players that we traded — Steve Delabar and Brandon League. They’ve been great citizens here, very good people. We’re very appreciative of what they’ve done” — Jack Zduriencik, Mariners GM, after trading the pair to Toronto and the Dodgers, respectively
“I don’t know if it was because it was the first home run as a Yankee, or because it was my 100th home run, but I don’t think I’ve ever received that kind of ovation from the fans, with that many and that loud. Maybe it was the first time ever in my career I received something that big” — Ichiro, on the ovation he received July 30 after hitting his first home run as a Yankee
“It’s definitely better to not have them get rid of you. To keep you here means they want you more than what was offered. So I’m happy” — Jason Vargas, expressing relief that the Mariners didn’t trade him at the deadline
“You can probably tell on my face, ‘Oh, sweet, I won the heat,’ and then it took a minute and, ‘Oh, wait, it’s the Olympics” — Nathan Adrian after winning the 100-meter freestyle
“I think it takes selflessness and the ability to come together as a group. On the one side, it’s just one 2K race. But on the other side, it’s the Olympic Games. We just wanted to be up there, look each other in the eye — even though we are facing backwards –and just enjoy it, one stroke at a time” — Mary Whipple, former UW standout, after helping lead the USA women’s eight
“I loved playing for the Seahawks, you know. I didn’t want to play anywhere else” — Cortez Kennedy, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday
