Thoughts on the Alamo Bowl

When I told the Wife that I was leaving only an hour early to go to the Apple cup, she thought I was crazy. She knows that I don't like being late or leaving early from games and surely an hour was not enough time. i told her it was no big deal because even if I missed 2 scoring drives, there were probably going to be 8 more once I got inside the stadium. The Huskies have no defense. Whenever they play a team with an equally defense, it is going to be a shootout. Last night was no different.

It's amazing to admit, but I was actually bored by a good portion of the second half. To me, a total of 43 points in one quarter isn't suspenseful. I know that many people will argue that the 9-6 LSU-Bama game earlier this year was the most boring 60 minutes of their lives, but at least their was suspense. At least there was a chance that one of the offenses could score. In the Alamo Bowl last night, I never once thought either team could get stop. it was like an Arena League game.

Ok, with that being said, I did watch the entire second half and have the following random comments about the game

• I get that striking The Superman pose is the new fad, but I think it is going a little far. I saw the fullback break it out last night after a 4th down conversion, a DB break it out after an open field tackle and of course countless guys do it after TD's. Give it a break guys.
• My favorite part of the game was clearly when listening to former defensive stud Chris Spielman say anything positive about the game. Early in the third quarter he was asked if the offense deserves any credit and his response was great - "I'm not gonna give either offense any credit. They don't get credit. The defenses are just bad." Then later he said this was "really unbelievable" when speaking about the 100+ points and the 1000+ yards. He even suggested that both teams try onsides kicks, cut the field down and use the endzone as a 12th defender and hope for a FG. I was fully expecting him at any time to take off the headsets, run down to the field, rip off his shirt and beat the crap out of the defensive coordinators.
• In case there was any question, Keith Price is the man. With his 7 total TD and 438 yard performance, he is now the owner of the most impressive season ever by UW QB. Over 3000 yards passing, 36 total td's and only 11 interceptions. Oh, and he is only a Sophomore.
• Early in the year the Huskies couldn't stop the pass. Then when they went against Stanford and Andrew Luck, they only gave up 169 passing yards compared to 446 running yards. The same thing happened tonight as the "held" RG3 to 295 passing, but gave up 482 yards on the ground (including 3 rushers with 100+ yards!!).
• Anyone else really like the white helmets? I know I am not the UW traditionalist like many others, but I thought they were really sharp. Interesting that neither team went with their traditional gold helmets.
• Halfway through the game, my thought was that Chris Polk was off to the NFL. But now, after realizing that he is a mere 31 yards short of breaking Napoleon Kaufman's all-time school rushing record combined with the bad taste left in his mouth from the crucial third quarter fumble, I think he comes back to be part of what could be one of the special offensive units in college football. Or at least let's hope so.
• In none Huskies football stuff, a nice win by the Dawgs on the hardwood. They may have given up 80 points, but there was no way that the Beavers were going to outscore them. Also, I got to watch an exciting game between Rutgers and #10 Florida in which the Scarlet Knights overcame a late 7 point deficit to get the upset win in 2OT. The most amazing thing was that 0 points were scored by seniors. On the season, freshman and sophomores have accounted for 82% of their total points. It is going to be a up and down season this year, but they may be on to something for the future.
• Ok, back to the Alamo Bowl - I think RG3 can be successful in the NFL. I actually think he is still a bit green, but the dude has some freakish athleticism. In the past many successful dual-threat college QB's haven't been very successful in the pros but Cam Newton is showing that sometimes it doesn't matter - if you're a physical freak you can get things done.
• I love the freshman Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams.
• Best of luck to Jermaine Kearse who ends his 4 year career with 2871 total receiving yards and 29 td's, both 2nd in school history. He was a part of that historically bad 2008 team but stuck with it and can say he was a key part of the UW revival.
• The offense may even be better next year and should be great for a long while. If I'm a potential recruit and I play offense, I have to seriously think about UW. I mean, they are going to score some points
• On the other side of the ball, I have no idea how Nick Holt keeps his job. I know that the administration isn't going to force Sarkisian to do anything, but how can he not go in another direction? I know that they are friends, but this defense kept them from winning 9 games in only his third season at the helm. I know there was a lot of leftover players from the old regime, but the offense was able to retool, why not the defense? This isn't USC. UW doesn't have the athletic freaks on defense that just blow up people.
• Jeopardy style...Answer: 13. Question: How many more points did Oregon St score than Baylor did against the Huskies?
  

My Favorite NBA Jerseys

In April 2010, one of my first posts on the blog was a list of the ten NBA jerseys I most wanted to have. It was a list not just of my favorite players in the league, but a combo of players I like to watch and jerseys that I just think are cool to look at. Well, since then a lot has happened in the NBA and I thought it was time once again to put out my list of top 10 (make that 11) jerseys I want to own. Let's get to it.

1. Brandon Roy (2010: #1) - This one is simple. Roy will always rank high on my list of favorite players, I love the Blazers road blacks and with his recent retirement, the jersey is suddenly retro.
2. Blake Griffin (NA) - Isn't this everyone's favorite?
3. Jon Brockman (#2) - I love the Brockness Monster and I really like the Bucks uni's a lot better than his old Kings jersey.
4. Deron Williams (NA) - This should be higher since he is the best player on my favorite team, but I just have the feeling he is leaving at the end of the year. Why get the jersey if it will be obsolete in a year.
5. Kevin Love (NA) - I love, love Kevin Love. Something about 20/20 lines just does it for me.
6. Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili (#4) - I just love the classic look of their home whites. Oh, and I like the players.
7. David Lee (NA) - I really love his occasional 15/15 lines, but really what does it for me is the jersey. I love the logo on the front.
8. Danny Granger (#6) - Alternate yellow's are just ballin.
9. John Wall (NA) - I don't necessarily like the player, but I love the old school Bullets colors that the franchise is once again sporting.
10. Danilo Galinari (NA) - Picking a player was arbitrary, I just really like the powder blues.
11. Kevin Durant (NA) - I know all my Seattle friends will hate me for even suggesting this, but it is a proven fact - this team is super exciting and Durant is a stud.

So who dropped out from a year ago? Well, Brooke Lopez got bumped simply because he is not the same player he once was. I still love Steve Nash, but I grew tired of the Suns jerseys. Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bogut were replaced by other teammates on the list. And I'm waiting for Dwight Howard to get traded first.

Who almost made the cut - Kris Humphries, Kemba Walker, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Quincy Pondexter, Isaiah Thomas, Ricky Rubio, Dirk Nowitzki, Nate Robinson, Eric Gordon

Big Day for Huskies

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday with your families. Mine was especially nice this year, but I am glad to get back to blogging. The holiday is officially over so it's time to get back to work. This goes doubly for the Huskies, who have both a key basketball game against Oregon St on Thursday at 6pm and a nationally televised Alamo Bowl game against Baylor at the same time.

Both games are important to the sports program, but I think the basketball game is the more important of the two. I know beating Baylor and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III would be a great way to not only end 2011 but gain momentum going into 2012, but I don't think it is a must-win game. I had a hunch heading into last year's game against Nebraska that the Dawgs were going to step up and get the win - there were just too many signs - but this year feels a lot different. Whereas Nebraska was upset at being bumped to the Holiday Bowl to play a team they had already beat, Baylor is genuinely excited to have been invited to the Alamo Bowl. The reason is simple - it's Baylor. It's not exactly the most decorated football program, having played in only 8 bowl games in the past 30 years. Oh, and one other reason - Baylor has RG3.

I don't think many Huskies fans are expecting a win - not with our porous defense. I think a lot of fans are happy to be going to a second straight bowl game, even if it is not a New Years Day Bowl. Don't get me wrong, beating the newly crowned Heisman winner on national television would certainly be great for recruiting and morale. It would signal that indeed UW football has turned the corner. BUT, a loss won't cripple the program.

On the other hand, a loss on the hardwood would be disastrous. I'm sorry, I know Oregon St has been impressive in their first 11 games (9-2), but this is a team that Huskies should and need to beat, especially at home (OSU only has 1 win against a RPI Top 100 team, so take the 9 wins with a grain of salt). The Huskies are one of the most talented, if not THE most talented team, in the conference, but so far they have been incredibly underwhelming, limping into the conference schedule with a 6-5 record (RPI: 107). Losses to Duke and Marquette showed what they could become, but losses to St Louis, Nevada and South Dakota St exposed their flaws. Talent alone will certainly win games, but this team just seems to be lacking something. Their three leading scores are underclassmen. Their three captains have been non-existent. Their frontcourt is led by a guy who can't stay on the court and when he is on the court can't get out of his own way. And their most talented player is a freshman who is expected to leave for the NBA at the end of the season, who can't play with their second best player, who turns the ball over way too much and who just appears to be a wrong fit. Ok, maybe 'wrong fit' is a little too much, but he certainly isn't buying into the team concept like other big name recruits have.

UW needs to win either the conference regular season or conference titles. With a 6-5 out of conference record (which should go to 7-5 after playing Seattle U), I think they will need to go at least 13-5 in PAc-12 play plus win 1 or 2 games in the tournament to be in the dance. That would put them with a record of roughly 22-11. A loss to Oregon St would make things really tough. They get a nice break with avoiding a trip to the Bay Area, but I could see either Cal or Stanford picking up a win at Hed Ec when they visit in late January. I think they will probably drop 1 game on the road in Oregon and could possibly lose both games on the road at USC and UCLA late in the year. Add in potential road losses in Tucson and the Pullman and suddenly this team is looking at their 5-6 conference losses. If this holds true, that means every other game must be a win. Thus, the importance of the conference opener against Oregon st.

It is a shame that both games will be on at the same time tomorrow night as each deserve my attention. When faced with simultaneous start times, I will be watching the Alamo Bowl simply because there will be no more football until September. BUT, I will be keeping a close eye on the more important of the two - the home tilt against the Beavers.

Bow Down.

Christmas Wish Lists

For sports fans, this is a great time of year - the NFL playoffs chase is on, the NHL and NBA are finally up and running, College Bowl Week is in full swing and MLB is merely a few weeks away. It has been a rough year for most of my teams, but at this current moment, I am at peace with the sports world. Instead of giving my extensive wish list for the next year, I thought instead I would ask the man in the red suite to bring some of my most lotal friends and readers what they want (or at least what I assume they want)

For my boy J-Will, that the Seahawks finally get some respect around the NFL. He is tired of them being a punching bag.

For my boy Irish Mike, revenge on City. That home loss really hurt.

For my boy D-Lib, more La Liga and Bundesliga and less Series A on Fox Soccer at all hours of the night.

For my boy Walker-Martin, consistent effort from the Devs. He is ok with losing, but he is not ok with a lack of effort. Oh, and he would like a long-term replacement for Brodeur.

For my boy T-Wetz, another Patriot League title for the Bison. I know a championship for the Phillies or Eagles would mean more, but I simply can't wish for that.

For my boy Gorman, having the Syracuse Orange avoid Bucknell in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

For my boy Stebo, a reason to watch Mets games in September (this will probably be the most difficult of all requests)

For The Wife, a chance to have dinner and a drink with Kaery Keller. And one with Zach Scott, too.

For my boy Stollercoaster, that the Bears select the best Michigan player, whoever that may be.

Ok, I can't resist one wish for myself - I wish for a first round win in the MLS Playoffs for the Sounders.

TuesdayTweets

I don't tweet, but if I did, here is what I would have been saying over the past week...

-Congrats to Scott Niedermayer. 3rd retired Devils jersey. Classy guy. Best skater I ever saw. 3 Cups with NJ

-Patrick Elias now all-time Devils leader in goals, assists, points AND games played. Third best player in franchise history??

-Scott Stevens, Marty Brodeur 1-2 in some order. Niedermayer, MacLean, Elias 3-5 in some order

-Now can listen to KJR on FM. Enjoy all the Seahawks talk. Really like Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch. Bought a hat for cheap…Conversion?

-Devils = offensive juggernauts

-Cards and Seahawks both now 7-7. Kudos for not rolling over after starting 2-6

-#Fantasyfootballhate. Brees, Colston, Chris Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Mike Wallace

-Funny SNL Tebow clip over weekend. God must have been at Country Music Christmas Special

-Packers better off with loss in game 14 than in game 19

-Sad to hear about Brandon Roy. Expected the day to come someday. Glad he got out now before destroying future. Never forget UW days

-Might be something really wrong with UW hoops. Might be more than just growing pains/chemistry…

-Nets need to get Howard. Just don’t see it happening. #BigMenLoveLakers

-Nets WAGs might have lost Sharapova and Kim K, but received consolation prize of Candace Parker. Girl can ball.

-Parker a favorite of mine, but will always be behind Sue Bird

-Alex Morgan looks really great in those Nike Cold Winter ads.

-Possible that NBA teams r not signing Humphries because of his terrible reality show stint? Maybe but 4.7/3.1 pre-2011 average doesn’t help

-Don’t care if Battier has lost a step. Perfect signing for Heat. Title favorites

-My two year old is perfecting the art of soccer diving. Practices 5 times a day when told to put toys away or go to bed. Ronaldo is proud

-Best way to save money at Christmas: find unopened stuff in garage and give them to 2-year old as gift

-Kid got a King Felix book for Xmas. All fun and games until they talked about his grand slam against the Mets. Not cool

-Check out @BrikDesign for all your graphic design needs

-Mets signings not sexy, but will help. Improve pitching by strengthening bullpen. Francisco, Ramirez, Rauch, Parnell, Acosta, Byrdak, Beato

-Mets ERA in losses – 6.69. Decrease by a run and probably win 5-10 more games. Oh, offense needs to help too

-Sandy praying for HUGE years from Ike, Duda, Bay, Wright, Murphy. Possible signings Jack Wilson, Ronny Cedeno won’t help

-Just getting to see some 30 for 30 reruns. Loved Run Ricky Run. Dude is interesting, complex.

-Can’t help but think media has changed their mind about Ricky after seeing this

-How bad was Nets’ Outlaw contract? New contract with Kings – 4yr/$12m is terrible…AND $33m less than Nets original

-Worse loss this weekend? Giants? Ravens? Jets? Titans? Close call but I go Giants. Just can’t lose that game.

-Favorite kits in EPL – Norwich City. LOVE yellow-green. Same scheme as my NBA Live ‘02 Tamarack Turtles. Favorite relegated kits-Blackpool

-Speaking of kits, really like Montreal whites and (gulp!) Timbers 3rd. No judgment on Sounders 3rd. Might be ok in person

-Love WWE direction right now. Have a feeling it might be short lived with current champs, but a great step forward for the company.

-CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Zack Ryder, Cody Rhodes, Miz, Del Rio, Ziggler, Kingston. Love new era. WOO WOO WOO You know it!

-Great bowl match-ups this year. Def hard to win Bowl Pick-Em. Best pre-Christmas bowl – So Miss v Nevada. Both Top 15 in total yards

-I still love the bowl system – not the BCS, but the smaller bowls between Christmas and New Years. No Bowls after Jan 1

-Teams with interim coaches for bowls: UCLA, Illinois, Pitt, OSU, PSU, Houston

-NBA Conference Finals I want: Miami-Knicks, Clippers-Thunder

Come On, Lunardi

Every so often, I like to check out Joe Lunardi's Bracketology to see what seed Bucknell is likely to get come tournament time. This week I scanned the 15's and didn't see them. Then I looked at the 14s and didn't see them. Then I went to the 13s, a seed that I think might be a bit too high, and didn't see them. So (gulp!) I looked at the 16s and saw a weird name - the American Eagles representing the Patriot League...

I'm sorry Joe, I know there are over 300 teams in D1 basketball and I know you know more about each team than 99.9% of the world, but I'm sorry...you are an idiot. I'd like to admit that I am being a homer here, but it's not the case. I don't care about their record, but American is NOT a better team the Bucknell. They will not win the Patriot League title this year. It is just not going to happen.

It's clear that Joe really does all his homework on the big leagues, spending his time deciding whether the Big East gets 10 teams in or not. He doesn't have time to carefully study the small leagues, so he goes with record. So let me do the work for him and go over the two seasons to date.

With a 26 loss to #17 Georgetown, American is now 8-4 on the season. As of his last update, they were 8-3 with their 3 losses coming to Richmond, Maryland-Eastern Shore and St. Francis. RPI's for those three are 77, 279 and 310 respectively. They have a quality win against RPI 22 St Joseph's (and non other than Joe Lunardi's employer). They had only played 4 teams with RPI's <200. Three of their wins were against Howard (313), Maryland Baltimore County (336) and Hampton (335).

Prior to Bucknell's win at home against Richmond (a team that made the Sweet 16 last year) they were 5-4 against D1 schools with their losses all coming on the road to Minnesota (RPI 21), Vanderbilt (RPI 7), George Mason (RPI 182) and LaSalle (RPI 132). While they had no signature win, they had no terrible loss to a team in the 300s. Oh, and their losses to Minnesota and Vandy were by 12 points. This isn't Maryland Eastern Shore- these are two teams from power conferences.

If that isn't enough, they have two common opponents - St Francis and now Richmond. Bucknell is 2-0 and American is 0-2. With a high profile game against #1 Syracuse on Wednesday, I expect to see their RPI surpass American's and I expect it to stay that way for the rest of the season.

The Bison returned 4 starters including League POY Mike Muscala and league Defensive POY Brian Cohen from a team that went 13-1 in conference. American lost 4 starters from a team that went 11-3 in conference, but didn't even make it to the PL Tournament final. I could have handled it had Lehigh been the prediction - at least they have the leading scorer in the league - but American? Come on. That is a joke.

Some NBA Truths

For the second time in a year, it looks like the Nets will not be getting their man. For the second time in a year, the Nets have alienated their current players. For the second time in history, they are pointed in a really, really, really bad direction.

Last year, the trade offer from the Nets to the Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony were made really public. The Nets appeared to have two strong trades - one including 4 teams in January and then one straight up with Denver in mid-February. Both deals centered around the Nets sending Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and some of their stockpile of first-round picks to Denver.

While most Nets fans (and probably playes too) were excited by the possibilities, all the rumors really got to Devin Harris. In the 20 games after the first trade fell through, he saw his scoring (12.4 vs 16.6), shooting (40.3% vs 42.6%) and rebounding (2.0 vs 2.6) go down (interestingly though his assists went up from 6.8 to 9.0). Ever since his name was first mentioned in trade talks in November 2010, Harris felt betrayed by Avery Johnson, who he had pushed to hire. He sulked and was miserable. It was clear that something needed to be done before he poisoned the rest of the team. Luckily for the Nets they not only found a trade partner, but they were able to net Deron Williams in return. Things were suddenly bright. They had a boat load of cap space and a bonafied star.

But here is where things get dicey. Williams was unable to re-sign until January and under the new CBA who be a fool not to opt out once that date comes. He is going to be a free agent after this year. While moving to Brooklyn and being the face of the franchise is an exciting thing, Williams wants to win. He will not be sticking around if his supporting cast is not upgraded. That is the truth.

Ok, so the Nets know this. They know they need to make a splash. Aside from trading for LeBron or Wade, there is single player who could have a bigger affect on the Nets than Dwight Howard. He is the most dominant center in the game and if combined with a franchise PG, the possibilities would be endless. The problem as in the past is finalizing the deal.

Howard has made his trade request public. But unlike Carmelo, he actually wants to come to NJ (or the Lakers or Mavs). He wants to join forces with D-Will. He wants to be a member of the Brooklyn Nets. And yet somehow, for the second time in a year, the Nets were unable to make the trade. I know that after failing to convince Melo to come to the Nets, they turned around and traded for D-Will, but the difference is that NO ONE saw that Utah trade coming. No one had their feelings hurt by the Utah rumors because no one knew about them. The Melo rumors killed the team and if the Nets aren't careful, the Howard rumors are going to kill them too.

Teams are within their right to shop and inquire about players. It is part of the game, but when those talks become public and when the talks then break down, the teams need some damage control. Brook Lopez is now in a similar spot to Harris last year. He knows the team wants to replace him. He knows that they are not committing to him. He knows that he is trade bait. It is certainly an unenviable place to be in. Considering the rumors of his unhappiness with Johnson, I can't believe that this is going to end well. Once considered a cornerstone of this organization, he is coming off a disappointing year and has now been publicly disgraced. The Nets are going to need to do something - whether damage control with Lopez or somehow getting Orlando to pull the trigger.

And that leads me to the second truth: the Nets are not going to get Howard. I know that Howard wants to come here, but Orlando is asking for a ransom. Acquiring Lopez and a draft pick (plus Gerald Wallace from Portland) and shedding itself of Hedo Turkoglu's contract is not going to be enough for Orlando. They want more. And now they have another serious bidder - the LA Lakers. You know, the team with all the NBA titles; the team who's center lineage include Shaq, Kareem and Wilt; the team who just were upstaged by the Clippers; the team that can offer Gasol and/or Bynum. Yeah, the simple truth is the Nets don't have enough to keep up. They are not ready for primetime. They will not get Howard.

And finally, the last truth: the Nets, without Dwight Howard, will lose Deron Williams after the year. He will realize by game 40 that leading a team made up of Brook Lopez, Andrei Kirilenko, Anthony Morrow and 6 of his namesakes is not the situation he deserves. He will bolt and they will become miserable again. It is as simple as that.

The World Might End

I can't believe I am writing this, but I am officially in love not only with Tim Tebow, but (GULP!) Cam Newton as well. As many of you know, I am a NFL Fan Free Agent. My early life was spent loving Phil Simms and the NY Giants. After a few years of the Dave Brown experience (and seeing Simms break down physically) I decided to jump ship and go with an expansion team, the Carolina Panthers. There have been some really tough times over the years (1-15 in 2001 with the amazing Chris Weinke under center!), but I have been faithful. Last year was a little different though. The anti-Christ himself, Jimmy Clausen started 10 games, winning 1 and compiling a 58.4 rating. Johnathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for 3 rushing td's, Steve Smith led the team with 554 receiving yards and Julius Peppers was making the Pro Bowl for the Bears. In addition to having no favorite players on the team and living 4000+ miles away fantasy football has made me not care. It has affected me in ways I never expected - I now root for players from different teams and no longer have a favorite franchise.

So I officially cut ties with Carolina. Then in April when they drafted Cam Newton, I knew I made the right choice...I mean, come on, I really really disliked Cam Newton during his time in Auburn. Not only did I not believe that he was that good, but he just seemed really smug. I'm not sure what it was about him - he just was really unlikable.

Now fast forward 8 months and I officially am sold on Newton. I'm sure it's only because I own him in one of my fantasy leagues, but wow, he is totally an amazing player. Unlike other QB's who used their legs to win games in college, Newton has actually carried over that success to the pros. It is crazy, but somehow Newton is not only a threat with his legs, but he has a cannon for an arm. The dude is a freak - 6'5", 248 pounds and he can run a 4.59 40-yard. On the season he has thrown for 3573 yards and 15 td's (vs 16 int's), but has an amazing 13 rushing td's. I can't remember when the press conference was, but when asked who was the goal line back, head coach Ron Rivera emphatically stated it would be Cam Newton - not the 'franchise' RB who they had just re-signed in the offseason for $43 million or the 235 pound beast who had 10 td's in both 2008 and 2009. Nope, not DeAngelo Williams or Jon Stewart. Cam Newton was the goal line back. Rivera blatantly told teams his strategy, but yet he has 6 td's over the past 4 games. I kind of wish I hadn't cut my ties...until I realize how bad this team is. Then I remember that I can continue to like Newton from afar and not have to be a Panthers fan.

Then, there is the growing legend known as Tim Tebow. I recently wrote about him after the Detroit game, saying that I needed a few more weeks of amazing comebacks before I fully converted to the Church of Tebow. Well, after this past Sunday's game against Chicago, I am a believer. I turned the game off with 5 minutes left and Denver losing 10-0 to Chicago. There was NO WAY Denver was coming back. I went over to a family party and my brother-in-law tells me that they won. Somehow Tebow led them down the field for a td with 2 minutes left. Then after some poor clock management by Chicago, Matt Prater hit a 59 yard FG to tie and then a 51 yard FG to win it in OT. A lot of people will credit the Denver D. Some will credit Prater for crushing two clutch FG's. Some will blame Marion Barber. Me? I am officially giving credit to Tebow. Tebow has made a pact with GOD and has turned the 1-4 Broncos into a division winning 8-5 team. How else can you explain it? Through the first 55 minutes on Sunday, Tebow completed 8 of 24 passes for 106 yards. Then on the final 3 drives he went 13-16 for 130 yards and 1 td. How is it possible to suck that long and then all of a sudden pull something out of your ass? It is not humanly possible. There has to be some sort of divine intervention.

So there ya have it - I love Tim Tebow and Cam Newton. The world might be coming to an end.

The NHL is officially on notice.

That's right, the New Jersey Devils just traded 2 glorified paperweights (Rod "Nobody Calls Me the Bod" Pelley and Mark "Who?" Fraser) to the less than mighty Ducks of Anaheim County Incorporated of Los Angeles proper, CA.

The return? Defenseman Kurtis Foster and Goaltender Timo Pielmeier. That's right, minor league goalie Timo Pielmeier. Now that minor league goaltender Timo Pielmeier is in the system the Devils will stop giving up shorthanded goals and treading water at .500.

Translation: the Devils are about to start kicking ass and taking names. The rest of the league is officially on notice. All because we traded 2 guys that passed through waivers twice this year because nobody wanted them and got minor league goalie Timo Pielmeier.

What I Missed...

As many of you know by now, my last week was spent in Jersey away from the family. Apparently that time away did something to my brain as I tried to take The Incident to soccer practice this morning with no shoes on. I drove all the way to Edmonds, got out of the car to get her, noticed she had none on and then got back in the car. Apparently I forgot how to be a dad in only 6 days. Crazy.

Anyways, it seems that a lot of stuff has gone on in the past week. I have been fairly present on the blog over the past week, but definitely missed out on a lot. This is my opportunity to quickly address some of them

-I always like to lead off with Sounders' news (even in December) as we have found Keller's replacement. Oh wait, Sigi refuses to call him that. Instead, Michael Gspurning is the Sounders' new goalie. I will be honest - I had never heard of the guy (he's an Austrian playing in Greece) and have gotten all my info on him from SounderAtHeart. With that being said, I am pleasantly optimistic as it sounds like Gspurning might be able to present the team with something Keller didn't - confident play out of the back. I can't remember how many times I winced watching Kasey kick a ball played to his feet - it just wasn't a strong point of his game. If the G-Man (we learned that the G is not silent) can help start the build-up and be merely solid in the pipes, then this should be a good thing.

-Wait, so both Manchester United and Manchester City failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage, but Arsenal did? I knew City was in trouble, but I somehow missed that United was struggling. Wow, what a crazy result.

-Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson spurned the Marlins to sign with the Angels. I know I am not the only one who was shocked by this. After Pujols failed to meet the Marlins' deadline, it was assumed he would be taking the Cardinals 10 year, $220 million contract. Yet it was the Angels who swooped in to sign him for $255 million over 10 years. It is simply an amazing turn of events considering the Angels had never even been rumored as in the mix. I know Pujols has been the best player over the past 10 years, but assuming he will keep it up for the next 7 years (let alone 10 years) is a gamble (just ask A-Rod how his lat 30's are treating him). I know he is the best player in the game, but a contract like this could end up killing them, especially since their is a no-trade clause. Personally, I would have been upset had the Mets signed him for that much. As for Wilson, I think it is a perfect place for him. I don't believe he is a true #1 starter and he won't have to be in Anaheim, where Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are firmly the top two. Wilson should get 18-20 wins again as pitching third in the rotation will cover up some of his blemishes.

-UW lost a heart breaker to #11 Marquette and then by 6 to #5 Duke over the past week. Bottom line is that Huskies sit at 4-4 on the season, but I honestly think the recent results are something to be optimistic about. Marquette and Duke are quality teams and while they weren't true road games, UW did step out of it's home comfort zone and played fairly well. I think this is a young team with too much talent to miss the NCAA Tournament - it just might take a while to gel.

-David Stern stepped in to veto the three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to LA, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola and others to New Orleans. Apparently, many small market owners were upset that another big market team strong-armed a small market team into trading their star. I get it. It sucks, but the fact is that all three teams agreed to the trade. New Orleans can't afford to re-sign Paul at the end of the year, so they are trying to move on before the year starts. It is their prerogative to make the trade. The problem I have will the whole thing is that New Orleans is owned and run by the NBA. They have no owner. I understand that some moves need to be made in order to keep the team somewhat competitive, but this trade is one that will drastically change the league. This is Chris Paul we are talking about, not Darren Collison. I think the BA has a major conflict of interest here, but I'm not sure where to go since they do legally own the team.

-The rumor in Nets-land is that Dwight Howard is asking the Magic to trade him to the Nets after having spent some time talking to D-Will in the off-season (and after allegedly meeting against the rules with the Nets last week) about teaming up. The trade would be Howard and Hedo Turkoglu's contract for Brook Lopez and two1st round draft picks. This will be the only time I will comment until it becomes official (if at all). Obviously this would be amazing for the Nets, but they would still be a few open roster spots that they would need to fill. Howard, D-Will, Turkoglu and Morrow would be 4 of the starters, but I don't know who plays PF and who comes off the bench besides the horrible Travis Outlaw. I like Brook a lot and think it might be a good thing for him too - I have this feeling he wasn't a huge fan of Avery Johnson and think he can still be that 22/11 guy we thought he could be at one time.

-Brandon Roy retired at the age of 27. He was one of my favorite players in the league because his game was really like none other. He could have been a top-10 player if not for those terrible knees. Every time I thought about him running around with bone-on-bone friction, I cringed and prayed he would get out before he injured himself beyond repair. While he will be missed, it is the right move.

-Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Apparently he did so a month before winning the award, and since being informed of the results, has has been disputing his case. According to Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn "a source close to Braun said that when he was told about the positive test, he immediately requested to be tested again. That second test, using a different sample that was tested by Braun's camp, the source said, was not positive. Those close to Braun believe that the difference between the two tests will show that the first test was invalid. Although Braun's representatives acknowledge that a non-positive test would not negate a positive one, they believe the second test shows certain anomalies that will suggest problems with the first. They declined to specify." Man, this is a bit of a shocker, although it seems like there might be something sketchy here. I am going to hold back judgment until I find more info on what the anomalies are.

-Congrats to Brad Guzan for earning his first EPL start on Saturday, a 2-1 win over Bolton. Guzan has long been the second string keeper for the US team, but has recently fallen out of favor. He has consistently failed to get any playing time in the EPL, leading many to wonder if his opportunity has passed him by. I still think he is the best option if Howard was to go down tomorrow. Maybe not in 4 years, but certainly now. I imagine he will go back to the bench once starter Shay Given returns in a month, but who knows - maybe he will force the coaches hand.

Gotta Go To Mo's

One of the underrated things about coming back to Jersey for a few days (besides being able to watch the Devils) are the Jersey version's of Modell's and Sports Authority. I'm not sure anyone really appreciates how awesome the stores are out here, but I certainly do.

You see, whereas the Seattle versions center around outdoor sports, the Jersey versions center around sports gear. Go to any Jersey store and you will see a shit-ton of fan gear from all the major teams (except the Isles of course). I'm talking hats, jackets, jerseys, shirts, sweats as well as beer coozies, playing cards, beer glasses, slippers, signed photos, coasters, magnets, Christmas ornaments and a lot of stuff I can't even remember. It's stuff you just can't find in Seattle.

Yesterday I took a trip to the second largest mall in America, the 4-story Palisades Mall in West Nyack. For those who have never been, this place has a Lowe's Theater, an ice hockey rink, a bowling alley, a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, Dave and Busters and a JC Pennys that is 3 stories high. I met my boy J-Will for lunch and he called the Food court a Food Mall because of all the choices (interestingly they had a place that specialized in Grilled Cheese sandwiches, a food that I have never seen an adult order at a restaurant).

My time spent in the Modell's at Palisades was very enjoyable. They had 2T and 3T Davd Wright jerseys and Mets jackets that would have looked great on The Incident, but I was disciplined and didn't splurge on. They also had a really beautiful Zach Parise jersey and Jose Reyes jerseys marked at only 20% off (I think they will learn that no self-respecting Mets fan will by this for anything more than 80% off). But my favorite items were some Panini sticker books. I'm not sure anyone reading this will know what they are, because the only place I had ever seen them was in South Jersey during, but they brought back some memories. basically, instead of buying cards, you bought packs of stickers and stuck them on the appropriate page. It was like having all your cards on one page to see. I was very tempted to buy one, but they only had 1 stinking pack of stickers left, which means that someone must be enjoying them.

Then I went to Sports Authority and looked at their wall of hats. It had to be 30 wide by 10 high and it was all NY sports teams. At first, it was impressive but then I noticed that you could buy Mets hats in black and white or red and white. If you have ever engaged me in a conversation before, you probably know my feelings on this, but I truly believe you need to wear your teams colors. A green or pink Mets hat is bad enough, but Mets hats in the colors of the Yanks or Phils is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. If you buy one of these and call yourself a fan, you should be ashamed and have your fan card taken away.

After leaving the hat section, I then began to test all the ice hockey sticks - something I did all the time as a teenager in jersey, but something I have not done once in Seattle. The only things I didn't do were try to dunk on the 8 foot hoops and test out all the workout equipment because...well, at sometime you have to grow up. (speaking of growing up, why was I so happy that they had an amazing Lego Store?)

Anyways, the trip to the mall was a good one. I was proud of myself for not blowing our budget...I survived. And yet, I put myself through the agony again the next day as I stopped into another Modell's store. I had a Mets jacket in my hand that I had every intention of buying for The Incident. I walked around the store and then decided to put it back, to instead use my money on white Castle. Two days, multiple sports stores and no purchases. I am happy that I remained disciplined, but know that if I still lived in Jersey things would be different (I'm talking discipline with buying Mets gear, but in general things would be a lot different). So while Seattle sports stores aren't as exciting as their Jersey counterparts, my wallet is thankful that I get to shop in them on a regular basis.

My grandfather passed away last Friday at the age of 96. I have spent the last few days in new Jersey trying to help my mom sort everything out with my grandmother. It has definitely been an interesting few days, but every time I get a little sad I try to think of all the good times I had with him. One of the things we always had a good time with was talking baseball. My grandfather was a Yankees fan. I obviously am a huge Mets fan.

He would wear his Yankees hat high on his head (with no curve of course) and would always ask me "Robert, did you watch the Yankees last night? They won again." To which I always said "No. I hate the Yankees." He would always laugh and then proceed to tell me about the new players on the team who he hadn't heard of. Then he would try to throw me a bone and tell me that he did actually watch the Mets the other day. At first, I think he was just kidding me, but in the previous few years, I'm pretty sure he would watch the Mets. You see, he didn't have cable and relied on the weekly Yankees games on 11 or the Mets games on 9 to watch baseball. Still, he would always carry on the old conversation and razz me about the Mets.

I opened up his closet today and on the top shelf was his Yankees hat. I took it down and thought for a split second about putting it on my head. Then I looked at the size and luckily it was a 1/4 size too small for me (thus eliminating any chance of me committing adultery) so I didn't put it on. Instead, I just held it in my hands and I couldn't help but smile. While I hate the Yankees more than the Devil himself, I was happy to be holding the hat and have since given serious thought to bringing it home. I'm not sure exactly what I would do with it if Grandma is ok with me having it, but I think it is something I want to do...and I don't think it makes me a bad fan.

Feels Like a Slap in the Face

So Jose Reyes is no longer batting leadoff for the New York Mets. He is no longer with the only franchise he has known since he was 17. He is now the newest signing of the newly named, newly rich Miami Marlins.

I had a feeling this day would come, and at times I even suggested that I would be ok with it. I feel like I have said it so many times - the Mets were in a shitty situation with Reyes. If he re-signed, his next tenure was bound to be destroyed by injuries. If he left, his tenure with his new team was bound to be highly successful. Simply put, we were damned if we do, damned if we don't.

But now that I sit here knowing that Reyes is officially leaving Flushing, I can't help but be a little sad. Not only does this symbolize the end of a once promising era, but it pretty much signifies the start of our rebuilding process. I thought that we could possibly win 80 games in 2012 and 2013...but now I think we are headed for 65 wins over the next two years (at least). Oh, and I think we trade David Wright. I know Sandy said that Reyes' status did not affect Wright's status, but come on...it obviously does.

I understand that this fan base, which can be hot and cold with players, had it's low moments with Jose Reyes. I understand that he might have been frustrated with the fans and I fully believe that players don't owe anything to the fans, but this just feels like a slap in the face. Jose, it's ok that you wanted to get paid, but to go to the Marlins, an inter-division team, is just insulting. I get that they have a new stadium and new direction. I get that Miami is close to the Caribbean, but come on. The Mets gave you the opportunity to make it to the big leagues. The Mets stuck with you when you were constantly hurt. The Mets were willing to pay you pretty decent money...and yet, it wasn't good enough. You went to the Marlins. the only worse teams would have been the Phils, Yanks and Braves. Come on, Jose.

There is No Debate

I want to be brief with this because to me there is no debate. Alabama is the second best team in the nation and deserves to be playing in the BCS Title Game. It's not the match-up that I would want - I would love to see high-flying Oklahoma go against the LSU defense - but when you look at the resumes, it's the only option.

I understand that Alabama did not win their conference, let alone their division. But in the world of the BCS, where they award at-large bids to teams who don't win their conference, you don't need to win your conference to play for the title. If you want to mandate that teams must win their conference in order to play for the title, then the BCS needs to get rid of at-large bids. It's as simple as that.

I understand that they already had their shot, but it's not like they got blown out. Everyone making this argument seems to believe that their loss was the definitive statement that they aren't worthy of a shot, but the fact remains that they lost 9-6 in Overtime to the team currently ranked #1. If this had been 1990, we would have had a tie and both teams would still be ranked 1-2. But in 2011, there must be a winner and thanks to a little bit of luck, LSU happened to get the FG in overtime. Had one play gone differently, we might be talking about Alabama being #1.

While Alabama lost by a field goal in overtime to the top ranked team in the nation, Oklahoma St, playing under difficult circumstances following the loss of the schools women's basketball head coach, lost in Ames, IA to Iowa St, a team that is 6-6 on the year. I'm sorry, but they need to win that game. They blew through all the other challenges during the season - Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, Kansas St, but choked with the finish line in site.

If you throw out the names and conferences of the two schools in question and simply look at the resume, you see one team's only loss was to a 12-0 team while the other lost to a 6-6 team. I'm sorry folks, but it just doesn't add up. While Oklahoma St would be a more interesting opponent, Alabama is the more worthy opponent.

**

In other college football bowl news, how exciting is the Baylor-Washington game gonna be. Three weeks ago I officially backed Robert Griffin III as my Heisman candidate - now I get to see him officially shred my team's defense. Yikes.

Roger Levesque. Zach Scott.

Following Taylor Graham's retirement today, those are the only two remaining USL Sounders on the team. I'm not sure anyone would have seen that coming - surely the bets would have been on LeToux and Graham but at the end of the day, Graham could only do one thing...and he did that below average. Say what you want about Scott and Levesque, but the two continue to hold on because of their flexibility. Whether it is in the center or on the sides, Zach Scott has shown that he can fill a role. Whether it is as a forward, midfielder or defender, Roger Levesque has shown that he can fill a role. Neither are the best players in the league, but they are versatile. Versatility is a great thing in a league with a salary cap.

There are a lot of other news and rumors going on around the team. I will try to summarize them for those who get all your Sounders information from this site.

First, MLS's convoluted version of free agency, the Re-Entry Draft goes down on Monday. In a nutshell, when a team decides not to exercise an option or sign a player to an extension, the player then becomes available in a draft (because you know, free player movement is too crazy an idea right now). The Re-Entry Draft happens in two stages. In the first stage, players must be signed by the team that selected them at last year's salary (or better). Players that are not selected in Stage 1 are then available in Stage 2. At that time, teams can offer any salary to them that they feel. They have exclusive negotiating rights for a certain amount of time. If they cannot agree to a contract then they become a free agent.

Ok, so the Sounders released Nate Jaqua, Pat Noonan, Terry Boss and the aforementioned Taylor Graham. The same day, Terry Boss retired on his doctor's advice because of reoccurring concussions. I was sad to hear that it came to this, but kudos to him for stepping away before his brain turned to jelly.

As for Jaqua and Noonan being released, I'm not sure there has ever been a sentence involving those two that made more people happy. They have been punching bags for the past two years. Fans hated them and now they are gone. I personally think that they both served a role on this team and wonder if they will be missed. Again, they were not great players, but they allowed Sigi to mix and match his team late in the season without having a huge drop-off. I personally refuse to think that Nate is done - this is MLS. He can still get 5 goals a year. He just needs a change in scenery.

Moving away from the re-Entry Draft (which I personally don't think we will take part in), it appears Mauro Rosales has been re-signed, for a salary some are saying will be comparable to El Flaco and Montero. This is certainly well deserved after he received only 40k last year, but it will be tough on the salary cap. When I wrote my piece last week about not pulling the trigger on Braun for Riley, I said it would have been a straight up trade salary wise, but I forgot to mention that we actually needed to shed salary to re-sign Mauro.

I wondered what they would be doing with the Right Back position since Riley wasn't that highly priced. Some reports say they are looking at Heiner Mora, a RB from Saprissa and the Costa Rican national team. That is great, but I have to think his salary would be as much if not more than Riley's. So what gives. Well, the guys at SounderAtHeart held a chat tonight (check it out, there is a lot of great stuff in it) and suggested that Sigi will look at Evans as a possible starting RB next year. Personally, I think this makes tons of sense since the Midfield will be uber-crowded once Zakuani returns. It is possible that not only Evans would be on the bench, but Friberg as well. Finding an internal replacement for Riley not named Zach Scott would be amazing.

Also in the chat, the guys seem to indicate that Michael Gspurning is indeed going to be our starting keeper next year and that the team would be stupid to trade for Stefan Frei. (personally, I have never seen him the -play, but I really like Frei, regardless of how many goals he gave up last season). They also indicate that the team is looking at Honduras for some talent as well as keeping an eye on the Tanzanian trialist famous for his play in the Manchester UNited friendly.

I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen, but I do think that there is a lot of moves still to be made by Hanauer and company. I don't think it will be a big time signing like Nicholas Anelka or Didier Drogba, but I do see them making one final trade to gain some more financial flexibility. While they won't be giving up any of their core players, I do think there will be some movement. I do know one thing though - whatever they do, I am excited by the possibilities.

*****

Oh, and one final thing, best of luck to Arlo White in his new gig as the voice of MLS on NBC. I know he was only with the club for two years, but I am going to miss him. Even in losses, I would always go to the website Monday morning just to listen to his calls. Some of my favorite moments over the past 2 years included not just the players, but Arlo as well. He will always be etched in my memory for his calls on Fucito's stoppage time winner against KC and Montero's late game winner against Chicago.

I don't want to compare him to the legend Doc Emerick, but this is now the second announcer that NBC has stolen away from me. While I wish him the best, I can only hope that we don't get another Kevin Calabro debacle.

In Tebow I Trust?

In the NFL there are great QB's, good QB's, average QB's and below average QB's. Then there is Tim Tebow. I simply don't know where to group him because I have never seen anything like him. He is a crappy QB who somehow is winning with a less than spectacular team.

The NFL has it's share of bad QB's - Curtis Painter, Rex Grossman, Matt Moore, Tyler Palko, Tavarius Jackson - yet I might argue that Tebow is at the bottom. Have you ever seen him throw? He is terrible. Yet somehow he is winning.

In the past decade, the NFL has seen Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Jake Delhomme and Rex Grossman start under center in the Super Bowl. All were average QB's who played on great teams. Tebow is a below average QB on a team that drafted 2nd in the draft last year. Yet somehow he is winning.

I don't know how he is doing it but I am starting to come around on him. A few months back it would have been tough to find a bigger Tebow-hater than yours truly, yet somehow this ride he is taking us all on is doing something to me - it is capturing my imagination. Tim Tebow is not a good QB yet his team - a group of professional football players - believes in him like they are in college still. Even if he only completes 5 passes through the first 3 quarters he has instilled confidence in his teammates.

It is just amazing. After all, the Broncos changed their game plan to fit his needs. But unlike the sophisticated wishbone offenses seen in the college ranks (Army, Ga Tech, Air Force), this version of the wishbone leaves little to the imagination. Sure, there are some fake handoffs, direct snaps and reverses but at the end of the day, it's all about having the ball in Tebow's hands and letting him make decisions in the open field. The opposition knows that it is going to be Tebow all the time and yet he is still winning.

This is a team that started 1-4, traded their Pro Bowl WR and have old-man Willis McGahee as their starting tailback. In their last 4 games they have run the ball a total of 179 times (~45 times a game) while only throwing the ball 68 times (~17 times a game) for a ratio of 2:6 to 1. There is no balance and no semblance of a passing game. Opposing defenses aren't kept honest - they can play the run all day long and never be caught off guard by the pass. And when they are, Tebow throws a duck. He is a horrible passer. And yet hey continues to win.

Trust me, I don't want to believe. But when I saw San Diego settle for a 51 yard FG attempt in OT last week, I knew how the game was going to end. Novak would miss the FG. Tebow would drive Denver down the field. Matt Prater would hit the game winner. There was no doubt in my mind...and as expected, that is exactly what happened. Normally I would not buy into this - I mean, it has to be a fluke right? A few good weeks doesn't mean anything. Yet Tebow continues to do it. Aside from the blowout loss to Detroit, Tebow has been directly responsible for all wins - three fourth quarter comebacks (including 2 OT wins) and one comeback from a halftime deficit. He has not only given his team hope, but NFL fans as well. And unlike others, he has not failed yet.

I sometimes mock his image and his beliefs but I think there is something go on here (ok, the Tebow Knee is a bit too much - he is certainly overplaying it right now). He has GOD on his side. How else do you explain that a QB with a 45% completion percentage and an average of 128 yards in his 6 starts is somehow 5-1?

[ok, let's take a step back. The defense is remarkably good and the offense is not turning the ball over. In Tebow's 5 starts excluding the Detroit game, they have turned the ball over 2 times. Tebow himself has only turned it over 3 times in 7 games. It might not be pretty, but it is something the rest of the league hasn't seen yet. Not turning the ball over and winning the possession battle is winning them games]

I don't know if it will last - you have to imagine the rest of the league will catch on sometime - but if it continues for another two weeks, then I will be ALL IN. As for now, I am simply left to question my faith...in Tebow

My Day at the Apple Cup

Thanks to my boy Nattie Ice, I got to experience the Apple Cup in person for the first time on Saturday. It was a great time and one that I thought I would give a recap of.

• I get the call saying we are leaving at 3:30 for a 4:30 game. The Wife says we are crazy, but I didn't care - I wasn't driving. AND even though I assumed we would be late, there was sure to be lots of scoring, so we wouldn't miss too much.
• Nattie knows of a sweet place to park for free. Amazingly the lot was not full and we were on time.
• After walking towards the NW end of the stadium, we realize we made a mistake an turn around. We get in the NE line and stayed there for over 30 minutes. It was a shit storm. At the beginning, people were creating multiple lines and then merging. Once the official line was established, people started walking on the grass to bypass the line. they got away with it for about 10 minutes before a drunk woman with a phone and cigarette starting bitching out everyone that passed by. She and a dude then got security involved and we stopped getting cut.
  
• We find out that every person is getting patted down and that the women's line is quicker. It's simple - when the ratio of men to women in the stadium is 4:1 but the ratio of male security guards is 2:1, the women are certainly gonna get the advantage.
• When we got within 10 feet of the pat down, some dbags found another way to cut. It led to my favorite exchange of the day:
  
  Nattie: What are you gonna cut?
  DBag: Yes
  Nattie: No.
  
  It was that simple.
• We both somehow got into the stadium with our alcohol even though the patter clearly ran his hand over my airline bottle. Either he was sensing the ever growing anger from the line or he thought it was my belt buckle. Who knows. I'm just glad I got through.
• Qwest HAS to do avoid this situation next year when the Huskies move in. It was a disaster.
• Finally we get to our seats and realize we have missed the blocked punt. The next WSU drive ends in a fumble and the Huskies score to go up 14-0. Somehow it didn't feel convincing...oh, maybe it was because WSU was outgaining us on the day. All I knew was that we were two simple plays from being tied at 0 or down a td.
• After WSU scored late in the first half to tie the game, the Huskies responded with a td drive of their own. I remember thinking that 2:05 was a lot of time on the clock and it turned out to be.
• Play of the day goes to Kasen Williams for hurdling over some would-be tackler. I could take the time to find out his name, but really I don't care. And I'm sure he is ok with it that way. Williams just owned him. He is a freak of nature.
• Nattie has a definite man-crush on Austin Sefarian-Jenkins (and it's well deserved)
• Keith Price didn't look right the entire second half and actually took himself out of the game prior to the first play of a drive. It was definitely weird as their was no reason for him to be injured. (Turns out it was a hurt thumb on his throwing hand). He came back in and broke the single season UW record for td passes later in the game.
• Just a side note, but I have heard numerous times about the great lineage of UW QB's over the years...yet if you look at the single-season td leaders, only 5 have ever thrown more than 20 tds in a single season. That is kind of shocking to me.
  
• About halfway through the half I realized that Keith price and Eric Folk wore the same number. Same thing with Chris Polk and Sean Parker. I know this is common knowledge to most fans, but I had not noticed it until then. I understand that with >100 players on the roster, someone is going to have to share numbers, but your two best players? Really? Really?
• Speaking of Chris Polk, he had a really quiet 100 yard game. I would have put it at 65 tops.
• I definitely didn't feel comfortable with a 31-21 lead in the 4th. (and I know I wasn't the only one). The problem with a bad defense in late game situations is that if they are winning they have to stop 4 plays rather than only 3. Earlier in the game, if the defense holds the offense to less than 10 yards on 3 plays, the team punts. In the fourth that team will go for it...and stopping them on 4 plays is way harder.
  
• The defense then came up with a huge play at the end of the game, intercepting a desparate flea-flicker. The offense then mached down the field and the game was over. 38-21. Huskies keep the Apple Cup for another year.
  
  
• Now a few words about WSU. I really liked their QB Marshall Lobbestael and think he is going to be a star. He was really poised for a freshman playing in his first AppleCup. There are rumors that Mike Leach will be on the top of the wish list (although some are speculating that he will be going to ASU) to replace Paul Wolff and I have to be honest, I think it would be a spectacular hire for them. I think the QB could be really really successful with Leach's type of offense.
• I was really amazed by the WSU fans. I never have been at a game where the away crwod rivaled the home crowd (well, anything outside of 500 person Patriot League tournament games) and it was a great atmosphere. I now see why the game is so important to everyone involved. I loved it.

So the Huskies ended a 3 game losing streak and finished 7-5 on the season. However, it is entirely possible that they will be going to second highest bowl for Pac-12 teams - the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. It's really amazing if you think about it. Stanford is going to the BCS. Oregon won't lose to UCLA in the Pac-12 title game and will be going to the Rose Bowl. USC is on probation. That leaves UW, Cal, Utah and UCLA as the only remaining conference teams with a winning record. Considering UW beat both Cal and Utah, they HAVE to be the most attractive of the teams. If not, then it's probably the Holiday Bowl or the Sun Bowl. I know 7-5 is a bit of a disappointment (they easily could have been 9-3) but the Alamo Bowl would be a quality bowl to be invited to.

There were weeks during the season when the sports writers around here were claiming the Huskies to be taking a step back. At other times, they were on the right track. It seemed like most of them weren't taking the whole body of work into account and instead making their proclamation on one game. I know it's an easy thing to do - as fans and writers we are reactionary - but really we need to take a step back to appreciate where this team has come and where it is going. From 0-12 four years ago to 2 successive bowl trips, the program is definitely on the upswing.

I wondered where the team would go this year with Price under center, but he proved to be the real deal. The best thing is that he will be here two more years and have a plethora of weapons to throw to - Williams, Seferian-Jenkins and Bishop Sankey are all freshman, Jesse Callier a Sophomore - which will undoubtedly make the offense as explosive as it was this year (oh, and there is the possibility that Polk could return). As for the much-maligned defense - I think they can only improve and might actually do so next year with the foundation of Sean Parker, Princeton Fuimaono, Hau'oli Jamora, Thomas Tutogi (all Sophomores) and Demond Trufant and Nate Fellner (Juniors). It will be tough to replace Alameda Ta'Amu and Cort Dennison, but I think their is some talent on that side of the ball. Now the team just needs to think about it's game plan (um, talking to you, Nick Holt) and 9-10 wins might be sooner than we think.

Thanks again to Nattie. Bow Down.

Let's Give Thanks

Life is good. There is a s-ton of stuff to be thankful...so much so that I couldn't even begin to list them. So instead, I want to take a few moments to state what I am thankful for in the world of sports.

I am thankful...

...for the Mets always keeping me humble
...that Mets fans have something to hopeful for with Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Lucas Duda and Bobby Parnell
...that Mets fans have even more to be hopeful for with their plethora of minor league pitchers
...for Wally Backman being a part of the Mets organization
...that I am not a Yankees fan
...that even though their 15 year playoff streak ended last year, the Devils have won 3 Stanley Cups since the Rangers last did
...that I got to witness the entire career of the greatest goalie ever
...for the 2004-05 Bucknell season (still)
...for Mike Muscala as he leads the Bison to another league title
...that I am part of the best soccer fanbase in the country
...that I get to watch every Sounders game from the comfort of row W with The Wife
...for Ozzie Alonso, Mauro Rosales, Fredy Montero, Roger Levesque and the rest of the Sounders
...that the Sounders have found a role for Taylor Graham even though he doesn't actually play
...for Steve Zakuani's recovery and subsequent return in 2012
...that I only have to look at the sports bra Sounders jerseys for one more year
...for the plethora of Sounders blogs for me to read all day long
...that Jon Brockman still remains an integral part of my basketball memories
...that Tim Tebow is in the NFL even though I don't like the guy
...that I still love watching WWE (and that I am not afraid to admit it)
...for the upcoming Peyton Manning vs Andrew Luck debate
...that college hoops have a legitimate way to crown a champion
...for the glutten of bowl games during the week after Christmas)
...Rivalry Week (Go Huskies, Go Dawgs)
...for Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard
...for NFL RedZone, Fox Soccer Channel and the NHL Network
...for soccer with my daughter
...NFL on Thanksgiving

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday. Spend the entire day eating, laughing with your family and remembering all that their is to be thankful for.

Sometimes I Amaze Myself

Ok, so this was a little shocking. Apparently I know a little bit about this league, or I got entirely lucky. In my last post, I gave a list of players that I would be interested if I was Montreal: Victor Estupian, Sanna Nyassi, Josh Gardner, Maykel Gallindo, Paolo Cardozo, Ryan Guy, John Rooney, Collen Warner (RSL), Ellis McLoughlin, Servando Carrasco, Soony Saad, Jev Brovsky. It wasn't the list that I thought they would select, but one that I would offer up assuming I was the GM (which would be really damn cool even if it was for Montreal). Then today, about 15 minutes before the Expansion Draft, I submitted a list to SoundersFC.com in hopes of winning some sort of Samsung smart phone thingy. For that list, I tried to think more about who they might take and came up with the following names: Blair Gaven, Sanna Nyassi, Paolo Cardoza, Mike Fucito, Seth Sinovic, Ned Grabavoy, John Thorrington, Jev Brovsky, Chris Seitz, Darrius Barnes. The only one I really spent a lot of time thinking about was Zarek Valentin of Chivas USA. I remember Ives saying that something could be up (ie - Chivas could have had a handshake deal with Montreal) because leaving Valentin unprotected was a crazy thought. I went with that logic and didn't put him down. I also decided that Montreal wouldn't select Brian Ching. For those who didn't know, Ching said he would retire rather than play in Montreal. While it would be a smart business move to select Ching and hold Houston hostage, I just didn't think they would do it. Finally, I went with Ned Grabavoy from RSL as it seemed like a he would be a player Jesse Marsch would love.

In the end, the following ten players were picked: Brian Ching, Zarek Valentin, Justin Mapp, Bobby Burling, Jeb Brovsky, Collen Warner, Josh Gardner, Sanna Nyassi, James Riley, Seth Sinovic. Combining my two lists, I got a total of 5 players right! I don't want to brag, but that is pretty amazing. I wish I had followed through with Warner and Gardner and I wish I had had the foresight to put Ching and Valentin down. If so, I might be sitting here next week with a shiny new phone!


Anyways, moving past how great I am, let's talk about how the Sounders were effected. It turns out that we just didn't lose Riley, but we then sent Tyson Wahl to the Impact for some allocation money. So that means in less than 5 minutes we lost 1.5 starters in our defense, leaving Leo Gonzalez and Zach Scott as our starting fullbacks if the season were to start today. It also means that we saved $150k plus whatever the allocation amount will turn out to be. I have to think that Seattle has a replacement for Riley already in place (as a certain friend of mine tells me all the time, it is super easy to find a serviceable RB). In my mind, there is no way they even make him available if they didn't have a plan. I know some people will debate me on who is more valuable to the team - Riley or Evans/Friberg, but in terms of depth, it is Riley. Simply put: there is no one on the team that can replace Riley at the current time. I know he is thought to be an ironman, but really it is out of necessity. Yes, he is in great physical shape and recovers well after games, but it's not like they had another viable option to put back there. As for Wahl, I think he will be missed, which is an amazing statement considering where he was a mere year ago. At that time, the thought of Wahl on the field was a nightmare, but he ended up being a very capable starter for us (apparently, he was a center defender his whole life and needed some time not only to adjust mentally to playing on the left but needed to change his body as well). His defense wasn't the best, but I really loved his crosses. That will be missed. Now it looks like Leo will be the full-time starter which is fine given who is currently in line to start at RB, but not ideal.

I have to wonder though if we got outsmarted on this one. Seconds after he was picked, we learned that Riley actually won't be going to Montreal but was instead traded to chivas USA for Gerson Mayen and Ryan Braun. I assume that if Montreal was able to pull off this trade that we could have done so too. Braun was on the hook for $87 in 2011 while Riley was on the hook for $97 which means it wouldn't have been a financial hit to the Sounders (of course it might be that Chivas was only willing to do a 2 for 1 trade to drop some salary). If Chivas was simply were down on Braun, then why the hell didn't we pull the trigger? Honestly, I would love to have Braun. Again, I have to assume that Seattle has something in place for RB, but what if they don't? What if they protected Fucito, Friberg and Evans because they assumed Montreal was more interested in attackers? What if they agreed to the Wahl deal before knowing Riley was on his way out? I doubt it's the case, but if so, then wow...

I am willing to hold back judgement on how much this will hurt until March when we take the field. However, if The Gymnast is starting at RB on opening night, then I will be the first to say that we officially got caught with our pants down.

****

Oh, and in response to Montreal picking Brian Ching, ultimately I think it was a smart move. Here's the thing- I think Ching totally effed this situation up by saying he would retire if picked. I honestly doubt Montreal picks him because of his salary ($400+k) and age (33) if he hadn't said a word about wanting to remain in Houston. In doing so, he totally gave Montreal some leverage. They now had a large bargaining chip in that Ching would have to call his own bluff and retire if he didn't want to play for them. At 33 years old though, you can't imagine he was ready to retire. Montreal is assuming this and is now putting the pressure on Houston to do something about it. They either need to trade something to Montreal to reacquire him or they will risk alienating Ching by not doing so. I'm sure Houston would love Ching to come back, but they will need to be smart with what they do. Yes, having him in the line-up is a good thing for the organization both on and off the field, but they can't risk their future by paying more for him than he is worth. There is going to be some price that will be too high - if Montreal asks for that then they will need to let him retire in Montreal. It's that simple. And yeah, its a dick move by Montreal to possibly force a wedge inbetween the player and the team he has been with for nearly a decade, but at the end of the day, it's smart business. They acted in a time of strength - a very smart move for a team that will find themselves on the other end for the rest of the season.

Use Some Protection, Volume 2

Now that we have the list of players that the Montreal Impact can choose from, the next step would be to do a mock draft. Fortunately for myself, I am gonna leave that up to the experts because, well, it's impossible to do. I bet if I through down 11 names I might get 1 right. The thing is - a player that I think is a good value is probably not protected for a reason. It might be that their salary is higher than expected. It could be that they are coming off an injury filled season. Or worse, it could just be that they are not that good.

So I will leave the prognosticating to others. There will be no calls for Fredy Adu or Brian Ching. Instead, I will take this opportunity to review our picks. It turns out that none of the 7 of us who tried to predict the safe list were exactly right. We all named Montero, Alonso, Rosales, Zakuani, El Flaco, Hurtado, Ochoa and Neagle. One person left off Parke, but to me he was an obvious choice. As we all noted, the final two spots would come down to Fucito, Evans, Riley and Friberg. Turns out that Sigi valued the contributions of Evans and Friberg the most as they were the final two players to be protected. That means Fucito and Evans are available to be drafted.

I don't claim to know all, so I am not going to confidently say that Fucito is gone. The fact is, the Sounders might have a feeling what type of player the Impact are looking for. Maybe they were hearing that Montreal was looking for a Midfielder who can play in the center of the park. Maybe they are hearing that Montreal coach Jesse Marsch likes to play a direct style with a target forward to hold the ball up. Maybe Mike Fucito isn't what they want. maybe James Riley isn't what the want. Maybe this was all a plan. Maybe they will either look to skip the Sounders, or maybe they'll go after a younger player like Montano (who was on loan with them last year) or Carrasco (a young CM) or maybe even Sanyang (a Canadian international).

And yet, here is the thing. Maybe Montreal knew this was coming and has a trade worked out with another MLS team that is interested in Mike Fucito. Maybe they call the Sounders bluff and select Fucito and ship him elsewhere. Who knows what is going to happen. I just Wednesday to come so that I don't have to worry any more.

*****

Ok, I can't help it. Here is a small list of players I would find to be very attractive if I was Montreal: Victor Estupian (CHV), Sanna Nyassi (COL), Josh Gardner (CLB), Maykel Gallindo (FCD), Paolo Cardozo (LA), Ryan Guy (NE), John Rooney (NY), Collen Warner (RSL), Ellis McLoughlin (SJ), Servando Carrasco (SEA), Soony Saad (SKC), Jev Brovsky (VAN)

Of these, I bet none get picked because I have a feeling Montreal will take on the style of their coach, Jesse Marsch, and be tough, gritty SOB's.

MLS and Other Stuff

Before I get into some MLS enws, I wanted to take a few seconds to talk football - specifically college football. Wow, what an amazing weekend. First, #2 OK State blew their shot at the title game by losing to Iowa St on Friday night. Then #4 Oklahoma lost to #22 Baylor (Robert griffin III for Heisman!) Saturday night. All of a sudden, the road was open for Oregon to make the title game and amazingly they lost to USC later that night. In all, 4 of the top 10 teams lost over the weekend, meaning that the SEC now has the top 3 teams in the BCS - LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. Next week LSU plays Arkansas while Alabama plays Auburn. Alabama virtually has no shot at winning the SEC West, but being is almost assured to make the title game as long as they beat their rivals. The LSU-Arkansas game then might be for the other birth. Either way, it looks like an all-SEC match-up in the title game (unless my Dawgs get the job done in the SEC Title game).

I think weekends like this remind us all how necessary a playoff is. The BCS works when there are two undefeated teams (ok, two undefeated teams from power conferences), but when there are 1-loss teams to sort from, it just doesn't get the job done. Correct that - it gets a job done, but the reality is that in most years, it will always leave someone out. Yesterday went a long way in helping to sort the title picture out as now Oregon and Oklahoma have two losses, but sitting with 1 loss are OK State, Alabama, Arkansas, Stanford, Boise St and Va Tech. Say what you want about the last two teams, but some believe they deserve a shot too.

Anyway you look at it, I can't help but be reminded how amazing a tournament would be. Some say it might diminish the importance of the regular season, but wins by ISU and Baylor over Ok St and Oklahoma would still mean a heck of a lot to the schools. Fans would still rush the field even if their school didn't effectively ruin the title chances of their foes. If you had a 16-team tournament, the drama would be unparalleled. The football would be amazing. There would be no losers - except for the bowl games themselves.

Ok, now on to MLS.
Some of you may have heard that MLS Cup was yesterday. I unfortunately have to admit that I did not watch the game, but I am happy that the best team won. I am in no way a Galaxy fan, but I am content with their win since they were clearly the best team in the league this year. I respect that a US based league needs to have playoffs, but allowing teams like RSL and Colorado to win championships in the past two years certainly diminished the reputation of the league. Sure, it makes it interesting for fans of mediocre teams knowing that anyone can win, but having a team like the Galaxy, who went 19-5-10 in the regular season and who boast interntional stars like Beckham, Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan (ok, he is barely known in other areas of the world, but still a damn good player), is the best result.

For other supporters though, the MLS news most on their mind besides expansion lists is the new scheduling and playoff format. We have known for a while that the 2012 MLS schedule was going to be unbalanced (MLS is adding another side, but wanting to keep the number games fixed at 34 for now) and yesterday we finally found out the details.

Focusing solely on the Western Conference which will again have 9 teams, each team will play their conference opponents 3 times and each Eastern Conference opponent once. Of the 8 Western teams that they will play, against 4 of them they will host 2 game and against the other 4 they will be on the road twice. Games against Eastern conference opponents will be split between home and away. Home field will switch year to year.

So what does that mean? Well, from a supporters perspective, this is great great thing. This means that the Sounders will get two home games a year against either Portland or Vancouver (I am assuming MLS will work it so that each Cascadia team has two games against one of their opponents, but then again, that would be a smart thing to do - something MLS is not always known for). This also means more games against LA, RSL and Dallas, which are not a bad thing. Now some are saying that rotating home field advantage from year to year will provide hurt and help some teams, I think it is a necessary evil. As long as the teams know the situation before the season starts (as opposed to being thrown a curveball mid way through the season), then it just comes down to getting the results. Some seasons things don't work out as they should (for example, see 2011 when Seattle and RSL had to play each in the first round even though they were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the league).

As a fan, I can't think of anything better than seeing more games against our local rivals. No offense to NE, Toronto, Columbus and Philly, but they don't exactly do it for me. But here's the thing: they might not be who I want to see, but more games with Philly and DC will undoubtedly be a great thing for NY and vice versa. Attendance is sure to go up. Interest will go up. This is a great thing.

I have been saying it all along - if MLS is going to keep their conferences, then they need to change the schedule. Having a balanced schedule but keeping the conferences means nothing. You could randomly pick conferences and have the same effect. The reason we have conferences is to allow geographic rivals to play each other more often than those on the other side of the country. By having an unbalanced schedule, the league will truly have a team deemed to be the best in the West because they will have played (and beaten) more teams in the West. It means more to be the Western Conference champion if it means you played LA, RSL and the like more often.

The league also got rid of the cross-conference Wild Card system that was just a bad idea. Now 5 teams from each Conference will make the playoffs, with 4 and 5 playing for the right to play #1. This system would have still produced Seattle-RSL in the first round, but at least we would have had nothing to bitch about. There would be no reason to believe in a single table or seeding teams #1-#8 by overall points. Now it is all about Conferences again. To me, that is a great thing. I don't say it much, but....good job MLS.

Ok, expansion lists are due today. I don't know if MLS will release the lists or not this afternoon, but if they do, you know I'll weigh in on them. To remind everyone of the JerseySounder list, it's Montero, Alonso, Rosales, Zakuani, El Flaco, Hurtado, Parke, Neagle, Ochoa, Riley, Fucito.

Enjoy the day!

[Update - I forgot the other reason why LA winning was a good thing...it means the Sounders, get to skip the CONCACAF Champions League play-in games and instead go straight into the group stage. (2 of the US's 4 teams go straight through - normally they are reserved for the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup winners, but since LA won both, it went to the #2 team in MLS. I assume Houston will make it to CCL but will have to win a home-and-home qualifying series to advance to the group stage) That is really positive news, as it means two less games for a team that seems to have continual match congestion. Also, it means I don't have to worry over the humiliating idea of us losing to the likes of San Francisco of Panama or Isidro Metapan of El Salvador being the group stage even begins]

Use Some Protection

While most of the MLS spotlight will be shining on the Home Depot Center over the weekend, in Seattle, the attention is clearly focused on next Wednesday's Expansion, or the day I affectionately call "The Day the Sounders lose some depth so some crap Expansion Team can begin to fill out there crap roster." Ok, maybe that is a bit arrogant considering that the Sounders are only 3 years removed from picking in the Expansion Draft themselves, but seriously, Montreal is not going to be interested in players from NE or SJ or Chivas. No, they will certainly taking someone from our very deep roster, just like Philly, Portland and Vancouver did in the past.

Before I get into who the team should protect this coming Monday, a few comments about Expansion Drafts in general. Those who participate in them have taken one of two approaches. Either they scoured the lists of available players looking for players who they though could start for their team, or they selected players who could either provide some depth or who could be flipped to another team for an asset. The first approach seems like a good idea, but here's the rub: players that are left available are either not one of the best 11 players on the team, they are coming off a big injury, they are said to be on their way to Europe or their salary is undesirable. Normally, teams that go this route might be competitive in year 1, but in the long run will never be able to break through their ceiling (see: San Jose). Teams that go the other route and use the draft to take chances on younger players and flip players desirable to other teams will normally suffer a few years before seeing their true potential realized (see: Vancouver).

When the Sounders entered in 2009, they were in a pretty enviable position as they already had Seb LeToux, Kasey Keller and several USL guys on the roster. They also had Freddie Ljungberg on the way, so their foundation was already being built. When they selected players from the available pool, they were choosing those that could step in and start, but not be required to be the best players on the field. In the end, 8 of the 10 selections played for the Sounders, of which 5 are still on the roster (take a shot at their names - answer at the bottom). They went with a mix of veterans and rookies and I think this is a route that will be followed by Montreal. The Impact have already inked a DP from Colombia, Nelson Rivas, who last was seen playing for Inter Milan - and should be active in signing high priced talent. I expect them not to just go young, but to get players who fit their vision of the team. Now I won't profess to knowing what that vision is, but I do know which 11 players I would protect if I was Adrian, Sigi or Chris Henderson.

To make sure I am not crazy though, I decided to ask some of my fellow Sounders' supporters for their thoughts. The normal crew participated - JWill, Irish Mike and The Cich. This time around though, I got my cousin Anthony, my boy Lucas (a member of the ECS), and a relative who is involved with the team at some level. Those who know me probably know who this guy is, but to keep him anonymous (even though he swears he has no inside info on this) to others, I will call him Pete.

Here is how the voting went down separated by how happy Montreal would be to see them on the available list:

Level 1 - Holy Crap! He is Available? Quick - Get the Commissioner on the phone. I don't care that the draft is 2 days away!
Fredy Montero (7 votes)

Ozzie Alonso (7)

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (7)

Steve Zakuani (7)

There would not be an ounce of hesitation to pick any of these four players. Monteral would gladly eat Montero's DP salary and would gladly take the chance that Zakuani won't return to full strength. These are four of the best players in the league.


Level 2 - Oh Wow. He is an amazing player and we will gladly take him, but...
Alvaro Fernandez (7)

I only put him down here because he does command DP money, he is an international player and because he is still adjusting to MLS. I think Montreal would still gladly select him, but I think there would be more hesitation than those above/

Mauro Rosales (7)

It is almost crazy to suggest that Montreal would hesitate in selecting him, but let's not forget that he is 31 years old and in line for a huge raise. If you're part of their front office, you have to ask yourself if you could find someone cheaper and younger that could be around for several years.

Jeff Parke (6)

I personally think Parke should be in Level 1, but one of the voters did not have him in their list, so I bumped him down. I'm not sure what the hang-up would be though - his European window has already closed, he gets paid roughly $100k and he is steady as they come.


Level 3 - Nothing but smiles
Lamar Neagle (7)

Neagle really had a breakout season last year, but what makes him so attractive is his salary. Montreal would love to have a young player like this.

Sammy Ochoa (7)

Ochoa has a lot of potential. I don't think we know what he will become, but his ceiling is high. And I think his salary is low.


Level 4 - Ok, he's got some warts, but we can find a place for him in our squad
James Riley (5)

I think Riley can start for the majority of teams in the league (certainly for an expansion team). Overall, I think RB is a position that we can improve, but at the current time, Riley is important to keep simply because of who the other option is. I am going under the assumption that the team is not looking at signing a RB in the off-season, so to avoid having Zach Scott starting, we would need to protect him.

Mike Fucito (5)

Fucito is a fan favorite, but an honest assessment is that he has a limited ceiling, is 5'3" and is inconsistent. Last year, Sigi admitted to knowing that PTL was interested in him, so they protected him and ending up losing Sanna Nyassi instead. This year will be no different as we will lose another quality player because we protected him, but I think he is a must protect. To me, Fucito is super valuable because of his salary. In order to stay competitive in a league with a salary cap, teams must pay their stars and hope that they fill in the gaps with cheap talent. Some teams can rely on the draft to bring in these players, but with the second to last pick in the first round, we can't expect to find college players who at the current time are better players than Mike Fucito. Yes, the team got lucky with later draft picks (Neagle, Carrasco, Fucito), but we can't keep expecting to find players in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Fucito might not be the best player, but he is perfect for this team.

Eric Friberg (4)

Friberg is definitely the biggest omission to my Sounders protected list. He is a calming influence, is relatively cheap, fairly injury free and can go box to box. Oh, and he has soccer player hair. To me, the only other option besides keeping Fucito would be to protect Friberg and hope that Montreal is not into small strikers.

Brad Evans (1)

I like Evans, but he was dreadful in our most important games this year. I think he can still have a roll with this team, but considering his recent injury history and his salary cap, I wonder if Montreal would be interested. Add in that Montreal can only pick one of Evans or Friberg and I think the Sounders could easily leave him unprotected.

Servando Carrasco (0)

No votes for Servando because Seattle wouldn't be heartbroken over losing him. I could see Montreal wanting him.


Level 5 - Hmmm. We don't think he is any good, but we'll think about it
Pat Ianni
Tyson Wahl
Leo Gonzalez
O'Brian White
David Estrada
Amadou Sanyang
Miguel Montano

Montano definitely is the wild card here. The Sounders loaned Montano to Montreal so that he could get some game action under his belt. Montreal is familiar with him and might actually be interested in signing him. If they are really enamored with him, then we might have some sort of handshake deal where they select another player and we trade Montano and an allocation to Montreal to get him back. Ya never know.


Level 6 - Yuck. We'll Pass
Nate Jaqua
Pat Noonan
Zach Scott
Roger Levesque
Terry Boss


So there ya go. Consensus among 9 picks. Split votes on Fucito, Friberg and Riley. It will be interesting to see what the Sounders actually do. For your reading pleasure, here are some other attempts at predicting the list.

SB Nation
Sounder at Heart readers
Prost Amerika
WVHooligan
Seattle Times


[UPDATE - JWill alerted me to the fact that I forgot the answer that I promised. From the 2009 Expansion Draft, the players still with the Sounders are: Brad Evans, Nate Jaqua, Jeff Parke, James Riley and Tyson Wahl. Other players to have suited up for the club were Stephen King, Nathan Sturgis and Pete Vagenas. Khano Smith and Jarrod Smith were the two players never to suite up for the Rave Green]