Amazing Seattle Sports Weekend

Every once in awhile even the little metropolis known as Seattle can have a good sports weekend. They always seem to be far and few between, but when they happen, you can just feel the collective excitement.

No place was this more evident than with the Huskies win over #18 Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. I'm not going to bask in the glory of correctly predicting the game, because really it was an easy one to see coming. Because we are dealing with athletes ranging from 18-22 year olds, let-down games are too common. Nebraska didn't want to be in the Holiday Bowl. Their heads were in Glendale, AZ even though their bodies were in San Diego.

Now, that is not to take anything away from the Huskies. From the very start of the game (or so I am told since the early part of the game was not being shown due to the Meineke Car Care Bowl runover), the Huskies defense and special teams took it to the Huskers. They played with all out passion the entire 60 minutes and didn't worry about their lack of depth. They didn't worry that they should have been physically out matched. None of that mattered. They wanted to get a win for their senior captain, Jake Locker.

With that being Jake's last game, there has been a lot of talk about his legacy. Is it one of unfulfilled promise and expectations or is it one of grit, leadership and sacrifice? I personally don't blame any of the losing seasons on him. I think the turnover in coaches from Neuheisel to Gilbertson to Willingham really ravaged the talent and Willingham was never able to restock the shelves. Jake came along during a down time. He was a freak of an athlete, but very raw. The coaches didn't know how to use him. Still, scouts saw the talent and he would have been the top pick in the draft last year. Instead, he decided to return to school because he said he had unfinished business: leading the team to a winning record and a bowl game. Unfortunately, to some, this season feels like a waste because of his Heisman candidacy and the thought that this was a 8-9 win team. They see the story as 'what could have been.'

To me, his story will ultimately be one of sacrifice. He had some really terrible games this year, but I never felt that he regretted his decision. He had a bigger vision than Heisman Trophies and endorsements. When the team was 3-6 and staring another losing record in the face, the team rallied and got to a bowl game. Then, not wanting to let Locker down, the defense played the game of the season. Winning the Holiday Bowl in the fashion that they did will give a nice boost to recruiting. And possibly even more important, it will help the UW community feel good about itself once again.

Providing the bread to the Husky victory sandwich was the basketball team's road sweep of UCLA and USC, something they have only done two other times in history. In fact, it was the first time they swept their opening Pac-10 road series since 1965. I will be the first to say that while this team looks very impressive right now, there are some flaws, namely late game offensive efficiency, foul shooting and lack of front court depth that need to be fixed before NCAA Tournament time. However, I will also be the first to say that they are a ton of fun to watch. Isaiah Thomas, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Justin Holiday have taken the leadership role to heart and are playing some amazing basketball. Venoy Overton continues to be a pesk (and my favorite player), Abdul Gaddy is much improved and Terrence Ross looks to be the real deal (and could be the X-factor come tourney time). I think they are clearly the class of the league and can only stop themselves if old habits pop up.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention everyone's favorite football team, the Seahawks. I have gotten some resistance from Seahawks fans for my comments on the team last week. I want to clarify one thing. I am not going to complain about them making the playoffs while teams with 3 more wins than them stay home. That is a tired cry and really one that will get you no where. Fact is that Seattle finished tied for first in their division. They split the season series with St Louis but had a better division record than the Rams. Thus they EARNED the right to the playoffs. It's the simple. However, that does not change my comments from last week. I have heard the following phrases thrown around from Seattle fans: "made the best of the situation", "can't fault them for the division they play in", "what is so wrong about rooting for a bunch of overachievers" and "what makes the Rams or 49ers any better?" From a fan perspective I get all of that. I really do. That is what home teams fans are supposed to think. I'm simply saying that I get nothing out of this team. I think they are phony and uninteresting. The Rams probably aren't a better team, but I would have rather watched him play than the Seahawks. It's my opinion and I won't apologize for that.

Now with all that being said, I would like to thank the Seahawks for helping stop Steven Jackson and Josh Brown. You helped me win my fantasy football title and for that I thank you. Also, let me be the first to say that I think they might actually have a chance against New Orleans next week. I originally thought it would be a blow-out, but the Saints are hardly they team they were last year. And they have to travel to frigid/rainy Seattle against a team they know they should beat. It might be the makings of a classic trap game. Only time will tell.