Pro Sports Teams Important To Area Worth It The Thrill Of The Game Is Priceless To Any Fan.

I’m discontented this winter.

At a time when visions of fastballs and curves from Johnson, Moyer, Fassero and Sanders should be dancing in my head, I’m worried about the Mariners. Will they greet the millennium in the Northwest? Or fly away?

Will the Seahawks join the exodus?

Should I care? I’m reminded of Golda’s response to Tevya in “Fiddler on the Roof” after he’d asked her if she loved him: “I suppose I do.”

I hate what has happened to pro sports. I hate the labor unrest. I hate the greedy owners who shake down cities for new stadiums, concession revenue and sweetheart leases. I hate pampered athletes who can’t stay away from drugs. I hate greedy players like Shawn Kemp who want to renegotiate contracts because someone else earns more.

But I love the games.

I remember watching in person as Willie Mays and Willie McCovey hit back-to-back home runs against Houston one day at Candlestick Park. Ah, make that 3-Com Park. (Damn commercialism.) I thrilled when Chamberlain and Russell battled in the paint. I hyperventilated as Junior rounded the bases to eliminate New York from the 1995 playoffs.

I think about the games when labor madness threatens one sport or another. The thrill of the games are part of every fan’s life. What 49er fan can forget Montana’s pass to Clark that vanquished the hated Cowboys - for a while? Announcer Dave Niehaus’ exclamation-laden description of Mariners baseball is as much a part of my summer as walks along Lake Coeur d’Alene. My, oh my.

My heart says the politicians should give the millionaires anything they want to keep the games and memories coming.

My head tells me that it isn’t practical to subsidize construction of $380 million stadiums for the M’s and Seahawks.

My head also tells me that Seattle’s pro sports teams are an important part of the entertainment mix in the Northwest. That they’ve put us on the map. That they provide a positive antidote to the negative image foisted on us by hate groups. That they foster economic development for the Puget Sound.

Ultimately, this is a no-brainer for me. Washington politicians should pull out the stops to keep the M’s and Seahawks. If that means huge tax subsidies, so be it. I live in Idaho.

, DataTimes MEMO: For opposing view, see headline: There are better uses for tax dollars

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