Quick hits for Friday afternoon
HUSKIES, SEAHAWKS AND MORE UPDATED 2 P.M. 9-16
Because I know everyone has things they want to do this fine Friday afternoon, I'll keep this short and just hit the highlights.
I teased this Bob Condotta story about Dwayne Wright yesterday, so here it is. Wright is the San Diego-area running back that signed a letter-of-intent with WSU, didn't qualify and ended up at Fresno State.
After the discussion this week concerning the comments of UW athletic director Todd Turner, this column by the Oregonian's John Canzano seems even more timely. When people who contribute financially to a program act like the own it and are given a voice, why shouldn't people who contribute emotionally be afforded the same privilege?
UPDATE: Check out this Condotta post about "The Circle."
If there is one area of the Seahawks that needs to improve the most between Week 1 and Week 2 (Sunday's game at Qwest against the Cardinals), it is their offensive line. As Steve Kelley writes, "If the offensive line can't keep (Matt) Hasselbeck upright and healthy, if it can't crack open holes for (Shaun) Alexander, this team won't get back to the Super Bowl, won't even get back to the playoffs."
Another area would be Mike Holgrem's replay challenges, according to this Mike Sando story in the News Tribune.
According to published reports, Mariners GM Bill Bavasi and manager Mike Hargrove have started the search to replace Ron Hassey as the M's bench coach. Both the Times and the News Tribune come to the same conclusion: If Hargrove wasn't going to be back, why would he being searching for a new bench coach.
I have a different take. They both don't know yet what's going to happen for next year, so they are moving ahead like they'll be back. Ownership will decide Bavasi's fate and that, in turn, will decide Hargrove's.
But I agree with Art Thiel's column from today. The firing of Hassey and Dan Rohn was a waste of time. Neither of them were the hitting (the M's have been shut out a team-record-tying 15 times this season) or pitching coach (enough said).
Injured wing Moises Gutierrez was returned to Everett, but no one knows when he will play. He'll be performing for a considerably poorer coach Kevin Constantine, who was fined and suspended for making his team ride the bus back from Tri-Cities in uniform. That wasn't the only WHL news today. Check out Jeff Bunch's notebook.