All Saturdays should be like this
A GRIP ON SPORTS • What a Saturday it was. Talk about memorable. Let’s remember it together. Read on.
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• When your grandkids ask you where you were when Carson Smith became the M’s closer, you can say ... what? Me, I was in bed, watching the end of the M’s game last night. Actually, I was listening to the radio broadcast with the sound muted on the TV. When Rick Rizz and Aaron Goldsmith began talking about Smith warming up, and not Fernando Rodney, my interest was peaked a bit. Then Smith came in, worked a perfect ninth and the game was over. How simple was that? Anyhow, it capped a really good day. A day I may just tell my grandkids about. After all, I witnessed, via the magic of the family DVR, just the fourth Triple Crown winner of my lifetime. American Pharoah did it in style, too, pulling away down the long Belmont stretch to win easily. Though my favorite Triple Crown winner is Affirmed – I didn’t say I thought Affirmed was the best, because it wasn’t, but it was my favorite because the horse just wouldn’t let Alydar beat it; Affirmed with the essence of winner – American Pharoah now ranks right up there. After all, we don’t have to hear all the crud about how long it’s been since a horse has won a triple crown anymore. Maybe my grandkids will, but not me. They will, however, probably still have to deal with inept MLS referees. Everyone has for years, why should they be any different? I’ve seen some home jobs in soccer before, but the Sounder’s 1-0 loss in Kansas City last night was as bad as it gets. First the officials take away goal by Lamar Neagle on a clearly bogus off-sides call. Not only was Neagle not ahead of the nearest defender, he was behind the ball. Then, with less than 10 minutes left, goalkeeper Stefan Frei was called for a penalty as he did something every keeper does, punch away a ball in the box. Kansas City scored the game-winner on the ensuing penalty kick. I’ll give the Sounders’ players and coach Sigi Schmid credit. Many of them risked fines and other assorted penalties from the league by speaking their mind about the calls. That’s just another aspect of Saturday that will make it memorable – and good lesson to share with my grandkids, if there ever are any.
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• Shadow: About the only local news of note is the Shadow finishing in a scoreless tie with the South Sound Shock.
• Seahawks: Bruce Irvin’s agent must have finally talked some sense into him. The linebacker told the NFL Network he would love to stay in Seattle, helping his agent’s negotiating position.
• Mariners: Austin Jackson hit a tie-breaking home run (solo, of course). Felix Hernandez dominated the Rays (of course). And Smith came jogging out of the bullpen to pitch the ninth, greeted by a standing ovation (well, he wasn’t Rodney, so of course). That was the formula last night. That and a Willie Bloomquist RBI single early on. Still, the M’s struggled with runners on base, no more so than Robinson Cano, who was booed a bit. ... I like these type of stories. A lot. ... I'm not a big power rankings guy, but here are some. ... The M's will need a deeper draft board this year. ... Taijuan Walker has a new grip on his curveball.
• Sounders: Lost in the flotsam of a couple of blown, match-deciding calls, was the Sounders were playing without some of the league’s best players and still, by all rights, should have earned a draw. That’s pretty impressive. ... Part of the reason is the Sounders have some young players who are pretty exciting.
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• There was one other local memory built yesterday. Tyler Johnson, the kid from Central Valley High, scored a key goal in the Tampa Lightning’s 4-3 win over Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals. A Spokane kid shining on hockey’s biggest stage. How cool is that? Until later ...
