MARINERS: White earns first major league save, M's take series

_
He had to face to most difficult part of Minnesota's line-up but Sean White got the job done in David Aardsma's absence extending his scoreless innings streak to 16. Aardsma was unavailable to pitch in Sunday's game after pitching in the previous two against the Twins.

Seattle had the long ball working for them as three different Mariners, Jose Lopez, Russell "The Muscle" Branyan and Jamie Burke all homered in the 4-2 win.

To Continue...

Erik Bedard had pitched another quality start giving up just two runs on four hits and four walks. Bedard also struck out four.

Along with his home run, Lopez was 3-for-5 on the day with a double and two runs scored.

Starters turned relievers Garrett Olson and Miguel Batista each pitched a scoreless inning combining for two hits, a walk and a strike out.

Adrian Beltre went 2-for-4, with a run scored, to raise his average to .246


Reach Josh Stilts at nextseasonsports@gmail.com

Read more

MARINERS: Evaluating Ken Griffey Jr.

_
When 12-time All-Star Ken Griffey Jr. came to Seattle for the second time in his storied career, many fans were expecting another .300, 50 home run season like he used to produce annually during his first reign as the Mariners' outfielder.

But the reality of Griffey's return has been underwhelming to say the least.

Rumors have been floating around that if it were anyone but Griffey producing numbers like his, they would have already been released. Sure his .224 batting average and six home runs seem like a disappointment, but those numbers are also misleading.

To Continue...

His on base percentage of .335 is good for third of all Mariners while his six home runs are second only to Russell Branyan’s 12. So while his average may be rather low for him, his OBP is only .37 less than his career average of .372

The home run has been the one thing consistent in Junior’s legendary career, and six thus far is actually an improvement over 2008.

In 490 at bats last season, he hit 18 dingers, which averages out to 27.22 at bats per home run. In 143 at bats this season, he has six, which brings him to 23.83 at bats per home run.

The difference is that Griffey is usually pulled out of the lineups when facing left-handed pitchers, but he is still doing better in 2009 than 2008.

But besides looking at the scoreboard, we all know he has been helping the Mariners mostly from the clubhouse and dugout.

In the first eight years of Ichiro Suzuki’s career, he always looked bored and never seemed like he was having fun when he was just sitting in the dugout.

Now we see Ichiro and Griffey sharing countless moments of laughter and even Ichiro talking to other teammates he once ignored, including Erik Bedard and Yuniesky Betancourt.

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Constant suspensions hampering team chemistry

Referee Tim Weyland pockets a red card that had just been issued to James Riley during a match against the L.A. Galaxy. Riley is one of five Sounders who've been shown red this season, a league high. Mark Malijan / NSS

As if accumulating their third shutout loss wasn’t bad enough, Seattle did themselves no favors by being shown a league leading fifth red card, this time to forward Nate Jaqua.

And it gets worse.

Defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was shown his fifth yellow card of the season, which was an automatic one game suspension.

To Continue...

Before Jaqua, four other Sounders had received red cards: Freddie Montero, Kasey Keller, James Riley and Tyronne Marshall.

With so many replacements in the starting roster, it’s been difficult for the expansion side to build team chemistry.

And the lack of fluidity has been evident, especially in shutout losses like yesterday’s in L.A., where Seattle couldn’t find the net despite controlling most of the possession. Meanwhile, Chivas USA managed a goal during one of their rare trips to their side of the field.

James Riley, who received a red card after swinging his arm at an opponent’s neck during an argument, thinks the league should simply let the players compete and eliminate the suspension.

“To be honest, I don’t like it,” Riley said. “I think the referee should do everything they can to keep the guys on the field. It just keeps the quality of the product and the game better.”

And it would certainly benefit the Sounders, who’ve been struggling with injuries to their starters lately, although they are nearing 100 percent as midfielder Osvaldo Alonso heals from his right quadriceps strain.

Having a healthy team at this point in the season is a luxury for any team, but if Seattle’s trend of suspensions continues, health won't matter as coach Sigi Schmid shuffles the starting lineup week in and week out.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Injuries prevent pitching from reaching potential

It’s three months into the season and the Seattle Mariners have found themselves sitting on a 27-29 record. They have, of course, struggled with injuries to key players, including Ichiro Suzuki, Kenji Johjima, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Shawn Kelley.

The latter two should be regrouping with the Mariners fairly shortly, while Johjima is going to be out for about four more weeks.

To Continue...

In Rowland-Smith’s and injured RHP Carlos Silva’s absences, the Mariners have been using southpaws Chris Jakubauskas and Jason Vargas to fill their lengthy openings in the rotations. Jaukubaus has recently been shifted over to the bullpen to make room for Garret Olson to join the five-man staff.

When Kelley was placed on the disabled list, he left with a 1-1 line while owning a 1.54 ERA. Right-handed relief pitcher Olson then joined the club after a stint with the Tacoma Rainiers.

A Brandon Morrrow injury earlier on resulted in a call-up for Sean White, a reliever who has made a name for himself by now boasting a 1.65 ERA.

Once all the injuries end, the Mariners actually have one of the statistically better pitching systems in the majors. The rotation has been shaky but is now coming into place.

Rotation

Felix Hernandez 5-3; 3.22; ERA; 79 SO
Erik Bedard 4-2; 2.37 ERA; 61 SO
Jason Vargas 2-0; 1.93 ERA; 19 SO
Jarrod Washburn 3-4; 3.22 ERA; 44 SO
Ryan Rowland-Smith 0-0; 0.00 ERA; 1 SO

Bullpen’s “Big Three”

Shawn Kelley 1-1; 1.54 ERA; 11 SO
Sean White 1-0; 1.65 ERA; 11 SO
David Aardsma 2-2; 2.05 ERA; 27 SO

Now when you include former All-Star Chad Cordero to the mix, then there's the possibility to create a four-man bullpen that occasionally allows Mark Lowe and Brandon Morrow to receive some playing time.

The future of the Mariner’s bullpen is still only partially here. The other two would be Phillipe Aumont and Joshua Fields, Seattle’s 2007 and 2008 first-round draft picks.

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Plenty of possession, but no goals leads to 1-0 loss to Chivas USA

Jaqua was ejected with a red card.

Taking advantage of opportunities: that’s what Chivas USA did and that’s what the Sounders failed to do.

The Sounders owned the vast majority of possession, but merely controlling the ball wasn’t enough as the team dropped its second straight to Chivas USA, this time 1-0.

All “The Goats” needed was a quick throw-in, a sharp shot that rebounded off Kasey Keller’s hands and an easy rebound goal by L.A.’s unmarked Eduardo Lilingston to take a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute.

To Continue...

Meanwhile Seattle built up numerous scoring chances but failed to find the net for the third time this season despite 11 shots.

The loss breaks Seattle’s five-game tie streak.

Once again, Seattle lost a player to a red card late in the game, this time in the 87th minute. Forward Nate Jaqua was the culprit and will miss next week’s match at home against the Earthquakes with a mandatory one-game suspension.

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado will also miss the game against San Jose after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Suspensions have been a problem for Seattle, wreaking havoc on the expansion team’s chemistry. The Sounders lead the league in red cards with five.

Seattle had numerous chances in the second half, including Nate Jaqua evading defenders in the box off a Sebastien Le Toux feed, then firing a shot about a foot wide of the net.

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had Seattle’s best opportunity of the game in the second half after Freddie Ljungberg’s free kick ricocheted in the air for a wide open header fpr Hurtado. But, the defender pushed it high over the net.

Le Toux came in for Fredy Montero in the 65th minute and instantly made his presence felt by roughing up defenders and helping build up some of Seattle’s best scoring opportunities.

However, the spark Le Toux brought to the pitch wasn’t enough for Seattle to avoid it’s third shutout.

The loss drops Seattle further back in the Western Conference. They trail the second place Houston Dynamo by four points and dropped to a tie with the Rapids, who earned a point with a draw.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

MARINERS: Another pitching duel, same score different result

_
With two outs in the bottom of the eigth, Ken Griffey Jr. drove in Ichiro from first to break-up the 1-1 tie to win 2-1.

David Aardsma came on in relief in the ninth and struck out the first batter but walked Mike Redmond. Pinch hitter Jason Kubel also struck out but a passed ball almost cost Seattle the game.

To Continue...

A major league-leading 15 wins in one-run games Seattle has found a way to finish games in the win column.

With Carlos Gomez on second after pinch-running for Redmond and the passed ball, Gomez moved to third on an infield single by pinch-hitter Brian Buscher. Aardsma didn't let runners on the corners phase him as he got Denard Span to ground out to second for the win.

Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn displayed another great outing pitching six innings of one-run ball. Wasburn struck out six, walked one and scattered seven hits. Seattle's bullpen took over and pitched three scoreless innings allowing just two hits and one walk between Brandon Morrow, Garrett Olson and Chris Jakubauskas.

After his 27-game hit streak came to an end last night Ichiro went back at it going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scored the game-winning run.

Reach Josh Stilts at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: "SFI TV" (Video): Numbers match game

-
Shall we play a game...? In the spirit of fun and continued fan interaction, the team's Web site has launched a game where fans have 90 seconds to match a player's number and the player's card.

How well do you know your Sounders? Most of you probably know Kasey, Fredy, Freddie, Alonso and a few others, but we have a 24-man roster folks. What is Evan Brown's number, eh?

To continue...



Do your homework and go play the game. See how you stack up with other Sounders FC fans. To play the game, click here. Good luck and tell us how you do.

Reach Greg Roth - Sounders Fan Insider at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field - Mora to scale Mt. Rainier

Jim Mora Aaron Weinberg / NSS

Coach Jim Mora and CEO Tod Leiweke are scheduled to climb Mt. Rainier July 5 as part of a fundraiser for United Way.

Mora is no stranger to a tough physical challenge, just ask his players who he sometimes invites to a grueling hike up Tiger Mountain.

To Continue...

Sea gals
There really is no news, so here's a video from Seahawks.com called "The making of the 2009 Sea Gals Team Photo."

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Away day, where to watch the match on Saturday, June 6th

Every soccer fan knows that the next best thing to being at the match is heading to your neighborhood football pub and watching the game with your best mates. Below are a few suggestions of pubs to watch Sounders FC away matches.

To Continue...

This week Sounders FC travel to Los Angeles to take on Chivas USA. The match will start at 7:30 (PDT)

Last away match the Emerald City Supporters got together at Schultzy's
in Seattle. This week the mighty ECS invade "The Baltic Room"
"
Gorilla FC typically hosts pre and post match parties at Fado Pub in Seattle. This week they will host their viewing party at Fado.

If you are looking for a more low key, family friendly viewing party, Prost Amerika hosts their viewing party at Piecora's Pizza in Seattle.

If you are on the east side you can watch the match at Three Lions Pub in Redmond.

If you are down south in Tacoma, the Sounders FC Fan club of Tacoma will be getting together at O'Mallys Irish Pub.

Here is list of the various pubs and establishments that will be carrying the match on the "tele."

Ballard

Stepping Stone

Bellingham

The Copper Hog
The Quarterback Pub

Burien:

The Dray
Mick Kelly's Irish Pub
Celtic Bayou

Everett

Balefire

Redmond

Three Lions Pub

Seattle:

Azzurri
Blue Moon Tavern
Swannies
Fado Irish Pub
Kangaroo & Kiwi Pub
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub
The George & Dragon Pub
Schultzy's
The Spitfire
St. Andrew's Bar and Grill
The Atlantic Crossing
The Dray
The Baltic Room

Tacoma:

Doyle's Public House

Tumwater

Ballyhoo Irish Pub

As always, I recommend getting to your chosen establishment early to secure a great seat (if you like to sit during matches) or a good table.

Our list keeps growing, If I am missing any great "footy" viewing establishments, let us know and we will add them to the list.

Reach Greg Roth at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: M's lose pitching duel in extras

Felix Hernandez continued to show his dominance as Seattle's ace pitching seven innings, striking out seven, walking three and giving up just one earned run on six hits but it was all for nothing as Minnesota won 2-1 in 10 innings.

Mark Lowe relieved David Aardsma and gave up a double to Joe Mauer, then intentionally walked 2006 MVP Justin Morneau. With two on Jason Kubel just missed a three-run home run but was robbed by Franklin Gutierrez. Then things got interesting.

To Continue...

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire called for the suicide squeeze but third baseman Matt Tolbert missed and Mauer was caught in a run down, ultimately tagged out but Morneau moved to second on the play. Then Wladimir Balentien misplayed the ball and Morneau scored the winning run. Twins closer Joe Nathan came on in the 10th and struck out two.

Ichiro Suzuki's hit streak came to an end at 27 games. He had a chance in the bottom of the 10 but struck out swinging. He was 0-for-4 with a walk.

Seattle's only offense was provided by a solo shot from Mike Sweeney in the second giving the Mariners a 1-0 lead but Minnesota tied the game the very next inning when Morneau hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Carlos Gomez.

Reach Josh Stilts at nextseasonsports@gmail.com Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field - Teamwork building at Fort Lewis

Watch Houshmandzadeh tackle the weave.

Seahawks news is at a snail's pace this week (but should heat up when NSS attends next week's three-day mini-camp). In the meantime you're stuck with photos of Seattle players running an obstacle course at Fort Lewis and feature stories about the day there.

Houshmandzadeh on why the Seahawks were running the course:

"We're trying to correlate it to football. It's teamwork," Houshmandzadeh said. "But this is different. We screw up, we lose a play, maybe a game. These soldiers screw up, they lose a life."

To Continue...

The P-I follows Housh while the Times follows Deion Branch through the course.

Matt Hasselbeck said the players who performed the best were Seneca Wallace, Brian Russell, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne and coach Robert Prince.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Daily news - Bedard trade rumors and draft news

ESPN’s Keith Law and Jason A. Churchill report that the Mariners are targeting mostly college talent in next Wednesday’s draft.

Numerous sources have confirmed that two teams are semi-interested in southpaw Erik Bedard. Those teams would be the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies.

To continue...

Buster Olney of ESPN reports that the M’s are pondering the idea of passing on CF/1B Dustin Ackley. Aaron Crow is the most likely possibility as a replacement to Ackley.

MLB.com’s Doug Miller wrote an interesting piece on the Mariners' excess of left-handed starting pitchers.

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

Are you our fan yet?

No flailing allowed. Aaron Weinberg / NSS

Did you know NSS has a Facebook page? Become a fan and let all your friends and acquaintances know what site you come to for Seattle sports news and analysis.

And why not invite some friends to check us out? The more hits, the more features we can eventually add to the site.



Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: "SFI TV" (Video): Pre-match Activities with Joe Roth and Drew Carey

Match day is almost upon us so to get you into the spirit, Sounders Fan Insider takes you on a journey through some of the pre-match festivities leading up to the "march to the match" from last weekend against the Crew.

To Continue...

SFI also runs into Drew Carey and majority owner Joe Roth in the middle of the pre-match madness right in the middle of Occidental Park to get some quick thoughts on the day.

In addition, SFI speaks to Kevin Zelko from one of the supporters groups Gorilla FC to find out a little more about what they do and how their organization serves the community.


Reach Greg Roth - Sounders Fan Insider at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Sounders FC (4-2-5) at Chivas USA (7-2-3)

Press release from the club:

Sounders FC at Chivas USA – June 6 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

The Seattle Sounders FC seek to tighten the race in the MLS Western Conference when it visits leader Chivas USA in southern California on Saturday night. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

To Continue...

Sounders FC (4-2-5, 17 points) has drawn its last five games and has slipped to third in the West. Chivas USA (7-2-3, 24 points) owns the best record in MLS but is coming off a loss in its last game.

Following this weekend, Seattle will be home for five of its next six MLS games, beginning June 13 against San Jose.

Seattle’s next three MLS home games (San Jose, D.C. United, Colorado) are sold out. There are tickets on sale for the other remaining home dates. To purchase, call 1-877-MLS-GOAL or visit www.SoundersFC.com.

Official Sounders FC game notes for this week’s match against Chivas USA are available at www.SoundersFC.com/Game-Notes/2009/Releases.aspx.

Broadcast Information (all times Pacific)

Local TV: KONG 6/16 (Pregame begins at 7 p.m.)

Local English Radio: News Talk 97.3 FM (Pregame begins at 7 p.m.)

Talent: Kevin Calabro (play-by-play), Greg Vanney (analyst)

TV Replay: FSN (June 6, 10 p.m.; June 7, 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.; June 8, 5 p.m.)

Pregame Local TV Talent: Alan Hinton and Peter Fewing with Lisa Gangle

Pregame Local English Radio Talent: Alan Hinton and Peter Fewing with Matt Johnson

Local Spanish TV: THIS-TV (Comcast channel 114)

Talent: Jaime Mendez (play-by-play), Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (analyst)

Local Spanish Radio: Ke Buena 1210 AM

Talent: Rene Aleman, Noe Menendez, Victor Hernandez
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Lucas says he wants to end career in Seattle

Seahawks CB Ken Lucas had an interview on KJR yesterday and had plenty to say on how he's changed since leaving Seattle and what the future holds for him.

"I would like to say I’m a better professional now," Lucas said. "I understand what it takes to play on this level and how to maintain a level of excellence on this level. So with that being said, I’ve come back to my home where I first got my start at. And hopefully, I can finish my career here and go out on top with a Super Bowl ring."

Head here for the entire interview.

To continue...

He also had some interesting things to say about how effective he'd be this year, going as far as saying he's as good or better than ever.

"Some people feel like I’m old now age-wise," he said. "But for me, my motivation is to show everybody that I’m not going to let a young guy outwork me, period. I feel like I have a lot of football left in me. I feel like my best is yet to come. So with that being said, I’m only getting better with time, and I feel like I’m faster, quicker and much wiser than what I used to be when I first went to Carolina."

Obviously, players always feel as though the best is yet to come, but for Lucas, the numbers and his release from Carolina say otherwise.

He hasn't recorded more than three interceptions since 2005, his first year in Carolina.

He's signed for only one year, so he will truly need to shine to convince Seattle to re-sign him long term.

However, his size and speed combination should be much needed. Unless Josh Wilson emerges as a legitimate starter, which is quite possible, Lucas could prove to be an invaluable addition to the secondary.

Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Alonso questionable, Graham injury update

Osvaldo Alonso is listed as questionable to play this week against Chivas USA but has been making the proper strides to make a timely return, said head coach Sigi Schmid.

“Alonso is making good progress,” Schmid said. “He’s stepping it up. There’s no set backs from what he did [Tuesday] from [Wednesday].”

The midfielder went down in the first minute two games ago against the Colorado Rapids with a right quadriceps strain.

To Continue...

Taylor Graham
Defender, and fan favorite, Taylor Graham has been on IR for more than a week with a broken foot.

Graham was finally nearing full health after breaking a bone in his big toe in February. He was even set to play in last week’s U.S. Open Cup match.

But, the defender is staying optimistic and is working hard, as he did with his last injury, to getting back on the field with a six to four week estimated recovery time.

“I’m trying to do things proactively to put it closer to the four week range in terms of supplements and resting,” Graham said. “With this injury, I can still ride the bike in the boot so I’m doing that quite a bit.”

He said he’s also swimming and lifting weights.

Once his foot is rehabbed, he said optimistically he’d like to be match fit in two to three weeks.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Team going to let fans, coaches worry about refs

James Riley: "If Tyrone Marshall meant to hit
the guy you’d probably need a stretcher to get
him off the field." Aaron Weinberg / NSS

If you’re still confused about Tyrone Marshall’s red card in the closing minutes of last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Columbus, you’re not alone because neither does the suspended defender.

“I’m still trying to figure that out to be honest,” Marshall said. “The referee said I closed-fist punched the forward, which, it didn’t happen that way.”

Seattle has seen red a league leading four times this season and ranks second worst in MLS’s fair play table, which takes into account all fouls.

To Continue...

Lately, the team has appeared to be battling the referee on the field almost as much as the opposing team.

Head coach Sigi Schmid is aware of the problem and is looking to put an end to it as Seattle takes on Western Conference leaders Chivas USA in a critical away match.

“We had a meeting after the match. We’re just going to control what we can control,” defender James Riley said. “We’re not going to worry about the referees anymore. We’re going to let the crowd and the referees worry about the referees. We’re just going to play and get on with it like we played in our earlier games.”

Marshall's mandatory one game suspension further jumbles Seattle’s lineup, which has been hampered by injuries.

Riley, who also was shown red earlier this season, said he dislikes the suspension and thinks the league should get rid of the card.

“I think the referee should do everything they can to keep the guys on the field,” Riley said. “It just keeps the quality of the product and the game better.

“Obviously with mine I think he defiantly did an acting job. I’d say if I intended to hit the guy I don’t think he would play the rest of the game and same with Tyronne Marshall. If Tyrone Marshall meant to hit the guy you’d probably need a stretcher to get him off the field.”

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Beltre's single breaks tie in the ninth for a Seattle win

For the second time in the game, the Orioles intentionally walked Russell Branyan to load the bases and bring Adrian Beltre to the plate. It worked the first time. It didn't the second.

Beltre singled to left to score Franklin Gutierrez and the winning run in the bottom of the ninth, giving Seattle a 3-2 victory tonight at Safeco Field.

Runs were at a premium in this game, and Beltre was at the forefront, driving in all three Mariners runs, two off a home run in the third.

To continue...

At pitcher, Jason Vargas continues to be a bright spot for Seattle. He pitched 5.1 innings, giving up eight hits and two runs.

From there, relief came in and allowed no runs, as Chris Jakubauskas, Mark Lowe and David Aardsma combined for three shutout innings to close the game and possibly send it into extra innings.

But they wouldn't be necessary. Gutierrez tripled in the ninth with one out, and after back-to-back intentional walks, Beltre got the hit Seattle needed.

With the win, Seattle moves to 26-28 and will now face the Twins in a three-game series June 5-7 at Safeco Field.

NOTES: Ichiro Suzuki singled in the third to extend his consecutive hits streak to 27 games. For the second game in a row, Branyan bat out of the two spot. Though he did not register a hit, he reached base three times on walks.

Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: SFI TV: Wednesday's practice, Steve Zakuani and Taylor Graham injury report

Sounders Fan Insider takes you inside of Starfire Sports complex at Sounders FC training and talks to midfielder Steve Zakuani to discuss team chemistry, integrating into the offense and his appreciation for the city of Seattle and its fans.

In addition, coach Sigi Schmid talks about his philosophy on ties and more. Defender Taylor Graham, who is nursing a broken foot, provides an ETA on his return to the pitch, his rehab regimen and some other revealing thoughts.

To video...

(to view video in high quality, press the HQ button on lower screen)


Reach Greg Roth - Sounders Fan Insider at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Schmitt discusses his role in draft documentary "The Call"

Seahawks fullback Owen Schmitt and fellow producer of "The Call," Adam Golomb, paid KRKO 1380 AM a visit yesterday to discuss their NFL Draft documentary set to premier this Friday in Seattle.

Click here for audio of the 20-minute interview.

"I honestly guarantee to the audience that you're gonna have insights into not just Owen, but the agent-player relationship that you never expected and to this side of the game you never expected," Golomb said. in the interview. "The players are under constant pressure. You think that they're big college stars; that's no assurance."

To continue...

Schmitt will be making an appearance at the premier of "The Call," an independent documentary, which takes an inside look at the draft process.

It features Schmitt and two other NFL hopefuls as they make their way through pre-draft activities all the way up to draft day.

Schmitt, who is the associate producer of the film, will be on hand after the game for a Q&A session with the fans.

The film will be shown at 7:00 p.m this Friday at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival (STIFF) at 1411 21st Ave. in Seattle.

Click here for the trailer.

For more information on the STIFF, head to www.trueindependent.org.

Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Sponsors to invade NFL jerseys

If Seattle ever looks to obtain jersey sponsors, hope for the best.

The last frontier of advertising is set to invade at least one NFL team this offseason. That's right, sponsors can now buy ad space on team jerseys, or in this instance, their practice jerseys

According to Sports Business Daily, the Houston Texans are soliciting businesses to sponsor their practice jerseys.

They've yet to find a sponsor.

To Continue...

Advertising on jerseys is nothing new in most other sports outside of the U.S. Soccer teams, including the Seattle XBox 360's, er Sounders FC, have had sponsor logos prominently plastered across their jerseys for some time now.

However, the ad placement comes out of necessity, as soccer games don't have any TV commercials to feed revenue during play.

As of now, there isn't much need for NFL teams to acquire team sponsors because the league, with its salary cap, is doing just fine economically.

However, the NFLPA has been looking to enter the realm of uncapped spending and could do so within the next two years, making business logos on team jerseys more neccessary.

P-I columnist Greg Johns chimes in on the situation:

I shudder to think the Seahawks jersey could someday bear Honda across the front. I'm not eager to see the Mariners become billboards for Bank of America. I think it'll be hard enough to swallow when Husky Stadium inevitably becomes Fill-In-The-Blank Stadium as Scott Woodward accepts the financial reality that private money is the only option to drive his needed overhaul.

The time of business-sponsored NFL jerseys is indeed subtly approaching.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Around the pitch - Jaqua earns "Goal of the week" honors

Jaqua and his teammates celebrate his goal last
Saturday against the Crew. Aaron Weinberg / NSS

Jaqua's equalizer in Saturday's 1-1 tie against the Crew earned him a wide margin of victory in MLSnet's "Goal of the Week" award.

That makes four weeks in a row where Jaqua has scored either a goal or an assist. And, opposing team's better watch out, because Jaqua plays his best scoring soccer in June.

To Continue...

Sounders success
Jose Romero has a quick write-up from practice explaining why Seattle has been so successful in its first year in the MLS.

"In this league we have Freddie Ljungberg, but they have Guillermo Barros Schelotto," Schmid said, referring to Seattle and the Columbus Crew matching top players. "Everybody's got good players, so now it comes down to who's going to make the best plays. Well, what it really comes down to is the nucleus and what I call the bread-and-butter guys. Are your bread-and-butter guys better than the other team's bread-and-butter guys, the nitty-gritty guys, the seven piano carriers? Can they do a better job than the other team's seven piano carriers? Because everybody has got the three piano players, and can your piano players outplay theirs? ... And that's how you eventually win."

Team looking for at least a point
Don Ruiz of the New Tribune has Seattle's game plan as they head down to L.A. this weekend to take on the Western Conference leading Chivas USA.

“It’s all about us to make our way into the playoffs,” Schmid said of the game in Carson, Calif. “… One of the things you need to do in this league if you want to be a playoff team is you have to get points on the road. And if you want to win in the playoffs, you’re going to need to get a result on the road at some point, maybe two.

“From that standpoint, it’s just a good test for us to go down, play a good team, and come out with something on the road. That’s what we’re all about this weekend.”

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS SFC: SFI TV: Tuesday's practice, talking red cards

Sounders Fan Insider takes you inside of Starfire Sports complex at Sounders FC training and talks to defenders James Riley, Tyrone Marshall and goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

For the video...

(to see video in higher quality, click the HQ button on below the screen)


Reach Greg Roth - Sounders Fan Insider at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Tacoma's "Murderer's Row" getting things done offensively as M's struggle

It’s kind of ironic that while the Seattle Mariners rank dead last in the American League in runs scored (197), their triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers, have been hitting well enough to earn the nickname "Murderer’s Row."

The nickname is not just thrown out casually. Most only use it for lineups that lack no excessive, if any, offensive weaknesses.

The Rainiers don’t.

To continue...

In the Pacific Coast League they rank second in batting average (.291), third in home runs (59), second in On Base Plus Slugging Percentage (.829) and third in runs scored with 297.

In 203 at bats last season, catcher Jeff Clement hit .227 while knocking in five home runs for a last place Mariners team.

In 175 at bats so far for Tacoma this season, the former top-prospect has seven home runs with a .314 batting average; all of this has been produced with a rehabbed knee.

If any of the minor league hitters receive a call to the Mariners 25-man roster, it will likely be the left-handed Clement. Had his knee been healthy, along with the rest of him, he would have been an easy choice to replace Kenji Johjima after his second injury.

Prentice Redman and Bryan Lahair co-lead the team in home runs with 10 apiece while Mike Carp, a key piece in the trade that sent J.J. Putz to the New York Mets, follows closely behind with nine dingers on the year.

Batting average isn’t an issue for the 27-24 Rainiers either, as eight players with at least 50 at bats are hitting for .300 or more.

Michael Saunders leads the team, batting .361. Since being drafted back in 2004, Saunders has been a stellar offensive force, but he has never had his OPS even close to the 1.027 it is this season along with four stolen bases in five attempts.

The best comparison to this team would likely be the 2008 Texas Rangers--stellar offense, decent defense but no high-impact pitchers to keep them in games when the offense doesn’t produce.

That’s right, the Mariners don’t exactly have another Felix Hernandez or even a Ryan Rowland-Smith down in Tacoma as they rank third to last in ERA with 4.98.

But the current Mariners carry plenty of young arms; all Tacoma has to do is bring that "Murderer’s Row" up to Safeco Field.

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

Hump Day Trivia (9/9 answered)

There is one question per sport. We'll compile the amount of wins for each reader and post a top 10 list each week. Neurocell leads the standings with 19 points.

To Continue...

One guess per sport per day
Leave your answers in the comments below

SEAHAWKS (7)
Q: How many top five draft picks have the Seahawks had and who were they?
Answered: Seven, Steve Niehaus, Kenny Easley, Curt Warner, Cortez Kennedy, Rick Mirer, Shawn Springs, Aaron Curry, by Neurocell

SOUNDERS (1)
Which club did Color Analyst Alan Hinton and former Sounders coach start his professional career?
ANSWERED: Wolverhamption Wanderers, by SSReporters

MARINERS (1)
Which Mariner holds the record for most at bats in a single game?
Joey Cora (7), by Brodie

Standings
1. Neurocell - 26
2. Brodie - 17
3. SSReporters - 10
4. Chris Sullivan - 8
5. JWB - 5
6. mhcoker- 1
6. Overmars - 1
6. DerekJohnson156 - 1
6. SSTBM - 1

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Seattle earns rare blowout, dominates Orioles 8-2

_
For once, Erik Bedard received some run support. This time, he didn't need it and picked up his fourth win of the season in the Mariners' 8-2 victory over Baltimore tonight at Safeco Field.

Pitching against his old team, the lefty once again showed why Seattle paid so dearly to get him, pitching 6.1 innings with four hits, one run and seven strikeouts.

Orioles rookie David Hernandez, coming off a dominant first performance May 28, was not so good this time, getting pounded for 10 hits and five runs in 5.1 innings of work.

To continue...

Just about everybody had a good hitting day for Seattle. Only two batters failed to reach base, Endy Chavez and Yuniesky Betancourt, and the team managed to score at least one run in five-of-eight innings.

Seattle's best success came at the top of the lineup, where first baseman Russell Branyan was inserted, batting second. The top three batters, Ichiro Suzuki, Branyan and Adrian Beltre, accounted for seven hits and six runs scored.

For the Orioles, only center fielder Adam Jones managed more than one hit, going 2-for-4.

Bedard's lone run came after he walked two straight batters to load the bases with one out in the seventh. Sean White came in relief, and pinch hitter Luke Scott grounded out to first, scoring Ty Wiggington.

The performance hasn't been anything new for Bedard, who leads the team with a 2.37 ERA. He's won only four-of-10 starts though, mostly due to poor run support.

The two teams meet for the final game of the series at 7:10 p.m. tomorrow at Safeco Field. Jason Vargas will get the start for the Mariners, coming off his first win of the season as a starter on May 30.

Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field - Knapp ranked no. 14 among offensive coordinators

Where do you rank a casualty of a dreadfully inconsistent Raiders offense? About the middle of the pack.

The Sporting News ranked the top 20 offensive coordinators in the NFL and Greg Knapp, formerly of Oakland, comes in at no. 14.

He will implement a one-cut, zone-running scheme in Seattle, setting up a conservative passing attack. Knapp has a proven system. He just has to overcome a lack of elite weapons in Seattle.

To Continue...

History shows Knapp will likely lead Seattle to have one of the better rushing teams in the league. He's never had a team rank worse than 10 while he's been coordinator with the 49ers, Falcons and Raiders.

However, Knapp should have ample receiving weapons, along with QB Matt Hasselbeck, to create an equally potent passing attack that'll hopefully be better than his bottom ranked Falcons and Raiders.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Defensive success hinges on line play

The Seahawks will need a lot
more of Patrick Kerney this season.
Seahawks.com

Jim Mora’s first press conference as Seahawks head coach marked a clear shift in the franchise’s philosophy. No longer would the team’s main focus be rooted in its fine-tuned West coast offense, but instead it’s refined defense.

“They’re going to make you proud,” Mora said about the defense. “They’re going to make our fans proud.”

Thus began the defensive overhaul, or more accurately, the defensive line overhaul. Not coincidentally, Seattle’s season may hinge on the success of the unit.

To Continue...

At the very least, the success of the defense as a whole depends on the line’s ability to apply pressure.

2008 was a perfect example of what a bad defensive line can do to a team. Without Patrick Kerney, Seattle’s line drew no real double teams except for those on Brandon Mebane. To put it simply, the line was easily handled by almost every team Seattle played last year.

Consequently, the secondary, which gave up a league low nine passing touchdowns a year earlier, ranked no. 27 in the same category in 2008 and gave up the most passing yards in the NFL.

The real root of the problem was in a defensive scheme change implemented by defunct defensive coordinator John Marshall.

Due to the lack of a run stuff, Marshall was forced to move strong safety Deon Grant forward to play more as a linebacker, leaving free safety Brian Russell to cover the back of the field by himself. The scheme is called a cover-one.

This left big holes in the secondary to make even mediocre passing teams look elite.

A year earlier in 2007 Seattle was often generating pressure with its front four, allowing Deon Grant to play back in a cover-two, taking away about half the field from Russell’s responsibilities.

Basically, the defense looks the same as it did in 2008 if defensive line play is unchanged in 2009.

Pass Rush
Cory Redding is a skilled pass rusher, accumulating eight sacks in 2006. Mebane led the team in sacks last season with 5.5. The prospect of having a complete line with proven pass rushers at all positions in Patrick Kerney, Darryl Tapp, Mebane and Redding should get the 12th Man fired up for kickoff in September. Three of those players have been known to draw double teams.

When healthy, Kerney demands double teams on nearly every passing play. In 2007, he accumulated an NFC high 14.5 sacks. However, with his recent injuries, it would be reasonable to expect Tapp taking a few of Kerney's downs to keep him fresh throughout the game. He's all hustle and can wear down late into the game.

With Tapp taking reps on the left side behind Kerney, it's likely Jackson will back up Redding on the right.

Redding at End
Redding had his breakout year as a pass rushing DT, while not putting up staggering numbers as a DE. It's certain Head Coach Jim Mora will better assess Redding's skills at DE during training camp, and it's possible there could be a change in the way the team uses Redding. While Redding played at DE, the Lions ranked in the middle of the road in rushing defense.

It's important to remember that Redding was used as a run stuffer at the position and not a pass rusher, which accounts for his low sack totals starting at the position. While at end, don't expect him to rack up staggering sack totals.

Size (From earlier article by Jeff Richards)
GM Tim Ruskell has done a lot to add depth to the defensive line, depth with size.

First, the Seahawks plan to move Redding back to his more natural defensive end position on downs one and two. At 295 pounds, he would be the team's largest defensive end, even if he sheds some weight.

Cole is also the largest player at his position, weighing in at 330 pounds. He hasn't won the starting job yet, but if he does, Seattle will have size starting in the middle unlike anything since Marcus Tubbs.

At linebacker, Curry weighs in at 254 pounds. That's 14 more than Peterson's listed weight.

In fact, assuming all three of these players start, Seattle will have gained 76 pounds over their predecessors on the front seven. Now that's stopping power.

Aaron Curry
It remains to be seen whether Curry can be an upgrade at linebacker over Peterson. But one thing's for sure, he'll be much better at stopping the run.

For all of Peterson's athleticism, he had a tendency, as did all three of Seattle's linebackers, to get caught up in the trash. Once a lineman got his paws on Peterson, he was out of the play.

That won't be the case for Curry. This guy will shed blockers with the best of them and has the ability to make plays in the backfield even when he doesn't come through untouched.

Moreover, with Curry's great straight-line speed, Seattle isn't losing any sideline-to-sideline speed at linebacker.

Improved rush defense
In the last 10 years under head coach Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks have had a top 10 rush defense in yards per rush only twice and only once in the top five. Most of the time, they have been quite bad.

Things should change in 2009. Seattle will be great at stopping the run. And it seems to me there's some old axiom about needing to stop the run first if you want to go far in the NFL.

Oh yeah, that one year Seattle finished in the top five? They went to the Super Bowl.

Reach Aaron Weinberg and Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Rowland-Smith's impending return means tough decision looms in starting rotation

The Mariners rotation will soon be receiving one more left-handed starter as Ryan Rowland-Smith is due to come off the disabled list a week from Wednesday, June 10.

Rowland-Smith, one of two starters on the DL, has been out since April 10 due to tightness and fluids in his left elbow. All this time, he has been longing for one thing—to throw a baseball.

"I'm ready to go, seriously," he said. "I just want to pitch."

To continue...

In 12 starts for the Mariners last season he had a 3.49 ERA with eight consecutive quality starts to end the season.

Before his injury, he started only one game, giving up four hits and two runs, none earned, in 3.1 innings of work.

The problem with Rowland-Smith in the rotation is the excessive amount of left-handed starting pitchers the Mariners currently carry—Erik Bedard, Jason Vargas, Garret Olson, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Jarrod Washburn.

Those four follow ace Felix Hernandez while the only other right-handed starter would be 30-year-old rookie Chris Jakubauskas.

Olson recently replaced Jakubaukas, who has a 6.45 ERA in 10 games and eight starts. That leaves six starters—five lefties and then Hernandez.

None of those pitchers have struggled lately, so figuring out who makes the staff and who doesn’t is going to be a decision that will surely leave one of the six disappointed.

Of course, Hernandez makes the rotation, as does Washburn and Bedard. Vargas, Olson and Rowland-Smith will likely take the two spots left in the rotation.

This problem does, however, encourage a trade to send either Bedard or Washburn elsewhere. Bedard has a 2.48 ERA, second best in the American League, while Washburn boasts a 3.45 ERA coming into Monday’s game.

While Olson, Jakubauskas, Rowland-Smith or even Vargas could get traded, don’t expect them to be out of a Mariners uniform for quite awhile.

Unless you count a Tacoma Rainiers uniform, which Rowland-Smith has worn for his last two starts—his last being a three-hit shutout over five innings to defeat Nashville 5-3.

But this is a good situation and a good test for rookie manger Don Wakamatsu.

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Orioles blank the Mariners 1-0

As if the season he was having wasn't painful enough for Mariners fans, former Mariners star prospect Adam Jones scored the winning run, the only run, as the Mariners fell to the Orioles 1-0 tonight at Safeco Field.

Seattle's hitting struggles continued, despite a promising eight-run outing Sunday against the Angels. They managed only two hits today but still had a couple opportunities to score.

Their best chance came in the bottom of the first when Ichiro Suzuki led off with a double, then reached third on a stolen base. With no outs, the Mariners still couldn't bring him home.

To continue...

Starting the game for Baltimore was lefty Rich Hill, who entered the game with a 6.14 ERA and three starts.

He had a season-best performance, pitching seven shutout innings with two hits, three walks and sevens strikeouts.

Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn, who continues to build on his best season in four years, made it through seven innings, allowing six hits and one run.

What turned out to be the winning run came in the top of the sixth when Jones scored on a sacrifice fly.

Once considered the top prospect in the Mariners farm system, he was sent to Baltimore prior to the 2008 season as part of a package deal for Erik Bedard.

Through tonight's game, he is hitting .344 with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. Were he still in Seattle, he would be second in batting average, tied for first in home runs and alone in first in RBIs. His 40 runs scored would also be good enough to lead the team.

Another former Mariner, George Sherrill, finished the shutout, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth. It was his 11th save of the season.

Both teams move to 24-28 on the season and will again play at 7:10 p.m. tomorrow at Safeco Field.

Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

MARINERS: Series Preview: Seattle Mariners (24-27) vs. Baltimore Orioles (23-28)

_
With pitcher Erik Bedard possibly on the trade block, the Mariners will get a taste of what could have been in a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles—-the team that now carries former Mariners Adam Jones and George Sherrill.

Both were traded back in February of 2007 along with three pitching prospects for Erik Bedard, who will be pitching against Baltimore Tuesday night.

That trade has helped the Orioles by supplying them with many future stars including Sherrill, who reached his first All-Star game last season.

To continue...

As Ichiro Suzuki hopes to increase his 24-game hitting streak Monday night, the Mariners will attempt to inch closer to a .500 record by bringing in southpaw Jarrod Washburn (3-3 record, 3.45 ERA, 41 SO). Baltimore will start LHP Rich Hill (1-0; 6.14 ERA; 15 SO).

Tuesday night will likely feature LHP Erik Bedard (3-2; 2.48 ERA; 54 SO) facing the centerpiece of the trade that brought him to Seattle, Adam Jones. To face the M’s will be rookie RHP David Hernandez (1-0; 1.59; 3 SO). This will be Hernandez’s second career start, the first being Thursday when he lasted 5.2 innings while allowing only one run on five hits.

The Orioles have yet to name their starter for Wednesday, but the Mariners will be using left-handed pitcher Jason Vargas (2-0; 1.65 ERA; 17 SO). Vargas is going to be trying to prove himself as a starter while Ryan Rowland-Smith will be coming back to find himself in a rotation that already has six qualified starters.

Broadcast
at 7:10 PM/PDT
TV: FSN
Radio: 710 ESPN

Reach Ben Brown at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Jaqua's point streak could heat up even more in June

Striker Nate Jaqua has been on a hot streak, scoring either a goal or an assist in the last four games, most recently scoring the equalizer against the Crew last Saturday (which is up for goal of the week.)

And things could still improve for Jaqua, who historically has played his best games in June.

To Continue...

Jaqua, the team’s point leader (10), has netted 11 goals in 23 MLS games in June, including four goals against Chivas USA, Seattle’s opponent this Saturday.

And Seattle will need all the goal scoring they can muster.


Jaqua celebrates his third goal of the season
last Saturday. Aaron Weinberg / NSS

With the tie, Seattle faded one point behind the red-hot Houston Dynamo into third place. The game against conference rival Chivas USA is a good chance to regain some ground against their conference leading 24 points.

Head coach Sigi Schmid thinks that increased playing time between scoring threats Fredy Montero, Freddie Ljungberg, Brad Evans, Steve Zakuani and Jaqua can only improve Seattle’s chemistry and opportunities.

“That understanding and that cohesion and the ability to play off each other is going to improve,” Schmid said. “I thought the goal was a good goal. [Ljungberg] did well because he knew he had to play the ball off into the space for [Jaqua], who had a great volley.”

Jaqua and the rest of the club will travel down to L.A. this week to play Chivas USA at 7:30 on Saturday.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SOUNDERS FC: Alonso limited in practice this week

Midfielder Osvaldo Alonso starts the week listed as "limited" for practice after suffering a strain to his right quadriceps against Colorado two Saturday's ago.

Alonso went down in the first minute of play during the 2-2 tie against the Rapids and missed last game.

Defender Zach Scott remains out of practice this week with a partial tear of his abdominal muscle.

To Continue...

Here is the rest of the injury report courtesy of the club:

Defender Taylor Graham was added to the injured reserve list on May 29 with a fracture of the third metatarsal in his right foot. Graham is eligible to resume MLS play on July 11. Goalkeeper Chris Eylander was placed on injured reserve on May 15 with a left medial knee bone bruise. Eylander will be eligible to return to action for the June 20 game at New York.

Forward Jarrod Smith (left hamstring strain) has been cleared for full training, although he remains on the injured reserve list, and is now with the New Zealand National Team for the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Reach Aaron Weinberg nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Owen Schmitt to appear for Q&A after "The Call" premier Friday

Fullback Owen Schmitt will be making an appearance this Friday at the premier of an independent documentary, which takes an inside look at the draft process.

"The Call" features Schmitt and two other NFL hopefuls as they make their way through pre-draft activities all the way up to draft day.

Schmitt, who is the associate producer of the film, will be on hand after the game for a Q&A session with the fans.

To Continue...

The film will be shown at 7:00 p.m this Friday at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival at 1411 21st Ave. in Seattle.

Click here for the trailer.

Schmitt will also be on air with The Fish on KRKO 1380 AM at 5 p.m. today.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

SEAHAWKS: Reading the field - Hobbs could be odd man out

Lately reports from mini-camp and organized team activities have shone a favoring light on cornerback Kevin Hobbs as he impresses onlookers with interceptions and tight coverage.

However, in Pro Football Weekly's "The Way We Hear It," where PFW quotes unnamed sources, the 26-year-old could be hard-pressed to even make the team with so much depth in front of him.

To Continue...

The same article goes on to talk about D.D Lewis (nothing earth-shattering here):

Word is veteran Seahawks LB D.D. Lewis, who quietly underwent arthroscopic knee surgery recently, should be 100 percent by training camp.

Gus Bradley
Seahawks.com published an article about Gus Bradley, which, among other details, reveals how Bradley got the job.

Monte Kiffin told Jim Mora he had to interview Bradley:

The channeling of Kiffin continued, with an even higher pitch and even faster pace, as Mora added, “He said, ‘J.L., this guy is special. You have to bring him in. You have to talk to him.’ ”

So Bradley got his interview and, as it turns out, it was Kiffin who was doing Mora a favor. Mora and Bradley spent 15 consecutive hours together back in January, talking about everything from ways to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks to how they like to spend their downtime.

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

Case of the Mondays

In Mike Singletary's first game as head coach of the 49ers, he went up against Seattle and watched his team get whipped 34-13.

During the loss, he kicked TE Vernon Davis off the field and proceeded to have a classic rant after the game. It hasn't been made into a Coors Light commercial yet, so some folks decided to film the parody themselves.

Here are two commercial parodies followed by the original press conference in all its glory. Hopefully, San Fransisco's next game against Seattle will give cause for an even greater meltdown from the temperamental coach.

To continue...





Original press conference


Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more

NSS Weekly Newspaper Issue Eight

-
Click here to download issue eight of NSS's weekly newspaper. It's available in PDF format for easy viewing and printing.

To Continue...

The newspaper is made up of the most pertinent news and best analysis NSS has to offer each week.

To subscribe via email, click here. Subscribers will receive the newspaper a day early.

For comments, suggestions or advertising inquiries, contact Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com

Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
Read more