Goodie bag Vol. 1

A few random thoughts, like a good blog should:

• I was not bothered by the Huskies' last-second loss at UCLA on Thursday. I think it has to do with my sincere (and growing) lack of faith in this particular team. I didn't jump on the "they're so good this is going to be easy" bandwagon early in the season because I never really believed it. I guess that makes it easier to swallow when they lose. Still, go Dawgs!
  
  
• I love Rex Ryan. He might be my favorite football coach of all time. Why? He does NOT talk about losing. You never hear him say anything other than, "We're going to kick their ass." That's a football coach I'd like to have on my team. Great stuff.
  
  
• Felix Hernandez signing a five-year, $78-million deal to stay with the Mariners is a very good thing. I like King Felix's intensity and he's only 23 years old so the hope is that he will be legendary good by the time he eventually signs with the Yankees. Let's just hope he keeps his head on straight and his mugshot out of the newspaper.
  
  
• Speaking of the Mariners, Mitch Levy and Steve Sandmeyer absolutely blasted the team's management this morning on KJR. Their whole rant had to do with the fact that Ken Griffey Jr. is too old to play DH and that Ichiro should hit second behind Chone Figgins. They said the team is pandering to the fans and thus sacrificing wins. Baloney. Griffey's not going to play every day anyway. And who really cares where Ichiro hits so long as he gets on base.
  
  Griffey's going to live it up on the bench, hit a long homer here and there, strike out a ton, and inject the clubhouse with Beach Boys-style good vibrations. He's hardly costing us any money and we're not paying him for production. We're paying him to be a positive influenence on everyone wearing Seattle Mariners blue. Suck it Mitch Levy and Steve Sandmeyer. You said the Mariners are more about the marketing and not about the baseball. I think you stink. It's definitely about baseball. You guys just see it differently.
  
  
• Colts 24, Jets 13 ... Saints 41, Vikings 26.
  
  I like the idea of a Colts-Saints Super Bowl so I'm going to lean that way. Plus, I'm a huge fan of the Saints after my three years in the Dirty South. Drew Brees is going to torch the Vikings' defense because he's good enough, he's smart enough and dog-gone it people like him. Who dat?!

-- Derek Belt

Huskies having fun at the IMA

From the UW campus:

I've started working out at the IMA building and one of the fun perks of IMA membership is seeing familiar faces. Husky football and basketball players, that is. I've seen Quincy Pondexter, Darnell Gant, Matthew Bryan-Amanning and a host of other Huskies all playing pick-up basketball on the main floor. It's impossible not to post up and watch the action for a few minutes.

The cool this is they always let regular Joes play so it's usually five or six Huskies and three or four white guys from McMahon Hall. That's awesome. And the Dawgs are always getting the guys involved, passing the ball around and encouraging them to substitute in and out when they are tired. Forget the talent -- this is just college kids having fun and that's why I like to watch.

On Wednesday, I came upon a league game that featured a team of Husky football players. Kevario Middleton, Jermaine Kearse and Johri Fogerson to name a few. They were having a blast and obviously kicked the crap out of the students they were playing. I think at one point the score was 44-14 or somethign like that. But that's not really a fair fight, is it? I mean, Kevario and Jermaine were star ballers at Lakes High School and took the Lancers to the 3A state title game in 2008. Fogerson played ball at O'Dea and was a stud on the hardwood himself. These guys are legitimate basketball players and it was awesome to see them on the court together. I probably could have busted threes on them all night long.

-- Derek Belt

Please clean the Qwest Field roof

Does anybody else think the Qwest Field roof is dirty?

Those of you who know what I'm talking about, we should really do something about this. Those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, take a close look at the roof next time you drive by the football stadium. It's disgusting. Like a bath mat that never gets washed, what once was white is now a nasty shade of gray. And it's not a good kind of gray, either. Not at all. It's gross. You can actually see the rain water and dirt up there.

I guess calling the Seahawks is one option, but I doubt that'll get us anywhere. I'm suggesting we join forces and build a Facebook movement to please clean the Qwest Field roof. We've got three-ish months until the next MLS season starts and about nine months until the NFL kicks off again. If we can get them to clean the roof by then, we deserve a place in Seattle sports history. So let's get on over to Facebook if you haven't already and join the movement today. Post something to your wall and we'll see if we can't get the 12th man's voice heard.

That roof is dirty like Lindsay Lohan. Clean it up!!!

-- Derek Belt

Huskies rip second straight Pac-10 foe

Damn, Gina!

That was quite the performance -- and quite the week -- for the Husky men's basketball team. After destroying Stanford by 33 points on Thursday, Washington pummeled the California Golden Bears 84-69 on Saturday. I haven't watched much UW basketball this season, but what I have seen wasn't very cool. Then, the Stanford game happened and it was like, "Well, that's more like it."

And now, with a murderous performance against the other top team in the Pac-10, the Dawgs look to be on track once again. Only time will tell, however, as the Huskies have been downright stinky on the road this season. They've got a couple of big ones coming up next week against UCLA and USC. My magic 8 ball says we split those games but play well in each.

As for Saturday's stomping, I thought Matthew Bryan-Amanning played his tail off. Some of the moves he put on down low were smooth as butter, and his dunks are becoming works of art. I'm loving the way he controls himself with his back to the basket, and the confidence he's showing with the rock... looks a lot like Shaq at LSU. You know, when the Deisel was still a string bean. I also thought Quincy Pondexter played a masterful game. His jumper has never looked better, and his hustle is off the charts right now. Toss in yet another solid performance from freshman Abdul Gaddy and we're starting to look like a team that has a chance to repeat as conference champs. This team has talent, they just haven't put it together yet. Could this be the week where the "Romar Effect" finally took place. I think so. Bow down!

For the record, the "Romar Effect" is defined as such: Underachieving until the last possible breaking point, and then performing better than expected the rest of the way home.

-- Derek Belt

Dawgs demolish Stanford, 94-61

Finally, a Husky hoops game to feel good about!

It's been awhile since the Dawgs punched a win, but last night's game against Stanford was certainly a shot in the arm for a team and fan base desperately seeking a victory. And what a victory it was. Washington's 94-61 win over the Cardinal moved the UW to 2-3 in the Pac-10 and may have given the Huskies the confidence they need to start gelling. That's usually how it goes with Lorenzo Romar's clubs... it takes awhile to finally get going. But once they do, great things can happen.

Quincy Pondexter continues to play well, scoring 27 points last night. Abdul Gaddy scored in double figures for the second straight game, and the offense actually looked cohesive. Playing at home in front of the Dawg Pack always gets the guys going, but they appeared to have an extra pep in their step last night. Maybe they got tired of losing. Maybe their vodka-Red Bulls kicked in on time. Whatever the case, the Huskies looked like the Huskies last night and that was a breath of fresh air.

Big game against California on Saturday morning. We'll know more about what this team has in store for us the rest of the way after that showdown. Stay tuned!

-- Derek Belt

Pete Carroll's the man and Lane Kiffin sucks

There is so much going on right now. Where do I begin?!

First, I watched the entire Pete Carroll press conference yesterday and was highly entertained. Not to the point of delirium, but I am excited to see what he can do. I thought he was raw and real, personable and presentable. I liked it when he looked at the players in attendance and said, "We're in this together. It's about you guys and me." That's an awesome thing to hear from a head coach, and it's where a lot of them eventually go wrong. Some guys (Jim Mora) try to be players' coaches but they don't even know what that means. It's not about being their friend, it's about helping them maximize their talents. It's about helping them be the absolute best they can be. Because if you've got a coach motivating guys to do their best, to give their all, then everything else falls into place.

Rock on, Pete Carroll. May the 12th Man be with you.

As always, Steve Kelley hates it. But the Go 2 Guy feels differently and actually penned a decent column. I, too, am happy that Carroll is "a Corona guy." I'm telling you, there will be a lot of people around here buying in to what Carroll says. Players included. I saw T.J. Houshmandzadeh on ESPN last night and he was jacked.

Now, as far as Lane Kiffin going to coach the USC Trojans... I friggin' love it. I absolutely, positively, unequivocally could not be more excited about this hire. First, Kiffin sucks. That's just my opinion, but I'm holding on to it dearly. He's a bad person and a so-so coach. It's a great hire for USC because he fits right in. He knows the city, the system and they won't miss a beat on the recruiting trail. Plus, the staff he's piecing together is rather impressive. Pops Kiffin, Ed Oregon-I-mean-Orgeron and Norm Chow are all top-notch, first-class hires. And, maybe more than anything, this gives the rest of the Pac-10 a real reason to hate USC. Before, we only hated USC because they were so damn good. I mean, who wins the conference seven years in a row? But now, we can legitimately hate the Trojans because Kiffin is their coach. And the rivalries he'll build with Rick Neuheisel at UCLA and buddy Steve Sarkisian at UW are going to be awesome. This will certainly be a fun few years. That is, until Kiffin gets himself fired.

As I said about Mora a few days ago, thank God the Huskies didn't hire this guy. Sarkisian is vastly superior to Kiffin in every way. Coaching style, how they use their mind bullets, you name it. I bark for Sark. But I'm hereby dismissin' Kiffin. It's another great day for the Huskies, and we should all take that to heart.

READ THIS: For the best column ever on Lane Kiffin's move to USC, see this piece by Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Gate. Also, lots of Carroll coverage on Seahawks.com, including a photo gallery of Pete's first day on the job.

-- Derek Belt

Wow! Pete Carroll is the new Seahawks coach

It's pretty much official at this point ... Pete Carroll is coming to Seattle to coach the Seahawks.

Regardless of your thoughts on this, may I suggest reading this amazing LA Magazine story for a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Carroll's tenure at USC. I guarantee you'll find it interesting.

Part of see says this is a terrible idea. Part of me says it's exciting. Another part of me still says it's always about winning and we're just going to have to wait and see. Somebody in the NFL was eventually going to sign Carroll as head coach, but I never expected it to be the Seahawks. A bold, bold move this is, which is why I kind of like it. This guy is a great coach, no question about it. But can he do it at the pro level? That's the biggest question here, and it looks like we are going to find out come fall 2010.

There's a lot being said right now. Steve Kelley hates it. But Steve Kelley hates everything. ESPN's Ivan Maisel feels Carroll is bailing out on NCAA sanctions. We'll have to see about that, too. Listening to the radio offers a whirlwind of love/hate comments from loyal Seahawks fans. But no matter what your thoughts are on this, make no mistake -- it is going to bring TONS of attention to our football team. Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen. If we win, it's going to be extra exciting because Carroll is such a unique personality. If we lose, yikes! Moreover, if the Trojans get hit hard with sanctions, how interesting is this going to get? How would the team respond? How much of a distraction would it be? What's everyone going to say about Carroll's legacy then?

We're all Seahawks fans here, so let's get over the fact that Pete Carroll is now our head coach. First, it weakens USC to the point of awesomeness. Second, it's really up to Carroll to impress us and to show the NFL that he means business. I, for one, will support him in that.

-- Derek Belt

Coach Romar, where's the offense?!

The Husky men's basketball team lost twice last week to Arizona State and Arizona. Neither game was competitive, and the setbacks dropped the UW to 1-3 in the Pac-10 Conference.

This is more than a bit shocking considering how hyped the Huskies were to start the season. Every Lorenzo Romar-coached team struggles early only to get better late. But this is getting scary. The UW isn't playing good basketball by any stretch of the imagination, and in a down year for the Pac-10 that has fans livid and longing for the Rebound Machine formerly known as Jon Brockman. Well, he's gone. What do we do now? Where do we go from here? Where the %$&* is the offense?

-- Derek Belt

Jim Mora needed to go

As a fan of the Seattle Seahawks and not individual players and coaches, I fully support the team's decision to fire Jim Mora. This is about winning football games and, ultimately, getting to the Super Bowl. That said, I am not suprised by the ousting of Mora after just one season at the helm.

Personally, I think this was only slightly about "football" ... I agree that 5-11 isn't that bad for a team this awful and injury prone. But it was more about what Mora did off the field -- who he was, what he said, and how he said it. There just wasn’t much to feel good about around here. He continually put his foot in his mouth when speaking to the media, and in my opinion he definitely lost his players late in the season. Maybe through no fault of his own, but I don't really care. No matter what the circumstances, if you lose your players you are not destined to be a successful NFL head coach. I wish Mora well, but I didn't like where the Seahawks were going under his direction.

Thank God the Huskies didn't hire him. Whew!

Already, the list of coaching candidates is intriguing. I like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden, but those are long shots. Word has it that the Seahawks have contacted the Minnesota Vikings about defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. And, yes, it is being rumored that USC coach Pete Carroll is the guy. This is going to be an interesting decision for the Seahawks, and with the GM and team president spots still open it's an even more bizarre situation. Let's hope they get this one right. Because the bottom line is, they HAVE TO get it right.

-- Derek Belt