Posted by cmsof1 at 10/6/08 2:39 p.m.

Yeah. 32 seems overly optimistic. We've gotta be in the triple digit realm now. Do we even have a professional sports team left?

Looking forward to watching some hockey this season since the only way you could get me to watch Stern's NBA would be to hook me up to one of those Clockwork Orange reprogramming devices.

Posted by Above-n-Beyond at 10/6/08 2:46 p.m.

NEXT YEAR: #399, yeah!!

Just after Podunck, Mississippi (with all due respect to those living there, of course).

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 2:48 p.m.

cmsf01,

I'm with you. I bought a 14 Game Ice Pak for the Canucks. My sports dollar will be going north of the border this year.

Posted by judman25 at 10/6/08 3:08 p.m.

Wow wee. I can't believe Seattle was ranked that high. Ever.

Posted by guymoons at 10/6/08 3:09 p.m.

Was Seattle really ever higher?

Posted by 8bitjoystick at 10/6/08 3:30 p.m.

I hope the door does not hit the Sonics in the rear as they leave Key Arena.

NO CORPORATE WELFARE!

Posted by me em at 10/6/08 4:06 p.m.

I think the Sounders FC Pro soccer team starts next year...who knows, maybe Seattle will become a soccer town. We certainly have enough soccer moms running around here, it seems.

Posted by jafabian at 10/6/08 4:30 p.m.

The Sounders will help a small bit but considering we lost the Sonics, have been losers in college basketball, football, MLB and have been barely above average in the NFL and don't have NHL or NASCAR I see us seriously dropping out of the top 100.

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 4:31 p.m.

After this past year, 32 seems awfully high.

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 4:45 p.m.

The only way that Seattle will be #1 in sports is if they invent a sport that involves wearing goofy spandex, riding a bike in the middle of traffic, and hoping not to get hit. The only sport that Seattle people are good at is riding bikes in packs with goofy expressions on their faces and screaming "ON YOUR LEFT!"

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 5:07 p.m.

Seattle! #32 in Sports, #1 in Passive-Aggressive comments on lame blogs!

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 5:25 p.m.

Yes on are way to 400 go Seattle!

Posted by jack56 at 10/6/08 5:34 p.m.

With losing the SuperSonics, (and their losing season to boot) the Mariners losing season, Seahawks doing bad, Huskies doing even worst... I'm surprised we're even in the top 100.

Posted by udub01 at 10/6/08 5:50 p.m.

8bit, the Sonics have already left.

Posted by udub01 at 10/6/08 5:56 p.m.

What was going through Bennetts mind as Schultz was handing him that Jersey?

Posted by brownp at 10/6/08 8:19 p.m.

The only sport a Seattle team could do well in would be one that uses Utilikilts for uniforms. Unfortunately though, I don't think D&D will take on NFL like popularity anytime soon.

Posted by Robhart101 at 10/6/08 8:44 p.m.

What happened to Seattle? I moved away from the city almost ten years ago and one of the many fond memories of the area was it's great sports programs, fan base, and loyalty. I can remember the days of Royal Brougham, Bobby Balcena, the Buchann Bakers, Chuck Muncie, Elgin Baylor, Frances Saunders, Jim Owens, Jim Mora, Chris Gobrecht, Seattle Pacific Falcons, Bill O'Mera, the Seattle Raniers, the Thunderbirds, the Sounders, Metro League Sports, the Thanksgiving Bowl, Dennis Johnson, Gus Williams, Bill Russell, Don James, Sonny Sixkiller,... I could go on and on (Sorry for any misspelled names, senior moment!). You couldn't get a ticket to the local games they were so sold out. Sounds like you can't give them away now. Loosing teams to other cities, loosing seasons for many years now. What happened. I know the town is a sports town. Even when they didn't have major league teams they turned out for events. I hope the city can turn it around. The fans deserve it.

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 9:28 p.m.

"Loosing" WTF?

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 9:46 p.m.

I miss the Sonics already, and 8bitjoystick they already left you moron, no thanks to our idiot Mayor and that slimeball Schultz. No good bandwagon fans of this city have and always will make me sick, go back to riding the Seahawks 12th men bandwag... oh wait, they got blown out this weekend, that bandwagon seems to be on it's last legs LMAO!

Posted by unregistered user at 10/6/08 9:52 p.m.

So sorry ya had to leave, "Robhart101"....

See the problem really came to a head near your last years here (although you did bring up a pretty lengthy history there). Right now, Seattle is plagued by a complete sense of accepting mediocrity--starting with the idiotic political climate of the State, especially in the Seattle community.

The enslaved lib's absolutely can't fight their way out of a paper bag--for which they're about to charge 20c, for crying out loud! Nah, these dunderhead leftists have literally run this town in the ground--electing a criminal as Rep-for-life, voting FOR money-saving initiatives, then turning right around and voting for the pick-pocketing party which caused the problem in the first place.

Ever see a dog chase its tail; it extends to the entire sports entertainment world here, as well.

Yes, it's sick...come back and help us turn it around!

Posted by Seattle757 at 10/6/08 10:10 p.m.

Too bad there is no NHL here and I have to run across the border to go watch some good hockey.

Posted by capitolhiller at 10/6/08 11:01 p.m.

Who cares. More of us PLAY sports.

Men's Health Magazine: Seattle ranked 8th in a survey of 100 U.S. cities (Incidentally, Oklahoma City was ranked one of the fattest.)

American College of Sports Medicine: S.F., Seattle are most fit cities in the USA

Travel and Leisure ranks Seattle 5th most athletic/active U.S. city

Posted by Raynor.Shine at 10/6/08 11:21 p.m.

Do you mean there are 31 cities that got screwed by pro sports more than Seattle did?

Posted by make_or_break at 10/6/08 11:26 p.m.

The boys still play sports in Seattle? Is that what they call that crap that goes on at Safeco Field? Husky Stadium? Qwest Field? Can hardly wait for the Bank of America/Countrywide/Merrill Lynch Area to start up...then the mediocrity will be complete.

At least the girls made it to the post-season this year.

Posted by Mountaineer at 10/7/08 1:36 a.m.

The Mariners become the first team to spend $100 million and lose 100 games. The best thing that can be said about their future is that, with ownership's promise to cut back on payroll in the next few years, we can look forward to several seasons of 100 losses, but at least with a budget under $100 million.

The Seahawks looking to end the Mike Holmgren era in the same condition they began it.

The Sonics...oops, I forgot. No more Sonics. Want NBA basketball? Drive to Portland...except that you won't be able to find a ticket to the already-sold-out-for-the-year Rose Garden.

Well, there's always U.W. football, and the quest for a 0-12 record. And U.W. basketball, the weak sister of the Evergreen State, sure to be left licking its wounds as they watch the two schools from eastern Washington waltz into the Big Dance.

I guess we've still got the Storm. For next year, at least. We learned how high they rank in the pecking order this summer, when Lauren Jackson opted for surgery, dooming the Storm's title hopes, because she wanted to make sure she was ready for the far-more-important Russian women's basketball season.

So I guess that leaves us with the T-Birds...a team in the lowest-of-the-low junior hockey leagues. (For those of you unaware of the hockey world, that makes it the rink equivalent of, say, the Bellevue High football team.) Except it doesn't, because they'll be leaving for Kent (!) sometime in mid-season.

So, what's left? I guess the Seattle FC Sounders (or Seattle Sounders FC or Sounders FC Seattle or whatever they finally decided to call themselves). It remains to be seen if they'll follow the usual path of U.S. "major-league" soccer teams, or whether they'll be able to surprise everyone and actually survive long enough to move to another city.

Years ago, Green Bay celebrated the Packers' achievement by dubbing their burg "TitleTown, U.S.A." It remains to be seen what moniker would best fit Seattle. Would it be "Loserville?" "LastPlaceLand?" "CellarCity?" Well, one thing's for sure: we'll probably have many years to ponder the question...if there's anyone left by that time. (I guess the Huskies, at least, can't relocate, although, with the state of Seattle sports, nothing would surprise me.)

Posted by wwjd at 10/7/08 7:46 a.m.

Thanks to Howard Schmultz.

http://screwclay.com/sellouts.html

Posted by MinusTwenty at 10/7/08 8:56 a.m.

I could certainly care less about the big-dollar, mass-media team sports aspect of Seattle.

When I read the lead-in for this article on the front page, I thought it would be a (long-overdue) piece on the plight of local recreational athletes in Seattle.

For anyone who runs, swims, or engages in heavy athletic activity - I discount bicycling which is largely a soft-core yuppie past-time for people with 2 or 3 thousand bucks to spend on a flashy bike to tool around on twice a month - Seattle already offers a challenging climate. Ever tried in swimming in that water outside of summer?

But more to the point, the City does absolutely nothing to create spaces where someone can even go for a run without hitting a traffic light every 15 to 20 seconds. The country has an obesity crisis and that is on display here in Seattle too. We need some open spaces where people can actually do athletic things. Fortunately, newer parks (such as Cal Anderson park) are supporting at least soccer games, but much, much more is needed.

Posted by proudtobealiberal at 10/7/08 9:22 a.m.

"Was Seattle really ever higher?" Did the M's really ever field a team worth watching?

Where's the winning tradition? UW football used to seem like it had some, now it almost seems like an intramural team, and the "fans" could care less. I keep hoping Seattle U re-entering big time B-ball will ignite something. Too bad the choices are so limited.

Where's the traditional rivalry? The Bosox could take a losing season in stride, if they swept a series against the Yankees. Da Bearz still think a 2-14 season is perfect, if the two wins are against Green Bay. The closest we have is the Apple Cup, does that count? One day a year?

Where's the signature event? Boston has the marathon, France has the Tour, Indy has the 500, London has the Henley Regatta, the list goes on and on. Oh, right, we've got Seafair.

Where's the rabid fan base? Wrigley Field still sells out, game after game, season after losing season, because the fans know a player like Sammy Sosa, a year like 2008, will come along sooner or later. Similar situation in Boston. Dallas. Green Bay. Seattle only has fair weather fans. Maybe we just imported California "attitude" along with all the people.

Where's the home town hero? Dick Butkus retires, sticks around, and opens a car dealership. Gino Marchetti retires, sticks around, and opens a burger chain. Even Jesse Ventura retires, sticks around, and runs for governor. Meanwhile, Steve Largent moves home to Oklahoma, Junior moves home to Cincinatti, Nate McMillan moves on to Portland, etc etc, and we're left with no heroes for the kids to hero worship. Maybe the problem is all our sports stars are from somewhere else.

"I guess the Huskies, at least, can't relocate, although, with the state of Seattle sports, nothing would surprise me." We stole the Mariners, they were stolen away by Milwaukee. LA tried to steal the Hawks. Then the Sonics were stolen by Oklahoma. Maybe that's part of the problem, no sense of history because of the revolving door of pro sports franchises. No sense of history because so many here were born and went to school somewhere else. Not too many in Green Bay, or Pittsburgh, or Cleveland, or Detroit, or even Morgantown, born and educated in California, I bet! Knoxville, I don't know.

Posted by me em at 10/7/08 9:43 a.m.

"The only sport a Seattle team could do well in would be one that uses Utilikilts for uniforms. Unfortunately though, I don't think D&D will take on NFL like popularity anytime soon."

Now THAT'S funny! (Although I and my friends have been playing D&D for about 20 years now, and my friends with kids are teaching *their* kids how to play.)

The only sport Seattle has really become known for are...electronic games! This year's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) held over 40,000 people. It's been around only, what, 5 years? It is so big that next year they'll be holding two conferences, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.

At least with hands-on interactive games such as the Wii, Guitar Hero (and yes, we held the Guitar Hero championships here a few months ago, too), Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution, at least today's kids are getting some exercise. SakuraCon, the big Japanese Animation convention, had a room packed with such games, and I was AMAZED at how popular they were with the teenaged set.

The face of sports is just changing, that's all.

Posted by seattlemike at 10/7/08 10:09 a.m.

NHL PLEASE !

Posted by jafabian at 10/8/08 10:28 a.m.

NHL and NASCAR. But NHL first and improve Key Arena to their specs. Eventually, the NBA will come crawling back and I'd crack up if they looked at Key Arena and said "This isn't how we left it! How dare you!"