Send Ichiro to New York

It's time to let Ichiro go. He's been exiled on Mariner Island far too long. During his time in Seattle Ichiro has won rookie of the year, AL MVP, Allstar MVP, 9 gold gloves, recorded 9 consecutive seasons with 200 hits, and broken the record for most hits in a season. All this production has generated exactly 1 playoff appearance and 4 winning seasons. This is hardly Ichiro's fault. Blame management for poor decision making and botching free agency. You don't surround hall of fame talent with the likes of Willie Bloomquist, Scott Spiezio, and Richie Sexson. Ichiro has wasted ALL his prime years in Seattle with nothing to show for it. What's done is done. Now it's time for the organization to do what's right and let Ichiro ride into the sunset as a champion. There's no better place than New York. The Yankees are odds on favorites to win it all without him but with Ichiro at the top of their lineup Vegas would stop taking bets on who will win the 2010 World Series. Ichiro has been loyal to seattle for many years. It's time for the Mariners to return the favor.

Pete Carroll: The Next Jimmy Johnson?

I was watching the NFL Network yesterday and they showcased the top collegiate NFL factories. #2 was the Miami Hurricanes and #1 was USC. I couldn't help but notice the parallels between Jimmy Johnson's leap to the pros and that of Pete Carroll. Jimmy stocked the Dallas roster with blue chip Hurricanes and turned the Cowboys into a power house within 5 years. I see Pete doing the same thing. He's already added Lendale White and Mike Williams and promised to get more out of Daryl Jackson. This formula can work. No one knows collegiate personnel better than Carroll right now and his perspective on talent will give the Seahawks and advantage in free agency. Watch out, the Seattle Trojans will be a force to be reckoned with in 3 years time.

Seattle Sports 5 Most Heartbreaking Losses

Seattle has had its fair share of heartbreaking losses. It could be argued that the 206 has suffered on the same level as Cleveland, Boston, Utah, or Sacramento. The losses take a toll on the emotional psyche and are almost impossible to recover from. These are the 5 most heartbreaking losses in Seattle sports history:

5. Shadle Park over Mercer Island. I rarely take it down to the grass roots level, but this is an exception. The Islanders were so distraught over losing the state high school basketball championship that they took it to court to have the ruling overturned. They lost again.

4. UCLA over the Huskies 1990. I can still see Mark Brunell throwing that little out in the flat that got picked off after the Huskies battled back to tie the game. Had they won they would have been the #1 team in the country.

3. Rip over the Huskies in the NCAA tournament. This one is especially painful because they show it over and over again. I still think Fremerling played solid D on the play.

2. Seahawks in the Super Bowl. Nevermind the bogus calls, if Jerramy Stevens could catch the Hawks would have a Lombardi trophy right now. Damn you Jerramy!

1. Nuggets over the Sonics 94'. I don't think I will ever fully recover from this one. The Sonics had the best record in the league in the first Jordanless season. Up 2-0 the Sonics lost 3 straight games (2 in overtime) and became the first #1 seed in NBA history to lose to an 8 seed. How embarrassing is that?

More Money No Problems

The first week of the Major League Baseball season is over and I'm ready to make my prediction. The New York Yankees will win the World Series. You guys can have the field and I'll take the Yanks straight up. With a revamped outfield and the best infield in baseball I see no reason New York won't continue their dominance. This is a franchise that prides itself on winning at all costs. If money is no object, why would you ever play fair? If the The Yankees discover a weakness in their lineup they simply throw money at the problem. The rest of the league is essentially a farm system for the guys in pinstripes. If the Mariners struggle to keep pace with the Angels down the stretch don't be surprised to see Ichiro shipped off to the Bronx for some top prospects. Big Bank Hank is not about to let the wheels come off this train. Don't hate the players, hate the game. The Yankees can't be stopped.

Is It Wrong To Impersonate A Professional Athlete?

I have a friend that goes down to spring training every year and pretends to be a Seattle Mariner. He dresses up in Mariner's attire and tells everyone he's nursing a sore hamstring. Soon everyone is buying him drinks and hot dogs and young women in skimpy outfits are giving him their phone number. Another friend of mine waits until Seahawk training camp to pull off his shenanagins. He dresses up in Seahawks attire and claims to be a DB on injured reserve. By mid August he has at least 3 or 4 women texting him all day and he eats at various teriyaki spots for free. I've even had the privilege of wearing a friend's super bowl ring and let me tell you the indecent proposals roll in like a tidal wave. If my friends and I get this much attention as imposters, imagine what real players go through? Before you start criticizing the modern day athlete ask yourself 3 questions:

1. Can you check into a hotel using your real name?

2. Can you go grocery shopping?

3. Can you go to the mall?

If you answered yes to these questions you can't possibly relate to what these people are going through. The perks are endless and temptation is everywhere. Unlimited options can lead to chaos so don't be surprised the next time a high profile athete gets themselves in hot water. Before judging someone ask yourself what would you do if you could do whatever you wanted?

The Curse of the #1 Pick

Sometimes you end up with Peyton Manning, sometimes you end up with Jamarcus Russell. Sometimes you end up with John Elway, sometimes you end up with Ki-Jana Carter. Choosing the best player with the #1 pick in the draft is an in exact science. I feel somewhat sorry for the St. Louis Rams this year. They will probably end up taking Sam Bradford with the #1 pick because they need to fill seats and want to believe he is a franchise saving quarterback. The truth of the matter is the St. Louis Rams are a very bad team with a poor offensive line. They need more help than Sam Bradford can provide. Everybody wishes for a franchise quarterback, but the Rams should take the sure thing and pick Ndamukong Suh. They will regret it if they don't.

The Time Has Come For Attica Inmates in the UFC

The UFC claims to have the best fighters in the world, but do they really? A part of me can't help but wonder if the toughest fights don't occur behind bars in prisons across the United States. Let us not forget the movie Undisputed was made after Mike Tyson got his ass whipped in an Indiana penitentiary by some random inmate. The fact of the matter is some prisoners are so dangerous prison guards won't even approach them with night sticks and mace. You gotta think someone that has to be caged up for the safety of mankind is more than capable of beating down the likes of Brock Lesner, Anderson Silva, and Chuck Liddell. Next season the Ultimate Fighter should have team Attica vs. Team San Quentin to determine who will be the next UFC star. The losers go back to their cells and the winner gets exploited for a few years. Viewership goes up, sponsorship goes up, and revenues go up. Dana White might actually entertain this idea if he wasn't afraid his fighters would get exposed like Kimbo Slice did. Ask yourself, would you rather fight the toughest guy in the UFC or the toughest guy in Sing Sing?

Ichiro and Chone

Ichiro and Chone Figgins are going to wreak havoc on the base paths for the Mariners this season. It is a rarity to have 2 dominant lead off men at the top of your order. This dynamic duo is going to put a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers and catchers. The Mariners will still be in the playoff hunt as they approach the trade deadline and the goal will be to acquire a home run hitting RBI machine. Ichiro and Chone cna't drive themselves in. It's too bad the previous regime traded Adam Jones for a lifeless pitcher. Adam Jones sounds real good in the middle of the line up right about now. No use crying over spilled milk though. Someone will be looking to cut payroll in late July and I trust Captain Jack will do the right thing. If the Mariners pick up a big bat a wild card spot looks very promising.

5 reasons Seattle doesn't deserve a basketball team

1. Nobody misses KD. From what I've seen Seattle is completely indifferent about what Kevin Durant has accomplished this season. 30 points a game? 29 straight games with 25 points? The #6 seed in the west? Anybody care? Anybody mad they don't get to witness this?

2. Emerald green is too easily replaced with lime green. How can a team that's been in existence less than 3 years have more popularity than the only team to ever bring the city a championship? The MLS is not the NBA.

3. James Taylor, Billy Joel, and HHH. The city seems perfectly content to be entertained by singers in their 60's and roid raged wrestlers as opposed to Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade, and oh did I mention Kevin Durant?

4. 503=206. Seattleites have decided Portland is close enough to root for the Trailblazers and they are no longer Seattle's arch nemesis. Plus Uncle Paul owns them.

5. The wheels aren't in motion. Nobody's building a new arena, nobody's rennovating an old one, and nobody's looking for money to do either. Seattle doesn't miss basketball enough to come up with a plan on how to get it back.