How Griffey is like the Oceanic 6

Warning. Gross overstatements ahead...
The dark chapter in Seattle life known as the Dark Years (02/00 - 02/09) is over and we can now look ahead to a bright future. Junior is back. But seriously, it feels oddly profound that Griffey re-signed with the Mariners yesterday, like a massive wrong has been righted. As you saw in my "24 Things list" (created in his honor before the rumors started swirling that he was coming back - that's right, I'm taking credit for it), I cried when Junior asked to be traded. I remember where I was when he asked and I remember where I was when the deal went through. I cried yesterday, too. Yeah, I admit it. I envisioned holding one of my nephews and pointing to Ken Griffey Jr. in Mariner Blue: "There's one of the best baseball players of all-time. You get to watch him play." So great that we get to share the experience with them.

Will he be the Griffey of '97 or even '07? Probably not. Ok, definitely not. But will I still think about getting out of my seat to go to the bathroom and decide to wait another 1/2 inning when I see Griffey is due up? Absolutely. There's still something magical about him and even if he struggles at the plate, I'm so excited to have him back. I'm excited to watch that swing again.

Last night, I woke up around 4am, recognized a feeling of excitement, and remembered Junior's decision last night. My brain spent the next 1/2 hour pondering the parallels between Griffey & LOST. (Spoiler alert for you DVD-watchers) ... Last night, the Oceanic 6 returned to the island. There was a sense that they were back where they were supposed to be, that history had course-corrected a wrong. Griffey has returned to Seattle. He is where he is supposed to be. A mistake made on February 10, 2000 was corrected on February 18, 2009.

The Great Depression

Ok, it's time for me to weigh in on the issue that seems to be on the mind of everyone I talk to these days. It makes sense that this topic has become so ubiquitous - who could ignore such an historic crash? It makes sense that I get sucked into the bad news and lose sleep over it regularly. I mean, just a few years ago, things were looking pretty good. Numbers were up and there was a reason to be optimistic about the future. Now, on this side of the crash, it's hard to see how things will ever improve. I find myself worried that things will take a long time to improve, or (shudder): they will get worse.

I'm talking, of course, about the state of my favorite sports teams. As can be seen in this picture of a man forced to watch a Carlos Silva start after learning how much he was paid this season, the sports year in Seattle has been vomit-inducing. The brilliantly insightful and humorous Bill Simmons (AKA, "The Sports Guy") recently called this "the single most depressing season for a city in the history of professional sports." Oh, the agony it is to admit that he's right! Unfortunately, though, he's only scratching the surface. Throw Division 1 NCAA teams in there - at least the ones people will pay money to see - and we're talking devastation of epic proportions for this city.

Let's face the facts: it couldn't possibly get much worse than this.
Over on Mountlake, the Huskies' basketball team underachieved when it failed to play in any postseason tournament at all. The football team's recruiting class was getting rave reviews which made me a believer. Certainly they would contend for a bowl this year, right? My optimism was quickly squashed. Now I don't even get to watch Jake.

My beloved Mariners had the 9th highest payroll in Major League Baseball this year. What did that earn them? The second worst record in the game. To top it off, they mortgaged their future with the Bedard trade last winter, so "there's always next year" never rang so hollowly.

The Seahawks depressed us with a drubbing at the hands of Green Bay in the playoffs last January. Now they look like they may make the meteoric fall from 5 straight division titles to a 1-15 record. Looking at their schedule (and their injury report), I'm predicting a 6-9 finish at best and a windfall for local sports medicine doctors. The one team we've been able to count on lately is letting us down.

I don't even know what to say about the Team Formerly Known as the Seattle Supersonics. This is the team that won the National Championship - the only significant national championship in Seattle (sorry Storm fans) - two months after I was born. Memories of watching Gus Williams, Jack Sikma, Nate McMillan, "Big Smooth" Sam Perkins, and Gary Payton definitely gave me an emotional bond with the green & gold. (We're ignoring their brief flirtation with red right now). Not only did this team suck this year, but they were stolen from us! If I ever meet David Stern or Clay Bennett at a 4-way stop, I am NOT letting them go first. They are bad people.

Poor Seattle. Clearly we have much more important crises to worry about. But sports are supposed to be our diversion and the place we can turn to be cheered while the world going you-know-where in a you-know-what. That might be the case in many parts of the country (curse you, Boston!) where hope abounds, but not in the otherwise glorious city in which I live.

Do you think we could convince the federal government to consider a bailout of professional sports in Seattle?

How depressing.

Favorite Photo Friday

After a week at staff retreat, it's already time for Favorite Photo Friday again. Which just reminds me that I took 0 (zero) pictures this week.

Taken 30Sept07 with Canon SD400 in Seattle, WA (Safeco Field)

I melt when I look at this picture because it combines some of my favorite things: Seattle, baseball, Safeco Field, and River. I love that Riv laughs at me a lot. River is one of my "nephews." In other words, we are not related by blood, but we are related by heart. His mom and dad really are my sister and brother. I see him and his younger brother Truss about once a week and I get to see them tonight. I'm so excited. A few weeks ago, we had a "mom's dinner" - when Jamie and I have dinner with both of our moms. At some point, Jamie's mom asked River if he liked it when Becky came to visit. He said, "Yeah, it makes me feel good inside." If that doesn't melt my heart, nothing will. I would do anything for any of my nephews.

Oh, and... The Mariners won this, the last game of the season 4-2. Felix pitched a brilliant game giving up 4 hits in 8.2 innings. AND, the game was over in less than two hours which means Jamie was happy and I had hope for next season (which was violently squashed this past April).

River will be three years old in one month. If you say anything in his presence about baseball or the Mariners, he will loudly declare, "Ken Griffey Jr. is the best Mariner ever!" just because he knows it will elicit a high five and loads of verbal commendation from me. I have taught him well.