50 in 50: Mariners Cannot Unimaginatively Wallow in Past
Nostalgia is an odd thing. In sports, it typically revolves around something good: a championship, a dynasty, something in the record books for all time. When a team goes a long while without one of those, their fans’ nostalgia becomes somewhere between quaint and delusional (the position along that line determined by the loudness of the fanbase).
But for a team without any championship glory? A team whose most famous moment was not a World Series or even a pennant, but instead a narrow avoidance of relocation? Nostalgia is something else entirely for the Seattle Mariners. At best, it is a way to find meaning in one great gray mass; at worst, it is an anchor holding it all under the waves.
The Mariners’ 50-season celebration on Aug. 9 was remarkably depressing from a certain point of view. The team was and is the only one who has never been to the World Series, yet speakers extolled their history while simultaneously calling upon the players to find that as yet unseen land. There was no hint of irony in any of their voices.
No hint of turning the page, or doing something new, or a recognition that though there were many good things in the first half century, none of it was ever enough.
This isn’t true from a statistical or scientific perspective, but from a certain sense of cosmic order - the hierarchical, humiliating kind that abhors hubris and self-pity above all other purported vices (perhaps we may in materialist terms call it some subconscious element of human psychology) - the Mariners can never overcome the final hurdle until they recognize that doing so would be something utterly unrooted in their past.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Survive Chargers Comeback Attempt, Own Mistakes in 30-23 Victory
SEATTLE, Wash. - Though the home team made things far more interesting late than they would have preferred, the Seattle Seahawks sealed a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers with a Uchenna Nwosu strip sack on Justin Herbert, improving to 3-1 on the season.
Recovering from an interception on his first pass attempt, Sam Darnold threw for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Emanuel Wilson and Tory Horton, while Wilson and Rashid Shaheed each scored touchdowns on the ground to pace Seattle’s offense. Linebackers Drake Thomas and Ernest Jones each intercepted Herbert once and four different players sacked the quarterback as the defense coaxed three turnovers and held off a late comeback by Los Angeles in the closing minute with Nwosu’s critical sack.
Here are five takeaways from a bizarre, flag-filled victory for the Seahawks at Lumen Field:
1. Flurry of early turnovers in frenzied first half ends up favoring Seahawks to build commanding advantage.
The first minute of action on Sunday made history, though not necessarily the kind of history Sam Darnold or Justin Herbert would like to have their names linked to. On the first play from scrimmage, Herbert locked in on a receiver and didn’t see Thomas dropping back into his zone hook, and after initially not catching the ball cleanly, he regathered it off the deflection for a crowd-satisfying interception in L.A. territory. But before the defenders could even get their helmets off, Darnold turned the ball immediately back to the visitors as he and Wilson weren’t on the same page and his first pass sailed into the hands of defensive end Tuli Tuipolotu for the interception. The Chargers used two first down conversions to get into field goal range and took a 3-0 lead on Cameron Dicker’s 40-yard kick.
Halftime Observations: Seahawks Take Control in Wacky First Half, Build 20-6 Lead vs. Chargers
SEATTLE, Wash. - In the aftermath of arguably the longest first quarter in the history of football, the Seattle Seahawks used 20-plus yard touchdowns from Emanuel Wilson and Rashid Shaheed along with suffocating defense to take a 13-3 halftime lead over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Three quick observations from a wild, wild first two quarters at Lumen Field:
1. A wild start features two interceptions in two plays as Seahawks failed to capitalize on their turnover…
Protecting the football remains paramount for every NFL team, but Sunday’s battle featured a historic start that both quarterbacks quickly will want to forget. A sellout crowd erupted mere seconds into the action, as Justin Herbert telegraphed a throw over the middle and Thomas initially bobbled the ball off a deflection, managing to re-secure it for an interception before toppling to the ground. This set up the Seahawks with fantastic starting field position in opposing territory past midfield, providing a chance to score quick take an early lead.
Seahawks Inactives: Ty Okada Remains Sidelined, Rodney Thomas II to Start Again vs. Chargers
Despite returning to the practice field earlier in the week and being a full participant on Friday, the Seattle Seahawks will hold veteran safety Ty Okada out for a fourth straight game as he works his way back from a significant hamstring strain.
Okada has been sidelined since the week of practice leading up to Seattle’s season opener against New England, missing each of the previous three games before finally practicing on Thursday in limited fashion. Returning from a touchy soft tissue injury, the team clearly felt he needed a bit more time on the practice field before making his season debut, likely pegging him for a return next weekend against San Francisco in Week 5.
As he has for the first three weeks of the 2026 season, Rodney Thomas II will start for the Seahawks, looking to continue building on a strong start to his first season with the franchise. Along with six tackles, he has produced three pass breakups and allowed just five catches on eight targets for 22 yards and no touchdowns in coverage, performing at a high level so far in coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme.
Washington Lets Late Lead Slip Away in 25-21 Loss to USC
Following a deflating loss at the hands of Minnesota, the Huskies needed a win to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Also coming off a frustrating loss, USC looked to get back on track at home after Oregon beat the Trojans with backup quarterback Dylan Raiola.
The Coliseum played host to the Huskies in 98-degree heat at kickoff, one of the hottest games in team history. That would be the only record set that day, as Washington fell to West Coast rival USC 25-21, leaving the Huskies to lick their wounds on the flight back to Montlake.
How did the Huskies own self-inflicted mistakes lead to a tough loss in Pasadena?
Takeaways from Kraziness in the Kennel, Gonzaga's Full Roster on Display
Xaivian Lee, Javon Bennett, Chauncey Wiggins, and Izan Almansa might not be eligible for the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ season opener against Purdue on November 2, but they joined their 11 other teammates on the court at the McCarthey Athletic Center for Kraziness in the Kennel.
In front of a sold-out crowd – including four-star 2027 recruit Gene Roebuck – the Zags, with a full roster, put on a show to electrify their fans, whether it was Mark Few being honored for his recent induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Davis Fogle looking all the part of a superstar, or GU lighting it up from beyond the arc.
What were the takeaways from an exciting day in Spokane?
Davis Fogle Might Have Arrived
After his strong play down the stretch last season as a freshman, Fogle has been on breakout watch for much of the offseason. And the 6-7 guard only fueled the hype with his performance on Saturday.
Instead of a three-point competition, Gonzaga held its first dunk contest in two years, featuring Fogle, Lee, and freshman Juwan Ekanga. The first-year Frenchman kicked things off, smoothly throwing down a reverse. But Lee’s 360 one-hand jam and Fogle’s between-the-legs one-hander each earned 10s from the judges (former Zags Zach Norvell Jr., Dan Dickau, Mike Nilson, and Johnathan Williams), advancing them to the final round.
Washington State Looks to Open Pac-12 Play With a Bang vs. Fresno State
In their first game against a new conference foe, the Washington State Cougars will open Pac-12 play on Saturday night when they host the visiting Fresno State Bulldogs at Gesa Field.
The Cougars enter the conference opener at 1-3 after a tough start to the season. Washington State opened the year with road losses to No. 17 Washington and Kansas State before picking up its first win with a 48-7 victory over Duquesne. The Cougars then returned home last Saturday but couldn’t hold onto an early lead in a 34-24 loss to Arizona.
Fresno State enters Pullman at 3-1 and riding a three-game winning streak. The Bulldogs opened the season with a 39-0 loss at No. 14 USC before responding with wins over Sacramento State, San Jose State, and Rice, feasting on far lesser competition after getting ran out of the Coliseum in Week 1.
For the Cougars, Saturday marks an opportunity to put the first four games behind them and get off to a strong start in a Pac-12 conference that should be wide open, with the exception being Boise State as an outside contender to make the College Football Playoff.
Reign Fall Out of NWSL Playoff Picture in 1-0 Home Loss to Courage
The Seattle Reign are on the outside looking in.
They dropped a crucial home tilt with the North Carolina Courage on Friday night Lumen Field 1-0, putting Seattle at 12-11-4 — good for ninth in the NWSL with three games to play. The loss snapped a franchise-record 17-game scoring streak for Seattle and a five-game home streak of clean sheets as the Reign trail Kansas City now by one point for the eighth and final playoff spot heading into a short international break.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down the loss and shares his coverage of the postgame aftermath.
Jadarian Price Injury Puts More Pressure on Seahawks’ Struggling Run Game
On the heels of a dreadful 44-yard performance as a team in a 33-31 loss to the Washington Commanders, the Seattle Seahawks hope to get a struggling ground game back on track against the Los Angeles Chargers returning to Lumen Field for the first time since their season opener.
But that mission became much tougher for Seattle on Friday with the team announcing starting running back Jadarian Price re-aggravated a chest injury during practice on Wednesday and would not be available for Sunday’s Week 4 contest after sitting out the final two practice of the week. Even though the rookie out of Notre Dame has fumbled twice in the first three games and received a “soft” benching last weekend as a result, he’s been one of the few bright spots for a running attack that has been anything but potent for most of the first month of the 2026 season, rushing 28 times for 119 yards and 4.2 yards per carry.
“Unfortunately, injuries happen,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said of Price after confirming he would not play against the Chargers. “He can’t control these things. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do since he got here. He’s had a great attitude. He’s been a great teammate. He has a great future. He’s going to play great football for us when he comes back, whenever that is and we move forward. I don’t think there’s any big picture things. It’s unfortunate.”
Macdonald didn’t have a timetable for how long Price may be out, but at minimum, the Seahawks will have to get by without him and Zach Charbonnet - who returned to practice for the first time since tearing his ACL back in January on Thursday - for at least one game before either has a chance to suit up again. Without either available against the Chargers, the onus will fall on Emanuel Wilson and George Holani to shoulder the load and pick up the slack after both players have endured somewhat slow starts through the first three games.
Analysis: Assessing Cougars QB Caden Pinnick’s Play at Quarter Mark
The Washington State Cougars entered the 2026 season with a new coaching staff, a new-look roster, and a new starting quarterback, awarding Caden Pinnick the job after an intense competition that played out in summer camp.
Through four games, Pinnick has shown some glimpses of why he was named Co-Big Sky Freshman of the Year at UC Davis prior to transferring to Pullman, but it has come with some major growing pains facing off against Power Four opponents.
Pinnick has experienced plenty of ups and downs through the opening month of the season. He has made some impressive plays, showing the ability to make things happen with his legs and demonstrating the ability to be accurate in the short passing game. At the same time, turnovers, inconsistency, and struggles throwing the deep ball have limited the offense quite a bit in the early stages of the 2026 season.
Through four games, Pinnick has completed 66 of 108 passes for 644 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 845 total yards and six total touchdowns as a capable dual-threat quarterback running Kirby Moore’s offense.
How has Pinnick fared thus far? Where has he shown the most improvement and what areas remain concerning heading into Pac-12 play?
50 for 50: Ownership’s Comfortable Half Measures Ensured Mariners’ Mediocrity
You can’t have your cake and eat it too. It’s a bit of an archaism, given that “have” can mean “eat”, but it’s an apt turn of phrase to describe the pitfalls the Seattle Mariners have fallen into from ownership on down.
This attitude meshes with and reinforces their approach to risk; there is a genuine desire to win within the ownership group, but they aren’t willing to take on what they see as risks to revenue in order to achieve those wins. They believe - and the front office tells them that it is possible - that they can win the World Series without making any kind of lunge into the uncomfortable.
But when it’s a trade-off? When they must make uncomfortable moves in order to actually have a good shot at winning the World Series? They may not think of it in these terms, but by virtue of their actions, it is clear that they would rather remain in comfortable mediocrity than get what they supposedly want.
Stanton said as much on Monday. Even in a rather unintrusive one-on-one interview with King 5’s Paul Silvi, he couldn’t help but make it evident, in a way that a fish cannot help but make it evident that it is wet.
Silvi asked Stanton what he could have done differently in the 2026 season, and the Mariners majority owner all but went in circles around himself, merely repeating that changes were necessary without elaborating on any of those changes at all.
“Ultimately, I’ve gotta have people around the organization that are committed to the same thing that we as owners are committed to, and that’s to win championships. And I think that, in conversations I had with Jerry (Dipoto), Justin Hollander, others in the front office, there is that commitment. And I think that they’ve done a number of things in order to ensure that we have the pieces in place to be able to compete at the highest level. But we didn’t do that this year and we need to make changes.”
Big Ten Picks: Huskies Ready to Jump in USC Dumpster Fire
One fanbase will be extremely displeased Saturday night after Washington face USC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Both Washington and USC disappointed last week, though for slightly different reasons. Washington suffered its first loss at home to an unranked team since 2021, while the Trojans lost to Oregon for the fourth straight time.
The ground was already cracking around USC head coach Lincoln Riley entering the season, and his handling of Desman Stephens’ dirty hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and dirtier celebration after. Now that ground is crumbling.
Gonzaga Unveils Full 2026-27 Schedule, Breaking Down Zags' Challenging Matchups
The Gonzaga Bulldogs officially released their 2026-27 schedule, which includes seven teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season, 10 squads that won at least 20 games, and four reigning conference champions. Gonzaga will also play a 16-game slate in the revamped Pac-12, featuring a double round-robin format.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Howard Woodard gives expectations for Kraziness in the Kennel, breaks down the Zags' marquee nonconference matchups, and previews the structure of GU's new conference.
Analysis: Three Moves Mariners Need to Make Before Impending Lockout
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement in Major League Baseball ends on December 1, 2026. Most assume there will be a lockout of some kind as the owners and players fight for things they want, including the league desiring the implementation of a salary cap.
The situation might even get to the point where the 2027 regular season is shortened or altered in some way. Things might get messy. What can’t happen during that undetermined amount of time? Trades and signings. That will be a long stretch of winter for fans who love offseason moves with no activity.
What needs to happen in Seattle before that seemingly inevitable long, dark winter?
Sounders Escape Sporting KC on Late Cristian Roldan Goal
The Seattle Sounders collected their third home win in eight days with a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Thursday night thanks to a second-half stoppage-time goal from Cristian Roldan off a deflection. The win moved Seattle (10-9-8) into seventh in the MLS Western Conference, extending their unbeaten run to eight games off the heels of an MLS-worst eight-game losing streak.
Jordan Morris set up both Seattle goals to continue his solid run of games, assisting on 20-year-old Sebastian Gomez’s first MLS goal while being dragged down in the second half. The homestand proved to be a good tune-up against some non-playoff teams, as Seattle readies to welcome back striker Dejan Joveljić from international duty ahead of a tough road trip at the New England Revolution and FC Dallas in the coming weeks with just seven games to play.
Analysis: Jordan Eberle, Kraken Get Offensive in 6-1 Season-Opening Win Over Flames
It’s true the Seattle Kraken were facing the Calgary Flames, a team expected by most prognosticators to be at the bottom of the NHL standings this season and competing for a top draft pick. It’s also true tonight was just the first of a long 84-game season.
But make no mistake: the Kraken couldn’t have been much more dominant than they were in a season-opening 6-1 victory, kicking off year No. 2 of the Lane Lambert era with a bang.
“It’s good to see us start that way,” Vince Dunn said postgame. “It’s good to get that confidence rolling. It’s a quick turnaround after preseason. It was a pretty well-rounded team effort there. That’s huge.”
Zach Charbonnet, Ty Okada Return to Practice as Seahawks Ramp Up Preparations for Chargers
While it remains to be seen when either player will suit up for game action for the first time in 2026, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed back two key starters to the practice field with running back Zach Charbonnet and safety Ty Okada returning as limited participants on Thursday.
Designated to return from the PUP list, Charbonnet’s latest step shifts him one step closer to the end of a difficult journey recovering from a torn ACL. The fourth-year back injured his knee during a Divisional Round victory over the 49ers in January and didn’t undergo surgery to repair the ligament until February 20, putting his status for the upcoming season up in the air with just five months until the start of training camp.
But Charbonnet has seemingly been well ahead of schedule throughout the process, drawing praise from coach Mike Macdonald on numerous occasions for his outstanding work ethic and attacking his rehabilitation program from Day 1. Barely seven months after his surgery, he could be seen cutting on the practice field and donning a helmet for the first time since the injury, moving closer to a much-anticipated return for a Seattle backfield that certainly could use him.
“Having Zach back in general, just to have his presence, obviously Zach - man of many words, right?” quarterback Sam Darnold joked. “Doesn’t say a whole lot, but just the way he leads by example every single day of just coming to work and doing his job, that’s huge for us as a team.”
Did Storm’s Dominique Malonga Get Robbed of MIP Award?
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard won the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player award, the league announced on Wednesday. Seattle Storm forward Dominique Malonga was also in the running for the award, finishing fifth out of six players in the voting.
Malonga made a massive jump from her rookie to second season, and she was one of just two second-year players in the voting (Portland Fire’s Carla Leite). The former 2025 No. 2 overall pick led the Storm in nearly every statistical category and drastically improved as a defender.
Was Malonga robbed of the MIP award? Did playing for the worst team in the WNBA swing the voting out of her favor? Let’s take a look at how the voting shook out.
Kraken, Flyers Flip Prospects as Seattle Trades for Devin Kaplan
Ahead of tonight’s season opener, the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers swapped AHL prospects. The Kraken flipped 2022 second-rounder David Goyette for 2022 third-round pick Devin Kaplan.
Both prospects are bound for the AHL this season. Kaplan is a physical, 6-3 winger who spent three seasons at Boston University and earned an NHL game at the end of the 2024-25 regular season. In his senior season with the Terriers, Kaplan had 10 goals and 18 points in 38 games while racking up a lot of penalty minutes.
The 22-year-old scored five goals and 13 points in 49 games as a rookie in the AHL last season. He also had 62 penalty minutes. Kaplan is on the last season of his entry-level contract and should slot into Coachella-Valley’s bottom-six forward group to start next season.
Spread Thin: Huskies Coach Jedd Fisch Put Too Much on His 2026 Plate
Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch needs to do something about his offensive coordinator.
The thing is, being a head football coach is hard.
So is being a CEO. An offensive coordinator. A quarterback coach. A recruiter. A counselor. A fundraiser. And a person forced to deal with the media and the helicopter nature of many college football parents.
Fisch is good at all those things. But perhaps not all of them at once.
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