The Seattle Seahawks could Mariner it up this year

The Seahawks are projected to be one of the best teams in the NFL next season, but fans should really keep in mind what happened to their neighbors across the street in 2010.

Could the 2010 Mariners team be a glimpse of things to come for the Seahawks?

Remember when the Mariners traded for Cliff Lee, signed Chone Figgins and dumped Carlos Silva for Milton Bradley? Ryan Rowland-Smith was expected to be a great No. 4 starter, Casey Kotchman actually had potential to be a good starting first baseman and people still believed in Jose Lopez for some reason. And let’s not forget the promise of a Rob Johnson and Adam Moore catching platoon.

That Mariners team was hyped to be one that would handily win the division based on one of the best pitching rotations in baseball and awe-inspiring defense while maintaining a somewhat mediocre offense.

Little did they know fate would have another viewpoint.

The Seahawks are floating on top of the world right now, just like the Mariners were feeling after the 2009 season, which saw them turn a 100-loss season into an 85-win year, offering hope for the future. A World Series game was in striking distance.

In football terms, that’s just like going from a 7-win season to an 11-win season like the Seahawks did in 2011 and 2012. It’s impossible to feel anything but hope when that sort of a turnaround comes with new management, a new vision and great decisions made by the front office.

Signing Antoine Winfield and Cliff Avril were excellent moves for the Seahawks this offseason, and all of the signs point to a runaway year for the team. Those tingly happy feelings are spreading throughout Seattle, and it looks like nothing could go wrong.

Unfortunately, that’s where the 2010 Mariners can step in for Seahawks fans.

While everything may seem rosy right now with an awesome quarterback, a much improved offense and a defensive line that defies nearly every other team, the Seahawks haven’t proven anything yet. The season is still a good three or four months away, and plenty can happen between now and then.

Baseball and football are two different sports, yes, but fandom can rally behind a team that’s making the right moves. Heck, just look at the Philadelphia Phillies last year. The team made all the right moves with a massive payroll of $171 million, yet barely managed to break even by the end of the year.

Sometimes karma has other plans for sports, and that usually involves flushing a team’s hopes and dreams down the toilet.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be rooting for the Seahawks and watch the games when I can. But the black spot that’s plagued the team across the street for the last decade is undeniable. This season could potentially send the Seahawks into a downward spiral.

But, then again, having owners who actually care about the team’s performance gives the Seahawks a leg up on their neighbors.

The new Star Trek video game isn’t as bad as you think

Playing as Kirk or Spock in the new Star Trek video game has its flaws, but it’s better than other Trek games.

Kirk, Spock, ships, Gorn and tricorders.

They’re the foundation of the new Star Trek video game (STTVG) released in the past week.

The game isn’t going to become the next Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, Skyrim or Halo and spawn an immense fanbase that consumes every DLC or add-on offered down the road. While it likely won’t attract a huge following, STTVG is something the franchise hasn’t had in almost a decade: a decent playable video game.

Nearly every video game in the Star Trek franchise is compared to three of the only stomachable entries to date: Elite Force (and its sequel), Bridge Commander and Armada. Those three are the stalwarts in an otherwise disappointing lineup. Compared to them, STTVG is in the middle of the pack.

There are a few obvious problems throughout the game: the AI pales in comparison to other modern games, exploration isn’t really encouraged and environments are too apparent in their effort to make this a cover-shooter game.

Big bulky panels to hide behind in the middle of a busy corridor? Yeah, not too practical on a working starship. Energy hubs to refill your weapons? They just happen to be the same style as yours, despite being a galaxy away.

2013: Another year of Seattle Mariners struggles

The Seattle Mariners and younger players like Ackley, Montero and Soak are tough eggs to crack.

After 16 games, they’re now at a 6-10 record. That’s 10 percent of the season out of the way. Given how great this team was in spring training, there were pretty big expectations of maintaining a near-.500 record this year. For a Mariners fan, that’s equivalent of making the playoffs.

So what’s going wrong?

There isn’t one specific area needing improvement, which makes this the most frustrating part of being a fan. Many pieces need to come together in this juggling act called the Seattle Mariners, and we can’t even pick up our second item to throw in the air.

Maurer, Ibanez, Smoak, Ackley and Montero all had pretty awesome spring stats heading into April, and gave fans hope. It looked like the “Big Three” lineup kiddos were finally breaking out of their moldy 2012 season and sustaining a level of play we always believed they could.

But instead of seeing the fans’ pretty vision come true, we’re instead left with the Seattle Mariners vision of the Seattle Mariners. And the reality is that’s not nearly as pretty; it’s about as pretty as Aaron Harang in a tutu.

The Mariners have struggled mightily to maintain balance since the Great Depressing Season of 2004. The entire front office has changed, a new mindset is in place, an entirely new roster exists and yet the offense still can’t figure out how to hit. Sure, there have been a few highlights along the way; mere glimpses of what could have been. Years like 2007 and 2009 come to mind, offering just enough hope to keep most fans going through about half the season before the team tripped over its own shoelaces.

The Hobbit in HFR

Plenty of fuss is going around regarding Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, largely over the decision to film at 48 frames per second, twice as fast as traditional movies.

I had the chance to see it this weekend, at the proper high frame rate, and must say it’s a great feat. Now, I’m not completely on the 3D trend yet, and still think it’s way overpriced – paying an extra $3 for a pair of plastic glasses is just short of a scam. In my mind, it’s still a gimmick from Hollywood to boost ticket sales.

I truth, only Avatar and The Hobbit have been truly good 3D movies. They were filmed in 3D, not post-converted.

The Hobbit uses the high frame rate to great success. Its use is very obvious from the start, with a fast-paced opening scene displaying the big difference. The action seems faster, the camera movements are more obvious and the detail of sets is exquisite. In terms of cinematography, The Hobbit is a picturesque adventure, just like The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson appeared to be right at home when we first ventured back into The Shire, featuring a welcome return to some familiar faces.

While the landscapes and visual components of the movie are rock solid, the writing tends to be a bit erratic.

Unlike the Rings trilogy, the company of dwarves doesn’t really inspire much bonding between them and the audience. Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn in the other series immediately captured our attention, and carried that all throughout the series. Even the other three hobbits, Sam, Merry and Pippin all had their special moments and were identifiable from the start. Here, unfortunately, a pack of 13 dwarves is a bit too much to follow. While many have their moments, between large meals and escaping danger, they don’t entice the audience to attach to them. Only a handful of characters really get that honor.

It’s unfortunate that the characters should spoil this first movie, because the filming is so very good in The Hobbit. It’s visually impressive, but stumbles with the character problems. Not even appearances from other Rings trilogy characters can help bond the band of dwarves.
Overall, the movie is worth seeing. There is a certain nostalgia to The Hobbit, which makes it an entertaining movie, and should help make an entertaining trilogy. While the storyline has its problems, it’s always nice to make a return visit to Middle Earth.

Refueling the Thunderbirds

It’s an honor to fly with America’s finest.

Last year, I was lucky to receive an ESGR nomination to join a refueling flight from Fairchild Air Force Base – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I was certain would never come again. But, life has a few surprises every now and then, and Monday, Aug. 13 was no exception.

A flight for local media representatives helped refuel eight F-16 fighter jets, collectively known as the Thunderbirds.

Simply put, it was the thrill of a lifetime. Again.

Taking off in the 92nd Air Refueling Wing’s flagship KC-135 aircraft, we met up with the Thunderbirds, who were on their way from Canada to Nevada, following the performance of a show. With the weather in Spokane being in the mid-80s, and temps inside the plan before takeoff being slightly higher, getting into the regular flight was a breath of cool, fresh air. The KC-135 is an older plane, and due for replacement at some time by the KC-46A, but the Air Force maintenance group keeps them running in pristine shape. Although they’re due to phase out at some bases, the last KC-135 pilot hasn’t yet been born.

The 2009-10 Cliff Lee trades

The results of the Mariners-Rangers Cliff Lee trade are actually pretty good.

Many point to the unbelievable and disappointing season of Justin Smoak as the trade’s failure, but if you look beyond that, the Mariners ended up with a great deal. It’s why I’m still a believer in Jack Zduriencik despite the team’s continuous offensive struggles.

The Mariners sent Justin Smoak down to Triple-A Tacoma earlier this week after showcasing a paltry .189 batting average through the entire season, never getting above .230 or .240. That’s not even close to “good” for a first round draft pick, especially someone on who the organization placed a large amount of hope for the future. Smoak at times has shown flashes of brilliance for a few days, only to fall into a pit for several weeks.

It isn’t good baseball.

But, Smoak wasn’t the only player the Mariners received in the trade. Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matthew Lawson (minors) were also shipped out to Seattle. Beavan has had some success since his return from Tacoma, especially in his recent 8-inning rout of the Tampa Bay Rays. Lueke was traded for John Jaso and Lawson is now in the Cleveland Indians’ minors system.

So only Beavan and Smoak are of any real value to the M’s.

In the initial Lee trade that sent him to Seattle, the Phillies received a handful of Bill Bavasi era prospects. As noted here, the trade is considered a bust for the Phillies (not that us Mariner fans didn’t already know that these “prospects” would be).

Pitchers J.C. Ramirez and Phillippe Aumont along with outfielder Tyson Gilles were supposed to give some minor league depth in Philadelphia. Instead, that hasn’t happened.

Ramirez has an ERA in the 4.10s, and the first-rounder Aumont continues to have control struggles without displaying the power that (supposedly) made him attractive in the first place. And Gilles? Yeah, he was recently suspended for an indefinite amount of time.

At least Seattle has seen a full two years of work from Smoak and again, most recently, some promise by Beavan in terms of development. While Smoak has fared poorly in Seattle, his athletic potential is there. The fences at Safeco Field don’t need to be moved in (see my previous post), or anything like that.

In that sense, I believe the Mariners came out on the upper side of the entire trade situation. Yes, Texas went on to the World Series later in the year, but the Mariners gained talented depth and remain loaded with talent in the minor leagues. Look at the Oakland Athletics this year, and how they’re building on raw talent instead of purchasing the biggest free agent on the market. (Yes, that’s a Prince Fielder joke, ladies and gents)

Of course, Philadelphia ended up winning the trade after all, by signing the great Cliff Lee to a big contract. Trade him for prospects and then sign him anyway later on? That’s pretty stealthy.

I loved the Seattle Mariners for 9 innings

Last night I saw a future Hall of Fame pitcher.

Felix Hernandez threw nine innings of baseball perfection, striking out 12 and allowing only three hits. Sure, those nine innings are only 7 percent of those he’s worked this year, but add to the fact he only threw 107 pitches. He had the potential to throw another 20 if needed before leaving the game. Of those pitches, 74 were strikes.

“OK guys, now let’s not blow this lead.” – Felix

Felix was a machine. Mowing down batter after batter, the game was finished in less than three hours. For a baseball game, that’s incredibly quick.

The Mariners, as we all know, have their faults. In terms of offense, they’re undeveloped and underperforming. Offense is tough to come by.

So, when a 7-run lead is handed to you, you’d better run with it.

Felix didn’t disappoint. Felix never really disappoints, he occasionally has a misstep, but it’s never something to jeopardize his stature.

In part, that’s why so many Mariners fans are drawn to him. Felix Hernandez makes this team better by upping the ante with each start. Without him, there would be little hope for the Mariners’ future, despite there being a wealth of talent in the farm system.

Without Felix, the Mariners would crash into oblivion, sinking deep into the Puget Sound. Without Felix, I wouldn’t have attended last night’s game.

Last night, July 14, was my first time seeing this future Hall-of-Famer. He’s only 26 years old, and has plenty of baseball in his career; a career I hope remains with the Mariners.

Sure, media personalities are guessing whether he’ll remain with the team beyond July 31, being a future Hall-of-Famer after all. The Mariners’ general manager has said Felix won’t be traded, but then again, they’re just words.

But those words are a vote of confidence that, for now, quell any anxiety that the team’s best player may leave.

Right now, Felix is ours, and publicly said he enjoys it in Seattle.

Last night, I hope he enjoyed himself destroying one of the best lineups in baseball. I enjoyed watching Felix’s onslaught from the stands watching perfection in human form.

The Seattle Mariners’ roster isn’t one that inspires butterflies in one’s stomach. For at least one night this year, however, I had hope for the future of the Seattle Mariners.

That hope is there, because last night, I saw a future Hall of Fame pitcher.