Seattle Sports: In the Morning

The Sonics lost by 31 at New Orleans. If it isn't abundantly clear yet, they can't beat teams with good point guards.

Wally Szczerbiak didn't like a reporter's suggestion that a lack of energy cost the Sonics: "C’mon, energy? That team’s pretty darn good over there. Let’s give them some credit. They shot the ball very, very well. They have shooters all over the place. They’ve got guys getting 21 rebounds. They’ve got a great point guard. If you let them get into a rhythm and get into a game where they’re getting their feet set and guys are making multiple shots, you’re in trouble. And that’s what we were up against tonight."

The Blazers stayed with the Celtics, but succumbed to a 35-point night by Ray Allen. They lost 100-90. Roy played 40 minutes (too many, Nate!) and scored 22 points.

Mark McLaughlin, Inglemoor's leading scorer and a U Nevada signee, quit the team to focus on his upcoming SAT. He needs a qualifying score to get his scholarship. What a bummer--the same process that has seen college ball lose its quality players early to the NBA is starting to filter down to high schools.

Ted Miller of the P-I provides a laundry list of all that's wrong with local hoops, then concludes that Tony Wroten may be our only hope. Damn straight. Bull-DOGS!

Jim Moore talks to Mark Emmert about the $100,000-for-Willingham's-head offer. Says Emmert: "Never as a university president would I allow these kinds of things to influence personnel decisions. These things are obviously inappropriate. I've never seen anything quite like that one."

The Sonics vs. Seattle trial will take eight days. The Sonics want to have in March, the city wants to have it in October. A judge will decide.

The Mariners signed two teenage Asian pitchers--one from Japan, one from Taiwan.

Kansas DC Bill Young, one of the presumed candidates for the Husky DC job, may be headed to Miami, writes Bob Condotta.

Tonight is the last chance for Oregon's seniors to get a win at Hec Ed, points out Jacob May of the Eugene Daily Emerald.

Oregon averages more than 80 ppg. Can the Dawgs keep up? TNT's Don Ruiz examines the issue.

John Morgan of Field Gulls compiles a long off-season checklist for the Hawks.

John McGrath of TNT has 10 offseason suggestions for the Hawks: #1? "Absorb the $6.9 million salary-cap hit on Shaun Alexander and wish the running back all the best."

Depressing--Greg Jennings, the WR who killed the Hawks on Sunday, made only 360K this year.

OKC is calling their campaign to add a practice facility to Ford Center "Citizens for a Big League City." Already, some opposition has emerged, writes Eric D. Williams of TNT.

The Sounders brass are looking at MLS combine players a little differently now, writes the P-I's Matthew Gaschk. Says coach Brian Schmetzer: "[Owner] Adrian [Hanauer] and I have been going for the last five years, and we've always looked for a guy that might slip through the cracks or the guy who might fall into the second tier in the MLS. This year we let it be known that we were looking for the USL roster, but also keeping the other eye open for potential guys for the MLS squad to see if we couldn't sell a real good shot at the MLS in 2009 to get a shot at some really good players."

If you want to go golfing with Ken Griffey Jr., he'll reportedly be playing the Super Skins Celebrity Golf Tournament, hosted by Nick Lachey and (NASCAR) Jimmie Johnson. Tickets are $1000.

Yesterday I wondered if the first-round-pick for Deion Branch trade would end up as the worst in Hawks history. Kevin Pelton of Supersonics.com wrote in to refresh my memory: "I think Vegas took "busted Seahawks trades" off the board after the Fred Vinson-for-Ahman Green swap...the final tally from that one:

Green (in Green Bay) - 8,162 yards, 67 TDs, four Pro Bowls, two All-Pro teams
Vinson (in Seattle) - zero games, two ACL tears, one ACL tear during a pickup basketball game

Good thing the Hawks threw in a fifth-round pick and the Packers a sixth-rounder to even that one up."