Seattle Sports: In the Morning

Top o' the Mornin': UW Prez Emmert leaves UW to head NCAA, Jamal Crawford wins NBA Sixth Man Award, Mariners win.

Your future rages against the inequities and iniquities of college athletics will be directed at a Fife kid and UW grad--Mark Emmert is the new executive director of the NCAA. Emmert always seemed to have a good grasp on how important college athletics is, but also the ability to keep it in perspective. Still, hard to say for sure what kind of NCAA president he'll be.

Rainier Beach grad Jamal Crawford is the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Fellow Metro Leaguer Jason Terry finished second in the voting, but no hard feelings as Terry won the award last year. With Aaron Brooks having won Most Improved Player, that's two major postseason awards by 206ers. REPRESENT!

Mariners 3, Royals 2 [box]. It took perhaps the lamest extra base hit in team history, but the M's rallied past the Royals with three in the 8th. Jose Lopez' game-tying "double" was a comebacker that ricocheted off the pitcher's mitt into centerfield. Milton Bradley later walked to drive in the go-ahead run. Props to the bullpen, which pitched 3.2 scoreless innings. M's 10-11, 3rd place, 2 GB.

IN OTHER NEWS...

UW's Friday night spring game will be live on KJR and tape-delayed on UWTV and FSN. Here's how to watch, courtesy of Bob Condotta.

Milton Bradley had some more fun with the left-field line fans in Kansas City, pulling the old "fake toss the ball" trick at them. Good times. Via Lookout Landing, here's Bradley blowing a kiss to a heckler after the game.

Got a Jeep Wrangler? Jon Brockman would like to buy it.

Russell Okung will wear Steve Hutchinson's old number, reports Mike Sando.

Will Conroy and his Rio Grande Valley Vipers won the D-League Championship last night.

Neat story on Storm coach Brian Agler's hoops-playing daughter Taylor. "There are days I say, 'I don't want you to coach me!' but his dad coached him, so he gets it. He gives me time to cool off, then we're back at it."

The Moyer Foundation is offering a suite to Saturday's Sounders game for $1,500 obo. Proceeds to The Duck Tour Fire Assistance Fund The Moyer Foundation.

The SonicsGate guys will be featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines today, Sonics Central says.

The Cavs and Celtics both won, advancing to play each other in the second round. Dallas survived with a home win, pulling their series with San Antonio to 3-2.

The Zombie Sonics got stomped by the Lakers, 111-87 [box], to take a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Friday in OKC at 6:30 p.m.

He ended up without a win, but Zach Greinke has now pitched 29 consecutive scoreless innings against the Mariners.

UW baseball beat Gonzaga 11-1.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING...

"Best of luck to Mark Emmert, he will do great things for the NCAA." -- Steve Sarkisian (daily top 5).

"Congrats 2 UW president Mark Emmert for being named President of the NCAA. It was a honor to have a good friendship wit him hes a GREAT dude" -- Isaiah Thomas, via Twitter.

"President Emmert is one of the most impressive persons I've ever met. Obviously, you hate to see someone go that is that talented and so supportive. But at the same time, it is an unbelievable oppotunity for him. The NCAA will be better as a result of his leadership" -- Lorenzo Romar

"When it comes to support within reason for big-time college athletics, Mark Emmert is about as good as it gets for an athletic director and head football coach." -- Art Thiel (full column on Emmert's departure).

"(Snell) showed all the same problems he’s always had--can’t get lefties out, struggles to command his fastball--and will now have to try to salvage his season in relief." -- Dave Cameron, USS Mariner (full game recap).

"He is ... Ken Griffey Jr. You don't just dump him like Brad Wilkerson because he had a bad April." -- Larry Stone, Seattle Times (full blog post)

"You're supposed to get booed on the road. That's like a badge of honor." -- Milton Bradley (full Geoff Baker game recap).

"It's starting to look like so goes Milton Bradley, so go the Mariners." -- @pokano.

"Milton Bradley is awesome." -- @SeattleDawg18

"Milton Bradley is a douchebag." -- @darren_greene

"You couldn’t have scripted a better draft for us." -- Tod Leiweke (full comments, via Ben Malcolmson.)

"I take pride in being from Seattle. I pay attention to the Huskies. I pay attention to the Seahawks. I love to see what's going on up there. To have my first Senior Open at Sahalee will be a great, great week." -- Fred Couples (full story on Couples by the Times' Scott Hanson).

TODAY'S ACTION

M's @ Royals, 11:10 a.m., Rowland-Smith vs. Meche.

Inter @ Barcelona, Champions League Semi (2nd leg), 11:45 a.m., FSN. (Inter won 1st leg 3-1).

UW baseball vs. Gonzaga, 2 p.m., Husky Ballpark

Bucks @ Hawks, 5 p.m., TNT (Series tied 2-2).

Jazz @ Nuggets, 7:30 p.m., TNT (Utah leads 3-1).