Sunday, February 7, 2010 @ 10:17pm
Who dat!!! Who dat!!!

by Mike Salk

If you've been listening to the show for the past few weeks, you know that I was 100% behind the New Orleans Saints. I tried to proselytize my bandwagon jump, even creating a 14-point treatise describing why the Saints were the obvious choice for anyone questioning where their allegiances should lie.

But after watching the game (and watching the Saints win), I've narrowed that list to two reasons.

1. The Saints are fun to watch.

This was a team that seemingly had it all and it starts with the trigger man. Drew Brees wasn't just phenomenal in Miami, he was the personification of the modern-day quarterback. 32 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns is a great line, but it only tells half of the story. How many times did Brees look deep down the field before throwing to his second, third, or fourth option? No matter what went on around him, Brees seemed to understand that he didn't need to do anything more than hit whichever receiver was open...and he did it 32 times. He completed balls to eight different receivers including four wide receivers, two tight ends and two running backs.

Speaking of those backs and receivers, they are a likeable group themselves. Pierre Thomas may not be a household name nor is he the best running back in the league, but every time he touches the ball, he runs with a purpose. Marques Colston may have missed an easy ball to kill the first drive, but he responded well - finishing with seven catches in the game. And while Lance Moore was only targeted twice, he made the most of his opportunities and made an incredibly athletic play to catch the two-point conversion.

The exciting Saints aren't limited to the offensive side of the football either. Yes, you know what Reggie Bush can do on special teams and we've seen the Darren Sharper interception runbacks all year long. But how about Tracy Porter? Remember, before he was the one to to return a Peyton Manning pass for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, he was the one to save the Saints season by picking off Brett Favre in the NFC Championship game just two weeks ago.

Finally, the Saints have an exciting coaching staff which isn't afraid to take chances. Whereas many coaches get conservative in big games, Sean Payton and his assistants get creative. And that difference may have been the difference in this game.

Payton's aggressiveness seemed to get him in trouble near the end of the first half when he failed on a fourth down attempt from the one yard line. But when the Colts took over with 1:51 left to play in the half, they got uncharacteristically conservative, running three straight times before punting. How many times have we seen Manning lead his team to a soul-crushing score in that situation? Jim Caldwell never gave him the chance. Combine that with the incredibly gutsy on-sides kick to start the second half, and you can see the difference.

2. The Saints say all the right things

I have said over and over that we shouldn't pretend like we know athletes because we see them on TV or sometimes hear them on the radio. And I won't pretend to know any of the players on the Saints. But they sure act like they get it. They all seem to understand what they mean to the fans of New Orleans.

How many players did you hear make reference to their fans and their adopted city? It seemed like virtually all of them. Check out Brees after the game :

His comments were not unique. How nice to see a team that truly appreciates the people that help pay their salary.

Kudos to the Saints and their fans. Who dat!!!

Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 6:11pm
Jersey Grandma hates Jersey Shore more than Brock does?

by Mike Salk

Who disapproves of Jersey Shore more, Brock or this woman?

New Jersey Grandma Disgusted by Jersey Shore - Watch more Funny Videos

Thanks to Barstool Sports for the link!

Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 4:22pm
Lorenzo Romar on Arizona Win and Moving Forward

by Colin Paisley

UW Husky Men's Basketball Head Coach, Lorenzo Romar joined Brock and Mike today to talk about last night's win over the Arizona Wildcats, the outstanding play of Quincy Pondexter this season and what the team needs from certain individuals moving forward to content for the Pac-10 title.

If you didn't get a chance to hear it on the show, check it out here.

Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 9:35am
The Lighter Side of The Super Bowl

by Colin Paisley

A couple quick videos for you this morning...

What if movie directors directed the Super Bowl? Well, here's what you might see...

Plus, CNBC's Darren Rovel decided to ask some hard-hitting questions to some of the Saints and Colts. Pretty funny stuff...

Thursday, February 4, 2010 @ 5:42pm
Tez and The Hall

by Colin Paisley

The Super Bowl is on Sunday, but one of the things about this week that sometimes gets lost in the hoopla is the NFL Hall of Fame nominations that get announced this Saturday. On the list of players being considered is Cortez Kennedy and the discussion of his merits as a potential Hall of Famer was a big point of discussion on the show today.

John Clayton, along with Mike Sando both are in charge of presenting the case for 'Tez to the Hall of Fame voters on Saturday and we asked The Professor what he planned on saying in favor of Kennedy. Listen to his answer below.

John Clayton on Cortez Kennedy

Brock, who played for one season with Cortez, weighed in with his arguements for Cortez Kennedy as a deserving Hall of Famer as well. Listen to that below.

Brock on 'Tez

Thursday, February 4, 2010 @ 8:59am
Report: Mariners sign Erik Bedard to 1-year deal

by Mike Salk

MLB.com's Jim Street is reporting that the M's have agreed to a one year deal in principle with Erik Bedard that would pay the left-hander $1.5 million plus tons of incentives.

Huh.

Not entirely sure what to make of this. So let's look at it from a few angles.

1. Positive spin for the team. Of all the remaining free agent pitchers, Bedard clearly has the highest upside. Right now, he is still recovering from the surgery that ended his season in July. In theory, he will be ready to pitch by May (according to Kirby Arnold), though others have suggested it will be more like July.

That's a long time to wait, but when healthy, Bedard is a top of the rotation guy who would slot somewhere between the middle and back of this rotation. He may not be an innings eater, but he has one of the best curveballs in the league and he has a plus fastball for a left hander. Imagine a playoff rotation with Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee and Bedard?

As for the time lost at the beginning of the season, one could argue that the Jason Vargas/Doug Fister/Ian Snell etc. group should be able to hold down the fort short-term. If Bedard is really able to return in May, the team might only need a fifth starter three times, due to the large number of off-days in April and early May. Certainly, three starts by any pitcher in that group isn't going to kill you, right?

No one knows how healthy Bedard is for sure or how long he'll be able to stay healthy once he gets back, but the Mariners know better than anyone. They have been the ones responsible for overseeing his rehab, so they know more than any other perspective team.

Finally, the cost for one year is low enough that if Bedard isn't able to return (or to return effectively), the team can handle the salary without drastically effecting their operation. If he pitches up to his ability, the incentives will be well-worth it.

2. Negative spin for the team. The biggest problem with bringing back Bedard is that we've all been here before. We know about the tantalizing stuff he has, but we also know the drawbacks. The repeated injuries, the walks, the rumored "ducking incidents (where some have claimed that he refuses to pitch against certain teams), and the pressure he's faced in Seattle to justify the huge trade that brought him here.

I don't know what to make of the injuries and what they might mean for his return/effectiveness. Some guys have a bout of injuries at some point in their career and then they get past it . Others are never able to regain their form and still others seem to get hurt over and over again (e.g. Mike Hampton). But I would venture to guess that the first category is the least common.

As for the walks, I think this team is well set-up to deal with them. I like their depth, both in the bullpen and in Tacoma. And with the number of quality starts they expect from Felix, Lee and Ryan Rowland-Smith, they can handle a few starts from Bedard that don't go seven innings. On the other hand, this is a team put together with defense as the top priority. That defensive advantage is lost when guys start walking around the bases.

I'm not sure what to believe about the "ducking incidents" and other negative Bedard rumors. I think he's a good guy who often gets a bad rap. But I think he often doesn't help himself by being standoffish with many members of the media and laughing at their questions. He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, which can be a great advantage for a baseball player but doesn't always translate to fans who want to see their players living and dying with every loss the way they do themselves.

3. Positive for Erik Bedard. This is no-brainer for him. A year ago, he was beginning his final year of arbitration. A good season would have put him in position to be one of the highest paid players in free agency as the pitching market was pretty much just him and John Lackey. But injuries derailed that season and left Bedard unwanted and very much unpaid. The risk associated with signing him was too high for anyone to consider a multi-year deal for any serious money.

So if you're Bedard, what do you do?

You sign a one year deal with plenty of incentives. If you can't stay healthy, at least you make a few bucks in the process. If you pitch well, you can make some additional coin with every start and set yourself up for that big payday again next off season. It's the best course of action.

And what better place to do it than Seattle? You already know the pitching coach and many of your teammates. The ballpark saves you runs and the defense might be the best in baseball. Plus, you're not a huge fan of the spotlight, and the Seattle media isn't quite as intense as some of the east coast options.

4. Negative for Erik Bedard. Not a lot of negatives here, but one might wonder if an even lower pressure market would help him get back on track (e.g. Kansas City). There is a lot of "Bedard baggage" here in Seattle with the trade and injuries over the past two seasons. Might it be better for him to just start somewhere new without any expectations or pressure whatsoever? That might have been the best way to get his mojo back and get that multi-year deal.

* * *

Those are my thoughts on the report. How about you?

Monday, February 1, 2010 @ 10:33am
Reports: Mariners sign Ryan Garko

by Mike Salk

The AP is reporting the Mariners have signed 1B Ryan Garko to a one-year deal worth $550,000. According to the article, Garko could double that salary if he has 600 plate appearances.

I like this signing for he M's, in fact Garko was a player I have liked for a while. When the Mariners traded for Casey Kotchman, I wrote:

I'm not sure if he makes sense as their last player on the roster, but he might have made sense at first base instead of Kotchman. While he might not be the defensive equivalent (he has made three times more errors in less chances), his defense has improved each year - enough so that it was close to average last season. But his offense has been superior to Kotchman's. He has gotten on base more often and hit for more power. Plus, he was non-tendered this year, meaning he could likely be had for less than the roughly three million now owed to Kotchman.

Now, it appears the M's have brought in Garko to compete with Kotchman for the regular first base job and possibly to compete with Eric Byrnes to be a right-handed bat off the bench.

Garko fits in Seattle as an on-base percentage guy but he also has some power. He has a career OBP of .351 (which would have placed second on the 2009 Mariners among regulars). That number soars to .392 against lefties. And in 2007, he clubbed 21 home runs, showing a glimpse of the run production potential that made him a third round pick out of Stanford in 2003.

One other note about Garko: he can be an emergency catcher. He played behind the plate in the minor leagues. He also has a handful of games played in the corner outfield positions, though that would probably be a non-factor here.

Friday, January 29, 2010 @ 4:07pm
Mariners sign OF Eric Byrnes

by Mike Salk

The Mariners have reached a one-year contract with free agent outfielder Eric Byrnes, essentially ending their quest for an outfielder/DH to complete the roster. They will pay him just the league minimum as the Diamondbacks released him and are thus on the hook for the remainder of his $11 million.

Byrnes will be 34 years old when the season starts. He is coming off two injury-plagued seasons in Arizona in which he managed to play in just 52 and 84 games, hitting less than .230 in both campaigns.

But in 2006 and 2007, Byrnes put up some very intriguing numbers in the desert. In 2006, he hot 26 home runs to go with 25 steals; he followed that with 21 home runs and 50 steals the next year.

Looking at this positively, if healthy, Byrnes should be an interesting compliment in left field and at DH. He is a right-handed bat with some pop who can allow Milton Bradley to DH more (thereby saving Bradley some of the wear and tear of playing every day).

What's more, Byrnes is known as a fantastic clubhouse guy - the kind of guy that can keep a team loose. He is also a great quote, which may not sound like much but can be a valuable asset during a losing streak when young players aren't interested in talking to the media.

On the down side, Byrnes is an injury risk and is coming off two terrible seasons. He suffered problems with both hamstrings, limiting his playing time and effectiveness, not to mention his speed. Also, when he was in Oakland there were questions about his baseball IQ (especially after a 2003 playoff game against Boston where he failed to touch home plate and then found himself in a minor skirmish). But, from what I have heard, those things seem to be behind him.

You may also remember Byrnes from his broadcasting experience aboard a kayak at the 2007 All Star Game in San Francisco when he let his bulldog Bruin swim in the Bay.

All in all, this seems like an excellent, low risk signing. Byrnes has a high upside. He can hit for moderate power and has some useful speed even off the bench. Plus, if the M's want another bat (either now or at the trade deadline), they could release him without a problem, or let Ryan Langerhans go and use Byrnes as their utility outfielder.

Also, because the M's owe Byrnes just the league minimum, this move does not preclude them from signing another pitcher to slot into their rotation.

Friday, January 29, 2010 @ 10:13am
Super Bowl Ad Controversy

by Mike Salk

CBS has the Super Bowl this year and they seem to have found their way into controversy. First it was the Tim Tebow/Focus on the Family advocacy advretisememt that CBS has agreed to run. Now, it's a gay dating website called Mancrunch.com that has a problem. CBS has yet to approve a commercial that features two dudes essentially pretending to make out (you can see it here).

We'll discuss today...

Thursday, January 28, 2010 @ 6:41pm
Brock and Mike From Safeco

by Colin Paisley

Today was a big day for the show, mostly because we got free lunch! It's not hard to please us...

Outside of free lunch, the show was live from the Key Bank Diamond Club at Safeco Field for the Mariners Pre-Spring Training Media Luncheon. It gave Brock and Mike a chance to talk with some of the Mariners brass and it all started with GM Jack Zduriencik and Manager Don Wakamatsu meeting with the assorted Seattle Media.

Don Wakamatsu Press Conference

After their respective press conferences, Brock and Mike got their chance to speak with both Jack Z and Wak.

Jack Zduriencik with Brock & Salk