Seattle is supposed to be a baseball town. At least that's what everyone thought after the 1995 Mariner season, which ended with the team's first AL division championship against the New York Yankees. Everyone in Seattle can recall exactly where they were when watching Ken Griffey Jr. score from first on Edgar's game winning double down the left field line.
This was the beginning of baseball in Seattle. Fans spoke Mariner baseball at the workplace, at their son's little league games, at church, and around the dinner table. Seattle had superstars in Griffey, A-Rod, and Randy Johnson. Safeco field, the house that Griffey built, would catapult this franchise into greatness for decades to come. Bye bye were the days of 12,000 fans and a sea of empty seats at the Kingdome.
Fast forward to the 2009 season (thirteen years laters), and the Mariners are an afterthought. No longer are the seats full, and year after year optomistic fans have given up by the third week of the season. There is a void in Seattle sports, and it's the elusive winning franchise Seattleites have desperately needed.
Could the wait be over? Seattle was hit with its newest franchise this year, the Seattle Sounders FC. It's captain and goalkeeper, Kasey Keller, is the most heralded U.S. soccer player of all time after playing most of his career on the biggest stage in the English Premier League. The Sounders FC also have Freddie Ljunberg, Steve Zakuani the first pick in the 09 draft, and Freddie Montero the MLS leading goal scorer through 2 games.
This team is exciting! This team is winning! Seattle Sounders FC is rivaling the Seahawks as the hardest ticket to get in Seattle right now. Unlike the Mariners, Sounders FC is leading the league in attendance and selling out every night averaging over 26,000 per game.
There is life in Seattle sports again, and it's not Ichiro bobble head night. It's the hooligan FC fans sreaming and waving their scarves, while riding the Sounders 3 game winning streak and league leading record. Sorry Mariners. There's a better venue in town, and there's excitement on the pitch in Seattle.
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Nice post MWitt!
ReplyDeleteHowever, Seattle is still a baseball town and always will be.
Soccer is a fad and will remain the fourth sport in town behind the Hawks, Huskies, and M's.
The only way I would actually pay money to watch a Sounders game is if Drew Carey was going to run wind sprints goal to goal.