Forget the Mariners: Football is Back!

I’m not a huge baseball fan. I’ve played the sport and occasionally watch games, but I would never consider myself a diehard.

As a homer, my rooting interest in the Seattle Mariners should be quite obvious.

The Mariners have always been a bridge between football seasons; baseball is something that keeps me occupied and somewhat entertained throughout the summer.

I would compare the Mariners to Charlie Whitehurst: probably not the answer, but a definite bridge to the future.

If the Mariners stay competitive until July or August and I’m happy – anything to keep me entertained until most of my attention is diverted to football. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case this year. The Mariners have been a train wreck since April.

At least I had the NFL Draft and spring ball at the University of Washington in April. After that, however, May through July has been a tough stretch.

What happened to the Seattle Mariners? It doesn’t seem too long ago that fans at Husky Stadium were chanting “I-Chi-Ro! I-Chi-Ro!” – during a Seahawk game.

If my memory serves me correctly, the Seattle Seahawks were playing the Denver Broncos on the same day the Seattle Mariners played the Cleveland Indians in the American League Divisional Series.

Of course, this was in 2001, when the Mariners won 116 regular-season games and the Seahawks would struggle through Matt Hasselbeck’s first year. The shouts for Ichiro Suzuki were most likely followed by chants of “Dil-Fer! Dil-Fer!”

Life was good. Despite starting a new quarterback, the Seahawks were a nine-win team and in the playoff hunt until the final week of the season. Even though they fell short, everyone knew the Seahawks were on the verge of something great.

And to make things better, the Mariners were a competitive team worth watching during the NFL offseason.

I doubt we’ll hear chants for the Mariners at Qwest Field anytime soon (or ever), but I have never been more relieved to watch the first Seahawk game of the preseason. Even though the Seahawks have only won nine games in two seasons, optimism is always high in August.

Tonight, I can officially forget about the Seattle Mariners (until next April). Tonight, football is back!

Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
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