TERRY MOSHER

TOP OF THE TOWN – Seattle sports, most of them anyway, need a rebound. The Seahawks are clinging to a slim playoff threat at 5-8 with games still to come against the powerful Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, the Seattle Mariners who showed signs of life in a surprise showing last season of 90-72 are locked out with the rest of the Major League teams by owners as negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement is tied up in knots, and the Washington Huskies are treading water with a new football coach and just five signees today in the recruit signing period and have lost more than that with players jumping into the transfer portal like rats fleeing a sinking ship through a disaster of a 4-8 season and the firing of its coach Jimmy Lake, and the school’s basketball program has slim hopes of finishing anywhere near the top in the Pac-12 as players jumped ship there, too, finding the transfer portal more accommodating that staying on the Husky court. And the first-year NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken, is finding it tough sledding on the ice and to get into playoff contention will have to have a minor miracle. It’s like a Russian bomber flew over the Emerald city and targeted all the sports teams. Poof!!! They disappeared down a rabbit hole. They all will make a comeback. That is the nature of sports in the region. But it’s rare for them all to fall on their faces at the same time. I don’t know what to expect from the new Husky football coach – Kalen DeBoer. He has a reputation of being an offensive genius, so that will be interesting to watch. He has to build a new coaching staff and players will have to learn how to adjust to the new staff. I hope he’s the new Don James, who came west from Kent State as a relatively unknown and quickly became known as one of the best football coaches in the land. I don’t expect DeBoer to be a new Don James, but the Huskies do need to climb back up the national football ladder – actually the whole Pac-12 needs to build itself back into a national power conference. With Lincoln Riley taking over at USC, the expectation is the Trojans will make that climb and become the national power they once were. James, in his early years as Husky coach, used USC as the gold standard to reach with his Husky team. He achieved it and became the Dawgfather for Washington football. On the pro football side, I expect the Seahawks will need to retrench and start over. Russell Wilson, most experts predict, will be gone next season. Maybe to New Orleans or Chicago. Even Pete Carroll is not safe from being unchained from his coaching duties. The franchise is falling behind others not just in the NFC West, but all over the pro football map. If Wilson leaves, the Hawks will need to find a veteran replacement until a young gun can be drafted and developed. So there may be some lean years coming for the 12s. As for the Washington basketball program on the men’s side, it needs to rethink the hire of Mike Hopkins. He’s a nice guy, but that doesn’t help with what is happening on the court. The current Husky team, a remake from 2020, is weak to say the least. I don’t know what teams it can beat in the conference. Maybe California and Oregon State. I will knock it off right here. I don’t want to spoil Christmas by being Grinch. Stay safe.

Be well pal.

Be careful out there.

Have a great day.

You are loved.