TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN ‑ Unlike the previous half decade when the Seattle Seahawks were a known factor in the NFL as the annual draft approached, this year the team is straddling the divide between known and unknown. Or more precisely, is it a rebuild or a reload? An argument can be made for both. It’s almost impossible to be successful in the league without a ‘Name’ quarterback, and the Seahawks enter Thursday’s first day of the draft without a surefire starter because star QB Russell Wilson was dealt to Denver leaving the Hawks with a hole at the position as big as the Grand Canyon. Sure, they got Drew Lock back from Denver in the Wilson trade, but Drew Lock? Lock’s reputation is not good. He’s reportedly talented, but has not produced like the talent he supposedly is. So until Lock shows he can be a productive QB, the jury is out on the Seahawks whether it’s a rebuild or reload. The odds are against Lock leading the Seahawks to the playoffs, and backups Geno Smith and Jacob Eason are, well, not surefire starters either, although Smith was once a starter with the New York Jets before a 2015 season punch to the jaw by a teammate ended his season by breaking his jaw. It’s not easy to win in the NFL, but to do so without a confirmed quarterback is, well, nearly impossible. So the Seahawks are in deep do-do and it’s probably a good idea to latch on to another QB in this draft. If Wilson was still the QB for the Seahawks, it’s probable that they would be contenders in the NFL West. They have all the necessary talent in most positions to be considered that, if they had Wilson. Without him, don’t bet your mortgage on the Hawks making the playoffs. … I can’t figure out why the major newspaper in the state ignores Washington softball and baseball. The Washington Husky baseball program is almost an annual struggle, but the Husky softball ball is annually among the top 10 in the country. They won the national title in 2009 and were in the finals in 2018 where they lost to Florida State. They made it to the Super Regionals last year where they lost to eventual champion Oklahoma. They got robbed last season because despite being ranked as one of the best teams in the country, they were sent to Oklahoma instead of hosting the Super Regional. This season, the Huskies are 28-11and ranked as the 11th team in the country. They are a little short of effective pitching, although Gabby Plain is still pretty darn good. Plain is 14-4 with an ERA of 2.04 with 143 strikeouts in 120.1 innings. The Huskies are hitting well and have some power, which they really didn’t have last season. Senior infielder Baylee Klingler leads the Huskies at the plate with a .444 batting average, an amazing OPS of 1.530 and 19 home runs and 56 RBI. Klingler’s home runs are tied for fourth in the country. Sophomore Addison Barnard of Wichita State leads with 26 dingers. … The NBA playoffs are underway and I confess I have not watched them. I guess I have gotten tired of the constant dunking and the incredible shooting. They make it look too easy. I wrote years ago they should raise the basket to 11 feet. While that is unrealistic, it would at least take away most of the dunking. Maybe my dislike for dunking goes back to my high school days when guys six inches shorter than me could dunk and I couldn’t. The best I would ever do is hit the back of the rim. Ray, who was much shorter than me but had long fingers, could palm the ball and dunk it. That made me mad. What makes me sad is Ray died in 1971 not much longer after he married. He graduated with me at Western Washington and was teaching at a junior high in Bellingham when he succumbed to a faulty family genetic problem. Ok, enough for today. Stay safe.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.