Lee Hardisty

Graphic by Lee Hardisty

Staff writers Emily Dunn and Meg Dahlin review and talk about the biggest headlines for Seattle’s professional men’s sports.

The Seattle Seahawks’ Season is Off to a Losing Start

The Seattle Seahawks 2022-23 season began on Sept. 12, and since then they have played five games, earning a record of 2-3. 

Their season debut against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 12 turned out to be a massive game due to the former Seattle quarterback, Russell Wilson, being traded to the Denver team. The game was thrilling, and while the defense struggled against Wilson’s offense, they were able to stop them at the goal line to squeak out a 17-16 victory. Their victory was a great way to start the season.

The next game on Sept. 18 against the San Francisco 49ers was disappointing, to say the least. The Seahawks lost the game with a score of 27-7 with Pete Carol saying “we have to execute better.”

On Sept. 25 the Seahawks took on the Atlanta Falcons at home. The fans brought the energy as the score remained close the entire game. Ultimately, however, the Seahawks lost with a score of 27-23. 

The next game on Oct. 2 was a high-scoring game, with the Seahawks winning 48-45 against the Detroit Lions. This game made scorigami history (a score combination that has never happened in NFL history) being the only game to end with a score of 48-45. Not only was this score notable, but the Seahawks also did not punt the ball the entire game, doing this for the first time in franchise history. The Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was named NFC offensive player of the week after this impressive game. 

The most recent game on Oct. 9 was against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints pulled out a win over the Seahawks with a score of 39-32. Even though the Seahawks lost, the offense looked great. Quarterback Geno Smith’s passer rating was a season high at 139.7 and the highest passer rating of week 5. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett had 5 receptions for 104 yards and 2 touchdowns. On the other hand, the Seahawks defense was not up to par. They gave up 438 yards this game and are last overall in the NFL this season. 

As of now, the Seahawks are tied for second in the NFC West division with their record of 2-3. This relatively young team is looking strong and while this season may not be their best, there is progress being made to help the team work together and execute a great game of football. 

The Seattle Seahawks next game is on Oct. 16 at 1:05 p.m. against the Arizona Cardinals.

Breaking a 21-Year Drought, Mariners Head to the Playoffs

After the Mariners win against the Oakland Athletics on Sept. 30, they were scheduled to go to the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. 

The rest of the Oakland series was disappointing to a lot of players, but fans were cautiously optimistic about the rest of this season. One fan, Neil Butler, predicts “the playoffs will be tough as [the Mariners] go on the road to Toronto, a good team, but after 21 years of missing the playoffs this team is fired up.” 

A big contributor to that energy is Julio Rodriguez, rookie of the year and a great outfielder so far this season. As well as Julio, new players Luis Castillo and Robbie Ray are hopefully going to help the team make a deep run in the playoffs this weekend. 

As a person who doesn’t follow baseball, it was exciting to see the Mariners representing Seattle in a wildcard playoffs game this year against the Blue Jays. So far they have won both of their wildcard games, setting fan’s hopes high for their next 5 games against the Astros.   

Will It Be a Hit or Miss for the Seattle Kraken in Their Second NHL Season?

The Seattle Kraken’s second NHL season is about to start. In the Kraken’s debut season last year, they went 27-49-6, coming in last overall in the NHL. 

So far, based on the 2022 preseason games, the Kraken have a record of 4-2. Notable wins in the preseason have been against their rival team, the Vancouver Canucks, two times. Kraken won 4-3 and 4-0. The Kraken seem to have made progress since last year and can hopefully give fans a fun and exciting season. 

On another note, the Kraken unveiled their team mascot, Buoy, on Oct. 1. Buoy is a blue sea troll inspired by the Fremont Troll in Seattle. However, there have been some mixed reactions to the new mascot. Some are confused, while others are saying it is a big miss by the Kraken. Others love the fun new mascot. My immediate reaction to this new mascot was why? They could have made a cool octopus-like mascot inspired by the Kraken but instead, it is a silly-looking sea troll. 

The Seattle Kraken take on the Anaheim Ducks at 7:00 p.m. for the first regular season game. 

The Sounders 2022 Season is Coming to an End: Let’s Review the Highlights

 After their 2022 season, the Sounders are missing the Audi Cup playoffs for the first time in 13 years. 

Their 2022 season as a whole has been a mix of disappointing losses and exciting accomplishments, with 12 wins, 17 losses, and the honor of being the first-ever MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League. The players and coaches themselves feel discouraged by this season but are trying to focus on the positive. “This season, we’re going to call it a success because we’re the first MLS team to win the Champion League. But look, at the end of the day, right now, what everybody feels is a letdown” said Brian Schmetzer, Sounders coach, in a recent interview.

A notable game took place when the Sounders took on the Minnesota United on May 15, with the Souders winning 3-1. The Sounders games against Minnesota United are known for being memorable and exciting, this game being no exception. A special highlight of the game was Cristian Roldan’s performance. He is a senior midfielder who has been playing for Seattle since 2015, and he had an amazing game that day. He proved himself to be a valuable player, recording a goal, an assist, and drawing a penalty. 

The 2022 Sounders season ended this past Sunday with a game against San Jose, and although this season was unexciting for the most part, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in their 2023 season. There are a lot of questions arising about next year’s roster and how the Sounder’s budgeting will impact the flexibility of their roster building, but the big event to look out for in 2023 for the Sounders will be the FIFA Club World Cup.