The good and bad of summer sports in Seattle

Ask anyone who has lived in the greater Seattle area for more than a few years and they’ll tell you that the summers here are the best in the world. However, it has become a bit of a bummer if you’re a sports fan. In the world of Seattle sports there are few truly compelling local stories, but there are some constants:

• The Mariners have made it a habit of dropping out of contention by the end of May. This year may be different because the new general manager actually looks like he has a bit of a clue. But this team looks like it is years away from making any noise in the division.
• The Seattle NBA franchise that used to give fans something to glow about quit making the playoffs after the mid ‘90s and then left town altogether for a dusty, windblown one cow town in Oklahoma. I still can’t believe the NBA thought this was a great idea. Anyway, May and June used to be fun for NBA fans. Now, they get to watch hockey on TV.
• The Washington football team and its fans talk themselves into thinking that their latest recruiting class will bring glory back to Montlake. Fans systematically bash every 17-year-old kid who decides not to sign with the Huskies after realizing playing for a team that didn’t win a game last season just might suck.
• A Wazzu Cougar football player is arrested.
• There is no regular PGA stop (although the Senior tour at Snoqualmie is spectacular).
• And sports fans weary of a summer full of losers realize that the Seahawks season is still a couple months away.

If you were thinking about a week-long camping trip in the mountains, this week would have been perfect. You didn’t miss anything:

• Apparently, people around here still care about what Ryan Leaf is up to. And I guess he’s taking more painkillers than usual. Good for him. The Times weighs in as does the P-I.
• The Sounders goalkeeper calls out his teammates after a 3-3 tie with D.C. United. I know it’s more cultured and Bohemian to accepted ties as a reasonable outcome, but come on. The Sounders have six of them, almost as many as their wins and losses combined. Figure out a way to crown a victor. This isn’t Sweden and it isn’t a socialist country yet.
• Starting today, M’s can try to sign their first round draft pick Dustin Ackley who some already have playing in the big leagues this year. Too bad his agent is the Devil’s bag man, Scott Boras. It’s also too bad that statistically speaking, Ackley has as a good a shot as making it up to the big club as Yuniesky Betancourt has of leading the team in walks. OK, maybe a little better than that.
• Interleague play continues for the Mariners. Yes, they still have interleague play and Seattle has been battling their geographical rival the San Diego Padres. Uh, hem.

Things could be worse. We could live in Portland and talk about whether or not Greg Oden is Sam Bowie redux.