Wilson, Cierra, Macklemore Invest In Seattle Sounders

An active Seattle Seahawk is now an owner of another major Seattle professional sports team.  It was announced this week that Wilson, his wife Ciara, Rapper Macklemore, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella were joining the ownership group of the Seattle Sounders.   The Sounders, who also play at Century Link Field, began play in 2009, and have one MLS Cup, won in 2016.

Sports Radio 950 Lands Sounder Games

 

Seattle Sports Radio 950 KJR announced Tuesday that it will carry Seattle Sounders soccer games  It's a big step for KJR which at one time carried the Seattle Super Sonics and University Of Washington football and basketball.  Since losing the Huskies and the Sonics leaving town, the station did not carry play by play of any of the local major sports teams. 
The station had received occasionally criticism for spending little time discussing the Sounders as compared to the Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies.
Matt Johnson, a former KJR employee, will continue to do play by play for the team.

Gasman Scores A Goal With Authentic Masterpiece

In 2008, the Seattle Mariners went on a depressing losing skid, finishing the season, deep in last place.  The Seahawks, only 3 years removed from a super bowl appearence, provided little relief going 4-12.  The Cougars and Huskies had a couple of wins, both belonging to the Cougs.  To make matters worst, the one major team with a championship, the Sonics, left for Oklahoma City. 
The time was right for something to go right in the Seattle sports world and it did.  In Authentic Masterpiece, former KJR sports radio talk show host Mike Gastineau presents an entertaining history of what he calls the "...the best franchise launch in American Sports history. "  Gastineau writes that Paul Allen's attempt to build a new stadium for the Seahawks was doomed until they tapped into a huge covert market, Soccer fans.   A football-soccer stadium proposal was barely approved by the Seattle electorate.
Gastineau goes brick by brick on how a management team, an unusual combination of a Minor League Soccer team owner, an actor-comedian, a Hollywood movie producer and one of the richest men in the world formed a unique forward looking management team.  The search for the coach. Putting together the team, And finally the unique, but large contingent of Soccer Fans, know to flood Seattle bars in the early morning hours to watch soccer matches halfway around the world.
We read about Drew Carey, who was the comedian-part owner who came up with one of the craziest ideas in professional sports after a bad Sounder loss.
Mike Gastineau was at KJR for 2 decades, and made his reputation as "the voice of reason".  This book shows that he has real talent as a writer.  If you are a sports fan, but maybe not a soccer fan, like me, this book will key in on what makes the team and the sport a local success.  If you are a Sounders fan, this is a must read.  For more information on the book, you can go to the Gastineau website.

Mike Gastineau Pens Sounder History

Former Sports Radio 950 afternoon drive host Mike Gastineau, has a new book out detailing the history of Seattle MLS soccer club, The Sounders.  The book is titled  Sounders FC  Authentic Masterpiece. According to the cover, it is "the inside story of one of the most successful franchise launches in American sports history."   The Sounders of course started play in 2009 on the heels of dismal seasons from the Mariners and Seahawks, and the departure of the Super Sonics.  while most expansion teams experience growing pains, the Sounders started winning as soon as it hit the field, kicking off with a 3-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls.  The team proceeded enter the playoffs in each of it's first 4 seasons.  You can see reviews, preview, or order Gastineau's book by clicking here.

Volunteering At The Sounders Game

Last weekend volunteers from The UPS Store locations around the area teamed up with the US Marine Corp and the Seattle Sounders to collect for the Toys For Tots Book drive.  Deb and I along with Deb's sister and our nephew, Connor joined in at Century Link Field before the Sounders took on the Vancouver Whitecaps..  Above, you can see me waving a sign along with our Marine helper. We then went in and watched the game. The Sounders beat the Whitecaps 3-2.

Barers Of Maple Valley On National TV

Well, if you blinked you missed it, unless you have DVR, but our episode of The Price Is Right ran today.  You can see us in the left hand corner (me in green, Debra in a Price Is Right tee shirt) as I am dressed even sillier than these silly dressed people.  I was not trying to look like a lepricaun I had on a Sounders jersey and a Sounders hat.  Hoping to sway Drew Carey, who owns the Seattle Soccer team.  It didn't work.

We Visit "The Price Is Right"

We were in the studio audience at a taping of the popular game show, "The Price Is Right".  We did not get to be contestants, however.  This picture was taken in the waiting area where we were asked to look like we had won a car.  We should however be visible in the audience when the show airs on April 10th.  I was wearing a green Seattle Sounders jersey in honor of host Drew Carey, who heads the ownership group that owns the Seattle Soccer club. 
We will post more pictures from our trip to Los Angeles and the Palm Springs area soon. 
If you ever want to be on the show, you can get priority tickets at the web site.  If you come with a group, it will increase your chance of being a contestant. Be sure to bring your enthusiasm.  It is better to plan a full day around being on set.  There is a process that you go through this different than other shows, because the contestants are picked on the fly.  The show is taped at CBS Television City
on the corner of Beverly and Fairfax in Los Angeles.