Meet you at The T

When the Seahawks moved to their new stadium I was approached with the idea of getting season tickets. The team was awful at the time and a ticket could be had for $100. I passed on the opportunity because I didn't want to travel to Seattle that often and eat up my weekends. Years later I changed my mind about a time-eating relationship with I-5, so I am now one of the many season ticket holders for the Sounders. More, I am one of the many, yet fewer, who have my name on the account. Those same names are now affixed permanently to the shared stadium.


If I had been one of those who purchased Seahawk season tickets I might be a bit put-off by the pandering provided to the upstarts. Hell, I'd be both jealous and pissed. The 'Hawks have drawn double the Sounders and have done so for thirty years. But neiner neiner to them. MY name is on the stadium so I'm re-naming it The T. You can call it whatever you like. Qwest, Kingdome, or something after your name. Call it what you will, I'll know what you mean.


Playing in their new stadium the Sounders looked pretty good the other night. Not only did they knock Dallas out of the playoffs but they put an end to the home scoreless jinx. The pandering continued after the game with the crowd being given the Men of The Match. Had I a vote it would have gone to Nate Jaqua instead. Not only did he score the first goal in Seattle since July, but he was in on the play for the winner and he looked terrific playing in the midfield. I know he has his detractors, but I think he's working surprisingly well on the right wing. He's obviously not the fastest guy in the world but his work rate has been phenomenal. Not quite at Sebastian Le Toux's pace, but whose is?


Next up is Houston in the first leg of a home-and-home aggregate goal Western Conference semi-final. Seattle has faced Houston three times this season, once at home, once in Houston and once at Starfire in the U.S. Open Cup. That was the game where Jaqua had his head split open, probably suffered a concussion, kept playing and won over the hearts of a few Tribe members. After that same match Houston's coach, Dominic Kinnear, questioned the validity of Starfire as a match site. Sour grapes.


Having played this opponent three times this season season with two wins and a draw on the road, it begs the question, are they our "bitch" or are they due? Houston is a very good team with players like Pat Onstead, Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis, Brian Ching and Stuart Holden - my pipe dream of an off-season acquisition. They also have Craig Waibel. He's a former Sounder from the A-League days, but you should remember him from his head bonking antics with Freddie Ljungberg in our last meetings. I don't know if he'll get on the pitch for such an important game, but if so remember to boo him avidly.