Seattle's Best

Somewhere in America, a trial is going on within the hearts and minds of sports fans everywhere...

Setting: A dimly-lit courtroom. Only four people are present. The judge, a grizzly-looking octogenarian who scowls over his spectacles, swirling his grayish hair about his face; the prosecuting attorney, a carefully groomed elderly gentleman in a dark suit and briefcase; the defense attorney, a young, hot-shot legal rookie with his hair slicked back and Calvin Klein frames on his chiseled face; behind him silently sits a person whose gender, race and age are hidden by the lack of light.

In the land of coffee, grunge music and rain (though don't call it rain, 'drizzle', perhaps), a city is being transformed as we speak.

Defense attorney: "Your honor, my client's lack of supporting any one sports city should not force him to be lumped into the masses of sports traditionalism. Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago--do I really need to go on--all have their share of dedicated fans.

My client deserves the right to choose Seattle, where even though sports has never been a high priority, the area is on the verge of producing its first professional sports champion since the lone basketball title years ago..."

The prosecuting attorney interrupts, "But your honor, the tradition that is embedded in the soul of sports resides in these more traditional cities. The defendant would be much better served to choose any one of America's sports heartlands."

The judge appears tired of this bantering "Enough! Prosecutor, let's go, get on with your evidence, and no speculation, either!"

The prosecutor smirks and rises from his chair. "Your honor, to present the overwhelming evidence would clearly take up too much of the court's time. Shall I discuss the tradition of the New York Yankees? The old-timers' games when players' fingers are weighed down with World Series rings?

"Or what about the storied tales of Boston sports teams? I cannot begin to count the number of Celtics titles, or Bruins game-winning goals. How many fantastic Fenway finishes (the judge cringes) shall I describe?"

This time it is the defense attorney who interrupts. "Your honor, if I may?" The judge waves his hand in disgust, but it is clear that the green lawyer has the floor. "Seattle has endured a long age of sports ineptitude. Do you remember the Mariner teams of the 70's? Probably not, since not only did the teams frequently inhabit the loss column in triple-digits, the franchise only came to be in the second half of the decade. How about the Seahawks? Only once in their existence has Seattle's NFL franchise, if I can even call it that, advanced to the AFC Championship. Need I go on?

"Sports 'legends', you say? Outside of NFL Hall-of-Famer Steve Largent, try ESPN's Harold Reynolds, Gaylord Perry's brief stay with the Mariners, or Franco Harris' final season in the NFL. You can count them all on one hand!"

"But the time has come, your honor. This year, the season of 1997, the Seattle Mariners are beginning a period that will turn the annals of Seattle sports history on its ear. Gone are the days of Kingdome attendance falling under 10,000. Gone are the playoff months spent watching the 'real' teams battle it out." Somewhere the theme from 'Rocky' has begun playing, slowly increasing in volume... "Two years ago the Mariners' first playoff run gave the city a newfound yearning for the hardware, the Kingdome was transformed from a concrete mausoleum into a thundering homefield advantage.

Legends, too, we have legends! Ken Griffey, Jr. has been acknowledged as the next Hall-of-Famer!" The lawyer is now frenzied, gesticulating and spelling out the headlines in the air. "A healthy Randy Johnson is called the best pitcher in baseball! Jay Buhner's grim stare on the cover of Sports Illustrated! And Edgar, Edgar, Edgar!!!"

The courtroom has become a smorgasbord of noise now, with the judge banging his gavel, the prosecutor pounding his fist, screaming objections, with some incoherent moans being emitted from the fan in question.

Flash-forward to closing arguments. The trial closes with one, final remark from the defense attorney: "The day has been coming for quite some time now. For decades, the city has slept, awaiting its moment to rise up, conquer its foes and finally establish itself as a city as committed to sports as its cafe mocha and Nirvana. Sports fans of America, I invite you all to sit back, relax and witness the revolution."

Whether or not the Mariners advance to the World Series, the transformation will still have taken place. The city that has labored for so long in the cloudy depths of obscurity finally has its opportunity. Despite the verdict usually in favor of the prosecution.