Sports: As Seen Through Rob Carlson's Viewfinder

Opening Day 2011

2011-03-31T20:43:00.001-07:00

Opening Day 2011
It's a cool rainy day in Seattle and The Mariners don't open until tomorrow on the road at Oakland. I did get to watch The Padres opener at St. Louis, they came away with a 5-3 victory in 11 innings, now I am watching The Dodgers and Giants play at Dodger Stadium where it was in the mid 80's at game time. Seattle can be a great place for baseball in August, but in early spring it can be miserable. It just doesn't feel like baseball season. I grew up in San Diego where baseball is a year round sport, but have been in the Pacific Northwest since 1991--I should be used to it by now. I don't think I ever have got used to it, I think I have just accepted the "it is what it is" attitude. Things are about to change for me and my family. We are packing up the motor home and hitting the road for warmer climates and lots of baseball. By next March I will be in Arizona at Spring Training

UW travels to USC

2008-10-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Will Pete Carroll and his team go easy on the Huskies? With a team that hasn't been able to compete all year except in the BYU game, with a team that has been plagued all year by injuries including their all world quarterback Jake Locker and with a team in turmoil over their head coach and his "firing" as of the end of the season will they be able to even stay on the field with the might Trojans? Two weeks ago USC absolutely demolished Washington State 69-0 and they went easy on them in the second half playing many reserves. I believe the Trojans will score at least 60 and try to shutout the Huskies, I just hope for the sake of the lowly Huksies the Trojans show some mercy and not score 100.

Ty Finally Gone...Well Almost

2008-10-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

The Ty Willingham era finally came to an end Monday, well almost. The :University of Washington announced that Ty Willingham is resigning at the end of the 2008 season. I am not sure of why they are using the word resign, when this is plain and simply a firing, with the agreement that he would stay for the last five games. Scott Woodward, the UW Athletic Director said in an interview with Dave "Softy" Mahler on KJR radio that Ty Willingham's contract was being terminated, as in fired, at the end of the season. It was also announced that he would be paid a one million dollar buyout for the remaining year of his contract. Apparently the decision had been made to terminate Willingham after the Oregon State game and Willingham was notified at that point, but the announcement was delayed as details were ironed out for Willingham to coach the rest of the season. Now the search for a new coach begins. There are several names that are already being thrown around, of which the the most intriguing would be Jim Mora who has already been announced to be the successor to Mike Holmgren. The others are Lane Kiffin, Pa Hill of Fresno State and Gary Pinkel.

Notre Dame is in town

2008-10-25T12:03:00.001-07:00

I am headed off to Husky stadium today for my first look ever at Notre Dame. I have been very fortunate over the years to have covered some very storied programs, but I don't think there are any that equal the history and tradition of Notre Dame This is just one of those highlights "WOW" moments in a career.

The state of major college football in Washington state

2008-10-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN College GameDay said of Ty Willingham and the Huskies,"They have not recruited well and have not been able to bring in the high caliber athlete to compete with USC." He also said as he called the USC game last year, "there is not one player on the UW team that could dress for USC--with the exception of Jake Locker."

"Washington is not a hot bed for college football" says Lee Corso of ESPN College GameDay.

More on UW to come!!!!!

The Battle in Seattle

2008-10-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

I am headed off today to shoot an NCAA Division II game at Qwest Field. "The Battle in Seattle" Western Washington University and #11 Central Washington University both of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. CWU (5-1 overall, 4-0 in GNAC) has won four of the five games played in Seattle and is favored over WWU(3-2, 3-1).

College Football, UW and more...

2008-10-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Another shake up at the top of the NCAA polls. This morning, the #5 Texas Longhorns beat the high powered #1 Oklahoma Sooners 45-35 in a shootout. Who will be the new number one?

Fresno State--They suffered a heart breaking loss last week at home to Hawaii 32-29 in OT, in a game they had a chance to win with 43 seconds to go in regulation. Although they were ranked #21, the Bulldogs fell out of the top 25 with the loss. They take on Idaho tonight at 7 pm at Bulldog Stadium in their Homecoming.

UW Huskies--The Huskies have the week off, so at least they won't lose. I turned on KJR Radio in the car the other day and the topic was "who should replace Ty Willingham?" I had to rush home and check the online newspapers because I thought I had missed his firing. I didn't think the Huskies morale could get any lower than it was after the Stanford loss, but with another poor showing down in Arizona last week,my guess is this maybe an all time low for them. Former UW quarterback Hugh Millen says this about the team, "It's the worst Husky football team I've ever seen. Former Husky coach Dick Baird had to go back 39 years to 1969 to find a team he thought was as bad." KJR radio personality Dave "Softy" Mahler says, "This is the worst atmosphere I have ever been a part of around this program."

My feelings:`Ty must go. All along I didn't feel he was the right fit here. Now he seems so beaten down and at a loss that I don't see him turning it around. The Dawgs can't go through another year of "let's just give him one more year." His first senior class is not very good, if they were, half the starters wouldn't be freshmen. What? We should wait for this great crop of freshman to turn into great players? I don't think any of us are that patient. The Huskies had their chance a year ago with Jim Mora just across the lake, but they let him get away. I wonder who the next coach will be?

Photo by Rob Carlson/sportsmedianorthwest.com

Injured UW quarterback Jake Locker

After the Stanford game:

What does the future hold for the UW football program? The quarterback that was supposed to resurrect the program and bring it back to national prominence has broken his thumb.

Dick Baird said after the loss, "This just is not a very good team".

As I sat and watched Ty Willingham at the post-game press conference after the game, I saw a beaten man. Hugh Millen said, "The bench looked like a beaten team with no life and no enthusiasm." He added, "How the Huskies bench acted during the game is a reliable indicator of the state of the team."

This is Willingham's fourth year and his first recruiting class are finally seniors. The program was supposed to be on the verge of turning the corner. Looking at the starting line ups--offense and defense--against Stanford, there were only five seniors in the lineup, but there were six freshman both true and red shirt. That's a lot of inexperience! You can't win big time football with that many inexperienced starting players. Jim Harbaugh told his team in a post game speech that they physically dominated the Huskies in every aspect of the game. Ty was asked if this was the toughest position he had ever been in as a head coach and his answer was, "Without question." He continued, "What is it that hasn't allowed us to get it together?"

Here is a great piece by Kevin Hulten on the state of UW football

Purple and Gold Pigskin: One year later, and Husky football continues to nosedive

This week in college football

2008-09-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Oregon State Beats USC

Oregon State 27 #1 USC 21. Wow! I didn't think anyone was going to be able to take down the "Mighty Trojans" this year. The way they dominated Ohio State it looked like they should be playing in the NFC West. But for the second time in three years the highly ranked Trojans lose at Reser Stadium.

A strange way to fill their stadium. UCLA ran an ad last week in the Fresno newspapers trying to draw fans to the spacious Rose Bowl. They encouraged Bulldog fans to buy tickets and make the trip to the Rose Bowl. Fresno State Head coach Pat Hill said in an interview that he expected between 20 to 25 thousand Bulldog fans to make the trip down to Pasadena. UCLA averages somewhere in the 65,000 range per game in the spacious 91,000+ seat Rose Bowl. This could have been a big mistake on UCLA's part since the Bulldogs always travel well. Look for a lot of red to make the 3 1/2 hour trip south and show up in Pasadena today.

I will be covering a great contest (me being sarcastic) at Husky stadium tonight as the 0-3 Huskies host the 2-2 Cardinal of Stanford in the late FSN game, with kickoff set for just after 7 pm.

I will be watching this game closely!

2008-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

Fresno State, ranked 21st hosts 10th ranked Wisconsin, of the Big Ten Saturday night, in a game that is sold out, at Sweeney Field aka Bulldog Stadium. This game probably doesn’t mean a whole lot to Washington football fans, but it is definitely on my radar, since anyone who knows me knows I am a huge Fresno State fan. The Bulldogs have played the Badgers twice this decade, both times at Camp Randall beating them 32-20 in 2001 and losing a close one 23-21 in 2002. The Badgers come to Fresno after two pretty dominating wins over Akron 38-17 and Marshall 51-14, while the Bulldogs had last week off and defeated Rutgers 24-7, the previous week in their opener at Rutgers. Oh yeah I will also be watching closely a pretty good game that will be going on at the LA Coliseum between the the top ranked USC Trojans and the 5th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. I will be recording both games on DVR since I will be busy shooting Husky Stadium as the Huskies will be hosting the 3rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Football Season Is Here!

2008-09-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Lots of football coverage to follow. I will be following these teams very close: Lake Stevens Vikings, Washington Huskies and Seattle Seahawks.

Day 8 Photos

2008-05-16T12:30:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

San Diego Padres prospect Mitch Canham makes a throw to second base during morning minor league workouts.

Day 8 The Final Day

2008-05-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 22, 2008
Today is my last day of Spring Training and I have to admit I am a little--actually a lot-- sad about it. It seemed to go by so fast! I got to the ballpark at 9:00 am and got all set up; again I am the only one in the press box this early. I opened a few of the large windows to let the fresh air and ballpark smells in. I sat and watched the grounds crew touch up the big "Peoria-15 years" logo just behind home plate. The smells from the food stands are already filling the morning air; the overwhelming smell is barbecue today. I then headed out to the minor league practice fields to try and get some last minute shots of Mitch Canham and finally do an interview with him. I guess I thought I would have all this time to do everything that I wanted to do, but now it is coming to an end. Thinking back, I wonder to myself, should I have done more? Did I miss anything? As a member of the press who has never covered spring training before, I had no idea of what to expect. I didn’t think it would be so hard to get everything done. Eight days seemed like a long time to just go and shoot some baseball games, but there is so much more prep work involved…like knowing the prospects, finding out where and when they play, then actually making it to the games or practices. Identifying the players was also very hard--you almost need a second person just to spot for you and carry around rosters to locate the players. When, not if, I do this again I will put a lot more prep work into it. I did spend many hours this time researching minor league players, but again it still didn’t seem like enough. It is 3:00 pm and I just got back to the press box for the last time, it is the top of the 6th inning and my camera is acting up again, so I thought that was a sign to pack it up and head for home. The ballpark is full today and the grass areas are so covered with people there is hardly any green showing. The temperature feels like it is in the high 80’s. I will always remember this spring training, my first as a member of the media. It has been amazing! Rob has left the building.

Scores:
Mariners lost to the Royals 8-3 in Peoria, AZ
Padres won 3-2 against the Royals in Surprise, AZ

Day 7 Photos

2008-05-16T12:25:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mariner catcher Kenji Jojima looks to the umpire for the call after putting the tag on Royals Mark Teahen.

Day 7

2008-05-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 21, 2008
I arrived at the ball park around 10:30 am; it was a little bit of a late night last night with a night game, so I slept in a little this morning. I was thinking on the way over that things are kind of winding down and I only have today and tomorrow to shoot and try to accomplish all the things I set out to do. It has been an awesome experience that I would like to do every year! I decided to just shoot the major league game today and try and get a little editing done before game time. The press box seems to be a great place to work and reflect on things. Even though I have shot many, many Husky, Seahawk and Mariner games not to mention the hundreds of high school games, it wasn’t until now after shooting spring training that I really got that WOW feeling. I am really a member of the press and I get to enjoy my two passions photography and sports! Midway through the second or third inning, I started getting black frames on my main camera…oh no, I think it might be a shutter going out. I was having a hard time trying to diagnose it down on the field. If that is the problem, I am glad it happened now toward the end of the my time here instead of at the beginning. Luckily I do have a back up camera body, although much, much slower, it will work in a pinch. I decided to pack up the camera bag for the day and take in an inning or two from the press box. These have to be the best seats in the house. Where else can you sit and watch a major league baseball game, surf the internet on your laptop and enjoy an ice cold beverage while being able to say "I am working"? I would have to say being a member of the press definitely has its perks.
Scores:
Padres lost to Milwaukee 4-3 in Phoenix, AZ
Mariners lost to the Royals 8-3 in Peoria, AZ

Day 6 Photos

2008-05-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mariner centerfielder digs for third base against the Padres.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

The final score tells it all.

Day 6

2008-05-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday, March 20, 2008
I took my wife Shannon and son Andrew out to the complex today to check things out. Shannon had only driven by it, so she was very excited to see it. I spent a little time shooting an intrasquad game between the Padres AA and AAA teams then we headed off to the souvenir store for a little shopping. We headed back to the "hotel" to let Andrew gear up for a late night at the ballpark. I got to the park around 6:00 pm and got set up; the family followed about 30 minutes later. They had great seats! The Padres media relations department really came through. Not only did they give me access to just about anything I needed, but they also gave me four tickets for my family to attend tonight’s game. I shot the game which fittingly enough ended in a 6-6 tie so there would be no gloating by either side in the Carlson house tonight. It is hard when you have a split team loyalties. I grew up in San Diego, so my team has always been the Padres and my wife grew up in Renton (just outside of Seattle), so her team has always been the Mariners, but tonight there would be no controversy as to whose team was better.
Score:
Padres 6 Mariners 6 in Peoria, AZ

Day 5

2008-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I decided to take a little break from shooting and spend a little family time and just enjoy the sun. The Mariners played the Diamondbacks at Peoria and won 7-4 in a game under the lights.

Day 4 Photos

2008-03-19T15:50:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Greg Maddux started a AAA game for the Padres.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Padres prospect Mitch Canham gets a hit in his only at bat against the Mariners in a AA game.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mitch Canham takes some time after a game to pose for a picture with Padre fan Andrew Carlson.

Day 4

2008-03-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Padres are still in Tucson and the Mariners have the day off. My wife Shannon wanted (needed!) a break from our six year old son Andrew to spend some time with her aunt to do some girl stuff, so I have my son with me today. I packed up my gear and Andrew, and we headed out to the ballpark to watch some minor league games. The Padres and Mariners were playing in both AA and AAA games, so I got a chance to shoot both teams at the same time. I got a real surprise when I got out to the fields: Greg Maddux was starting the AAA game for the Padres! This was a real bonus since I am only getting to shoot the Padres twice, and the first time most of the starters were in Bejing, China playing the Dodgers. It was really interesting for me to watch these young players that are on the verge of making the big leagues, playing so hard, and watching all the coaches and scouts around evaluating them. Andrew had a blast talking to the ballplayers and collecting baseballs and autographs. Mitch Canham played late in the AA game and got a hit in his only at bat. He took some time after the game to talk to Andrew and sign a baseball card and ball and take a picture with him. Mitch is a great kid! I look forward to watching his progress over the next few years on his way to the big leagues.

Day 3 Photos

2008-03-19T15:38:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Ichiro makes a great sliding catch in centerfield against the Brewers.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Matt Tuiasosopo got the start at thirdbase against the Brewers going 2-4.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Tony Gwynn Jr went 2-4 against the Mariners.

Day 3

2008-03-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Monday, March 17, 2008
I arrived at the stadium at 9:00 am and spent some time catching up on photo editing and finally getting the blog posted. I had a few networking problems over the past two days-- my wireless router was not working at our "hotel" (actually my wife’s aunt and uncle’s guest house in Sun City West) and yesterday when I got to the ballpark, I couldn’t connect to the network so things got a little delayed. However, now I am finally caught up. Today, I again caught my faithful shuttle golf cart out to the Padres practice fields. By the time I got out there, things appeared to breaking up, so I missed the morning workouts. I headed to the pressbox to just sit and absorb the atmosphere. It was supposed to be cooler today with a chance of rain, but it was mostly sunny and in the 70’s--perfect weather for baseball. At this time of the morning it is fairly quiet around the stadium. The grounds crew is out mowing and preparing the field for the game and there are some workers cleaning, but overall not much is happening. It is St. Patrick’s Day and both teams wore green caps and the vendors sold green lemonade. Tony Gwynn Jr. was in the lineup today for the Brewers. He went 2-4 today, raising his average to .387 for the spring in 12-31 in 13 games. Could he have got the hitting gene from Dad? I grew up in San Diego, so his dad is one of my all time favorite players. I guess you know you are getting old when your favorite players’ from your youth have kids in the big leagues. The Mariners had a rough day today--the pitchers just couldn’t keep the Brewers off the basepaths, giving up a total of 25 hits. Starting pitcher Carlos Silva gave up 10 runs, nine of them earned on 13 hits in 4.1 innings. His spring ERA is now 9.20 and he is now 0-2 in four starts. The hitters were a little more successful, banging out 10 hits, including Matt Tuiasosopo going 2-4 with a double and Richie Sexson going 2-3 with a homerun.
The Mariners lost to the Brewers 17-3 in Peoria, AZ.
The Padres lost to the Diamondbacks 8-4 in Tucson, AZ.

Day 2 Photos

2008-03-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

In a minor league game a Mariner player slides safely into third base as the Royals third baseman blocks the ball.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks slides safely into second base as Mariners Jose Lopez takes the throw.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez is 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA, so far this spring in four starts. He has pitched 15.1 innings and given up 13 hits.

Day 2

2008-03-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 16, 2008
I arrived at 9:45 am and again got set up in the pressbox. Today it is partly cloudy and a lot cooler than yesterday, so of course I am dressed for a 95 degree day. I again hitched a ride over to the practice fields on a golf cart; this is becoming a regular thing for me. As I entered the complex I noticed Bill Bavasi (the Mariners General Manager) leaning against a chain link fence, watching the big league workouts. He looked as if he hadn’t slept and shaved in days. He looked up as I approached, so I said, "Good morning, how are you?" He didn’t even acknowledge me, just gave me a look as if to say, "Why are you talking to me?" Maybe his hotel mattress is lumpy or he is just having a bad weekend, but I totally got snubbed. I overheard in the pressbox that the Mariners big wigs were here…..maybe that’s why he’s a bit distracted?? I went over and checked out the Mariners minor league camp and there were two A-level games going on, so I stopped and photographed them for a while. It is hard to know the players since the Mariners do not put names on the backs of their minor league jerseys, and unless you really know the players, it is hard to tell who is who. There is a much larger crowd today than for yesterday’s Padres game. I would guess that more people are here from the Pacific Northwest to escape the cold, rainy weather than people from San Diego leaving warm sunshine to come over to Peoria for more warm sunshine.
Scores:
The Mariners lost to the Brewers 8-4 in Peoria, AZ.

Day 1 Photos

2008-03-17T10:38:00.001-07:00

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwwest

An early morning view from the pressbox at Peoria Stadium.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mitch Canham takes some practice swings before taking batting practice.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

Mitch Canham waits his turn to take batting practice.

Photo by Rob Carlson/Sports Media Northwest

San Diego Padres second baseman Tadahito Iguchi makes a tough throw from his knees after making a diving stop.

Day 1

2008-03-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday March 15, 2008
I arrived at the Peoria Spring Training Complex around 8:00 this morning. The first thing I noticed is that the place is HUGE! I had no idea what to expect, but I didn’t expect this many fields. I began by checking in with both teams and figuring out my logistics so I wouldn’t have to walk too far. The best set up was in the press box, so I caught a ride on a golf cart over to the Padres practice fields. I located Mitch Canham, Lake Stevens High School class of 2003, and was able to shoot a few shots of him while he took batting practice. I introduced myself as he walked from the field to the cages for more swings. He seemed quite surprised that someone from the Lake Stevens Journal was here to cover him. I believe he is in the AA camp but will have to double check that. He said he dresses for the big league game every other day and is usually in the bullpen, but today he was playing in the AA game--not the big league game. He has only had one at bat in a big league game so far this spring. I headed back to the press box to do a little prep work before game time. The sun is shining (it is probably in the 80’s) and baseball music (Kenny Rogers, I am the Greatest) is playing over the intercom. The smell of baseball is in the air: peanuts, popcorn, and hot dogs. What awesome atmosphere! I have been to Spring Training several times when the Padres were in Yuma, the last time being in 1984, but this is my first trip to Spring Training as a part of the media, and wow, there is really nothing like this.
Scores:
The Padres lost to the A’s 9-3 in Peoria, AZ.
The Mariners lost to the Giants 14-8 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Spring Training 2008

2008-03-17T09:53:00.001-07:00