Battle Royale

1. Do you think the Mariners trading Greg Norton was a good idea?

Erica

I don’t think this trade matters much at all. Mariners need a switch-hitting power hitter that bats higher than .220. They need someone else in the four spot that can bring Ichiro home. The Mariners’ management is horrible. They don’t go out and get top-of-the-line players, but instead settle with “B-league” players who aren’t that good. They’re notorious for letting all their good players go (A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Gil Meche, Carlos Guillen).

Allen

Well it’s certainly not a bad idea. He would otherwise rot down in Tacoma, so dumping him off to Atlanta for the always-interesting “player to be named later” or cash isn’t going to hurt much. Plus it’s always good to get rid of the old parts and make room for the new.

Sheena

Norton was pretty solid, playing in six games this season with two runs, four RBIs and 7 hits in 16 at-bats. Having him as an option as a backup outfielder would have been nice, but the truth is that this pinch hitter isn’t going to find too many at-bats in Seattle. It’s better for both the M’s and Norton that they split since either cash or the “player-to-be-named” from Atlanta should give the team an uplift.

Zach

No. If there was one thing good about Norton, it was that he could hit, which is something that the Mariners need a lot right now. He led the league in pinch hits and pinch RBIs in 2003 and hit 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in 2006 despite only playing 98 games. Plus, he is batting .438 with a .500 on base percentage. Trading away someone with a hot bat is a stupid move for a team struggling with its offense.

1. Everyone’s talking about the great act of sportsmanship that two Central Washington softball players showed as they carried an injured Western Oregon player around the bases after hitting her first home run of her career. Central Washington ended up losing the game.  Do you think professional athletes are immune to displays of sportsmanship like this and care too much about winning?

Erica

Professional athletes get paid to win. They aren’t going to jeopardize that by having a “feel-good” story that will be in the press for five minutes at most. So yeah, they do care too much about winning, but that’s what they are paid to do.

Allen

How do you care too much about winning? Winning is everything in professional sports,.Without the “winning” aspect, well, you’d be the Kansas City Royals or the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Sheena

That act of sportsmanship is almost unheard of in high school sports, let alone professional athletes. It’s not that I think they’re immune to such acts, but most just seem to prefer less exuberant acts — like maybe a handshake at the end of the game. It almost seems as though the CWU and WWU game was a little over-the-top and was just as much for show as it was sportsmanship.

Zach

First off, as a general rule of sports, you can’t care too much about winning. That’s the entire point of athletics. Professional athletes definitely participate in sportsmanship, though. Guys like Tony Dungy and Brett Favre effortlessly combine the arts of sportsmanship and winning. We in the media tend to pay more attention to scandals like the Malice at the Palace brawl between the Pistons and the Pacers and the Todd Bertuzzi incident, while not giving these good guys enough credit.

1. Do you think the Mavericks’ firing coach Avery Johnson is going to solve their problems, specifically in the playoffs?

Erica

I don’t think it will solve their problems. Their problem is their aging roster. Getting Jason Kidd and trading Devin Harris and DeSagana Diop was a wrong move. Kidd is getting older and slower. He can’t guard the fast point guards in the West (Jordan Farmar, Chris Paul, Tony Parker). The West is turning into run-and-gun offense and Kidd can’t match up. He is not a good defender anymore. Firing Johnson wasn’t the answer, and when they hire Carlisle, what’s that gonna do? Johnson had one of the best winning percentages in the regular season. Getting rid of him is not going to solve their problems. They need a whole change in their roster.

Allen

No way. They’ve got too many veterans now with not much money to work with. If they want to improve, they’re going to have to dump some salary (Jason Kidd perhaps) by making some trades to get the pieces they need to make the playoff push. Unless they make a Bostonian style change, though, don’t expect the Mavericks to be any better than they are in the short term.

Sheena

The Mavericks will have their hands full not just for the playoffs, but probably for the next couple of years to come. Firing Johnson most likely isn’t going to relieve them of their problems, and it’s not him I feel sorry for either. It’s his successor. He’ll be getting involved with a team that has a roster full of old, expensive players pushing the salary cap when all the team needs is younger, more athletic bodies. At least Johnson won’t have to relive one of his lowest moments with the Mavs this postseason — like when they blew a 2-0 lead in the finals.

Zach

No. I think playoff success or failure is ultimately up to the players. They need guys who can play better defense and not choke against the Golden State Warriors (last year). The Hornets were simply a better team this year. The Mavs are a good team and will have more success in the playoffs in the future. Unfortunately for them, they play in the incredibly competitive Western conference, where even the good teams aren’t good enough to make it out of the first round.

1. What is going to be the sport to watch this summer in the Olympics?

Erica

Basketball. You have all the rising, high-tiered athletes playing on the same team together — Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Chris Paul. This team is going to work so hard to get the gold medal that the United States has not gotten since 1996.

Allen

Depends what you want. Want a seizure? Table tennis. Want to sleep? Archery. Want to see dudes make crazy faces? Weight lifting.

Sheena

Swimming. For a sport where it’s the athlete’s business to get in, get wet and get out as quickly as possible, it is very much undertelevised. Besides, I’m also curious to see if anyone can outreach that eagle-like wingspan of Michael Phelps this year and take a medal or record from him. The highlight will either be that or seeing if Phelps will be able to stand up straight by the end of the games with all the medals he’ll be taking home.

Zach

I think that the U.S. men’s basketball team has a lot to prove. We won the bronze medal last Olympics after dominating the game for decades. We have a lot of exciting, athletic talent who can put points on the board in style. It should be fun to watch. However, I am partial to the table tennis tournament.