September 8, 2026 • 17 mins
Legendary writer Larry Stone joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about the Mariners’ slim playoff hopes with the season nearing its close, the Astros not playing like a bad team, the M’s youth movement, Dan Wilson’s timeline to be fired, the Apple Cup energy at Husky Stadium, a 24-team college playoff and the Seahawks starting up.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone. Brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery. Bigger, better,
and fresher since 1971. With eight Puget Sound locations from
Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between. There's a Ram
near you. Now with Softie and Dick, here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
All right, lots to get to. Big thanks to the Ram.
Gabe Spire will join us coming up in about a
half an hour or so from T-Mobile Park before tonight's
game one of three against the Rangers. And, Larry, why
don't we just start right there and talk a little baseball.
There's all kinds of college football news, professional football news
to get to. apple cup reaction but here we are
with 18 games left and the m's are six games
(00:41):
out the astros are winning right now and i don't
know man you're generally a positive guy but even you've
got to admit that things are looking bleak right now
with this baseball team what do you think yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Very very bleak i think divish's story today said it
pretty well you know the math mathematically they're still alive
but realistically they have very little hope um yeah six
out with 18 to play Um, the, the, the schedule, the,
the so-called easy part of the schedule, as I tweeted
the other day, it's, it's predicated on them actually winning
(01:15):
those games. And when you lose three out of four
to the A's, uh, there's no confidence. There should be
no confidence. They could win any of these games, including
the other, the remaining games with the A's or the
games with the angels or even the games with the Rockies.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Unless they just turn it on and go practically undefeated
the rest of the way, I think it's pretty hopeless.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And, Larry, on the flip side, when are we going
to just admit that the Houston Astros aren't a bad
baseball team? Like, they haven't played bad baseball for a long,
long time.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, well, that's fair for, I mean, really, for years,
if that's what you mean. Just even this year.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I mean, they've been playing pretty darn good baseball for
a couple months now.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, they got off to a horrible start and people
were writing them off. I kind of wrote them off,
but they did have a lot of injuries. And when
those guys came back, I mean, there's just a winning
tradition and knowledge and muscle memory in that organization. And
I think it came to the fore again this year.
And they have a guy much like Cal last year.
(02:22):
in your Don, who is playing MVP caliber ball and
kind of leading the way, extraordinary seat, triple crown potential season.
So when you have something like that, it can take
you a long way.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, they were 57-55 on the 1st of August, and
now they're 73-71. Yeah, but they were 10 under. 500
at one point this season. Right, but, okay, sure. But, Dick,
they were also 43-46 on the 1st of July. I mean, yeah,
if you want to go back to early June, but
the last couple of months they're playing like five or
six games over. That's not bad. Right, but they're not
(02:55):
a good baseball team. They're a mediocre baseball team. And
they are kicking everybody's ass because everybody else stinks. I mean,
I don't want to sit here and say the biggest
reason why the Mariners are out of this thing is
because the Astros are incredible. The biggest reason why the
Mariners are out of this thing is because they're terrible, man.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
No, but the reason you said that one of the
biggest reasons that you thought they had hope was because
the Astros were terrible.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
And right now that's not happening.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
But the Astros have given you every don't-you-think-Larry opportunity ever.
to run away with this thing. There are two games
over 500 for F sake. What are we talking about, Larry?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
No, you're, you're absolutely right. It's it was there for
the taking. I mean, you look at the years, recent
years where the Mariners missed the playoffs with 89, 90,
88 wins. I think, you know, in recent years, the
years they didn't make the playoffs, but had strong runs
at it. That would have, if they had had that
this year, it would have been a cakewalk. they have
(03:53):
no one to blame but themselves. I mean, it's even
ludicrous to think that they even have a chance when
they're 10 games under 500 with 18 to play. That should,
you know, they should be by rights just already looking
to head to next year and bringing up kids and
playing them. But because of the division, they have this
outside shot, but it's not because they've earned anything. It's
(04:15):
because they've been bad. And you're right. The Astros have
been the definition of mediocrity, you know, basically a 500 team,
but that in this division, that makes them the stalwarts.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You mentioned the kids. I mean, I'm done there. I'm
completely done with the season. I want to see a
Royal and Montez every single game. I want to see
what 2027 is going to look like. When do you
think the Mariners will decide to do that?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Well, I think they're going to do that sporadically the
rest of the year. I mean, we've already seen Montez
play almost every game. And, you know, Arroyo played the
first day he was up. I think, I don't know
if the, well, the lineup's probably out since the game
starts in a few minutes. I haven't seen it yet.
Is Arroyo in it?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
No, Montez.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Montez is starting at DH tonight for them.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah. I'm with you. I would like to see Arroyo.
And it's not like, I mean, how could it be
much worse? Could, you know, could he be any worse
than Taylor Ward, who has been essentially the worst Continuing
the tradition of Rob Refsnyder of being the worst player
in baseball. So, you know, what is it? What does
(05:21):
it hurt? What are you going to lose by playing
those kids? You might catch a spark even.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And that's the thing is that the Rainiers are still going.
They got a couple weeks left. So Montez and Arroyo,
those guys could be playing every day in AAA. Instead,
they're goofing around up here in the major leagues. But
I don't know, man. I mean, I'm just kind of
wondering if this thing is going the way we think
it's going to go. How long after the season actually
ends do you think it'll be before there's an announcement
(05:47):
that the manager job is now open?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Probably the next day. I don't think it'll take, I
don't think it'll take long. I mean, I think there's
a growing sense, you know, I think I told you
guys several weeks ago that if they didn't make the playoffs,
I didn't think Dan would be back. That seems to
be the consensus around baseball. Now you see national guys
saying the same thing. So, you know, I wouldn't be
surprised if it was within a couple of days after
(06:12):
the big question, of course, is what happens to the
brain trust to Poto and Hollander. And that's, I think
it's hard to gauge that one really. you know, I
think there's, there's arguments both ways and we'll get, it
just kind of depends on what John Stanton feels. And,
you know, he hasn't shown a tendency to be impatient
(06:32):
and he seems to be, you know, he's always been
a supporter of DePoto. So, you know, I, I, I
think there's a, there's a possibility that, that, that there
won't be any change there, that it'll all be on
the manager and the coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, what do you think should happen?
Speaker 4 (06:47):
How, how hot would Jerry DePoto's seat be in your mind?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, I think you could justify firing him. And, you know,
11 years, two playoff bursts this year went wildly out
of control. You know, just a total, I mean, every move,
just about every move that he made in the offseason
(07:12):
did not work out. But you have to also look
at the fact that I think they were coming off
five straight winning seasons, which they've never done. Two playoff
bursts in the last post-rebuild. I'm not sure what I
would do, Dick. I'm undecided on that one, which is
not a great answer. I'd probably lean towards this organization
(07:37):
needing a reboot and new direction, new philosophies.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
And so I probably lean in that direction.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Yeah, I just I'd be surprised if they let him go,
to be honest with you. I think I understand your
point about the reboot. And I'm not saying that I
would not not fire him. I've always wondered if this
is like Steve Sarkeesian and Chris Peterson, that there's only
so far Jerry can take this thing. I don't know
if he's hamstrung by ownership enough to make a major difference. Obviously,
(08:10):
we'd like to have more money. But do you believe that? That, man,
what Jerry did going from the outhouse to, I don't know,
what's below the penthouse, right? Whatever that is, that next
level before you get to the top of the hotel.
The suites. The suites, right. Is it possible that he's
done all he can do for this franchise?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Uh, I don't know if I would say that. I mean,
with the different pitching decisions in game seven last year,
you know, they would have gotten to the world series, uh,
and then he would have gotten them. He would have
achieved that. So it wasn't like he, he didn't build
a team that was capable of doing that. They almost,
they almost did. They almost did that. So, uh, you know,
(08:51):
sometimes things just go wrong. It happens to organizations all
the time. This was just kind of a perfect storm
of everything going wrong. Injuries, underperformance, manager decisions, everything. I
think there's a school of thought that it could turn
(09:13):
around next year with the right additions. Yeah. But I
think you could also squint your eyes in a different
direction and say that this team needs an overhaul too,
that there's so many holes and so many deficiencies that
it's not as close as it appeared at the start
of the season.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Our weekly conversation with Larry Stone brought to you by
our friends at the Ram Restaurant and Brewery. Larry, let's
talk some Apple Cup. I thought, and I've been to
probably 25 of these, I thought it was the worst
atmosphere I've seen in any Apple Cup I've been to. Um,
do you think it came closer to death because of
that this Sunday, or do you think the Cougars performance
(09:54):
breathed some life into it because it wasn't 56-10?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Yeah. It's hard to tell the atmosphere from watching on TV,
but I'll take your word for it that it was Deadsville.
Probably closer. Probably closer to death, I would say. Because, yeah,
(10:18):
the whole thing is... you know, the, the argument for
keeping it alive is that it means something to people.
And if, if, if there's, if that atmosphere and that
commitment is not there, then, then I think that there's
stronger arguments for not keeping it going.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Well, uh, would you want to keep it going if
you were a Cougar fan?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah. I would want to keep it going. Yeah. Because
I think it would mean more even, you know, it
always meant a lot to the Cougars to, to win
that game and upset the Huskies. And if you do
it now, I, It's not going to happen often, but
on the rare occasion if it happens like two years ago,
I think it means even more. So I would like
to give them that chance to pull that upset and
(11:01):
to keep the rivalry going. It's just the... History and
tradition mean something, and I'd hate to break that up.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Larry Stone's with us, courtesy of the Ram. What about
this proposed 2014 playoff that's getting kicked around now? You know,
the CFP, ESPN in discussions to start the process about
talking about a 2014 playoff. All three of us remember
the days where you'd go to bed on a Monday night,
wake up on Tuesday morning, and... the paper would tell
(11:29):
you who won the national championship, right? And those days
are over, man. So does a 2014 playoff appeal to you,
Larry Stone?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I haven't thought this one out too much, but, you know,
at a point, you know, you can get a little
too unwieldy. I would, you know, I think the way
it is now is pretty good. I don't think I
would expand it even more. So I would tend to not.
proposed uh favor that got.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
It i'm with you i guess the only the only
potential positive is i think if we have a 2014
playoff we're going to get a lot more of these
texas ohio state games that we're getting this saturday instead
of only one for the entire season we're probably going
to have a multitude maybe even a big 10 sec
crossover week so does that breathe a little bit of
(12:23):
life into the possibility.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Then Yeah, that's a fair point. Because I think you
have too many teams weaseling out from not wanting to
schedule those games. So if you can get more of those... absolutely,
that would be a point in the favor.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Larry, how about tomorrow night? Seahawks and Patriots. I don't
know what your thoughts are on this season, but looking
to do something that this team tried to do in
2014 and some ways got robbed of it. Some ways
they robbed themselves. Otherwise, maybe they were robbed by somebody else.
But back-to-back championships is what's on the line this year
(13:05):
for Seahawks football. I mean, you tell me. Dick and
I were debating whether or not these guys have a
better chance to do that than the 2014 team did.
I guess that 2014 team came within one yard, right,
of repeating as champions. But what do you make of
the odds of this team doing what that team could
not do?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Well, I would say the odds are stacked against them
just because of how extraordinary– hard it is to do
in any season not just to repeat but to win
it in any particular season and to do it back
to back i just think you know it's i would
take the field and then nothing against the seahawks and
i think they're going to be a strong contender and
they've done a you know schneider's done a great job
(13:47):
of of bringing back as much as you possibly can
of the nucleus of that team given the restrictions of
the salary cap and the like But it's just too
many things could happen to derail that. And, you know,
the 14 team did everything right and had it in
their hand, in their grasp, and still couldn't pull it off. But,
(14:09):
I mean, that team was there. It was right there
for them, and they didn't do it. But, you know,
it wouldn't shock me if they did it again. They
have the capability of doing it. I just think it's
just there's too many barriers along the way. So, you know.
Always go for the field instead of the one team.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Well, how much of a bonus is it, though, that
they really don't have a target on their back? I mean,
the NFL just got done with their player voting, NFL
Top 100. there were three Seattle Seahawks voted in the
top 100 and only two in the top 96 and
the highest paid cornerback in the league until right now
wasn't even on the list.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Just the lack of respect that the other players are
showing the Superbowl champions.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Yeah. I don't quite get it. This whole thing about
sort of anointing the Rams is the, as the favorites
and the, and the de facto champions, uh, I mean,
you look, they were pretty dominant last year, you know,
in the second half of the season and through the playoffs,
they bring back, as I said, they bring back almost
every starter, including most of the key players, coaching staff,
(15:20):
except for the offensive coordinator. Uh, it is, it is
puzzling why they don't, uh, have more respect, I guess
is the word. And, you know, that will be a,
I'm sure that will be a, uh, a galvanizing point
for those guys and, and it's probably in their favor
to have something to, you know, to feel, you know,
(15:42):
to feel slighted that works in athletics. It does drive teams. So, uh,
you know, uh, McDonald probably is very happy to have
that scenario that they're not just, being touted as the
obvious choice to repeat.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, no doubt. All right, man, good stuff. And I
feel like whether we like it or not, one week
from today, we will officially one way either know that
these guys are DOA, time for a eulogy, and they're
dead and buried, or they have risen from the ranks
of the dead and they have found a way to
climb back in it. So we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
All right, man. All right, guys, thanks.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air. The update,
if anybody cares, 6-4 Houston, top of the night. So
the Astros win this game today, and the M's are
going to fall further and further back because it's no
longer just about what they're doing. It's about what the
Astros are doing, obviously. I don't know, man. Houston, Dick,
in the last 22 games, they're 11-11. Since the end
of July, they're 17-16. End of June, they're 30-26. I mean,
(16:43):
your point about how they started is fair. They were
horrible in April and May. Since the end of May,
they're 46-37. But they haven't done anything overall in the
grand scheme of 2026 that should have you in a
position to be six games behind them. Nothing. No, they haven't.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
But I mean, the talk two weeks ago was, hey,
this Houston team could go 10 and 16, 10 and
17 down the stretch. And they've shown no, they've shown
nothing in the last four months that would indicate that
they would go 10 and 17.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
But that's what's pathetic is that they're just playing 500 ball.
They're four games over since the end of June. And
yet they're six games up. I mean, again, they've given
you every window to run away from this thing, and
you've pissed it away. We're going to break. Gabe Spire,
Mariner Reliever. We'll talk to him next on 93.3 KJRFM.
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone. Brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery. Bigger, better,
and fresher since 1971. With eight Puget Sound locations from
Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between. There's a Ram
near you. Now with Softie and Dick, here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
All right, lots to get to. Big thanks to the Ram.
Gabe Spire will join us coming up in about a
half an hour or so from T-Mobile Park before tonight's
game one of three against the Rangers. And, Larry, why
don't we just start right there and talk a little baseball.
There's all kinds of college football news, professional football news
to get to. apple cup reaction but here we are
with 18 games left and the m's are six games
(00:41):
out the astros are winning right now and i don't
know man you're generally a positive guy but even you've
got to admit that things are looking bleak right now
with this baseball team what do you think yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Very very bleak i think divish's story today said it
pretty well you know the math mathematically they're still alive
but realistically they have very little hope um yeah six
out with 18 to play Um, the, the, the schedule, the,
the so-called easy part of the schedule, as I tweeted
the other day, it's, it's predicated on them actually winning
(01:15):
those games. And when you lose three out of four
to the A's, uh, there's no confidence. There should be
no confidence. They could win any of these games, including
the other, the remaining games with the A's or the
games with the angels or even the games with the Rockies.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
So.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Unless they just turn it on and go practically undefeated
the rest of the way, I think it's pretty hopeless.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
And, Larry, on the flip side, when are we going
to just admit that the Houston Astros aren't a bad
baseball team? Like, they haven't played bad baseball for a long,
long time.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, well, that's fair for, I mean, really, for years,
if that's what you mean. Just even this year.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
I mean, they've been playing pretty darn good baseball for
a couple months now.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yeah, they got off to a horrible start and people
were writing them off. I kind of wrote them off,
but they did have a lot of injuries. And when
those guys came back, I mean, there's just a winning
tradition and knowledge and muscle memory in that organization. And
I think it came to the fore again this year.
And they have a guy much like Cal last year.
(02:22):
in your Don, who is playing MVP caliber ball and
kind of leading the way, extraordinary seat, triple crown potential season.
So when you have something like that, it can take
you a long way.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Well, they were 57-55 on the 1st of August, and
now they're 73-71. Yeah, but they were 10 under. 500
at one point this season. Right, but, okay, sure. But, Dick,
they were also 43-46 on the 1st of July. I mean, yeah,
if you want to go back to early June, but
the last couple of months they're playing like five or
six games over. That's not bad. Right, but they're not
(02:55):
a good baseball team. They're a mediocre baseball team. And
they are kicking everybody's ass because everybody else stinks. I mean,
I don't want to sit here and say the biggest
reason why the Mariners are out of this thing is
because the Astros are incredible. The biggest reason why the
Mariners are out of this thing is because they're terrible, man.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
No, but the reason you said that one of the
biggest reasons that you thought they had hope was because
the Astros were terrible.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
And right now that's not happening.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
But the Astros have given you every don't-you-think-Larry opportunity ever.
to run away with this thing. There are two games
over 500 for F sake. What are we talking about, Larry?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
No, you're, you're absolutely right. It's it was there for
the taking. I mean, you look at the years, recent
years where the Mariners missed the playoffs with 89, 90,
88 wins. I think, you know, in recent years, the
years they didn't make the playoffs, but had strong runs
at it. That would have, if they had had that
this year, it would have been a cakewalk. they have
(03:53):
no one to blame but themselves. I mean, it's even
ludicrous to think that they even have a chance when
they're 10 games under 500 with 18 to play. That should,
you know, they should be by rights just already looking
to head to next year and bringing up kids and
playing them. But because of the division, they have this
outside shot, but it's not because they've earned anything. It's
(04:15):
because they've been bad. And you're right. The Astros have
been the definition of mediocrity, you know, basically a 500 team,
but that in this division, that makes them the stalwarts.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Correct.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
You mentioned the kids. I mean, I'm done there. I'm
completely done with the season. I want to see a
Royal and Montez every single game. I want to see
what 2027 is going to look like. When do you
think the Mariners will decide to do that?
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Well, I think they're going to do that sporadically the
rest of the year. I mean, we've already seen Montez
play almost every game. And, you know, Arroyo played the
first day he was up. I think, I don't know
if the, well, the lineup's probably out since the game
starts in a few minutes. I haven't seen it yet.
Is Arroyo in it?
Speaker 1 (04:56):
No, Montez.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Montez is starting at DH tonight for them.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Yeah. I'm with you. I would like to see Arroyo.
And it's not like, I mean, how could it be
much worse? Could, you know, could he be any worse
than Taylor Ward, who has been essentially the worst Continuing
the tradition of Rob Refsnyder of being the worst player
in baseball. So, you know, what is it? What does
(05:21):
it hurt? What are you going to lose by playing
those kids? You might catch a spark even.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And that's the thing is that the Rainiers are still going.
They got a couple weeks left. So Montez and Arroyo,
those guys could be playing every day in AAA. Instead,
they're goofing around up here in the major leagues. But
I don't know, man. I mean, I'm just kind of
wondering if this thing is going the way we think
it's going to go. How long after the season actually
ends do you think it'll be before there's an announcement
(05:47):
that the manager job is now open?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Probably the next day. I don't think it'll take, I
don't think it'll take long. I mean, I think there's
a growing sense, you know, I think I told you
guys several weeks ago that if they didn't make the playoffs,
I didn't think Dan would be back. That seems to
be the consensus around baseball. Now you see national guys
saying the same thing. So, you know, I wouldn't be
surprised if it was within a couple of days after
(06:12):
the big question, of course, is what happens to the
brain trust to Poto and Hollander. And that's, I think
it's hard to gauge that one really. you know, I
think there's, there's arguments both ways and we'll get, it
just kind of depends on what John Stanton feels. And,
you know, he hasn't shown a tendency to be impatient
(06:32):
and he seems to be, you know, he's always been
a supporter of DePoto. So, you know, I, I, I
think there's a, there's a possibility that, that, that there
won't be any change there, that it'll all be on
the manager and the coaching staff.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Well, what do you think should happen?
Speaker 4 (06:47):
How, how hot would Jerry DePoto's seat be in your mind?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, I think you could justify firing him. And, you know,
11 years, two playoff bursts this year went wildly out
of control. You know, just a total, I mean, every move,
just about every move that he made in the offseason
(07:12):
did not work out. But you have to also look
at the fact that I think they were coming off
five straight winning seasons, which they've never done. Two playoff
bursts in the last post-rebuild. I'm not sure what I
would do, Dick. I'm undecided on that one, which is
not a great answer. I'd probably lean towards this organization
(07:37):
needing a reboot and new direction, new philosophies.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
And so I probably lean in that direction.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Yeah, I just I'd be surprised if they let him go,
to be honest with you. I think I understand your
point about the reboot. And I'm not saying that I
would not not fire him. I've always wondered if this
is like Steve Sarkeesian and Chris Peterson, that there's only
so far Jerry can take this thing. I don't know
if he's hamstrung by ownership enough to make a major difference. Obviously,
(08:10):
we'd like to have more money. But do you believe that? That, man,
what Jerry did going from the outhouse to, I don't know,
what's below the penthouse, right? Whatever that is, that next
level before you get to the top of the hotel.
The suites. The suites, right. Is it possible that he's
done all he can do for this franchise?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Uh, I don't know if I would say that. I mean,
with the different pitching decisions in game seven last year,
you know, they would have gotten to the world series, uh,
and then he would have gotten them. He would have
achieved that. So it wasn't like he, he didn't build
a team that was capable of doing that. They almost,
they almost did. They almost did that. So, uh, you know,
(08:51):
sometimes things just go wrong. It happens to organizations all
the time. This was just kind of a perfect storm
of everything going wrong. Injuries, underperformance, manager decisions, everything. I
think there's a school of thought that it could turn
(09:13):
around next year with the right additions. Yeah. But I
think you could also squint your eyes in a different
direction and say that this team needs an overhaul too,
that there's so many holes and so many deficiencies that
it's not as close as it appeared at the start
of the season.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Our weekly conversation with Larry Stone brought to you by
our friends at the Ram Restaurant and Brewery. Larry, let's
talk some Apple Cup. I thought, and I've been to
probably 25 of these, I thought it was the worst
atmosphere I've seen in any Apple Cup I've been to. Um,
do you think it came closer to death because of
that this Sunday, or do you think the Cougars performance
(09:54):
breathed some life into it because it wasn't 56-10?
Speaker 3 (09:57):
Yeah. It's hard to tell the atmosphere from watching on TV,
but I'll take your word for it that it was Deadsville.
Probably closer. Probably closer to death, I would say. Because, yeah,
(10:18):
the whole thing is... you know, the, the argument for
keeping it alive is that it means something to people.
And if, if, if there's, if that atmosphere and that
commitment is not there, then, then I think that there's
stronger arguments for not keeping it going.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Well, uh, would you want to keep it going if
you were a Cougar fan?
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yeah. I would want to keep it going. Yeah. Because
I think it would mean more even, you know, it
always meant a lot to the Cougars to, to win
that game and upset the Huskies. And if you do
it now, I, It's not going to happen often, but
on the rare occasion if it happens like two years ago,
I think it means even more. So I would like
to give them that chance to pull that upset and
(11:01):
to keep the rivalry going. It's just the... History and
tradition mean something, and I'd hate to break that up.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Larry Stone's with us, courtesy of the Ram. What about
this proposed 2014 playoff that's getting kicked around now? You know,
the CFP, ESPN in discussions to start the process about
talking about a 2014 playoff. All three of us remember
the days where you'd go to bed on a Monday night,
wake up on Tuesday morning, and... the paper would tell
(11:29):
you who won the national championship, right? And those days
are over, man. So does a 2014 playoff appeal to you,
Larry Stone?
Speaker 3 (11:39):
I haven't thought this one out too much, but, you know,
at a point, you know, you can get a little
too unwieldy. I would, you know, I think the way
it is now is pretty good. I don't think I
would expand it even more. So I would tend to not.
proposed uh favor that got.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
It i'm with you i guess the only the only
potential positive is i think if we have a 2014
playoff we're going to get a lot more of these
texas ohio state games that we're getting this saturday instead
of only one for the entire season we're probably going
to have a multitude maybe even a big 10 sec
crossover week so does that breathe a little bit of
(12:23):
life into the possibility.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Then Yeah, that's a fair point. Because I think you
have too many teams weaseling out from not wanting to
schedule those games. So if you can get more of those... absolutely,
that would be a point in the favor.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
Larry, how about tomorrow night? Seahawks and Patriots. I don't
know what your thoughts are on this season, but looking
to do something that this team tried to do in
2014 and some ways got robbed of it. Some ways
they robbed themselves. Otherwise, maybe they were robbed by somebody else.
But back-to-back championships is what's on the line this year
(13:05):
for Seahawks football. I mean, you tell me. Dick and
I were debating whether or not these guys have a
better chance to do that than the 2014 team did.
I guess that 2014 team came within one yard, right,
of repeating as champions. But what do you make of
the odds of this team doing what that team could
not do?
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Well, I would say the odds are stacked against them
just because of how extraordinary– hard it is to do
in any season not just to repeat but to win
it in any particular season and to do it back
to back i just think you know it's i would
take the field and then nothing against the seahawks and
i think they're going to be a strong contender and
they've done a you know schneider's done a great job
(13:47):
of of bringing back as much as you possibly can
of the nucleus of that team given the restrictions of
the salary cap and the like But it's just too
many things could happen to derail that. And, you know,
the 14 team did everything right and had it in
their hand, in their grasp, and still couldn't pull it off. But,
(14:09):
I mean, that team was there. It was right there
for them, and they didn't do it. But, you know,
it wouldn't shock me if they did it again. They
have the capability of doing it. I just think it's
just there's too many barriers along the way. So, you know.
Always go for the field instead of the one team.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Well, how much of a bonus is it, though, that
they really don't have a target on their back? I mean,
the NFL just got done with their player voting, NFL
Top 100. there were three Seattle Seahawks voted in the
top 100 and only two in the top 96 and
the highest paid cornerback in the league until right now
wasn't even on the list.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
What do you think of that?
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Just the lack of respect that the other players are
showing the Superbowl champions.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Yeah. I don't quite get it. This whole thing about
sort of anointing the Rams is the, as the favorites
and the, and the de facto champions, uh, I mean,
you look, they were pretty dominant last year, you know,
in the second half of the season and through the playoffs,
they bring back, as I said, they bring back almost
every starter, including most of the key players, coaching staff,
(15:20):
except for the offensive coordinator. Uh, it is, it is
puzzling why they don't, uh, have more respect, I guess
is the word. And, you know, that will be a,
I'm sure that will be a, uh, a galvanizing point
for those guys and, and it's probably in their favor
to have something to, you know, to feel, you know,
(15:42):
to feel slighted that works in athletics. It does drive teams. So, uh,
you know, uh, McDonald probably is very happy to have
that scenario that they're not just, being touted as the
obvious choice to repeat.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, no doubt. All right, man, good stuff. And I
feel like whether we like it or not, one week
from today, we will officially one way either know that
these guys are DOA, time for a eulogy, and they're
dead and buried, or they have risen from the ranks
of the dead and they have found a way to
climb back in it. So we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
All right, man. All right, guys, thanks.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air. The update,
if anybody cares, 6-4 Houston, top of the night. So
the Astros win this game today, and the M's are
going to fall further and further back because it's no
longer just about what they're doing. It's about what the
Astros are doing, obviously. I don't know, man. Houston, Dick,
in the last 22 games, they're 11-11. Since the end
of July, they're 17-16. End of June, they're 30-26. I mean,
(16:43):
your point about how they started is fair. They were
horrible in April and May. Since the end of May,
they're 46-37. But they haven't done anything overall in the
grand scheme of 2026 that should have you in a
position to be six games behind them. Nothing. No, they haven't.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
But I mean, the talk two weeks ago was, hey,
this Houston team could go 10 and 16, 10 and
17 down the stretch. And they've shown no, they've shown
nothing in the last four months that would indicate that
they would go 10 and 17.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
But that's what's pathetic is that they're just playing 500 ball.
They're four games over since the end of June. And
yet they're six games up. I mean, again, they've given
you every window to run away from this thing, and
you've pissed it away. We're going to break. Gabe Spire,
Mariner Reliever. We'll talk to him next on 93.3 KJRFM.
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