Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886

Sports / Columns


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 9 of 9

  • Enough is enough: Bad behavior must stop

    Karissa Niehoff and Mick Hoffman|Sep 22, 2022

    An unfortunate trend in Washington and across the nation must be stopped: the bad behavior of coaches, parents and fans at high school and middle school athletic events. We’ve all seen it: the yelling, harassing, berating, disrespecting, and even assaulting referees, umpires and other officials during and after games. Oftentimes, the harassment continues on social media. Perhaps you’ve witnessed it firsthand or been one of those offenders yourself. Not only is this behavior unacceptable and embarrassing, but it’s having serious conse...

  • Seahawks life without Russell Wilson will be fine

    Matt Baide|Mar 17, 2022

    The Seattle Seahawks made a big move and traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris. I know a lot of fans are upset about this move, and rightfully so, but I’m here to tell fans that everything is going to be fine. Wilson has been the quarterback in Seattle since he was drafted in the third round out of Wisconsin in 2012. He helped the Seahawks r...

  • Silver linings for the Seattle Kraken's rough season

    Matt Baide|Mar 3, 2022

    The Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season has not gone as well as some new hockey fans hoped. As of Tuesday, the Kraken have 37 points, which is the third worst total in the league, ahead of only the Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes. They have a seven-game losing streak going into tonight’s game against the Nashville Predators. No Kraken player is in the Top 50 in the league in points and the highest scoring player is Jared McCann with 33 points, including 21 goals. Goaltender Philip Gru...

  • Storm's last dance with Stewart, Loyd and Bird

    Matt Baide|Feb 24, 2022

    The best pro basketball team in the state is gearing up for its version of The Last Dance. For those who don’t know, “The Last Dance” is in reference to Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls and the team that won five championships. The Last Dance season culminated with the Bulls’ sixth championship, defeating the Utah Jazz in the NBA finals on Jordan’s infamous shot in Game 6 in Salt Lake City (sorry, editor Justin). My parents were Utah Jazz fans — my dad is from Salt Lake Cit...

  • Fearless Super Bowl predictions

    Matt Baide|Feb 10, 2022

    Journal reporter Matt Baide asked Mason County’s three head football coaches and other public figures in the county for their take on this Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI. Here are their responses: Justin Johnson, Journal editor The pick: Rams “While L.A. has been inconsistent at times during the past few weeks, when the Rams are at full speed, they’re clearly the best defensive team in the NFL. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has shown great resilience playing in front of a suspect offensive line, b...

  • The Seahawks season is done. What comes next?

    Matt Baide|Jan 13, 2022

    The NFL regular season ended Sunday and the Seahawks are getting ready for another postseason run. Just kidding! Seattle didn’t have a good season, finishing 7-10, last in the NFC West, and the only team in the division to not make the playoffs. It has been a weird year for the Seahawks. They started slow, and then Russell Wilson got hurt, and things went downhill from there. Let’s look at why the Seahawks weren’t good this season and what the offseason could look like. Let’s start with why the...

  • Looking back at 2021, forward to 2022

    Matt Baide|Dec 30, 2021

    5 is finally coming to an end, and even though all years are almost the same length, this year felt much longer than it was. The Seahawks lost a playoff game to a quarterback with a bad thumb before an abysmal 2021 regular season. The Sounders finished second in the MLS Western Conference before a first-round playoff exit and the Kraken began their NHL journey and are last in the Pacific Division entering 2022. There were some bright spots in 2021, with the Mariners exceeding all...

  • The Seahawks are a mess, but how does it get cleaned up?

    Matt Baide|Dec 2, 2021

    It’s the end of November, and for the decade before this, it usually meant fans of the Seattle Seahawks watching the team jockey for playoff position and getting ready for a postseason game. But this year, fans have seen a much different product on the field. Seattle is 3-8 and even with a Washington Football Team in the seventh and final playoff spot at 5-6, the playoff chances for Seattle are slim, especially after a 17-15 loss to the Football Team. As a lifelong Seahawks fan, this season h...

  • Washington State football needs leader

    Matt Baide|Sep 23, 2021

    WSU football needs a true leader and it's not Nick Rolovich. I am a Washington State Cougar, Class of 2012 (Go Cougs!). I went to WSU in Pullman from 2008 to 2012 and earned my bachelor's degree in communications, and I attended many football games at Martin Stadium during my time in college. My first WSU football game was in 2008. It was the first year for new head coach Paul Wulff. My friends Kevin and Craig and I got there early and had pretty good seats for the opener against California....