So after months of forgetting I even had this thing I remembered and felt that I should really go after this especially with the summer I’ve had in sports.  Here is a quick breakdown of the summer before I get into my topic of the week.

1. I attempted to go to as many Portland Beavers games as possible since they will be moving out of the Northwest at the end of the season. Once again Portland shows why no professional sports teams other then soccer will even give Portland a second glance.

2. I have been volunteering with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a single A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, as a part of my degree program.  I’ve got the chance to meet a few of the players and really see all that goes into each and every game.  There is a ton more that goes on then I ever realized.

3. My favorite baseball team is quickly becoming my least favorite. I know most people automatically think its because the M’s are doing so bad but honestly I can look past that if the players were just more accepting of the fans in Seattle. (I’ll touch on this more later.)

4. I’m looking forward to the fall as football of all different levels starts and I hopefully get to go out and see some games.

Okay now its topic time.  This last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a Mariners game.  It was a day game with the first place Twins going up against the last place M’s.  I point out which place each team is in to better emphasize my following point.  The Twins were the visitors, they are in first place, and they honestly have no reason to connect with the Seattle fans because that isn’t their home field.  However, none of that seemed to matter as player after player walked along the fence signing autographs for fans, posing for photos and just chatting with all the awe struck kids.  I was able to get the autograph of 5 different players and could of gotten a few more of the starters had I not went to the Mariners side.  The Twins players showed a great deal of respect and affection to the Seattle fans.

Most people would then automatically think if the visiting team does that then the home team must be just as good.

Nope.

The last place mariners, the home team, should want to connect with its fans you would think.  With exceptions of Brian Sweeny and Matt Tuiasosopa no other Mariner even touched a pen.  I will give a quick credit to David Aardsma who tossed a ball to my niece and has signed at games for me a number of times.  I got into the field when the gates opened two hours before game time to find the entire M’s team on the edge of the field goofing off before warm ups, but not one guy would even look at the fans with exception of the previously mentioned M’s.  I know not every Mariner is going to sign every game. In fact their our some players (Ichiro) who shouldn’t sign for the safety of fans because it would cause a literal stampede.  All I think is that the home team, which is in last place, should at least strive to be as connected to the fans as a visiting team that is in first place is.

I take this from not just one single game but with multiple games that I have been two over the past three years.  The Mariners organization just does not seem to care if it connects with its local fans and its that reason that I am debating with who my favorite team really is.  Dodgers, Giants, Rangers and Twins are the front runners but I’m open to suggestions.