Seattle

(The Punk Singer screens at 9:30 tonight at the Harvard Exit.) (The Rocket screens at 6:30 tonight at SIFF Uptown.) (About 111 Girls screens at 9 tonight at SIFF Uptown.) (C.O.G. screens at 4 pm today at the Egyptian.) Full guide here! [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Seahawks tight end Anthony McCoy, carted off the field with what was called an ankle injury at OTAs earlier this week, has a torn achilles tendon and will now miss six to nine months. He had surgery on Thursday. Per Ian Rapoport, the achilles injury was a partial tear, which, from what I understand, is preferable with regards to rehab and the process toward eventually regaining full strength. McCoy had 18 catches for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns last season, and his 16.2 yards per catch is no surprise - in what seemed like the majority of the times he was targeted, he was wide open downfield, with room to run, due to defensive breakdowns and mismatches. He was used in two tight end sets extensively and his main role was as a versatile run blocker that could also get downfield in a hurry on play-action. The Seahawks have six other tight ends on their roster - starter Zach Miller, rookie draft pick Luke Willson, Sean McGrath, Cooper Helfet, Victor Marshall, and Darren Fells. McCoy's likely replacement is Willson - who, from reports, has shown an ability to block in-line (which is very important in Seattle's offense) but also has excellent speed and hands downfield. McCoy, perhaps surprisingly to some, played in 46% of Seattle's offensive snaps in 2012, so he had a fairly significant role. Past the unproven Willson, I'd say that Sean McGrath has a good chance of becoming the team's #3 TE - he saw action toward the end of the season last year and was on the active roster for two games and the Playoffs. Darren Fells is another intriguing prospect because of his immense size - at 6'7, 280, if he can learn to block quickly enough, he might be a logical replacement for McCoy in the lineup. Regardless - huge bummer for McCoy, who enters (and will likely miss) his contract year. The 4th year player has been one of my 'sleeper' breakout picks the past two seasons, and while he played well in 2012, I had thought he could make another nice jump in production in 2013. The Hawks will now have to test more of their depth, and keep an eye on roster cutdowns across the league. McCoy is the second Seahawk to suffer a major injury this offseason, joining DT/DE Greg Scruggs, who suffered a torn ACL a few months ago, prior to the Draft.

The black Nissan 200SX Turbo was only a few years old but it had been solidly thrashed over the years. It had obviously been an expensive, well optioned little car when it was new, but the people into which its well being had been entrusted had obviously not respected that fact. Now it slumped on its sagging suspension, any number of small dents defacing its once gracefully straight bodylines and its once beautiful aluminum wheels, now torn by contact innumerable curbs, were shod with cheap, mismatched tires. This car was supposed to be fast? The little Nissan’s owner was almost as scruffy as the car. Tall with long flowing hair that fell down over his collar and got in his eyes, Kazu, a Japanese exchange student from the far Northern Island of Hokkaido, looked like a real life anime hero. The son of an Olympic ski jumping champion, Kazu was a handsome guy and women swooned whenever he appeared. He seemed to care little for his natural good looks, however, and dressed in shabby, worn clothes that stunk from the many cheap cigarettes he liked to smoke. Like so many young Japanese men I have met, he was congenial and since we had a common interest in cars we had things to talk about whenever our girlfriends decided we should do things together, but there was no genuine friendship between us. Over the few weeks we had known one another, Kazu had educated me about the Japanese car scene. He had any number of Japanese car magazines and because I couldn’t read the language he often had to explain the content of the various articles. Sometimes it’s hard to recognize the future when it is staring you in the face and, truth be told, I was a little incredulous at some of the things written in those magazines. Four or five hundred horsepower out of a four cylinder seemed extreme to me, even if it was turbo charged and, what’s more, much of this power was coming through adjustments made on a computer! How could that be? real power required V8 engines, lumpy camshafts and big carbs. I was dubious. One of the things Kazu was into was called “Dorifuto” and many of the magazines showed pictures of small Japanese cars sliding violently through corners on wet or icy pavement. Being from Hokkaido, an island that spends much if its time under a great deal of snow, Kazu knew all about this and was eager to demonstrate his skills. So, on one rare Seattle snow day, he invited me along for a ride and we headed out into the hills in search of slippery roads. Highway 2 led us out of Everett and up into the hills where the previous day’s snowfall still lingered on the back roads in the shadows of the tall trees. Despite the recent snowfall, warming weather was having its effect and much of what had only hours before been dangerous compact snow and ice had turned to sloppy slush. Kazu smiled when he saw it though and we charged into the first corner way too hot. In one swift, smooth motion, Kazu whipped the wheel and with a quick heel to toe movement of his feet pitched the Nissan into the curve. The back end slipped out and the nose of the car pivoted towards the inside ditch. Kazu mashed the gas, found the groove and held the car there on the edge of control as we slipped through the corner. Upon our exit, he straightened the car and raced towards the next curve here he completed the process in the opposite direction. The curves came faster and Kazu continued to navigate them with remarkable skill, the car always on edge but never out of control in his capable hands. The overall feeling from the passenger seat was not one of jerky, violent motion like I had imagined when I had first seen the photos in Kazu’s magazines but was instead smooth, the car pivoting and slipping in a gentle rhythm controlled by the constant steering and pedal inputs the of driver. I was surprised. The next corner was a blind left hand sweeper cut into a steep hillside, the inside of the curve up against the mountain and the outside of the corner falling steeply away into a d

hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! hockeyplayerswithpets.tumblr.com! See Evgeni Malkin with a camel! See Brian McGrattan with a fuzzy puppy! See Zenon Konopka with a rabbit! See Evgeni Malkin with a flamingo! And a parrot! And... where are you getting all these animals, Malkin? This is the best thing to ever exist on the internet. [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Mitchell Hurwitz's masterwork meets Francis Ford Coppola's masterwork, courtesy of Slacktory. [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The PDF is here. If you hate PDFs, the text of the proclamation is below. WHEREAS, a section of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in Skagit County collapsed on May 23, 2013, closing the Interstate in both directions, requiring implementation of detours through adjacent neighborhood roadways, causing extensive disruption of the primary north and south bound transportation route through Western Washington, and impacting our citizens, businesses and economy in Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom Counties; and The estimated cost to repair the bridge is $15,000,000. Repairs and necessary interstate highway closures require the approval of Washington’s Secretary of Transportation, and the Washington State Department of Transportation is coordinating resources and working to implement damage repairs. These emergency conditions warrant closure of affected roadways for a significant period and implementation of emergency procurement procedures to hire a contractor to repair the damage; and The roadway damage and its effects continue to impact the life and health of our citizens, as well as the property and transportation infrastructure of Washington State, all of which affect life, health, property, or the public peace, and constitute a public disaster demanding immediate action; and The Washington State Military Department has activated the state Emergency Operations Center, implemented response procedures, and is coordinating resources to support local officials in alleviating the immediate social and economic impacts to people, property, and infrastructure, and is continuing to assess the magnitude of the event. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay R. Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, as a result of the above-noted situation and under Chapter 38.52 and 43.06 RCW, do hereby proclaim that a State of Emergency exists in Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties in the state of Washington, and direct the plans and procedures in the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan be implemented. State agencies and departments are directed to utilize state resources and to do everything reasonably possible to assist affected political subdivisions in an effort to respond to and recover from the event. As a result of this event, the Washington State Military Department, Emergency Management Division, is instructed to coordinate all incident-related assistance to the affected areas. [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

From Andy McCullough:Pineda, a 24-year-old righty, threw five innings in an extended-spring game at the team’s minor-league complex in Tampa, Fla. His fastball velocity sat at 93 mph, general manager Brian Cashman said. After one more game at the complex, Pineda could begin a rehabilitation assignment, a 30-day jaunt that could lead him to the majors. “I’m happy so far that he’s healthy,” Cashman said. “But he’s obviously got a ways to go. We’ll see. But so far so good.” ... The velocity on Thursday was encouraging: Pineda sat at 94.7 mph during his rookie season in 2011, according to FanGraphs. But Cashman cannot count on him just yet. “He’s pitching in chain-link baseball right now, the extended-spring program,” Cashman said. “It’s good that he’s got a healthy arm and stuff. But he hasn’t gotten into the minors leagues, and he’s hasn’t moved up the ladder yet, with the higher competition. Until he’s an active player, he’s got hurdles.”Great news. If Pineda can be the guy he was in Seattle, the Yankees will really have a starting rotation few teams can match. Add that to the great start the team has had and the injured offensive players coming back, and the Yankees may be ready to steamroll this division. Speaking of that rotation, Andy Pettitte is working his way back from the DL. He played catch for the first time and reportedly felt "really good". He will throw again today.

Anyone who can talk about the dance tax and regressive taxation like this wins in my book: Thanks to tipper Jeremy! [ Comment on this story ] [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

My favorite thing about Tom Wilhelmsen is Tom Wilhelmsen's story. Everyone loves Tom Wilhelmsen's story, and everyone should love Tom Wilhelmsen's story, because it's not all that often that a twentysomething bartender turns into a major league closer. Tom Wilhelmsen's story is so incredible that I'm contractually obligated to mention it every time I write about him. Or I would be, if I had a contract. My second favorite thing about Tom Wilhelmsen is Tom Wilhelmsen's dance moves. On a scale of one to incredible, Tom Wilhelmsen's dance moves are a twelve. Behold: Hypnotic. My third favorite thing about Tom Wilhelmsen, unlike the first two, actually has to do with his pitching. I love Tom Wilhelmsen's curveball. If I could marry a pitch - no offense to King Felix's changeup, or Carter Capps' slider - it would be that curveball. The Bartender's curve is entertainment at its finest; it has that unusual combination of remarkable effectiveness and gut-busting hilarity that makes for unforgettable baseball cinema. I will always remember when Tom Wilhelmsen did this to Alexei Ramirez, and I will always remember when he did this to Asdrubal Cabrera. Tom Wilhelmsen's curve is maybe the best curve in the sport and definitely the most potent weapon in the Mariners' bullpen. Which is why it makes me a little bit sad to write this post. See, though Tom Wilhelmsen's results this year have been very good - he's got a 0.45 ERA and a 2.43 FIP - his peripherals are some cause for concern. The Bartender's strikeout rate has taken a serious hit so far in 2013, and the ERA is supported by an unsustainably high strand rate and an unsustainably low BABIP. Several of my fellow writers have commented on the seeming inevitability of Wilhelmsen's regression and expressed concern about his dropping K rate. Still, using only K% and BB% to analyze a pitcher's performance is pretty darn lazy, so I decided to go investigating. My investigation started, as most baseball investigations do, on Wilhelmsen's Fangraphs Player Page. And it was there that I discovered that Wilhelmsen's swinging strike rate hasn't really dropped all that much. It doesn't explain the big drop in K%, for sure. He's also started throwing more of his changeups and two-seamers, but those are still good pitches (the changeup in particular generates a bunch of ground balls), so that's not really a good explanation either. I was all set, then, to write an article about how you shouldn't be worried about Tom Wilhelmsen's strikeout rate. His peripheral peripherals, the core skill stats, say he's fine! Cheer up! Except, unfortunately, curiosity got the better of me and dragged me over to Wilhelmsen's Brooks Baseball player card. And so it was that I delved into the fourth level of the layer cake that is Tom Wilhelmsen's 2013 season, and discovered that it is not very tasty. Wilhelmsen's game, as you probably know if you've watched him, is a pretty simple one. He has a plus four-seam fastball that sits at 96 MPH, touching 99, and that devastating wipeout curve. He uses the four-seamer to filch strikes early in the count (over 50% of Wilhelmsen's fastballs in 0-strike and 1-strike counts go for strikes not in play). Once he's ahead in the count, he either blows hitters away with a high fastball or humiliates them with a low curve, sometimes mixing in a two-seamer and a change just to keep hitters on their toes. His change/curve repertoire means he gets a lot of ground balls while allowing fairly few home runs, and the four-seamer and curve combine to get him all the strikeouts he needs. Or, I suppose I should say, they have in the past. This is a chart I assembled using data from Brooks Baseball's player card for Wilhelmsen. I'd like to draw your attention to the Called Strike column. Notice how Wilhelmsen's percentage of called strikes on two-strike curveballs has gone through the floor this year? That's bad. And it's not Jesus Montero's fault, before you ask. Montero's pi

Well, that wasn't the type of start Jeremy Bonderman needed to have with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik and others in attendance to watch Class AAA Tacoma on Thursday night. Bonderman gave up eight runs on 11 hits to Class AAA Nashville. Don't forget, the Mariners have until June 1 to add him to their roster or he can opt to become a free agent elsewhere. The Mariners were keeping their options open with Aaron Harang and Brandon Maurer due to pitch early next week. But after seeing that from Bonderman, they could very well just let both pitchers make another start and then regroup depending on what happens. Right now, we've seen Bonderman and Hector Noesi both hit hard within days of each other starting in AAA. Blake Beavan is also an option for the Mariners, but at this stage he might not be much of an upgrade over either Harang or Maurer. Remember, it was Harang who replaced Beavan because he wasn't good enough. The team's biggest rescue options -- Erasmo Ramirez and Danny Hultzen -- are both hurt and several weeks away from pitching in AAA again, never mind the majors. Thin times indeed. For those wondering about Rickey Nolasco of the Miami Marlins, he is set to be one of the prime mid-season trade targets for many teams. But that's mid-season. The Marlins aren't about to deal him in May when they can wait until July and get multiple clubs after him to drive up the price. At this point, the Mariners might be forced to wait. They can send Harang and Maurer back out, cross their fingers and hope they don't get shelled again. After that, they re-evaluate based on what they actually see. If Harang stops serving up elevated gopher-balls, it's possible he may have found something to take his game up a notch. If Maurer can have greater success with off-speed pitches against lefties, he too, might buy himself some time. But if one guy, or both, pulls another three-and-done, the Mariners would then be forced to do something. At that point, they would still have time to add Bonderman to the roster before June 1 rolls around. They could see how Bonderman looks his next scheduled start and base their decision off that. Same with Noesi. Same with Beavan. But the point remains the same. For a team that had so much written about the depth of its minor league pitching in recent years, the Mariners have almost zero options as of right now to replace two guys who can't make it beyond the fourth inning.