We lost another one of the good guys on Sunday.
Orville “Tinnie” Johnson died at his home from heart complications at age 94.
Johnson was a Tacoma native who played basketball at Washington State in the 1930s and wound up in Bremerton as a teacher, coach and eventually vice-principal at the high school.
Johnson was an outstanding baseball coach — his Wildcats won a mythical state title in 1953 — and worked as a Pac-8 basketball official. He was the assigning secretary for the local basketball association for years.
Although he was always referred to as “Tinnie” (as in Tin-nee), it’s believed his nickname was actually “Tinie” (as in Tiny). He had polio as a child and was small in stature and one of his siblings gave him the nickname.
At his request, there will be no funeral.

Bremerton’s Kirk sisters — Tara and Dana — competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens. They’re the only sisters to swim for the U.S. in the same Olympics. Four years later, they’re ready to do it again.
Tara’s remained among the world’s best in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes, but Dana, a butterfly specialist, battled injuries throughout her Stanford career and seemed like a longshot to make the U.S. team for this summer’s Olympics in Beijing.

Continue reading →

The day started so good for the Seahawks, and so bad for Green Bay’s Ryan Grant, whose two fumbles led to a 14-0 Seattle lead.
Since that time, the Packers have outscored the Hawks 42-6. They’ve scored on five straight possessions.
How many yards does Grant have? It’s gotta to be over 200 by now.
I’ve got a few handball buddies over at the house today, watching the game. We can’t decide who’s more valuable: Green Bay’s hard-hitting secondary or the Pack’s offensive line. Both have dominated.
Now, it’s all about Will He Stay, Or Will He Retire? I’m talking about Mike Holmgren. What do you think?

Is Roger Clemens starting to sound more and more like Barry Bonds, or is it me?
Don’t you just wish he’d go away — along with all of this controversy about steroids and performance-enhancing drugs?
He talked about what the world owed him during his interview with Mike Wallace on “60 Minutes,” and the way he handled Monday’s press conference reminded me of his bat-throwing incident with Mike Piazza of the Mets. Remember that bizarre scene in the 2000 World Series. I was there, working for CBS Sportsline at the time. My first thought: ‘Roid Rage. Nah, couldn’t be. This is Roger Clemens, the John Wayne of professional sports.

Continue reading →

Look for Howie Stalwick’s report on the UW-WSU game in Sunday’s Kitsap Sun.
Sun photographer Steve Zugschwerdt was also here. You’ll see his photos in the paper tomorrow. Zugs was also at the Seahawks’ game.
Well, it’s time to head to the ferry terminal. I’ll be checking in with some other insights in coming days.

A UW student in the Dawg Pound held up this sign: Give Pullman to Idaho.
Ah, makes me laugh.

It’s 53-51. WSU possession. Everybody is standing. Brockman rebounds Weaver miss. UW ball with 29.7 seconds left. Shot clock at 15 seconds. Timeout.
You forget that WSU is the No. 4-ranked team in the country and that Washington was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-10. On this night, they were about as even as can be.
Now, for the finish. Overtime anybody?
Brockman draws Baynes’ fourth foul and goes to the line with 28.5 seconds left. He makes the front end of a 1-and-1, but misses the second.
WSU’s Weaver fouled after rebounding Brockman’s miss and goes to the line at the other end to shoot two. Weaver misses the first, makes the second: WSU 54-52 with 27.2 seconds left. Timeout.
Who do you go to if you’re Washington?
Brockman, who missed while being defended really tough by Baynes. Weaver rebounds, is fouled and makes two FTs to make it 56-52.
And that’s the way it ended.
I’m not sure if WSU looked like the No. 4 team in the country, but they’re a tough team to play against. For Washington, it was probably its best effort of the season and should only give them more hope that they can compete against the best in the conference.

Artem Wallace has scord just two points and he probably doesn’t have more than four or five rebounds, if that, but the 6-8 junior from Toledo is guarding WSU’s Baynes, which is enabling Brockman to get some space to do his thing.
By the way, Derrick Low and Taylor Rochestie are starting to make things happen and the Cougs lead 53-48 with 2:59 to play.

Washington’s maintained the lead in another hard-fought half. WSU did tie it at 35 on a 3-pointer by Daven Harmeling, but Ryan Appleby countered with a trey.
Kyle Weaver then made a hoop and converted the free throw after being fouled to tie it again at 38.
Once again, Appleby answered with a 3.
This is getting good.
Harmeling drains another 3. Tied 41-41 when a timeout is called with 8:44 left.
Brockman and Cowgill trade hoops.
Low puts WSU ahead 45-43 on a transition layup, but Denton knocks down a 3 and the Huskies are back on top, 46-45.
There’s 6:46 left when Weaver (WSU) and Morris (UW) re-enter.

WSU’s Kyle Weaver left after it appeared he knocked heads with Jon Brockman while putting back his own missed shot early in the second half.
Taylor Rochestie then crumbled to the floor in a ball and had to leave. He was holding his chest and appeared to have trouble breathing, but it wasn’t cleared what happened.