Introducing the Pacific Northwest Sports “What If” series
Between Christmas Eve and New Year’s day, Pacific Northwest will run a series of “What If” articles that re-imagine key moments in the histories of the teams we cover.
Two words, “What If.” As sports fans, we live by what if. “What If” Team A ran this play, or Manager B put in a pinch hitter, or Player C passed up a contested three and drove the lane. Scenarios like that are part of what makes sports so much fun to watch.
Marvel and Disney+ just had an entire television series called “What if.” The series featured twists in what many consider to be Marvel cannon. Whether you liked the show or not, the idea was a good one.
For the next week and a half, Pacific Northwest Sports will do our own “What If” series. We’ll look at pivotal moments in the respective histories of the teams we cover. Many of the “What Ifs” would radically change the fortunes of the given team. Not just when it happened but also in the long term.
The series is not all second-guessing (although there is some). After the fact, anyone can second guess a decision made in the heat of the moment and say, “I told you so.” The series won’t be a bunch of nitpicking articles either. On a 3-2 count, with runners on base and one out, it’s hard to fault a hitter for getting fooled on a backup slider when he was looking fastball.
Brief Preview
So, then what can Pacific Northwest Sports readers expect from this series?
Some are obvious. For example: “What if” the Seahawks gave the ball to Beast Mode on the last play of Super Bowl XLIX? Or, “What If” the Mariners won Game 4 of the 2001 American League Championship series?
Others not so much. “What If” the Trail Blazers didn’t draft Greg Oden? “What If” the Washington Huskies’ first choice to be the football coach in 1974 accepted the job?
We invite you to check in with us daily from Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day for new articles.
Let us know in the comments section below if you have an idea for our “What If” series.