Bill the Beerman, RIP

From the Seattle P.I.:

Bill Scott, better known to his many fans as "Bill the Beerman," died Sunday night from complications of colon cancer originally diagnosed in 2001. He was 58.

For more than 20 years, Scott led cheers in the Kingdome, starting in 1976 as a beer vendor who spontaneously encouraged fans to shout at Seahawks and Mariners games.

If you lived here then and went to the Kingdome, you knew him, the big barrel-chested guy with the beard and booming voice who sold you beer and gave you permission to cheer.

Read the rest here.

Listen to Bill the Beerman in action (from my old "Sonic Boom LP").

Loserville Update

Couple of games that affected the Sonics' drive for Oden last night. Boston beat the Raptors (yay), but Portland and Milwaukee got their L's on, meaning the Sonics now hold the 6th-worst record in the league (going by percentages). With a road game in Minny tonight, a loss would move Seattle a step further away from Philly and a little closer to the Hawks.

With that in mind, here's how some of the draft "experts" see the Sonics going:

Draft Express: Spencer Hawes (um, no thanks)
NBA Draft.net: Jeff Green, Georgetown (author makes mental note to pay extra attention during Final Four)
Hoops Hype: Julian Wright, Kansas (again, no thanks)
MyNBA Draft.com: Joakim Noah, Florida (I cannot think of a player I would less like to have on the Sonics, and I'm including junior college guys with one leg)
Fantapedia.net: Yi Jianlian, China ("his face up game would fit in with the Sonics' up-tempo offense"; right, because what the Sonics desperately need is a center who doesn't like to play down low).

Should be an interesting game tonight. I was shocked by how the Sonics handled Garnett in the last meeting since you would assume he'd be able to get whatever he wants in the paint. I'd have to expect the Wolves to get something tonight, though.

Goodbye Ray, Hello Oden?

The bad news is that Ray Allen is out for the rest of the season. The good news? The Sonics just got a step closer to landing Greg Oden!

Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Seattle SuperSonics guard Ray Allen will miss the rest of the season with bone spurs in his left ankle.

Allen, the NBA's eighth-leading scorer (26.4 ppg), will require surgery but a specific date has yet to be determined.

"It makes sense for Ray to go forward and have the surgery," Sonics general manager Rick Sund said. "He's been playing with pain for some time now, and all parties involved agree that this is what is best for Ray in the long run."

(from the Seattle P.I.)