THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: 'If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane'

Identify a problem, find a solution.

The puzzle for your columnist is that so much will be happening each weekend for a while, the only real answer is to get you a “Notes and Quotes” wrap each Tuesday.

If there’s too much to cover, we’ll go again on Wednesday.

Solved.

The only downer on my end today is something you might guess.

Please allow me a little extra space today to mourn the loss of a friend.

I’ve used a line from one special Jimmy Buffett song at the bottom of each column for some time now: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”

Yeah, the line definitely works for sports fans, game results, and all the opinions we like to share.

But it originated with a far more serious purpose, at a charity concert for Hurricane Katrina victims and relief efforts in 2005.

Jimmy died last Friday after 76 years of living the life you heard in his music.

In a lot of ways, I’ve followed a similar trail and many of the themes you’d find in his lyrics — without, ah, being a billionaire, flying a seaplane or owning a home in the Caribbean.

Or even wasting away in Margaritaville.

Not lately, anyhow.

BUT, YES, I’ve traveled a lot, engaged so many fascinating people in such varied places, and allowed myself to be amazed at the world as we find it — not to mention getting drafted as Jimmy Buffett’s softball teammate on a couple of tours.

I’m going to keep that quote from the Katrina concert as the finale to each Cheap Seats column, because it’s the right wrap-up for me.

Today, though, I want to add another of my favorite lines from the title song in his album “Changes in Latitude, Change in Attitude.”

This is perfect for all of us, I think, and it definitely was Jimmy.

Our third baseman.

“For all of our running and all of our cunning,

If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

Thank you for all the joy, my friend.

Now on with the show.

ITEM: The Mariners looked really weary over the weekend in New York, and dropped a series for the first time in nearly a month.

Their two dominant mound aces, Luis Castillo and George Kirby, both had their worst performances in ages.

So, what next?

A kick in the teeth.

MLB unbelievably scheduled them for back-to-back day games with travel in between — which almost NEVER happens except for makeup situations.

The M’s had to fly Sunday night to hot (96) and humid Cincinnati, where rookie right-hander Bryan Woo got jumped for five runs in the first two innings on Monday afternoon.

Woo made an adjustment after that, but the Mariners looked as tired as they must have felt.

The Reds had no starters available, but used seven bullpen arms to hang on for a 6-3 victory.

As a result, the M’s dropped into a virtual tie for first place in the AL West with Houston, which won at Texas.

Scott Servais made no excuses concerning the difficult scheduling.

“No, we just have to play clean baseball to win on the road,” he said.

“We gave away too many free bases — walks (four), hitting guys (four times), errors (two). That’s not us, and we have to clean it up.”

The Mariners will face one of their own draft choices making his major league debut tonight in Cincinnati.

Connor Phillips was drafted by Seattle in the second round in 2020, then became part of the trade in March 2022 that brought Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle.

The big (6-2, 209) right-hander has struck out 154 batters in 105 innings across Double-A and Triple-A this season.

Bryce Miller will take the ball to try and stop the bleeding for Seattle.

ITEM: The now abandoned Pac-2 — defiant that they want to rebuild their historic conference — opened the season flying against two overmatched Mountain West opponents.

Washington State won 50-24 at Colorado State with QB Cam Ward looking like a pro prospect despite an occasional problem holding the football like a proverbial greased pig.

Meanwhile, 18th-ranked Oregon State overwhelmed San Jose State 42-17 on the road, and likely will cruise against UC Davis and San Diego State before coming to Pullman in three weeks.

Might they have some conference resolution by then?

Probably not, if they’re hoping to bring the entire Mountain West into a new Pac-12 — but they’re working on it.

MWC commissioner Gloria Nevarez appeared at both those games, did some TV time, and without going into specifics, made it sound very much as though some sort of accommodation will be reached.

The Pac-2 and Mountain West would combine to have 14 teams, suggesting that approaches could be made to the likes of Tulane (American), Army (Independent) and/or Navy (American) to hit a nice 16.
As Nevarez put it: “There’s still a lot to sort out.”

Paste on the fridge: The Mountain West’s TV deal expires in a year, so the “next” Pac-12 could be in a good spot, market-wise.

ITEM: Pete Carroll, his coaches and players might be the only ones who believe this could be a special season for the Seahawks.

CBS Sports’ annual predictions (done by John Breech) suggested that Seattle will go 8-9 and miss the playoffs.

Of course, Breech picks the Cowboys to win the NFC and lose a thriller to Cincinnati in the Super Bowl, so perhaps we can hold the music on his picks a little bit.

Among other startling guesses, Breech ranked the Eagles fifth in the NFC behind Dallas, the 49ers, Saints and Vikings.

OK, John.

We’re saving those picks.

Meantime, even Seattle Times beat reporter Bob Condotta doesn’t exactly fill fans with hope.

The Times does an annual preseason ranking of the Seahawks' 11 position groups.

It’s not exactly reassuring that Bob sees the offensive line at No. 9 and the defensive line at 11th, the very bottom.

You win in the trenches, so those lines HAVE to be better than advertised if there’s going to be much fun at Lumen Field.

PLUS SIDE: There are a lot of talented young players who could improve this team dramatically.

MINUS SIDE: The schedule is brutal (they play the NFC East and AFC North, plus Detroit), and it sounds like Jamal Adams and Devon Witherspoon won’t be healthy enough yet to help in the critical first two games against the Rams and Lions.

PETE’S SIDE: He doesn’t believe a word from the naysayers.

Naturally.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”