 Classic SI photo by Bill Frakes |
Payton's Place
Selected second overall in the 1990 NBA draft by the SuperSonics, Gary Payton went on to play 13 seasons for Seattle. The 6-foot-4 guard was named to the NBA All-Star team in seven straight seasons, won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1996 and was a member of the gold medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. men's Olympic teams.
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FACES IN THE CROWD |
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John Olerud Bellvue
Aug. 15, 1988 -- Olerud, as a sophomore at Washington State, became the first baseball player in NCAA history to win more than 10 games as a pitcher (15) and hit more than 20 home runs (23). He also had a .464 batting average and a 2.49 ERA.
Career highlight: Current Mariner has a .299 average over last 12 major league seasons.
Now photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images
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Michelle Akers Seattle
March 13, 1989 -- Snow, a sophomore forward at Indiana, and Akers, a senior forward at Central Florida, were the men's and women's recipients, respectively, of the Hermann Trophy as the nation's best college soccer players. Akers, the first female to receive the award, has 52 career goals, including 11 this season for the 10-3-2 Lady Knights.
Career highlight: Midfielder on 1999 World Cup-champion U.S. women's soccer team.
Now photo by Jeff Reinking/WNBAE/Getty Images
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Kate Starbird Tacoma
June 7, 1993 -- Kate, who scored 2,753 points as a four-year starter for the Lancers, was named most valuable player of the girls' Class AAA tournament despite her school's fifth-place finish. As a senior she averaged 29.3 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots per game.
Career highlight: Set prep record for points, went on to Stanford and the WNBA.
Now photo by Jeff Reinking/WNBAE/Getty Images
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GREATEST ATHLETES |
John Stockton, Spokane
First Gonzaga player to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists; NBA's alltime assists and steals leader; has played in nine All-Star Games and two Finals.
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Earl Anthony, Tacoma
Six-time PBA Bowler of the Year became first kegler to earn $1 million in a year, in 1982.
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Phil Mahre, Yakima
U.S.'s most successful ski racer won gold medal in downhill slalom at 1984 Olympics; three-time World Cup overall champ.
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FLASHBACK |
2000: Rising Son
The defection of Ichiro Suzuki, a career .353 hitter, isn't seen as all bad news in Japan, if he becomes a sensation with the Mariners and brings honor to his country
Resting snug on her mother's chest against the afternoon chill, Chinatsu Tanaka is a smiling, moon-faced, four-month-old girl who is one chromosome from having been called Ichiro Tanaka.
FULL STORY
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SI COVERS |
Going Batty
In the course of working on this 1996 cover story, SI's Gerry Callahan discovered that Leah Buhner has three children -- four if you count her husband, Seattle Mariners slugger Jay Campbell Buhner. Jay, Callahan wrote, is the oldest kid in the family, and there's only one difference between him and the other three kids (daughter Brielle, 4, and sons Chase, 2 (seen here), and Gunnar, 10 months): Jay's toys cost more.
Click here to view a gallery of every Mariners coverClick here to purchase this cover from SI's Classic Cover Collection
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THE SI POLL |
Who do Washingtonians root for? SI asked the Evergreen State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
Seattle Mariners | 75% |
New York Yankees | 5% |
Favorite NFL team
Seattle Seahawks | 42% |
Oakland Raiders | 6% |
No favorite | 20% |
Favorite NBA team
Seattle SuperSonics | 45% |
Los Angeles Lakers | 7% |
No favorite | 26% |
Favorite NHL team
Vancouver Canucks | 11% |
Detroit Red Wings | 7% |
No favorite | 54% |
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Favorite pro team
Seattle Mariners | 56% |
Seattle Seahawks | 10% |
State's biggest rival
California | 51% |
Oregon | 24% |
New York | 10% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state:
Steve Largent | 17% |
Ken Griffey Jr. | 13% |
Edgar Martinez | 8% |
Favorite announcer
Dave Niehaus | 36% |
John Madden | 8% |
Kevin Calabro | 6% |
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More a fan of college or pro sports?
Pro | 61% |
College | 14% |
Equal | 25% |
Favorite sport to play
Baseball/softball | 16% |
Swimming | 16% |
Hiking | 14% |
Fishing | 13% |
Favorite sports towatch on TV**
Baseball | 70% |
Football | 65% |
Winter Olympics | 54% |
Summer Olympics | 49% |
**Multiple responses allowed. | |
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*Harris Interactive poll, conducted online, of 422 Washington residents who identified themselves as sports fans. Margin of error +/- 5%.
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Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary |
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STATITUDES |
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554 Assists dished out by Spokane, Wash. native John Stockton in his four-year career at Gonzaga, a school record.
1938 Year that Washington State football star and Burlington, Wash. native Mel Hein -- widely described as the greatest center ever to play the game -- was named the NFL's first Most Valuable Player.
14,410 Elevation of Mount Rainier, where Seattle native Jim Whittaker was a guide and climbing instructor before becoming in 1963 the first American to reach the summit of Mount Everest (approximately 29,000 feet).
22 Age at which Ellensburg, Wash. native and former Washington State football standout Drew Bledsoe earned his first Pro Bowl (1994) selection and became the youngest quarterback ever to play in the game.
.464 Batting average of John Olerud in his sophomore season at Washington State. The Bellevue, Wash. native was named 1988 College Player of the Year by Baseball America, as he notched 23 homers and 81 RBIs -- and went 15-0 with a 2.49 ERA as a starting pitcher.
2000 Season ticket deposit total reached by the expansion Seattle Storm on Aug.17, 1999 when Seattle Sonics guard Gary Payton and his wife Monique purchased tickets for their daughter Raquel. Two months later the Storm announced that it had secured more than 7,200 season ticket deposits, 1,700 more than necessary to meet the WNBA's requirement.
128 Steel wheels on which the three movable panels of the retractable roof at Safeco Field glide. The wheels are powered by 96 ten-horsepower electric motors.
6,866 Votes short republican Steve Largent fell in his 2002 bid for Oklahoma governor. The Hall of Fame wide receiver, who played for the Seattle Seahawks from 1976-89, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, then gave up his seat to run for governor.
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ENEMY OF THE STATE |
Alex Rodriguez
This is the price A-Rod pays for signing that $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers in 2000 instead of remaining with the Mariners. At least he didn't sign with the New York Yankees, the state's most hated opponent (31%), ahead of the Oakland Raiders (21%) and A's (10%).
Alex Rodriguez | 25% |
George Steinbrenner | 18% |
Al Davis | 8% |
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FAST FACTS |
Admission to statehood: Nov. 11, 1889 (42nd state)
Area: 71,303 square miles
Bird: Willow Goldfinch
Capital: Olympia
Economy: Agriculture -- Seafood, dairy products, apples, cattle, wheat, potatoes, nursery stock. Industry -- Aerospace, software development, food processing, paper products, lumber and wood products, chemical products, tourism.
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Flower: Pink Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
Nickname: Evergreen State
Population: 5,894,121 (15th)
Pro sports teams: Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Sonics (NBA), Seattle Mariners (MLB), Seattle Storm (WNBA).
Major college programs: Gonzaga Bulldogs, Washington Huskies, Washington State Cougars
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