In Seattle, Ryan Divish notes the lack of a FanFest celebration due to COVID-19 prompted the Mariners to create a "Virtual Baseball Bash," a "series of online events and activities across all team digital platforms." During the baseball bash, there "will be more than 60 online events over the last two weeks of January involving 60 current and former Mariners players, coaches, front office executives and broadcasters." Most of the scheduled events "will be open to all fans, but the news release mentioned there will also be exclusive opportunities for season ticket holders." Because it is the 20th anniversary of the Mariners' record-setting 116-win season in '01, there "will be multiple round-tables with members of that team" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/15).
ON MIAMI TIME: In Seattle, Jayda Evans notes Sounders VP/Soccer & Sporting Dir Chris Henderson reportedly is "leaving the club for a similar position" with Inter Miami. What makes Henderson an "asset" to any MLS staff is his "constant globe trotting to find standout players, like he did with the Sounders pre-pandemic." With Henderson working closely with Sounders GM & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey, the club has won two MLS Cups (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/15).
SUPPORT FROM AFAR: BARDOWN.com noted the start of the NWHL '21 bubble season in Lake Placid, N.Y., is just over a week away. Since there won't be any fans in the crowd due to the pandemic, NWHL teams are "filling the stands with cardboard cutouts just like many other teams around the world have done over the past 9 months." One thing "every team has in common" is the support of the WNBA Seattle Storm, who "will have representatives in the crowd for every team in the bubble" (BARDOWN.com, 1/14).
