Brewers are everything Mariners aren’t. Is Jerry Dipoto to blame? | Matt Calkins
The Brewers responded to years of adversity with action. The Mariners are on the verge of again sinking to irrelevance. It's time to hold those...
Columnist
Matt Calkins
Matt Calkins has been a sports columnist with the Seattle Times since 2015, where he has covered national title games, got a Seahawk to design his apartment and once extracted a two-word quote from Marshawn Lynch. He began as a preps writer at the Riverside Press-Enterprise in 2004, covered the Blazers for the Columbian from 2010-2012, then became a columnist at the San Diego Union Tribune. Calkins has won national sports columnist of the year three times and was once featured in Best American Sports Writing.
Seahawks signing seems like big-risk, low-reward move | Matt Calkins
Signing Terrion Arnold might make sense for the Seahawks from a football standpoint, but it carries a huge optics risk for an otherwise controversy-free team.
After record-setting year, Seahawks' Smith-Njigba shows his humility | Matt Calkins
Can Jaxon Smith-Njigba repeat what he did last season? Hard to say. But if he doesn't, it will have nothing to do with complacency, columnist...
Mariners’ payroll decisions can’t be overlooked amid hapless season | Matt Calkins
It's the job of Mariners ownership and the front office to put the best possible team on the field, but the current squad is 56-63 and...
Alex Rodriguez was honored by Mariners. Here's how fans reacted | Matt Calkins
The ceremony honoring the Top 50 Mariners was certainly going to spark many cheers. What was less certain was how Alex Rodriguez — the man...
Seahawks' Hall shows his panache in 'Hard Knocks' premiere | Matt Calkins
In Tuesday's 'Hard Knocks' premiere on HBO, Seahawks outside linebacker Derick Hall showed off his personality and panache, columnist Matt Calkins writes.
Mariners are better after adding Taylor Ward at MLB trade deadline | Matt Calkins
Will Taylor Ward or Seranthony Dominguez strike fear into opponents? Probably not. But the Mariners are better than they were Sunday. That's the point.
M's doing just enough to keep fans believing glory awaits | Matt Calkins
This year's Mariners have been fascinating and infuriating. They've fallen way below expectations, but not far enough where a trade-deadline sale is warranted.
One thing we know M's must do at trade deadline regardless of standing | Matt Calkins
Even if the Mariners fall four or five games back in the wild card or division standings, they still must go for it and be...
Is Ernest Jones IV Seahawks GM John Schneider's crown jewel? | Matt Calkins
Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV was one of the best players in the NFL last season. And he could be one of the greatest hits...
Seahawks' roster feels familiar, but this is undoubtedly a new team | Matt Calkins
Almost all of the key figures from the Super Bowl champion Seahawks were in uniform on the first day of training camp. But make no...
Is this just who the Mariners are? | Matt Calkins
The Mariners, under .500 once again, are stuck in neutral. Sure, they have plenty of talent, but evidence is lacking that they'll turn things around.
Seahawks aren’t Super Bowl favorites but betting against them seems silly | Matt Calkins
Sportsbooks say the Seahawks aren't the first team you should bet on. But based on what we've seen and who's returning, betting against them might...
Argentina-Spain can put finishing touch on the best World Cup ever | Matt Calkins
This World Cup has had it all: drama, star power and instant classics. Sunday's final between the world's top two teams could cement it as...
Why Mariners making a run is getting harder to imagine | Matt Calkins
Prognosticators still say a post-All-Star run is coming for the Mariners. Maybe. Right now, it seems the season is running away.
Can the USMNT catch up to world's soccer powers? | Matt Calkins
It could be cost. It could be a broken youth system. But perhaps the main reason the USMNT lags behind the top-tier countries might be...
Seahawks’ new owners hopefully know they need to stay out of the way | Matt Calkins
It might be hard for the ownership of a sports team to not meddle with something they just spent billions on, but football matters should...
It's hard to break U.S. sports fans' habits. Can this World Cup do it? | Matt Calkins
Though soccer fanatics surely hope Americans will remain spellbound by soccer, it's more likely this World Cup fever breaks once the tournament ends.
One thing we know after USMNT's World Cup loss in Seattle | Matt Calkins
There is nothing to review in the USMNT's FIFA Men's World Cup game loss Monday in Seattle. Belgium was the better team by approximately three...
The beautiful game overtakes Seattle | Matt Calkins
Forget March Madness. The World Cup games in Seattle have been a June and July jubilee, leading up to perhaps the biggest sporting event in...