The Sonics trial continued yesterday, with Clay Bennett and Sonics CEO Danny Barth on the stand. The Times’ Jim Brunner identified the contention that the Sonics would lose $60 million if they played here the next two years as the major point of the day. Transcripts here, thanks to the Times [pdf].

Don James is the “face” of the Husky football program, according to ESPN. Next year’s high school seniors were either in diapers or in utero the last time James coached a game. So….yeah.

Brilliant college football blog Everyday Should be Saturday is allowing you to vote on the pressing question: What Is HIS COACHNESS SIR RICK NEUHEISEL More Beautiful Than? Your choices: “Every pony ever born,” “A Tahitian sunrise,” “Mena Suvari’s buttocks,” “Gerard Butler’s abs in 300,” and “Trick question, nothing is more beautiful than Rick Neuheisel.”

The Mariners lost again, and Richie Sexson, who may have played his last game at Safeco Field, hid from the media, writes Geoff Baker. Dickey was dreadful, allowing five runs in 3.2 innings. “I had a good knuckleball, I just didn’t have a very good release point with it. It was moving good, I just couldn’t keep it in the strike zone enough,” Dickey told the P-I’s David Andriesen.

The fact that Ichiro’s move to rightfield came the day after Bavasi was fired was pure coincidence, John McLaren told David Andriesen: “”Nothing whatsoever has been dictated from up top. Nothing. Ever. They’ve left me alone, and I respect that and I appreciate that. The Ichiro thing is something I’ve been thinking about a long time, and I just went with it.”

M’s tragic number (for clinching 1st pick in 2009 draft): 89 (combined losses by M’s, wins by Nationals).

USS Mariner has a well-reasoned open letter to McLaren about how to pick his lineups.

The debate over who caught Junior’s 600th homer gets weirder–now there’s talk of a decoy ball. Pretty soon they’ll be arguing that Griffey didn’t hit the ball, instead it was two guys on a grassy knoll.

Storm starting center Yolanda Griffith hurt her knee and missed Monday’s game. If she plays during tomorrow night’s home game against Indiana, she’ll be playing in pain.

Malik Hairston’s no cheese diet has helped him lose 15 pounds. He worked out for the Blazers yesterday, and they liked what they saw. Mac-10 told John Hunt: “(Our scouts) like him. They feel like he’s going to be a solid NBA player. I agree with that. I think he does have a feel for the game. He will one day be in someone’s rotation.” Texas PG DJ Augustin also worked out for the Blazers, who have the 13th pick. Here’s a mock draft.