Art Thiel

The Washington Huskies host the 6th-ranked Oregon Ducks Saturday. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says it's the biggest home game of the year - and the last one at Husky Stadium before it closes for major renovations.

The Ducks are a big threat to the Huskies, who have been doing quite well this season. Find out what Art thinks about the match-up tomorrow morning at 5:35 and 7:35 on 88.5 KPLU. Check back here for a blog of our conversation.

They've won the U.S. Open Cup for the third year in a row. They've moved on to the next round of a major international competition. And now, the Seattle Sounders have set their sights on winning their first-ever Major League Soccer Cup this year.

KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says it would be the logical end to a spectacular season.

The Seattle Sounders begin playoff play on Saturday night against Real Salt Lake in Utah. The Sounders (18-7-9) earned the second-best record in Major League Soccer this season and are expected to go far in the playoffs.

In fact, the team is expecting to go all the way, after winning the U.S. Open Cup for the third year in a row.

The Washington Huskies play one of the best teams in the country on Saturday – the Stanford Cardinal and their star quarterback Andrew Luck. KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says this is one of the most significant games UW has played in a decade.

The Washington Huskies take on Stanford in California this Saturday. They're hoping for a much better showing than last season's embarrassing 41-0 loss at Husky Stadium.

Standing in their way is the best quarterback since John Elway, according to KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel.

"The biggest draft bust in Seahawks history."

That's how KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel describes the team's trade this week of disappointing linebacker Aaron Curry to the Oakland Raiders. The Hawks got almost nothing in return.

Just two years ago, Curry was a top draft pick for the Seahawks. But he couldn't live up to the hype.

He couldn't live up to the hype. The Seahawks have traded disappointing linebacker Aaron Curry to the Oakland Raiders for almost nothing in return. Just two years ago, the Hawks selected Curry as the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Washington State University is enjoying the best start to its football season since 2006. The Cougars are 3-1 heading into Saturday's game at UCLA. And they're doing it with their backup quarterback.

Washington State University's football program is off to its best start since 2006. Following an improbable win against Colorado last week, the Cougars are preparing to take on UCLA this weekend, under the leadership of backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael.

The Mariners had a dismal 2011 season. They lost more than 90 games for the third time in four years. Attendance hit a new low at Safeco Field.

Now that the season is over, fans are looking ahead to 2012 with a little more optimism. The team has made a lot of young acquisitions who look promising. But KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says some old problems remain.

Now that the dismal 2011 season has come to a close, we're looking ahead to what 2012 might hold for the Mariners.

They may have won it all in 2010, but this year the Seattle Storm reverted back to their old habit of exiting the playoffs in the first round. They've done it six out of the last seven years.

KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel says injuries and exhaustion were big factors.

What a difference a year makes. They were the WNBA champs in 2010, but the Seattle Storm is already out of this year's playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by the Phoenix Mercury Monday night at KeyArena.

This might not be the best weekend to be a Seahawks or Husky fan. Both teams are big underdogs in road games against major football powerhouses.

KPLU sports commentator Art Thiel can't recall a time when both teams were so heavily favored to lose in the same weekend.

The Seattle Seahawks and Washington Huskies are poised to make rather dubious history this weekend. They're both underdogs in their respective football games. If the spreads hold true, it could be a grim weekend for football fans.