Northwest Record Books
In just under two weeks, BC Lions receiver Geroy Simon will cement his place in the CFL record books as the league’s all time receiver.
Geroy Simon
Trailing Milt Stegall by just sixty six yards (15,087 – 15,153), Simon will reset the bar a notch higher for all future receivers to target as the Lions welcome the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to BC Place for their 2012 home opener.
Entering his twelvth year with the Leos and fourteenth season overall, Simon has hit for over 1,000 yards in nine straight years since 2003, with a single season high of 1,856 in 2006.
Shattering records is nothing new to Simon, who last season sent Willie Fleming into second spot as the team’s all time touchdown leader ladder.
Recording his 88th touchdown on September 10th, Simon added three more before the season was over, currently sitting at 91 and counting.
Geroy Simon about to go into the CFL record books
Simon isn’t the only Northwest superstar to sit alone in the record books.
Ichiro
On Friday October 1, 2004, Seattle Mariners right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki made his mark among the MLB greats, as a simple trickler up the middle gave him the major league single season record for hits with 258, breaking George Sisler’s 84 year hold.
Ichiro would go on to add four more hits that season to extend the record to 262.
Unfortunately the high profile league benchmarks end there, but within each respective Northwest team there are some milestones that may never be touched.
Hank
The Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin has the honor of chasing down a number of records, both team and league wide this season. Trailing former Canuck Markus Naslund on the club’s all time point leaders list by nine (756-747) there is a good chance that Hank will reset the mark well before Halloween.
Sedin also has his sights set on Jay Bouwmeester’s current league Ironman streak of 566. While both are a far cry from the record 964 games set by Doug Jarvis, Sedin’s 558 games is impressive nonetheless.
#37
Ichiro isn’t the only professional athlete to set records in the Emerald City.
Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander set a number of both Seahawks and NFL records during his eight years with the team.
While his most significant league record of 27 rushing touchdowns in a season was broken on year later by LaDainian Tomlinson, Alexander’s mark of four rushing TD’s in a half remains tied with a group of five others, including Priest Holmes, Eric Dickerson and Jim Brown.
Although he no longer sits atop the league record books, Alexander still holds the franchises record for rushing yards in a season with 1,880.
For hoops fans in the Northwest, the Portland Trailblazers and Seattle Supersonics failed to record any significant individual league records, however they both have posted some impressive team accomplishments.
The Glove
Gary Payton, the only point guard to ever win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award also holds the franchise records for points, assists and steals.
Gary Payton – NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Damon
The Trailblazers collectively set an NBA record not just once, but twice holding an opponent scoreless during overtime play. While many fans consider Kobe Bryant to have never seen a shot he didn’t like, one has to wonder what Damon Stoudamire was thinking when he jacked a league high 21 three point attempts in a single game.
The Grizz
It isn’t a mark that many would be proud of, but the Vancouver Grizzlies are the unfortunate shareholders of the worst NBA expansion team record.
At a horrid 15-67, the Grizzlies join the equally pathetic 1967/68 San Diego Rockets, the 70/71 Cleveland Cavaliers, the 80/81 Dallas Mavericks and the 88/89 Miami Heat.
While the Grizzlies and Cavaliers have yet to taste post season success, the Rockets, Mavericks and Heat have all hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.
While championships have for the most part eluded the Northwest (aside from the 2011 BC Lions, and 1979 Sonics), chasing down team and individual records is an equally impressive and proud accomplishment for fans to be proud of.
About Steve Lee
