Seattle’s most profitable sports activities franchise just isn’t the Seahawks, the Sounders, the Storm, the Mariners, the long-gone Supersonics or the Husky footballers, it’s the University of Washington men’s varsity rowing team.
For greater than a century, UW crews have been main contenders in collegiate rowing, capturing 21 nationwide championships. The latest of these victories got here final Sunday when the UW boat bested Harvard on the Cooper River in New Jersey.
As Daniel James Brown informed us in “The Boys Within the Boat,” his distinctive ebook concerning the UW crew that received gold within the 1936 Olympics, crew races have been town’s premier sporting occasions again within the Twenties and ’30s. 1000’s of Seattleites would line the shore of Lake Washington to observe UW rowers tackle the highest groups from California and the Ivy League.
Between 1923 and 1950, the UW crew received 9 nationwide titles. Within the subsequent 50-plus years, this system remained sturdy, however the Huskies have been in a position to carry residence simply two extra nationwide first-place trophies. Within the twenty first century, nonetheless, the Huskies have achieved success that now has exceeded the report of these early a long time. Between 2007 and 2025, the UW rowers have stroked their technique to 10 nationwide championships.
Rowing just isn’t a sport that turns athletes into millionaires. It’s now not an leisure that draws a legion of followers. However it might be the final word workforce sport. There isn’t any quarterback or pitcher or different place participant who stands out from all the remainder, there are simply 9 younger athletes working in good unison with grueling effort to attain victory.
Seattle ought to be proud to nonetheless have our boys within the boat chopping a path to glory by means of the Montlake Lower and on waters past.
See extra of David Horsey’s cartoons at: st.news/davidhorsey
View different syndicated cartoonists at: st.news/cartoons
Editor’s notice: Seattle Occasions Opinion now not appends remark threads on David Horsey’s cartoons. Too many feedback violated our community policies and reviewing the handfuls that have been flagged as inappropriate required an excessive amount of of our restricted workers time. You’ll be able to remark by way of a Letter to the Editor. Please electronic mail us at letters@seattletimes.com and embody your full title, deal with and phone quantity for verification solely. Letters are restricted to 200 phrases.
