Our Next Champion: Mariners or Sonics?

Hey, dear readers. Sorry it's been a while since my last "Will Call" column. I guess I was just so excited about the Seahawks' crushing dismantling of the Denver Broncos. The parade I attended with over 500,000 of my closest friends, I'll never forget. It was so crowded that the only movement I had for 3 hours was moving my sign from one hand to the other. The Seahawks helped bring this community together. We need more of this. We need another celebration. So this brings me to my latest question. Which team will win a championship first: Mariners or Sonics?

When I posted this question on Facebook (originally asked as "Which team will win the next championship"), most people correctly viewed it as a joke. They gave joke responses or didn't think to adhere to the question, giving me a lot of answers of Storm, Sounders and, most obvious, Seahawks. Even though I suggested the question in jest, it should be, in a way, very serious.

There's a reason why I chose the Mariners in the question, as opposed to any other local team. The Sounders seem on their way with Dempsey; the Storm have won recent championships; and the Seahawks, well, come on! The reason I selected the Mariners against a team that's at least a couple of years away from being here is that, unfortunately, when I think mediocrity or futility in Northwest sports, I think of the Mariners.

One thing that I think supports this is arguably the greatest play in Mariners history: "The Double," where Ken Griffey Jr. slid into home plate, beating the Yankees in the ALDS. It was an incredible play and I remember being at my friend's house watching it. But true to form they lost in the ALCS. The Mariners are 1 of only 2 teams to never play in the World Series, the other being the newly relocated Nationals. Here is a stat that will blow your mind: more days have passed between today and "The Double" than passed between "The Double" and the first game the Mariners played. Luckily I can't say the team isn't willing to spend money on players anymore, with almost half a billion dollars being spent on Hernandez's and Cano's recent contracts. Still, it seems to me they'll fall a few games short.

So what's your opinion? Between the two teams, one of which doesn't even exist yet, who will win a championship first: The Mariners or Sonics? Leave a comment and answer the poll question.