Seattle, WA
Most Influential: Jen Barnes
Lots of people tried to dissuade Jen Barnes from opening Rough & Tumble, among the first women-themed sports bars in the United States. She didn’t listen.
“Quite a few tried to talk me out of this because at the time it was crazy,” says Barnes, a fourth-generation Seattleite and a huge sports fan who spent 20 years in the legal field before opening the bar in Old Ballard about two years ago. “Nobody had thought of this. Nothing like it had ever existed. There were no examples, no proof of concept, nothing.”
Today, Rough & Tumble has become Seattle’s go-to bar for women’s sports. Thirsty patrons pack it for big games involving the likes of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, the Northwest Soccer League’s Seattle Reign FC, and various University of Washington women’s sporting events. Fan bases representing women’s pro and college teams across the country also visit, including alumni groups.
Women’s sports always take priority (only 15% of all sports programming across the United States is dedicated to women), but big games such as the Super Bowl and those involving the Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners also play on one of the many screens in the space once occupied by hotspot Sawyer. At least half of the screens always show women’s sports.
Barnes says she’s been “very intentional” about making the bar a place that goes beyond sports, including a food menu that’s a cut above typical pub fare and a welcoming, friendly atmosphere. She also had to fight stereotypes that Rough & Tumble was a lesbian bar welcome only to women. She estimates that men make up about 45% of customers.
Barnes calls Seattle among the top women’s sports meccas in the country, citing the Reign, Storm, and the University of Washington’s robust women’s sports programs. She says she’s been “very surprised” at the warm welcome Rough & Tumble has received from the sports community, because she’s been a longtime fan but wasn’t “integrated” into the system.
She plans to open another Rough & Tumble in the Seattle area, and the plan from day one has included national and even international expansion.
“It is the only place in the world that is purposefully built for equality, and unfortunately, that makes it very special,” she says. “But it’s not just for women. It’s not exclusively women’s sports. It’s for everyone.”
Seattle, WA
New York Sirens beat Seattle Torrent in front of sold-out MSG crowd in historic game for women’s hockey
History was made Saturday night at Madison Square Garden as the New York Sirens played the Seattle Torrent before a sold-out crowd.
It was the first time a Professional Women’s Hockey League game was played at the iconic arena.
The ceremonial puck drop didn’t just signify the start of a game, but a new era in women’s sports.
“We got women in space right now. We got women on the ice,” Queens resident Aaimz Davis said. “We got women everywhere.”
For Sirens season ticket holders, a sold-out MSG to see their ladies play was less of a “who would’ve thought?” and more of a “it’s about time.”
“Women’s sports have come a long, long way and this just means– this is just an awesome feeling,” fan Patricia Fraser-Morales said.
“You had the Liberty, yeah, OK, then you have Gotham, the soccer,” fan Myrna Morales-Fraser said. “Now you have hockey.”
It was a history-making game for the sport — both the first home game at the legendary arena for the Sirens, and the first time it’s drawn a crowd this big for women’s hockey.
On hand to mark the occasion was 39 Grand Slam-winning tennis great and trailblazer Billie Jean King.
“My dream has always been to help women’s sports grow because I come from a time when nobody cared about women in sports. It was horrible,” she said. “So when I see this, and I’m so happy I’m still alive to see it, you have no idea.”
Girls from the New Jersey Colonials youth hockey team, coached by Sirens Coach Greg Fargo, were excited and inspired. They see themselves going far, hoping to see their names up alongside the legends’ banners at New York’s center-stage arena.
“Maybe it’s gonna start growing more and more, and it’s gonna inspire more girls,” player Quinn Doherty said.
To give fans even more reason to celebrate, it ended up being a thrilling 2-1 shootout win for the Sirens.
Seattle, WA
Salk: 2 caveats for a Seattle Seahawks first-round trade up
The NFL draft is less than three weeks away, and one of the things I keep hearing is people excited about the idea of the Seattle Seahawks trading up from pick No. 32 in the first round.
Stacy Rost: What we can learn from Seahawks’ NFL Draft history
I’m not necessarily opposed the idea of trading up, but I want to throw two big caveats in that. One, I’m not giving up any of the picks from next year, certainly not next year’s first round. Next year is supposed to be an incredible draft. This is supposed to be a mediocre draft where there are starters, not stars. If you got the opportunity to get stars next year, I want to take as many of those as possible, so please do not trade away certainly your first-round pick for next year.
But then Brock Huard has brought up this whole idea of trading up for Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love because he’s the best player in the draft. He might very well be right that he is. You know what I just can’t get myself to agree to? It’s trading up for a running back and certainly not trading next year’s first-round pick and this year’s first-round pick and probably more than that to get up into the top 10 for a running back, for a skill-position guy.
Should Seahawks consider trading up for NFL Draft’s top RB?
Look, you were just barely able to keep me on board with paying $225 million for wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed knowing that you’re gonna be spending a whole bunch of money on cornerback Devon Witherspoon. I love all those players. I get nervous about spending that much money that far away from the line of scrimmage.
You wanna now go trade two first-round picks and try to get a running back? I’m sorry, that’s where you lose me. I just can’t go that far. I don’t care how good he is. I’m out.
This post is a transcript of the video at the top of the post. It is edited for clarity. Catch Mike Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage
• Seahawks’ 2026 OTA, minicamp schedule announced
• What GM said about Seahawks making ‘Hard Knocks’ debut
• Why Daniel Jeremiah isn’t concerned about Seattle Seahawks’ FA losses
• Why Macdonald envisions Shaheed as bigger WR threat in ’26
• Stacy Rost: Who makes most sense to play Seahawks in NFL opener
Seattle, WA
FOLLOWUP: City Light’s Brace Point project now one-third complete
If you live in the Fauntleroy-area neighborhood where Seattle City Light is working on long-needed underground repairs and updates, Brace Point, you’ve probably closely followed their progress. For those who haven’t, here’s the latest of SCL’s periodic updates:
Seattle City Light contractors continue to work on the underground electrical infrastructure serving the Brace Point neighborhood. They are installing new duct banks, conduits, cables, vaults, and streetlights. The new infrastructure will help reduce the risk of outages and improve service for residents.
Underground civil construction is approximately 32% complete. Our crews have installed 3,470 linear feet of conduit and 13 underground electrical vaults. We expect to finish most civil construction by the end of 2026. After that, crews will focus on cleaning staging areas and restoring the project area to the same, if not better, condition.
You can reach our team at bracepointcable@stephersonassociates.com or 206-312-0021.
If you would like to talk to a member of the project team in person, you can find us in the upstairs meeting room at the Southwest Branch of the Seattle Public Library on Wednesday, April 8 from 12-1 PM.
Current work areas:
Southwest Brace Point Drive: Crews are working near the intersection of 46th Ave. SW and SW Brace Point Drive.
47th Ave. Southwest: Crews are working north along 47th Ave. SW near the intersection of 46th Ave. SW and SW Roxbury St. Please drive carefully through this intersection and expect changing traffic patterns as the work progresses.
Longer than usual delays: Concrete pours are scheduled to occur on Wednesdays from 8 AM – 2 PM for the remainder of the project. Due to the narrow streets, trucks may have to park in the right-of-way. Please plan for longer than normal delays during these times.
Pedestrian trail: Crews are running new conduit and replacing the streetlight on the trail between 47th Ave.
Southwest to 48th Ave. Southwest. The trail is closed and expected to reopen in mid-April, once crews have finished the foundation for the new light pole. They will restore any areas disturbed by the project to City standards.Upcoming work areas
46th Ave. Southwest: After crews complete work on Brace Point Drive, they will start utility work on the segment of 46th Ave SW between Brace Point Drive and the intersection of SW Roxbury St and 47th Ave SW.
47th Ave. Southwest: This spring, crews will start working near the south end of 47th Ave. SW and work north towards the intersection of SW 98th St.
The work finally started last fall, five years after the originally projected start date.
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