Happy Free Agency!

I'll be in Indianapolis visiting family for the first full day of free agency, but I'll try to get on a computer if anything major happens (T.J. Houshmandzadeh?).

Should Joey Galloway Pull a Junior and Return to Seattle?

Ken Griffey Jr. played his final game for Seattle on October 3, 1999. Joey Galloway played his final game for Seattle on January 9, 2000. Junior is now returning to Seattle as a conquering hero, while the just-released Galloway isn't exactly being enticed to finish where he started by Seattle fans or the Seahawks organization.

Now, I'm not equating the two players... Griffey is one of the best baseball players of all time, and a cultural icon for the Pacific Northwest. Joey Galloway? Just another football player, and one that left Seattle on awful terms after forcing a trade following the '99 season.

But.. Galloway was the most exciting, dynamic player the Seahawks had through the drab 1990s. He was a true threat to score every time he touched the ball, and in his four full seasons with the Hawks he averaged over 1000 yards receiving per season, while racking up 40 touchdowns (36 recieving, 3 on punt returns are one rushing).

Just so you don't think that's simply ancient history, from 2005-2007 he had three more HIGHLY productive seasons with Tampa Bay before his injury-plagued 2008. In fact, according to the boys over at Pro Football Reference, Galloway is the Most Underappreciated Player of All-Time.

Like with D.J. Hackett, it's highly unlikely that Galloway will end up in Seattle. But if we can get him out of the bargain bin, I don't see why we shouldn't give the dude a shot. There's really no reason to hold a grudge about how he left town, after one of the picks we got for Galloway from Dallas turned into Shaun Alexander. Ha! Jerry Jones: A dumbass for decades.

If I hadn't sold his jersey for a quarter back in 2000 when I was super pissed at him, I'd bust it back out...

Remember This?

That's D.J. Hackett scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the playoffs against DC in January 2008. He was released by Carolina today.

It's admittedly not that likely that he'll come back to Seattle, but after what the Seahawks went through last season at the WR position, it can't hurt to call the guy... He needs a job, we need receivers. If we can get him dirt cheap, I don't really see the downside here.

Ranking the Squads: It's a 7-9 partaaaay!

If you're new to this, the previous entries are here... Let's go!

23. 1989
Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 27th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 16th out of 28
Turnover Ratio Rank: 23rd out of 28
Team MVP: Rufus Porter
High Point: Seahawks 24, Bengals 17
Low Point: Redskins 29, Seahawks 0

1989 was the end of the Steve Largent and Curt Warner eras in Seattle, and the '89ers were a drab, forgettable collection, sporting one of the worst offensive attacks in team history. The sad end for this squad was their utter and complete bitch-out in Largent's final game (a 29-0 ass-plowing). I was 14, and there at the Dome for #80s farewell. I cried, and not just because Largent was retiring.

22. 1996
Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 16th out of 30 teams
Defensive Rank: 24th out of 30
Turnover Ratio Rank: 11th out of 30
Team MVP: Michael Sinclair
High Point: Seahawks 23, Oilers 16
Low Point: Lions 17, Seahawks 16

My best moment of this season? That crazy win on a blocked FG return against Houston. But what day from '96 really sticks with me? My friends and I were getting ready to drive from Bellingham to Seattle for a They Might Be Giants concert, but I wouldn't let us leave until the Seahawks @ Lions contest was over. Rick Mirer came off the bench to lead the Hawks into position for the game-winning FG, which Todd Peterson didn't exactly shank.. Well, it was worse than that.. It looked good but just faaaaaaaded beyond the goal post.

FUUUUUUUUCK!

I was in such a bad mood that it cast a pall over an otherwise awesome TMBG show for me.... and that was the 1996 Hawks for me.

21. 1991
Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 20th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 8th out of 28
Turnover Ratio Rank: 22nd out of 28
Team MVP: John L. Williams
High Point: Seahawks 13, Broncos 10
Low Point: 49ers 24, Seahawks 22

This was the season that finally gave Behring an excuse to chase Knox and Krieg out of town.. I have a vivid memory of the Seahawks in a death-struggle against the Niners, and Krieg fumbled away the win trying to get an extra few yards on the potential game-winning drive. Like most of '91, it was a great effort punctuated but an awful result. One or two more wins in 1991 might have averted the disaster of 1992. Ugh.

20. 2002
Record: 7-9
Offensive Rank: 16th out of 32 teams
Defensive Rank: 23rd out of 32
Turnover Ratio Rank: 14th out of 32
Team MVP: Matt Hasselbeck
High Point: Seahawks 31, Chargers 28
Low Point: Cardinals 24, Seahawks 13

To paraphrase Kyle Reese in The Terminator...

We were that close to going out forever. But there was one man who taught us to fight, to storm the wire of the camps, to smash those metal motherfuckers into junk. He turned it around. He brought us back from the brink...

His name was Matt Hasselbeck.

This is where the good times started to roll... Where Matt Hasselbeck became a leader, and this team learned how to win. Here's hoping we haven't forgotten after that god-awful 2008 season.

Revisited: Seahawks All-Time, All-Drafted Team

I did this last year, but this seems like a good time to take another look at who the all-time best DRAFTED Seahawks are at each position.

The rules:

A) players must have been drafted by the Seahawks (no undrafted players like Mack Strong or Dave Krieg)
B) players must have made a significant contribution with Seattle (so no Ahman Greens, for example)

Note: Changes from last year's list are in bold

OFFENSE

QB Seneca Wallace
RB Shaun Alexander
FB John L. Williams
WR Brian Blades
WR Darrell Jackson
TE John Carlson
T Walter Jones
T Ron Mattes
G Steve Hutchinson
G Pete Kendall
C Kevin Mawae

DEFENSE

DE Jacob Green
DE Jeff Bryant
DT Cortez Kennedy
DT Rocky Bernard
LB Lofa Tatupu
LB Leroy Hill
LB Bruce Scholtz
S Kenny Easley
S John Harris
CB Marcus Trufant
CB Shawn Springs

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Josh Brown
P Ruben Rodriguez
KR Bobby Joe Edmonds

Off Topic ...and the winners are:

Suck it Oscars.. Here's the winners of the... beardies?

Best Movie:
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)

Best Acting
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Redbelt)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Screenplay
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Funniest Movie
Pineapple Express
Step Brothers
Tropic Thunder
Zack & Miri Make a Porno

King Shit of Fuck Mountain
Robert Downey Jr.
Pixar
Seth Rogan
Kate Winslet

What do you think, y'all?

Off Topic: Seth Kolloen Nails What Jr's Return Means...

Seth from Sports Northwest has perfectly captured why Ken Griffey Jr.'s return to Seattle is important, no matter how much his skills have diminished.

I was starting my junior year at Western in the fall of 1995, and still living in the Fairhaven dorms. As anyone above a certain age remembers, this was the height of Mass Mariners Hysteria. The first couple weeks of the fall quarter saw the M's go from three games behind the Angels to three games ahead to a one-game playoff that even non-fans like me skipped class to watch.

Side note: Of course, my Red Sox had long ago clinched the AL East crown, but would get swept away by those awful Cleveland Indians in the ALDS (Booooo!). That stung at the time, but it was probably for the best that I didn't have to directly oppose Mass Mariners Hysteria in the ALCS that year. Plus, I could root for the Mariners out of raw, spiteful Yankee Hatred.. So I had that going for me.

Anyway, the little TV lounge on the 2nd floor of Stack Two in the Fairhaven dorms was packed for that playoff, and for every game against the Yankees in the ALDS. One amusing aspect was some of the questions and comments from newly minted Marniers/Baseball fans... Some of the highlights:

-"Why can't Randy Johnson pitch every night?"

-After an intentional walk to Jr.: "That's not fair! Why are they allowed to do that?"

Y'all know what happened in that ALDS.. The comeback from an 0-2 hole... Jr's five home runs.. Johnson pitching relief in Game 5... Joey Cora's bunt single... Edgar's Hit... Griffey hauling arse to score the winning run, as pictured here:



People hugged and kissed like it was V-J Day... Some kid was running through the Fairhaven courtyard yelling "Edgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!" I had never been around that many deliriously happy people before, and if I had a girlfriend back then, I'm sure I would have gotten laid that night...

Trivial side note: Earlier that day in Oakland, the Seahawks lost 34-14 and fell to 2-3. I felt like I was the only one who noticed.

Even though I wasn't a Mariners fan, it was an amazing experience. From witnessing '95 alone, I can completely understand why Seattlites are going craaaay-zeee over the return of a 39-year-old DH/part-time outfielder. As much as I'd like to say Steve Largent holds the crown, Junior is by far the most significant figure in Seattle sports history, and even I'm hoping I can catch him playing at Safeco this season...

Season Ticket Renewal Package Includes Orders to Kill Colonel Kurtz

I got my season ticket renewal package today, and it's presented like a top-secret dossier... It includes:

-A nice calendar of important offseason events..
-A breakdown of Seattle's scouting staff and "Ruskell's Major Factors" for personnel decisions.
-NFL draft order and a list of ESPN's top 32-rated players.
-Ticket renewal forms (doy).

It's a cool little package, and another tiny bit of evidence that we root for a classy organization that values its fans...

Ranking the Squads: Two different ways to suuuuck

Check out previous installments here and here...

25. 1977
Record: 5-9
Offensive Rank: 8th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 28th out of 28
Turnover Ratio Rank: 24th out of 28
Team MVP: Sherman Smith
High Point: Seahawks 56, Bills 17
Low Point: Patriots 31, Seahawks 0

I was two years old, so I have to entirely rely on the historical record here... After starting life 2-16 (through '76 and the first month of '77), the Seahawks got things together (on offense at least) to finish a respectable 5-5 over 1977's last 10 games.

Stat weirdness: Steve Largent only had 33 catches in 1977 (the 2nd-lowest total of his career), but had a career-high 19.5 yards per catch. He also scored 10 TDs, a season total he only topped in 1983 and 1984.

Huh?

24. 1982
Record: 4-5
Offensive Rank: 27th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 5th out of 28
Turnover Ratio Rank: 19th out of 28
Team MVP: Kenny Easley
High Point: Seahawks 16, Steelers 0
Low Point: Patriots 16, Seahawks 0

The '77s were explosive on offensive, and pathetic on defense. The '82s were their goatee-wearing evil doppelgangers... Led by pro bowler Kenny Easley, the Seattle defense was damn-near dominant in 1982.

After an 0-2 start, the NFLPA went on strike, and seven games were wiped off the schedule. During the strike Coach Patera was shitcanned and replaced by Mike McCormack, who not only coaxed a 4-3 finish out of the '82s, but would go on to hire Chuck Knox after the season and help build the great Seahawks teams of the 1980s.

Old Games on DVD for Trade?

Sitting here on my DVD shelves are copies of this game and this game. If you have old games on DVD, tell me what you've got and maybe we can work a deal?

Let me know, y'all.

Ranking the Squads: Revenge of the 6-10's

Here's the first installment of my "Ranking the Squads" series.. Now we continue by looking at the four teams in Seahawks history to finish 6-10.

29. 2000
Record: 6-10
Offensive Rank: 19th out of 31 teams
Defensive Rank: 25th out of 31
Takeaway/Giveaway Rank: 23rd out of 31
Team MVP: Ricky Watters
High Point: Seahawks 27, Raiders 24
Low Point: Dolphins 23, Seahawks 0

2000 was a massive let-down after the 1999 playoff run, but frankly it was probably predictable after the collapse down the stretch in '99. In fact, over 15 games spanning mid-99 to early-00, the Hawks were a pathetic 3-12. The most notable thing about 2000? Kitna's craptacular performance convinced Holmgren to go out and trade for Matt Hasselbeck after the season.

28. 1994
Record: 6-10
Offensive Rank: 20th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 16th out of 28
Takeaway/Giveaway Rank: 11th out of 28
Team MVP: Chris Warren
High Point: Seahawks 30, Steelers 13
Low Point: Browns 35, Seahawks 9

In '94, we sported a QB who was just AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year (Rick Mirer), and September was a wonderland of glorious possibilities... Seattle opened with two road wins, and after pounding on the playoff-bound Steelers in the Dome, the Hawks were 3-1 and lookin' strong. Then the offense disappeared during a 6-game skid, when Mirer and his minions broke the 20-point barrier only once. The end of 1994 was also the merciful termination of Coach Tom Flores' tenure in Seattle.

27. 1993
Record: 6-10
Offensive Rank: 19th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 18th out of 28
Takeaway/Giveaway Rank: 8th out of 28
Team MVP: Eugene Robinson
High Point: Seahawks 10, Patriots 9
Low Point: Cardinals 30, Seahawks 27

There's not much memorable about 1993 besides Rick Mirer teasing us into believing he was worth the #2 overall pick, but here's one vivid memory I had of the 1993 campaign...

26. 1981
Record: 6-10
Offensive Rank: 15th out of 28 teams
Defensive Rank: 25th out of 28
Takeaway/Giveaway Rank: 6th out of 28
Team MVP: Steve Largent
High Point: Seahawks 27, Jets 23
Low Point: Giants 32, Seahawks 0

From October 26, 1980 to October 18, 1981, our Hawks went 1-15! Thank god I was six years old at that point and still had no idea what was going on... The '81s recovered from a 1-6 start to go 5-4 down the stretch, including that highly memorable MNF win over the mighty Chargers...

Coming up.. We start to wade through a sea of 7-9 almost respectable-ness... Bring your hip-waders.

Seahawks v. Mariners

With the imminent return of Ken Griffey Jr. to the Seattle sports scene, it's a good time to look at how both major Seattle professional teams have performed over their histories.

Before we get to the numbers, the broad strokes: Both teams sucked early, but the Seahawks became competitive more quickly. In the middle of the Dark Ages of Behring, the M's captured the imaginations of the entire Pacific Northwest. Almost on cue, when the Mariners started declining in the early part of this decade, the Hawks started an amazing run of playoff success. Both teams are coming off an awful 2008, but the general trend has been this: When people around the PNW are sporting one team's gear proudly, the other team's merch is on DEEEEEP discount.

As you know, the M's aren't my team.. But I know a lot of my readers are probably Mariners fans, so I'll try to be as even-handed as possible with my comparison of both teams...

All-time regular season winning percentage
Seahawks: .484
Mariners: .470

Playoff appearances (Keep in mind that it's harder to make the MLB playoffs)
Seahawks: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 (10)
Mariners: 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001 (4)

Who was better each year (1977-2008) based on winning percentage?
1977: Mariners
1978: Seahawks
1979: Seahawks
1980: Mariners
1981: Mariners
1982: Mariners
1983: Seahawks
1984: Seahawks
1985: Seahawks
1986: Seahawks
1987: Seahawks
1988: Seahawks
1989: Mariners
1990: Seahawks
1991: Mariners
1992: Mariners
1993: Mariners
1994: Mariners
1995: Mariners
1996: Mariners
1997: Mariners
1998: Seahawks
1999: Seahawks
2000: Mariners
2001: Mariners
2002: Mariners
2003: Seahawks
2004: Seahawks
2005: Seahawks
2006: Seahawks
2007: Seahawks
2008: Mariners

Yup. That's 16-16 over 32 common seasons...

So who will claim control of the Seattle sports scene? Given the history, one is about to start sucking consistently while the other competes for Championships...

Off-Topic: Go Jump on a Dull Butcher Knife, Helzberg Diamonds...

I'm not saying that I create hand-made cards for my wife, but Jesus H. Christ in a Chicken Basket... That ad is insulting to men, women... hell, maybe even to Replicants. The message: Hey, broham... you're not that touchy-feely doucher! Just buy your lady some diamonds, because you're too block-headed, insensitive and lazy to actually know what that crazy bitch might want!

Give me a frakking break.

Ranking the Squads: The Worst of the Worst

Today we start ranking all 33 squads in Seahawks history, with a big assist from Pro Football Reference... We're gonna start with the dregs... Hooray!

33. 1992

Record: 2-14
Offensive Rank: 28th out of 28
Defensive Rank: 17th out of 28
Team MVP: Cortez Kennedy
High Point: Seahawks 16, Broncos 13
Low Point: Cowboys 27, Seahawks 0

At least the 1992 Hawks were memorably bad, right? Behring finally chased Knox and Krieg out of town after the 1991 season, and the dark times swiftly began. A valiant defense led by NFL DPOY Cortez Kennedy was betrayed by an offense that could only muster 140 total points. In a mind-numbing 6-week mid-season stretch, Seattle scored ONE offensive touchdown.

Anyone who actually watched the entire 1992 season or went to any of the games earned their stripes as true Hawks fans...

32. 1976

Record: 2-12
Offensive Rank: 21st out of 28
Defensive Rank: 28th out of 28
Team MVP: Jim Zorn
High Point: Seahawks 30, Falcons 13
Low Point: Bears 34, Seahawks 7

The '76 Hawks were the mirror image of the '92 team... A decent, even occasionally exciting offense undone by the worst defense in the league. Jim Zorn did his best proto-Mike Vick impression (without, you know, the felonies), and fellow rookie Steve Largent showed his first flashes of brilliance too.

The best thing about the '76 Hawks? They weren't the '76 Bucs.

31. 1980

Record: 4-12
Offensive Rank: 21st out of 28
Defensive Rank: 25th out of 28
Team MVP: Steve Largent
High Point: Seahawks 26, Oilers 7
Low Point: Cowboys 51, Seahawks 7

First half of the 1980 season? Not so bad.. a win at the Astrodome over the playoff-bound Oilers, and a 4-4 record not unlike the '78 and '79 teams... The playoffs were still a possibility at Halloween.

The second half? A catastrophic 0-8 implosion capped by that humiliating 51-7 Thanksgiving beatdown at Texas Stadium. It's amazing that Coach Patera wasn't fired after the '80 season... Largent racked up over a thousand receiving yards while the Hawks seemingly fell far behind their expansion brothers in Tampa Bay...

30. 2008

Record: 4-12
Offensive Rank: 25th out of 32
Defensive Rank: 25th out of 32
Team MVP: John Carlson
High Point: Seahawks 13, Jets 3
Low Point: Giants 44, Seahawks 6

The best thing I can say about 2008 is that we all lived to tell the tale... This was easily the most disappointing team in franchise history, but I ranked it above the 1980 team because the '08ers actually showed some fighting spirit down the stretch.. What a grey mass of mediocrity, huh?

Speaking of mediocrity, you'll get a full-on blast of it in the next installment of Ranking the Squads... Stay tuned.

Housekeeping

First of all, I'm working on a pretty massively nerdy project: ranking all 33 squads in Seahawks history from best to worst... Sure we all know 1992 will be dead last, and 2005 will be at the top, but the fun shall be had in the space between! Stay tuned for that...

Also, we've had some decent interest in DKSB t-shirts, so we're moving into the design phase.. I'll keep you posted on that too...

PFR: Largent is the 7th best WR of all time.

Those indispensable nerds over at Pro Football Reference have made a list of the greatest Wide Receivers of All-Time, and our Largent came in 7th, behind these dudes:

1. Jerry Rice
2. Don Hutson
3. Marvin Harrison
4. Terrell Owens
5. Randy Moss
6. Lance Alworth

Personally, I'd probably rank Largent 3rd, but I'm willing to admit that I'm hopelessly biased. Frankly, if you polled your typical NFL fan these days, they probably wouldn't have Largent on the list at all. Enough time has passed and Seattle is so overlooked by the football media, that it's up to all of us to keep jabbering about how awesome #80 was every chance we get... Which is a great excuse to post this youtube clip of Largent highlights:



and duh.. the hit on harden...

Be proud, Seahawks fans! Your team helped end our national Favrian nightmare!

If the Jets had won that game at Qwest back in December, NY probably makes the playoffs. If NYJ had made the playoffs, "Eric has a mangina" probably doesn't get fired, and maybe Mr. Wrangler Jeans decides that he should hang around for one more season...

But they lost.. our 3-11 gang of mostly backups and retreads knocked Favre's dick in the fuckin' dirt and sent the Jets back home with a humiliating, season-killing loss. So raise a glass to our Hawks, y'all. Not only did they murder NYJ's season... they probably pulled the feeding tube out of the sad husk that Favre's career had become.

Unless Favre changes his mind AGAIN this spring or summer and tries to slime his way onto an NFL roster... God I'm so sick of his overrated, selfish, hillbilly ass.

Now the question is: Who does the media anoint as their new "salt of the earth" darling QB? Who will Madden, King, and all those other feeble-minded hacks elevate to legendary demi-god status? Gotta be Roethlisberger, right?

Fuck. My. Ass.

Off Topic: WWU Viking to get franchised!

I went to Western from '93 to '99. I got by bachelors and masters degrees there, and had the time of my life.. My love for the school and for the town of Bellingham is eternal and boundless...

Obviously I was elated when I read that Atlanta is planning to franchise Michael Koenen, their punter/kicker who played ball for WWU earlier this decade... With the death of the football program, Koenen is highly likely to be the last NFL player from my alma mater, and he's obviously pretty damn good.

Woo! Go Vikings!

Rainn Wilson Aint Bullshittin'

Woodinville's own Rainn Wilson wasn't just posing as a Seahawks fan on NBC's Super Bowl pregame show, apparently! Hat tip to reader Steve K. for the pic...

I think it's extra hilarious that Wilson's character on The Office would probably be a Steelers fan, if only he could be convinced to devote three hours a week to something other than Bears, Beets and Battlestar Galactica...

As Dwight Scrute would say... Question....

I just have a few questions for my loyal minions out there..

1. I have a couple of ideas for custom throwback Seahawks jerseys, but I'm not sure where to go from here.. My first thought is to get a hold of a blank old-school jersey and then take it to a sporting goods shop to get letters/numbers applied.. Any advice or help with this would be appreciated.

2. I also have an idea kicking around in my head for a DKSB t-shirt, but I wanted to see if there was any demand out there for shirts, which I'd likely sell for $10 a pop.

3. I have a ton of old Seahawks games and NFL films pieces piled up in my closet, mostly from 83-88 and 2003-now. Obviously it's not legal for me to sell copies, but I'd be willing to trade copies of what I have for other games I want in my collection.

You can answer in the comments here, or better yet e-mail me at dksb17@gmail.com...

Double Agents Among Us!

This may surprise some of you:

A) I have a sports obsession besides the Seahawks
B) This other sports obsession is 3000 miles away

Yup, I'm a Red Sox fan, and in honor of "Truck Day," I thought I'd talk a bit about my "divided" loyalties. Let's face it: I'm sure a healthy number of you HATE the Boston nine. For the record, I've got nothing against the M's unless they are playing Boston (or if a Mariners win would hurt the Sox). I was at Western in 1995, and I've NEVER seen a crazier sports environment than the one around the M's that fall. If it makes you Mariners fans feel any better, I couldn't even see the Red Sox get swept out of the ALDS by the Indians in '95 (thanks to the stupid decision by MLB to do regional coverage of the playoffs that year).

You may be asking: Why the Red Sox, Senor Douchington? It was one part love of Roger Clemens when I was a little kid (ugh), another part desire to spite my Mets-loving grade school friends after '86, and another just total sports nerdage: I read a lot about the history of the Red Sox/Fenway Park and about their decades-long title drought, and I fell in love. As early as '86 I have pictures of me with what would become my uniform: Red Sox hat, Seahawks jersey/sweatshirt/t-shirt. I went to my first Red Sox game at the Kingdome in 1990, and since then I've been to Fenway twice, and also seen games at Safeco, the Cell, Coors Field, Great American Ballpark, Jacobs Field and Comerica Park.

My love of the Sox has never eclipsed my love of the Seahawks, but I have to admit them Red Stockings helped make the 1990s tolerable by making playoff runs in 1990, 1995, 1998 and 1999. I cherish the World Championship years of 2004 and 2007, but I'd trade them both in a second for a Lombardi Trophy at Seahawks headquarters.

To me, the Red Sox finally breaking through and winning a couple of rings is a hopeful sign for the Seahawks.. Like Kyle Reese said once: The Future is Not Set. Despite millions of folks being convinced that a Red Sox championship would NEVER happen, it finally did. To the casual NFL fan, and I'm sure to many of you, a Seahawks world championship looks pretty fucking impossible right now... but it's not.

So how many of you have another sports team you root for that is OUTSIDE the northwest? How'd you become a fan? Dish!

If anyone else has the Seahawks/Red Sox fandom combo going, drop me a line.. Maybe we should start a club or something...

The War of the Flea (and Seahawk.. and Cardinal)

We all know that XL was hopelessly tainted by bad officiating. Our Arizona rivals are slowly beginning to realize that yes, they got screwed by the refs in a Supe as well.

Now, XLIII wasn't HALF as awfully called as XL, but both games are examples of the refs CONSTANTLY giving Pittsburgh a break on any & all "grey area" calls. Every Cardinals fan out there KNOWS that if Larry Fitzgerald had done the "LeBron James" routine, there's no way he'd have avoided a 15-yard penalty as Santonio Homles did. They also all know that if Darnell Dockett had held a guy down on the ground and repeatedly punched him, he wouldn't have avoided ejection the way James Harrison did... And so on and so on...

We're up against the biggest fan base in the NFL... a team whose owners are beloved around the league, and whose "blue collar" style of play has endeared them to the football media. Let's face it: Seahawks and Cardinals fans? We're seen as losers. Dregs. Curiosities.. Our teams are the only ones to have our FULL names painted on our end zones in the Super Bowl, as if without that bit of information viewers wouldn't know where our teams hailed from.

So we are encouraged to "move on" or "get over it." NEVER, I say! I call upon all Seahawks and Cardinals fans to create an alliance of convenience... A rhetorical guerrilla war against the Steelers, their fans, and their acolytes in the football press... All are welcome to join! From Cincinnati to Boston! From Baltimore to Cleveland! We will never stop questioning the legitimacy of XL and XLIII. We will stoke the fires of anger, we will remind the media and other fans at every turn that Pittsburgh has ill-gotten rings. Why?

Because it's accurate, and the NFL needs to come face-to-face with the weaknesses in its officiating.

Also... It's really fun to piss off Steelers fans, isn't it? Man, aren't they touchy about XL and XLIII? It's almost as if they KNOW something wasn't quite right, given the level of anger they direct at those who point out the weakness and bias NFL refs develop when they see a few thousand terrible towels waving... They will go out of their way to try to debate you. Why? If they were so confident, wouldn't they just pat us on the heads and go home to chug some more Iron City Beer?

So do your civic duty, my minions... Question XL and XLIII... It's the right thing to do, and you're causing psychic pain for those goddamn Yinzers.

UPDATE: Plus, there was a clip on Harrison's int return. No call, of course.

Did Larry Fitzgerald just have the greatest individual season ever?

First, peep these numbers:

Regular Season: 96 catches, 1431 yards and 12 TDs
Playoffs: 30 catches, 546 yards and 7 TDs
Playoff numbers projected over 16 games: 120 catches, 2184 yards, and 28 TDs
2008 Per-game averages (20 games): 6.3 catches, 99 yards and damn near a TD every game.

Over a 20-game marathon of a campaign, this level of production is amazing. Fitzgerald was consistent too, racking up 11 100-yard games and scoring in 13 different games. This magnificent bastard was the league's most valuable player in 2008-2009, no matter what Peyton Manning's trophy says.

Just off the top of my head, when I think about other great individual seasons, there's some black mark that taints it... Dickerson in '84? Disappeared in the playoffs. Marino the same year? Wasn't that great in XIX... Rice in '87? Shut down in an upset loss to Minnesota. Brady in '08? Lost the Super Bowl and perfect season.

L-Fitz in 08-09? Eye-popping regular season, capped by the greatest postseason performance ever. If Fitzgerald didn't just have the greatest individual season in NFL history, who did?

Off Topic: The 2008 Beardy Award Nominees!

Here's last year's nominees & winners.. enjoy!

Best Movie:
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler)
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight)
Andrew Stanton (WALL-E)

Best Acting
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Redbelt)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Meryl Streep (Doubt)
Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Screenplay
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Funniest Movie
Pineapple Express
Step Brothers
Tropic Thunder
Zack & Miri Make a Porno

King Shit of Fuck Mountain
Robert Downey Jr.
Pixar
Seth Rogan
Kate Winslet

What do you think, y'all?

XLIII keeps getting worse for Cardinals fans

Jumping Jeebus on a pogo stick... Poor Will Leitch... Welcome to our world, man.

Off Topic: The Pacific Northwest Rules/Pittsburgh Drools...

According to Pew Research, people around the country are yearning to move to Seattle (and to a lesser extent, Portland). Pittsburgh? Not so much.... Here's the top 10, with the percent of respondents who say they want to live in that city/metro area:

1. Denver (43)
2. San Diego (40)
3. Seattle (38)
4. Orlando (34)
5. Tampa (34)
6. San Francisco (34)
7. Phoenix (33)
8. Portland (31)
9. Sacramento (29)
10. San Antonio (29)

Where was Pittsburgh ranked? 25th, with only 17% saying they'd like to move there. As we've mentioned before in this space, the Pittsburgh area is hemorrhaging population (this is one of the reasons you see their fucking fans everywhere... they are fleeing that dying city in droves... it's like something out of Blade Runner or WALL-E).

At this rate, the town might have to start pawning those Lombardi Trophies to keep the lights on..

On the other hand, the two major cities in Seahawks territory? People flock there like the streets are paved with shamwows.

2009 Could Decide the "Team of the Decade"

First of all, a brief update to my "DKSB NFL Power Rankings" since divisional realignment in 2002, to include the results of XLIII (the system is explained here)...

1. Patriots (246)
2. Steelers (207)
3. Colts (195)
4. Eagles (160)
5. Giants (136)
6. Panthers (123)
7. Seahawks (122)
8. Chargers (119)
9. Buccaneers (117)
10. Titans (108)
11. Packers (103)
12. Bears (96)
13. Ravens (96)
14. Broncos (94)
15. Falcons (90)
16. Cowboys (81)
17. Jets (77)
18. Saints (73)
19. Cardinals (72)
20. Vikings (71)
21. Jaguars (71)
22. Chiefs (68)
23. Raiders (65)
24. Redskins (65)
25. Rams (64)
26. Dolphins (55)
27. Bengals (54)
28. 49ers (52)
29. Bills (49)
30. Browns (42)
31. Texans (40)
32. Lions (30)

But what if we expand the sample to the whole decade so far (2000-2008)? Then the rankings look like this:

1. Patriots (312)
2. Steelers (249)
3. Colts (216)
4. Eagles (212)
5. Giants (185)
6. Ravens (178)
7. Buccaneers (146)
8. Titans (138)
9. Seahawks (137)
10. Packers (134)
11. Panthers (131)
12. Chargers (124)
13. Bears (124)
14. Rams (123)
15. Broncos (118)
16. Raiders (117)
17. Vikings (107)
18. Falcons (101)
19. Jets (100)
20. Saints (100)
21. Dolphins (92)
22. Cowboys (91)
23. Jaguars (84)
24. Cardinals (82)
25. Chiefs (81)
26. Redskins (81)
27. 49ers (75)
28. Bengals (64)
29. Bills (60)
30. Browns (52)
31. Lions (41)
32. Texans (40)*

*Texans did not play in 2000 & 2001 seasons

So if you look at the whole decade, the Hawks are 9th... Not too shabby, eh? A XLIV win by New England (or anyone but Pittsburgh) would cement the Patriots' status as the "team of the decade." If the Steelers repeat next year, there will be much debate between the Massholes and the Yinzers over that title.

DKSB's XLIII Party Pics

All the pics from the DKSB Super Bowl Party are here and here... enjoy!

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you..

So once again we all live under a piss-yellow Yinzer moon. Great.

I have to admit this win was more legit for Pittsburgh than XL. Santonio Holmes' spectacular game-winning TD catch made him a football immortal, to be mentioned forever in the same breath as David Tyree, John Taylor, etc... The game overall was an instant classic, and another bit of evidence that the NFL is the most compelling sports experience anywhere in the world today.

However, XLIII couldn't escape controversy, and yet again a couple of highly questionable calls went Pittsburgh's way...

1. James Harrison's non-ejection

As Sando said:

The officials obviously saw the infraction. They penalized Harrison on the play. How could an official see one player punch another player in the back, then deck that player, without ejecting him from the game?

This non-call might not have affected the outcome of the game, given that it happened so late, but it still makes one wonder if the Steelers are just forever going to get the benefit of the doubt from NFL officials...

2. Kurt Warner's "Fumble"

You've all seen it: Warner gets hit on the game's penultimate play, and it certainly looked like an incomplete pass to me rather than a fumble. Shockingly, there is NO REVIEW from the booth.

Before you say "well, they just would have gotten a chance at a hail mary," remember that

A) the personal foul against Pittsburgh would have moved the final play to the 35 yard line.

B) The Cardinals have Larry Fitzgerald.

C) That's about the douchiest defense of the officials I can think of.. No surprise that argument was used by the trained Yinzer chimps at PFT...

So the torturous 2008 season is over... We look forward to a better 2009, hoping that Michael Crabtree is some sort of L-Fitz clone, hoping that Beck's back is OK... looking to Miami and Atlanta for "sucky one year, playoffs the next" inspiration, and pleased to see Dwight Scrute is a Seahawks fan:



Go Seahawks!

UPDATE: I forgot to mention the no-call on Santonio Holmes' TD celebration. What happened to "you can't use the ball as a prop?" He sure did that with his little LeBron James impression. Once again, it may not have changed the outcome of the game, but it's evidence of the ingrained tendency for officials to give Pittsburgh the benefit of the doubt on any "gray area" calls.

Tweeting XLIII

Keep your eyes peeled over in the right column for DKSB twitter updates before, during and after the game. ------->>>

Happy Super Sunday!

Even with the terrible XLIII matchup, I'm excited for Super Bowl Sunday. It truly is the best holiday on the calendar, and I'd love to amp it up further by exchanging NFL-related gifts under a Bill Walsh Coaching Tree, but that tradition hasn't even caught on in my own house.

The first Super Bowl I remember watching was XVII, and though I was disappointed Miami lost (I think I liked their uniforms better), I was instantly hooked by the grand spectacle of it all... I would become not just a Seahawks fan but an NFL fan; Every year on Super Bowl Eve I'd pull a Jolt Cola-fueled all-nighter watching old Supe highlights on ESPN. That'd get me to a couple of hours before kickoff.. Then I'd watch the game, crash badly and try to get out of school on Monday (it usually worked).

The Super Bowl is an annual marking post in my life... Christmases, Thanksgivings and most Birthdays bleed together in my mind, but give me a roman numeral and I can tell you exactly what was going on in my life at that time...

XXIII? I was down with mono that I caught from my first girlfriend...

XXVIII? My first Super Bowl in college; watched it with a girl I was in love with (at the time) in my dorm room...

XXX? My first big Super Bowl party at Western with all my college friends...

XXXV? The first Super Bowl I watched with my (future) wife...

XLI? My son's first Super Bowl party... We all got the flu and ended up sick as Prince Gerhardt...

and so on... I'll be watching from a party in Cincinnati at my friend Woody's house... Try to enjoy the game, and come back here for full coverage afterward, y'all.